The Texas Education Agency has released its annual superintendent salary update and the new data reveals some eye-popping details.
For instance, the highest paid full-time superintendent in Texas makes almost $450,000 in base pay alone. In 2021, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s top administrator will pull in $437,018, which is more than the President of the United States earns, about three times what the Texas Governor will make, and seven times greater than the median household income. That’s just base pay, too. The figure doesn’t include things like the superintendent’s automobile allowance ($24,000 in 2019); cell phone allowance ($1,200 in 2019); life insurance policy allowance ($4,000); and more.
The data also reveals that the second highest paid full-time superintendent—at Barbers Hill ISD—will get paid $425,773 despite the district teaching fewer than 6,500 students. Not far behind is Crowley ISD, which plans to pay its top administrator $383,093 in spite of the district having only around 15,000 students.
Some other interesting nuggets: The top 10 highest paid full-time superintendents will make over $3.9 million this year, excluding benefits; eight of the top ten highest paid full-time administrators serve as the heads of traditional ISDs (not charters); the base pay for 215 full-time superintendents is $200,000 or more; and one part-time superintendent in San Vicente ISD gets paid $55,750 despite the district only having 5 enrollees.
The value of this data is two-fold. First, it enlightens public discourse on school district spending. Second, it deflates the persistent narrative advanced by Big Education that school districts are underfunded. Both are very much helpful with the Legislature in session.
Source: Texas Education Agency’s Superintendent Salary Database