Public vote on pay hikes not so visible at Grayslake District 46

Pay increases for two top administrators that flew under the radar at a public meeting last week before about 25 spectators were approved a second time by the Grayslake Elementary District board at a special session Wednesday.

District 46 board member Michael Linder voiced unhappiness that another meeting was necessary to approve the salaries because of the perceived lack of openness last week.

"Now, it looks like we're sneaking around," Linder said. "I'm upset about that. It makes us look very bad."

District 46 board members voted on what the public thought were 1 percent raises for administrators and other nonunion employees for the 2009-10 academic year.

But most attendees, if not all, of the July 8 meeting didn't know Superintendent Ellen Correll was given a 1.5 percent hike - not 1 percent - and a one-year "honorarium" for her second job as director of pupil services.

M. Lynn Barkley, whose regular job is assistant superintendent of teaching, learning and assessment, will get additional money doubling as principal at Avon Center School in Round Lake Beach. She's part of the group that'll receive a 1 percent base pay boost.

District 46 board President Mary Garcia said questions posed to her about whether the salaries for Correll and Barkley involved more than 1 percent raises led to the special meeting and the revote.

Correll's and Barkley's compensation packages gained approval from the District 46 board majority for the second time Wednesday.

District 46 parent Kevin Hetz said he was present when the 1 percent raises were approved. Hetz said he and others with him at the July 8 meeting never knew what the board approved for Barkley and Correll differed from the other administrators.

Correll's 1.5 percent raise will boost her base salary from $168,319 to $170,844. She'll get $10,000 as the student services director.

Board members also granted Correll a two-year contract extension that'll take her through the 2011-12 academic year.

"We wanted to compensate you one way or another," Linder told Correll after her contract was lengthened. "We couldn't do it financially."

Michael Carbone was the lone board member to vote against Correll's raise, while Susan Facklam abstained. Carbone and Facklam were the only board members who voted against the 1 percent raises for the administrators last week.

Facklam said she's concerned about the timing of the increases in a tight District 46 budget. Carbone said top administrators should lead by declining raises in a recession and in the wake of 29 job cuts at the district.

With a 1 percent hike, Barkley's base will move from $96,000 to $96,960. The Avon Center principal work will bring her an extra $5,000.