Lyons Township High Official To Get Yearly Raises

LA GRANGE, IL – The Lyons Township High School board on Monday unanimously approved a five-year contract for Superintendent Brian Waterman, with members praising his performance.

Beforehand, though, a resident denounced Waterman's role in leading the secrecy over a proposed land deal a couple of years ago.

The board has not made available a copy of the contract to the public.

But board President Jill Grech described the compensation, saying Waterman will get 3 percent annual hikes through 2028.

For the final two years, she said, Waterman and the board would negotiate his raises, but they would be at least 3 percent.

As of last year, Waterman's salary was listed as $254,616. He also gets $28,808 in retirement enhancements and $32,689 in "other benefits," according to the school's compensation report.

Board members noted that the school received the state's "exemplary" status for the first time last year since the rating program started in 2018.

According to the state, the exemplary rating is for schools performing in the top 10 percent statewide with no underperforming student groups.

In her comments, Grech said Waterman, who took the helm in 2021, has guided the school with a "steady hand" and a "deep commitment to students."

"You listen, lead with intention and stay laser-focused on what matters most, which is creating the best possible experience and outcomes for every student at LT," she said.

Board member Tim Albores praised Waterman, saying his value to the community should be noted. But Albores expressed concern over student absenteeism, which has increased at the high school and many others since the pandemic.

"When I look at national norms, we're not great. I shouldn't say that. We are doing well comparatively, but we always want to strive to be better," Albores said.

For his part, Waterman said the board's support for him was a "direct reflection of the work that our leadership team does and our whole staff does on a daily basis."

He noted he was ending his 11th year at the school. Before becoming superintendent, he was the principal.

During public comments earlier in the meeting, Fred Whiting, a Willow Springs resident, said Waterman's performance has not measured up to the school's standards, noting the increase in absenteeism, among other things.

He also referred to lawsuits against the school during Waterman's tenure, including a pending one on an attack that resulted in severe injuries in 2023.

But much of Whiting's focus was on Waterman's advice to keep secret for as long as possible the plan to sell the school's Willow Springs land to an industrial developer. Zoning rules ban industrial uses for the site, which is next to houses and Pleasantdale Elementary School.

Whiting accused Waterman of deceiving residents for nearly a year while trying to "destroy" the elementary school district by "secretly conspiring with industrial."

He noted the two attorney general decisions that found the board broke the law by holding closed meetings for nearly a year on the land deal. After the expected backlash, the board abandoned the effort to sell the land for industrial development.

Whiting went over his allotted three minutes for public comments by a couple of minutes. Board President Grech gave him some extra time.

But he stayed at the podium as she repeatedly told him, "Your time is up."

As he walked away, Whiting said, "Your time should be up."

Grech's time is ending in days. She decided against running for another term in the April 1 election.

The board did not respond to Whiting's comments.