Answer: Almost $600,000!
According to the Texas Education Agency’s Superintendent Salary Reports, Point Isabel ISD’s superintendent took home $589,400 for the 2019-20 school year. That amount excludes pricey perks too, which oftentimes include things like performance and retention bonuses; housing, car, and cell phone allowances; health insurance; a defined benefit pension plan; retirement contributions; membership dues for civic organizations; life insurance; and more.
Surprisingly, Point Isabel ISD only has an enrollment of 2,175, meaning that the superintendent receives compensation of more than $270 per student. But while the superintendent is earning big bucks, the general student population is not wealthy by any stretch. In the 2017-18 school year, 86.1 percent of the student population was categorized as “Economically Disadvantaged.”
Source: Texas Education Agency’s Superintendent Salary Reports
The Point Isabel school district isn’t alone in paying its superintendent an obscene amount of money. In fact, a growing number of Texas school districts are forking over an alarming amount to their superintendents. Last year, the state’s 10 highest paid superintendents all received more than $350,000 annually, or $4.1 million collectively.
This kind of excessive spending is, of course, bad for the taxpayer; but it’s also terrible for teachers and students. Those in the classroom are being deprived of much-needed resources.
As I’ve said before: “The fact is that public education isn’t underfunded. Boards and administrators have plenty of money – they’re just not spending it in the right place, i.e. the classroom.” That’s something to remember, especially as we prepare to head into a difficult legislative session next year.