Muscogee County School District’s six-figure earners increase by 19

To help taxpayers know how their money is being spent, the Ledger-Enquirer has been publishing the salaries of local public employees, with highlights in the newspaper and the complete databases at www.ledger-enquirer.com.

Now, it’s time to publish the Muscogee County School District’s updated salaries for fiscal year 2017, based on the document the Ledger-Enquirer received this month from the district.

The database comprises 5,013 full- and part-time employees, an increase of 68 compared to last year, including 4,283 listed as receiving an annual base salary, an increase of 33 compared to last year. The salaries range from the low of $4,894 for crossing guards, an increase of $96 compared to last year, to the high of $170,000 for superintendent David Lewis, which is the same as last year.

Lewis is among 61 MCSD employees with six-figure salaries, an increase of 19 compared to last year. The top 12 earners are in the superintendent’s cabinet, plus the director of the county’s public libraries, which the school district owns and operates:

▪ David Lewis, superintendent, $170,000

▪ Alan Harkness, library director, $130,000

▪ Rebecca Braaten, assistant superintendent, $126,500

▪ Melvin Blackwell, chief student services officer, $125,409

▪ Kathy Tessin, chief human resources officer, $122,950

▪ Terry Baker, chief regional officer, $121,745

▪ David Goldberg, chief operations officer, $121,745

▪ Ronald Pleasant, chief information officer, $121,745

▪ Keith Seifert, chief academic officer, $121,745

▪ Theresa Thornton, chief financial officer, $121,745

▪ Ronald Wiggins, chief regional officer, $121,745

▪ James Wilson, chief regional officer, $121,745

The next highest salaries go to principals:

▪ Marvin Crumbs, Columbus High School principal, $121,336

▪ Johnny Freeman, Spencer High School principal, $121,336

▪ Alonzo James, Kendrick High School principal, $117,463

▪ Barrie Clarke, Midland Middle School principal, $113,347

▪ Laverne Brown, Georgetown Elementary School principal, $110,957

▪ Precious Evans, Wesley Heights Elementary School principal, $110,957

▪ Jacqueline Flakes, Key Elementary School principal, $110,957

▪ Carla Henry, Davis Elementary School principal, $110,957

▪ Cenobia Moore, Brewer Elementary School principal, $110,957

▪ Rhonda Tharp, Dawson Elementary School principal, $110,957

▪ Tujuana Wiggins, Downtown Elementary Magnet Academy principal, $110,957

▪ Matt Bell, Hardaway High School principal, $109,788

▪ Chris Lindsey, Carver High School principal, $109,788

▪ Susan Willard, Early College Academy principal, $109,788

▪ Amy Wohler, Jordan Vocational High School principal, $109,788

▪ Michael Forte, Rothschild Leadership Academy principal, $109,729

▪ Reginald Griffin, Edgewood Student Services Center coordinator (alternative school), $106,249

▪ Adam Herring, Shaw High School principal, $106,249

▪ Marty Richburg, Northside High School principal, $106,249

The rest of the six-figure earners are a mix of central office administrators, principals and one assistant principal:

▪ Tim Smith, executive director of federal grants, $106,081

▪ Lorrie Watt, executive director of K-12 curriculum, $106,081

▪ Mary Lewis, executive director of exceptional children services, $105,568

▪ Yvette Scarborough, Fox Elementary School principal, $104,443

▪ Roger Barros, director of JROTC, $103,129

▪ Penny Bowen, Blackmon Road Middle School principal, $102,559

▪ Sonja Coaxum, Fort Middle School principal, $102,559

▪ Shermaine Derrick, Eddy Middle School principal, $102,559

▪ Craig Fitts, Double Churches Middle School principal, $102,559

▪ Richard Green, Aaron Cohn Middle School principal, $102,559

▪ Lance Henderson, Richards Middle School principal, $102,559

▪ Melanie Knight, Veterans Memorial Middle School principal, $102,559

▪ Sarah Sillitto, senior director of regulatory compliance, $102,094

▪ Barbara Weaver, Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School principal, $101,214

▪ Philip Bush, River Road Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Joanna Culbreth, Eagle Ridge Academy principal (now a Title IIA teacher coach), $100,397

▪ Clara Davis, Britt David Magnet Academy principal, $100,397

▪ Tonya Douglass, Waddell Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Karen Garner, Allen Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Dawn Grantham, Blanchard Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Jan Greene, Mathews Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Mark Hanner, Johnson Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Dawn Jenkins, South Columbus Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Teresa Lawson, Clubview Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Janice Miley, Midland Academy principal, $100,397

▪ Carolyn Mull, Wynnton Arts Academy principal, $100,397

▪ Amy Parker, Reese Road Leadership Academy principal (now Eagle Ridge Academy principal), $100,397

▪ Charleen Robinson, Rigdon Road Elementary School principal, $100,397

▪ Linda Sessions, Davis Elementary School assistant principal, $100,397

▪ Paula Shaw-Powell, Double Churches Elementary School principal, $100,397

This story was originally published October 29, 2016 at 8:47 PM with the headline "Muscogee County School District’s six-figure earners increase by 19."