Concerns surface about new District 116 superintendent's contract
Contract length, a lack of time to study the document and salary were among the reasons not all Round Lake Area Unit District 116 officials backed Constance Collins as the new superintendent.
Two of five members on a special state-appointed school finance authority that's been running District 116 abstained from voting on Collins' contract last month. District 116's local elected board voted 5-1 in favor.
Finance authority member Bish Krywko said one reason he abstained was he didn't have a full day to review Collins' seven-page contract. He said he also questioned why an original three-year offer to Collins was increased to five years.
Without specifically referring to Collins' $207,000 first-year base salary, Krywko said pay for Illinois public school superintendents is "overly generous."
"It just seems like the taxpayer is getting raked over the coals constantly," Krywko said.
Collins, 58, said her compensation is reflective of a job requiring her to handle a multimillion-dollar budget and personnel decisions affecting children's education.
"I believe that the position of educating children is the most important job anyone can be delegated," said Collins, who is ending her five-year tenure as Oak Park Elementary District 97's superintendent.
Five school finance authority members appointed by the Illinois State Board of Education have overseen District 116 operations since 2002. The district was near collapse because of its poor financial condition when the panel received the oversight powers.
School finance authority members early this year agreed to return power to District 116's elected board, but will remain to monitor operations in the next school season.
Collins' hiring required approval from the elected board and the special finance panel, and both granted that last month. Members who were not in the majority explained their reasoning this week.
Krywko and Rosa Reyes-Prosen abstained from voting when the state's school finance authority they sit on approved Collins in a 3-0 tally.
Reyes-Prosen said she didn't want to vote on Collins without thoroughly reviewing her contract. She added she's heard positive reports about Collins' work.
Douglas Raul Williams was the lone dissenter when District 116's elected board voted for Collins. He said he voted against Collins, in part, because she's not bilingual and will be on her third superintendent job in five years. Nearly 66 percent of the district's enrollment is Hispanic.
"The contract amount was certainly another concern," Williams said.
Collins said while she's not bilingual, she enjoyed success at a Michigan school district that had a heavy Latino population and has a track record of achievement with minority students.
Along with the $207,000 starting salary, Collins' five-year annually renewable deal will provide a $6,000 automobile allowance for necessary expenses incurred for her use of a personally owned or leased vehicle during official in-district travel.
She'll receive the $6,000 yearly car allowance no matter how much she actually drives between the administration offices and any of District 116's nine schools. She also can receive the maximum Internal Revenue Service allowable mileage reimbursement for some driving outside the district.
Collins said automobile allowances are common for school superintendents. She said the payment is fair for the amount of driving she'll do on the job.