Rein in Charter Superintendent Pay, Taxpayers and Students Deserve Better

I write to call for legislative action to curb the excessive pay of charter school superintendents in Texas, especially in districts that consistently underperform. As revealed by a joint investigation by ProPublica and the Texas Tribune, several charter school leaders in Texas are earning exorbitant salaries while their students continue to face academic failure year after year. Faith Family Academy, for example, paid its superintendent over half a million dollars annually despite the district receiving three consecutive “F” ratings from the state. Gateway Charter Academy' s superintendent received over $ 426, 426,000 while the district hovered near the bottom of academic rankings. Most egregiously, Valere Public Schools paid nearly $ 870, 870,000 to its superintendent, despite serving fewer than 1, 000 students and posting “D” ratings. In some cases, districts even failed to report compensation accurately to the state. These misuses of taxpayer funds are occurring even as Texas lawmakers cut over $5 billion from public education funding this year, with deep cuts affecting teacher pay, special education, and student resources across traditional public schools. While neighborhood schools are asked to do more with less, poorly performing charter leaders are rewarded with inflated salaries and little accountability. The Legislature must take action. I urge you to pass laws that cap superintendent pay in both charter and public schools, require full transparency of all salary and bonus structures, and link any additional compensation directly to measurable student outcomes. When districts receive failing grades, superintendent bonuses should be stopped, not concealed. Any district that earns consecutive failing marks should also face automatic oversight and fiscal review by the state. Texans deserve better. Our public funds should support students and teachers, not enrich administrators at failing schools. During a year when funding has been drastically cut for most students, controlling these abuses is not just responsible; it' s essential.