Half Hollow schools' Karnilow to retire

Sheldon Karnilow, one of Long Island's highest-paid school superintendents, will retire in September after more than four decades in education.

Karnilow, 63, head of the Half Hollow Hills district for a decade, earns a base salary of $305,325 with an additional $61,760 in benefits and $12,600 in unused sick and personal days. An estimate of his expected pension was not available.

The superintendent said he's leaving the post to spend more time with his family.

"As my grandchildren reach each milestone in their development and I am not there to witness them . . . I stop and re-evaluate those things that truly matter in my life," he said in a statement.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently shined a spotlight on superintendent salaries, saying he's not sure why some school chiefs earn more than he does. Cuomo, who is paid $179,000 per year, wants to cap superintendent pay at $175,000.

Asked about the governor's comments, Karnilow said, "It's always uncomfortable to have your salary published in the newspaper." At the same time, he said he's received a great deal of support from the community.

The Suffolk district, with a budget of nearly $208 million, has 10,037 students and 879 teachers in 11 schools. In each of the past five years, its two high schools have been on Newsweek's America's Best list, which is based on how hard schools work to challenge students with college-level courses and tests.

Karnilow, who grew up in Brooklyn, taught in the New York City school system for 24 years and also worked as an administrator in the Merrick and Port Washington districts.

While at Half Hollow Hills, Karnilow boosted the district's electronic communications in part by revamping its website and allowing parents to view grades in real time. In terms of academics, he said the district has worked hard to close the achievement gap and that it developed a special program to mentor underprivileged children.

The superintendent said he's proud of the district's top-notch rating from Moody's Investors Service and of his work to keep Half Hollow Hills fiscally sound.

Karnilow was ahead of the curve when he urged seven years ago that teachers and administrators foot the bill for 20 to 25 percent of their health care insurance cost; most districts required far less.

He said Half Hollow Hills has agreed to a salary schedule freeze for all administrators and teachers for the 2011-2012 school year, saving more than $3 million next year. The district is slated to lose $4 million in state aid. While it will lose 14 teachers because of declining enrollment, it is not planning for budget-driven layoffs.

"I have never met another superintendent with the kind of energy and passion that Dr. Karnilow has," school board president Anne Marie Sorkin said. "He is in the office at 6 a.m. and works until 10 at night. He is innovative, creative and he searches the rest of the country for best practices."