NASHUA — For the second time this month, starting salaries for school administrators were criticized by some city education officials.

The Board of Education authorized the hiring of seven assistant principals for the upcoming school year Wednesday, but not before three board members raised serious concerns about their annual pay rates.

In one instance, a teacher currently making about $44,000 a year was hired for an assistant principal slot at Ledge Street Elementary at a starting salary of $71,828.

“That is an abnormally large increase,” said board member Dennis Ryder, one of three school officials who opposed the salary for Tiffany Hyatt.

Sandra Ziehm, school board member, was the most vocal with her concerns.

“I’ve turned this over in my head a hundred times and asked what is reasonable,” said Ziehm, adding she would not support any pay raises above 10 percent. Ziehm said that many of the candidates are highly qualified, and her objections are not personal.

An assistant principal position at Nashua High School South was also debated for Dennis Hamilton at a salary of $80,983; his previous pay was $67,000.

“To me, that seems excessive in this market,” said Ziehm. “ ... I just think it is too much.”

Ziehm said she would rather see some of the money being spent to place more paraprofessionals in the classrooms.

Superintendent Mark Conrad argued that salaries are not based on previous earnings, but what the district views as the value of the position.

“We think this is really the universal approach,” Conrad said, explaining many of the assistant principal positions involve additional working days and contracts that have a longer school year. He also mentioned that a committee is being formed to review the salary pay ranges for administrators this summer.

Despite the hesitation, all seven assistant principal positions were approved, including Hyatt, Hamilton, Lesa McQuesten for Nashua High School North at $80,983, Sharon Wilson for Nashua High School North at $81,792, Delese Hovey for Broad Street Elementary School at $71,828, Stacy Bachelder for Amherst Street School at $71,828 and Kay Aarthun for Mount Pleasant School at $71,828.

Bachelder and Aarthun were final candidates for the two remaining positions, and were publicly interviewed by school officials Wednesday night before officially being hired.

khoughton@newstote.com