[May 24, 2013]Prior to the monthly
Chester-East Lincoln school board meeting, there was a quarterly
question-and-answer session. These sessions are held every three
months to allow the public to have a dialogue with board members.
During official meetings, the public is restricted to comments that
the board cannot reply to.
Craig Strampp spoke first during the Q-and-A session with the board.
Strampp asked if Jeff Brooks planned on taking a class that is
usually taken by board presidents in order to better understand
their role. Brooks said he was planning to take the course soon.
Former board member Leslie Starasta said she hopes the other new
board members will undertake similar work to better understand their
positions.
Later in the session, Strampp told the board he would
like to see Brooks and the other board members apologize to Larry
Dirks from the Illinois Association of School Boards for their
dismissal of his presentation on May 3. Brooks said he has
apologized verbally, but he does not feel a written apology is
necessary. Board member Ben Roland commented, saying he had also
apologized to Dirks after that meeting.
Strammp's last comment was commendation of the band students for
their skills in a recent concert and the art classes for their
recent work that has been put on display.
Jill Urish, a teacher at CEL, asked the board what kind of change
they expected to bring to the district. Brooks said the biggest
subject they want to examine is the upcoming construction projects,
mainly due to the high cost.
Several people asked what exactly Brooks and the other new
members did not like about the projects, aside from the cost. Brooks
and Lori Birnbaum both said their main concern was over the
necessity to move the cafeteria. Brooks said he also wondered if the
installation of a new air-conditioning system was absolutely
necessary.
Birnbaum said she wants to figure out which upgrades are
necessities and which ones are luxury items.
Roland commented, saying that the cafeteria is actually a
relatively minor cost compared with the rest of the work. The cost
for the new commons, which will contain the cafeteria and be used as
part of the media center, will cost $534,000 to construct.
In response, multiple audience members said that air conditioning
is absolutely necessary, citing days in recent school years, this
one included, when students had to be pulled out of the classroom
due to high temperatures.
Urish also invited Brooks and the other board members to look at
her classroom after the Q-and-A to see how badly in need of repair
the older wings are. The new board members did so before the board
meeting began.
Mike Starasta asked the board if they planned on passing the
abatement every year to pay for the bonds, and if they knew the
consequences for breaking their contracts. Brooks said they plan on
it, and he did not know how they would pay for such a breach.
Superintendent Jennifer Hamm said the cost would come out of the
district tort fund.
Mark Shew commented during the Q-and-A, saying that he thinks
some of the public needs to take a step back and "give the new board
some time to get their feet wet." Shew also said there was plenty of
opportunity for people to learn about the construction projects
since last fall, when the special meetings with the designers began.
Hamm commented on that, saying she was not sure how they could
have made the information more available to the public.
Former board member Kenda Kitner asked if Brooks had responded to
the attorney general in regard to their actions on the May 5
meeting. Kitner said she has been in communications with that
office, and the board may be in violation of the Open Meetings Act.
Brooks said he does not feel the board will be found guilty of
anything, and so he has not responded.
Kitner also asked if there has been more communication between
the new board members and the previous members who retained their
seats. Kenny Golden said there has not been as much need to
communicate outside of the meetings for the last month.
Rob Hoefs asked if there have been any official or unofficial
decisions to call Hamm's employment into question. Brooks said there
has not been any such discussion, saying that "the rumor mill came
up with that."
Finally, the board and guests present congratulated the cooks at
CEL for winning $1,000 from the state for their efforts in serving
nutritious meals to the students over the past year.
