Peotone School Board Rejects New Assistant Athletic Supervisor Positions Amid Budget Woes

207U School Regular Board Meeting September 22, 2025

Article Summary: The Peotone Board of Education voted down proposals to create and fund new Seasonal Assistant Athletic Director Supervisor positions, citing the district’s severe financial crisis. Board member Ashley Stachniak led the opposition, questioning the necessity of the new roles, the potential cost, and a lack of support from the teachers’ union.

New Position Rejection Key Points:

• Vote Failed: The board voted 6-1 to reject the creation of a new job description for a seasonal assistant athletic supervisor. A subsequent vote on the stipend for the position also failed by the same margin.

• Cost Concerns: The position was to be paid an hourly rate for supervising 5-8 games per season at both the junior high and high school, which board members feared would be a “pretty big cost.”

• Redundancy Questioned: Critics argued the district already employs administrators and athletic directors who are responsible for supervision, making the new role an unnecessary expense.

• Union Opposition: It was noted during the meeting that the teachers’ union did not support the creation of the new position.

PEOTONE, IL – In a clear signal of fiscal tightening, the Peotone Board of Education on Monday, September 22, 2025, overwhelmingly rejected a proposal to create new paid positions for seasonal assistant athletic director supervisors.

The board voted 6-1 against approving the job description and then again against the associated stipend proposal. The move came during a night of intense budget scrutiny, culminating in the board’s separate rejection of the entire district budget due to a multi-million-dollar deficit.

Board Member Ashley Stachniak voiced strong opposition to the new positions, arguing that creating new paid roles was irresponsible given the district’s financial state. “We have the people here and within their contracts who are able to do the work,” Stachniak stated. “I think we’re going to find a very hard case to bring to this community when we are paying someone to do a job of the people we are also paying for right now.”

The proposed job was designed to support athletic directors by providing supervision at athletic events, focusing on student safety and sportsmanship. The role would have been paid an hourly rate for covering approximately 5-8 games per season, per building. Stachniak expressed concern that this could become a “pretty big cost.”

She also raised concerns about a lack of support from the teachers’ union for the new role and questioned potential inequities. She recommended that if the position were to be created, it should require a Type 75 administrative license rather than just preferring one.

Ultimately, the board sided with the argument for fiscal austerity, with only Board President Rick Uthe voting in favor of creating the positions.