Seattle public schools chief John Stanford refuses $500,000 incentive bonus

Jet, Feb 16, 1998

John Stanford, Seattle schools superintendent, says he wont accept a $500,000 incentive bonus because it would divide him from teachers and principals who are paid much less.

The bonus reportedly was offered by anonymous donors with the stipulation that Stanford remain in his $200,000-a-year position at least until June 2002.

Stanford, a retired Army major general, said in the Seattle Times, "If there's $500,000 out there, we need that money for other things than for me personally. I would ask the donors that the money they would have given me, they would give to (the district) for school purposes."