Illustration by Ben Hillyer / The Natchez Democrat.

Archived Story

School board members, supervisors talk salaries

Published 12:30am Sunday, April 1, 2012

NATCHEZ — The Natchez-Adams School District spends approximately $22 million on salaries each year, including nearly $900,000 for 10 administrators who each bring home more than $80,000 a year.

Seventy-nine teachers make more than $50,000 a year, including two teachers who make more than $70,000.

One secretary also makes approximately $57,000.

NASD School Board President Wayne Barnett said while the board is reviewing some of the salary schedules, he thinks the educators should be paid professional salaries.

“For what we have in our hands — and that’s the future of this country — we better start paying teachers (well),” Barnett said.

NASD board member Thelma Newsome said the board, forced to deal with an already tightly stretched budget, has been reviewing salary schedules to see if they need any adjusting.

“I’m not sure why some salaries are as high as they are,” Newsome said. “We’re looking for answers, too.”

Board member Tim Blalock said some of the salaries concern him as well.

“It does worry me that the assistant superintendent makes (approximately) the same that Supreme Court justices do,” Blalock said.

Blalock said he knows comparing other jobs to educators might not be fair, “but it’s a judgment call,” he said.

“We need to look and see if (the district) is actually getting the value for the money (employees) are being paid.”

  • Anonymous

    Too much money. Education is mostly media hype now,kids get a free education basically. It,s up to them to learn,but with most parents not caring why should they care. Having all these people make huge salaries and more programs,special attention,and constantly wanting more and more funding for education,which a lot of people say helps education is hogwash. Education at best is this area is way too top heavy and expensive for the taxpayers,producing kids that can,t hardly read and write their names.

  • Anonymous

    Those people in the above mentioned jobs make too much money,they know it and so does everyone else..get real.

  • Anonymous

    At the NASD, the top 10 central office administrators earn between $54,651 and $117,000, with an average salary of $84,000.

    Like i said this is to much money,times are getting harder and harder..a lot of goverment officals need theirs cut in about half at least..

  • Anonymous

    “One secretary also makes approximately $57,000.”

    WHAT???

  • Anonymous

    So why would anybody of relative intelligence be surprised that our beloved, prized & “West-i-fied” public school system is in the crapper, demanding more blood from of our taxpaying property owners and we’re just now discussing pay rates?  

    Considering the overall academic record of this school system for the past twenty years, I’d say a refund is in order to the taxpayers who have footed the bill for this fiasco.       
    And thanks to Grennell for getting his autochthonous analogy (teachers vs county workers) out there on record.  I might agree with him……… if we were living in the 80′s! LOL

  • Anonymous

    It is obvious, judging from overall student performance, that these teachers are drawing a salary, not earning it.  Do like corporate America… get rid of them, hire new college graduates with no experience and save a bus load of money. The students might benefit from some “new blood” in the system.  They certainly won’t be any worse off than they are now.

  • Anonymous

    “It does worry me that the assistant superintendent makes (approximately) the same that Supreme Court justices do,” Blalock said.

    Does this mean that no attorney should make more than a supreme court justice?  Please publish your earnings last year as an attorney.  There is no guarantee that a supreme court justice is the best attorney, the same as there is no guarantee that a teacher or administrator is the best.  While attorneys work on a fee or percentage of winnings basis with no guarantee of caseload, sometimes they get windfall Fen-Phen lawsuits that pad their retirements substantially.  This is evident in the ambulance chasing ads you see on TV all the time for bad drugs, etc.

