Retiring? Geneva D-304 superintendent’s contract ends June 30, 2023

GENEVA – If the Geneva District 304 school board does not extend Superintendent Kent Mutchler’s current four-year contract past June 30, 2023, he could be on his way out in less than two years.

The agreement gives Mutchler a pay increase of $21,373.32 over the four years.

Mutchler, who has been superintendent since 2006, did not return a message seeking comment about his intentions.

Board President Taylor Egan stated in a text message that she could not comment about whether Mutchler plans to leave the district or retire at the end of his current contract.

District spokeswoman Laura Sprague stated in an email that there have been no changes to the contract since it was amended in October 2019.

“While there hasn’t been any action on this, there is an extension clause in the contract that the Board can take action on,” Sprague’s email stated. “This contract is not written as a retirement contract.”

The extension clause states the contract “may be extended for one additional year at the end of any year” if all parties agree.

The board has typically extended Mutchler’s five-year contracts for an additional year.

Asked about the lack of contract extensions for Mutchler, Egan responded in a text message, “The board cannot comment on that issue at this time.”

The last time the board approved a five-year contract was Dec. 18, 2018, starting July 1, 2018 and ending June 30, 2023. It listed his salary at $223,783.84 for the 2018-19 contract year, but the remaining year’s annual salaries were to be “mutually determined.”

The board amended the current 12-page contract on Oct. 15, 2019, stating it is for four years with the ending date of June 30, 2023, the same as in the 2018 contract.

The contract lists Mutchler’s annual salary for the 2019-2020 contract year as $230,497.36. The subsequent years have his salary increasing by 3% each year, with $237,412.28 for the 2020-2021 contract year; $244,534.64 for the 2021-2022 contract year; and $251,870.68 for the 2022-2023 final contract year.

The contract also includes 16 sick days per year, which may be accumulated from year to year; four paid personal leave days, but those do not accumulate; and 25 vacation days outside of paid legal school holidays and non-attendance days.

As per the contract, Mutchler also gets an $800 monthly travel allowance for using his own automobile, but he would be reimbursed for travel expenses outside the Kane County educational service region.

Mutchler also gets $20,000 per contract year to be paid into a tax deferred annuity program.

If Mutchler chooses to retire by the end of his current contract, he would have to give 30 days notice to the school board.

With the 30 days notice of retirement, comes another benefit, as the school board “will provide the superintendent a retirement benefit equal to $1,000 per year for each year of creditable service to the school district to a maximum of $20,000,” the contract states.

If he waits until then, Mutchler would have been superintendent for 17 years, and would receive a retirement benefit of $17,000.

The retirement benefit would be paid in a lump sum or as a contribution to a retirement account of his selection, the contract states.