Superintendent Julie Hackett gives opening remarks at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Lexington High School Building, Sept. 15, 2026 / Credit: Lauren Feeney

The Lexington Public Schools superintendent will receive about $350,000 this year in compensation and benefits under her new contract. 

Lexington’s School Committee voted on and approved the new contract for Julie Hackett, the superintendent of LPS, on Sept. 29. The contract has not yet been signed, but only because Hackett and School Committee chair, Larry Freeman, have not gotten around to signing. “No additional changes are anticipated,” Hackett told the Observer.

Her new contract, which adds one year onto Hackett’s existing five-year contract, will be in effect from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2032. Hackett will be paid a $319,037 salary plus $2,000 in disability insurance this year, totaling $321,037. She will also receive insurance plans such as health, life, dental, and more.

Lexington will also pay $23,000 to Hackett’s deferred compensation plan, which is her retirement plan. The town will also contribute $4,000 in retroactive pay annually to her retirement account. 

Those benefits are in line with what some other municipal employees get. Town Manager Steve Bartha’s new contract, which the Select Board passed on Aug. 31, includes a $24,500 contribution to his retirement account and $2,000 disability insurance annually. He also gets health, dental, and life insurance. Bartha’s salary is about $60,000 less than Hackett’s, at $$264,569.

To compare to surrounding towns, Bedford Public Schools’ superintendent, Cliff Chuang, earns a $230,000 salary, though he was hired just three years ago. Hackett started in Lexington in 2018 and has 19 years of superintendent experience. In Belmont, the public school superintendent, Jill Geiser, makes $232,000 under her new contract. A bit further south, the superintendent of Wellesley Public Schools, David Lussier, makes over $311,000. And Anna Nolin, the superintendent of Newton Public Schools made $307,536 in 2025.

Hackett’s salary falls just shy of what Boston Public Schools superintendent, Mary Skipper, made last year. Skipper totaled $393,943 between $324,643 in base pay, a $60,000 annuity, $7,800 for transportation costs, and $1,500 for dental care.

An earlier version of this article linked to Steve Bartha’s 2024 contract. He has a new contract, as of August 2026, that is now referenced and hyperlinked.

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1 Comment

  1. Could the Observer please include the actual votes in the stories about committee votes? Was Dr. Hackett’s contract approved by the SC unanimously, or do we have any SC members who pay attention to LPS finances?

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