DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The Decatur Public Schools board has voted against a $30,000 bonus for a district administrator. 

The decision came in a 7-0 tally following public comments and a discussion by council members. 

The bonus was under consideration to be awarded to DPS Assistant Superintendent Jeffrey Dase. Dase makes $156,715 per year in a five-year contract with the district. 

Superintendent Paul Fregeau shared a slideshow presentation Tuesday night explaining to the public the district had come up with a bonus system based on performance, which he said is meant to create incentives for people in the district to improve their performance. It applies to principals and administrative support personnel. 

According to Fregeau, the admin support bonus structure makes over 40 positions within the district eligible to receive the bonuses, including but not limited to OT/PT assistants and network administrators. He said people can qualify by doing great work and assisting others. The full list is attached to this story. 

To nominate someone, a person must send in a statement in 500 words or fewer to a DPS executive cabinet member by Dec. 18, 2020. The statement must describe how the admin support member creates a positive environment and helps build relationships, among other things. 

WAND News has attached information from a rubric Fregeau presented regarding eligibility for principal bonuses. Those presentation slides are attached to this story.

Teachers were not listed in any of the bonus groups. When pressed by Board of Education Vice President Courtney Carson about this, Fregeau said the district would have to collectively bargain bonuses with the teacher's union as part of either contract negotiations or ongoing negotiations.

Fregeau declined to elaborate on a rationale for the proposed $30,000 bonus when Carson directly asked.

Another board member, Regan Lewis, called it "sloppy" that the bonus was on the agenda before the board had taken time to consider it.

Board Member Kendall Briscoe said she is taking 100 percent ownership of pushing for a bonus system. She added it came from a place of goodness and said she wants to see teachers, principals, custodians and all the groups that are part of reaching DPS growth goals get some of those dollars next year.  

Carson expressed concerns about if, during a pandemic, bonuses help the morale of the entire district. 

Multiple teachers approached the podium during public comments, which started the Oct. 27 meeting. Eisenhower High School teacher Sam Mills was one of the first. 

Mills called giving teachers bonuses for doing their jobs "bogus." He said these awards create a "toxic work environment for teachers." 

Another teacher, Ron Lybarger, had strong words for the school board. In reference to the proposed bonus, he said "vanity has gotten in the way of progress" and added some have put self-centeredness above the cause. He said people need to swallow their ego, drop their pride and come together for DPS students. 

Like Mills, MacArthur High School teacher Beth Williams also brought up a "toxic environment." She said a love for her job has dwindled in the last year and noted teachers are leaving. She asked why the district did not have money for health cares for teaching assistants but had funds available for consultants and bonuses. 

Chris Schugart, second vice president of the Decatur Education Association, made comments to WAND News Tuesday night saying he is "glad the district made what I feel to be the correct decision." He said he is "a little perturbed" that there is still talk about bonuses, as the DEA does not feel they are necessary. 

He said Dase "has a lot of really good qualities that benefit our district" but "has a management style that needs a lot of work and he needs a lot of help in developing." 

The DEA had given Dase, who came to DPS in April 2019 from work as a teacher and assistant principal with Chicago Public Schools, a "failing grade for his performance" in January.

WAND's Chris Carter spoke with Jeffrey Dase in the only local TV interview with him. He made a remark about the proposed bonus. 

MORE: https://www.wandtv.com/news/dps-board-votes-against-30k-bonus-for-asst-superintendent/article_ffcbe566-18ba-11eb-aa49-83e191e102e9.html

"It is sort of like an award," Dase said. "You get nominated for an award and you don't necessarily get it all the time." 

While the DEA gave him a failing grade, Dase said there is no data of a failing grade. He made a point that it "takes time to move a district" after arriving.

Dase pointed out his accomplishments and said two out of the district's 23 goals were met in the year before he came. In 2019, he said the district made 13 of its 18 goals. 

"I am firm but fair," Dase said. "At the end of the day, when you're reading to talk to me, I am there. I am in the schools. I want to talk to the community. I am part of the community. I take that seriously." 

He added he is "not the big bear or beast they are projecting me out to be."Â