Prairie Crossing Charter School studying teachers' pay

Prairie Crossing Charter School in Grayslake is paying for a compensation study in the wake of reports its teachers are upset about not making enough money.

Director Myron Dagley said no one has brought their salary complaints to him, but enough parents and others have heard about the issue for it to become a concern.

"Teachers are openly discussing leaving the school in the spring unless action steps are undertaken," Dagley wrote in a memo to Prairie Crossing board members last month.

On Thursday, Dagley said he thinks it's unlikely the 24 nonunion instructors would quit en masse in the spring. He plans to meet next week to discuss the teachers' compensation package with Gallagher HR Advantage, a consultant hired for $9,400.

Dagley said some of the apparent unrest could stem from Prairie Crossing teachers' knowledge of what their colleagues earn at neighboring, large school districts. He said plans have been in the works for a while to order the salary study.

"It is not at all uncommon of teachers, office workers and teacher assistants in most school districts to have annual discussions about compensation," Dagley said.

Prairie Crossing board President Geoff Deigan said the small public school owes it to the teachers to craft a formal compensation plan, which hasn't existed since it opened in 1999. He said no one knows what salary recommendations to expect from Gallagher HR.

"We value the teachers," Deigan said. "We value their contributions and sacrifices. It's much more than a paycheck to them."

With 359 students, Prairie Crossing is a choice school within the boundaries of Woodland Elementary District 50 and Fremont Elementary District 79. Illinois' per-pupil financial aid follows Woodland and Fremont children to Prairie Crossing.

Prairie Crossing has an environmentally focused curriculum and is free for the Woodland and Fremont pupils, but enrollment is decided by lottery.

Teachers at Prairie Crossing earn an average of $36,475 annually, compared to $52,823 at Woodland and $56,554 at Fremont, according to the 2008 state report card.

"While those (Woodland and Fremont) districts have escalated teachers' salaries by at least 5 percent each year over recent history, we have not," Dagley wrote to Prairie Crossing's board

But Dagley said class sizes are larger at the Woodland and Fremont schools. He said Prairie Crossing also has classroom teacher assistants, a rarity at most public schools, and that he informs prospective employees about the school's lower pay scale.

Dagley said Gallagher HR will gather comparable income data from neighboring school districts. He said he hopes a decision on future pay will be made before the academic year concludes.