THE CIRCUS

District 150 needs money. That’s one of the reasons they have a referendum on the ballot. Since that request will be easily defeated by voters, and rightfully so, I have an idea for a fund-raiser to help the school district with its financial problems. They should hold their meetings in the now empty and unused auditorium at Woodruff High School. They can sell general admission tickets for $5.00 and ringside tickets for $10.00. The $10.00 tickets would be for seats behind board members. Run some TV ads featuring Rick Cloyd as ringmaster. I’ll provide free ads on our morning radio show. I’m suggesting this, with tongue in cheek, because recent district school board meetings have been laugh riots if you’re able to eliminate the serious charges against administration and the board. Sadly, only 200 or so people have had the chance to witness this circus since the school district no longer allows “live” broadcasts on the public access cable channel. This means if the district could get one of the local Comcast cable channels to carry meetings they could sell commercials.

I think sponsors like the Peoria Chamber of Commerce would line up to buy. For those who didn’t attend any recent meetings, here are a couple of the comical skits the school board performed, amazingly, without rehearsals. These were downright funny.

At the last meeting, president Cloyd carefully arranged seating so individuals who wanted to speak had to sit in a chair facing the board with backs to the audience. Cloyd told the first speaker that she had to sit in the chair. The rule was “No standing.”

”But,” she protested, “I want to stand up.”

Cloyd insisted she sit down. She didn’t. I thought it was a Tim Conway and Carol Burnett TV skit. Simply put, it was a poor attempt at power by the board, but it failed.

Another speaker, Mimi McDonald, just ignored Cloyd’s unusual and inappropriate demand.

Cloyd’s comments often brought laughter and howls from the audience.

To counter the laughter, Cloyd reportedly shouted, “If there are anymore outbursts, I will ask you to be quiet.” The line brought more laughter. Folks, this comedy is worthy of a TV show.

At another meeting, board members praised the purchase of their new $600.00 chairs. It was an obvious planned performance to try and justify the expensive furniture acquisition. One member said she needed a new chair since she broke the old one.

I’m told the first chairs they ordered cost $100.00 each, but they were dissatisfied with those, so they bought the expensive set.

Mike Olson, long-time teacher and former high school coach, arrived at the last meeting five minutes too late to be given the opportunity to speak; at least, that’s what he was told. However, five minutes after he arrived, another person came and was given permission to address the board. At Bradley I took a course in Parliamentary Law.

We used “Robert’s Rules of Order” as our primary text. I think it’s been used to govern meetings since 1876. District 150 board apparently uses Cloyd’s Rules of Order. As a result, board meetings have become a circus.

SERIOUS ISSUES

The relatively new school board member, now president, has a confrontational style of leadership. Perhaps it’s purposeful to avoid a number of serious issues. I doubt it, but consider there’s been little mention of the board’s once secret efforts to sell Peoria Stadium. Meanwhile, a long-time District 150 teacher, now retired, has been collectingmdata about the district’s distribution of some 54 Procurement cards or credit cards.

P Cards are widely used in business and industry like Caterpillar, but with check points or oversight to prevent and/or uncover abuses. The retired teacher, Sharon Crews, with over 43 years of teaching experience, says she recently requested, under Freedom of Information guidelines, 70 P Card purchases to examine. She was told 30 of those cards have no confirming paperwork. They’re missing. That alone should be a red flag for theboard. In reviewing those available, Crews said two $500.00 gift cards were purchased for cosmetology teachers while some other purchases were made for products from California. “A large amount of charges were for food, including individual meals at steak houses and a coffee store,” she said.

Beyond the concern for appropriate oversight, Crews says people with P Cards have been making purchases without use of the district’s federal tax ID number. She estimated the district could’ve saved some $30,000 in taxes and that’s just based on the limited number of purchases with which she had access.

According to Crews, Superintendent Grenita Lathan has charged $227,729 on her P Card over the last three years and another administrator has charged $148,000. More than $1 million has been charged using 34 P Cards says the retired teacher. That means no figures were obtained for the other 20 P Cards. Cloyd and board member Laura Petelle have been given the information collected by Crews, but have shown no interest in reviewing the P Card practices nor has any other board member. Crews says she’s exploring the option of obtaining a legal investigation if the board is not interested in reviewing P Card usage and the missing paperwork.

