UPDATED: Chelsea Superintendent's Salary Eighth Highest in Washtenaw County

The superintendent of Chelsea Schools may be well compensated—but not when compared to Michigan school districts of a similar size.

According to a new database compiled by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, and using 2012 salary and benefit information provided by school districts throughout the state, the total compensation for Chelsea's superintendent is approximately $177,999.

While Andrew Ingall's base salary is actually $128,000 – the eighth highest in Washtenaw County – pension, annuity, travel and other expenses bring the lump sum to $177,999, according to The Mackinac Center.

Per his contract, due to expire June 30, 2015, Ingall receives 15 sick days and 22 vacation days as well.

With 2,573 students enrolled as of 2012, Chelsea is the seventh largest district in the county behind Dexter Community Schools, Milan Area Schools, and Saline Area Schools.

"While compensation for superintendents only amounts to about 1 percent of public school spending, the public should have easy access to this particular information,” said Michael Van Beek, Mackinac Center director of education policy, in a press release. “As CEOs of districts and often the highest paid government employee in a local community, superintendent pay deserves an extra level of public scrutiny."

The superintendent of Ann Arbor Public Schools pulls in the highest compensation in Washtenaw County and the eighth highest statewide.

See how other local districts compare:

• Dexter Community School District – $183,795
• Manchester Community Schools - $175,890
• Milan Area Schools - $187,728
• Ypsilanti School District - $189,175

Note: The numbers above represent the worth of each superintendent's total compensation package. Superintendents earn an average salary of $115,000 in Michigan, according to the database.

See the full database at http://www.mackinac.org/depts/epi/salary.aspx.