Superintendent Survey Results for 2007

Each year about 80 percent of districts participate in the annual superintendent salary survey and the results are published for TASB HR Services members each November. The report is the first of five that make up the TASB/TASA Salaries and Benefits in Texas Public Schools survey. The information in the 2007–08 Superintendent Report is used by board members and superintendents to maintain competitive superintendent compensation and benefits packages.

When all districts are considered, the most common benefits that superintendents receive are cell phone or internet service allowances, a transportation allowance or school vehicle to drive, payment of membership dues to professional or civic organizations, and payment of the entire cost of medical insurance premiums.

In larger school districts (those with more than 5,000 students) these benefits are the norm in even greater proportion. More dramatic is the transportation benefit. Less than half of districts (46 percent) with fewer than 5,000 students provide a transportation benefit, usually an annual allowance. Nearly two-thirds of districts with more than 5,000 students provide some sort of transportation benefit. Further, the average car allowance in these districts is $7,610, one-and-a-half times larger than the allowance superintendents in smaller districts receive.

Health insurance premiums are an expensive benefit for any employer. Thirty-six percent of small districts pay the entire cost of the superintendent’s health insurance versus nearly half of larger districts (49 percent). This may be one of the few growing trends in superintendent pay and benefits. In this year’s sample, 49 percent of superintendents in their first year as superintendent in the district received this benefit, versus only 37 percent of superintendents who were continuing in the same district.

Special life insurance policies and contributions to tax-deferred retirement accounts are less common benefits, with 9 percent and 11 percent of all districts offering these benefits, respectively. When districts with more than 5,000 students are isolated, the proportion of districts offering these benefits increases dramatically. Thirty percent offer a special life insurance policy for the superintendent and 29 percent make contributions to a supplemental retirement account for the superintendent.

In this year’s survey, 81 percent of superintendents work in districts with less than 5,000 students and 19 percent work in districts with 5,000 or more students. The following table shows the portion of each group offering common benefits for superintendents.

Benefit	All Respondents	Enrollment 5,000 or more	Enrollment under 5,000
Cell/Internet Allowance	58%	63%	57%
Transportation Benefit	49%	65%	46%
Membership Dues	41%	56%	37%
Health Insurance Premiums Paid in Full	39%	49%	36%
Housing Benefit	13%	2%	15%
Tax-deferred Account Contributions	11%	29%	7%
Special Life Insurance Policy	9%	30%	4%
Business Expense Allowance	5%	8%	5%
Long-term Disability Insurance	3%	13%	1%
TRS Service Credit Purchase	1%	7%	0%