District 86 administrators earned an average of $150,300 in the 2024-25 school year while classroom teachers averaged $126,543, according to Illinois State Board of Education data. That $23,757 gap means administrators earned nearly 19% more than the teachers at Hinsdale Central High School and Hinsdale South High School.
The figures, first reported by the DuPage Policy Journal on Aug. 17, land as District 86's 374 full-time teachers settle into a new school year that began Aug. 12.
How District 86 compares
Among DuPage County high school districts, the gap varies widely. Glenbard Township High School District 87 posted the narrowest spread at 11.1%, with teachers averaging $131,606 against administrators' $146,236. Community High School District 99 in Downers Grove ran about 34%, and DuPage High School District 88 came in around 32%, according to Glenbard Wire's analysis of ISBE records.
District 86's 18.8% gap sits in the middle of that range. But its average teacher salary of $126,543 trails Glenbard's $131,606 by more than $5,000, even as District 86 spends approximately $29,000 per student and holds an exemplary designation for Hinsdale Central on the 2025 Illinois Report Card.
Statewide context
Across Illinois, teacher pay actually grew faster than administrator pay over the five years ending in 2024-25: a 15.3% increase for teachers versus 11.1% for administrators. The statewide teacher retention rate stood at 89.5%, and unfilled teaching positions dropped 24% to 2,943 as of Oct. 1, 2025, with the vacancy rate falling to 2.1%.
Whether District 86 mirrors those improving trends is unclear. No public comment from District 86 or the Hinsdale Education Association on the local pay gap was available.
New leadership, new benchmarks
Superintendent Chip Pettit, who took over District 86 on July 1, has made salary benchmarking a stated priority. His strategic goals include establishing a league of comparable districts to set baselines for staffing, salaries, benefits and educational programs.
Recent board actions show the upper end of the pay scale in motion. On April 30, the board approved a $216,000 salary for new assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment Josh McMahon. On July 13, it approved $115,000 for new director of professional learning Jacob Adams. Non-union staff received a 2.9% raise for fiscal year 2027.
What this means in the classroom
John Schlamann, a 32-year District 86 math teacher who taught at both Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South, offered a window into classroom conditions when he addressed the board on Aug. 3. "Our classrooms have gotten quieter, not calmer," Schlamann said, arguing that education technology isolates students rather than connecting them. "A child working alone on a screen is still a child working alone."
Schlamann is retiring at the end of this school year. The District 86 board meets Tuesday, Aug. 25, and Curriculum Night at Hinsdale South follows Thursday, Aug. 27.
Hinsdale education week ahead
- Tuesday, Aug. 25: District 86 Board of Education regular meeting. Agenda not yet posted. Check hinsdale86.org for public comment sign-up details.
- Thursday, Aug. 27: Curriculum Night, Hinsdale South High School.
