Kaneland, Burlington high schools to pay more for deputies
If Kaneland and Burlington Central high schools want to continue having sheriff's deputies stationed at their campuses, they are going to pay twice as much.
Under a proposed new contract, both will pay the full costs for deputies assigned, at $50 an hour for Kaneland and $52.50 an hour for Central. The rate includes wages and benefits. Central's is higher because the deputy stationed there has more experience.
The Kane County Board's executive committee recommended the contract Wednesday. The county board will vote on it Tuesday.
The contract is retroactive to Aug. 30, 2016, and extends to June 30, 2018.
The Kaneland school board will vote on the contract Jan. 30.
Previously, the schools had paid half the cost of the officers.
Kaneland and Central are the only high schools in Kane County located in unincorporated areas.
Most other school districts split the cost of a resource officer with their local police departments.
Kane County Sheriff Don Kramer caused a stir last summer when he pulled the resource officers out of the schools. He said it was about a lack of staff and the cost. He said there were so many vacancies and absences he needed the two deputies back on patrol. At that time, he estimated the cost of the deputies at around $112,000.
A temporary deal was struck in August for the schools to share one officer. Kramer also said he would try to assign a patrol officer to traffic-control duties at start and dismissal times for the schools.