Top HISD leaders making big six-figure salaries, some earning $30k bonus checks, contracts show

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Steep salaries and big bonuses are what top leaders in HISD are making, according to our news partners at the Houston Chronicle.

Contracts obtained by the Chronicle show that 13 cabinet members earn salaries over $200,000, and some are now also receiving $30,000 pay bonuses.

"I think in public schools, you're seeing more and more bonuses. You typically see them at the Superintendent level, but it's not uncommon to have them also for senior team members and to have those bonuses in their contracts with the school district," said University of Houston Education professor and former Spring Branch ISD superintendent Duncan Klussman.

Klussman said bonuses in the corporate and private sectors are typical, and while many are not used to bonuses in the public sector, they are common in school district leaders' contracts.

"I think here's one thing that's important to focus on: there's been a lot of focus in HISD on the academic side, but when you run a school district, you run a business enterprise and an academic enterprise. And you should have those same bonuses built in on the operational side so that people are meeting certain operational standards that they're getting those bonuses," said Klussman.

Those contracts reviewed by the Chronicle also include a $7,200 travel allowance, over a month of paid vacation and leave, and in some cases, a $900 cell phone allowance.

President of the Houston Federation of Teachers Jackie Anderson said she believes teachers in the classroom with students should receive more appropriate bonuses and pay.

"I think people should be fairly compensated for the work that they do, and I think teachers should be fairly compensated too, and they should not have to participate in a pay-for-performance scheme to get pay to take care of their personal needs. We have teachers still having to decide whether or not they are going to pay their rent or buy prescription medication," said Jackson.

And as ABC13 first reported Tuesday, some HISD students returned to cold classrooms after the weekend freeze due to HVAC problems.

Anderson said these issues, on top of the big bonus bucks, highlight the district's shortcomings.

"My child is coming home every day telling me they don't have heat, or they don't have air," Anderson said. "We have serious problems in our school and that's one reason we continued to fight against the bond because we knew - here's an example of what we were saying, the money is not going to be used the way it should be, if we have all these financial problems and have a deficit budget, why are we giving people a bonus of 30K when they already make over 200K."

HISD did not respond to ACB13's questions about bonuses, but they say they are investing millions in HVAC upgrades and claim HISD teacher salaries are the highest in Texas.

For news updates, follow Brianna Willis on Facebook, x and Instagram.