David Bonnette is going to be sticking around Riverside-Brookfield High School at least one more year.
On Feb. 9, the District 208 school board voted unanimously to rehire Bonnette as interim superintendent through June 30, 2011. Last year Bonnette came out of retirement to work as interim superintendent at RB. He was originally hired to work until June 30, 2010.
Bonnette, 69, said that he would like to retire in 2011, but did not completely rule out staying past 2011 if that was wanted.
“This is kind of a year-to-year thing to help them out,” Bonnette said. “I wouldn’t like rule it out, but it would be my preference to really retire so I’m not, like, anticipating that this is going to be a long-term thing.”
In his new contract, Bonnette will continue to be paid $900 a day. He will be paid for no more than 120 days in a year, because he is already receiving a pension from the Illinois Teacher Retirement System (TRS), whose rules do not allow someone receiving a pension to work more than 120 days for a school district.
A clause in Bonnette’s current contract that gives him a $400 monthly allowance for conferences and continuing education will be eliminated in the new contract, Bonnette said.
Bonnette does not receive any fringe benefits.
-Bob Skolnik