Nebraska Legislature considers capping salaries of school superintendents

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Legislators are discussing how much money school superintendents in Nebraska should make. 

Introduced by Sen. Dave Murman, who represents south-central Nebraska, the Superintendent Pay Transparency Act would cap their salaries at five times the salary of a starting teacher. 

“The president of the United Sates, if I’m correct, makes $400,000 a year,” Murman said. “That is not a lot higher than the superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools.”

Right now, LPS Superintendent Paul Gausman’s base salary is $324,000 a year. A starting salary for a teacher in Lincoln is around $47,000. 

It means that under the bill, the LPS superintendent’s salary would have to be cut to $235,000 a year. 

Or, in order for the superintendent to keep that salary, starting teachers would have to make at least $65,000 a year. 

Supporters of the bill say it brings transparency to the hiring process. They say it would affect only a few districts in the state. 

Those opposing the bill say capping salaries would make it even harder to recruit. 

“This artificial cap in superintendents pay would limit our ability to recruit quality candidates in the future,” said Spencer Head of the Omaha school board.

Opponents also say the bill limits the power of local school boards, which are responsible for hiring a superintendent. 

“I would reverse the bill and say no teacher gets paid less than a fifth of the superintendents,” said Kyle McGowan with the Nebraska Council of School Administrators.