Houston schools Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra stands to be about $1 million richer when he leaves the district by next spring. Thanks to his good health and contract, Saavedra will collect an estimated $540,000 for unused sick, personal and vacation time accrued over his nearly four decades in Texas schools. He also is guaranteed his base salary — $327,010 — plus a car and phone allowance through next March, under a deal the school board approved this week. Add in a potential $80,000 performance bonus, and Saavedra could hit close to a seven-figure payout in the next year.
To read The Houston Chronicle article, click here.
EARLIER: Houston schools Superintendent Abelardo Saavedra is stepping down after a five-year run marked by stronger academics, a stubborn dropout problem and shaken public confidence. Saavedra says he will retire by March 2010, but he is expected to exit sooner. His decision comes after an especially contentious year and a half, from the district’s $805 million bond referendum barely passing in 2007 to the recent parent outcry over his plan to reduce busing to magnet schools. Even so, just last week, the school board awarded him with a $77,500 bonus, on top of his $327,000 base salary.
To read The Houston Chronicle article, click here.
