District 200 Administators' Compensation - out of sight!

There was an excellent editorial in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday, March 13, about the problems being so widely discussed about the cost of state pensions:

www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-pension-20110312,0,4277223.story

After you read that, if your blood pressure is not yet at a dangerous level, and if you are curious about what your taxes are paying for much closer to home, such as right here in Woodstock Community Unit School District (CUSD - ought to be spelled cussed) 200, go to the school district's website at http://www.woodstockschools.org/ and look at the administrators' compensation webpage.

Where will you find it? After you are the homepage, roll your mouse over "District" and then click on Salary Compensation Report. Then click on the link for that Report. And then hold on!!!

As you review the names on the list, you may make a decision about whether a certain person is "worth it." Think about your interactions with that person, and the responsiveness to any requests you have made. Is that person a professional educator, deserving of the wages and benefits being paid?

But don't stop there. Look at the other columns. These show money spent on that administrator; note, you don't see any teachers there. Remember - these are the pencil pushers. Where are the workers, the teachers? Their pay schedules are someplace else. Look at the money being paid for the pension contribution - this is on top of the salary.

And look at the health insurance premiums. Wow! Any company I ever worked for required me to pay a portion of my own health insurance premium. Think that is happening here?

And then dental, life and disability insurance premiums. Why do they all get $780/year for professional growth? Do they get that, whether they grow or not? And why a flat $500/year for "dues/fees"? What dues? What fees?

And then look at the Sick Days. And the Annual Vacation Days. And the Annual Personal Days! And why car allowances of over $10,000 for three employees? Pay them $0.50/mile for any "business miles".

We need strong school board members who will begin taking the necessary steps to start cutting back on these expenses. It won't happen in this election, because only the three incumbents are running for re-election. This means "more of the same". Is there any hope for the future?