Edwardsville’s new superintendent will have to pay up if he leaves the district early
The new superintendent of Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 will make $170,000 his first year.
On Monday, the school board hired Patrick Shelton to replace Superintendent Jason Henderson this summer. The board approved a three-year contract that night and provided a copy of the contract to the Belleville News-Democrat on Wednesday.
There are two major changes between Shelton’s contract and that of his predecessor: Shelton’s base salary is $20,000 more than Henderson’s was when he was hired in 2019, and Shelton’s contract requires he pay the district if he breaks his contract early.
Shelton’s contract starts July 1 and runs through June 30, 2024. If he terminates the contract or voluntarily leaves before June 30, 2024, he will be required to pay the school board:
- $15,000 if he leaves before June 30, 2022;
- $10,000 if he leaves between June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2023; and
- $5,000 if he leaves between June 30, 2023 and June 30, 2024.
Henderson gave the board his resignation in November and will be leaving the district two years into his three-year contract. His contract had no such stipulation that required him to pay money to the school district if he left before his contract ended.
Otherwise, much of Shelton’s contract is identical to Henderson’s.
Per his contract, Shelton agreed to reside within the boundaries of the school district for the duration of his tenure.
Shelton would be eligible for a raise each year, and his yearly salary cannot be less than what he made the year before.
The Edwardsville school board will contribute to the State of Illinois Teacher’s Retirement System and Teachers’ Health Insurance Security Fund on Shelton’s behalf, as well as his entire required contributions to the pension system and health fund. Shelton did not have the option of receiving the contributed amounts directly.
Shelton will receive 20 days of paid vacation; he can’t accumulate more than 30 days of vacation at any time. Any additional days will be lost, but he can turn in up to five days for compensation at a per diem rate.
He’s also granted four personal leave days and 18 paid sick leave days per contract year.
For more information about public employee salaries across the metro-east, go to the Belleville News-Democrat’s public pay database at bnd.com.
