The Examiner U-46 News Feed

State’s benefits report presented at U-46 meeting

By Seth Hancock
  On average, School District U-46 employees made $98,612 in salaries and benefits and took 12.2 sick days in Fiscal Year 2021 according to the salaries and benefits report generated by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
  The 48-page report was presented to the Board of Education at its meeting on Monday, Aug. 9.
  The salaries and benefits in the report represents just over half of the $420.1 million budgeted for salaries and benefits in FY2021. Certain staff and certain income expenditures, like stipends, are excluded from the report.
  Districts are required to send information to the ISBE “on or before October 1st of each year, the base salary and benefits of all administrators and teachers employed by the school district; present the report at a school board meeting; submit it to the district’s regional superintendent of schools; and post the report on the district’s internet website,“ the agenda item stated.
  The state generates the report which is sent to the school districts.
  In previous years, it was suggested a disclaimer be added to the U-46 report that it is “misleading” by former board member Phil Costello who said “there are significant disclosure limitations since the report only provides 60 percent of total compensation. Most employees on the list have multiple sources of U-46 compensation beyond the amount listed.”
  The salaries listed in the report totaled $193.7 million and $247.9 million with benefits included: other benefits ($34.4 million), retirement enhancements ($18.9 million) and annuities ($909,698).
  There were 2,514 full-time employees included in the report who took 30,681 sick days, for the 12.2 average, and 2,000 vacation days. The district’s teachers’ contract allows for 12 sick days.