MONTGOMERY — The Alabama State Board of Education (BOE) had a brief but slightly tense exchange on Thursday while discussing a proposed contract granting Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE) Superintendent Eric Mackey a 55% raise from his initial contract in 2018, an increase of $135,000.
At the end of Thursday's BOE work session, vice president Tonya Chestnut opened the floor to discuss the proposed raise without mentioning numbers or amounts.
Mackey's current salary is a bit ambiguous. His initial contract for employment sets his salary at $245,000. Mackey does not receive Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) or pay raises passed by the legislature for state employees. His initial contract also grants him an annual 3% pay raise unless the board disapproves. The 2018 contract was initially set for three years, with an automatic renewal clause that expires in May.
Eric Mackey 2018 Contract. by Craig Monger on Scribd
His contract also permits the use of a state-owned vehicle, $1,750 per month for housing allowance ($21,000 annually), reimbursement for "reasonable business expenses," including, but not limited to, the reasonable cost to obtain and maintain a smartphone, electronic tablet and laptop; annual reimbursement of up to $5,000 for professional development; reimbursement for the cost of any bond required under the of Alabama Code section 16-4-32 to the extent permitted by law; and reimbursement of membership dues paid to Council for Leaders of Alabama Schools and the School Superintendents of Alabama.
According to state Checkbook data, Mackey's gross pay was $308,866.77, plus an additional $6,352.88 for travel and supplies. However, the gross pay encompasses all his allowed reimbursements.
Despite Mackey's current salary ambiguity, one thing is clear: the new proposed four-year contract would bump his salary by 55% from his original $245,000 to $380,000, an increase of $135,000. His $21,000 annual housing allowance and other reimbursements remain the same in the new contract.
Mackey 2025 Contract by Craig Monger on Scribd
While Mackey was present during Thursday's BOE meeting, Chestnut intimated that the board planned to vote on the matter during April's regular BOE meeting.
District 8 board member Wayne Reynolds chimed in, asking for the vote to be delayed until May. He said that April was Mackey's employment anniversary and that he wanted more time to have questions answered.
Chestnut seemed visibly frustrated at Reynolds's request, stating there was no reason to delay the vote.
"There's no reason to delay it," Chestnut said. "There's no reason. The contract goes through 2029, so there is no reason. And we still now have 30 additional days between now and April, and if we have questions, those questions can be addressed."
District 4 board member Yvette Richardson also sounded off, saying one motivation for the raise came after the board realized some local superintendents were paid a higher salary than Mackey.
"We basically were looking at comparable salaries in the area, realizing there are some local school superintendents that are making more than Dr. Mackey, and he's responsible for overseeing all of them," Richardson said.
Only two local superintendents in the state make over $300,000 annually: Mobile County Schools Superintendent Chresal D. Threadgill, who earns $365,260, and Baldwin County School Superintendent Eddie Tyler, who earns $315,008.
New District 7 board member Allen Long also said he would appreciate longer to review the contract.
New District 3 board member Kelly Mooney also supported delaying the vote out of respect for the two remaining members absent from the meeting.
Chestnut initially stated that all the absent members favored moving forward, which Reynolds swiftly disputed, saying District 1 board member Jackie Zeigler had told him otherwise.
After a brief and uncomfortable silence, Chestnut stated they would "take under consideration the suggestions and requests, and we'll move forward based on the majority of the board members' desires."
"I was a little surprised that my little request for delay was denied," Reynolds told 1819 News after the meeting. "There was no indication that I would vote either way, and there was no sense of my dissatisfaction with Dr. Mackey."
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