How can they cut so much last year and nothing this year? Lincolnway is still going to have to make cuts this year, but why not Summit Hill? Could it be the upcoming school board elections where the incumbents are running? I think they should stay ahead of the game. If they do this, a referendum is definitely in the picture for us. This is definitely a political move on their part.

At the meeting, when discussing the registration fees, Mr. Pain remarked that it was necessary to get as many people registered by the May deadline as possible because the administration needs to start planning, scheduling, etc for the upcoming school year. I understand that, but why is it necessary for them to require that the registration fees be paid in full in May? Lincoln Way has a payment plan, as do many other school districts in the area. Payment plans that do not include a late fee. In these difficult financial times, I don't understand why our school district doesn't have any compassion for the families in the area that are struggling to stay afloat.

Actually, the superintendent sent out a blast email to all parents on Wednesday February 9th explaining why no cuts for next year are anticipated at this time and that information has been published in several local newspapers as well. Better yet, you can listen to the podcast of the board's annual planning workshop on February 5th where the financial forecast for the coming school year was discussed; it is posted on the district's website at http://www.summithill.org/board_of_education/meeting_information.asp

As for comparing the high school and elementary districts' finances, you have to be careful that you are not comparing an apple to orange as the high school district's budget is larger and they have a larger tax base. When comparing cuts, you also have to take into account the actual percentage of the budget that the cuts represent.

In terms of registration, obviously the earlier a school district has that information, the better it can plan for staffing, facility usage, etc. for the coming school year. If a family is financial struggling, there are procedures in place to handle such circumstances; you can always contact the Administrative Center for more information.

Finally, more than one board member spoke about registration fees at the board's February 23rd meeting (again you can listen to the podcast at the district's website; the Board voted 7-0 to keep the fees level), so why wasn't all the board members' comments included in the article?

I know comparing the high school district to the elementary district is like comparing apples to oranges, but isn't it all relative? Also, as far as preparing for the next school year, let people register, but let them pay in August. I also think you need to invite the tax assessor to your next meeting to find out how homes have been reassessed to be more in line with the current economy and how that affects the school district (I believe you are either an incumbent running for the school board or someone from district office). As far as listening to the podcast, no thanks, can't stand listening to the suits on the board!

I'm a concerned community member much like yourself, Taxed enough. It's really not all relative when you are comparing high school and elementary districts; there are significant differences that need to be acknowledged. I don't see the issue with having to pay at the time of registration; in fact, May might be a better time than August when a lot of families are actually doing last minute back-to-school shopping. Having the tax assessor present to all of the local taxing bodies is an excellent idea.

I'm not sure what issue you have with "the suits on the board" (which is a rather unfortunate generalization). Balance on any board is a good thing, as is having members with either a strong business/professional background or a strong business/professional sensibility. You choose not to listen to the podcasts which is certainly your prerogative; all I'm saying is that if the public wants to keep informed with what's actually happening with their board of education (as they should), they should attend meetings, read the minutes, and listen to the podcasts. There is no better way of finding out the truth than going directly to the source.

Whit, I believe mentioned a payment plan for the registration fees. Other districts even go so far as to offer a monthly EFT to their parents. A per family late fee rather than a per student late fee should be more than sufficient - unless of course the district is looking at these fees as "donations" from parents like the kickbacks that are received from the Lifetouch (the school picture company).
As a parent, it is very difficult to find the 1-3 hours on a Wednesday evening to attend meetings. And even when you are there it is very difficult to know what exactly is going on because the agenda gives bare bones details and much of the meeting is "refer to page __ in your board packet". It is only recently that someone has taken the time to attend all of the meetings & share with the community what is going on. Podcasts are not live, minutes take weeks - and by the time people find out something is happening it's too late to do anything. It is my understanding that those running have an extensive business/professional background. I think that this is the first time in many years that the voters have a clearer picture of what exactly is going on within the district - including all of what some may refer to as "political moves" in order to retain their seat on the board. I guess we will find out in 34 days what the people think.

Seriously, the district has had a per-student late fee for several years, originating several boards back from the present one. So, I guess I am curious as to why this has become an issue now in March 2011. You mentioned difficult financial times in your posting, but the economy has been in the tank since 2008.

I understand people may not be able to attend the board meetings, but the community has full access to the official minutes and the podcasts on the district's website (and it seems that the podcasts are up there about a day or two after the meeting). Why would people rely on someone's version of the minutes, which can be highly subjective, when the actual records of the meetings are so accessible to the public? I trust that community members are fully capable of reading or listening to the record of a board meeting and forming their own conclusions rather than relying on a single person's interpretation of what happened. Contrary to what you claim, I think the community has had a very clear picture what is going on in the district, especially since the district really improved its website and the board began to podcast its meetings.

Words like "kickbacks" and "political moves" in your comments would seem to indicate that your mind is made up in terms of the election. I hope the voters fully research the candidates and vote their conscience come April 5th. Why not have a candidates forum where we could hear directly from them?

Whit,
Yes, the late fees have been in place for years, but that does not make them right. I'm not sure what your financial situation is, or how many children you have attending Summit Hill schools, but I know people who are struggling. Maybe $25 to you is no big deal, possibly $50, $75 or $100 wouldn't make a difference to your budget either. To many people, it is a sacrifice.

FYI - The phrases "kick backs" & "political moves" were both used at school board meetings in the past year. Feel free to check the audio.

I wonder if you have taken the time to read the "unofficial" minutes that you refer to. Although they are subjective, humorous, & encourage the community to not take everything at face value - I believe them to be very accurate & truthful. One could also say that the official minutes, press releases & other correspondence from Mr. Pain is also subjective. Do you only read one newspaper or watch one news program to be informed? What is the harm in reading another person's point of view?

From what I have read in her statements Ms. Borgens has left herself wide open to feedback positive or negative. She seems to have provided the community with a great deal of information on her background & her objectives should she be elected. I don't think the same can be said for all of the candidates, including the incumbents.

Whit REALLY? The community is not happy maybe you need to get out of your little bubble and see the big picture. Yes there is information out there BUT only to suit Mr. Pain and the board of education! I have listened to the Pod Cast and have heard several discussions about the grave finacial future for distict 161? I have also listened to several board members argue on the raising of the school free and extra curricular activitys free through out the last 2 years. And why is it the three neck ties always seem to preach doom and gloom becouse we have no money! And Now it seems that we have found the a rainbow with a big pot of gold? How come the members who are not up for re-election seems to be apprehensive?

There is a wealth of information about this subject the "unofficial" have given many of us mre information than we could have ever discerned during the "snoozecast" whit refers to. People get informed...check out you board members, their views, and the new people running this year. I know where my vote is going...Borgens all the way! Goodluck Whit...Are you running again?

Most of touched a nerve here....

Seriously, I struggle like everyone else but I also scrimp and save when I know a big bill is coming and all bills have late fees if you don't pay when they are due. I have come across the "unofficial" minutes you refer and I disagree with you on both their accuracy and their truthfulness. They are about as objective as any piece of campaign literature, which ultimately is what they are. As for the incumbents, their backgrounds, objectives, and, most importantly, their voting records are quite clear.

