Email to Lincoln-Way 210 Board Members Recalls Tingley School Closure Statement from 2015 Meeting

Cheryl Weiss, a Mokena parent and taxpayer, sent an email this week to the current District 210 Board of Education members and Superintendent Tingley one year to the day that that she attended a Board of Education meeting.

Weiss said in the email that she attended the April 30, 2015 to ask the administration and board about rampant rumors that North was closing.

She wanted to reassure her daughter that the rumors were false, Weiss wrote.

Weiss recalled hearing Superintendent Tingley address the rumors at the meeting.

“At that meeting Dr. Tingley reported receiving phone calls and emails relative to rumors circulating within the community,” Weiss wrote. “And then (Tingley) clarified that there had been no board discussion regarding the sale of district educational properties, nor had the board discussed closing any of the district’s high schools.”

One year ago to the day, Weiss emailed the Board members and administration to remind them of their oath of office, and to ask members to either reverse their decision to close a school or resign.

Weiss’ email in full:

“April 30, 2016 7:30pm

“Good Evening,

“Exactly one year ago today I attended my first board meeting. Unlike the meetings today, that meeting was held in a small boardroom and attended by only a handful of people. As an alumni, Griffin parent and taxpayer, I’m embarrassed to say that it was my first meeting. In the past I had trusted our Administration and the members on the Lincoln-Way School Board, so I was complacent. And why wouldn’t I be? Lincoln-Way was THE high school to go to – everyone was proud to be a Knight, Griffin, Phoenix or Warrior. We had the best schools, and we were financially responsible.

“In fact, the only reason I attended that meeting was because I wanted to prove to my daughter that the rumors going around school were false—she was convinced a school was closing. My husband and I told her there was no way that would happen. But she was insistent saying that students and teachers were all saying LWN was closing in a year.

“I had to stand in the hall for that meeting, the room only held a small number of people, but I remember thinking (and kind of laughing to myself) – all these people do is say “aye”. Well, it’s not a laughing matter any more – because after attending a year’s worth of meetings – that’s still pretty much all any board member ever says.

“But more to the point – that night I was able to go home and reassure my daughter that LWN was not closing and that it was all a rumor. How could I do that? How could I be that confident in what I was telling her? Because I believed in you--I believed the BOE and the Administration were doing what was right for our kids and our community.

“At that meeting Dr. Tingley reported receiving phone calls and emails relative to rumors circulating within the community, and then clarified that there had been no board discussion regarding the sale of district educational properties, nor had the board discussed closing any of the district’s high schools. Dr. Tingley added that discussion of this nature would take place in open session at a Board of Education meeting. Dr. Tingley also reported that the district had been spending out of financial reserves while waiting for the local economy to improve, student enrollment to increase, and the state to fully fund education, adding that discussions to close the gap between revenue and expenditures had been ongoing since he assumed the duties of superintendent. In addition, because District 210 had been added to the state’s financial watch list, the Illinois State Board of Education would review the district’s deficit reduction plan in the fall. Dr. Tingley offered reassurance that as the board went through this process, the academic and social growth of students would be at the forefront of all decisions.

“Do you remember that? How can one year later we be ready to close a school – how did we end up in this situation? In the past year we have learned so much. We have learned that as BOE members you didn't know what was going on in our district. You didn’t know about the 184,000 spent on a water leak. You didn’t know the district built a dog training facility, you didn’t know the district offers rent-free space for a privately operated day care, or that the district spent $90,000 on playground equipment for that day care. You didn’t know that the day care wasn’t properly insured (then again, did you even know there WAS a day care???). You didn’t know our bond funds were transferred inappropriately and money was spent from accounts it shouldn’t have been spent from. You didn’t know and probably still don’t know how our tax dollars were being spent. You didn’t know the district had been deficit spending for years. You didn’t know D210 was in the real estate business, and not only does it have property sitting unused, but the district is also a landlord for a teacher/coach. You didn’t know where the actual cost savings of closing a school would come from or how much the bussing costs will go up if any school is closed. You still don’t know how much the district will save by closing a school, and you don’t seem to grasp the impact your decision is having on thousands of students.

“And you didn’t know that the taxpayers in this community cared – but we do. You didn’t know your board meetings would go from the normal 30 minutes to 3 hours. You expected us to sit back and let you close a school while we continue to pay for it and our kids are negatively impacted.

“Do you ever wish you could turn back the clock? Do you ever wish you would have stopped and asked for help? Do you remember what it was like when we all trusted you? When we all believed in you?

“Today is April 30, 2016 – one year ago today, I was among that handful of people who were at that board meeting and were told that there were no discussions of closing a school. 105 days later you proved you couldn’t be trusted. You made the decision to close LW North. If you could make that decision 105 days after stating that there were no discussions on closing a school, you can reverse the decision and keep all four schools open just as fast.

“I made a mistake by not paying attention, by not being involved. I’ve corrected that mistake. I have only missed two board meetings in the past year—in fact, I have a higher attendance rate than most of you.

“You made a mistake when you made the decision to close a school, it’s time to correct that mistake and reverse your decision. The district is now 6 million dollars ahead of where it was last year, and there are 4 schools open. There is no reason to close a school and never has been.

“Everyone makes mistakes, some bigger than others, and it’s ok to admit to making that mistake, if you fix it. It’s not okay to know that you made a mistake but to continue on and not address it. If you can’t fix your mistake, it’s time for you to resign.

“One year ago today four Board Members recited the oath as they took the school board position. That oath clearly stated you would “respect taxpayer’s interests by serving as a faithful protector of the school districts assets”. Not one of you has done that. Two of the four members that took that oath that day are now gone, and the rest of you should follow. If you can’t commit to the oath you took, remove yourself and allow new board members to take that oath and follow through.

“Our kids deserve so much more than you have given them this past year.

“Dr. Casey, Mr. Lucchetti – I have copied you on this letter out of respect, as you are now Board members. I hope that you will follow through on the oaths that you have taken. I’m asking you to fight to keep all four schools open. You have the opportunity to change things, to fix the mistakes others have made. This community is counting on you – please don’t let us down. This community is broken, but we can heal together, and we will work with you to fix this all that has transpired during the past year. Please be the voice of reason, please stop this run away train and step back. If a school really does need to be closed, let’s wait a year to make sure the right one is being closed, and let’s do it in a way that 46% of the kids are not impacted. The kids are what matter – all the kids, please make sure any decisions you make going forward are in all of their best interest.

Thank you,

Cheryl Weiss”

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