    Educators are professionals that should not be compared to a county worker with no degree in most cases.  This is the same as comparing an engineer or an IT professional to the school’s janitor.  While the article compared NASD to some other school districts, there were some average cost comparisons missing from the article for some of those districts.  I had a successful business career and the industry I was in was highly competitive with other companies with pay scales aligned to what all companies were offering professionals to work for them in order to attract new hires.  NASD has this problem also, and if you do not pay competitive wages, you will see either no new applicants or only the sludge at the bottom wanting to work hereF

  • Anonymous

    “And Before We Cast the First Stone”  Speaking strictly from a retired perspective of course, let me reiterate that the average young teacher with seven or less years barely scrapes a measley thirty thousand. The educators who make these extremely high salaries (Not speaking of superintendants and principals, I’ll address that later) are those who have taught forty years in Louisiana and were hired here in Natchez over younger prospects right here at home.  They are paid by their years of experience.  If there is a problem with the salaries why not give those coming out of college with new and bright ideas opportunites over these heirlooms who have been in the system for eons and give some young person a chance to make a difference in some young child’s life and provide for his or her own family.  These educated heirlooms such as a particular church singer I know could go home retire that $62,000 salary and provide a job for a younger prospective and help the budget by paying a person of less years an estimate of 30,000 less.  ( Oh please check the Jindal report posted in the Miss Lou paper)

  • Anonymous

    “West-i-fied”…..lol….now THAT is some “rarified air”….lol

  • http://profiles.google.com/everette.roberts Everette Roberts

    Siiiiiiit…………we needs mo money, sucka!

  • Anonymous

    However good people, its easy for those frustrated with the economy to throw stones at public education. We offer one of the most valuable services availabe.  We take children many from drug infested, dysfuntional, low socio eocnomic homes and attempt to offer them an education that they fight and rebel against.  Many of you say well my kids and grandchildren will go to private and foster homes.  But be aware these are the same people who if not educated grow up to be killers, robbers, muggers, child molesters, and don’t forget have the right to vote.  Public education carries a huge weight on its back.  Also,  people I can’t defend all the salaries but any superintendant or curriculum specialist has well earned their money

  • Anonymous

    I think  I’m in the wrong profession.  Guess where I’ll apply at next.

  • Anonymous

    Many horrors have been quietly dealt with by the superintendant, from teachers assaulted to alleged sex crimes.  Oh and lets not forget school accountability in times when everyone wants the public to jump on charter schools. I’ve seen kids who were molested, kids whose both parents were retarded, kids who were hungry and ate only at school.  I’ve seen kids who have deeper drug addictions than adults and kids who don’t even know where “mama” is from one day to the next.  And through it all the public school has to nurse and bandaid those wounds and produce stellar scholars by state expectations.

  • http://profiles.google.com/tblalock2 Timothy Blalock

     Since you asked….. $42,000.  Contrary to what most people believe, most attorneys make less than $65,000.00 per year.  Even those big payouts represent years of work.  Would you work five years for nothing for the possibility of a $30,000 payout?  It is the risk that trial lawyers take. 

  • Anonymous

    To comicdust it won’t get any better unitl parents and family are made more accountable.  We need social workers to go into these homes and regulate what’s going on.  And to flooded 2001 go try it you would rather sweep streets first. Thats why I left.

  • Anonymous

    Where would these new teachers come from? There are very few education majors in colleges and universities these days.  I am always amazed by people who seem to think that there are long lines of applicants for teaching jobs.  The interest is simply not out there!

  • Anonymous

    Are the teacher annual salaries extrapolated out for a 12 month year, or is what’s shown for the months worked?

  • Anonymous

    And therein lies the problem. The Natchez public schools were never meant to be a social “fix-all”…only to educate. All of this extra “load” is brought about by the complete and total breakdown of parental responsibility.

  • Anonymous

    LOL…you’re dreaming….”Contrary to what most people believe, most attorneys make less than $65,000.00 per year. “…that’s a good one…ever consider a career as a comedian???

  • Anonymous

    I suggest giving everyone a smaller base salary, and offering incentive based pay. Where they could make large salaries but only if the goals of the school board, school staff and administrators is completed.  This would include things like a goal graduation rate, goal % of students passing each grade, % of students, local education system ranking/ranking in specific range or higher, operating at or below annual budget amount.  If the staff could make $100k plus that is fine, but the school board should expect one of the best public school systems in the state.