Fed Up!, your words speak volumes. I think you need to better inform yourself on the finances of the district. "The three neck ties"? So, are you ojecting to their fashion sense or the fact that they are male?

Bern, I fully agree that the public should research all the candidates (in fact, I said that earlier) and come to their own conclusions about who is best qualified to govern the district.

Taxed enough you are not the nit whit! I think whit is the foolish person!
Whit you stated the "three neck ties"? I guess I should of stated the three puppets whos strings are around their neck and pulled by Mr. Pain! I wish I could be more informed by the finances but every time a concerned board member question your treasurer he throws out a smoke screen. Remember I said I listen to the POD CAST! And every voter should!!

Taxed enough, I'm not sure why you are taking things so personally. Nobody called you a nitwit and nobody claimed to know your financial situation. I thought we were having a conversation about the school district and, obviously, we disagree about certain issues; that's all. We hear enough divisive rhetoric coming out of Springfield and Washington; you'd hope neighbors in the same school community could converse and disagree with each other civilly.

Fed Up!, "three neck ties", now "three puppets", jeez, any other insults you'd like to hurl at the incumbents? I completely agree with you that voters should listen to the podcasts and read the minutes; let them see exactly how the board has voted on financial issues. Rather than pots of gold and smokescreens, I think they will see a record of wise fiscal management in very challenging circumstances. Take a look around; the school district is faring pretty well in these difficult financial times. But again, that's just my opinion; everyone should check out the record for themselves.

Whit, I'm curious as to why no one has stepped up to defend your position. From what I'm reading from both Taxed Enough & Fed Up - I think that possibly they're taking things personally because you refuse to accept any other position than your own. If you have only "come across" the unofficial school board minutes, maybe you should take a moment to really read what's being said with an open mind. I think part of the problem with the incumbents is they never question anything - when Joy Murphy, Mary Kenny or Denise Lenz question anything they seem to get the brush off. The same brush off that you seem to be giving Ms. Borgens' commentary. She's asking the tough questions that she can't ask at a meeting - yet. I recognize that 161 is in a better place than many other districts in the area, however it's not perfect. When I vote, I expect my reps to ask questions & dig a little deeper, rather than just accept everything Mr. Pain says. They live in the community so they're not blind to what's going on as you seem to be. Having 7 different people, with 7 different backgrounds - you'd think that the group would come together to consider each others' ideas & thoughts rather than the same 4 people who feel that they're always right vs 3 people who have the balls to ask the tough questions. I think you need to consider opening your eyes to what people in 161 are saying or are you waiting until 4/5 to see how they vote? 33 days - what will you do if you're wrong?

Whit, You must be an administrator! maybe Keith Pain? or Sean Doyle? You keep repeating the same statements over and over again without any real answers to these questions, comments, or problems that these people have with the school district. While I can try to appreciate your difference of opinion , there is an increasing number of people here who differ with you. It is also apparent you lack compassion as this is entirely an issue dealing with families and their childrens' education during a time when families are strapped. There are also trust issues going on here and you continue to diminish the thoughts and feelings of these people and it is clear you have no idea what the majority of the community is going through, so this is one clue you must not live here. These people have alot of great things to say. Instead of acknowledging them, you continue to challenge each of them. Although, reading your comments sounds like I am listening to the "snoozecast" as Bern mentioned. The thing is, these people HAVE mentioned they come to the meetings, listen to the Podcast, and read the minutes to stay informed.....actually they seem more informed then you. Whit, we vote the Board of Ed in and the BOE should want to fight for the taxpayers, parents and children! It's springtime, the administrative raises are around the corner - stay tuned to the podcast to see how BIG that pot of gold is.

Bravo concerned!!

Just have one comment because it seems whatever is said or discussed there is always an excuse from the brilliant business person WHIT. Yes all of us are hurting from the economy one way or another. I do still have an income coming in. But every necessity in life has gone up. Is it hard for me to come up with $450 by May? Yes! Will the $75 late fee hurt my family? Yes! That could be the money I could use for the school supplies that I need to buy. Or maybe the shoes and clothes the kids have out grown and need for school. Yes there are people out there who don't qualify for the financial assistance but still don't have that extra money to pay for school all at once. So Whit I do listen to the school board meetings and have attended some. Yes I feel that not all the Board Members are for the children and that is why we need a change. So don't get all in a huff unless it is you that may be losing their seat on the board.

I know where my vote is going. Its going to Mrs. Borgens. She has the strength to put her name on the Notes that she takes regarding what shes heard at the Board Meeting. She has given "thata boys" and a "Are you kidding me" to the issues that have the kids of Summit Hill 161's best interest. She has taken time from her family to show her concern and has helped many of us that can't make the meetings for whatever reason (kinda like Cliff Notes). Maybe Summit Hill might want to get on the Community Channel with Comcast and Broadcast the meetings???? I would DVR it and watch it when I had a moment. So all I can say is my vote is for Stacey Borgen on April 5th.

Bravo Time4Change! My vote is going the same way and I am campaigning in my neighborhood to roust other parents that may not normally take the time to vote. I am not interested in another puppet or yes person on the Board, nor do I want everyone to have Mrs. Borgen's opinion. I want a Board that reflects intelligent persons working together that each bring a unique experience and perspective to make judgement calls for my 4 kids in this district. Not the one dimensional representation we now have that the majority amazingly is on the side of the Superintendent whom I feel has more of a political agenda that the welfare of ALL students.

As for Whit's comment that he scrimps and saves to come up with his bills, sometimes scrimping and saving do NOT bring all the bills in line. I don't want free lunches, but I would like to pay out the fees without being penalized. How much $$ is the school going to get for each of my children??? Seriously, you can make accomodations for those who are in the middle, working hard to pay their obligations and praying for the light at the end of the tunnel. You want to send me to collections for owing? How much will you being paying that company to collect on struggling parents? For shame.

Seems to me EVERYONE is in the same boat these days and we all want the same thing (except Whit apparantly) - CHANGE!!!!!! Mrs. Borgens will be getting the votes of everyone I know and they are justly deserved! I truly believe that she has thrown her hat in the ring for one purpose only and that is OUR KIDS!! As a parent of Dist. 161 kids, she knows what is needed and actually cares about the families of this district. She sees first hand that most people in this district just can't afford the late fees and that our kids can't afford to be in such large classes! We all scrimp and save to pay our bills, but that doesn't always help (like "ready for progress" said). Whether you have 1 child or 4 children, times are tough and we need to know that our Board Members are doing everything they can to help our kids . The current Board is certainly not doing that!! I've listened to the podcasts and I read Mrs. Borgens minutes. I feel I am very well informed of what is going on and quite frankly, the attitude of the Board is very disheartening to me. We need people on the board who will listen and work together. I think Whit needs to realize the same thing. As "concerned" said....you keep repeating yourself and aren't giving any answers - just like the current board members!!!

