The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has just released some revealing new data on public school superintendent salaries—and the detail has already prompted a bit of minor outrage online.
The dissatisfaction appears rooted in the fact that, despite lackluster student outcomes and a persistent affordability crisis, the top-end of the superintendent salary spectrum grew to astounding new heights in the 2023-24 school year. According to TEA, the highest paid public school superintendent was employed by Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, where the annual salary reached $536,775, excluding benefits and allowances. That eye-popping salary was closely followed by the pay provided to administrators in Barbers Hill ISD ($477,213), Ysleta ISD ($451,457), and Garland ISD ($444,124).
Of course, those few positions were far from the only ones to receive generous salaries. Among the top 10 highest earning superintendents in Texas, 8 were paid more than the President of the United States ($400,000). The reason why public school administrators deserve to earn more than the POTUS remains unclear.
For a more complete understanding of superintendent salaries, a modified list has been compiled below identifying every district in which a superintendent’s salary equates to $300,000 or more, along with important information for the 2023-24 school year. Take a look at the list—is your school superintendent among the highest paid in Texas?
| District Name | Superintendent Name | FTE | Calculated Full FTE Pay | Enrollment |
| CYPRESS-FAIRBANKS ISD | HENRY, JOHN M | 1 | $536,775 | 118,470 |
| BARBERS HILL ISD | POOLE, GREGORY S | 1 | $477,213 | 7,723 |
| YSLETA ISD | DE LA TORRE, GUADALUPE JAVIER | 1 | $451,457 | 34,918 |
| GARLAND ISD | LOPEZ, RICARDO D | 1 | $444,124 | 51,659 |
| TOMBALL ISD | SALAZAR ZAMORA, MARTHA | 1 | $433,930 | 22,273 |
| LAKE TRAVIS ISD | NORTON, PAUL ANDREW | 1 | $418,284 | 11,272 |
| KIPP TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOLS | ALI, SEHBA Z | 1 | $409,773 | 34,111 |
| KLEIN ISD | MCGOWN, JENNY A | 1 | $404,430 | 53,093 |
| DUNCANVILLE ISD | SMITH, MARCELL | 1 | $392,000 | 11,761 |
| KATY ISD | GREGORSKI, KENNETH | 1 | $384,495 | 94,785 |
| HOUSTON ISD | MILES, FLOYD MIKE | 1 | $380,000 | 184,109 |
| FORT BEND ISD | WHITBECK, CHRISTIE LYNN | 1 | $377,000 | 80,206 |
| EDINBURG CISD | SALINAS, MARIO | 1 | $374,627 | 33,810 |
| NORTHWEST ISD | FOUST, MARK JACOB | 1 | $372,659 | 30,736 |
| LA JOYA ISD | GONZALEZ, HERIBERTO D | 1 | $369,781 | 23,998 |
| ROMA ISD | GONZALEZ, CARLOS M | 0.6 | $366,018 | 5,932 |
| BROWNSVILLE ISD | GUTIERREZ, RENE | 1 | $361,211 | 37,065 |
| PASADENA ISD | POWELL, ELLEN DEEANN | 1 | $360,600 | 47,486 |
| MESQUITE ISD | RIVERA, ANGEL LUIS | 1 | $360,000 | 38,265 |
| CONROE ISD | NULL, CURTIS F | 1 | $356,957 | 72,352 |
| LAMAR CISD | NIVENS, ROOSEVELT CURTIS | 1 | $354,341 | 44,512 |
| YES PREP PUBLIC SCHOOLS INC | DIBELLA, MARK A | 1 | $352,800 | 17,622 |
| NORTHSIDE ISD | CRAFT, JOHN M | 1 | $350,000 | 101,095 |
| PROSPER ISD | FERGUSON, HOLLY J | 1 | $350,000 | 28,467 |
| HAYS CISD | WRIGHT, ERIC K | 1 | $350,000 | 23,313 |
| ROUND ROCK ISD | AZAIEZ, HAFEDH | 1 | $350,000 | 46,197 |
| FRISCO ISD | WALDRIP, MIKE R | 1 | $349,200 | 66,698 |
| HUMBLE ISD | CELANIA-FAGEN, ELIZABETH A | 1 | $348,919 | 48,552 |
| SOCORRO ISD | CARMAN, JOHN N | 1 | $348,400 | 47,304 |
| LEANDER ISD | GEARING, BRUCE | 1 | $348,400 | 42,593 |
| BIRDVILLE ISD | STINSON, SELENA GAYLE | 1 | $346,914 | 22,219 |
| CLEAR CREEK ISD | ENGLE, KAREN S | 1 | $346,492 | 40,132 |
| PFLUGERVILLE ISD | KILLIAN, DOUGLAS WAYNE | 1 | $343,171 | 25,297 |
| WEATHERFORD ISD | REES, REAGAN CARTER | 1 | $342,325 | 8,203 |
| EAGLE MT-SAGINAW ISD | CHADWELL, JIMMIE F | 1 | $340,767 | 23,462 |
