Edgewood ISD finds itself in the midst of controversy once more.
It was revealed recently that the lackluster school district had approved a contract extension and pay hike for its superintendent. As reported by the San Antonio Express-News, “the Edgewood Independent School District board extended his contract to 2029 and raised his salary to $291,923.” That amount, of course, excludes the value of any benefits, like healthcare, retirement, and allowances.
The compensation increase was approved by a near-unanimous vote of the board. Only one trustee voted against it.
In defense of his ‘No’ vote, the trustee explained that, “he dissented because of the district’s budget constraints and because the contract included extra money for the superintendent’s insurance, among other perks.” Oddly, the superintendent himself would probably agree with the first part since he himself has said in the past that: “Money is always tight.”
Whatever the case, Edgewood ISD’s top administrator is now one of the highest paid public school employees in the San Antonio region. A quick look at the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) superintendent salary database for the 2023-24 school year reveals that other top administrators are earning less than $291,923—and in some cases, a lot less. Those include:
- Alamo Heights ISD, $270,000
- Fort Sam Houston ISD, $200,000
- Harlandale ISD, $257,541
- Judson ISD, $265,000
- Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, $279,191
- Sommerset ISD, $200,000
- South San Antonio ISD, $270,000
- Southside ISD, $278,204
- Southwest ISD, $271,950
Based on the data, the only districts paying their superintendents more are Northside ISD ($350,000), San Antonio ISD ($334,183), and East Central ISD ($306,476).
This level of pay is jarring, to say the least. And it’s an especially difficult situation to accept when Texans are struggling to afford groceries. But perhaps one might be able to rationalize it away with a great return-on-investment (ROI), like incredible student outcomes.
That is to say, if a great many number of students in a particular district continually graduate with an exceptional grasp of reading, writing, and math, then perhaps it matters less what top administrators are making. Great products beget less grousing.
But that’s not the case here. According to txschools.gov, Edgewood ISD earned a C rating on its latest overall assessment. Worse, a closer look at the data reveals that the district is utterly failing the vast majority of its student population.
Based on 2022 STAAR test results, only 23% of Edgewood ISD students can read, write, and do math at or above grade level. The statewide average—which is also shockingly low—is 48%.
All of this information contextualizes the massive salary enjoyed by Edgewood ISD’s superintendent and raises a question—why?
Why should this elite education employee be paid 2X the salary of the Texas Governor? Why should taxpayers welcome paying higher taxes for such dreadful outcomes? Why hasn’t the Texas Legislature done more to rein in out-of-control compensation at the local level?
None of these have good answers, but to the last question at least, the taxpaying public might find some satisfaction in 2025.