New St. Paul Public Schools superintendent to be paid $270,000 in first year

Stacie Stanley, who was tapped in December to be the next schools chief in St. Paul, will take the helm of the state’s second-largest district in May with a first-year salary of $270,000.

The school board on Tuesday unanimously approved a three-year contract for Stanley, the current superintendent of Edina Public Schools.

Her appointment represents a homecoming for her and the district. Stanley grew up in St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood, and as a graduate of Central High School, she is the first product of St. Paul Public Schools to be chosen as its superintendent.

“Joining such a vibrant and dedicated community of students, staff, family and partners is both a privilege and a responsibility that I hold close to my heart,” she said in a statement. “Together, we can create an inspiring educational environment where every student thrives.”

Stanley will start work May 12 and receive $37,385 under a short-term contract also approved Tuesday. Her three-year, $270,000 contract will begin July 1.

Board Member Carlo Franco said the three-year deal takes into account St. Paul’s size and the challenges that will face the district’s incoming schools chief. The board has been working to erase a projected budget shortfall of $51.1 million in 2025-26.

Stanley’s pay also falls in line with that of her predecessors, Franco said.

Former Superintendent Joe Gothard left St. Paul for his hometown of Madison, Wis., in May while in the first year of a three-year contract paying him $256,000 annually. Had he stayed, he would’ve earned $266,342 in salary during the coming school year.

Stanley was being paid $252,235 this year in Edina.

St. Paul Board Chair Halla Henderson said the salary that was negotiated came in slightly under the cap proposed privately by board members.

The compensation package includes insurance, retirement contributions, business expense allowances and other benefits, and has a total value in the first year of about $334,000, said Chuck Long, the district’s general counsel.

Stanley began her professional career as an occupational therapist before taking a teaching job at the East Metro Integration District. She then served as a principal in the Roseville Area Schools and an administrator in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage and Eden Prairie districts before taking over three years ago in Edina, where she oversees 8,600 students.

In her interview with the board, she reported success in narrowing achievement gaps in Edina and Eden Prairie, and expressed support for St. Paul’s efforts to boost student literacy through its SPPS Reads initiative.

This year, St. Paul has reported an enrollment of 33,469 students, up slightly from a year ago.

John Thein has been serving as interim superintendent of St. Paul Public Schools — the same role he held for about a year before Gothard was hired in 2017.