CULLMAN, Ala. – The Cullman City School Board approved a renewed employment agreement for Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff during its Tuesday, Oct. 20, meeting, extending his employment through June 30, 2030.
The agreement raises Kallhoff’s base annual salary by 5%, from $211,800 to $222,390. It also provides $2,000 per month in fixed vehicle and expense allowances and requires the board to contribute an additional 3% of his annual salary to his Alabama RSA-1 account.
The proposed extension was included on the meeting agenda as an action item. Board President Jill Bradberry said the agenda was distributed to board members Friday, Oct. 16, but the final draft of the agreement was not received until Tuesday morning.
Board member Mark Britton moved to postpone consideration until the board’s Nov. 17 meeting to allow additional discussion. Board member David Wiggins seconded the motion.
Britton and Wiggins voted to postpone. Board members Cheryl Harrison and Amy Wood joined Bradberry in voting against the delay, defeating the postponement motion 3-2.
Harrison then moved to approve the contract extension, and Wood seconded the motion. The Board approved the agreement 3-2.
“It retains the existing contract terms. The only exception is a 5% salary increase on top of his current salary,” Bradberry said.
Bradberry said the increase matched raises given to principals whose contracts were renewed this year.
“That is the same increase that was given to our principals this year whose contracts were up for renewal,” she said.
Bradberry also addressed claims circulated on social media before the meeting.
“I’m not sure how word got out that it was a $700,000-$800,000 contract,” she said. “It is not, and I’m happy to share the contract.”
Bradberry said Kallhoff would receive the same future percentage increases awarded to teachers and other school personnel and that the agreement otherwise retained the existing contract terms, apart from the new term and 5% raise.
“I appreciate the School Board offering me a contract extension. The students, families and employees in our school system position us to be one of the best in Alabama. I look forward to continuing the great work taking place in Cullman City Schools,” Kallhoff told The Tribune after the meeting.
The Tribune obtained an unsigned copy of the final agreement before the Board’s vote and is the only news outlet known to have secured a copy. The same version was signed Wednesday, Oct. 21.
The agreement cites a 5% principal raise and applies the same percentage to Kallhoff’s current $211,800 base salary, producing the new $222,390 rate. The final agreement does not state a separate effective date for the new salary.
The agreement provides a minimum annual salary increase of 2.5% or the percentage increase approved by the Alabama Legislature for certified education personnel, whichever is greater.
The Board may increase Kallhoff’s salary further through a written amendment without creating a new contract or extending its term. His compensation and benefits cannot be reduced during the agreement unless it is terminated under Section 6.
In addition to the base salary, the agreement provides a $500 monthly vehicle allowance for travel within Cullman County and a $1,500 monthly allowance for other business expenses. Both are paid in addition to salary, are not repayable to the Board and are reportable on Kallhoff’s W-2.
The additional 3% RSA-1 contribution equals $6,671.70 annually at the new salary. Including the base salary, fixed allowances and additional RSA-1 contribution, the agreement establishes at least $253,061.70 in known fixed annual compensation commitments.
That figure does not include regular retirement contributions, insurance premiums, reimbursed expenses, professional development, professional memberships, technology or possible vacation payouts.
The Board will pay Kallhoff’s family health insurance premium through the Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan and premiums for supplemental medical, dental, cancer and vision coverage made available to employees.
The agreement provides 15 paid vacation days per contract year. Kallhoff may receive payment each July for as many as 10 unused vacation days. At the new salary, 10 days would equal $9,266.25 under the agreement’s salary-divided-by-240 formula.
The agreement also allows Kallhoff to attend state superintendent meetings and conferences and at least one national conference annually at Board expense. It pays his memberships in School Superintendents of Alabama, the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools, AASA and one local civic organization.
The agreement automatically renews for successive one-year terms unless the Board gives Kallhoff written notice at least six months before the end of the existing term that it does not intend to renew. The parties may also agree in writing to another renewal or extension at any time.
Kallhoff may terminate the agreement for any reason with at least 60 days’ written notice. The Board may terminate it without cause with at least seven days’ written notice following approval at a public meeting, but the Board would be required to pay as severance all aggregate salary and benefits Kallhoff would have received during the remainder of the agreement.
The agreement contains the literal notation “[text deleted]” immediately after that severance sentence and does not identify the omitted language. Because future annual raises and several benefits are not assigned fixed dollar amounts, the agreement does not establish a precise maximum cost if the Board terminates Kallhoff without cause before June 30, 2030.
The Board may terminate the agreement for cause without further obligation for reasons that include incompetency, immorality, misconduct in office, willful neglect of duty, dishonesty, intentional insubordination, a material breach or violation of law or fiduciary duty, unsatisfactory performance or other good and just cause. The agreement gives Kallhoff notice and an opportunity to contest a proposed for-cause termination before the Board.
The Board unanimously selected Kallhoff as superintendent Jan. 28, 2021, following a search that drew approximately 20 applicants. It approved his original employment agreement Feb. 18, 2021, and he began work April 1, 2021.
Before coming to Cullman, Kallhoff served as superintendent of Chickasaw City Schools from 2012-2015 and Demopolis City Schools from 2015-2021. He began his education career as a teacher at Satsuma High School in 1997.
Alabama State Department of Education reports listed Kallhoff’s annual salary at $180,000 for fiscal year 2022, $191,880 for fiscal year 2023, $196,677 for fiscal year 2024, $201,594 for fiscal year 2025 and $206,634 for fiscal year 2026. His new $222,390 base salary is $42,390, or approximately 23.6%, above the $180,000 rate reported for fiscal year 2022.
The fiscal year 2026 state report listed Cullman City Schools’ average enrollment at approximately 3,096 students. The Tribune compared Cullman with all 15 other Alabama city school systems whose enrollment was within 25% of that figure.
Compared with those fiscal year 2026 figures, Kallhoff’s new base salary would be higher than the reported salaries of 10 peer superintendents and lower than five. It is approximately 11.4% above the group’s $199,719 median and 7.7% above its approximately $206,566 average.
The peer figures are from fiscal year 2026 and may not reflect raises or contract changes in those systems for fiscal year 2027. The comparison also does not account for differences in benefits, experience, job duties, district finances, virtual enrollment or local labor markets. It is a size-based benchmark and does not, by itself, establish whether Kallhoff’s compensation is high or low.
A Tribune review of 26 state certificate-action postings published from September 2021 through August 2026 found no entry for Kallhoff. Those reports cover state certificate invalidations and probations and do not encompass every possible local personnel matter.
Kallhoff was named the 2018 District 2 Superintendent of the Year by School Superintendents of Alabama while he led Demopolis City Schools. In 2024, he completed AASA’s National Superintendent Certification Program.
Cullman schools and programs have also received state and national recognition during his tenure. East Elementary was named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. Cullman City Primary received the Alabama Attorney General’s Safe School Award for 2024 and 2025. In 2026, Cullman City Primary, Cullman High, Cullman Middle and West Elementary received national Recognized ASCA Model Program (RAMP) designations.
The district was also named a 2026 Alabama School Counseling Program of Distinction District after all five city schools earned the state program designation. Its May 2026 newsletter reported that the Alabama State Department of Education recognized Cullman City Schools as an Academic Rising Star for its implementation of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework.
The district reported in August that its 2025-2026 ACAP proficiency or advanced rates were 83.5% in English language arts, 62.5% in mathematics and 75.6% in science, ranking fourth, ninth and fifth statewide, respectively.
The Cullman City School Board’s next meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at the Cullman City Board of Education building.
