The Board of Education unanimously voted in favor of extending Superintendent Brian Osborne's  contract and awarded him a 3.29 percent pay increase Monday evening. But Osborne, in a surprise move, donated the money from his new raise to local non-profit education group South Orange-Maplewood Education Foundation (SOMEF).

Before the vote, Board President Mark Gleason explained the board's reasoning for recommending extending Osborne's tenure through 2013. Gleason cited accomplishments under Osborne's 22-month tenure, like full day kindergarten, which will be instituted in the coming school year, and increased transparency in school communications. The contract entailed a pay increase, but Gleason emphasized that the increase was less than in previous years, reflecting local and national economic conditions.

Two speakers objected to the raise, with the first stating that Osborne's salary of nearly $200,000 was "well beyond adequate," and that granting him a raise showed a lack of sensitivity to the people struggling in the community. Another speaker pointed to President Obama's order to freeze wages among high-earning members of his staff, and suggested the board follow the president's example.

Members of the board praised Osborne's performance, and voted nine to zero to extend the contract.

Accepting the new contract, Osborne made a surprise announcement: he would be donating his raise to SOMEF. He cited the organization's support of grants to teachers and its Achieve tutoring programs.

Osborne said he was looking forward to continuing his work at the district. "It's been a fantastic 22 months," he said.

SOMEF's executive director Deborah Prinz said Osborne's announcement came as a surprise, and she only got wind of it after the meeting when someone called her.

"I'm just delighted about it," said Prinz, whose organization stands to receive in excess of $6,000, the amount of Osborne's raise. "It's a statement about how he feels about the school district and how committed he is—the fact that he's reinvesting the money in the district."

Cotton Delo contributed reporting.