District 200 Board to Vote on Superintendent Contract

The District 200 Board of Education will vote on a three-year contract for Superintendent Dr. Brian Harris at its meeting Wednesday night.

The contract, effective July 1, would replace Harris' current contract the board approved , which would have ended in 2014, and extend his contract to 2015.

According to the District 200 website the board evaluated Harris’ performance and concluded he has met and/or exceeded all of his contract and Board-assigned goals. District 200 spokesman Erica Loiacono said the board will speak to his performance at the meeting.

The board is extending the contract because, "they're happy with his performance," she said.

The contract would not change Harris’ base salary of $195,000 for the 2012-2013 year. His salary would be established in future years based on performance evaluations, according to the District 200 website.

District 200 Board President Rosemary Swanson said Harris has kept the district "on target" to make students college- and career-ready and has set the tone for curriculum changes and budget management in a challenging economy.

"He's managed to make our staff excited about those changes (making students college- and career-ready) and really revitalized a sense of teamwork and spirit," she said.

The contract also includes board contributions to the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System, 20 days of paid vacation days for each contract year, benefits, a $600 monthly stipend for car expenses, membership fees for the Illinois Association of School Administrators and the American Association of School Administrators.

According to the contract, Harris' goals include:

• Implementation of the Common Core curriculum and 21st century skills using the PLC (Professional Learning Community) process to ensure the district's students are college- and career-ready.
• Recommendation to the board: Balanced budget for the 2012-2013 school year, with a long-range plan for the fund balance policy target.
• Recommendation to the board: Strategies for addressing ongoing facility renewal and replacement needs.

The board will review the superintendent’s contract progress annually, on or before June 1.

The board meets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14 at the , 130 Park Ave., Wheaton.

Editor's note: This article was edited at 2:46 p.m. Thursday, June 14. The Superintendent's contract approved Wednesday is an extension of the contract the board approved last year, replacing the contract that would have ended in 2014.