  • Anonymous

    THIS ARTICLE BY THE; * STAFF REPORTS * REMINDS ME OF MY OLD JOB. PAY DIDN’T BECOME AN ISSUE UNTIL A CERTAIN *RACE* MOVED UP TO THOSE SAME POSITION THAT WAS PAYING ANOTHER CERTAIN  *RACE* THE SAME AMOUNT. YOU GO BACK ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO AND COMPAIRE THE SALARIES; THEY HADN’T CHANGED ALL THAT MUCH; IT WASN’T AN ISSUE AT THAT TIME.   

  • Anonymous

    OVER-IN-OVER-AGAIN; THE GAMES THAT GROWN PEOPLE PLAY, AMAZES ME. NOW; WHY WE ARE AT PLAYING THE “APPLE-GAME”; SOUNDS LIKE A CHILD GAME TO ME; TO BE FAIR; LETS EXPOSE THE REMAINDING OF THE NATCHEZ ADAMS COUTY PAYROLL.   

  • Anonymous

    WHEN I WAS GROWING UP; MY MOTHER ALWAY SAID, SON, A MAN IS NOT A MAN JUST BECAUSE HE WEARS THE PANTS. AT THAT AGE, I HAD NO IDEAL WHAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT. I WAS IN MY EARLY THIRTIES WHEN IT ALL CAME TOGETHER. A MAN IS A MAN NOT BECAUUS OF AGE, SIZE NOR COLOR; A MAN IS A MAN FROM THE WAY HE ; CARRIES HIMSELF, AND RESPECT OTHER.  

  • Anonymous

    The salary wouldn’t matter as much if we got a return for our dollars.  It is quite obvious the people who are the key decision makers are not qualified to handle the job.  By the way five of the top paying salary have applied to be your next superintendent. (rumor, not for sure). One would ask, how can they even be considered, they have been part of NASD problem.  Perhaps, if teachers were given the same salary attention as the school brass, just maybe their performance would be better. I live in Texas, but I am still a taxpayer in Natchez, so I am concerned.  Isn’t Joyce Johnson, Darryl Grennell aunt, he sounds a bit subjective. There are teachers with PHD’s 2 masters who dnt make that kind of money.

  • Anonymous

    NAtchez High School has 4 principals, one of them could easily become athletic director. If coaches coach, the secretary Ms. B do all the paper work,, what are the duties of an Athletic Director, especially this one, who spent his lean years in Cocordia Parish as a princiapl, (which supports my idea), still serves on the school board, (obvious where his loyalties are)?  None of the athletic programs can produce students to enter a 4 year University, or for that matter a State Championship, need a 82,000 dollar former principal, AD.  This is just ridiculous!

  • Anonymous

     OHNODEUCEISBACK!!!!!!!!!!!    DD  IT’S  IDEA,  NOTIDEAL    ETC ETC ETC

  • Anonymous

     DEUCE   CANWETAKEUPACOLLECTIONTOBUYYOUAKEYBOARDTHATAIN’TBROKEN???

  • Anonymous

     It won’t matter if they get a $1m bonus…..can’t fix lousy parents with money.

  • Anonymous

    THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS NEEDS TO WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A WAY TO GIVE THE NATCHEZ-ADAM-COUNTY EDUCATORS A RASE; THEY ARE, BY-FAR OVER DUE.

  • Anonymous

    I’m literally laughing my wits off!  Tax payers are in an uproar about supporting education but nobody yet has commented on the huge waste of money spent building an unnecessary overpath to no where!  Oh i forgot its federal money so just go ahead and waste it I guess!

  • Anonymous

    Can’t even cropdust Natchez-Adams County with BILLIONS or TRILLIONS of dollarss and “buy” parenting. That’s the whole problem here…we, the taxpayers, have put up with paying for perpetual care of the “entitlement” nation to such a degree that these leaches won’t lift a single solitary finger to help themselves.

  • Anonymous

    There was an article on the front page of the Natchez Democrat a while back naming a Natchez High student-athlete football player as the “Player of the Week”…simply because Natchez High broke a 32 game LOSING streak….how’s that for ridiculous???

