This from the Daily Herald:
More flagrant and obvious violations of the Open Meetings Act have occurred throughout the state in closed meetings than the St. Charles school board’s extension of departing Superintendent Barbara Erwin’s contract in the spring of 2005.
But while the board’s approval of Erwin’s contract extension, without letting the public know its details, may not be a serious violation, it certainly ignored the spirit of the law and open communication with taxpayers by overlooking the fact that a board decision should not be made in secret...
...The extension granted Erwin more sick days and gave her more time earned toward her Illinois pension. All of this became a moot point when she announced she was leaving the district this summer, thus not qualifying for that pension.
The fact that this vote is just now getting public attention alerts us that some messages regarding this incident shouldn’t be overlooked. ...[I]t reminds us once again of the immediate challenge for new board president Kathy Hewell and incoming superintendent Donald Schlomann.
Animosity and back-room school board politics, the kind that send a terrible message to the public, have to stop...
The Erwin years, as they were, are over. School board members, administrators and teachers who did not care for her leadership style, or lack thereof, should put the slings and arrows away...
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