No raises in District U-46 after all; board takes back Torres' hike

Six weeks after approving a 3.7 percent raise for Elgin Area School District U-46 Superintendent Jose Torres, board members took it back.

The board also instituted a pay freeze for all nonunion district employees.

The move was prompted by Torres' late July announcement that he would be turning down his yearly raise, and hoped nonunion employees - including administrators - would follow suit.

Torres now will make $220,000 this year, instead of $228,140. The amended contract contains no added perks to compensate for the pay return.

Torres' announcement, sent to staff in an e-mail, cited the tough economy and explained his recommendation to freeze salaries had nothing to do with performance - but would save the district roughly $1.5 million at a time when every penny counts.

The district's 2009-10 budget, which will be approved in September, will see a $17 million increase in negotiated salaries and benefits for union employees. State aid has been cut and property tax revenues are expected to be flat, at best.

Torres said he could not justify his salary bump after seeing large numbers of community members out of jobs and struggling to pay bills.

The kicker, he said, came after learning that 51 percent of U-46 students now qualify for free and reduced-price lunches - an increase of 9 percent in the past year.

Torres said he understands there are "unintended long-term consequence of these kinds of actions."

The move could impact upcoming negotiations with the district's 2,400-member teachers union, President Tim Davis has said.

Under terms of his contract, Torres' yearly raise is tied to the average annual raise teachers receive. However, his contract also stipulates the board may increase Torres' compensation or salary at any time.

District spokesman Tony Sanders said nonunion pay freezes will be reflected as those individual employee contracts are approved by the board.

"This is not a situation that this board is happy about needing to do" board President Ken Kaczynski said. "But we're all aware of the economic situation and the sacrifices that some of our staff will have to make."