  • Anonymous

    Again with your drivel…the public schools are an embarassment for Natchez-Adams County and the State of Mississippi…and YOU want to give them a raise…sickening to even think that you truly believe what you’re spewing…in all caps for good measure.

  • Anonymous

    Still can’t try to rationalize the irrationally ignorant.

  • Anonymous

    You’re fishing with accusations and a twisted demented mind…your *RACE* issue only exists in your own “mine”

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    This is the typical Natchez Way of operation that needs to stop ASAP with people being kin with connection is a conflict of interest and should step a side for this isn’t justice and fairness??!!

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    I repeat again, that the superintendent to the lowest paid employee in Adams county school system should be evaluated for job performance and etc. by people that are unknowned that are certified possible out of state that don’t know anyone in Adams county to give a fair and just evaluation??!!!! I personaly feel that these salaries are way out of line no matter how many degrees they have and how long they have worked this day an time!!! I feel there are recent graduateing  teachers with the same and more degrees would be glad to take a job in Adams county for up to 30 to 35% less and could help these students academics with more spirit!!! Why is there a Director of  Federal programs?? Why do we have ROTC in High school when after high school you can pick this up in college are join whatever service of your choice is a waste of $85,337??!!!! Why is the head high school coach making $74,338  this is way out of line in salary range!!! Security ought to be shutdown which is costly  and the coaches and teachers should take care of problems as the public schools take care of business and if it get wayout of line call the police!!! All salaries need to be cut by 35%. Is this a truthful statement Ms. Johnson said that the principals are 24-7 on call or is this debateable??!!! All I can say is that Adams county isn’t getting it bang for it buck and that all salaries need a 25 to 35% reductions an benifits!!!

  • Anonymous

    You left out the blame on federal laws for schools to educate those children noted in dignity’s post with federal expectations for those children the same as a child from a much better setting.  It’s not just the Natchez public schools.

  • Anonymous

    It’s not the keyboard, it’s the chair he sits in.

  • Anonymous

    We’ll need a grant to pay the consultants, then a grant to make the changes they recommend, then a grant to hire more consultants to review the recommendations from the previous consultants, then a grant to make sure the feds will allow the changes, then a grant to paint the sidewalks gold on the way to OZ.

  • Anonymous

    Those would be the annual amounts, they have the checks paid over 12 months while working 9 or so, actually stated in work days total during the year, e.g. 225 work day contract.  One other reason that administrator salaries are somewhat higher, they work varying increased days during the summer to prepare the schools for the next year and register new students, etc.  Some only have a few days vacation each year with the other days off the regular school holidays.

  • Anonymous

    Thanks for the feedback and honesty in response.  I agree that there are probably many attorneys who live in smaller areas like Natchez and do not elect the fast track to wealth, nor have the ambulance chaser mentality in their resume.  However, as we can see from the comments on this article, everyone is demanding educators all have the ambulance chaser on their resume to get the schools into a stellar performing level – which of course will not happen without much more parental involvement and improved discipline response from the students.  Most do not realize the competition for new hires which are much fewer nowadays, largely due to the LOW salaries?

  • Anonymous

     DD WANTS A “RASE”?????  FUNNY.

  • Anonymous

    So not a bad salary (teachers) given that your work year is 9-10 months.

  • Anonymous

    Yes, you are correct…liberal enactment of federal laws for schools are the death nell of true education.

  • Anonymous

    No, your uneducated posts amaze all of us..yet you “REMAINDING” “OVER-IN-OVER-AGAIN” which “SOUNDS LIKE A CHILD GAME TO ME”

  • Anonymous

    No…its a “SHORT” between the keyboard and the chair.

  • Anonymous

    IWUNNDAWUTDEUCEBESAYEDBOUTDAT?

