A report from the Alabama Policy Institute released Monday showed that more than 200 employees at the Alabama Department of Education have an annual salary exceeding $100,000. The high level of pay stands in stark contrast to the average Alabamian, who typically makes less than half that sum yearly.
In the analysis, the Institute’s President and CEO, Stephanie Smith, drew attention to the possibility of a large raise for State Superintendent Erick Mackey and also called for an in-depth look into the department’s merits.
Smith’s organization is currently conducting investigations into several parts of Alabama’s government to identify wasteful spending, similar to that of the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency.
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“The average Alabama taxpayer makes $49,274 annually. Meanwhile, there are 219 State Department of Education employees who bring in more than double that salary- before perks and benefits,” said Smith.
“The current State Superintendent, who makes $308,866.77 plus a housing allowance with a state car and platinum healthcare and retirement benefits, is now asking for a 55% raise. It is past time to do a full analysis of the value of the Alabama Department of Education.”
The three other agency employees with the highest annual salaries after Mackey include:
- Angela Martin, Deputy State Superintendent- $233,765.40
- Brandon T. Payne, VP Operations- $231,145.80
- Victoria L. Hogan, unknown title- $217,992.80
Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
