$100K Pay In District 86: 44 Administrative Staff, No Teachers

JOLIET, IL — While more than 10,000 grade school and junior high students in Joliet's District 86 have not attended regular classroom activities with their classmates since March 2020, a total of 44 administrators and support staff are making more than $100,000 in taxpayer-funded pay during the current all-remote academic year.

Many of these District 86 administrators and support staff make double and triple what their teachers get.

Unlike Joliet Township High School District 204, no teachers in Joliet's grade school district make six-figure salaries, Patch learned through a Freedom of Information Act request.

On the other hand, Joliet Public Grade Schools District 86 pays a full-time public relations director, Sandy Zalewski, approximately $140,000 in regular salary. District 86 taxpayers are also paying her pension contribution to the IMRF, data obtained by Patch showed.

Zalewski, whose job title is coordinator for communications and development for Joliet District 86, currently draws a salary of $139,797.

That makes her the 14th highest paid District 86 official.

These days, one of District's 86 junior high school principals makes more than $165,000 in salary, even though the students at his building continue staying home this school year for online classes.

On Jan. 21, Joliet Patch reported that District 86 Superintendent Theresa Rouse sent a letter home to parents informing them that District 86 would keep its school buildings closed and off-limits to students for the remainder of the regular school calendar, just as it did for the first and second trimesters of the 2020-21 academic year.

"We will continue to review the data to see when it is safe to bring students back," Rouse wrote in her January letter. "Our top priority remains the safety of our students and staff members.

"We realize that remote learning can be a challenge for some students. If your student is struggling, please contact your child's teacher. If additional support is needed, contact your school principal," Rouse's letter advised.

In addition to paying Rouse about $234,000 in salary, District 86 employs four assistant superintendents. All of them make between $186,000 and $215,000.

District 86 also employs a full-time lawyer who makes about $228,000 in pay.

To make sure that Joliet's District 86 parents and city residents are aware of how District 86 is utilizing their tax dollars, Joliet Patch recently obtained the public pay data for all employees with District 86 who are making in excess of $100,000 this school year.

None include teachers, the data showed.

Meanwhile, parents who are fed up with Rouse and the school board recently launched a petition at Change.org called "Open Joliet District 86 schools for in-person learning."

Here's a look at the top-paid school officials with Joliet District 86 during the current school year of all-remote learning activities:

No. 1: Superintendent Theresa Rouse, current pay $233,956

No. 2: Chief Officer for Legal Services Nicholas Sakellariou, $227,922

No. 3: Assistant Superintendent Ankhe Bradley, $214,841

No. 4: Assistant Superintendent Tamara Mitchell, $201,010

No. 5: Assistant Superintendent Natacia Campbell Tominov, $189,625

No. 6: Assistant Superintendent Sunni McNeal, $185,907

No. 7: Washington Junior High School Principal Rolland Jasper, $165,809

No. 8: Director of technology John Armstrong, $158,864

No. 9: Director of curriculum Tricia Nagel, $149,746

No. 10: Gompers Junior High School Principal Rita Sparks, $145,779

No. 11: Dirksen Junior High School Principal Markisha Mitchell, $145,737

No. 12: A.O. Marshall Elementary School Principal Lisa Marie Moreno, $142,871

No. 13: Hufford Junior High School Principal Kyle Sartain, $140,009

No. 14: District 86 director of communications and development Sandy Zalewski, $139,797

No. 15: Sator Sanchez Elementary Principal Maria Arroyo, $138,435

No. 16: Woodland Elementary Principal Kimberly Gordon, $138,435

No. 17: Farragut Elementary Principal: Terrance Joy Hopkins, $138,435

No. 18: Director of special education Jennifer Smith, $135,726

No. 19: Forest Park Elementary Principal Jacob Darley, $135,721

No. 20: Director of personnel Vernecia Gee-Davis, $133,180

No. 21: Program coordinator: Yolanda Coleman, $131,765

No. 22: Manager of building and grounds Paul Dufresne: $131,385

No. 23: Coordinator of bilingual services Antonio Villagomez: $130,451

No. 24: Marycrest Early Childhood Center Principal Melissa Mendoza-Thompson: $128,022

No. 25: Director of special services: Dwayne Williams, $128,009

No. 26: T. E. Culbertson Elementary School Principal Larry Tucker, $127,892

No. 27: Manager of food service Tracie Suter: $127,503

No. 28: M.J. Cunningham, Elementary Principal Luis E. Gonzalez: $120,574

No. 29: Edna Keith Elementary Principal Casonya Henderson: $120,574

No. 30: Assistant Principal of Pershing Elementary School Erika Diaz: $119,888

No. 31: Carl Sandburg Elementary Principal Saundra Russell-Smith: $118,240

No. 32: Isaac Singleton Elementary Principal Laura Hodge: $115,954

No. 33: Lynne Thigpen Elementary Principal Renita Streeter: $115,954

No. 34: Coordinator of student services Michelle Danielson: $115,324

No. 35: Eisenhower Academy Elementary Principal Nicole Bottigliero: $112,032

No. 36: Pershing Elementary Principal: Carrie Busse: $111,514

No. 37: Taft Elementary Principal: Doriane Henderson: $111,514

No. 38: Thomas Jefferson Elementary Principal Consuelo Ramirez: $111,514

No. 39: Assistant Principal Hufford Junior High Karen Glowicki: $104,665

No. 40: Technology coordinator Kimberly Knigge: $104,133

No. 41: Special education coordinator Katharine Lee-Foshinbaur: $104,133

No. 42: Special services coordinator Erika Rock: $104,134

No. 43: Academic advisor Clarence Williams: $101,894

No. 44: Manager of accounting Angela Brown: $100,091