Texas lawmakers and an advocacy group representing constitution faculties harshly criticized a tiny constitution college community that has paid its superintendent as much as $870,000 yearly, making him one of many highest-paid public college leaders within the nation.
The criticism got here after ProPublica and the Texas Tribune revealed a narrative final week about Valere Public Faculties, revealing that the district had solely reported paying its superintendent, Salvador Cavazos, lower than $300,000 per yr. The truth is, bonuses and one-time funds roughly tripled his earnings for operating a district that has fewer than 1,000 college students throughout three campuses.
Lawmakers introduced up the story throughout a vital Texas Home of Representatives committee listening to on March 6 to debate how a lot funding the state ought to present conventional public and constitution faculties within the coming years. Legislators repeatedly pressed Bryce Adams, the vp of presidency affairs for the Texas Public Constitution Faculties Affiliation, about Cavazos’ compensation and requested why constitution faculties want extra state funding in the event that they use it for prime administrator pay.
“You bought a report in The Texas Tribune as we speak about one among your guys making $800,000 a yr,” stated State Rep. John Bryant, a Democrat from Dallas. “None of our superintendents on the public degree who’ve 100,000, 150,000 youngsters make something near that.”
State Rep. Terri Leo Wilson, a Republican from exterior Houston who beforehand served on the Texas State Board of Training, known as Cavazos’ bonuses “ridiculous, unheard-of, outrageous.”
In response, Adams stated his group can also be against the superintendent’s excessive compensation. He handed out copies of a letter the constitution affiliation had despatched to the three members of the Valere Public Faculties board stating they need to pay Cavazos much less. The affiliation stated it hardly ever questions a district’s actions however described the extra $500,000 to $600,000 the board awards Cavazos on high of his annual wage as “fully out of alignment” with the market. The letter urged the college board to tie Cavazos’ bonuses to particular metrics.
“This habits will forged a shadow over the general public constitution college system in Texas and may very well be detrimental to TPCSA’s capability to advocate on behalf of its members and the scholars they serve,” the affiliation’s board members wrote in the Jan. 22 letter.
The affiliation despatched the letter to Valere after studying in regards to the newsrooms’ findings however earlier than the article was revealed. ProPublica and the Tribune additionally shared that two different constitution college programs pay their superintendents a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} on high of their base salaries. The affiliation didn’t reply questions on whether or not it additionally reached out to these faculties.
Credit score:
Obtained and cropped by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune
The robust public rebuke of Cavazos’ compensation comes as leaders from conventional public and constitution faculties are lobbying legislators for extra money after going years with out will increase to their base funding. That push has intensified given lawmakers’ ongoing efforts to implement a voucher-like program this legislative session, which might enable mother and father to make use of taxpayer {dollars} to ship their youngsters to non-public faculties. Legislative finances consultants discovered that doing so might take cash away from public faculties. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has championed the voucher program.
Since constitution faculties are thought of public, not non-public, lawmakers questioned whether or not taxpayers may very well be assured that extra spending on public schooling would go to college students’ wants moderately than into the pockets of directors like Cavazos.
Valere Public Faculties’ board members supplied no direct response to legislators’ considerations about Cavazos’ pay in an emailed reply to the information organizations’ questions this week. In addition they wrote that they had not answered the letter from the constitution affiliation and stated the affiliation has “no regulatory or different authority over Valere.”
Cavazos has declined a number of interview requests. Board members have defended his compensation, explaining that he’s additionally the constitution community’s CEO and his contributions justify his pay. The members additionally stated {that a} “vital” a part of Cavazos’ compensation comes from non-public donations, however they’d not present proof to assist their declare.
Bryant, the Dallas consultant, informed the newsrooms in an interview that Valere Public Faculties’ actions present why the state wants stronger oversight of its constitution faculties.
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He stated legislators should tighten the Texas Training Company’s present reporting necessities. The company mandates districts submit all superintendent compensation and advantages on their web site or in an annual report. Districts should additionally ship details about the superintendent’s annual wage and any supplemental funds for additional duties to the state instantly, however the state schooling company didn’t make clear if that features bonuses. It informed the newsrooms it doesn’t examine whether or not districts comply with the primary requirement until a possible violation is flagged.
“We have to put it within the legislation that they must report it and that there’s a penalty for failing to take action,” stated Bryant. “In any other case, it’ll proceed to be obscured.”
The Texas Training Company didn’t reply to questions the newsrooms despatched after the legislative listening to in regards to the state’s present oversight of constitution faculties and superintendent compensation. Nor did Texas Home Speaker Dustin Burrows or Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who set the legislative priorities for state lawmakers.
Andrew Mahaleris, press secretary for Abbott, despatched a written assertion to the information organizations scolding college districts that spend the state’s funding on “administrative bloat as a substitute of the academics they make use of and the scholars they serve.” Abbott will work with lawmakers to make sure public {dollars} go to “college students and academics, not programs and overpaid directors,” Mahaleris wrote. He didn’t point out particular payments or options.
Lawmakers have submitted at the very least 5 payments throughout this legislative session that will limit superintendents’ salaries, however most wouldn’t have utilized to the overwhelming majority of Cavazos’ compensation as a result of the proposals don’t restrict bonuses.
State Rep. Carrie Isaac, a Republican representing counties between Austin and San Antonio, filed a proposal that will limit superintendents’ pay to not more than twice that of the highest-earning trainer within the college district. Isaac’s present proposal doesn’t account for superintendents’ bonuses. After studying in regards to the Valere Faculty Board’s technique of awarding Cavazos hefty funds on high of his base wage, she stated she was “completely” open to revising her invoice to incorporate bonuses.
“I don’t see any justification for that,” Isaac stated in an interview. “I want to see superintendents that pursue their function out of a dedication for pupil success, not a way to safe these extreme salaries.”
Regardless of the outcry from lawmakers and consultants inside and outdoors the constitution college sector, the Valere board has to this point stood behind its selections. Requested by the newsrooms whether or not it had any present plans to make adjustments to the pay that Cavazos receives on high of his base wage, the board despatched a one-word response:
“No.”
