A month after Superintendent Robbie Owen announced he would step down and return to the classroom, the Baldwin County school board is turning its attention to one of the thorniest questions in the search for his replacement: how much the district should be willing to pay.
Owen is expected to leave the top post in August and return to Rockwell Elementary. Unlike teacher salaries, which are partly funded by the state, superintendent pay comes entirely from local revenue, a fact made more pressing after voters rejected a new and renewable property tax millage in March, a decision expected to cost the district around $7 million a year once current funding expires in 2018.
Salary history for the position shows just how much it can vary. Former superintendent Alan Lee earned $175,000 with more than 15 years of experience when he left the post two years ago. When the board hired Owen to succeed him, they agreed to $147,000 for a first-time superintendent. By comparison, Jefferson County’s superintendent, the highest paid in the state, earns $228,000 annually.
Board members remain split on whether to set a firm salary range before the search continues. Some worry that leaving pay open-ended risks wasting time on candidates whose expectations don’t match what the district can afford, while others say focusing on qualifications first is more important than settling on a number early.
Board Vice President Angie Swiger said finding the most qualified candidate should be the board’s top priority, with salary treated as a secondary consideration. Board member David Cox said any candidate commanding a salary near what Lee once made “better be an incredibly qualified candidate,” adding that expectations for performance would rise along with the pay.
The board also remains divided over whether the next superintendent should come from within the Baldwin County school system or be recruited from outside the county or state. Rather than hiring an outside search firm, the board has opted to run the search itself, beginning by inviting employees and the public to fill out questionnaires on what qualities the community wants in its next leader.
A consultant who previously led the nationwide search that resulted in Lee’s hiring cautioned that not having a salary range from the outset could complicate recruitment, since it can be difficult to attract serious candidates, especially those not actively job-hunting, without knowing what the position pays.
Board President Shannon Cauley said a salary limit hadn’t yet been formally discussed among members but could come up as the search moves forward, adding that the district’s tight finances mean it can’t afford to sweeten any offer if doing so creates long-term budget strain.