McHenry County Blog

Both sides reminisced that seven months ago they had met as compatriots in the common cause of hiking taxes in District 300 in the same Carpentersville Middle School Auditoriuim.

The coalition succeeded in passing both the 55-cent per $100 of assessed valuation rate hike, but also the huge bond issue.

One Hampshire middle school teacher put it this way:

Dr. (Ken) Arndt made a passionate plea to us and other community members for passage of the referendum.

We need and deserve a competitive contract.

This is what the voters were promised and this is what the community deserves.

He argued that District 300 salaries are not high enough to compete with surrounding school districts, objecting to its schools being a “training ground” for others.

No one ever asked, "What’s in it for us?"

It was, “What do you want us to do?"

Without our efforts the referendum most assuredly would have failed.

A chorus of "Yeah's!" erupted from the audience.

The teacher ended his talk dramatically:

My name is Steven Pittner and I am District 300.

He was but one of about 10 school employees and supportive parents--one of whom admitted being on the union negotiating team for Elgin Community College--to speak during the public comment period.

Not one person representing the minority position in the tax hike referendum spoke. I saw a couple afterward, but, as far as the meeting went, taxpayer advocates were invisible.

The reason may have been because school board rules require that people sign up to speak before the agenda is approved, so only those with the most at stake get to meetings ahead of time. One would have had to force one’s way down the stairs, which were filled with teachers.

It was like one big campaign rally, except the board members, having stopped negotiations, were estranged from most in the audience.

At the end of the public comment period, various board members tried to make “nice-nice” with employees whom Kolleen Hanethro, the social worker leader of the union LEAD 300, said were in “deep unrest” with some expressing “even anger.”

“The longer this goes on, the deeper the divide will become,” she continued, noting that “over the last 7 months we have worked together.

“All that we are asking is that you come back to the table and continue that work.”

And virtually every speaker was addressed by his or her first name by one board member or another.

So, imagine how many of these elected officials must have felt when they saw the Carpentersville Middle School auditorium filled beyond overflowing with employees most of whom did not have a contract yet.

And, then to have Superintendent Arndt announce that school board petitions for the spring election would be available November 7th. Enough to make a nervous school board member think as they adjourned to a secret session to discuss collective bargaining.

Except for not hearing anyone speaking Spanish, I thought I might be at a Carpentersville village board meeting.

Indeed, my first thought after arriving about 15 minutes late was why the board did not adjourn the meeting the same was the village board did when everyone could not get into the room. Certainly, at the back of what looked like a cafeteria above the auditorium, people could not hear what was going on.

One interesting speaker helped with the financing of the tax hike committees, among other volunteer school activities.

“I am…struck by the air of polarization that has (developed),” said Sandy Morganstien. “I urge all of you to work together, to talk to each other again, so we can recognize our school district again.”

Morganstein and his wife have given Advance 300 (and its predecessor committees) a total of $2,000 in 2002 and 2006, Jim Edgar $550 and George Ryan $500. His wife gave Rod Blagojevich $1,000 in 2004. The family was one of a very few who made contributions of over $150 outside of school vendors and home developers.

As background, remember that all of the elected members of this school board are allied with teachers union LEAD 300.

Union members have been offered a 4-year contract with a salary increase totaling 17.4%, according a Saturday District 300 press release.

“The board is asking LEAD members to keep an open mind about its shift away from a traditional, and some would say outdated, compensation package to one that is both competitive and innovative,” the release says.
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The top photograph shows Steven Pittner walking to the podium to deliver his comments.

Next is the best head shot I could get of LEAD 300 union president Kolleen Hanethro. It is followed by two shots of applause after her plea to the board to return to the bargaining table.

Next is a photo of what I suspose is the crowded cafeteria above the auditorium at the beginning of the meeting.

The final head shot is of Sandy Morganstien, whose family gave a total of $2,000 to the tax hike committees in 2002 and 2006.

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