Marseilles commissioner makes case for school resource officer salary of $65,000

The sentiment “you can’t put a number on a child’s life” was raised several times Thursday during the Marseilles Elementary School District 150 Board meeting on a night when the board was asked to increase the pay of its school resource officer.

Marseilles Commissioner Melissa Small on Thursday made an impassioned plea to the board to bring the salary of school resource officer Eric Yacko to $65,000, a figure much closer in line with his peers not only locally but also statewide.

Small further asked that the number be increased by the same percentage as other school employees, as designated in the school’s collective bargaining agreement.

Now in his third year as the Marseilles Grade School SRO, Yacko was described by many in attendance as a great asset to the school. He currently is being paid an annual salary of $42,000.

Small, who as the Marseilles City Council’s public health and safety commissioner is the liaison between the city and the police department, said the Economic Research Institute found the average salary of SROs across Illinois is $80,000, with figures in La Salle County ranging from $68,000 to $85,000.

Hiring a new officer independently, she added, likely would cost at least the high end of that range, and it wouldn’t have in place the relationship that Yacko already has not only with the current MPD but also the students and staff.

“It’s hard to put a dollar amount on what a child’s life is worth here, on what [Yacko] means and what he does for the school,” Small said. “He has literally turned the attitude around for so many of our learners, kids that didn’t feel comfortable coming to school or kids with bad home lives. He is definitely a positive constant in their lives, and he has forged relationships with so many of them and built a trust just by being supported and mentored, letting the kids know that they’re safe when he’s here.

“It’s almost like having that protective dad looking after an entire school of children. Having a child here, it makes me comfortable knowing there’s someone so dedicated and selfless watching over her.”

As the suggestion was new to the board, it decided to take the matter under advisement and study the numbers before rendering a decision.

Although the Marseilles SRO is required to be on the roster of the city’s police department, the city does not pay any of his salary, nor does it pay any benefits.

District 150 Superintendent Brenda Donahue wholeheartedly agreed with what Yacko means to the school, but the significant pay raise would be a little bit easier to approve if the city were contributing to that amount as it has at times in the past, she said.

Before Yacko’s hiring, Donahue reached out to several retired officers to fill the vacancy but found “zero interest” in being a school resource officer, which is “not a highly sought-after position,” Donahue said. Therefore, having someone who not only wants the job but is good at it is gold to the district, she noted.

“It’s impossible to measure what he means to us,” Donahue said. “To have that safety and peace of mind No. 1 as an armed security officer, but he’s so much more than that. He cares so deeply [and] gets to know each and every one of the kids and the staff on a personal basis to make connections. He also makes connections with the [police] department so we’re aware of any concerns so that we’re operating as a true school and community connection.

“He is the best of the best, and we’re so fortunate to have him with us.”