School spending priorities are upside down
At the October 20 District 67 Board meeting, Parents Care’s Philippe Melin delivered a clear message: our school spending priorities are upside down. With careful research and a commitment to our children and teachers, Philippe asked the Board to put classrooms first. Watch his remarks and read the full text with sources.
Philippe Melin’s remarks
District 67 Board of Education · October 20, 2026 Philippe’s complete written remarks submitted to the Board, with source references added. This written version has not been checked word for word against the recording.
Good evening. I am Philippe Melin of Lake Forest and a member of Parents Care.
Parents Care's mission comes from a place of great love for our children and teachers, whom we believe should come first in all decisions.
Tonight, I want to talk about this Board's demonstrated financial priorities.
Because somewhere along the way, you've gotten them completely upside down.
Let me give you two examples.
First, this year, according to my calculations, the Superintendent is scheduled to receive a $64,160 retention bonus, as part of his estimated half million dollar compensation package this year. [1] [4]
A bonus. Just for staying.
But here's what makes this so remarkable.
The Superintendent already has an employment contract that runs through June 2028. [1]
He negotiated that contract. You approved it. And both parties agreed to its terms.
Yet, through Board Policy 3:50, you've agreed to pay him $64,160 in additional compensation, as an incentive just to stay. [1] [4]
Taxpayers are paying our superintendent a bonus to commit to doing something he's already contractually committed to do.
Think about how upside down that is.
Now consider this.
Under your new teachers' contract, a first year teacher with a bachelor's degree will earn $57,444. [2]
Montgomery's annual retention bonus alone is more than the starting salary of a new teacher.
Isn't that upside down?
But it gets worse.
You are paying the Superintendent's executive assistant a District reported estimated salary this year of $122,366. [3]
Meanwhile, a District 67 teacher with only a bachelor's degree who has worked her way through fifteen steps of the salary schedule reaches $89,280. [2]
Fifteen years of teaching children. Fifteen years of lesson plans, parent conferences, helping struggling students, and changing young lives.
And you pay that teacher approximately $33,000 less than the Superintendent's executive assistant. [2] [3]
I'm not criticizing the staffer. I'm questioning the priorities of the people sitting in front of me tonight.
Because when it comes to the executive team, this Board seems to have no trouble finding money.
But when parents ask for smaller classes, more teachers, or a full time band and orchestra teacher, suddenly we're hearing about budget constraints.
We hear that resources are limited.
And they are.
That's precisely why priorities matter.
A school district is not a corporation whose purpose is to reward its executives.
Its purpose is to educate children.
Teachers are not the overhead. Teachers and their students are the mission.
How have we tolerated a system where the people closest to our children are valued less financially than the people closest to the Superintendent?
That's upside down.
Board of 67, you have the power to turn things right side up. I hope you start soon.
Thank you.
Sources
[1] Superintendent’s employment contract, sections 1, 5 and 7A: term, salary increases, and retention arrangement.
[2] District 67 teachers’ agreement, Appendix A, printed page 65 (PDF page 71): 2026–27 BA Step 1 ($57,444) and BA Step 15 ($89,280).
[3] District 67 IMRF employee compensation report, 2026–27, Tiana Tolver row: estimated annual salary $122,366.
[4] Philippe Melin’s supporting calculations: projected 2026–27 base salary of approximately $401,000 × 16% = $64,160. Board Policy 3:50 is his cited policy reference. The policy percentage has not been independently verified.
The retention figure is Philippe’s projection under the existing contract. It is not a newly approved or confirmed paid amount. The contract provides two equal annual retention installments; the second depends on committing to the following school year. Teacher figures are base salaries in the BA lane; the assistant figure is an estimated annual salary. The comparison excludes benefits and involves different roles and work calendars. The calculated salary difference is $33,086.