Illinois Gubernatorial Candidate Targets High School Superintendent Salaries

Ted Dabrowski calls for consolidating school districts to reduce administrative costs and improve education outcomes

Mar. 13, 2026 at 1:35am

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Ted Dabrowski, a Republican candidate for Illinois Governor, is making high school superintendent salaries a key issue in his campaign. Dabrowski argues that Illinois has far too many school districts, leading to an excessive number of highly paid superintendents and administrators. He points to Florida, which has only 74 school districts compared to over 800 in Illinois, as an example of how consolidation could dramatically reduce administrative costs and free up funds for education. Dabrowski says the lack of accountability for these high salaries, as well as poor student reading proficiency levels, is a major problem that needs to be addressed.

Why it matters

High administrative costs in Illinois schools are a significant driver of rising property taxes, which are a major concern for many voters. Dabrowski's proposal to consolidate school districts and reduce superintendent salaries could provide substantial property tax relief if implemented. Additionally, improving education outcomes like reading proficiency is crucial for developing a skilled workforce and reducing social challenges like crime.

The details

Dabrowski notes that in Illinois, school costs account for 60-70% of property tax bills. He argues that the state's 850 school districts, compared to just 74 in Florida, lead to an excessive number of highly paid superintendents and administrators. For example, the superintendent of Consolidated High School District 230 earns around $300,000 per year, with a planned $50,000 raise, despite only 19% of students in his district reading at grade level. Dabrowski believes consolidating districts could eliminate many of these duplicative administrative positions and free up funds to improve educational quality.

  • Dabrowski is running for the Republican nomination for Illinois Governor in the March 17, 2026 primary election.

The players

Ted Dabrowski

A Republican candidate for Illinois Governor who is making high school superintendent salaries a key issue in his campaign. Dabrowski previously served as president of the policy research organization Wirepoints and as vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute.

Robert Nolting

The Superintendent of Consolidated High School District 230, who earns around $300,000 per year with a planned $50,000 raise.

Kevin Nohelty

The highest paid superintendent in Illinois, earning a total compensation of $588,000, despite only 19% of students in his district reading at grade level.

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What they’re saying

“We have the most units of local government in the country. Illinois, for example, has 850 school districts. Now, compare that with Florida, which has just 74. So when you have 850 school districts, you have to realize that you're gonna have a superintendent in every district. In many of them, you're gonna have an assistant superintendent. You're going to have a legal person, a bookkeeper, and so these administrative district offices are huge. They are duplicative in many cases because you could unite a lot of these districts into one and save taxpayers lots of money.”

— Ted Dabrowski, Republican Candidate for Illinois Governor (suburbanchicagoland.com)

“Once you get into this, you see how much we pay these people. It's crazy. The costs are so removed from what everyday Illinoisans make. There is a big opportunity to streamline education. And you can probably deliver better services if they are streamlined.”

— Ted Dabrowski, Republican Candidate for Illinois Governor (suburbanchicagoland.com)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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