Former Frankfort Trustee: Board Must Roll Up Sleeves and 'Fix This Disaster'

A former Trustee of the Village of Frankfort urged the District 210 Board of Education to think way beyond closing a high school as its only plan for fiscal responsibility. John Perish, who served as a Trustee of the Village of Frankfort until 1996, first wrote to Board of Education President Dee Molinare privately to offer several ideas for turning District finances around without the drastic measure of closing Lincoln-Way North. Perish, who has also served professionally as a human resources officer in the manufacturing industry, laid out points of a feasible austerity plan.

After receiving a “stonewalling” from Molinare, Perish read his letter aloud at the Feb. 10, 2016, Board of Education meeting, and urged Board members to rethink their currently stated austerity plan, get creative, and demonstrate the leadership that District 210 needs to return to its former reputable status.

Full Text Here:

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Let me introduce myself. My name is John Perish. I am a 30-year resident of both District 210 and the Village of Frankfort. As a citizen, I have served on numerous public committees and boards. In the very late 1980s and through 1996, I was a Trustee of the Village of Frankfort. Though now retired, the majority of my professional career was spent as the chief human resource officer for medium-sized and large manufacturing firms. In that capacity, I have advised and participated on numerous corporate boards, as well. In each of my board leadership roles, both public and private, I have occasionally found myself working to fix tough fiscal problems, requiring the application of sound financial fundamentals, leadership and creativity.

The reason for this speech, which I have also emailed to each of you, is to offer advice and volunteer to engage the Board in a rethinking of the current austerity plan which you have published in your current fiscal budget.

Over the recent months, I have read the media accounts of our fiscal dilemma, which has led to your decision to close Lincoln-Way North High School as the sole fiscal remedy. I am encouraging you to rethink this decision, put it in abeyance for an additional fiscal year, design and implement an austerity plan which does not require the closure of Lincoln-Way North and, after 18 months, see whether or not, fiscally, the closure of North is required. Food for thought which I submit will be very helpful to increasing the probability of success of an
alternative plan:

1. As you and the Board review the candidates to replace the two Board members who have resigned, make sure they have the financial and organizational qualifications needed to add the leadership and technical value to the challenging process in front of you. From what I have read, seen and heard, it is clear that the in-District expertise you have relied on from your superintendent and his financial assistant superintendent, plus several of the outside professional consultants, may not be up to the challenge.

2. Whether or not you feel it is part of the Board's mission to pursue, for transparencies sake, I would recommend strongly Dr. Larry Wyllie immediately and formally be asked questions about his role in what appears to be the mismanagement of the district over the last decade. I suggest the Board compose and deliver interrogatories to Dr. Wyllie that require him to answer in
writing.

3. Below are elements of an alternative austerity plan should be implemented Districtwide. It is critical the Board realize the pain of austerity must be borne by all stakeholders equally. The recommendations below will generate substantial savings and go a long way to achieving the fiscal balance we are all looking for:
--A. Immediately reduce all nonunion, exempt and non-exempt employee salaries and wages by an amount no less than 5%, and no greater than 15%.
--B. Immediately notify the bargaining agents of each of your employee unions that you want to reopen negotiations due to your current untenable financial situation to seek wage and benefit cost reductions equal to those that will be
imposed upon nonunion employees. Begin those austerity negotiations as soon as possible irrespective of the term of the agreement.
--C. Immediately terminate the consultancy agreements of all outside consultants focusing first on those who have "retainers". Consultancy categories may include but not be limited to legal, financial, benefits, all insurance agency, > etc.
--D. Immediately open discussions with major suppliers of goods and services seeking immediate cost concessions, making it clear that at risk is their continued
utilization.
--E. Immediately discontinue the payment of any costs and expenses related to professional development. This would include but not be limited to all subscriptions, all seminars, all tuition reimbursement, all professional association membership, all cost related to attendance at conventions, etc.
--F. Identify and discontinue all programs, extracurricular and curricular activities, that do not meet a predefined cost-benefit analysis. Significant to consider here would be costs that are high compared to the number of students who benefit by the investments.
--G. Take a very active and assertive role in the fundraising of the "Foundation." Encourage them to explore the approach taken by parochial high schools who make fundraising an ongoing way of life as opposed to an exclusive focus on one or two large annual events.
--H. RIF commensurate with the current student population in the district and consistent with a student teacher ratio, which is increased by 5% to 7%.

I can only imagine how you must feel in the midst of this extraordinarily serious fiscal dilemma you find yourself in. Neververtheless, it's time for all to roll up their sleeves and get on with the necessary process of fixing this disaster. If your decision is to stonewall here, as it appears your superintendent and legal counsel have advised in the past, please let me know. If you are not willing to engage in a discussion on the above, then, by copy of this email, I am requesting to speak at the beginning of your next board meeting during the community comment section, where it will be my intention to read this email verbatim.

Sincerely,
John M Perish