An e-mail from Indiana State Senator Jim Banks (R-17th):
Legislative Council answers Banks’ call for evaluation of school superintendent salaries
(June 22, 2011) – Indiana school superintendent salaries and benefits will be a topic for interim study committee discussion, thanks to recent action by the Indiana Legislative Council.
This council followed the lead of State Sen. Jim Banks (R-Columbia City) who last session called for an in-depth study of administra tive pay. The panel charged the Interim Study Committee on Education Issues with studying superintendent compensation throughout Indiana and evaluating whether a statewide salary cap based upon the number of students per school district would be beneficial.
“I’m alarmed at the growth of administrator salaries and benefits across Indiana,” Banks said. “I look forward to exploring legislative options for lowering or containing these costs. I believe we need to reach a goal of having 65 percent of education dollars spent in the classroom.”
Indiana’s Legislative Council, consisting of leaders from all four caucuses, recently issued assignments for interim study committees made up of Republican and Democrat lawmakers from both chambers of the General Assembly.
Banks, a member of the Senate Committee on Education and Career Development, said Hoosier tax dollars should follow students into the classroom and not pay for bloated administrative costs.
According to the Indiana Department of Education, there are 291 superintendents whose salaries total nearly $33 million. Banks said salaries range from $29,400 to $262,800 with the average $113,162. That average pay is higher than the salaries of Gov. Mitch Daniels and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett.
In an effort to help raise Indiana’s low graduation rates, the committee will also review potential causes and the positive impact of school counselors, teachers, administrators and parents. The in-depth study will also focus on best practices used to improve graduation rates across the country and identify training and technical assistance opportunities that work effectively.
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