New Baltimore County superintendent to be among highest paid in the state

William “Bill” Heiser, Baltimore County’s new superintendent, will be among the highest-paid superintendents in the state with a $329,000 base salary, according to his recently released contract.

A lot of what’s in Heiser’s contract is similar to his predecessor’s. But there’s a slight difference in the salary and the residency requirement.

The school board voted Monday evening to approve Heiser’s contract. However, it didn’t receive all the necessary signatures until late Tuesday afternoon.

The final signing puts an end to the rocky process of replacing outgoing Superintendent Myriam Rogers, who announced her retirement in February, with more than a year left on her four-year contract. Tuesday is her last day.

Heiser’s starting salary is higher than the $310,000 Rogers made when she was first given the job back in 2023. She started this school year making $331,700.

Heiser’s four-year contract states he will receive a 2% cost of living increase that will result in a salary of $349,100 by school year 2029-30. However, the board can decide to boost his salary if they’re satisfied with his performance.

The state’s highest-paid superintendent is Thomas Taylor, Montgomery County’s leader, who makes $382,428, according to state data. Prince George’s superintendent Shawn Joseph makes $365,000, while Anne Arundel’s Mark Bedell makes $363,982. The new Baltimore City Public Schools CEO, Jermaine Dawson, will make $345,000 — which is $25,000 less than his predecessor.

Rogers’ contract stated she was required to live in Baltimore County and that “she shall maintain continuous residency” there no later than a year into her job. She came under fire last year when an investigation by Maryland’s inspector general for education revealed she failed to move to the district by the deadline.

She told investigators and the school board that she lived in an apartment in Baltimore County. The inspector general found that she isn’t listed on the lease, and that other public records indicate she maintains a residence in Prince George’s County.

Heiser’s contract requires him to live in Baltimore County “or within five miles from a BCPS school.” The contract states the board will review the requirement at the end of Heiser’s first school year.

The board had only a few months to conduct a national search for a new leader, and some community groups were critical of the process and outcome.

The board announced Heiser as the new leader less than two weeks before his start date. Then they formally approved his selection last week without a contract. On Monday morning, the school district announced there’d be a virtual board meeting to vote on Heiser’s contract later that night.

“Maryland law requires a Superintendent’s term to begin July 1, and we needed to complete the formal approval process and circulate the contract for signatures before then,” Jane Lichter, the school board chair, wrote in a text message Monday night.

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