After a months of negotiation surrounding a contract for Bremen D228 teachers, board of education members finally approved a new contract Sept. 18. The agreement, which includes a one-year pay freeze, followed by incremental pay increases for the two following years and a larger contribution to health care by Bremen D228 teachers, caused a stir with some residents and parents.

Though the teachers' contract received the bulk of recent coverage, another contract was approved in recent months—Superintendent Bill Kendall's—and some residents and parents were left with more questions than answers.

The contract, which is 15 pages long, states that Kendall's salary for the 2012–13 school year as just under $200,000— a figure identical to last year's salary. Kendall's salary was frozen as part of the district's budget tightening and the freeze was felt by not only Kendall, but by the entire administration within the district.

“It's the exact same contract as last year,” Kendall said. 

The Superintendent shall receive an annual salary of one-hundred-ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred sixty-two and 00/100 ($199,962) for the 2012-2013 school year. The Superintendent hereby agrees to devote such time, skill, labor and attention to his employment, during the term of this Agreement (except as otherwise provided in this Agreement), as is necessary in order to perform faithfully the duties set forth herein, the contract states.

Additionally, Kendall is paid $7,775 that is placed in a tax-sheltered annuity.

“I'm compensated fairly, so I'm appreciative of what I have,” Kendall said. “You have to have a superintendent's certification. It feels like I'm trying to justify it … but, for what I'm doing, I think I'm fairly compensated. The responsibility is large and the salary is fair for what I'm doing. I don't know how else to say it.”

While the teachers' contract runs for three years, Kendall's is a five-year contract—although it is renewed yearly based on performance and is subject to approval by the board of education.

The board conducts two yearly reviews of his work in the district: one semi-formal review in December and a final, formal review in June when his contract is scheduled for renewal.

“Basically, I'm going to get judged on student performance and academic improvement,” Kendall said. “Now that portion, we have about 30–40 projects going on right now, to achieve those goals.”

Kendall said that the projects, which he declined to discuss, cover a wide range of topics and are in various states of development. He noted that each project is dedicated to helping improve students, academics, faculty and the district as a whole.

“The Board and Superintendent agree that during each year of this Agreement, but typically no later than December 1, there be an evaluation of the Superintendent's performance under this Agreement. The evaluation shall be based on a set of goals and objectives mutually agreed upon and developed by the Board and the Superintendent,” the contract states.

Kendall added that while he was uncertain he could convince members of the community that he is worth his contract, he was not concerned about it. 

“I'm too busy worrying about this stuff … we're tracking 5,000 children to be better educated,” Kendall said. “To me, that's where my worries are.

“There's a lot of stuff that people worry about, that I don't worry about. I don't let it get in the way of the important stuff, if you spend your time worrying about that other stuff it'll eat away at you. I don't worry about that stuff.”

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