64 Questions Asked of Lincoln-Way 210 Board of Education

Susan McMann of Frankfort was looking for answers at the February 25, 2016 Lincoln-Way 210 Board of Education meeting.

McMann spoke during public comment, rapidly firing a list of 64 questions about finances aimed at board members.

Topics such as a forensic audit, land purchases and the District’s deficit reduction plan were on the list, which filled the five minutes of time allotted for public comment.

Since that meeting, the District has presented findings from the Agreed Upon Procedures Audit posed in questions four through six.

District Interim Business Director Steve Langert has since addressed the issues raised in questions 31-34.

Questions 11 through 13, 47 and 48 were issues the Board has since admitted knowing nothing about.

The remainder of the questions has gone unanswered, McMann said.

The speech in its entirety:

“Good Evening.

It has been a long and eventful 9 months since the community was notified that our district was being put on ISBE's Financial Watch list. During this 9 months, a great deal of information has been uncovered and discussed concerning the BOE and Administration's practices. The community has become well educated in matters dealing with school finances. Unfortunately, our discoveries have left us with more questions than answers.

Tonight, I will pose some of those questions to all of you. So please... buckle up and listen closely because this is going to be a Rapid Fire Five Minutes!

1. Why was the Forensic Audit that was voted on CHANGED to an Agreed Upon

Procedures Audit?

2. Why was this discussed and changed during a closed session and not in front of the public?

3. Which BOE members voted NOT to pursue the forensic audit but chose instead to do the Agreed Upon Procedures Audit?

4. Why hasn't a report of the Agreed Upon Procedures Audit been given? (answered at BOE meeting on April 14, 2016)

5. Has it been completed? (see above)

6. When will the findings be disclosed to the public? (see above)

7. How could the district spend $31 million dollars OVER budget between 2007

- 2015, when their budgets for those years were projected to be a surplus of approximately $500,000?

8. Why wasn't the deficit spending addressed in a more urgent fashion years ago, before it landed it on the Watch list?

9. Why were the bonds restructured in 2013, adding 9 years AND $109 million dollars to our debt service?

10. Why hasn't the BOE ever amended any of its budgets, as required by ISBE?

11. Why are there numerous instances of expenses being paid out of the wrong accounts?

12. Why were the janitorial expenses paid out of the transportation fund?

13. Why are some utilities recorded to the Education fund?

14. Why were the Building and Trades program run out of the Student Activity Fund?

15. And why is there a 1/2 million dollar DEFICIT in the Student activity fund that relates to the Building Trade Program?

16. Doesn't the district and BOE members understand that when expenses are recorded in the wrong accounts, it skews the operating expenses per pupil?

17. Why is LW 210 sitting on 3 unused parcels of land?

18. Why was additional land purchased to build North for $3.4 million when we had land at 191st and Harlem that was purchased at $3.7 million?

19. After purchasing the 191st property, why did the district lease it BACK TO THE PREVIOUS OWNERS for $10 a year?

20. Why did the district purchase another 100 acres of land in Manhattan for $4.97 million in 2007/2008, when we already owned 80 acres there that was bought in 1993?

21. Why didn't that additional 100 acres in Manhattan have an appraisal done before the purchase?

22. For that matter, why didn't 210 have appraisals done on ANY of the properties bought?

23. Why, after 7 years of deficit spending, would the district continue to purchase property when we were in a downward financial spiral?

24. Why did the Deficit Reduction Plan that was submitted to ISBE only include these 3 items --- The closure of a school, taking out loans, and employee raises?

25. Why weren't any expenditure reductions considered and listed on the DRP?

26. Why wouldn't the administration and BOE members NOT meet with a community group that formed and constructed suggestions for cost reductions to their budget?

27. Why wasn't former Board Member Chris McFadden's September 2015 report regarding the district's finances and questionable procedures presented to the public?

28. Was his report discussed in closed session? Were any of his recommendations instituted?

29. Why hasn't the Finance and Building Advisory

Committee been established?

