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The salary increase reflects a 4.5% raise that matches Bethel teachers’ annual cost-of-living increase added to a 3% step increase totaling about $17,150. Board members also voted to extend his contract until the end of the 2028-29 school year.
Bethel Superintendent Kraig Sproles received high praise in his performance review from Bethel School Board members Wednesday, Feb. 25 — and a raise.
Sproles is in his fifth year at Bethel, and the district currently pays him $224,659. Next year, the district plans to pay him $241,812, pending a correction to an erroneously low base salary in the contract voted on Wednesday. The board will vote to correct the clerical error next meeting, said communications director Alisha Dodds.
The raise reflects the same annual 4.5% salary increase that licensed staff receive in their current three-year contract, added to a 3% step increase.
“Kraig is a strong advocate for the Bethel community and models a leadership style grounded in presence and care,” said board Chair Caleb Clark during Sproles’ performance review.
The board voted unanimously to approve Sproles’ adjusted contract, which, besides the pay increase, remained largely unchanged. Sproles negotiated a continuing three-year contract in 2025, meaning another year is rolled into the contract every year unless the board decides against it by March 15. With Wednesday’s vote, Sproles’ contract now runs through June 30, 2029.
Sproles’ contract also includes an $800 monthly stipend for travel within Lane County and a district contribution of 12% of his salary to a tax-sheltered annuity for the 2026-27 school year. Tax-sheltered annuities are retirement accounts provided to employees of churches, public schools and nonprofits, similar to 401(k) accounts for private sector employees. For those in public education, this is an addition to the state pension system.
The board praised Sproles’ ability to connect with staff, families and the public; his willingness to admit failure; and his decisions that have “right-sized the district’s finances” during a time of enrollment decline, including the closure of two schools.
“These difficult decisions were made early and deliberately to avoid sudden, disruptive reductions,” Clark said.
The review had little criticism, offering a humorous note near the end of the statement, referring to the superintendent’s susceptibility to injury and his penchant for wearing gray:
“The Board notes that it is genuinely difficult to identify areas for improvement beyond lighthearted suggestions such as protecting his knees and perhaps brightening up his wardrobe.”
Sproles said the review was “profoundly nice” and said he wished he could share it with his parents, who both passed away a few years ago. Sproles’ father was a pastor and his mother was a professor of early education.
“It’s my highest honor to serve as your superintendent,” Sproles said. “When I think about my role in the world and our collective impact in the world, it’s the culmination of my work in public service.”
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