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More than 130 Illinois public school administrators who signed witness slips in opposition to a bipartisan bill that aims to consolidate Illinois school districts make six-figure salaries, according to an analysis compiled this week.
Fourteen employees of school districts in North Suburbs were among those who have signed witness slips against House Bill 3053, which would attempt to direct more funds into the classroom.
School district administrators around the state who have expressed opposition to the bill number more than 400, according to the Illinois Policy Institute.
The bill, authored by Rep. Rita Mayfield (D-Waukegan), is now being reviewed in the state Senate. It passed the Illinois House of Representatives unanimously in March.
HB 3053, the Classrooms First Act, requires the formation of a panel that would review which of Illinois’ 852 school districts should be consolidated to improve efficiency in the public education system. The overall goal would be to reduce the number of districts in the state by one-quarter.
As of last year, the average Illinois school district served 2,400 students, the sixth-lowest level among states with student populations of more than 1 million, according to the institute.
The panel, dubbed the School District Efficiency Commission, would not force districts to merge, but its recommendations would be put before local residents for an up-or-down vote.
Spending on district-level education bureaucracies in Illinois is nearly double the national average, according to the institute, suggesting that a consolidation plan could result in more efficient spending of taxpayer dollars.
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Local School District Employees Opposed to HB 3053
| Name | Firm, Business or Agency | Representing | Testimony | Salary |
| John Kosirog | Niles ESD 71 | Niles ESD 71 | Record Of Appearance Only | $199,355 |
| Adam Parisi | Mount Prospect SD 57 | Mount Prospect SD 57 | Written Statement Filed | $138,087 |
| Anthony Bradburn | SD12 | Roselle Middle School and Roselle School District 12 | Written Statement Filed | $175,083 |
| Joel Simburger | Roselle Middle School | myself | Written Statement Filed | $74,046 |
| Terri Schoen | Roselle School District 12 | Roselle Education Association | Oral | $94,150 |
| Donald Angelaccio | Prospect Heights School District 23 | Prospect Heights SD# 23 | Record Of Appearance Only | $218,661 |
| Scott Thompson | Palatine CCSD 15 | CCSD 15 | Written Statement Filed | $293,195 |
| Brad Voehringer | Morton Grove School District 70 | Morton Grove School District 70 | Written Statement Filed | $208,660 |
| Cindy Whittaker | Fairview 72 | Fairview District 72 | Record Of Appearance Only | $218,034 |
| Omar Castillo | Keeneyville SD20 | Keeneyville ESD20 | Written Statement Filed | $230,572 |
| Catherine Wang | Glencoe District 35 | Glencoe District 35 | Record Of Appearance Only | $267,967 |
| Kevin Jauch | Avoca School District 37 | Avoca School District 37, Cook County | Record Of Appearance Only | $238,644 |
| Margaret Clauson | School District 69 Skokie-Morton Grove | Not Applicable | Record Of Appearance Only | $229,161 |
| Nancy Wagner | River Trails School District 26 | River Trails School District 26 | Written Statement Filed | $283,609 |
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