Dist. 73 to pay up for officer

An impasse regarding funding for a school resource officer at Hawthorn elementary schools in Vernon Hills has been settled.

The Hawthorn Elementary District 73 school board will pay the full amount requested by the village, ending a source of friction between the two public bodies.

An agreement to be considered by the Vernon Hills village board tonight calls for the district to reimburse the village $55,000, or about 70 percent of the officer's salary and benefits. It is the original amount the village sought and equal to what is paid by Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128.

"We felt that the value of the program was worth what they were asking," school board President Tim Shanahan said Monday.

The program originally was funded with a grant that expired. District 73 has paid $30,000 toward the officer's salary and benefits the past two years, but the two parties have been at odds on the matter for about a year.

The officer maintains regular hours and must be available for students, parents, staff and faculty. Other duties include doing presentations on gang activity, violence prevention and drug abuse. The officer also works with at-risk kids.

District 73 had upped its offer and most recently asked for two years to phase in full payment. Village officials held firm for $55,000, which led to a contentious exchange two weeks ago between school and village officials.

Mayor Roger Byrne asked why the district couldn't find the extra money in a $40 million budget.

"Originally, there was no cost to us. We want to transition this," District 73 Superintendent Youssef Yomtoob replied.

Village officials said it was time for the district to pay its fair share.

"Our budget is our budget, and your budget is your budget," Yomtoob said. "We all agree it's a good program. If this proposal is unacceptable, that's up to you."

At the time, Byrne said he was disappointed. He noted the village could use the officer on patrol and working full time in the village.

"We're not going to pull the officer, but I don't like playing poker, and that's what we're doing here. You know that," he told Yomtoob.

The village board rejected the compromise, and district officials rethought their position. The agreement calls for the full payment by May 1.

Shanahan said the district would evaluate the program in the interim to determine if there are other options.