Wednesday, July 26, 2006
You Can't FOI a District 300 School Board Intention
Right after the March primary election, citizen activist Pauletta Callendo sent a Freedom of Information request to Carpentersville District 300.
She wanted to know if any administrator would receive a bonus if the referendum passed.
Her specific request was
Yesterday, the Daily Herald wrote about the $14,500 raise that School Superintendent Ken Arndt will receive because the referendum passed:
Arndt also got a $5,000 bonus for improving student achievement.
Maybe no one ever wrote down the board’s intentions.
In 2002, by the way, Arndt contributed $300 to Schools Now, which morphed into Advance 300, the most recent tax hike committee.
She wanted to know if any administrator would receive a bonus if the referendum passed.
Her specific request was
Please provide any written documentation, minutes of any meeting, and/or any information indicating a potential agreement to give administrator a bonus/stipends/gift/raise/gratuity etc. should referendum pass.District 300’s response was
The letter says it is signed by “Darlene Johnson,” but “C.F.O.” (Chief Financial Officer) is below a second signature below. It’s probably a fair assumption that C.F.O. Cheryl Crates signed the form and letter to Callendo.The records requested are nonexistent.
Yesterday, the Daily Herald wrote about the $14,500 raise that School Superintendent Ken Arndt will receive because the referendum passed:
Four months after residents approved a 55 cent tax-rate increase, District 300 board members Monday night gave Arndt a contract extension with an extra $14,300 the first year (totaling $177,000).Arndt's car allowance was increased 8.3% to $650 per month and deferred comp was increased 20% or $1,000 a year. The deferred comp would be in addition to the pension he will receive. It will be based on total compensation for the last four years of his public service.“We have money now,” board President Mary Fioretti said. “We said if we could pass this referendum, this is what we were going to do. That’s the bottom line.” …
He had been on a two-year salary freeze….
“His performance over this past year has been exemplary,” Fioretti said, citing the success of the tax increase, the district’s financial stability and student achievement. “The board of education is grateful to Dr. Arndt.”
Arndt also got a $5,000 bonus for improving student achievement.
Maybe no one ever wrote down the board’s intentions.
In 2002, by the way, Arndt contributed $300 to Schools Now, which morphed into Advance 300, the most recent tax hike committee.
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Well, um, golly ......go figure!
Literally.
Instead of saving every dime that comes out of a stressed out taxpayer's pocket and child's piggybank/college fund - give, not only a raise, but extra bucks too.
Heck, D300 has money now - until the next time it doesn't........
Taxpayers who are shopping less (or not at all), who haven't seen a raise/bonus/pension or sometimes don't have a job, and who are clipping coupons, doing rebates and chasing car gas prices from minute to minute....I guess they'll just have to deal with it.
And as to Ms. Caliendo's FOIA request - wow, talk about having premonitions! Way to go Ms. C.
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Don't you just wish you could be a fly on the wall, shirt, blouse of every school administrator and board member 24/7. Finding out about the reality of how things work would make for a fascinating TV show.
My friend asked if districts give bonuses for a superintendent who successfully pushes through a referendum....I referred her back to the previous paragraph.
Literally.
Instead of saving every dime that comes out of a stressed out taxpayer's pocket and child's piggybank/college fund - give, not only a raise, but extra bucks too.
Heck, D300 has money now - until the next time it doesn't........
Taxpayers who are shopping less (or not at all), who haven't seen a raise/bonus/pension or sometimes don't have a job, and who are clipping coupons, doing rebates and chasing car gas prices from minute to minute....I guess they'll just have to deal with it.
And as to Ms. Caliendo's FOIA request - wow, talk about having premonitions! Way to go Ms. C.
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Don't you just wish you could be a fly on the wall, shirt, blouse of every school administrator and board member 24/7. Finding out about the reality of how things work would make for a fascinating TV show.
My friend asked if districts give bonuses for a superintendent who successfully pushes through a referendum....I referred her back to the previous paragraph.
I find this whole thing disgusting! What a blatant disregard of the public trust. And as I've said before, nothing will change until people do something radical, like pull their kids out of these schools and put these administrators out of work.
Now I don't know what the fuss is all about... remeber it's for the Kids. (this is sarcasm Dave) And isn't Comrade Arndt just one of the Kids!
I never heard anyone say we would raise admin pay with this money. It was for the Kids
Arndt wasn't on a freeze, he just did not get a raise. And how can Fioretti say the district is on a good financial footing. For the past five years it spent more than it took in, only changed by raising taxes.
Wait till you see what the bus drivers got . After a real freeze for two years they are getting significant raises.
So were is Dave and his friends. i want them to tell me again ..
It's for the Kids!
I never heard anyone say we would raise admin pay with this money. It was for the Kids
Arndt wasn't on a freeze, he just did not get a raise. And how can Fioretti say the district is on a good financial footing. For the past five years it spent more than it took in, only changed by raising taxes.
Wait till you see what the bus drivers got . After a real freeze for two years they are getting significant raises.
So were is Dave and his friends. i want them to tell me again ..
It's for the Kids!
According to the McHenry County Republican Party's website, Mary Fioretti serves as a Republican Committeewomen in Algonquin Township Precinct 63. What were the leaders of that party thinking when they appointed her--especially since she voted Democratic as recently as 2002!
They were probably were not thinking. Was she was the only one willing to do the job?
I am sure everyone else see's what I do - the departure of two very strong personalities on this board (Court and Grunge) have lead to this. Would the board the decided not to extend Comrade Ardnt's contraact have done this?
Is this Survivor Island - D300 - was there some sort of deal between the superintendent and Fioretti, Kopacz and Warren (these three serve on the education comitte together, two of them are former teachers) that they would drive out Grunge and Court and spread the spoils? Fioretti become board president, Arndt gets an extension, Teachers get big raises, and these three form a defacto majority on the board?
MMMMMM...
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I am sure everyone else see's what I do - the departure of two very strong personalities on this board (Court and Grunge) have lead to this. Would the board the decided not to extend Comrade Ardnt's contraact have done this?
Is this Survivor Island - D300 - was there some sort of deal between the superintendent and Fioretti, Kopacz and Warren (these three serve on the education comitte together, two of them are former teachers) that they would drive out Grunge and Court and spread the spoils? Fioretti become board president, Arndt gets an extension, Teachers get big raises, and these three form a defacto majority on the board?
MMMMMM...
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