As quoted above: "Superintendent Keith Pain said the district already had mechanisms in place to help out families with financial hardships and that lowering the late fee would require the board to rework all the registration fees.
"We've done everything we can to try to discern the difference between those who can and those who can't afford to pay the fees," Pain said."
The District follows the guidelines set forth by the USDA and their free lunch program to determine if a family qualifies for "help" from the district. A family of four would have an income of 1.85% over poverty. That calculates to less than $35,841 yearly in order to qualify for applying for the payment plan. WOW! Very difficult to qualify!
So, while they do have mechanics in place to help - the numbers are unrealistic! AND according to the Board Policy Manual on the District website the last revised date for this policy is April 2009 - so, even though it may appear to be a new policy - it is not!
I just feel that we all need to do our research. Smoke & Mirrors! Pay attention to what the District is doing right before the election. No cuts this year? (I am afraid of what will happen next year!) More e-mails from District office about student recognition? Come attend meetings e-mail? Read OUR minutes and listen to audio e-mails? -
Policital moves to get some re-elected?

Whit has added: Seriously, the district has had a per-student late fee for several years, originating several boards back from the present one. So, I guess I am curious as to why this has become an issue now in March 2011. You mentioned difficult financial times in your posting, but the economy has been in the tank since 2008.
COME ON WHIT - you are curious?! Has the economy continued to get worse? If it has gotten better why would unemployment need to be extended? What about the trickle down effect? Foreclosures are continuing, the light at the end of the tunnel has not turned on yet. The District implement the late fee policy in the Spring of 2006 when the economy was better, why not put it on hold for a year or two until the economy starts to turnaround? What would the board need to do in order to rework all the registration fees? Change a few fields on the computer system?

I completely agree with Pay attention and do research, however, why would the board need to rework registration fees at all??? Maybe I'm missing something or just not getting it, but what does reworking the registration fees have to do with dropping the late fees until the economy picks back up??? I guess what I am trying to say is, what exactly is meant by reworking the registration fees and why????

People please realize that "unofficial " minutes have been coming out since LAST April...guess what was going on around that time? Anyone...you guessed it the afore mentioned "three neck ties, the pain, and the pizza snob" were cutting JOBS!!! These jobs cut did affect the kids, this is how this all began. The individuals felt a need to cut a nurse from frankfort square school and arbury. This is why the minutes began. A chord was struck with Borgens and the realization among most of her peers (which needless to say are parents) that the "neckties,pain,and pizza snob" were really running the show! The board, and correct me if I am wrong, is in place to make decisions in collaboration with the family and the community, to provide our students with the highest quality educational opportunities in a safe, supportive, and stimulating learning environment which will empower them to become productive global citizens and successful lifelong learners. It seems over the years decisions have been made both good and bad...I feel, and again correct me if I am wrong, the movement is moving towards change...that being said no matter if you are male, female, neck tie wearing, carb or non carb supporter to hint that the reason Borgens is getting involved is to add to the political smoke and mirrors is ludicrous...if you need the very initial minutes that were sent out I can see about getting them...although I have a feeling you are probably on the mailing list!

I have been on the mailing list since day one and I was a parent whose child was affected by the nurse being cut at Arbury. I believe what Mrs. Borgens is doing is defiantely going to help with getting the "real parents" opinions to the board. I for one amd very happy and grateful that she is willing to take all of this on and get her opinion (and essentially, our opinions) heard!! There absolutely should be a mix of opinions and backgrounds on the board....that's waht this district needs. It doesn't have that at the present time. And THAT is a real shame!!

It seems as though this discussion is directed to school fees which is obviously a problem but people the district is facing many other problems that can/will negatively impact our kids. The bottom line is everyone is struggling but some way people will find a way to scrape up the money to pay the fees. No this is not right but that fact of the matter is that there are truly more pressing issues that needs to be addressed:

see next posting I ran out of characters.....

1. Increasing of class size and the lack of concern
2. Absolutely not cuts this year - yeah that makes me happy but I have a hard time believing this is being Financially Responsible
3. Take one look at the administrators salary - it is posted on the 161 website. Can someone tell me why a 1-4 Principal makes far more than a 5-6 or 7-8 Prinicipal.
4. I always hear about the good teachers. I will be the first to admit we do have some pretty darn good teachers but I am also here to tell you we also have some down right horrible teachers. So are we just going to be like the rest of State of Illinois and accept these teachers as being horrible. One bad teacher can do a lot of damage.
5. The State of Illinois owes the district a ton of money. Why isn't my e-mail box flooded with e-mails for the district explaining this to every single parent? Why isn't the Board rallying the parents to send letters and call our ELECTED PAID legislators telling them we want our $$? I know for a fact the squeakiest wheel will get some oil. The field I work in faces budget cuts every year and guess what we all rally together and miracously the money gets restored and payments are made as the State promised.
I am running out of space again but as you can see I can go on and on...

Three brief points of clarification:

1. As noted in the original article, the Board voted 7-0 at its February 23rd meeting to maintain the registration fees at their current levels, including the $25 late fee. So, why are some posters solely focusing on the three incumbents running for re-election on this issue of fees?

2. In response to community's concerns about the proper nurse coverage in the schools, the Board voted 4-3 at its June 9, 2010 to increase the nurses' hours to cover the time that the students are actually in the buildings and 3 of those 4 yes votes were from the incumbents currently running for re-election. How is that not being responsive to the community?

3. At its September 8, 2010 meeting, the Board voted 4-3 to approve its fiscal year 2011 budget (the budget for the 2010-2011 school year). Again, 3 of the 4 yes votes were from the incumbents currently running for re-election. This is the budget that included 2.1 million in cuts and part of the cuts included raising the class size guidelines by 1. I would imagine making any cuts, especially those involving increasing class sizes, is a very difficult decision and, yet, that's what we expect our elected officials to do: make difficult decisions. So, the incumbents get criticized by some people for making the cuts and then, when those cuts actually work, the same people criticize them for not proposing cuts for next school year?

obviously we are making our points heard because Whit decides to respond. Of course you can say that the board members up for election are the ones that voted for what the people want. But as some of us know we were there. It seems pretty sad that there is a 4-3 vote on alot of important issues (nurse, class size, etc...) so maybe if there is a change the vote can go the other way and we can have full time nurses at Frankfort Square and Arbury. Class sizes won't increase to 25-27 per class. Obviously Whit is one of the Board Members up for election and doesn't want a change for the better.

Wow Whit! For being "just a concerned community member" like me, you must really take notes from those pod casts or must have checked past minutes to have such detailed information about how each member voted. I just looked in the mirror and I think it looks like I have stupid written across my forehead. When they voted to keep the registration fees the same, the $25.00 late fee was not voted on as a separate issue because I'm sure that vote to keep the late fee would have again been 4 yes votes and 3 no votes. By the way, it doesn't take a person with a business or professional background to say yes all the time.

love it taxed enough! amen action speaks louder than words! class size is a HUGE issue in our schools...I know ppl size doesn't matter, but in this case it does. and hello...thank you about the teachers we do have great teachers, but we also have teachers that do the bare minimum. as a previous educator, there is always the opportunity to do good, better, and best. in some instances they are barely making good...really, posting info about the nurses, and it is HORRIBLY MISLEADING the way you are representing this situation...these are not full time nurses at frankfort and arbury...they do not get benefits...nice bait and switch board members are YOU kidding me...the only reason the three voted NO was because of the unfairness of the situation. we are NOT going to stand for it...get your butts to the polls...if size matters to you, if education matters, if you care about your tax dollars, if you care about truth... get to the polls....TIME FOR A CHANGE!!!!! 33 more days...get registered if you have not already, you have until March 8th...make your voice heard, it is time to actually have a voice and our voice is through Borgens!

