Education And Community Alerts: Texas Highest-Paid Charter Superintendents Overseeing Low-Performing Districts: A Surprising Paradox

Recent revelations from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune disclose that three of Texas’s most financially rewarded charter school superintendents govern among the state's least effective districts. Notably, one faces potential closure by the end of the academic year. Records indicate that Valere Public Schools has compensated Superintendent Salvador Cavazos as much as $870,000 annually, significantly surpassing publicly reported figures. Similar compensation discrepancies occurred at Faith Family Academy and Gateway Charter Academy, where superintendents’ salaries were also understated. The Texas Education Agency recently flagged these districts for consistent underperformance, with charter schools predominantly represented among those rated “unacceptable.” Education specialists express concern over prioritizing administrative salaries over improving educational resources. Notably, a state law mandates closure for districts failing to meet performance standards after three consecutive years. While efforts to impose salary caps on superintendents have yet to succeed, there remains a call for accountability.