The other day I wrote a bit about how top-heavy the pay scale has gotten at Texas public schools. The Texas Tribune has taken the rant and turned into an interactive data tool, which allows readers to examine and sort superintendent pay in all Texas public schools.
To any of our readers in Beaumont, you’ll be glad to know that you’re district is the highest-paying for a superintendent in the entire state. Even though it’s nowhere near the largest, or best. You’re paying your superintendent, Carrol Thomas, $346,000.
Rural Leon County, you’re paying your county school super a cool $116.60 per student. And that’s nowhere near the highest per student pay in the state.
In all, the top two dozen Texas superintendents make north of a quarter million per year. This blogger’s conclusion: I’m in the wrong business.
Thanks for the info! We taxpayers in the Burleson ISD are being vilified by our superintendent for not passing the ‘secret’ tax increase just 2 weeks before the general election in November. The parents and students were propagandized heavily under false pretenses leading up to the election not announced beforehand in the local newspaper, obviously in violation of the Texas Ethics Rules. Those of us who found out about it alerted the TEA party, and made signs. Our efforts paid off and the initiative failed by 18 votes. Now the super is crying in every newspaper edition that it’s unfair not to give them more of our already-sky-high taxes. (They will probably try the same stunt again when we aren’t watching) They built a $28million football stadium, and built a new second high school on a huge landscaped campus with a $40,000 chandelier in the entrance that doesn’t even provide light. It’s time for vouchers for parents; these spendthrift jerks need competition.
Honestly, I have no problem with a super getting that kind of money with these caveats:
If he has large private sector experience (or military);
If he is elected, not appointed;
If it is district only, thus answerable to parents;
If he gets results.
The right person in that job is the best investment of our education dollars, as the wasteful spending in other areas will be reduced.
If he’s just another academic hack, then fuggedaboutit. I want someone with a background of working where he has to get results.
Iowahawk, in a rare serious essay, takes down the Nobel Laureate in Economic from the NY Times over WI vs TX school performance, proving that Nobels ain’t what they used to be, as if Obama didn’t demonstrate that already. A must read.
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/
Longhorns 17, Badgers 1
I should not begrudge these egregious public servants their high salaries—indeed, on the contrary, I’d applaud them and say, “money well spent”—if the students at the schools they supervise are learning to read well and effortlessly, to speak eloquently and precisely, to argue reasonably and concisely, to conduct themselves resolutely but politely, and to engage in both work and play fairly and purposefully. The schools in Texas must be producing outstanding, wonderful, productive, well-educated young citizens, then, right?
You failed to mention Carrol Thomas’ $1000 a month car allowance. BISD is in the final stages of a lot of bond raised construction in the district. One project was a fancy new football stadium. So what do you name your new football stadium if your city is home to…
– Babe Zaharias
– #1 pick and All-Pro Bubba Smith
– Jerry Levias, the man who broke the color barrier in the SWC
What else….Carrol Thomas Stadium.
The situation in Beaumont is sad with the school super making $346,000, plus other bennies (highest pay in Texas). What’s up with the tax payers? Are they brain dead? Texas’ governor only makes $150k and the US president $400k. As far as I can tell, you Beaumont folks have a really good investment there. New football stadium and demolition of the old South Park High School, because (to quote your highly-paid super) “It was the last vestige of segregation” (or words to that effect). Hey Beaumont.. You have your priorities straight! I’m standing by for future outstanding accomplishments in your schools!
TEXAS PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS: (SUPRENTENDANTS, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, ATHLETICS DIRECTORS AND HEADSPORTS COACHES). DO ANY OF THESE OFFICIALS KNOW THERE IS A ECONOMIC RECESSION PRESENT AND ACCOUNTED FOR AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME. THIS RECESSION COULD GO INTO A DEPRESSION. YOUR BUDGETS ARE SHORT OF CASH AND YOU STILL DON’T BELIEVE IN ONE GAME PLAYOFFS IN OUR INDIVIDUAL SPORTS. IT IS APPARENT THAT YOU DON’T CONSIDER THE SAFEY OF FANS OR THE EXTRA COST TO THE FANS AND EXTRA COST TO THE SCHOOLS THAT PARTICIPATE IN THE PLAYOFFS. IF YOU HAVE NOT NOTICED LATELY, FUEL IS COSTLY. WEAR AND TEAR OF SCHOOL VEHICLES WILL NOT BE CHEAP TO REPAIR OR REPLACE AT A LATER DATE. WHEN YOU SCHEDULE THESE “BEST OF 3 GAMES” ON A HOME (OR CLOSE TO HOME) AND HOME BASIS, DO YOU NOT THINK OF THESE COST. WE THE SCHOOL TAX PAYERS NEED TO REPLACE THESE OFFICIALS WHO REFUSE TO CONSIDER COMMON SENSE WHEN OPERATING A SCHOOL.