Well, Taxed enough, the full record is there for examination by any member of the public if they are interested; it's not that hard to find out how the board voted on an issue.

s, there is nothing wrong with 4-3 votes; in fact, it can be an indicator that there is some very healthy debate on particular issues happening at the board table.

I am all for supporting the candidate of your choice in an election; that's the beauty of a democracy. But when that support devolves into smearing and demonizing other candidates simply because you disagree with them, then that is regretable.

Look at how certain posters have reacted on this thread to my posting an alternate or dissenting opinion from theirs.

School board elections are very important and I encourage all Summit Hill voters to do their homework, find out all they can about each candidate, and come April 5th, exercise their constitutional right to choose who you think will best govern our school district.

A few questions for you Whit:
1)The vote for the registration fee can be heard 1:12 into the audio, a few of the board members did have some ideas, which were turned down. Does is sound like they were bullied into their vote? Anyway - late fee income can't be used in the budget as a reliable income - what in fact is done with this money? How much is earned? Tinley 140 does not charge a late fee, 157C does not charge a late fee.
2) Thank you Bern for pointing out the misleading representation about the nurse situation - see they can make everything appear ok without going into the facts!
3) So, if the budget is approved in September, does that mean that proposals talked about right before the election might be different in September 2011? And, Dean Gerdes talked about the District receiving more money from commercial business and also schools will be getting part of the 2% more that we pay from income tax, what would have been done if this new "proposed" money was not found? And will the District be able to rely on definately receiving this income?

Whit this is definitely the 1st time I can say that I agree with you. I think that it's important for everyone to exercise their right to vote. Then there's the 1st amendment right to consider. I don't support the demonizing of any candidate, you must recognize that people are fired up. I think that listening to people's concerns & respecting their difference of opinion is important at any level of government. What the podcasts & official minutes lack is a visual snapshot of what's actually happening at the meetings. I think that's what comes across in Mrs. Borgens emails. Maybe you don't appreciate her sense of humor but you must concede that she's been able to get information out to parents faster than the board. People are taking the time to read what she has to say, they're becoming more involved & that is good for the district. To dismiss her thoughts as merely campaign literature isn't accurate. Have you shared your thoughts with her or pointed out any inaccuracies? You seem to have quite an extensive knowledge of what happens at the meetings, where has she mislead her readers? I think people are picking on the incumbents because they never seem to offer any new ideas or entertain ideas from other board members. You have to admit that it's very convenient that mystically the district turned a corner financially so close to an election. I hope it is all true, because if drastic cuts need to be made next year you're going to hear alot of people screaming WTF?

Really Whit? Here's a little homework for you to do. On the more controversial issues, who are the four YES votes the majority of the time?

I wonder if those "three neck ties" realize that the community refers to them as "Mr. Pain's puppets" or "Pain's YES men". I listen to the podcast regularly and I have yet to hear them debate Mr. Pain, they enjoy squashing the comments and/or suggestions of the 3 women that bring ideas to the table. I thought the school board was suppose to work for the betterment of the community, not in the pocket of the Superintendent!

AMEN!!!!!!!!!

Whit, I did my homework and you left out 1/2 of the information. I heard the reason the vote was 4-3 for the full time nurses. The 3 wanted the nurses full time WITH benefits. The (4) puppets wanted them from 9-3 (a few hours short) WITHOUT giving benefits.

Those three ladies were upset (the newspaper article stated) because the same meeting the vote was 4 -3 to approve administrative ONE TIME CASH BONUS of 2%. The same 4 board members voted NO to nurses benefits. Mr. Doyle, Mr. Macek, and Mr. Balcerzak, Mrs. Molinare voted YES for a cash bonus for EACH OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS - while we were cutting teachers/increasing class sizes. Remember the 2.1 million that was cut, you took from the students to add to administrations triple digits.

Whit, if you were going to save $20,000 cutting the nurses benefits (which the newspaper article mentioned) why did you give that $20,000 to the administrators?

Whit you have a lot of information up your sleeve, but you forgot to mention that Pain's 4 puppets took the nurses benefits away and gave that money to the administration.

Whit, you're a slick one.

Mr. Doyle, Mr. Macek, Mr. Balcerzak, Mrs. Molinare as well as all the administrators in the district should be ashamed of themselves for what they did about nursing staff and their bonuses. Those four board members never seem to question anything Mr. Pain or Mrs. Schiro suggest. I would also like to know how our district can justify a Human Resource administrator that makes $112,000 plus a year. Is she a close friend, related to, or married to one of those board members or administrator's family? What does she do to deserve that salary? She makes more than many of the Principals. She makes way more than any of the teachers. Why doesn't our Superintendent have his doctorate degree? Most Superintendents do... Our district is so top heavy, maybe the board needs to look at administrative cuts instead of increasing class sizes. Good education starts at the top with good leadership. If teachers aren't giving their all maybe the leadership in the building needs to be looked at. Teachers appear to have minimal input at certain schools in our district, no discussion is allowed, and any teacher who dares to question administrations ideas has to fear retribution ( a bad evaluation or reassignment). If morale is low it will affect work performance.

Can someone please post Mrs. Borgens website.

hello interested parent! i think her email is sjborgs@usa.com. if you email her she can add you to the annonymous list of ppl she sends the minutes to. also you could request the past minutes and get caught up to date, honest and funny yet very eye opening...that should make for a little sunday reading... forward them to anyone you feel would be interested...have a great week!

Matrix....It is not Mrs. Borgens that is calling the board members names, it us voters . She has never resorted to catty,personal attacks, as you put it. And just becasue the board was "dysfunctioinal" then, doesn't mean it will be again if we had more women than men on the board now. What exactly are you trying to say???? Maybe the board was dysfuntional then (and I'm sure it was) for other reasons, not because they were women. I don't know about anyone else, but I take offense to that remark. Nobody is saying the board is "dysfunctional" now, we are say we don't like the way things are right now, they are not listening to the voters of this district and we want a change. I would use your words more carefully. The only ones "insulting the voters intellegence" are the ones who seem to be putting Mr. Pain and his buddies up on a pedestal and trying to convince everyone that Ms. Borgens is the bad guy.

Matrix, if "professionally" means (to you) that saying "yes" to EVERY SINGLE THING the Supt. proposes whether it's increasing class size, giving administrators bonuses at the same time they cut nurses benefits, raised fees, not making it a priority to visit the district schools then YES you are right they are professional.

Matrix, you sound gender biased? At least the ladies tend to ask questions to be well-informed before casting a vote.

