Editor's note: The superintendent's office did not dispute the accuracy of the numbers presented in the Forbes.com article when reached by NBC 6 prior to the publication of our story. After our story published, Superintendent Runcie sent new numbers contradicting what was in the Forbes published report. Full details of what he disagrees with are presented after you read our original article.
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A new report is shedding light on Broward Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie's expenses and is questioning whether taxpayers are wasting money on "unecessary travel, lobbying activities, perks" and his "super-sized" salary.
Adam Andrzejewski, CEO of OpenTheBooks.com, outlined the numbers in a Forbes.com article published Wednesday calling Runcie "Florida's $6 Million Man." OpenTheBooks.Com is a nonprofit that discloses public employee salary records from every level of government in the U.S.
The report mentions Runcie's trip to Washington, D.C. to attend March for Our Lives 37 days after the Parkland mass shooting, a trip to Indiana to tour what's considered the "safest school in America," and other taxpayer-paid travels in 2018.
All in all, Runcie spent 79 work days traveling, research from OpenTheBooks.com shows.
"I think it begs the question whether or not you're in tune with the needs of your district," Andrzejewski told NBC 6 through a video call.
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Broward County Public Schools responded to the Forbes report and mapped out the details of Runcie's trips -- adding that the trip to Indiana was at the request of Parkland victim Alex Scachter's father.
"Our auditors think it's excessive compensation," Andrzejewski said.
It's not just the travel, it's Runcie's salary, too. Andrzejewski estimates taxpayers will pay Runcie $6.1 million dollars for his services through the lifetime of his contract. The district defended its compensation, saying the superintendent earns less than his counterparts in neighboring Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
Additional information: As mentioned above, Superintendent Runcie reached out after the story was published to dispute the figures the article used. Runcie called the Forbes report "irresponsible" and says the claims regarding his salary are "exaggerated."
The $6 million "compensation package" presented in the Forbes article is what they say he'll earn in salary and benefits from his date of hire in 2011 through the end of the contract in 2023/24 school year. The number includes salary, perks and pension.
As far as travel, the Forbes article says Runcie spent 79 days out of the office on trips and at conferences in calendar years 2017 and 2018. Runcie provided NBC 6 a breakdown showing 28 total days traveled in the year immediately after the shooting at MSD.
“I think it begs the question whether or not youre in tune with the needs of your district”
