What Wichita’s new school superintendent will be paid, plus other details from his contract

Matthew Kelly
Updated ·2 min read
1

The Wichita school board on Monday unanimously approved a contract with incoming superintendent Kelly Bielefeld, who was selected in March to replace Alicia Thompson as the top official for Kansas’ largest school district.

Bielefeld, USD 259’s executive director of college and career readiness, has also served in teacher, principal and assistant superintendent roles in the Clearwater, Derby, Renwick and Goddard districts, and at St. Patrick’s Catholic School in Kingman.

Here are five things to know about the contract that was approved Monday.

1. Starting pay

Wichita Public Schools will pay Bielefeld a starting salary of $300,000 — $3,695 more than Thompson’s base salary.

His salary will automatically increase by the same percentage as any base salary increase in the teachers union contract beyond next school year. If teachers get a lump-sum bonus, Bielefeld will receive an equivalent bonus.

2. Benefits

Bielefeld will receive a $1,000-per-month vehicle and mileage allowance, $525 a month for “professional, civic and incidental expenses,” and a $25,000-a-year contribution to his retirement account.

3. Contract Length

The new superintendent’s contract will start July 1 and will end June 30, 2026. Thompson, the first woman and first Black superintendent of Wichita Public Schools, has served as the top official since 2017.

4. Grounds for termination

If the school district terminates the superintendent contract with “good cause,” all salary and benefits will immediately cease.

Stated reasons for terminating the contract with good cause include the conviction of a felony, conviction of a misdemeanor that results in a prison sentence, intoxication on the job or the use or possession of illegal substances on or off the job, misappropriation of district funds, failure to comply with board directives and “any act of moral turpitude” that damages the district’s reputation.

If Bielefeld’s contract is terminated without good cause, he could be eligible for up to a year of his salary.

5. Legal cooperation

Bielefeld must cooperate with the school district in defense of legal prosecution against USD 259 during and after his tenure, “notwithstanding the cause of separation from employment.”