  • Anonymous

     It would not be much of an issue if the schools were performing well because you do pay for what you get. Since we have mostly failing schools and have had them for several years, the salaries are much too high for a failing district. Some of these people actually earn their pay, but the majority could go home for the good that they are doing. Accountability is a must! I have never heard of primary principals and classroom teachers earning this kind of money. What does Dr. Franklin do to have such a salary? We need to see job descriptions and make sure these people are doing what they are being paid to do.
    I remember when people made less money and we had better schools. Stop the Waste!

  • Anonymous

    Some, perhaps many, of them are single and/or single parent family people, thus do not enjoy the salary in addition to other family income.  Those folks have rent/house note, utilities, car note, insurance, food, clothing, and the plethora of other things that two income families can manage more easily.  It is still being overlooked that there are fewer new teachers coming out of college nowadays and salary competition often sets the standards, not whether the district is failing or excelling.

  • Anonymous

     But some, perhaps many are married with dual income?  Where are you getting these stats?

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    22 million paid out in salary isn’t what Adams county need while schools and students are failing and they don’t even care that they are failing and they stay in schools till they’re in their 20′s!!! The whole school system needs revamted from top to bottom with all new hires!! These folks that have been there for 25 to 35 years need to step out the way and let the younger group to take over for they have enjoyed milking the taxpayers all these years of these high price salaries and the student can’t even read , add , or subtract!!!!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/CNEGJEREYHUI5BRK2QOT4GXCNI Big

    Amen , But We can not fix everything and if the school is not producing that then combine them in different classes and let the ones who want to be there be there DONT bring them all together as a whole and bring the good ones down.   And Teachers, SOME are the worse role model cause they say and I have heard this…”I already have my degree and my salary so why should I worry.  They work half of the time home by 4:15 daily and off every weekend and summers.  But things need to change in natchez!

  • Anonymous

    They are single by choice,they want to be a one parent family,then they can run the con and games to suit their lifestyle. One 2 houses down works the system,she has more than i had after working 30 years. She,s probably 28-30,but she lives way above her income,so with the freebie,programs,extra checks,getting 6-8 K tax returns, and working the streets she,s living good.

  • Anonymous

    Some of the former students can’t write either.  You left that out.

  • Anonymous

    I worked in a position that interfaced with the schools and got to know quite a few teachers.  Talking to them, you find out a lot about their personal lives.

  • Anonymous

    …or speak proper English either…

  • Anonymous

    Imagine this….ALL of us know someone who is working the system. Its pitiful.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    To make the record correct on my comment about security I put public when it should have been private school!!! Simple Security should be cut out for its too expensive when the principal, coachs, and teachers should handle this for the private schools don’t put up with unruley kids for they send them home with punishments for they have no security at all!!! This is what the public schools should do and just call the police!! Security was nothing but a taxi service to take a unruley kids home that is if they could find the parents are grandparents and if they can’t let the NPD worry about that and Judge Hudson!! That their jobs that taxpayer money goes too!!! There is all kinds of cuts that need to come of all the waste of the public schools in Adams county needs done ASAP!!!

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    We will just build more prisons and have more lawenforcement and less money for puplic schools!!!!

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    I’d have to see a finacial statement on you and if you only make $42,000 that must be just what your showing??!! People picking up drift wood make more money than that!!!!

  • Anonymous

    It’s called nepotism, and that’s how it is in Natchez, Vidalia, Ferriday, Fayette, and Port Gibson. If you are kin to someone in “power”, it doesn’t matter that your qualifications aren’t up to par. Alcornites are dominating this area, and it’s crazy! Who cares that you earned a Master’s in Education at that joke of a college? 95% of these people wouldn’t survive at any other university in this country. Anyone ever taken a class under Grennell? If so, you know what I’m talking about, and I rest my case!

  • Anonymous

    YES man yes!  Thats the issue.  Especially in the areas listed by that nurse.  Not to offend anyone, but decreasing quality gene pool sizes and increasing dysfunctional gene pool sizes have created this educational nightmare. Im not talking race either, i’m talking natural selection.  A large number of the best and brightest are long gone to greener pastures.  Most of whats left are not simply lazy or trifling as you would think, they are just unable.  Some are just not equipped for learning, just as all horses can’t race, all birds don’t fly, all brains won’t function at 100%. Find something constructive for the under percenters to make a living at, then educate the able….if only it were “fair”.