| DENTON ISD | WILSON, JAMES K | 1 | $338,640 | 32,866 |
| IRVING ISD | HERNANDEZ, MAGDA A | 1 | $338,196 | 31,485 |
| DALLAS ISD | ELIZALDE, STEPHANIE SUZANNE | 1 | $338,000 | 139,246 |
| BRAZOSPORT ISD | MASSEY, DANNY L | 1 | $337,674 | 11,357 |
| FORT WORTH ISD | RAMSEY, ANGELICA MARIA | 1 | $337,484 | 71,060 |
| SAN BENITO CISD | SERVELLON, MARIA THERESA | 0.6 | $336,588 | 9,126 |
| CORPUS CHRISTI ISD | HERNANDEZ, JUSTO ROLANDO | 1 | $336,300 | 33,053 |
| SPRING BRANCH ISD | BLAINE, JENNIFER STARK | 1 | $336,240 | 33,407 |
| ALDINE ISD | GOFFNEY, LATONYA MCGOWEN | 1 | $336,027 | 57,844 |
| GREAT HEARTS TEXAS | MINITER, BRENDAN SHANE | 1 | $335,000 | 12,019 |
| RICHARDSON ISD | BRANUM, TABITHA D | 1 | $334,750 | 37,085 |
| LEWISVILLE ISD | RAPP, LORI D | 1 | $334,750 | 48,440 |
| GOOSE CREEK CISD | O’BRIEN, RANDAL KENT | 1 | $334,750 | 24,108 |
| PLANO ISD | WILLIAMS, THERESA NOLAN | 1 | $334,749 | 47,899 |
| SAN ANTONIO ISD | AQUINO, JAIME RAMON | 1 | $334,183 | 44,670 |
| SAN ANGELO ISD | DETHLOFF, CARL H | 1 | $331,638 | 13,180 |
| GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD | SCHNAUTZ, BRADLEY MICHAEL | 1 | $331,545 | 13,565 |
| ECTOR COUNTY ISD | MURI, SCOTT R | 1 | $328,802 | 33,426 |
| CARROLL ISD | LEDBETTER, LESLIE LANE | 1 | $328,250 | 8,292 |
| LA PORTE ISD | JACKSON, WALTER GERALD | 1 | $327,771 | 7,115 |
| GRAND PRAIRIE ISD | ELLIS, LINDA K | 1 | $327,525 | 26,638 |
| STAFFORD MSD | BOSTIC, ROBERT ELBERT | 1 | $327,113 | 3,479 |
| KILLEEN ISD | FEY, JO ANN MARIE | 1 | $325,000 | 43,864 |
| ALVIN ISD | NELSON, CAROL L | 1 | $325,000 | 29,740 |
| IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS | COTTRILL, JEFFREY | 1 | $325,000 | 76,819 |
| COMAL ISD | CHAPMAN, JOHN E | 1 | $324,450 | 29,263 |
| TYLER ISD | CRAWFORD, MARTY LANE | 1 | $324,450 | 18,304 |
| MAGNOLIA ISD | STEPHENS, SAMUEL TODD | 1 | $324,277 | 14,468 |
| GALENA PARK ISD | MOORE, JOHN C | 1 | $322,500 | 21,105 |
| FAITH FAMILY ACADEMY | PURCELL, MOLLIE JO | 1 | $321,513 | 2,882 |
| BURLESON ISD | JIMERSON, BRET | 1 | $320,306 | 12,718 |
| EL PASO ISD | SAYAVEDRA, DIANA ISABEL | 1 | $320,000 | 49,139 |
| UNIVERSAL ACADEMY | JOBE, DANA J | 1 | $319,300 | 2,103 |
| MANSFIELD ISD | CANTU, KIMBERLEY MORGAN | 1 | $318,422 | 35,851 |
| ALLEN ISD | BULLOCK, ROBIN NICOLE | 1 | $318,341 | 21,370 |
| MISSION CISD | PEREZ, CAROLINA G | 1 | $317,064 | 14,068 |
| EVERMAN ISD | DONALDSON, FELICIA TWALON | 1 | $316,715 | 5,139 |
| AUSTIN ISD | SEGURA, MATIAS CASTRO | 1 | $315,909 | 72,830 |
| CARROLLTON-FARMERS BRANCH ISD | ELDREDGE, WENDY PAIGE | 1 | $315,741 | 24,386 |
| ALIEF ISD | MAYS, ANTHONY TYWAUN | 1 | $314,150 | 39,474 |
| WESLACO ISD | RIVERA, JOSE RICARDO | 1 | $314,103 | 16,430 |
| WALLER ISD | MORAN, KEVIN GEORGE | 1 | $311,600 | 9,283 |
| ARLINGTON ISD | WURTZ, STEVEN L | 1 | $310,002 | 54,750 |
| HIGHLAND PARK ISD | ROCKWOOD, MICHAEL KENNETH | 1 | $310,000 | 6,437 |
| TEXANS CAN ACADEMIES | PONCE, JAMES JOSEPH | 1 | $309,750 | 3,608 |
| NORTH EAST ISD | MAIKA, SEAN A | 1 | $309,186 | 57,374 |
| LANCASTER ISD | PERERA, AGNELLA KATRISE | 1 | $308,521 | 7,014 |
| FORNEY ISD | TERRY, JUSTIN W | 1 | $307,929 | 17,002 |
| EAST CENTRAL ISD | TOSCANO, ROLANDO | 1 | $306,476 | 11,176 |
| LA VEGA ISD | SHIELDS, SHARON MARIE | 1 | $306,264 | 3,120 |
| EDGEWOOD ISD | HERNANDEZ, EDUARDO | 1 | $306,169 | 7,930 |
| MCKINNEY ISD | PRATT, SHAWN CHRISTOPHER | 1 | $305,000 | 23,306 |
| TRINITY BASIN PREPARATORY | SHAFFER, RANDAL CRAIG | 1 | $300,000 | 6,631 |
| RAUL YZAGUIRRE SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS | TAMEZ, ADRIANA | 1 | $300,000 | 1,888 |
| BOERNE ISD | PRICE, THOMAS O | 1 | $300,000 | 10,910 |
| UNITED ISD | GONZALEZ, DAVID HOMAR | 1 | $300,000 | 41,203 |