Q&A with the CEL school board

[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.

[By DEREK HURLEY]