Superintendent of the Year Dubbed 'Overpaid'

South Carolinians for Responsible Government Foundation released its list of overpaid educators Monday — listing the state's 2011 Superintendent of the Year Joe Pye of Dorchester County School District Two at No. 9. 

According to the libertarian lobbying group, Pye and nine other S.C. educators are have many perks and a salary surpassing the average $47,000 salary of teachers in the state. Pye makes a base salary of $137,000.

"In many cases, the public school district superintendent is the highest earner in the county, and they are seeing bonuses and raises while the schools' performance remains stagnant," foundation president Randy Page said.

According to Page, the list was not a who’s who of the top education earners in the state, but rather a snapshot of those whose pay is either "exceptionally out of line" with their responsibly or accomplishments, or whose salaries are furthest above the income of the parents and teachers in their district.

Also in the top ten were:

10. Molly Spearman of S.C. School Administrators' Association

8. Roger Smith of S.C. Education Association

7. Darrell Johnson, superintendent of Greenwood 50

6. Cynthia Wilson, superintendent of Orangeburg 5

5. Stephen Hefner, superintendent of Lexington/Richland 5

4. Rallie Liston, superintendent of Spartanburg 4

3. Vaerie Truesdale, superintendent of Beaufort

2. Katie Brochu, superintendent of Richland 2

1. Paul Krohne of S.C. School Boards' Association