Salary nearly $215,000 for new Richland 1 chief Witherspoon

Richland 1’s new schools superintendent Craig Witherspoon will be paid a salary of $214,240 a year, according to his contract.

The contract, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by The State, was signed Thursday, the same day the former Birmingham, Ala., superintendent was introduced at an afternoon news conference. The board formally welcomed Witherspoon with a dinner at the Palmetto Club downtown.

“My coming here is to continue to move this school system forward,” he told those gathered. “We are going to do some great things together.”

Witherspoon said he will embark on a “listening and learning tour” once he begins his new duties Monday. He has scheduled a town hall meeting Wedesday at Eau Claire High School and he said he planned to spend some time getting to know the schools, parents and students as well as other stakeholders in the community.

“We need to be partners at the table,” he said.

Witherspoon endured battles with the Birmingham school board, surviving two attempted firings and the takeover of schools by the state. But he said he was proud of some of his accomplishments there, including raising the graduation rate by 24 percent, establishing International Baccalauerate programs and new technical centers.

Witherspoon succeeds Percy Mack, who retired last summer.

Among other benefits in the contract, effective through June 30, 2019, the district will make an additional $18,000 deposit annually into the tax-sheltered annuity of Witherspoon’s choice; provide medical, dental and vision insurance for Witherspoon and his family along with 15 days of vacation; provide a cellphone and laptop; and pay for a membership in the Capital City Club.

This story was originally published March 19, 2015 at 5:41 PM with the headline "Salary nearly $215,000 for new Richland 1 chief Witherspoon."