Warren High boss getting 6 percent raise, extra perks in final contract
Warren Township High School Superintendent Phil Sobocinski will receive 6 percent annual raises and 200 sick days as part of a three-year contract that'll take him to retirement.
Sobocinski's salary will escalate to $203,177 at the start of his new contract in the 2009-10 academic year to $228,290 when he departs in June 2012. He came to Gurnee-based Warren District 121 in May 2003 from the West Allis-West Milwaukee school district in Wisconsin.
District 121 board President John Anderson said Sobocinski has earned the maximum 6 percent raises state law allows for retiring educators over three years. He credited Sobocinski with improving Warren's finances and helping to boost student standardized test scores.
But District 121 board member Richard Conley issued the lone objection to Sobocinski's deal, which gained formal approval Tuesday.
Conley said his beef isn't with Sobocinski's performance, but rather the 6 percent raises and the 200 sick leave days on top of whatever he hasn't used. The contract allows Sobocinski cash in any unused sick time on June 30 of each year.
With job losses mounting across the United States in the middle of a recession, Conley said, such a generous contract shouldn't have been granted to Sobocinski "on the backs of our taxpayers." He said Sobocinski likely could have been satisfied with a lesser deal.
"I believe this guy would not have gone anywhere for his last two or three years," Conley said Thursday.
Anderson said the contract was necessary to ensure Sobocinski will stay at Warren long enough for a smooth transition to a new superintendent. He disputed Conley's contention the raises and extra sick time are overly generous.
"A 6 percent raise is not really out of the ordinary in anybody's world," Anderson said. "Yes, there are people getting laid off."
Sobocinski couldn't be reached for comment. In a statement, he said has was attracted to District 121 because he saw a chance to help design its growth.
"I have enjoyed my tenure at Warren and facing the challenges of a district with such diversity," said Sobocinski, who played for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons in 1968.
Under the three-year contract, Sobocinski will receive a $500 monthly travel allowance and a $10,000 bonus if he stays at Warren until his retirement on June 30, 2012, and then obtains medical insurance coverage elsewhere.
Two other top administrators at District 121 received new contracts this week.
Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Mary Perry Bates gained a four-year deal with 6 percent raises, starting at $147,489 and rising to $175,662 when she retires in June 2013. Director of Business Services and Operations Carol Rogers received a five-year contract that starts at $134,264 in July, with annual raises to be determined.