The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Superintendent contract approved by U-46 board

By Seth Hancock
  The Board of Education in School District U-46 unanimously approved, via a 7-0 vote, of a three-year superintendent contract (July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2026) with Suzanne Johnson at its meeting on Monday, June 26.
  Johnson was selected as the interim superintendent after Tony Sanders left the district in February, and the board announced in May that Johnson had been selected as superintendent pending contract negotiations.
  “Thank you for your trust and support,” Johnson said. “I look forward to certainly continuing to work with all of you and to working for, first and foremost, our students in U-46, and our colleagues, our families and our community.”
  Johnson’s starting salary will be $282,500 with a guaranteed 3 percent increase in the second year. Increases in the third year will be tied to a summative rating.
  The salary is a 4.9 percent increase from Sanders’ $269,243 starting salary in a contract approved last summer. Additional benefits for Johnson are listed in the contract including Teacher Retirement System contributions, technology support, 25 vacation days on top of holidays, sick leave and disability, health insurance, deferred compensation, life insurance and additional benefits.
  On performance goals, a district press release stated: “Five performance goals are included in the contract, tied directly to the District’s goals in areas including early childhood education, educational pathways, building and facilities improvements, and work around U-46 Rising. The fifth goal is the creation of a new strategic plan to guide U-46’s work for the next five years.”
  Sue Kerr, the board’s president, called those “draft goals” because “of the compressed time frame we’ve been working under,” and “refined and/or additional goals” will be approved by Oct. 31 of this year.
  Johnson has been with the district for 26 years, previously as the deputy superintendent of instruction.