MIDLAND, Mich. —Parents, lawmakers, media and education officials can now easily see how tax dollars are spent on school district leadership, thanks to an updated database released today by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. The Michigan Public School Superintendent Compensation Database reports how much districts spent on superintendent compensation, including salary, insurance, pension and other benefits.

The database compiles the information from two sources: Freedom of Information Act requests for current superintendent contracts and district transparency websites. Nearly 90% of districts and ISDs responded.

The database reports how much districts spent in the most recent year, which varies by district. Some base this on the calendar year 2019 and others use their fiscal year, starting July 1. It also notes when multiple superintendents were paid by a single district over the course of the year.

There were 31 superintendents who made more than $300,000 in total annual compensation. The districts with the highest paid superintendents are Roseville ($409,760), Detroit ($399,010) and West Ottawa ($383,929). Overall, 88 districts spent more than $250,000 on superintendent compensation.

The database does not recommend the correct amount of compensation for superintendents. Instead, it serves as a tool for taxpayers to see how their dollars are being used.

“This makes it easier to compare how different Michigan districts are spending resources on the leaders their boards have chosen,” said Ben DeGrow, director of education policy at the Mackinac Center.

You can view the complete database here.

Learn more about the Mackinac Center’s work on education here.