Rockdale Citizen

Photo by Howard Reed

CONYERS -- Rockdale County Public Schools Superintendent Samuel King will earn more than $9,000 this year in performance compensation, according to information the system released Wednesday.

On June 16, the Rockdale County Board of Education approved a motion finding that the superintendent had met and exceeded his performance goals for the 2010-11 school year and was entitled to performance compensation under his contract. The motion was made by school board member Don McKinney and seconded by member Darlene Hotchkiss and unanimously approved by other board members after a closed executive session Thursday night. Jim McBrayer and Katrina Young were absent from the meeting.

King will receive $8,748.89 after taxes this year, or $10,000 before taxes, for his performance compensation, according to Lee Davis, chief financial officer at RCPS. In his current contract, King is allowed up to a maximum of 5 percent of his base salary, or $200,000, for performance compensation each year. King earned about $223,000 last year in salary and travel.

On Tuesday, when RCPS released the voting results, school board members couldn't remember how much the performance bonus would be, and RCPS did not release the figure until Wednesday morning.

The board based his performance increase on board priorities and goals:

Increase student academic achievement

* Continue to improve fiscal management and procedures to maintain a strong financial base

* Foster collaboration and effective communication

* Implement adopted strategic plan

* Foster a safe and orderly learning environment

King has worked for six years as superintendent of RCPS and has spent more than 25 years in education teaching math and science at the elementary, middle and high school levels. RCPS has met Adequate Yearly Progress for five consecutive years; all of its schools also have met AYP for two consecutive years.

He was named Georgia's 2011 Superintendent of the Year by the Georgia School Boards Association and the Georgia School Superintendents Association after being a finalist for the past three years.

King's current employment contract was entered into on July 22, 2009, and will be terminated, unless renewed, on June 30, 2012.

In addition to allowing for a performance compensation, King's contract also allows for a minimum 5 percent cost of living increase each year; however, King was not given a cost of living increase for the 2010-11 school year. Under no circumstances can the board decrease his salary below the base salary, according to the contract.

Teachers also are expected to receive a revised salary schedule and step increases next school year, but some may not see any increases, Davis has said in budget discussions.