West Aurora School District Paid Dog Boarding Costs for Superintendent: Report

AURORA, IL — West Aurora School District 129 reportedly paid for the superintendent’s dog boarding costs after he was hired in 2014.

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, West Aurora spent $1,288 to board two dogs multiple times over a period of three months.

Superintendent Jeff Craig told the Tribune he and his wife were unable to ask someone to take care of their Boston terriers while they attended district events and looked for a new house.

Craig had been working in Iowa at the time of his hire in District 129.

“Craig spent five months traveling to Aurora before he officially took over in July 2014, and was paid per-diem for the days he worked in the district during that time,” the article said. “Many teachers and administrators were retiring at the end of the school year, and he said he had 32 district- and building-level administrative positions to interview for and fill.”

Assistant Superintendent of Operations Angie Smith told the Tribune the boarding costs were a trade-off.

“I think the board kind of viewed it as an investment on the front end to make sure that he had time to build his team and get things in place,” Smith told the Tribune.

More via the Chicago Tribune