The now-former superintendent of Peoria Public Schools was its highest-paid employee in the 2024-25 school year, according to the district’s list of salaries.
Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat made $322,896 in salary in 2024-25, which is the most recent school year for which salary data is available. Desmoulin-Kherat officially departed from the district at the end of the 2025-26.
Her replacement, Jerry Bell, is set to make less than she had been making, with a salary of $255,000 annually over the next three years.
A list of highest-paid employees for the 2025-26 school year is due by Oct. 1. Here’s a look at the list of highest-paid employees in Peoria Public Schools:
1. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat
Desmoulin-Kherat, who made $322,896 in 2024-25, had been superintendent since 2015, after stints as principal at Whittier Primary School and Manual High School.
2. Alexander Ikejiaku
Ikejiaku, who served as assistant superintendent for human resources and made $212,622, had been with the district since 2016, having worked in similar HR roles in the East St. Louis and Springfield school districts, according to his LinkedIn page.
3. Andre Willis
Like Ikejiaku, Willis, the former chief financial officer who made $191,027, had also been with District 150 since 2016, having worked in a similar capacity in districts across the St. Louis area.
4. Nicole Couri-Malson
Couri-Malson, who was the executive director of primary education and made $175,415, now works for Decatur’s school district as an assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, following a stint in Peoria that dated back to 1999.
5. Ethelynn Coleman
Coleman, who was executive director of secondary education and made $174,379, had worked in a variety of different roles before becoming director of the district’s high schools, including an 11-year stint as Peoria High School’s assistant principal from 2012-23.
6. Shannon Marlin
In addition to her role as director of student affairs, Marlin, who made $171,970, works as a liaison to the city’s Advisory Committee on Police/Community Relations.
7. Ann Bond
Bond, who made $158,668, serves as the district’s director of special education and assistant superintendent for student services.
8. Eliza Brooks
Brooks, who was executive director of middle schools and made $155,048, left the district after the 2024-25 school year to become an elementary school principal in the Champaign school district.
9. Michelle Seipel
Seipel, who made $147,764, has been the district’s technology director since 2013, having previously served as a network administrator for three years prior.
10: Geri Hammer
Hammer, who made $141,380, has been in her current role as director of employee services since 2004, handling employee benefits.
11. William Robison
Robison, who made $140,566, returned to Richwoods, a school where he spent four years as an assistant principal, in 2022 as principal, after a two-year stint as the principal at Brimfield High School.
12. Tracy Donath
Donath, who made $138,462 as the district’s curriculum director, left Peoria Public Schools after last school year, taking a role in Clinton as their director of teaching and learning.
13. Michael Barber
Before becoming Rolling Acres’ principal, Barber, who made $135,630, served as principal of Irving School from 2007-11.
14. Mervyn Swanson
Swanson, who made $131,641 as principal at Harold B. Dawson Middle School, served as an assistant principal at Manual High School before taking over his current role.
15. Renee Andrews
Andrews, who made $130,389 as an assistant principal at Richwoods, was named deputy superintendent to Ball and will get a bump in pay to $175,000 in her new role.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Here are the 15 highest-paid Peoria Public Schools employees for 2024-25
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star | USA TODAY Network
