Spicer will receive nearly $10,000 more than predecessor

New Elba City School Superintendent Terry Spicer will receive nearly $10,000 per year more than his predecessor, an increase of more than 12 percent. Spicer will receive a $5,191 step raise at the beginning of the next school term.

According to documents obtained by the Dothan Eagle under Alabama’s Open Records Law, Spicer will make $101,750 as Elba City Schools superintendent this school year, and his pay will go up to $106,941 for the 2010-2011 school year. Former superintendent Danny Weeks, who served as superintendent for nearly 10 years, ended his time as superintendent with a $90,565 annual salary.

Spicer, an Alabama state representative, formerly served as assistant to the president for economic and community development at Enterprise Ozark Community College at a salary of about $100,000 per year. Former Alabama College Chancellor Bradley Byrne recently pushed through new regulations that would prohibit legislators from working in the community college system. Legislators currently serving in the system would have to choose between their jobs or their seats after the next election cycle in 2010. A group of legislators, including Spicer, challenged the ban, but the Alabama Supreme Court in May reversed a circuit judge’s ruling against the ban and kicked it back down to the lower court for further litigation.

The Elba City Schools have three schools, more than 900 students, about 60 teachers and an annual budget of about $8 million. Spicer’s salary will take up nearly 1.2 percent of the total school system budget. Like all Alabama public schools, the Elba City Schools will receive a 7.5 percent reduction in state funding this year because of across-the-board education budget cuts.

Spicer’s contract states that he will begin his position with an Alabama Department of Education Superintendent’s qualifying certificate, but must complete all the requirements to attain administration and/or supervision certification. The contract also states that Spicer must maintain a valid and appropriate certificate to act as superintendent. The contract sets no specific deadline for him to complete the coursework necessary to attain administration and/or supervision certification, however.

Spicer’s contract, which runs from 2009 to 2013, also has an evergreen clause, stating that the Elba City School Board must give him six months’ notice if it intends to non-renew his contract, otherwise it’s automatically renewed for another year. Weeks’ contract had no such provision.

When Spicer worked at EOCC, he was required to keep logs of his working hours, ensuring that he did work for the college even when the Legislature was in session. His new contract makes no mention of work logs, only stipulating that Spicer “will be entitled to all benefits applicable to twelve (12) month administrative employees which are incident to their employment relationship with the Board, including but not limited to vacation, plus illness benefits and leaves. ... ”

As a member of the Alabama Legislature, Spicer earns about $50,000 per year.