Is JCPS paying Pollio too much? Here's how his salary compares to Kentucky superintendents

Jefferson County Public Schools Superintendent Marty Pollio received a $75,000 pay bump last week - a hike that has incensed politicians who think his salary is far too high.

With an annual base salary of $350,244, Pollio is the highest-paid superintendent in Kentucky, making about $36,000 more than the second-highest paid superintendent and $186,000 more than Gov. Andy Beshear.

The 24% hike "illustrates how out of touch they are with the reality facing our students and the school district," seven Louisville Republican lawmakers said in a statement a day after JCPS board members approved the raise.

The statement said a modest increase for Pollio "may be in order given the scope of the position," but such a hike is "an egregious insult to educators throughout the district and all who pay taxes."

More on the JCPS superintendent: JCPS makes Marty Pollio highest-paid superintendent in the state - by a longshot

How does Marty Pollio's new salary compare to other Kentucky superintendents?

Note to readers: The salary rates per superintendent were submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education for the 2022-2023 school year. Raises provided to Pollio and to superintendents in Fayette and Bowling Green this summer are reflected below.

As a state, nearly $25 million was spent on superintendent salaries last school year. The average salary for a Kentucky superintendent was $145,842. That average is less than half of what Pollio will receive.

There are 171 districts in the state, and Pollio is one of only two Kentucky superintendents being paid more than $300,000. There are six superintendents making more than $200,000.

National data on current superintendent salaries that could be used to compare Pollio's pay was not available to The Courier Journal. But Pollio's salary prior to the increase of $276,000 was comparable to many district leaders across the country.

The superintendents within the Council of the Great City Schools, which is comprised of 78 large urban school districts across the country, had an average salary of $276,781 as of November 2022, according to data from the organization.

"This figure is relatively fluid, and likely a bit higher now given the new contracts that have been negotiated this spring," said Ray Hart, executive director of the council.

Within Kentucky, a Courier Journal analysis found that while Pollio's pay is far higher than other district leaders, he is being paid far less than many when taking into account the number of students he oversees.

For example, Fayette County Superintendent Demetrus Liggins is the second-highest paid superintendent in the state at $313,813 a year, but his district serves about 40,000 students compared to the 96,000 in JCPS.

On a per student basis, Liggins is paid $7.45 compared to Pollio's $3.56.

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Henry Webb, who leads Kenton County Schools, is the third-highest paid superintendent in the state, making $247,971 a year, or $16.77 per student.

Pollio's per student pay is actually the least in the state. There are nine districts paying more than $300 and upwards of nearly $700 per student - each very small districts with less than 500 students. On average, Kentucky districts paid their leaders about $95 per student.

See below a breakdown of each Kentucky superintendent's salary, alongside enrollment numbers.

Contact reporter Krista Johnson at kjohnson3@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Marty Pollio's JCPS salary: A Kentucky superintendent pay comparison