Public School Officials in Illinois getting paid over $400,000 per year, but information on total salaries being hidden

The Chicago Sun-Times has this:

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle want to blow the lid off "hidden benefits'' in educator salaries following Chicago Sun-Times' disclosures that some superintendent salaries in the state have climbed past $400,000.

Several legislators said they would like to see itemized breakdowns of administrators' salaries. Currently, the state Board of Education only releases an overall annual salary figure.

Last week, the Sun-Times reported that now-retired Supt. Neil Codell was the highest-paid educator in the state, taking home $411,500 last school year, according to state records. He oversaw two schools in Niles Township High School District 219.

On his heels was Laura Murray, another now-retired superintendent, who made $402,300 while presiding over one high school in Homewood-Flossmoor District 233.

Niles board President Robert Silverman said Codell had received a "base salary'' of $182,500. But despite a Freedom of Information Act request, district officials would not itemize his pay, although they did release his contract.

State Sen. Dan Cronin, the senior Republican on the Senate Education Committee, called it "outrageous'' that a district would not itemize a superintendent's pay.

"These are tax dollars. There's an obligation to disclose to the public every dime,'' the Elmhurst lawmaker said. . . .