Kudos to Ms. Borgens for attending meetings and taking the time to share THE TRUTH!

matrix...aka another board member...welcome to the party...mrs.borgens has been a concerned parent and will continue to be a concerned parent...along with hopefully a board member that gets the parents views across ( People April 5th get out and vote)...see above email address join in, get on her email list and read the minutes. so what she puts it in a witty format...if that is the worse thing you have to say about her, maybe you should vote for her as well. pain has made some good decisions (please refer to 3/4 1:25 post), but he has also made some bad decisions as far a my comment about the neckties, the pain, and the pizza snob...if it quacks like a duck its a duck...she made the comment about giving up pizza, her bad not mine...getting back to basics...this district is led by people who often mislead...the information we receive (the nurse situation) was misconstrued. you can say whatever you want, but over the past couple of years the vote has predominently went toward pain and his puppets (see 10:43 3/5). if you want to really dissect the minutes and pretend you are completely aware of what they a feeding us and honestley believe that its the truth, go right ahead it just proves you must be one of the neck ties...

anyway i digress, lets get back to the point you originally brought into play dysfunction...hahahaha! thank you for opening another door for all of us to walk and talk on thru. even saying it was dysfunctional becauase of the women is a complete joke and makes you look like one as well. the sex of a person has nothing to do with this situation it has to do with the audactiy of pain and his cronies, and the fact that the board, as it stands right now, always vote YES if that is what pain wants... professional behaviors - maybe -depends on the profession you are basing their behaviors on...voting soley on what one individual wants is WRONG!!! voting on what is best for the multitude is what they were elected to do...maybe they started off that way but along the way they got off track...i think most people whether they are posting on here or not are concerned with the way the board bulldozes issues. that is a huge concern!

also is what world does a HR person get 112,000 are you kidding me? i am quite familiar with the salaries for a local 14 million dollar company and guess what? the TOP hr person gets 65,000...what about checking the salaries and really evaluating what is going on here? the doom and gloom is representative of a topheavy district trying to keep themselves living in the manner in which they have become accustomed ...say what you will, but do NOT involve Borgens in your public smear campaign trying to put her in this arena where we are discussing issues about the behaviors of board members on this front...maybe you should try to catch up with her outside of the school where she usually is...oh wait you probably are board member...you dont visit schools do you? SORRY IT HAD TO BE BROKEN APART...my tirade went on to long... :)

Well said Bern!!

Bern, I couldn't agree more! Thank you for saying it so well!

Matrix, I recommend that you request the back issues of Mrs. Borgens' e-mails. I reviewed them and I have yet to find where she has insulted any voters' intelligence. (and really, if you think she is insulting her readers aren't you suggesting that the voters aren't smart enough to understand what she is saying or what is going on in the district?) I'm guessing some of her wit may be over your head and it is you that is confused. (was that catty?) Apparently you are threatened by vocal women and informed voters. When you refer to her "personal attacks", are you upset that she questions issues that Mr. Macek, Mr. Doyle & Mr. Balcerzak are not willing to? Also, her e-mails only address issues that our school district is facing. From fees to class size to student/teacher safety during the recent blizzard - she has taken the time to look at how our administration acts/reacts to each of these issues. Why are you threatened by her commentary? Have you taken the time to call her out on any inaccuracies in any of her e-mails? They seem to follow very closely along with the podcasts. I'm just curious, are you more upset about what she's saying or how many people are listening to her?

Very well said "Seriously"!!!!

Preach it - Seriously? I love it...I also went back and checked the emails...at the end of each, Borgens personally asks for any criticism or inaccuracies to be pointed out...she, I believe actually welcomes them...so if they were so offensive and erroneous, Matrix have you emailed her????

Matrix - how can I even begin to comment? The first thing you should do when you wake up today is find a way to remove the woman's right to vote. Can you be more chauvinistic than this? Maybe you should go live in one of the third world countries where women have no rights at all. Talk about name calling?!?!?!?! On another note, are there any lawyers out there who would like to take a case pro bono? One of the board members also serves on our park district board and since there are intergovernmental contracts with the school district and park district, this is definitely a conflict of interest. Would love to know if anyone is interested.

Taxed enough, Score one for women............

Enough is Enough! whit and matrix are doing nothing but blowing smoke to cover up Pain's and the Board's delusions of grandeur. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if both of them are board members trying to protect themselves. They don't realize the residents are tired of them putting themselves first, while the kids take a back seat. And why does Macek continue to sit on two boards, which is a conflict of interest. I guess he doesn't care about the law, but what he is doing is illegal! And he's on our Board spending our money! I wonder how that benefits him? And by the way, isn't it that time of the year to extend Pain's 3-year contract. Normally, his 4 Board puppets renew the contract every time a year expires, so as to keep him safe. I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see his puppets do it real quick if they lose the election and maybe even give him a nice raise at our expense.

I'm sure they'll make sure it gets renewed BEFORE the election. And again it will be a 4-3 vote.

Without a doubt!

Just to let everyone know it already has been extended. It was done earlier this year it was a one year extension.

how does that pass thru? is it only the board's decision? if so wouldn't that make his behind the door meetings with some board members even more suspect?

There are a lot of things done this way. Just like the increase in the tax levy. How many people knew about this? They didn't have to let us know if the increase is under a certain percent. They did post it in the paper, but obviously a lot of people did not see that article. There are certain things they don't have to share and they don't. This is the main reason we need a change. We need board members that are going to keep us informed. The thing some of the board members forget is the most important thing in this district the children. You don't have to have a professional business degree to figure that one out. As for being with the district I have been in this district for over 13 years. I have seen a lot of changes over the years. Some good and some bad. I can't believe Matrix thinks this has to do with gender. Really are you that much in space zone. There is a fourth vote that follows Mr Pain and it is not male. So what the voters are looking for is not to have a all women board but a board that is not afraid to say no to Mr. Pain. A board that really cares about whether our children have a nurse at the school, if our children can really learn with 25 children in a classroom, if people can really afford late fees or maybe try and make it affordable for the families so they don't have to pay late fees. That is why I will vote for all three new candidates. Sorry guys to me you failed.

Very well said "need a change" - I completely agree!!!!

After attending the board meeting March 9 and witnessing the tenision on the board. It was a interesting evening and i believe some of the board members are not looking out for the community and should take a look at the amount of for sale signs. And as far the possible open meeting violation that happens all to often but people dont really watch out for it. I do like the district 161 web site posting agendas both past and present. I did follow this news story which got me to go to the meeting and i just needed some popcorn and a coke.

Hi Everyone, I would like to state that I agree with many of the posters to this forum that the board appears dysfunctional and that the opinions of Mrs. Kenny, Murphy and Molinare are discounted and blown off by the other four board members. The Board can not have a bunch of "yes" men( or women) to function effectively. It needs various opinions and views represented by it's members. I may not always agree with Mrs. Borgens, but I respect her different opinions. The current board can not say they respect differing opinions. I do agree with Mrs. Borgens that the board should work for the kids. I also believe that board members should have kids in district schools such as myself (father of four) and Stacey.

David Faber, I agree with most of what you said. In my opinion, I think you may have one of the names wrong (or maybe not). After listening to the podcast and looking over the minutes from the meetings Ms. Molinare 's voting record most of the time is aligned with the Macek, Doyle and Balcerzak....it's Ms. Lenz that shares the same views as Ms. Murphy and Ms. Kenny and it appears Ms. Lenz is NOT a puppet for the administration.

