Wendy Johnson will be Idaho’s second-highest paid superintendent when she takes over the top administrative role at the Boise School District next month. 

Boise school board trustees Monday approved a three-year superintendent contract for Johnson. She will earn $219,454 next year to lead the second-largest school district in Idaho, which has 21,720 students. 

Johnson’s salary is slightly higher than her predecessor’s. Superintendent Lisa Roberts, who’s retiring later this month, earned $218,362. The 0.5% increase for Johnson aligns with raises that Boise teachers will get next year.

School Board Chairman Dave Wagers said Tuesday that tying an annual raise with pay increases for teachers has been a staple of the superintendent’s contract for “many years.” Johnson’s contract says she’ll get annual increases at the same percentage provided to other certificated employees after negotiations with the teachers’ union each year. 

“It keeps it very simple, very understandable,” Wagers said. “As long as we have good candidates that are willing to work within those constraints … it (has) worked for me.” 

By contrast, the West Ada School District’s board of trustees Monday approved $20,000 annual raises over the next three years for Superintendent Derek Bub. With a $250,822 salary next school year, Bub will continue to be the state’s highest-paid superintendent — overseeing the state’s largest district, by far. He’ll earn $290,822 by the 2028-29 school year.

Johnson is currently Boise’s assistant superintendent. She was superintendent of the Kuna School District for 12 years. Boise trustees gave her the top job in January, after Roberts announced she would retire June 30, the end of the fiscal year. 

Johnson takes over July 1.

Trustees unanimously voted to approve her contract Monday.