Top 5 Salaries At La Grange Area Education Agency

LA GRANGE, IL – The top-paid employee at a La Grange-based special education cooperative is its executive director.

The director, Ellie Ambuehl, made $186,300 in the 2022-23 budget year, which was 41 percent higher than the second on the salary list.

The agency is known as the La Grange Area Department of Special Education, or LADSE.

The agency serves 15 school districts. Among them are Lyons Township High School, La Grange District 102, La Grange District 105, La Grange Highlands District 106, Pleasantdale District 107, Western Springs District 101, Gower District 62, Darien District 61 and Butler District 53.

Through a public records request, Patch obtained the salaries of the cooperative's employees for 2022-23.

Here are the top five:

1. Ellie Ambuehl
Executive director
$186,300

2. Sue Gallagher
Psychologist coordinator
$132,601

3. Cassandra Chiampas
Speech and language pathology
$126,151

4. Kerrin Tom
Speech and language pathologist
$125,473

5. Christine Wittenkeller
Occupational therapist
$123,641