Key facts
In short
The board hires one person, the superintendent, to run the district. The current one is Dr. Chris Clark. He was hired in April 2026, with a contract to June 30, 2029.1 The starting salary is $325,712.10 a year.2 The board voted 7–0 to hire him.4
Why it matters to your tax bill: the superintendent proposes the budget that sets how your school tax is spent.
Related: board of trustees · who decides · finance office · central office
The superintendent is the district’s top boss. The board hires this one person. The superintendent then runs the schools and leads the staff.
Think of a company. The owners pick a chief. The chief runs the company day to day. The owners judge how well the chief does.
The contract
The district posts the contract online.1 Here are the main money parts.
| Part | First-year amount |
|---|---|
| Salary | $325,712.102 |
| Retirement add-on (state plan) | $32,137.903 |
| Savings plan add-on | $3,250.003 |
| District-paid retirement plan | $23,900.003 |
| Total (our math) | $385,000.00 |
The salary goes up each July 1, starting in 2027. It rises by the same percent as raises for the district’s office leaders.2 The board can also give raises.
The contract does not list a car or phone allowance. It does cover costs for work trips and training.5
Compared with other districts. The district’s own efficiency audits put the superintendent’s pay at $310,000 in 2020-21 and $357,110 in 2024-25. The average for similar districts was $299,326 and $330,943.6 Those figures are for the prior contract. The current starting salary ($325,712.10) is lower than the 2024-25 figure.2
Where the contract is. Superintendent contract terms are not in the board packets or minutes. The current contract is posted only as a scanned image on the district’s financial page.7
How the contract can end
The contract lists these ways it can end:8
- both sides agree in writing,
- the superintendent resigns at the end of a school year, with notice,
- retirement or death,
- the board dismisses him for good cause, or
- the board does not renew it.
The change at the top
The prior superintendent, Bruce Gearing, got a new contract in Jan. 2024. It ran to July 31, 2027. The vote was 5–1, with one member absent.9
In Dec. 2025, the board voted 7–0 to approve an agreement for him to leave.10 The agenda called it a “Voluntary Retirement Agreement.” The motion called it a “Voluntary Resignation Agreement.” We have not seen the agreement itself. So we do not know if it includes any payment.
In March 2026, the board named Dr. Clark, then the acting superintendent, the lone finalist, 7–0.11 In April 2026, it hired him, 7–0.4
The other side
- Hiring and contract terms for a superintendent are normal board work, and every vote here was in public.
- A leaving agreement is common when a district changes leaders. We have not seen this one, so we make no claim about what it holds.
Questions to ask
- Has the board changed the superintendent’s contract since the posted copy?
- Where does the board post contract changes?
Changes to this page
- Nov. 2, 2026: We took internal document numbers out of the source notes.
- Nov. 2, 2026: We made the source link names plainer.
- Nov. 2, 2026: Added questions to ask.
What you can do or watch next
- Watch for the superintendent’s yearly review and any contract change on board agendas.
- You can ask for the leaving agreement with a public records request.
- See board of trustees for how the board votes.
What we still don’t know
- We have read only the scanned contract posted online. We have not seen any later changes to it.
Numbers marked “our math” are our estimates, not official figures. The notes show the inputs and the steps.
Footnotes
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Leander ISD, “Superintendent Employment Contract,” posted on the district’s Financial Transparency page under “Additional Resources.” Contract PDF. Page 1: “a term beginning April 3, 2026 and ending on June 30, 2029 for a term of 3 years and 3 months.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Contract, page 2: “an annual salary in the sum of … ($325,712.10), which amount shall be automatically increased each year on July 1, beginning July 1, 2027, by an amount equal to the same percentage raise given to the District’s administrative employees.” ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5
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Contract, pages 4–5. TRS supplement “initial amount is $32,137.90.” Salary deferral add-on “initial amount is $3,250.00.” Employer-paid supplemental retirement “initial amount is $23,900.00.” Our math: $325,712.10 + $32,137.90 + $3,250.00 + $23,900.00 = $385,000.00. This leaves out health and other benefits. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
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Board minutes, April 2, 2026: “hire Dr. Chris Clark as Superintendent of Leander ISD according to the terms as negotiated.” Approved 7–0. Minutes. ↩ ↩2 ↩3
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Contract, page 3: the district “shall bear the reasonable cost and expense for registration, travel, meals, lodging, and other related expenses” for approved meetings and training. ↩
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Leander ISD efficiency audits, FY2021 Fig. 10 and FY2025 Fig. 10. ↩
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Our search of board packets and minutes; district Financial Transparency page. ↩
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Contract, page 6, “Renewal or Nonrenewal of Term Contract,” which follows board policy and state law. Pages 7–8, “Termination of Contract”: mutual agreement, resignation, retirement or death, and dismissal or suspension without pay for good cause. ↩
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Board minutes, Jan. 18, 2024: “a new contract effective February 1, 2024, through July 31, 2027.” Approved 5–1, one absent. Minutes. That contract is not in our files. ↩
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Board minutes, Dec. 11, 2025. Agenda heading: “Approval of Voluntary Retirement Agreement with Superintendent.” Motion: “approve the Voluntary Resignation Agreement between the District and Superintendent Bruce Gearing.” Approved 7–0. Minutes. ↩
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Board minutes, March 12, 2026: “name [Dr. Chris Clark] as the Lone Finalist.” Approved 7–0. Minutes. ↩