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? ? ?In January, the KISD Board of Trustee?s in closed session met with Superintendent Gary Dugger and conducted an evaluation of his performance. Afterwards in open session, Board President Mike Walker announced that Mr. Dugger?s contract had been extended to 2015; and, set a salary of $174,000 for the 2013-14 school year. There were no additional comments.?? ? ?It is that time of year that Superintendent?s contracts are extended and salaries are set across the state. Administrators in Kennedale ISD work on two year contracts. {{more}}Other districts may offer 3 year contracts and some superintendents in large district may have a five year contract. Evaluations and salaries are considered personnel matters and are almost always done in closed sessions by school boards.?? ? ?What factors come in to play when setting a superintendent?s salary or salary scales for teachers? Outside of the evaluation, other factors would include experience, length of service and comparable wages/salaries. Mr. Dugger, who has over 30 years in education, is in a small class of local superintendents in length of service in their current position. In Tarrant county and surrounding areas of 23 school districts*, Dr. Gene Buinger of HEB ISD has 14 years and then Dr. Chester Juroska of Alvarado ISD and Mr. Dugger share second place with 13 years. The average years in current position is 4.7 years. Mr. Dugger had previously served as superintendent in Godley ISD.?? ? ?Salaries can be affected by the surrounding districts. Tarrant County along with Dallas County and surrounds, are part of the highest paying districts in the state. This has benefitted teachers in Kennedale in the past. The average teacher pay in Kennedale average 11% higher than the state average simply because of the competing districts in this area. Using data that was for the 2011-12 school year, the average superintendent?s salary in Tarrant County was $194,145 excluding the two biggest districts of Arlington and Fort Worth. The average salary of the 23 districts in Tarrant County and surrounding area not including the two largest districts was $165,042 for the 2011-12 school year.?? ? ?Just considering the three smallest districts in Tarrant County Lake Worth, Castleberry and Kennedale the results are mixed. Lake Worth (superintendent just resigned) was at $157,000 and Castleberry was at $172,000 last year.?? ? ?The Texas Association of School Boards reported that last year the average superintendent salaries in Texas range from $86,782 in districts with fewer than 500 students to $281,722 in districts with more than 50,000 students. Half of reported salaries are less than $111,000. It also reported that superintendents have been in their current position for an average of five years and report an average of seven years of total experience as a superintendent in any district. ?Most superintendents have been superintendent in only one school district.??? ? *?The 23 districts included in this article include: Eagle-Mountain Saginaw, Keller, Azle, Carroll, Alvarado, Joshua, Springtown, Burleson, Venus, Argyle, Glen Rose, Sanger, Weatherford, Decatur, Castleberry, HEB, Birdville, Mansfield, Crowley, Everman, White Settlement, Grapevine-Colleyville and Kennedale.