While I agree with your opinion that it is beneficial to have children attending Summit Hill schools I also think it's important to have someone on the board such as Ms. Kenny. With Ms. Kenny's 25 years of experience and knowledge she fights for what is best for the children more than Mr. Macek and Mr. Balcerzak who are the other board members with NO children in our district. I see Ms. Kenny at ALOT of school functions, but I have yet to see Mr. Balcerak or Mr. Macek attending functions in our 7 schools.

David Faber, after reading your comments you have my support.
Let's vote BOTTOMS UP on April 5th!!!!!!

Informed, I will concede to you about Mrs. Molinare's voting record as I have not been able to attend as many meetings as I would like. I have known Ms. Kenny for 30 years as I was a year ahead of her oldest child and know she has served the board and community admirably for many, many years. The point I was trying to make, obviously not as well as I would like, is that members with kids in the district have "skin in the game" and know their decisions will affect them and should take their board responsibilities seriously. Obviously, there can be exceptions to either side of that argument.

By the way, look for me at Indian Trail and Rogus events, as I have a 4th and 2nd grader at Trail and a Kindergartner and Pre-Schooler at Rogus.

I hope I have your vote.

To "Matrix" and "Whit": Mrs. Borgens is at every board meeting. I think that you each ought to go up to her at the next meeting and introduce yourselves. You both seem like reasonably intelligent people and I'm sure that she'd be pleased to meet you and have a chance to talk to you in person. Most meeting attendees should be able to point her out to you -- she has never hidden who she is while there. So have the courage of your convictions and allow her to respond to your concerns. Unless there is some reason you can't...hmmmmm, what could that reason be????

David Faber, Good Luck to you in this election. You sound like a good man that will place children first. You have my vote!

i love it people!!!! cant wait to see the shock and surprise on the board members faces...by the way those of you who are voting borgens camp...it is a win-win for us...if she wins, she is on the board and will fight for us tooth and nail...if by some off chance she does not she will be sitting at the meetings taking the minutes, witnessing pain with a very watchful eye...i dont think many board members are happy with our new information and new found watchfullness...thanks mrs.borgens and the members who have served so selflessly over the past few years. we appreciate your hard work, and thank you for your continued efforts of putting our children first!!

Informed, you have several factual mistakes in your March 5th post that need to be corrected:

1. At the June 9, 2010 meeting, an amendment was made by Mrs. Lenz and seconded by Mrs. Kenny to increase the nurses' positions to 7 hours with benefits and that amendment was defeated by a 4-3 vote. The board then took up the original motion to increase the nurses' hours to 6.5 hours and to work only school days when the children are present and that motion passed by a 4-3 vote. Go back and listen to the podcasts of previous meetings: the community members who brought the petition were asking that nurses be in the buildings the whole time that students are present; they're weren't asking for the nurses to be retained a full-time employees with benefits. While you're at it, check out the March 24, 2010 minutes where the board voted 7-0 to dismiss certain educational personnel (which included the nurses as fulltime employees) and then voted 6-1 to rehire the nurses back as part-time employees.

2. At its May 26, 2010 meeting, the board voted 6-o not to give the administrative and non-certified personnel any percent increase in terms of their salary. At its June 9, 2010 meeting, the board voted 4-3 to give all administrative and non-certified personnel a one-time 1% stipend. Do people think that our administrative and non-certified personnel work do not work as hard as our certified staff who receive a contractual increase?

tim gaffney, the public should listen to the March 9, 2011 podcast and witness a horrendously desparate and contrived attempt by some board members to smear the incumbents just in time for the election. It was an absolutely disgusting political display and a real low point in terms of the behavior of some board members.

I hope you remember that school board elections are non-partisan and that your political organization (the Frankfort Township Democrats) does not endorse school board candidates like it did back in the 2007 election.

David Faber, I don't think the board is as dysfunctional as you claim and I think there is a healthy range of perspectives on the board. As for whether or not board members should have kids in the district, I see the pros and cons of both sides. As you point out, Mrs. Kenny hasn't had children in the district in decades. Board members with kids in the schools do have a vested interest, however, a board member has to think not as the parent of 3 or 4 kids, but as the parent of nearly 4,000 kids. A board member without kids in the district could arguably bring a certain level of objectivity or perhaps they could bring expertise in a particular area. The bottom line for me is having rational, ethical, and compassionate people serving on the school board, regardless of whether or not they have kids in the district.

Whitt: There is absoultely nothing wrong with rewarding GOOD administration when the school district is financially health and can AFFORD to offer rewards. Bottom line we are cramming kids into the classrooms instead of hiring teachers SO WE CAN SAVE MONEY which means we are overworking a teacher because he/she has more kids in a class. In my eyes that overworked teacher should get a one time stipend. We are cutting nurses SO WE CAN SAVE MONEY. Should I go on? I think you get the picture so how did we have the money to pay administration this one time stipend? Oh yeah and tell me what exactly administration did to earn this one time stipend?

It was a slap in the nurses face to cut their hours to just part-time status so the district wouldn't have to pay their benefits. I am all for the district saving my tax dollars but nurses are professionals and deserve better treatment than that. I am surprised they did not all quit! I think our administrators are already paid more than they should be and they do not deserve a 1% stipend. That money could have been better spent elsewhere. Whit you can try and justify the actions of the board anyway you want, the move with the nurses was underhanded. Wouldn't we all like to have our friends place a vote so we could get a bonus..... Oh and include the non-certified staff as a smoke screen or diversion. Do you really think people are that stupid?!?

There's a big difference between 1% for the non-certified staff and 1% for the Administration.
I'd take 1% of Keith Pain's salary over the aides or office personnel.

Whit, even though this is a non-partisan election, we still need to elect responsible leaders who are only interested in the needs of the students and not for their own political agenda. It's funny how you mentioned we endorsed prior school board candidates who by the way are Republicans (how's that for being non-partisan). If an organization believes what candidates stand for in a non-partisan election, why wouldn't we (the Democrats) endorse them? At least Whit, my real name goes on my comments and I don't hide behind an alias. As far as the Frankfort Township Democrats, we took care of helping an independent win the election for the Frankfort Township tax assessor and I'm sure most of our taxpayers have seen a great improvement in how that office handles their business. We stood behind an independent because we (the Democrats) felt he was the right person for the job. As far as violating the open meetings act, I feel those board members have a true concern about what goes on behind closed doors without them and I'm sure they're not talking basketball scores.

You tell him Mr. Gaffney!!!

Whit, how much time and district tax dollars were used for you to obtain all this information?
Or did you obtain it behind "locked doors " after a meeting? (as the podcast stated) or maybe a FOIA? Or you have alot of time on your hands to go back years to dig up info. that is still inaccurate?

Through all these posts the only thing Whit is good for is "defending and deflecting". You sound just like Sean Doyle at a school board meeting. (just listen to the podcast)

Whit, you mentioned in your post "2007 election" who remembers that but Doyle, Balcerzak, or Macek.

One more thing Whit, seen as though you have SO MUCH inside info. why are the administrators and non certified salaries clumped together?

