While many districts are under heavy criticism for giving their already highly-compensated superintendents raises while laying-off teachers, Leander ISD has proposed reducing Super Brett Champion's pay/benefits by $20,000. This is only one of many proposals to cut LISD spending; combined with other proposals, the cuts would come to more than $20 million. Champion has pointed out that this is a "worst-case scenario based on the information we currently have from the state."
As part of the proposed cuts more than 200 employees would lose their jobs; news reports are saying the lost jobs are teachers, but to be accurate many are actually teacher 'support' staff. It really is too bad that so much of precious education dollars went to state-of-the art sports stadiums and the $117 million new High School. Yes, yes, I know, we're not supposed to consider those things; they are completely separate. At the end of the day, however, I think parents and taxpayers would much rather see the teachers funded.
Hopefully some of our surrounding districts will follow suit and reduce astronomical administrative salaries. One measure the Lone Star Foundation has called for in their new report Bridging the Budget Gap, is to prohibit districts from paying superintendents more than the Governor. Round Rock Independent School District Super Jesus Chavez's base salary is $252,875, but with benefits/bonuses he received over $303,000 in 2010. (Not including the illegal bonus from last Fall, which reputedly he will pay back to the district.) Like many superintendents in Texas, he is more highly paid than any governor in the United States.
I guess the question is, "What will Jesus do?"
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