Fort Bend ISD trustees considered Superintendent Marc Smith’s strides in special education services and academic designations across campuses when they unanimously approved a 7% salary increase to his contract, according to a district news release.

Following Smith’s first annual review since assuming the position last January, trustees also voted Jan. 29 to extend his five-year contract by one year to 2030, according to the Jan. 31 release.

“Dr. Smith’s many successes in just his first year with the district confirms he is the right leader to take the district to the next level,” board President Kristin Tassin said in the release. “We have complete confidence in his leadership and fully support his emphasis on professionalism, accountability and communication.”

Zooming out

Smith’s initial $410,000 base salary placed him as the second-highest paid superintendent in the Greater Houston area for the 2023-24 school year, according to data from the Texas Department of Education and Community Impact reporting.


With the 7% increase of $28,700, he will have a base salary of $438,700.
Community Impact’s reporting showed Smith’s January 2024 contract offered the following bonuses atop his base salary:
  • Annual $50,000 retention stipend paid into his retirement account, for the next five years
  • Added $1,250 salary increase per pay period to Smith’s salary as supplemental retirement bonus
Comparatively, former Superintendent Christie Whitbeck’s salary when she joined the district in October 2021 was $370,000, according to her contract. By the time of her last raise, a 2% increase in July 2023, it had increased to $377,000, Community Impact reported.

The context

When Smith assumed leadership, the district had a bond shortfall of $163.2 million due to FBISD leaders’ failure to adjust for inflation between the initial cost estimates in November 2022 and the passage of the $1.26 billion bond in May 2023, Community Impact previously reported.

After eliminating plans for a new elementary school, adjusting fine arts classrooms at Hightower High School, delaying the construction of a transportation facility and coming under-budget on various projects, the district awaits cost estimates for the remaining 16% of 2023 bond projects. In the case the final projects come over budget, the board has the potential to approve the use of $68.64 million in contingency funds.


According to the release, the district has accomplished the following items in the 2024-25 school year:“The [board’s] commitment to providing stable and consistent leadership for our district will allow us to achieve unprecedented levels of excellence, and I look forward to continuing to serve our students, staff and the FBISD community,” Smith said in the news release.

Something to note

Teacher and staff salaries are sourced from the district’s maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate, Community Impact reported.

FBISD’s property tax rate has remained at $0.9869 per $100 property valuation since 2023-24, though the amount that goes towards M&O has steadily decreased since the state capped local taxes depending on the local property value growth rate in the 2006-07 school year, according to a 2024 district financial presentation.


To supplement the decreasing M&O tax rates, community members voted to approve the voter-approval tax rate election in November 2023, which provided $3.5 million toward step staff salary increases, Community Impact reported.

What’s next

Smith will undergo performance evaluations with the board at least once a year in October, per his contract.