Wichita's new superintendent will receive a higher base salary and other benefits than his predecessor when he takes over the district's top post in July.
At its meeting Monday night, the Wichita Board of Education unanimously approved a three-year contract with Kelly Bielefeld.
The district will pay Bielefeld a base salary of $300,000 a year. He also will receive a $1,000-a-month car and mileage allowance, $525 a month for "professional, civic and incidental expenses," and a $25,000-a-year contribution to his retirement, bringing the total package to $343,000.
Bielefeld's seven-page contract looks similar to that of current superintendent Alicia Thompson.
Thompson's base salary is $296,305. She receives a monthly car and mileage allowance of $750 a month and $525 a month for incidental expenses.
Bielefeld's new contract says his salary will be automatically increased by the same percentage as any base salary increase for teachers. If teachers get a lump-sum bonus, he will get an equivalent bonus.
In November, the Wichita school board set a proposed salary range of between $300,000 and $325,000 a year. Board members said it was based on a market analysis of superintendent salaries in the Wichita region and at other large urban districts.
Bielefeld, 44, is the district’s executive director of college and career readiness. He joined the district in 2020.
Wichita is the largest school district in Kansas, with about 47,500 students. Nearly 80% of Wichita students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, an indicator of poverty. The district is the third-largest employer in the Wichita area, with more than 5,600 full-time employees. Its annual budget is more than $980 million.
