New contract for Birkett in Dist. 204

There were warm fuzzies for outgoing board members, civil discussions over the superintendent’s contract, and then sniping once the new board was seated Monday at the Indian Prairie Unit District 204 school board meetings.

First, the board honored outgoing members Alka Tyle, who lost her re-election bid after serving on the board since 2006, and Mark Metzger, who did not seek a sixth term after serving since 1991. Both were praised for their dedication to the district.

Then, in one of its last acts, the board voted to a three-year contract extension for Superintendent Kathy Birkett. The vote was unanimous in favor of the length of the extension, but split on pay raises. While Birkett makes $210,000 a year, her pay will be increased by 3 percent in the next school year, 4 percent the following year and 5 percent in the final year of the contract.

Board Member Christine Vickers said that while she is thankful the district has Birkett, she couldn’t justify the pay increases in light of the state’s current financial crisis due to its grossly underfunded public pension system. Vickers thought the pay increases should be smaller, even though it is not uncommon for end-of-career raises for school officials to be at 6 percent. “In my view it is more about what we can afford here than in keeping up with the Joneses somewhere else,” Vickers said. She and board member Dawn DeSart voted against the salary and benefits portion of the contract extension.

Other board members supported the pay increases. “I think we’re getting the deal of the century from the standpoint of we are the third largest school district in the state and we have a superintendent that will be making the 79th in the state,” Board President Curt Bradshaw said of where Birkett ranks in compensation.

Metzger also pointed out that if Birkett retired early, the district would be on the hook for higher short-term costs before her retirement benefits started.

“We’ve given her, frankly, a very small incentive to avoid what would be a very large payment for us,” he said.

Birkett, who hasn’t decided if she’ll retire in three years, said she looks forward to seeing through many district plans in progress like an overhaul of curriculum.

After the board adjourned, a new meeting was called to order to swear in incumbent Bradshaw and newcomers Lori Price and Mark Rising.

There were sniping and personal jabs as board members elected Bradshaw board president, Susan Rasmus vice president and Cathy Piehl secretary. “It is as you ordained,” DeSart said to Bradshaw. There were jabs between Price and Rising as well. “It starts to get personal and it’s so tacky. It’s so wrong,” Vickers said.