ST. CHARLES, Ill. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Employees in St. Charles District 303 are getting appreciation bonuses, but not without some controversy.
Before the school board voted in favor of the bonuses, St. Charles resident Max Gordon addressed the board and said “expenditures of monies as performed by the board is a public trust. That trust has been ignored once again. We find ourselves with a news release through a written article as our way of finding out what our board is up to."
His objection, he said, was that that the board discussed the bonuses in closed session and didn’t initially give the dollar amount, more than $2 million.
"This procedurally has been out of whack. You think I am a joy killer on the recognition payment. That's not it. Procedurally, I think you are out of line on this. One more time that the public is not served on this board," Gordon said.
Superintendent Jason Pearson defended how this was done, with approval by the board attorney, and noted that the board had the legal right to discuss the matter in closed session, because it falls under “collective negotiating” and “compensation.”
The vote in favor of the bonuses was public.
The total expected cost of the staff recognition payment is $2.16 million, with employees receiving between $300 and $1,200. According to a resolution authorizing the payment, the board "wishes to recognize the extraordinary efforts extended by employees to educate and support our students during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Employees will receive the payment as part of the Dec. 15 payroll.
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