Illinois Public School Superintendents' Make Big Money Off the Taxpayers

The Chicago Tribune reports on the well to do:

School superintendents' average pay in Illinois climbed 23 percent in the last five years, a jump experts said reflects an increasingly competitive market and a number of retirees with big end-of-career raises.

The 10 highest-paid school superintendents in Illinois each earned more than $300,000 and oversaw small to large districts in the Chicago metropolitan area, according to state data.

"It is one of the most difficult jobs out there -- anywhere -- and certainly in public education, so you need to have someone who is very experienced," said Michael Lipsitz, school board president of Highland Park-based District 112 where the superintendent last year was the 10th highest paid in the state.



"And, frankly, there aren't a whole lot of people out there who meet those standards who are interested in making a move."

The 2006-07 salary data, obtained from the Illinois State Board of Education through the Freedom of Information Act, reflects self-reported information from 810 of the 871 school districts in the state.

The data showed that average superintendent salary and retirement benefits in Illinois went from about $114,000 in the 2001-02 school year to $141,000 in 2006-07. Another sign of the increased wages: 119 top school chiefs earned $200,000 or more last year compared with 26 in 2001-02.

Now you know why government workers contribute to politicians,it's all part of being well compensated.Who says you have to go into the private sector to make a good buck?