30. Why hasn't the district's BOE Audit Committee been functioning?

31. Why hasn't the community and BOE heard any further reports from Mr. Langert?

32. What has Mr. Langert accomplished in his time here at District 210?

33. Has he created the cash-flow report that he mentioned in his only presentation?

34. What does that report say?

35. Has Dr. Tingley met with the IL Auditor General, as he proposed he would do at a previous board meeting?

36. If so, what was discussed? What were the results of that meeting and were minutes taken?

37. Was the cost analysis relating to the closure of Lincoln-Way North, that was slated to be performed over winter break, been completed by Dr. Tingley?

38. When will the BOE and the public hear the results of that report?

39. Why doesn't Mr. Sawin report on any of the proposed IL legislation pertaining specifically to the LW 210 financial situation?

40. Why doesn't Mr. Sawin display his financial reports during the meeting on the overhead, just as the curriculum reports are given, so the public may follow along visually?

41. How does the BOE justify paying almost $200,00 in pension penalties with the taxpayer-funded money?

42. Why is Aunt Nancy's Day Care allowed to occupy space in all 4 High school, yet they pay NO RENT?

43. Why was Aunt Nancy's awarded a contract with the district instead of following protocol of submitting an RFP, along with other daycare providers?

44.Why wasn't the BOE notified of this contract and asked to vote on it?

45. Why wasn't the contract reviewed more closely to ensure that the proper amount of insurance coverage was secured?

46. Why did the district use $90,000 of taxpayer money to purchase

playground equipment for those daycares?

47. How was the Dog Training Facility allowed to be build out with citizens' tax dollars and why did LW210 also provide maintenance, security, and insurance at no cost to the privately owned

company?

48. Why wasn't this training facility discussed in a meeting and voted on?

49. How does the BOE justify paying the Foundation director's salary and benefits out of taxpayer funds?

50. Shouldn't this position, as well as her assistant's, be voluntarily staffed, like similar foundations in the area?

51. The district cited that they would save $5.2 million dollars by closing North, what specific data was studied and used for that amount?

52. Why did a FOIA request, asking to provide supporting data to the alleged $5.2 in savings, come back from the district stating that no data for that request existed?

53. Were transportation costs considered when the decision was made?

54. Why weren't any of the published Best Practices followed when deciding to close a school?

55. And howis it possible that it took a committee 2 years to decide to build North and West, 6 months to change the employee's insurance company, yet ONLY 99 DAYS to decide to close a school?

56. Why wasn't the community notified by the BOE of our district's fate to be on the Watch list sooner?

57. Was this information withheld from the public due to the elections that were being held in April 2015?

58. Numerous volunteers stepped up and offered their assistance when the district's financial status was divulged. Why didn't the BOE involve those community members in helping them to develop a plan to fix the financial situation?

59. Why didn't the district advertise the survey they developed concerning the DRP options more aggressively and to the entire D210 community. Why didn't they, AT THE VERY LEAST, send an email to the parents of existing students?

60. Does the BOE fully comprehend that 46% of the entire district's student population will be re-assigned westward?

61. Does the BOE grasp the fact that 840 current juniors will now graduate from a different high school that they attended their freshman year?

62. Does the BOE understand that LW EAST will have approximately 1000 more students than LW WEST and approximately 800 more students than LW CENTRAL?

63. BUT... that all schools will still have the SAME number of administrators AT EACH SCHOOL despite the enrollment discrepancy?

64. And does the Administration and BOE acknowledge that they are cutting 25% of the extra-curricular positions, clubs, student council, and opportunities, even when our enrollment numbers aren't changing?

“Unfortunately, there are (sic) so many more question that could be asked. It is my hopes that the BOE will address the questions and provide this broken, curious, caring community with some well-deserved answers. It is time for you to step up and do your job!!!

“I will forward this list of questions to the entire board after tonight's meeting. Dr. Casey and Mr. Lucchetti, in being new members of the board, I hope that you will take the time to review and respond as soon as possible. Also, since neither of you voted to close a school, I would request, now that you have opportunity, to motion for a recall of the vote to close Lincoln Way North or ANY school in our district until these questions are answered and a proper review and audit is

completed on the finances of our district. It is NOT too late to stop this process right now.

This is not about being right, it about doing the right thing.

Thank you.”

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