North Penn superintendent among Pennsylvania’s highest-paid school leaders, state data shows
Several Bucks County districts also saw superintendent turnover as salaries across the region topped state averages
Newly released Pennsylvania Department of Education salary data shows several school superintendents in Bucks County and eastern Montgomery County rank among the highest-paid district leaders in the state, with North Penn School District’s Todd Bauer landing near the very top of the list.
According to the report, Bauer earned a salary of $316,890 during the 2025-26 school year, making him the fourth-highest-paid superintendent in Pennsylvania. The state’s highest-paid superintendent worked in Philadelphia, while the average superintendent salary statewide was reported at roughly $177,226.
While no Bucks County superintendent cracked the statewide top 10, former Central Bucks Superintendent Steven Yanni ranked highest in the county with a salary of $275,000 before he was fired by the school board in October following fallout tied to the Jamison Elementary abuse investigation. Central Bucks later hired Joanna Wexler under a five-year contract beginning at $255,000 annually.
Several other local superintendents also earned salaries above the statewide average, including Methacton Superintendent David Zerbe at $257,813, Perkiomen Valley Superintendent Dr. Barbara Russell at $257,738, Pennridge Superintendent Angelo Berrios III at $235,000, Quakertown’s former superintendent Matthew Friedman at $228,575 and Souderton Superintendent Frank Gallagher at $218,423.
The report also highlighted ongoing leadership turnover in Bucks County schools. In addition to Yanni’s departure from Central Bucks, Quakertown officials accepted Friedman’s resignation earlier this year, while Bensalem Superintendent Samuel Lee also left his district amid a significant budget shortfall. Statewide, superintendent salaries collectively totaled more than $88 million across nearly 500 public school districts.
