Dolton Elementary District 149 former Associate Superintendent Mellodie Brown is now earning $205,000 per year as the district’s leader, according to Brown’s employment contract.
The salary matches that of former Superintendent Maureen White when she was hired as superintendent in 2022. The district would not release the salary last week, leading the Daily Southtown to request it through the Freedom of Information Act.
The Dolton 149 board approved White’s retirement agreement during a meeting on May 21, paying White $180,730 to release her from her contract as of June 26.
Brown’s employment contract sets the superintendent’s salary and benefits from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029. Brown is set to earn $245,000 for the 2027-28 school year, a nearly 20% increase from the upcoming school year. She would earn $285,000 for 2028-29.
She will also receive benefits including a $425 per month travel allowance and full paid family health, vision and dental coverage under any plan offered by the district. Brown will receive 15 vacation days and 10 sick days in her first year, increasing by five days each for every year covered by the contract.
After her first year as superintendent, White was given a new contract with a 34% salary increase, to $275,000 for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, according to her contract for those years.
For the 2025-26 school year, White made $303,160, according to her contract for that year. Her salary was meant to increase 6%, to $321,350 for the 2026-27 school year, before the district approved her retirement. The district and White “mutually agreed to part ways due to differences in organizational fit and future direction,” according to the retirement agreement.
District 149 includes Caroline Sibley, Carol Moseley Braun, Creative Communications Academy, S.T.E.M. Academy and School of Fine Arts in Calumet City, New Beginnings Learning Academy in South Holland, and Berger-Vandenberg and Diekman in Dolton. The district has about 2,100 enrolled students, according to Illinois State Board of Education data.
The District 149 news release highlighted district achievements during White’s four years as superintendent, including gutting and renovating three schools and implementing a career and technical education program for middle schoolers.
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“Beyond these measurable accomplishments, Dr. White cultivated a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration and high expectations,” the news release says. “Her unwavering belief in our students and staff challenged all of us to think differently about what is possible.”
In a social media post Tuesday, the district said White was responsible for a nearly 19% increase in reading achievement and 9% increase in math achievement district-wide.
But Illinois State Board of Education data shows growth in English and language arts changed only marginally from 2022 when White was hired to 2025. Students in 2022 grew faster than 43% of students statewide compared to 44% of students in 2025.
Similarly, marginal gains in student growth in mathematics were reported from 2022 to 2025, with students in 2022 improving faster than 40% of students statewide, compared to 41% of students in 2025.
According to most recent Illinois State Board of Education data, about 24% of District 149 students are proficient in English and language arts, while 52% of students are proficient statewide. About 10% of students are proficient in mathematics, compared to 38% of students across Illinois.
The Tribune found last year that superintendent salaries in Illinois often failed to reflect the district’s size, wealth or academic performance of students.
Dolton District 148’s former Superintendent Kevin Nohelty earned about $450,000, the highest salary of an Illinois public school leader, before abruptly retiring in August 2025. Nohelty said he chose to retire after board President Shalonda Randle declined his offer to buy out his contract.