Goldwater Institute raises questions about Arizona school district superintendent pay

A recent report by the Goldwater Institute has raised questions about how much Arizona school district superintendents get paid.

Goldwater requested contracts from 41 of the largest school districts in the state to look at not only those salaries, but other perks.

The report said taxpayers are funding things like car allowances that can reach up to $1,250 per month and other stipends on top of six-figure salaries. At a press conference earlier this month, Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne said while most superintendents earn their compensation, he believes some are paid excessively.

“Districts that put most of their money in the classroom rather than in administration do better academically than those that have an excessive amount of money in administration, rather than in the classroom," Horne said.

Horne said an increase in teacher salaries is desperately needed. The Goldwater report says superintendent base salaries average around $215,000 a year.

“We’re a local-control state," Horne said. "So I have no influence over that. The people have influence over that. So people need to find out ‘What is their school board doing?’ And if they don’t approve of what they’re doing, they need to replace them. That’s where the power rests, with the voters and school board elections.”