Mary Jane Caylor has a point. The state school board member from Huntsville suggested that the salary for the incoming two-year college chancellor be reviewed rather than remain the status quo.
Bradley Byrne, who recently resigned from the position to pursue the Republican nomination for governor, was drawing an annual salary of $282,325, which included a number of benefits.
Without listing benefits, the board has announced the base pay for the new chancellor to be $248,325, but it is also negotiable.
Should the chancellor of Alabama’s two-year colleges make nearly a quarter of a million dollars per year?
The board thought so in 2005 when it voted to give Roy Johnson a pay increase from $198,408 to $241,600. Voting to give this man a fatter wallet can’t be one of this board’s bright spots.
State school Superintendent Joe Morton has an annual salary of $197,954.72.
Is the role of the two-year chancellor that much more important than the role of the man who must direct every public school district in the state?
That depends on your perception.
Both are vital to the future economic success of this state, while the two-year system’s economic impact is far more immediate.
There’s no reason not to explore all options, particularly at a time when dollars are tight and so many facets of the educational system in Alabama have undergone budget restraints just to keep afloat.
But if this school board were to lower the two-year chancellor’s annual salary, does that also mean it’s less competitive and could be missing out on the best candidate for the job?
Maybe.
So what we have here is a double-edged sword — one very worthy of discussion among the highest-ranking school officials in the state.
It’s time the board weigh the options as Caylor suggested, come to the best conclusion on what the new chancellor’s salary should be, and pursue the best person for the job, but keep future raises to a minimum.
The last raise didn’t work out very well.
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