Community Consolidated District 15 officials on Sept. 22 released previously redacted portions of former Superintendent Daniel Lukich's separation agreement.

Patch had requested the agreement under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. The district had sought to keep portions of the agreement secret, citing privacy concerns. The Illinois Attorney General on Sept. 16 sent a letter stating that the district's privacy concerns were not justified.

Lukich resigned abruptly on June 30. District officials have not discussed what precipitated his departure. As part of the separation agreement, the district agreed to pay Lukich $185,000 through 2011. The district's obligation to Lukich decreases if he takes another job.

Most of the separation agreement, including Lukich's compensation, had previously been made public. The district had sought to keep several paragraphs and a letter of reference confidential. One section of the separation agreement that had been redacted by district officials discussed how to do deal with inquiries about Lukich.

"In addition, the board shall direct that all evaluative and negative documents regarding Lukich's employment with the District be sealed and segregated from the main documents of Lukich's personnel file," the agreement states. "With said documents available for opening by subpoena only."

The same section of the document states, "Neither party shall respond to inquiries from the press or public other than to refer the inquiring party to the press release except as may be required by law."

The district also released a letter of reference for Lukich. The letter includes basic facts about District 15 and discusses Lukich's goals in the first and second years of his employment.

"In the second year, with a change of three (3) new Board Members, a different style of administrative management was envisioned by the Board," the letter states. "The Board and Dr. Lukich negotiated a mutually amicable contract separation for the third and final year of the contract."