With the Fayette County School System having to make staff cuts and other reductions to offset a $14.5 million deficit during the coming year, part of the public conversation in recent months has been about the salary of the system’s top executive, Superintendent John DeCotis.

A review by The Citizen of several Georgia school systems showed that DeCotis draws salary and benefits roughly comparable to top officials in nearby school systems, but well below that of some of the larger systems.

DeCotis’ 2008 compensation, according to the open government website, totaled $214,371.

School system Comptroller Laura Brock said DeCotis’ salary amount listed on the www.open.ga.gov website also includes the totals for a vehicle allowance, reimbursements other than travel expenses and some system-paid benefits in his contract such as retirement and health and dental benefits that he would normally pay for.

Subtracting those items, DeCotis last week said his 2008 salary was actually $187,000.

Fayette County’s 2007 estimated population was 106,144 (according to www.census.gov) and in 2008 the school system served 22,108 students at 28 schools. The system’s general fund budget totaled $197 million.

A compensation comparison of superintendent salaries from several school systems is provided below. Depending on the contract of each superintendent, the “salary” figures may or may not include taxable benefits and other allowances catalogued on the open government website.

Coweta County Superintendent Blake Bass in 2008 had a salary of $177,829 in a system serving more than 21,000 students at 30 schools in a county of 119,000 residents. The school system’s general fund budget totaled $176 million.

Spalding County Superintendent Jesse Bradley in 2008 had a salary of $171,287 in a system serving 10,536 students in 20 schools in a county of 62,826 residents (estimated 2007). The school system’s total FY 2009 operating budget is $85.941 million.

In Rockdale County, Superintendent Samuel T. King received $197,245 in 2008. The county’s 2007 population was estimated at 82,000, with a school enrollment of 15,809. Rockdale’s school budget was approximately $131 million.

In Clayton County, Superintendent John Thompson’s salary is $285,000. With a population of 272,217, the school system serves approximately 50,000 students. The current general fund budget is $419.6 million.

Cherokee County School Superintendent Frank Petruzielo received $208,273 in total compensation. The system serves 33,600 students in 34 schools with a budget of $425.3 million. Cherokee’s 2007 estimated population was 204,363.

Gwinnett County School System serves more than 136,000 students in a county with a 2007 population of 776,380. The school system has 115 schools and a budget totaling $1.41 billion. Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks received $343,954 in compensation in 2008.

Clarke County serves 12,231 students and has a population of 114,063. Superintendent James Simms’ salary is listed at $164,490 for 2008. The school system operates on a $125.27 million general fund budget.

And in Forsyth County, Superintendent L.C. Evans received $162,149 in compensation. With a general fund budget of $270 million, Forsyth serves approximately 32,000 students in a county with a population of 158,941.

The 2008 figures obtained at http://open.ga.gov do not reflect variables impacting compensation such as the time served in the position or the length of service in the system or in public education.

Nor do the figures differentiate between actual salary and the monetary value of various benefits included in a superintendent’s contract.

The figures do reflect all taxable expenses, the value of salary and benefits received by superintendents, according to Georgia Department of Education Deputy Superintendent for Finance and Business Operations Scott Austensen.