Top 20 salaries: CMS and Wake

Here's how the 20 highest-paid people in Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Wake County schools compare, based on payroll requests delivered last week. Wake has 143,289 K-12 students , compared with 135,638 K-12 students and about 3,000 prekindergarteners in CMS.

As you'll see, CMS pays its top folks better than Wake. Wake, however, pays its teacher slightly more -- very slightly. The amount varies based on experience and credentials; see the Wake pay scales here and the CMS scales here. Both districts start with the state's teacher pay scale but add money provided by the counties.

Unless otherwise noted, the CMS folks received no raises or bonuses in the past year (I do not have background information on the Wake crew).

CMS
1. Superintendent Peter Gorman, $267,150 salary plus $30,000 supplementary retirement pay.
2. Chief Operating Officer Hugh Hattabaugh, $169,900.
3. Chief Academic Officer Ann Clark, $169,638.
4. Chief Financial Officer Sheila Shirley, $169,363.
5. Chief Information Officer Susan Johnson, $165,428. The title can be confusing; she's in charge of technology, not public relations.
6-7. Chief Strategy and Accountability Officer Robert Avossa, $160,000. Avossa is the only finalist for superintendent of Fulton County Schools in Georgia, so will probably leave CMS soon.
6-7. Chief Human Resource Officer Daniel Habrat, $160,000. Habrat was recently hired at $21,082 more than his predecessor made, but another highly-paid HR job was eliminated.
8. South Meck High Principal Maureen Furr, $155,677.
9. General Counsel George Battle, $152,000. Battle was recently hired at $8,452 more than Deputy General Counsel Andre Mayes earned while she held the top job on a temporary basis. Mayes took an $18,548 pay cut, to $125,000 a year, when she returned to her normal duty.
10. Associate Superintendent Guy Chamberlain (building services), $148,813.
11. South Charlotte Middle School Principal Christine Waggoner, $145,981.
12. Area Superintendent Joel Ritchie, $144,230.
13. Edward Ellis, assistant principal at Vance High, $142,874. Ellis was principal of Waddell High and did not lose his pay when he was made an assistant. He works a 12-month contract, unlike most assistant principals.
14. Myers Park High Principal Thomas Spivey, $142,086.
15. Assistant Superintendent Mary Rhyne (exceptional children, or students with disabilities), $141,294.
16. Berry Academy of Technology Principal Curtis Carroll, $139,803.
17-20. Area Superintendents Scott Muri, Katherine Rea, Tyler Ream and Denise Watts, $134,859. Rea received an $18,257 raise when she was promoted from executive director. Watts (she's listed as Sharmel Watts if you look her up in the database) received a $41,031 raise when she was promoted from Spaugh Middle School principal.


WAKE

1. Superintendent Anthony Tata, $255,164.
2. Chief Academic Officer Donna Hargens, $148,965.
3. Chief Business Officer Daniel Neter, $150,831.
4. Chief Facilities and Operations Officer Don Haydon Jr., $150,666.
5. Chief Area Superintendent Danny Barnes, $145,072.
6. Principal Beulah Wright, $141,757.
7. Area Superintendent Lloyd Gardner, $134,760.
8-9. Principal William Crockett Jr., $130,969.
8-9. Principal Rodney Nelson, $130,969.
10. Principal James Hedrick, $128,945.
11. Area Superintendent Ann Hooker, $128,343.
12-13. Area Superintendent Julye Mizelle, $127,246.
12-13. Assistant Superintendent David Holdzkom, $127,246.
14-15. Chief of Staff Terri Cobb, $126,149.
14-15. Chief Communications Officer Michael Evans, $126,149.
16. Principal Dana King, $125,984.
17. Principal Tina Hoots, $124,816.
18. Assistant Superintendent Marvin Connelly Jr., $123,955.
19. Principal John Williams, $123,514.
20. Principal Gregory Decker, $123,080.