School board gives Dist. 303 superintendent a raise, more time off

St. Charles Unit District 303 Superintendent Paul Gordon will receive a pay raise and more paid time off under a contract amendment approved by the school board.

The amended contract, which expires June 30, 2025, was approved unanimously last week without discussion.

Gordon will receive a 3% raise, moving his salary to $267,800 for the 2023-24 contract year. He also will receive five additional vacation days, for a total of 25 this year.

The amended contract details several new performance goals expected to be fulfilled over the 2023-24 contract year, among them: improving academic performance, developing and implementing new boundaries, and renovating elementary facilities.

Gordon is expected to develop an action plan to address underperforming students across the district and to provide recommendations and an implementation timeline to the board by November.

Other goals include implementing algebra as an eighth-grade core class and reviewing the high school course catalog and making recommendations for improvement to the board by November.

The contract amendment also details the next steps and timeline for forthcoming facility changes. Per the contract, the board is to take action on a funding method by September and receive construction bids this fall.

Construction work and renovations at Lincoln Elementary, Fox Ridge Early Childhood and Haines Center are to be completed by August 2024.

Another goal in the superintendent's contract is to correct the uneven distribution of students across the district.

With the reopening of Fox Ridge as an elementary school and the closing of Lincoln as a school, new boundaries will have to be created in order to ensure schools are operating at the optimal utilization levels, the contract states.

Gordon is to develop a timeline for the boundary changes and adequately inform the board, staff and community in time for the board to take action on new boundaries by March 2024, for implementation in the 2024-25 school year.

The contract also identifies budget, community engagement, and safety and security goals, including active shooter and other emergency training for staff and administration, provided by the St. Charles Police Department.