DeKalb board approves amendment adding 278 sick days to superintendents contract after public objections

The DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 Board of Education on Wednesday approved an amendment to Superintendent Maria Garcia Sanchezs 202426ndash;2026 employment contract to add 278 sick days to her allotment, a change critics at the meeting said can increase retirement service credit and financial liability for the pension system.

The vote followed public comments and board discussion about transparency and the timing of the amendment. The roll-call vote on the amendment recorded Steve Byers: "No," Ariel Owens: "Yes," Christopher Boyce: "Yes," Casey Ramirez: "Yes," Dante Bynum: "Yes," and Amanda Harness: "No," yielding an outcome recorded by the board as approved.

The topic drew public speakers before the board acted. Jose Jacquez, who identified himself as a newly elected board member speaking as a resident, said the amendment was listed on the consent agenda with four other items and questioned why three collective-bargaining agreements and a superintendent…