BAY MINETTE – Baldwin County Superintendent of Education Eddie Tyler became the second-highest paid public school superintendent in the state following action by the Board of Education.
The board voted Thursday, Jan. 21, to extend Tyler’s contract for another two years, to 2024 and increase his pay to $242,500 a year, up from $212,940.
Board Member Cecil Christenberry, who made the motion for the increase, said Tyler has made Baldwin an example for the rest of Alabama.
“I think he needs to be the highest paid superintendent in the state of Alabama,” Christenberry said. “Because when the school system of the state comes down and asks us how to do stuff, that makes us swell up.”
Mobile County Chresal Threadgill is the state’s highest paid superintendent with an annual salary of $266,000.
Baldwin board members cited the proposed new $50-million Career Center High School planned for Baldwin County as an example of the progress the county has made in the six years that Tyler has been superintendent.
“Where we were and where we are is absolutely, even through COVID. This has been negotiating a year like no other year in our lifetimes,” Christenberry said. “It’s been just absolutely amazing and then tie it to the comprehensive career-tech school. That is, in my option, a game changer, not only for this system, but for our county and this region.”
Board Member Shannon Cauley said Tyler has provided stability during pandemic, while enrollment and the need for expansion has continued.
“This high school is such a huge project and having the consistency to see it through hopefully, to the end is what we need,” Cauley said. “We need that stability an consistency to show the taxpayers, to show our fellow other elected leaders, to show other school system, to show the state, to show industry, the list goes on and on and I’m proud and honored to be able to sit here and support this.”
Board President JaNay Dawson said Tyler worked to keep schools open as much as possible during the pandemic.
“We have heard Mr. Tyler say in public many times, especially talking about the fact that we’ve been able all year to leave our schools open, have face-to-face education for those children who wanted it and the parents who needed it,” she said. “Because he not only gave consideration to the kids and their education, he was looking a parents who were saying, ‘how do I go to work? And how do I do this and what do I do with my child if I have to stay home every day?’”
Dawson said Tyler worked to keep the school system growing during the pandemic.
“He made a public statement that we’re going to move forward to do what’s right for children, what’s right for our parents, for our stakeholders, all of them, whoever they may be. And he has said several times since then, we have never stopped. Thinking about that statement, we have never stopped, he has never stopped. We’re still growing. We’re talking about a career center, but that’s not the only school, the only growth we’re looking at. It’s not the only school, the only building that we have to go forward in the next four years.”
Tyler thanked the board, but said much of the credit for the system’s success should go to staff members.
“Thank you for your vote of confidence,” Tyler said. “The vote of confidence tells me you have confidence in my senior staff. That’s the engine right there along with our teachers on the ground.”
The board also voted to approve the creation of the Career Tech High School. The school is planned to provide a career ready diploma program in partnership with regional industries. The board will vote in the future on construction and other plans for the building and program.
