Blaine school board extends Granger’s contract

Blaine school board extended superintendent Christopher Granger’s contract to June 30, 2026 in a 4-1 vote during its June 20 regular meeting. Board member Erika Creydt voted against the motion.

Granger will receive an annual base salary of $208,273, according to the contract. His salary, however, is subject to an increase January 1, 2024 that reflects the mean salary of other local superintendents. He also receives a $5,000 stipend under the contract for having a doctorate degree, as do all employees with the same degree.

In November 2022, the board passed Granger’s annual performance evaluation as “more than” satisfactory and instructed board president Dougal Thomas and vice president Charles Gibson to bring a final contract recommendation to the board for consideration no later than May 22. 

Gibson responded to a question Creydt posed on retroactively increasing Granger’s salary and said it’s standard protocol to retroactively increase the salary based on multiple other local districts’ superintendent salaries. The benchmark districts include Anacortes, Lakewood, Granite Falls, Mount Baker, Sultan and Lynden.

Granger’s last contract, which was passed also in a 4-1 vote during a May 23, 2022 meeting, applied the same adjustment. His salary in that contract prior to the adjustment was $201,230, making his new contract nearly a 3.4 percent raise.

However, according to Washington state data, Granger was paid $227,413 for the 2021/22 school year. He was paid $211,672 the year before.

Board member Don Leu said Granger’s salary increase over the last three years has been less than the raises of other district employees.

“Frankly, in my time on the board, Dr. Granger has done that consistently for numerous reasons,” Thomas said, adding the district’s budget issues are the current reason. 

“We’re really fortunate to have someone of your expertise at this salary,” Leu said. “I know superintendents and I know salaries … I think you’re underpaid.”