Interestingly, the Peoria Journal has shown no interest in pursuing the subject. Remember, this is the newspaper that wrote four front page articles about a former school board member’s job resume. That was important to them, but not the potential abuse of charge cards and failure to use its federal tax ID number to save money for taxpayers.

CHARTER OAK SCHOOL

It appears the school district has concluded its work to remove John Wetteraurer as principal at Charter Oak Primary School along with reassignment of two other special education teachers. Two other teachers received some form of penalty. All of this came as the result of information allegedly sent to district administration “by the teachers and administrator at Mark Bills Middle School.” Their identities have not been revealed but could be if lawsuits are filed.

I don’t recall ever hearing about teachers filing complaints against other teachers. That’s a real morale booster. Wetteraurer has been assigned to the Woodruff Career and Technical Training Center with few responsibilities for a man with his talents and skills.

At the end of the school year his contract will not be renewed so he will have to seek employment elsewhere. Whoever hires him will gain an educational asset. I’m not sure this story is over.

A NEW HIGH SCHOOL

When Woodruff High School was closed by just a single vote, the northside of the city took a blow to the groin. It was hurtful to students, their families, teachers, businesses, and to Peoria’s educational reputation. I think it contributed then and today to the movement of families to surrounding communities.

A relatively newcomer to Peoria, Laura Petelle, cast one of the deciding votes. I was told by many in high places that Peoria didn’t need four high schools. Thanks to the Petelle vote, over 900 students from the northside were pushed into buses daily for rides to Central, Manual and Richwoods. Now about 200 students are learning to become hairdressers and other occupations at Woodruff, bused to the northside from all over the city. That’s real tax-saving by the district. Now we learn a fourth high school is in the making by the folks who manage the for-profit Quest program. They’re even fielding a basketball team for the Freshmen and Sophomores with a Junior class to be added. I thought we didn’t need four high schools.

Meanwhile, the district is spending millions at Central for building additions, renovations, and acquisition of land for facilities already existing at the closed Woodruff High School.

TIME FOR CHANGE

I don’t think anyone can argue the charge that members of the District 150 board are guilty of mismanagement and oversight. It seems there’s a lawsuit or controversy weekly, thus the need for change. The change can begin with the next election, Tuesday, March 18. Voters in District 3 will have an opportunity to be the catalyst for change by voting for Suzie Wolstenholm. A long-time resident of Peoria, Suzie has children attending District 150 unlike the incumbent, Laura Petelle. Wolstenholm has been active in PTO organizations in the district. She’s also attended numerous board meetings and has financial experience, serving as Supervisor of Account Services for Comcast Spotlight, the marketing division of the local cable company. Like voters, she’s concerned about the lack of transparency.

If voters are satisfied with the school district, they’ll vote for Petelle. If not, they’ll vote for change and cast their ballots for Wolstenholm.

MEDIA RAMBLINGS

I don’t watch a lot of TV save for news and sports, but I do enjoy some of the programs on TVLand like Andy Griffith. Trouble is, that means I have to endure promos for Kirtsie, Snot in Cleveland, and a couple of asinine adult programs. Don’t look for WeightWatchers to be a sponsor on Kirtsie or Northwoods Community Church to run their commercials on the Betty White show that features Miss Potty Mouth, Kathy Griffin.

Peoria is known as a great training ground for television news talent. However, the way people have been coming and going on the local TV stations makes one wonder what’s going on. Then there’s the fiasco about WEEK’s Ashley McNamee. Was she fired, demoted, or what? I didn’t notice any change while channel surfing. You can still see her every night as news anchor on 25.

What was it all about?

FINAL THOUGHT

I’m delighted the Community Word has returned to the newsstands.More importantly, I’m glad the editor’s husband is on the mend after some critical health challenges. Lots of prayers were said on his and the family’s behalf. Thanks, too, to the many readers who expressed fears the newspaper had closed. Happily, not so. We’re back!