MIFFLINBURG — A third Valley school superintendent in as many months has announced he will take a job elsewhere in Pennsylvania.

Superintendent Barry Tomasetti will leave the Mifflinburg Area School District on Jan. 26 to take a superintendent position at the Kennett Consolidated School District in Chester County.

Kennett boasts 4,009 students, nearly 60 percent more than Mifflinburg’s 2,390 students.

Tomasetti, in his 11th year at Mifflinburg, earns $113,000 at the Union County school district.

He will receive an annual salary of $180,000 at Kennett, according to published reports.

Two other Valley superintendents have recently accepted jobs at larger districts at significantly higher salaries.

William Clark, superintendent of the Milton Area School District for the past six years, was hired in November by the Manheim Central School District in Lancaster County.

Clark will earn $140,000 at the 3,000-student district. His salary in Milton, with 2,347 students, was $113,190.

Former Shikellamy Superintendent Alan Lonoconus left the district in November to take the top position at the Great Valley School District in Malvern, Chester County.

Lonoconus earned a $110,128 salary at the 3,200-student Shikellamy School District. He nearly doubled that salary with a five-year contract for $200,000 a year at Great Valley, with nearly 4,000 students.

Moreover, according to the contract, Lonoconus will receive a 2 percent annual salary increase upon completion of satisfactory yearly performance, according to published reports. By the year 2014, he will be earning $220,814 if he is granted the 2 percent increase every year.

School board presidents from Milton and Mifflinburg said salary discussions come up as contracts are renewed, but district size and the tax base prevent them from increasing superintendent salaries substantially.

“We don’t have the budget to increase salaries,” Mifflinburg board President Jill Shambach said. “We can only work within our tax base.”

Christine Rantz, president of the Milton school board, expressed similar sentiments, adding salary alone has not drawn superintendents toward or away from positions.

“Certainly salary always occurs to you,” she said. “I don’t think it’s something that’s kept us from hiring the best candidate.”