Kansas City school Superintendent Mark Bedell gets raise to $282K, contract extension
Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent Mark Bedell’s salary will jump to $282,000 under a new three-year contract. Beginning his sixth year, Bedell is now the district’s longest-serving superintendent since the early 1970s, officials said Thursday.
The contract, which goes into effect in July, was approved Wednesday night by the seven-member school board, less than one week before the April 6 election. On Tuesday, voters will elect four board members. Two of those races are contested.
This is the third contract extension for Bedell, who was hired as superintendent in 2016. Under his first contract, Bedell’s annual salary was $225,000 plus benefits. In 2019, his contract extension came with a $40,000 raise, or an 18% increase, to $265,000 a year.
Under the new contract, Bedell is getting a $17,000 raise, or 6.4%. At the end of this school year, Bedell also will be entitled to a $31,000 retention bonus, agreed upon in 2019. Similar to the previous contract, Bedell also receives a car and financial protections against termination.
“Since his arrival in Kansas City in 2016, Dr. Bedell has positioned equity and student achievement at the forefront of all decisions, bringing stability to the school district and building new support in the Kansas City community,” school board chair Pattie Mansur said in a statement. Mansur is up for reelection on Tuesday, facing opposition for the at-large seat from Tanesha Ford.
In the other contested race, two newcomers, Kandace Buckner and Bruce Beatty, are running for the Sub-district 5 seat. Incumbents Rita Cortes and Manuel Abarca are uncontested.
Bedell is the district’s 27th superintendent in 45 years. His new contract runs through June 30, 2024.
During his tenure, he has helped the provisionally accredited district make progress toward becoming fully accredited, a goal that officials hope to soon accomplish. Officials say that Bedell’s leadership has helped improve student achievement, increase the graduation rate and expand participation in Advanced Placement and dual credit courses.
Bedell also helped launch a mentoring program to pair adults in the community with nearly 8,000 students. And he led the effort to launch a Middle College Program — in partnership with Metropolitan Community Colleges and the Full Employment Council of Greater Kansas City — to provide young adults an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and enter college.
