Atlanta’s interim superintendent will earn $320,000 annual salary
Atlanta Public Schools’ new Interim Superintendent Danielle Battle will receive the same compensation package as her predecessor, Lisa Herring.
When Battle officially begins Sept. 1, her base annual salary will be $320,000 and she’ll get a monthly expense allowance of $2,000 which can be used on transportation or any other work-related costs. Her contract ends on June 30, 2024.
According to her contract, obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through an open records request, Battle will be paid a daily consulting fee of $1,250 for Aug. 7 through Aug. 31.
Herring has agreed to resign as superintendent on Aug. 31. She will then transition to a consultant role and will report to Battle to “effectuate a smooth and orderly transition,” according to a separation agreement reached with the school board. Herring will earn $29,167 a month as a consultant for the district. She will step down from APS entirely on Dec. 31, 2023, and will receive $14,600 for that final month.
In June, the school board said it didn’t have the votes to extend Herring’s contract past its original end date of June 30, 2024. Earlier this month, the board announced it had reached a separation agreement with Herring and tapped Battle, a retired APS principal and associate superintendent, as interim. Board members officially approved the deal during an Aug. 7 meeting.
Battle’s salary is commensurate with other metro Atlanta superintendents. Devon Horton, DeKalb’s new superintendent, is paid a base annual salary of $325,000. The district also pays Horton a monthly expense allotment of $1,500 and provides him with a vehicle for work-related travel according to his contract.
Fulton County Superintendent Mike Looney earned $329,000 his first year on the job with a monthly expense allowance of $1,250 and a monthly car allowance of $800. Gwinnett Superintendent Calvin Watts made just under $381,000 his first year with $1,500 monthly for transportation and another $1200 monthly for work-related expenses.
About the Author
Martha Dalton is a journalist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, writing about K-12 education. She was previously a senior education reporter at WABE, Atlanta's NPR affiliate. Before that, she was a general assignment reporter at CNN Radio. Martha has worked in media for more than 20 years. She taught elementary school in a previous life.
