Former SD50 superintendents top SOFI report, eight staffers receive more than $100K

Income numbers from School District 50 Haida Gwaii were released to the public last month.

Statement of Financial Information (SOFI) reports are released annually by the government and lists all employees who earn salaries above $75,000 a year, along with their expenses.

The SD50’s fiscal period, therefore the most recent numbers to be released, is between July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019.

Joanne Yovanovich, last year’s interim superintendent and current principal of Indigenous education, received the highest salary, collecting $166,714. Yovanovich also received the largest salary increase compared to the 2017-2018 SOFI report, with a more than $50,000 raise.

Yovanovich took over the role of superintendent following Dawna Day’s resignation in August 2018, and remained interim superintendent for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Day was the second-highest earner at SD50, receiving $162,697 last fiscal year, a $5,000 increase from her 2017-2018 salary.

Carey Stewart, the current superintendent for SD50, assumed his new role at the beginning of the 2019-2020 fiscal year. Last fiscal year, he received $145,471 as assistant superintendent of School District 92 Nisga’a, Stewart.

The following six staffers round out the eight employees paid more than $100,000 at SD50 last fiscal year, based on the SOFI report.

Shelley Sansome, secretary treasurer — $141,412

Deavlan Bradley, GidGalang Kuuyas Naay Secondary School principal — $135,619

Ian J. Keir, Gudangaay Tlaats’gaa Naay Secondary School principal — $134,306

Leighann Rodger, Sk’aadgaa Naay Elementary principal — $128,534

William Bedard, Port Clements and Agnes L. Mathers Elementary Jr. Sec. principal — $116,934

Noel J. Bellis, maintenance shop GTN clerk typist — $102,363

In total, school district staff who earn more than $75,000 a year were paid $7.57 million and claimed $245,186 in expenses. By comparison, staff who earned more than $75,000 a year were paid $7.52 million and claimed $179,050 in expenses for the 2017/2018 fiscal year.

Jenna Cocullo | Journalist

Jenna Cocullo