AUSTIN— This evening, the Texas House preliminarily passed House Bill 769, which would place certain restrictions on severance payments made to school superintendents. One proposal, added via an amendment, would prohibit both open-enrollment charter schools and school districts from making a severance payment to the chief executive in excess of one year’s salary.
“Six-figure severance payments are an outrage, especially when so many homeowners and businesses are struggling with sky-high tax bills,” said Think Local Liberty’s James Quintero. “Instead of giving golden parachutes to government employees, school boards would be much better off spending this money in the classroom or returning it to taxpayers.”
Quintero continued: “Supersized severance payments are costing school districts tremendously. From 2013 to 2017, severance pay totaling $18.3 million was handed over to 141 school superintendents across the state. This is a practice that needs to be abolished.”