Subscriber Special: Meet the Texas Teachers $100,000 Club

July 18, 2018 10:00 AM

"In the absence of a pay cap for Texas educators, unwarranted pay for superintendents, administrators, staffers, and some teachers

is making a bad situation far worse."

Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com found 7,327 Texas public school administrators, athletic directors, teachers, and other employees pulled down six-figure salariescosting nearly $1 billion. In fiscal year 2017, superintendents earned as much as $450,000; "executive directors for assessment and compliance" received up to $302,820; and principals made as much as $313,870.

Pampered superintendents received huge severance pay for terminated contracts, and massive salaries at districts with growing debt.

Consider just a few examples:

Grand Prairie Independent School District Superintendent Susan Simpson Hull’s compensation increased from $325,795 (2015) to $399,795 (2017). Meanwhile, Hull rented a 2,700-square-foot, four-bedroom house owned by the district. But it wasn’t enough. A forensic audit report commissioned by Grand Prairie ISD, showed $160,000 in home makeover renovations and "none of the costs related to the renovation of the property were presented to the Board for approval."

Garland Superintendent Bobby Morrison made $302,532 in 2017 before he left the district with four years left on his contract. According to the Dallas News, Morrison received a $448,115 severance package – the total amount of salary owed, benefits, leave and vacation time, and other perks.

Dallas Independent School District (DSD) has received multiple billion-dollar bonds while racking up $4.8 billion in outstanding tax-supported debt (2016). Regardless, DSD paid 274 educators six-figure salaries in 2017, costing taxpayers $34 million.

Search all six-figure educators in Texas by zip code!

Using our interactive mapping tool at OpenTheBooks.com, quickly review (by zip code) every Texas educator who made a salary of $100,000 or more in 2017. Just zoom in, click a pin (zip code), and scroll down to see the results.