Documents: 52 DD2 administrators earn more than district’s highest-paid teacher

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Public records indicate Dorchester School District Two is spending millions of dollars each year on its administration, and the average teacher salary is below the area median income.

A Freedom of Information Act request shows the district pays 52 administrators more than the highest-paid teacher in the district, which comes out to a total of $5.8 million each year.

The highest-paid employee in the district is Superintendent Dr. Shane Robbins at $210,000 per year. His deputy and assistant superintendents Charles Daugherty and Dr. Kenneth Wilson are the two next highest-paid employees.

Summerville High School Principal Kenny Farrell is the highest-paid principal in the district, making just under $126,000 per year, while the highest-paid teacher makes $97,000 a year.

The highest-earning principal in Charleston County makes $157,000, and the highest-paid teacher earns over $98,000 a year by comparison.

The average teacher in this list of over 1,100 names makes just over $63,000, just below the area median income of $64,300 for a single person, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

However, 75 teachers on this list make less than $51,450, which is 80% of the area’s median income and is classified as low income by HUD.

DD2 charged just over $64 for this information that both Charleston and Berkeley County schools have provided to share with the public for free. DD2 initially charged twice that amount for this information.

The top 10 highest-paid district employees are listed below:

• Superintendent Dr. Shane Robbins - $210,000
• Deputy Superintendent Chad Daugherty - $160,000
• Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Wilson - $144,698
• CFO Kristina Meunier - $138,321
• Executive Director of Special Services Wanda Gadsden - $133,432
• Executive Director of Elementary Schools Lori Estep - $131,432
• Summerville High School Principal Kenny Farrell - $125,987
• Executive Director of Middle and High Schools Karen Radcliffe - $124,229
• Givhans Alternative Program Principal Joyce Dearing - $120,917
• Virtual Academy Director Dr. Greg Harrison - $120,041

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