New City Schools Premier Melissa Aviles-Ramos inherited a raise from her predecessor, David Banks, making her the city's highest-paid employee, far exceeding the mayor's salary, the Post reported.
Aviles-Ramos, 42, a Bronx-born mother, will receive a whopping $414,799 a year, a significant increase from her previous Education Department salary of $232,754.
She will also receive extensive benefits, paid vacation and sick leave, as well as a car and driver, according to Mayor Adams' Oct. 15 appointment letter.
Former Chancellor Banks will receive a pay increase of $414,799, a 12.5 percent increase from $363,346 in the latest round of citywide managerial raises. Mr. Adams ousted the school principal in mid-October after the FBI seized Banks' cellphone in an ongoing corruption investigation.
Mayor Adams did not receive a raise, leaving his salary at $258,750.
Banks retired after 40 years with the City Department of Education, while Aviles-Ramos joined the DOE 17 years ago as a teacher and quickly became a rank has risen He has held nine different positions including principal, deputy superintendent and bank principal.
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Aviles-Ramos left the city briefly in January to become vice president of the private Monroe College, but returned in July as vice president for family and community relations and external affairs. This is clearly in anticipation of the bank's successor.
Mr. Banks' wife, First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, also resigned in a wave of City Hall departures, receiving a raise from $275,000 to $313,941.
The next highest paid city employee is NYCHA CEO Lisa Bova-Hyatt at $393,531. Steven Meyer, chief investment officer and deputy controller of asset management, $373,320; and Marek Tyszkiewicz, chief accountant, $349,723.
This week, Aviles-Ramos attended the SOMOS political conference in Puerto Rico, along with two other DOE officials, Cristina Melendez and Quenita Lloyd.
“She is the first Puerto Rican woman to hold this position” at a school where 42 percent of children are Hispanic, said Nathaniel Stair, a DOE spokesman.
He declined to say whether the city was paying for his travel, but a City Hall spokesperson said taxpayers have funded the flights for several other government employees, who also He said he is eligible for reimbursement for other expenses.
