AASA, The School Superintendents Association, has released a new report regarding the demographics of superintendents in schools throughout the United States, revealing insights into racial differences in representation and compensation.
For their report, the authors surveyed a sample of 2,077 superintendents during the 2024-2025 academic year. Overall, the vast majority of respondents (86.9 percent) were White. While Black Americans were the next most represented racial group, they still only represented less than 5 percent of all respondents.
White superintendents were more likely (73 percent) than Black superintendents (52 percent) to work in smaller school districts with less than 3,000 students. Additionally, White superintendents were more likely to work in rural areas (69.3 percent), while Black superintendents were essentially just as likely to work in rural (32 percent), suburban, (34 percent) or urban (34 percent) districts. Only 4.5 percent of White superintendents worked in urban communities.
The report also found racial differences in superintendents’ experience. Over half (53 percent) of White respondents had over five years of experience, compared to 43.3 percent of Black respondents. Black superintendents were also found to have shorter tenures in their present positions, with over three-quarters indicating they had been in their current role less than 6 years, compared to 63 percent of White superintendents.
Despite their underrepresentation in the profession, a significantly higher share of Black superintendents (80.4 percent) held a doctorate than White superintendents (41 percent). Furthermore, Black superintendents had a higher median income than White superintendents at $190,000 and $155,178, respectively. However, the authors call out that care should be taken in interpreting these findings because of the significant overrepresentation of White superintendents. The variation in median salaries could be due to Black superintendents’ higher representation in larger and more urbanized districts.
This is so sad and horrible! School district policies reflect who are in charge (dominant culture). Our kids will always be an after thought in the educational system as long as this systemic failure exists.