I am astonished by what keeps coming from Whit, or should I say Mr. Sean Doyle. You are feeding us nothing but garbage! Pain's four puppets continue to do what they're told. Pain and his puppets are continuing to take down our school district and say it's for the kids. Whether it's laying off teachers, cutting benefits, or giving stipends, they've made a kingdom for themselves. And they surely don't want to lose their kingdom. Today, I received an email from the boys asking for my support in the election. Guess what? MORE GARBAGE!! They're throwing out this bs about how great they are and all they have accomplished. Ken and Dave just take up space at board meetings unless Pain tells them what to say, while Sean just plays the roll of a snobbish dictator. And the part that said they were "dedicated and compassionate" got me rolling on the floor. And the part about spending our tax dollars "wisely" was another good chuckle. They state that these are challenging economic times and that we need their leadership. It's their leader, Kieth Pain, who is destroying this district, both academically and financially. We are better served with new blood, Stacey Borgens and George Perros, people who passionately care about our kids and the financial chaos that is reaching deep into our pockets. Remember, a vote for the boys is a vote for a referendum down the road.

Whit
You really have a lot of time on your hands to be able to go back & review podcasts. You also seem to be carrying a lot of anger-at least you have something in common with the community. Here's what it comes down to - the men were questioned at the last meeting about what went on after the board meeting was adjourned, why they stayed behind with Mr. Pain behind locked doors- if it was innocent it shouldn't have been a problem for any of the 4 of them to say what the meeting was about. Instead Joy & Mary were attacked. They admitted they'd made a mistake, why couldn't the men do the same. It looks bad - period. Leave the nurse issue alone, the community knows that cutting nurse benefits was wrong. The ladies (minus Dee) fought for the benefits. The men & Dee pushed thru a bonus (stipend, whatever helps you sleep at night) - money that could have paid for nurse benefits. Why does everything have to be so sneaky, backhanded & disrespectful? It's no wonder that when Mr. Pain or Barb Raines show up at a school people scatter & start saying their prayers. Who knows what's going to be taken away from them next? I highly doubt anyone in the district would have a problem giving a raise to the hourly employees or staff that make peanuts in comparison to the administrators - those staff are the backbone of our schools. I think it's time you find your backbone Whit, & start realizing that people are paying attention, listening & aren't fooled by your smoke & mirrors. 21 days

Bye bye Macek, bye bye Ballsack

I'm just a community resident who cares about the school district as much as everyone else.

tim gaffney, political parties and their money should stay out of non-partisan elections. If school board candidates cannot, by law, run under a party affiliation, why should they receive assistance from political parties? You mention political agendas in your post; do you think a candidate in a non-partisan election who received assistance from a political party wouldn't have an agenda? Let's not be naive.

kids are important, too!, I received the same email you did apparently which lists the incumbents' website as http://www.threefor161.com.

informed, actually many residents remember the 2007 election where Joy Murphy (assisted by Mary Kenny and Denise Wildeveld) tried to get Balcerzak and Doyle removed from the ballot, only to have a Will County judge overrule them and restore the candidates to the ballot (it was covered extensively in the local press). Can you imagine how much the district had to spend on legal fees in that fiasco?

Whit-does that mean the incumbents will not be accepting $10,000 from the teachers' union if it's offered this year?

Whit, Yo Whit you are STILL AVOIDING my question from March 14th.....
Why are the non certified staff and (the double digit) administrators salaries clumped together?

Whit, you are AVOIDING another question: Why are you using the school district family email list to send out your campaign propaganda? My email is NOT on any other list. Imagine that.

Whit, All we hear on this sight is backpeddling, smoke screening and deflecting out of you. We all know you 're Sean "up to no good" Doyle. It is sad that you are after everyone that posts a comment on this site (except Matrix - who has the same blowing smoke up your ass attitude).
VOTE: BOTTOM UP (Perros, Faber, Borgens) on April 5th!

i believe i heard in the last school board election there were around 15oo votes cast (correct me if i am wrong) that does not seem like very many for a community as involved as summit hill is. that being said if you do NOT go to the polls it is a vote for the incumbents. if you are voting...which you all better be :) you have the oppurtunity to vote for three people, but you are not required to vote for all three. YOU choose who you are voting for! if you don't know someone or their views - leave it blank- there are three people fighting for change. that means the three neckties already have their own following, so the change makers are fighting for the rest of the votes. i personally would like to see all the incumbents removed. that being said...Don't pollute the pond by automatically voting for a person...our side, the side for change is fighting tooth and nail to get your voices heard. i only have one email address which is listed on the march 6th post...sjborgs@usa.com feel free to post the other addresses so we can all contact any of these new people for their views.

It does seem to me the school board has taken its eye off the ball. With rising tax bills going to the school systems.There are cut backs going on at summit hill 161 but the TOP HEAVY adminastration salaries and bonuses
Open ended contracts that do not go out for competive bids. Teachers getting let go, nurses and
they may start cutting after school programs. That is feeling why i believe we need to get rid of the hand raising board members. And my family and i are voting for Stacey Borgens and George Perros

Joe, I appreciate you talking to Mr. Pain. Not that I would expect him to tell you the truth, but did you happen to ask him if the Summit Hill Education Foundation could have let their email list be given out?

And to Mr. Gaffney, are you saying they may look at shutting down the band program? I had heard something about this, but I didn't think they would ever consider this.

I clicked on these articles and was surprised to see that they were from 20 years ago! A lot can happen in 20 years, and frankly, I'm more interested in what is going on now. You must have been pretty interested in looking for dirt on Mr. Perros to pull these out of the pile. And then to try to use this to throw mud on Mrs. Borgens, SHAME ON YOU. You probably looked for dirt on her and couldn't find any, so you decided to pull this to try to discredit her. Anyone who is really following what has been going on in this district knows that, whether you agree with her or not, Mrs. Borgens is genuinely interested in making this district about what is best for the kids. And, sadly, this is not something that by my observations is true of the three incumbents who are running. As for these articles from so long ago, they don't get too specific about what may or may not have happened. I don't know what they really mean. But I do know what's happening NOW, in our district. And "it ain't pretty," that's for sure....

CONTINUED: All I need to do is examine what they having been doing in the PAST YEAR (not 20 years ago) to realize that these school board members' priorities are not the same as mine. I attended a meeting in which Mr. Doyle I believe talked about how everyone needed to make sacrifices in these tough economic times. The board then voted (4-3!) to make a change in the nurses' hours and days that effectively made them part-time and stripped them of benefits (and just so we are clear here, the nurses even before this change were making an amount annually that put them close to the federal poverty level for a family of four). Then, later IN THIS SAME MEETING, the board voted a 1% bonus (oh, excuse me, a STIPEND, making it tax-free, I think) to the administrators. Hmmm -- take away hours and benefits from the poorly paid who need them most, give extra money to those who are the highest paid...what's wrong with this scenario? This is the reality NOW. This is why Mrs. Borgens will be getting my vote.

Well said Miss Marp! Someone (I can't imagine who) must be getting very nervous right now to be scraping the bottom of the google barrel to find ANYTHING they can to discredit their opponents. I guess it's true what they say - desperate times call for desperate measures, but really "Tom" 1989? The funny thing is Mrs. Borgens & Mr. Perros don't have to do that because the community can see for themselves the problems that face the district. Right now they are looking for people who have a mind of their own, people that are not going to turn to Mr. Pain and ask what they should do next. Candidates that are prepared to lead, rather than follow. I don't envy the obstacles/decisions they are going to face once elected - but they have put their necks on the line for all of us & our children. The least we can do is head to the polls on April 5th & support them. Right now we should also be concerned what they (the potential lame duck members of the board) will try to push through before the new members are sworn in. Since ethics don't seem to be one of their strong suits, we as a community need to pay close attention to the April 6 & 20th meetings. I doubt that the three amigos will think twice about the mess they will be leaving behind.

