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Michael Cohen, an adjunct associate professor of mathematics at Hofstra University, is a retired superintendent of Brentwood Union Free School District.

We are navigating the most treacherous economic straits in a generation, facing inevitable declines in state and federal aid to education. Across Long Island, we see the beginnings of a ripple of declining enrollment in the lower grades, which will further constrict the ability of school districts to maintain their current programs and staffing. Clearly, we must chart a course of shared sacrifice as we confront this "perfect storm."

Leadership must set the standard for others to follow. For example, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo recently announced that he will take a voluntary 5 percent reduction in his $179,000 salary.

With approximately 10 Long Island school districts looking for new superintendents, their boards of education must keep these harsh realities in mind. Here are several steps they could take to improve transparency and accountability:

The term of the superintendent's contract shouldn't exceed three years - the same as the probationary period for teachers to receive tenure. Though it varies from district to district, in most cases contracts are for five years. But sometimes, boards of education seek to terminate the services of their superintendents before the end of their contracts. When that happens, districts find themselves enmeshed in protracted legal battles that result in major expenses for their communities - money that could better be spent on educational programs and materials, not legal retainers and buyouts. A shorter contract, which could always be renewed or extended, even before it expired, would make that less likely.

The total value of the superintendent's salary and benefit package shouldn't exceed $225,000. When superintendents receive overly generous compensation packages, that establishes a "trickle-down" benchmark for deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, assistants to the superintendent and district directors. These contracts also set a baseline for neighboring districts, which fall victim to the supply-and-demand notion in the search for new superintendents.

The superintendent's contract also shouldn't include guaranteed salary increments. The New York State Education Department posts all superintendent contracts on its website. In the vast majority of cases, the guaranteed increases in those contracts greatly exceed those granted to teachers. In fact, some provide superintendents with increments as high as 15 percent per year, clearly unsustainable in difficult economic times.

The contract should be posted on the school district's website. Most community members would find it difficult to navigate their way to the contract for their superintendent on the state Education Department site. Posting contracts on district sites provides for maximum transparency and accountability.

Travel allocations, car allowances, organizational dues and other such perks shouldn't be written into superintendents' contracts. Instead, such augmentations to base salary should be voted on at regularly scheduled board of education meetings, on an as-needed basis, and then posted on the district website. This will allow the public to be aware of compensation that might otherwise be hidden from oversight.

Certainly, school boards must be given leeway in the choice of leaders for their districts. But these proposals should help establish a philosophical framework for moving districts forward in this challenging era. Clearly, the ultimate responsibility for weighing the harsh realities that we confront lies with boards of education. Through shared sacrifice and abiding faith in our young people's infinite promise - and in education's transformational power - we will emerge stronger, more unified and poised to move our educational system to greater heights.