  • Anonymous

    After thinking this over and since you are an attorney, I have the perfect solution to your financial well being that would be a great service to the community beyond belief.  You are nominated to run for Circuit Court judge to replace LEL Lillie next election!  Please be sure to file your candidacy timely with the circuit clerk’s office.  Thank you for your service in advance, you should be a shoo-in.

  • Anonymous

     i know some myself, and some of them really like having a good portion of the summer off and the benefits/retirement.  None I know are what i would consider to be rich.  What source says fewer teachers are coming out of school?

  • Anonymous

    I read a lot of newsmagazines such as Time, Newsweek, etc. including the latest Time edition that confirms Tim Blalock’s allegation that the average annual pay for attorneys nowadays is in the $65K range.  You should be able to google those statistics if you wish to fully prove it.  By the way, if you haven’t seen my latest reply to his note, I suggested he bolster his pay by unseating LEL Lillie next election.

  • Anonymous

    Never disputed his $ figures about attorneys (the median in Greenville is $74k, so I think he is right).  Was referring to your teachers posting, not attorneys.

  • Anonymous

    LEECHES. 

    You barely literate fool.

  • Anonymous

    Death KNELL. 

    You are a master of self-parody.

  • Anonymous

    Why can’t we elect a responsible board of supervisors that will actually do something to stop this runaway train ? The gambling boats are not a solution, but are part of the problem. The money they pay to the city/county is much less than commerce would produce in wise handling of resources. Tax incentives to draw industry to the area would be a good start, then revamp the school system by first, eliminating non-essential personel, replacing the teachers not getting the job done. Sure all of the blame of the lack of basic primary education of the students is not their fault, but passing the students when they should have failed is.

  • Anonymous

    Education or lack of, has nothing to do with whether someone will become a criminal or not. I’ve heard this liberal garbage for years.

  • http://www.natchezdemocrat.com khakirat

    High paid salaries aren’t improving matters so if it was left to me I would sweep the whole bunch out and start over for thev highest per capital of $11,000 per student of a waste of money for low test scores!!!!!

    In a message dated 4/4/2012 4:40:31 P.M. Central Daylight Time, writes:

    (http://disqus.com/)

    sheepfeeder wrote, in response to khakirat:
    Why can’t we elect a responsible board of supervisors that will actually do something to stop this runaway train ? The gambling boats are not a solution, but are part of the problem. The money they pay to the city/county is much less than commerce would produce in wise handling of resources. Tax incentives to draw industry to the area would be a good start, then revamp the school system by first, eliminating non-essential personel, replacing the teachers not getting the job done. Sure all of the blame of the lack of basic primary education of the students is not their fault, but passing the students when they should have failed is.

    _Link to comment_ (http://disq.us/6ddhfi?imp=9e50fa26-5ae1-43b9-91d4-6df600469a4f&thread=632030463&zone=email_notification&event=shortener_click)

  • Anonymous

     ”… replacing the teachers not getting the job done…”.

    Not the real problem.  Need to replace the “parents” who aren’t getting the job done.

  • Anonymous

    Well, it’s actually an “overpass” and the other thing is that it is needed..! It’s called, “Improving infrastructure”; for any city to grow it’s local economy, there are two things very important to industries looking to locate. One is Infrastructure-ease of transportation for goods & materials. The other is Education-Not very many businesses are going to build in a city where their employees are forced to send their children to private schools because the public school system is horrible. This will fall back on the employer forced to pay a higher wage to get and keep good employees.. I think that it is absolutely ridiculous, to educate in NASD, the average cost per student is almost $9,000.00 annually.

  • Anonymous

    It’s more than $10k actually.

  • Anonymous

    and another unqualified guy used his Chicago connections to get put in the WH in 2009!  Who’d of thought?

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