BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Four superintendents of the Kern High School District have agreed to a pay reduction next year contingent on one thing. The administrators will reduce their salaries if teachers and staff agree to do the same.

"We've had to cut more than 300 positions in the last two years, and we've cut literally tens of millions of dollars out of the budget," said board president Joel Heinrichs.

Heinrichs said the district will most likely have to make more cuts next year. The agreement to reduce the superintendents' pay was negotiated between the district and Superintendent Don Carter, Assistant Superintendent Joe Thompson, William Jones and Associate Superintendent Dennis Scott.

Heinrichs said any cut to superintendents' pay would be equivalent to whatever pay cut is taken by employee groups.

But some aren't buying the district's offer and question why the district is tying the superintendents' pay cut to employees taking a cut as well.

"They should just take a pay cut this year, next year and the year after, " said Susan Wooden, who works at the district office as a staff member. "Why ask us to take a pay cut if you're just going to do it if we do it?"