BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Alabama Board of Education plans to vote in April to extend State Superintendent Eric Mackey’s contract through 2029 and give him a $90,000 pay raise, bringing his salary to $380,000.
However, at least three of the board’s eight members have requested a delay, saying they need more time to review the details.
The proposed contract would increase Mackey’s salary from $292,500, a 30% raise, while keeping his additional allowances for housing, travel, and a state vehicle unchanged.
If approved, Mackey would become the highest-paid K-12 public education official in the state, surpassing a few local superintendents who currently earn more than him.
Attorney Mark Boardman, representing Mackey, told Alabama Daily News that the superintendent’s salary should reflect his responsibilities.
“Under Dr. Mackey’s leadership, Alabamians have seen unprecedented student improvement,” Boardman said. “Our state superintendent supervises over three-quarters of a million students and over 100,000 employees. It is exciting to see that our state superintendent may be paid in line with local superintendents and college/junior college presidents, as well as athletes and coaches,” Boardman said in a statement to ADN.
Board member Wayne Reynolds, one of those requesting a delay, said the board has yet to have an open discussion about the proposal.
“We’ve never discussed it,” Reynolds told ADN. “This is a significant event, and the board should deliberate openly.”
Mackey, who has served as state superintendent since 2018, currently has a rolling three-year contract, meaning it is extended by a year each anniversary. His starting salary was $245,000, with a 3% automatic raise each year.
Boardman declined ADN’s request for a copy of the proposed contract, saying it is still a draft and therefore not a public record.
Alabama Daily News obtained a copy for review.
The new contract sets the ending date at April 2029, with the option to extend the contract twice, for one year each time. The 3% annual raise remains in place.
Thursday’s work session in Montgomery was only the second meeting for newly elected board members Kelly Mooney and Allen Long. Both said they need additional time to better understand the contract details.
Board Vice President Tonya Chestnut described the proposed contract as largely unchanged from Mackey’s current one.
“The (proposed) contract is basically identical to the contract Dr. Mackey already has. It basically just changes the salary amount and the contract ending date,” she said.
Reynolds called the vote on the new contract a “significant event,” and requested the vote to be delayed until May. However, Chestnut argued that 30 days should be sufficient to address any concerns.
Board member Yvette Richardson acknowledged that a salary adjustment was warranted, though the specific increase was not stated during the public meeting. She pointed out that some local school superintendents earn more than Mackey.
“We basically were looking at comparable salaries in the area, realizing that there were some local school superintendents that are making more than Dr. Mackey, and he’s responsible for overseeing all of them,” Richardson said.
Board members Tracie West and Jackie Zeigler were not present at the work session.
Immediately following Thursday’s work session, Mooney, Long, and Reynolds met with Nick Moore, Gov. Kay Ivey’s education and workforce advisor, and state department attorney Jason Swann to request more information about how local superintendents’ contracts compare.
Mooney said she plans to gather more information before making a decision.
“We see our state making good strides, and that’s encouraging. We want to stay on that trajectory, but it’s just a lot of money,” she told ADN Friday.
Rep. Danny Garrett, R-Trussville, chairman of the House education budget committee, said the increase warrants dialog.
“That’s a pretty steep increase, which I think merits discussion,” he said in response to a question from ADN.
Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, chairman of the Senate’s education budget committee, agreed.
“Raises for any taxpayer funded positions should be open, transparent and warranted,” Orr said. “Those who are giving the raises should easily be able to defend them on their merit.”
Reynolds, while calling for more transparency, emphasized that his concerns were not a reflection of dissatisfaction with Mackey’s performance.
“My commitment to my district and to the state is to be open and clear with every decision I make,” he said.
Salary comparisons
The highest-paid local superintendent in Alabama, Chresal Threadgill of Mobile County, reportedly earns $365,300 to oversee 48,000 students.
Even if he get the raise, Mackey will earn less than his higher education counterparts. Jim Purcell, the executive director of the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, had gross pay of nearly $400,000 in 2024, according to state pay records available online.
Spending records for the Alabama Community College System show Chancellor Jimmy Baker is paid $23,086 twice monthly. Baker’s salary is $506, 068 according to a system spokesperson. Baker, who received a raise when his contract was extended last August, oversees 24 community colleges that enroll 170,000 students statewide.
Gov. Kay Ivey, who serves as president of the state board of education, earns nearly $135,000. Last year, she approved raises for the non-education agency leaders in her cabinet, with top salaries reaching about $258,000, including the director of transportation and Medicaid. Ivey’s office did not respond to a request for comment on Mackey’s proposed raise.
The largest public salaries in Montgomery belong to officials in the Retirement Systems of Alabama. Chief Executive Officer David Bronner earns nearly $1 million a year, according to records. Several other RSA officials earn in the $300,000 and $400,000 ranges.
Mackey’s evaluations
Mackey’s superintendent evaluations have improved year over year with one exception. In 2019 and 2020, the board used a tool used to evaluate previous superintendents. In 2021, the board created a new evaluation tool.
Board members individually score Mackey in five areas:
- Fiduciary responsibility
- Statewide vision for student achievement
- Communications and external affairs
- Annual progress against measurable objectives and
- Setting goals aligned to Alabama state board of education’s priorities
Scores are averaged across board members for each area, then aggregated into a composite score. Evaluations are completed in December of each year.
The table below shows Mackey’s evaluation scores from 2021 through 2024. Click here if you are unable to see the table.
Alabama Daily News’ Mary Sell contributed to this report.
3/19/2025 9:45 a.m. – This story was updated to reflect a response received 3/19/2025 from an Alabama Community College System spokesperson stating Chancellor Baker’s current salary is $506,068.