Senate Bill 2777: State Superintendent and School Attendance Officers Salary

February 17, 2023March 1, 2023 Bill Tracker

Latest Action

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The House failed to take action on SB 2777 by the February 28 deadline, causing this bill to die in committee. 

Explanation of the Bill

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Senate Bill 2777 would adjust the salary scale and provide a raise for School Attendance Officers (SAOs) as well as implement a maximum salary cap of $250,000 for the State Superintendent of Education and Executive Director of the Mississippi Community College Board (MCCB). The maximum salary would result in salary decreases for both the State Superintendent and the MCCB Executive Director.

Under SB 2777, the minimum starting salary for an SAO with a bachelor’s degree would increase from $24,528.39 to $29,500, a 20% increase. SAOs would also receive yearly step raises, rather than a raise every four years. SAOs with a bachelor’s degree would receive a $400 raise every year and a $1,200 raise every five years. SAOs who are a licensed social worker or who have a master’s degree would have a starting salary of $31,500 and receive a $550 raise every year and a $1,300 raise every five years.

Though SB 2777 was initially intended solely as a bill to raise the salary for SAOs, the Senate amended the bill to include a cap on the salaries for the State Superintendent and MCCB Executive Director. The Mississippi State Board of Education (SBE) and the MCCB will continue to have authority to set these salaries within the cap of $250,000. The previous State Superintendent, Carey Wright, received a salary of $300,000, while the previous MCCB Executive Director, Andrea Mayfield, received a salary of $278,000. 
In January, MCCB selected Kell Smith to serve as the new Executive Director. Though it is unclear how much he is currently earning, under SB 2777—which would go into effect on July 1, 2023—his salary would necessarily be lower than his predecessor. Dr. Robert Taylor, named by SBE as the new State Superintendent, is still awaiting confirmation by the Senate. Under SB 2777, if confirmed, he would also earn less than his predecessor.