After a five-month investigation by the Huntley Police Department, a former Huntley school superintendent will not be charged with  misconduct charges.

It had been alleged by District 158 officials that Steve Swanson gave approval to himself and three former school administrators to take paid vacation days without the district’s approval.

However, the investigation showed the extra time off was approved by Swanson as compensation time for the extra hours of work that the administrators put in during the year.

During the 2004-05 school year, the district enacted a salary freeze for all administrators. Swanson used the extra time off as a way to compensate himself and the three administrators for working extra hours without pay. All four administrators left their jobs in 2005 and were paid out for unused vacation time.

School officials alleged Swanson did not have the authority to authorized compensation time for himself or the other administrators and that the administrators received an extra benefit when they were paid out for the unused vacation time at the end of their employment.

Police said “there was no criminal intent by Swanson to deceive the School District when he authorized the compensation time and that Swanson believed that he was acting within the scope of his authority. At least two district board members discussed this option with him.”

“The investigation concluded that although there may have been some violations of School District policy, no one involved in the investigation committed a crime,” said Huntley Police Chief John Perkins.