The Pittsburgh Public Schools yesterday began awarding about $318,000 in bonuses to 66 principals and acting principals, the district-wide rollout of a new compensation system designed to hold school leaders accountable for student achievement in their buildings.

The bonuses for work performed in 2007-08 range from $11,170 for Cindi Muehlbauer, principal of Pittsburgh Arlington PreK-8, to $1,830 each for Martin Slomberg and Derrick Hardy for their work at Pittsburgh Vann K-8 in the Hill District. When Mr. Slomberg retired as principal last school year, Mr. Hardy succeeded him.

Five school administrators will get no bonuses, reflecting the administration's dissatisfaction with their performance.

They are Annette Scott Piper, principal of Pittsburgh Morrow PreK-5, Brighton Heights; Scott Grosh, former principal of Pittsburgh Schiller 6-8, North Side; Craig Jackson, a former principal at the Student Achievement Center, Homewood; Anita Walker, former principal of Pittsburgh Arsenal PreK-5, Lawrenceville; and T. William Weems, former principal of Pittsburgh Oliver High School, North Side.

After the last school year, the school board assigned Mr. Grosh, Ms. Walker and Mr. Weems to assistant principal posts at Pittsburgh Brashear High School in Beechview, Pittsburgh Roosevelt PreK-5 in Carrick, and Pittsburgh Westinghouse High School in Homewood, respectively. The board assigned Dr. Jackson to a curriculum coach position at Westinghouse.

The five declined comment or could not be reached yesterday.

The average bonus was about $4,800.

No principal received more than about half of what he or she was eligible to receive. Linda Lane, deputy superintendent for instruction, assessment and accountability, said the disparity should narrow in coming years as principals continue to improve and adjust to the evaluation and bonus process.

Asked whether principals' performance had improved during the program's inaugural year, Dr. Lane said, "Absolutely."

"They broke new ground with this for Pittsburgh," she said. "It wasn't easy for them to do this."

The district last school year abolished across-the-board raises -- often in the annual 3 percent range -- that principals had received regardless of performance. Instead, Superintendent Mark Roosevelt established the incentive program, saying principals must be more accountable if the district is to improve academically and students are to take advantage of the Pittsburgh Promise college scholarship program.

The bonus program increased principals' earning potential. But it left them, Dr. Lane said, in a "less secure place."

The bonuses are funded in part with a five-year, $7.4 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education. They're paid in addition to the principals' base salaries, set in July, that range from $98,435 to $108,113.

Most principals were eligible to receive up to $12,000 in bonuses -- up to $10,000 for student achievement growth, measured in part by state test scores, and up to $2,000 for other performance measures, such as community engagement and embracing Mr. Roosevelt's improvement agenda.

In releasing the list of bonuses, the district did not specify how much each principal earned for achievement gains and how much for other performance measures. The latter amount is permanently added to the principal's base pay.

In a handful of cases, bonuses are to be shared by co-principals of a school or by acting principals who stepped in when principals went on leave. In at least two cases, bonuses will be paid to principals who retired or resigned.

Principals of the eight accelerated learning academies were eligible to receive up to $22,000 in bonuses -- the same $12,000 as their peers districtwide and an additional $10,000 for special work at their schools. None of the additional $10,000 may be added to base pay.

The academies, primarily located in troubled neighborhoods, have special programs and a longer school day and year than other schools. The district did not specify how much of the academy principals' bonuses reflected performance in the districtwide program and how much was for special academy work.

Dr. Muehlbauer, the overall top bonus-earner, is an academy principal.

While this is the first time that principals districtwide could earn bonuses, academy principals were eligible for $10,000 bonuses once before. For their work in 2006-07, the district awarded eight principals a total of $21,200, with individual amounts ranging from $500 to $4,697.

Dr. Muehlbauer was the top earner then, too.

Mr. Roosevelt wants principals to be instructional leaders, not building managers, and the district has provided training to help them adjust to the expectation.

Regina Holley, principal of Pittsburgh Lincoln K-8 and president of the administrators association, said some principals complained about mistakes and unfairness in evaluations.

"There were some things that I feel need to be changed," she said. Dr. Holley, who received a $5,380 bonus, said she wasn't entirely satisfied with the way her own evaluation was handled.

The evaluation looks at how much students grow academically during the year, instead of simply whether schools meet federal and state performance standards -- a distinction Dr. Holley said is the fair way to treat schools with high levels of student poverty and special education.

Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers President John Tarka has called poor leadership a problem in some schools. Yesterday, he said, "We have seen some improvement in some school situations."