LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Top-heavy administration in public schools often seems to be a recipe for sub-par academic results.

One example is the Jefferson County, Kentucky school district, which includes the city of Louisville.

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In 2014, a story broke on WDRB.com about the percentage of resources the school district was spending on administration versus the classroom.

“Jefferson County Public Schools spends more money on administration – and less on instruction – than similarly sized school districts, leaving the vast majority of teachers dipping into their own pockets for classroom needs, a sweeping review by Kentucky Auditor Adam Edelen’s office has found,” the news report said.

“Compared with five peer districts, JCPS pays employees at its central office a ‘significantly higher average salary,’ while spending the smallest share of its budget on teaching students, Edelen’s team of auditors found.

“In all, teaching costs make up 53 percent of the Louisville district’s budget of just over $1 billion – the lowest percentage among its peers in Texas, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida. Most of those school systems spend at least 60 percent on instruction.”

“This appears to indicate JCPS places less emphasis and resources for teacher staffing than the five other peer districts and JCPS may employ an excessive number of administrative or non-teaching staff,” the audit said.

The problem apparently goes beyond the sheer number of administrators. An unusually uneven pattern of compensation suggests a heavy value being placed on administrators, versus the teachers who are in the classroom, actually instructing the students.

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In the 2013-14 school year, for example, the Jefferson County district had a whopping 397 employees making at least $100,000 in straight salary. They were paid a combined $46.8 million.

Judging from their job titles, most or all of those 397 highly-paid employees were administrators.

None of them were teachers.

The top five on the list were Superintendent Donna Hargens ($276,000), General Counsel Rosemary Miller ($176,966), Chief Data Manager Robert Rodosky ($174,581), Chief Financial Officer J. Cordelia Hardin ($171,831) and Chief Academic Officer Dewey Hensley ($167,442).

The second five highest paid employees were Chief Operations Officer Michael Raisor ($167,442), Assistant Superintendent for Academic Achievement Lynne Wheat ($159,811), Assistant Superintendent for Academic Achievement Paige Hartstern ($159,474), Assistant Superintendent for Academic Achievement Amy Dennes ($158,950) and Assistant Superintendent for Academic Achievement Kirk Lattimore ($153,125).

Despite having so many well paid big shots – including five assistant superintendents for academic achievement among the 11 highest paid employees – academic outcomes in the district have been less that spectacular.

The district’s scores on its 2014-15 state report card reflect that.

In all nine academic categories listed on the report card, the percentage of Jefferson County students scoring “proficient” or “distinguished” fell short of the state average. In several categories the gap was quite wide.

In reading, 47.9 percent of Jefferson County elementary students made the grade, compared to 54.2 percent statewide. Among middle-schoolers, 45.2 percent made it compared to 53.8 percent statewide.

The results were similar in elementary math (47.6 Jefferson County, 48.8 state), middle school math (35.4/42.8), elementary social studies (53.5/60.6), middle school social studies (46.8/58.6), elementary writing (39/43.8), middle school writing (30.8/39.2) and high school writing (45.7/50).