Baltimore City Public Schools received an unprecedented $1.7 billion from taxpayers this year, marking the largest budget in the district’s history. However, despite the influx of additional funding, City Schools continues to rank as the lowest-performing district in the state, with dismal test scores and graduation rates. Furthermore, according to federal test scores, Baltimore is also among the lowest-performing large school systems in the nation.

For years, one of the primary criticisms leveled against City Schools has been the disproportionate allocation of resources toward the Central Office, rather than directly benefiting classrooms.

In an effort to shed light on this issue, Project Baltimore analyzed the most recent annual employee salary database to gauge the compensation levels of the district’s top leaders.

The analysis revealed that Dr. Sonja Santelises, the CEO of City Schools, received a total compensation of approximately $479,672 last year. This figure includes her base salary of $414,074, a $55,000 deferred compensation contribution toward retirement (in addition to her state pension), and a $9,600 car allowance.

Notably, the second-highest earner was Jackie Williams, a temporary employee who earned $304,817 in total last year. Williams, who retired as the principal of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, was rehired to provide professional development and coaching. According to City Schools, her additional earnings of $172,953 came from cashing in accumulated vacation and sick days.

The third-highest-paid employee was Josh Civin, the district’s Chief Legal Officer, who made $244,014 in total earnings last year. He was followed by CFO Christopher Doherty at $235,299 and COO Lynette Washington, who earned $234,859.

In total, 23 Baltimore City Schools employees earned more than $200,000 last year, nearly double the number from the previous year when only 12 employees surpassed that threshold.

As budgets and salaries continue to rise, enrollment in City Schools has been on a decline. Ten years ago, the district had 84,730 students, but this year, enrollment has dropped to 75,811.

Baltimore City Schools consistently ranks among the highest in administrative costs per student in the country, indicating a significant portion of funds being allocated to the Central Office. According to the most recent U.S. Census report from 2023, Baltimore has the eighth-highest administrative costs per student out of the 100 largest school systems in America, with only a few districts like New York, San Francisco, and Atlanta spending slightly more.

With the passage of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, City Schools’ budget is expected to continue increasing in the coming years, raising questions about the district’s ability to translate these resources into improved educational outcomes for its students.