Proposal to limit superintendent pay debated

A measure intended to limit school superintendent compensation in Nebraska was discussed on general file Feb. 27.

LB300, as introduced by Glenvil Sen. Dave Murman, would cap school superintendent and educational service unit administrator compensation at no more than five times the compensation and benefits of a first-time teacher in a given district or ESU.

Under the bill, any compensation received by a superintendent or administrator that exceeds their contract would be forfeited and returned to the school district or ESU.

Murman said that while most salary ranges for superintendents in Nebraska are reasonable, some in the state’s largest districts earn significantly more than superintendents in other states. For example, the most recent superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools, serving about 42,000 students, earned $333,720, he said, while the superintendent of a similarly sized district in Sarasota, Florida, earned $255,000.

Additionally, Murman said, despite increased spending on education, average teacher salaries in Nebraska have not kept pace with inflation over the last decade, a situation he said primarily benefits school administrators.

“We are spending more and more on education and somehow, at the same time, less on teachers,” Murman said.

A pending Education Committee amendment would remove the bill’s original language limiting superintendent and administrator compensation. It instead would require a beginning teacher’s salary for their first contract year to be at least 20% of that of the district superintendent or ESU administrator.

Plymouth Sen. Tom Brandt opposed the measure. Each school district has its own unique needs, he said, and the bill would “handcuff” a local school board’s ability to recruit or retain the person best qualified to lead the district.

Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward, a former school board member, also spoke in opposition to the bill. LB300 not only would infringe on local control, she said, but also on one of a school board’s most important responsibilities — hiring and firing a superintendent.

“We talk a lot about local control, and we give a lot of love to local control, but when it comes down to it, these people here think that ultimately they know better on the details,” Hughes said. “And in my opinion, this is micromanaging a detail beyond belief.”

Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln supported the bill, voicing frustration over education lobbyists’ opposition to LB300. Murman changed the bill’s focus to teacher pay instead of superintendent salaries at their request, she said.

“Sen. Murman took their advice and did just that in the amendment, and now people are attacking him for working with them in good faith,” Conrad said.

The Legislature adjourned for the day without voting on the committee amendment or taking further action on LB300.