How much does the new FWISD superintendent earn? Here’s his initial contract
An initial employment contract between the Fort Worth Independent School District and its state-appointed superintendent shows him earning almost $1,400 per day in his role.
The contract released by Fort Worth ISD officials on Thursday, April 2, outlines payments and duties of Superintendent Peter Licata’s position, which began on March 24 when the Texas Education Agency announced his appointment as part of a state takeover of the district.
The term of the temporary contract started on March 24 and was executed on Tuesday, March 31. It will remain in place until a permanent agreement comes forward after 21 days.
Licata is currently earning $1,384.62 for each day of work, according to the contract. The wage was calculated in proportion to former Superintendent Karen Molinar’s salary of $360,000. Licata is also receiving a one-time stipend of $25,000 to cover costs of relocating to Fort Worth from Florida, where he previously served as superintendent of Broward County Public Schools.
The contract requires Licata to perform his superintendent duties with his “full time, skill, labor and attention.”
“The Acting Superintendent shall perform all duties with reasonable care, skill, and expertise and in a thorough, prompt, and efficient manner using his professional training and experience. The Acting Superintendent shall comply with all lawful directives of the Board, state and federal law, and District policy, rules, and regulations, as they exist or may hereafter be adopted or amended,” the contract states.
It remains to be seen how much Licata may earn through a permanent contract that could last at least two years after Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath replaced Molinar with Licata and the elected school board with a Board of Managers. The changes in district leadership came about because a now-closed Fort Worth ISD campus received five consecutive failed ratings from the state, triggering a state law requiring the closure of the campus or a takeover of the district.
The state-appointed superintendent of Houston ISD, Mike Miles, earns an annual base salary of $462,000, according to TEA. This base salary was increased by $82,000 from his previous pay of $380,000, according to Fox 26 Houston. Houston ISD has been under a state takeover since 2023.
Other base salaries of superintendents in Texas’ metro school districts, according to TEA and local news outlets, are:
- Austin ISD: $362,250
- Dallas ISD: $378,750
- El Paso ISD: $360,000
- San Antonio ISD: $351,093
Editor’s note: Pete Geren is the president and chief executive officer of the Sid W. Richardson Foundation, which is a funder of the Star-Telegram’s Crossroads Lab. The Star-Telegram retains independence in all coverage decisions.
This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 4:43 PM.