MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Alabama State Superintendent Eric Mackey will receive an 11% raise under a new contract approved Thursday by the State Board of Education, a significantly lower salary than what was initially proposed.
The board voted 7-1 to raise Mackey’s salary from $292,500 to $325,000, an increase of $32,500. That’s far below the $380,000 figure floated in a draft contract obtained by Alabama Daily News in March, which would have amounted to a 30% raise.
Board member Marie Manning said Mackey himself proposed the lower salary after hearing public concerns.
“There’s been a little rock in the road,” Manning said. “But Dr. Mackey has gone back to the governor and her office and has asked for a reduction in the original amount.”
“I want to see him raised up to where our superintendents in the local level, our chancellors in the two-year schools and the four-year schools is more equitable,” she said.
Following the meeting, Board Vice President Tonya Chestnut opened the work session asking board members to consider creating a better process for future contract renewals.
“I believe that it will be beneficial for us to develop guidelines with details while we still have this fresh on our minds,” she said. “We can ensure that we have a smoother process, smoother procedures moving forward.”
Mackey agreed.
“The process has been hard on everybody – all of us,” he said. “I do appreciate the opportunity to serve longer, and I enjoy working with all of you, and y’all know that, and I think that’s a very good idea.”
Board member Jackie Zeigler cast the lone “no” vote, citing frustration with the process rather than Mackey’s performance. She said the revised contract was sent to board members only the night before the meeting.
“I think the process of how the contract was, procedures were laid out, could have been done in a much better way,” Zeigler said. “I received hundreds of emails and texts and phone calls from people who were concerned (about the initial $380,000 salary proposal).”
Board member Wayne Reynolds, who was traveling and unable to attend, said in a social media post that he watched the livestream of the board meeting and agreed with Zeigler’s remarks.
“I was opposed to the late notice and inappropriate contract development,” he told ADN by text. “The reduction of the $380K (salary) was an improvement, but my constituents seem opposed to the raise.”
Gov. Kay Ivey, who serves as president of the board, voted in favor of the new contract.
Mackey’s new contract runs through April 2029 and includes:
- $325,000 salary
- $1,750 monthly housing allowance
- Up to $5,000 in annual professional development reimbursement
- Use of a state-owned vehicle
- Reimbursement for professional memberships and reasonable business expenses
- Two potential one-year extensions
- 3% automatic annual raises
Everything other than the extensions dates and salary amount is the same as in his original 2018 contract, when his salary was $245,000.
How Mackey’s pay compares
Even with the raise, Mackey is not the highest-paid K-12 superintendent in Alabama. That title belongs to Mobile County Superintendent Chresal Threadgill, who earns $365,261 this school year.
Traditional K-12 superintendents across the state are paid between $103,303 and $365,261. Charter school salaries range from $52,000 (Magic City Acceptance Academy) to $170,000 (i3 Academy).
Comparing salaries among state-level superintendents in other states is difficult. According to Janice Hernandez, press secretary for the Council of Chief State School Officers, “the scope of the chief’s job can range widely,” making direct salary comparisons unreliable. Mackey currently serves as the President of CCSSO.
By comparison, salary information for Alabama’s higher education leaders shows they are consistently paid more than the state K-12 superintendent.
Alabama Community College System Chancellor Jimmy Baker was hired in 2017 at $288,000. Alabama Daily News had to file an open records request to obtain Baker’s current contract. Extended through 2028, it allows for an annual salary of $506,067.50. His most recent raise – a 15% increase – was approved in September 2024.
The contract includes reimbursement for reasonable expenses, including travel, and the use of a state vehicle. There are no provisions for automatic salary increases, but the Board of Trustees may increase his salary at its discretion.
Alabama Commission on Higher Education Executive Director Jim Purcell started at $249,357 in 2021. His current salary is $378,919. Purcell’s contract, provided to ADN by his office, includes a $10,000 annual expense allowance, use of a state vehicle, and provisions for automatic cost-of-living increases given to all state employees. The commission may also increase his salary at its discretion.
Most university and community college presidents in Alabama earn more than $250,000 annually, with some reaching between $500,000 and $900,000, according to AL.com reporting in 2024.
2025-04-10 Mackey Contract – Signed by Trisha Powell Crain on Scribe