Wow Tom, I seem to have hit quite a nerve with you that you felt the need to attack my horse. I refuse to stoop to the gutter, which I'm guessing is where you're hanging out - I'm glad that they have WiFi down there so you can access google. I guessing that both Mr. Perros & Mrs. Borgens are thrilled that you aren't voting for them. I read all of your articles, & I get that you felt the need to insinuate that Mr. Perros was somehow in the wrong. I took the time to read all his credible accomplishments written on pages 1-12 on Google. I also understand that you are hoping that the voters in Summit Hill will be distracted by your smoke screens & ignore the many problems facing our district - starting from the six figure top. My question to you is why aren't you looking into what is going on in THIS century? I wonder what I would find out if I googled the name "Tom", I have excellent research skills...who knows what I could find out about you. If you have so many questions about Mrs. Borgens & why she would to collaborate with Mr. Perros, you should e-mail her directly. I hear she welcomes questions from the community. I believe her e-mail address is listed in one of the previous comments. Of course, going to the source is doing actual research & you don't seem to have any interest in learning the truth unless it fits your purposes. I hear TMZ is hiring, they aren't much into getting the whole story either.

I did read the articles, Tom, and they really don't get very specific. The last three just refer back to what is stated in the first without getting any more detailed as to what exactly was done or not done. I've learned over the years (from personal experience) to maintain a healthy skepticism about much of what is reported in the media. I make my own decisions about a person's character based on what I myself observe as much as I am able. Regardless, Mrs. Borgens IMO is doing what is right here and now. What I don't want my property taxes used for is to quietly give bonuses to the people who need them least (for example, someone making in excess of $160,000!). Do you? I believe it is important to be attentive to what is happening now.

Some of the posters on here need to swear off the koolaid they've been chugging and get a reality check! They sound like the Manson family with their constant repetition of their "Borgens and Perros are great, the incumbents are evil" message. They make it sound like the schools are going to hell in handbasket but they don't offer a single shred of hard evidence that this is happening. Have they been in a coma the past few years? The school district is in very good financial shape given the circumstances (look at the finances of other districts), our kids are learning and have high ISAT scores, and there are plenty of extracurriculars for them. If the schools are as bad as some of these posters claim, then why do people still want to move to the Summit Hill area to have their kids educated here? I think the incumbents Doyle, Balcerzak, and Macek have gone a fine job on the board and that's why they are getting my vote.

Thanks Tom for the information about George Perros. The public does have a right to know this information and it is relevant. I googled his name and found a ton of Chicago Tribune articles about his resignation as an assessment offical in Will county. Google the candidates folks!

I just have to add a few more things. Did Tom or Mary know that our tax levy increased this year? Did you know that Mr. Pain's contract was extended and he got a raise and a "bonus" or I am sorry Stipen. Why would this happen if we can't afford to add more teachers so classrooms are not so crowded. Or we can't give some of our nurses benefits because we don't have the money. But we can give our administrators a 1% stipen and clump them together with the non-certified employees so everyone wouldn't say anything. Also I have known the incumbents for a while. Even when they were in charge of other things and when they stepped down then it was time. It is a time for a change and if people think this is a witch hunt then you really don't have any idea what is going on in our district.

Mary, I won't stoop to the level of making disparaging comments about other posters. Everyone is entited to their opinions. I stand by my statements. The evidence of what I stated is in the audio of the board meeting. We DO have a great school district (no one ever said it was not), but that does not mean that one should turn a blind eye to what is not right with the way things are run. I have felt for years that responding to legitimate concerns of parents has not been a high priority for certain members of the board, and that these concerns are often brushed off (and the parents voicing them sometimes treated very condescendingly). This is only my opinion. I do know for a fact that some district employees have been verbally warned against speaking against something that the board is proposing, and others have been reprimanded or otherwise punished for doing so. Does free speech end when the district employs you? I am not talking about employees "ranting" but calmly giving an opinion that is counter to the board's. I have also witnessed a parent who dared to speak out at a board meeting being intimidated by a board member at a school function. This is reprehensible! These are occurrences of which I have first-hand knowledge, but if you choose not to believe me that is your right. I know these are true, and I feel that this kind of toxic environment should not be allowed to continue. My vote will continue to be for Borgens. P.S. I don't even like koolaid!

Tom & Mary...you 2 need the reality check! We live in an awesome school district and want to keep it that way. The "School Board" has nothing to do with the ISATs! Awesome teachers & smart students are what keep those scores up. I don't see any board member taking the ISAT's do you??? As for the "articles", they give no details. None. Mr. Perros will not be the only one deciding on money factors for the district...the board is supposed to do that as a whole. That's not happening now. And Mary, you obviously haven't been to a meeting or really even read the comments on here. Everything on here is coming down to the Districts Finanaces! How the board tried to cut Nurses, how they gave themselves the "stipend", how the classrooms are overcrowded, how teachers may get cut next year....do you not understand that all this means financial trouble?? Our District fortunately has not had to cut extra curriculars, but for how long will we be able to keep them??? The District is far from being "financially sound"!! Where have you been??? Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but until YOU know the details, maybe you should keep your little "kool-aid" opinion to yourself! I am votin g for Mrs. Borgens no matter who she is running with her because I value her opinion, I believe in what she is standing up for and I KNOW she wants what is best for our children. I believe she will actually listen and HEAR what the community has to say. You & Tom should listen too.

Mary,
It is true it appears at the school board meetings that I have attended Dave Macek has little or no interest in being at the meeting. You should see the way he sits at the board table, I feel it is extremely disrespectful.
It is true it appears Ken Balcerzak is just there to be a YES vote.
It is true Sean Doyle just likes to hear himself talk. He is also ready and waiting to jump down a board member throat that has an idea that is not Keith Pain's idea.

Mary, yes we are a good school district, but we could be great! We need board members that want to support the children and our community not just Keith Pain. At the meetings I have attended if Keith Pain does not get his way he rolls his eyes, mumbles under his breath, simply acts like a child.

Mary, the comment you made regarding the imcumbants being attacked is not what I am seeing from the postings.
I see Whit, Matrix, and Tom going after every poster on here. There is a lot of truth to what is being said by the posters. Mary, "get off your high horse" (as Tom said) go to a meeting and get involved so you can observe what is happening in the district for yourself.

The posters have mentioned they have attended meetings, listened to podcasts, talked to staff, and also read the school board minutes. I think you should before you post a comment!

My friend told me that Tom is probably the man who looks like the monopoly guy, dresses in the Mr. Rodgers sweater who goes to every school board meeting for Summit Hill and Lincolnway and creeps around the band.
Does anyone know who this man is? Is he Keith, Sean, Dave and Ken's DUPE again?

I have known George Perros for many years. In fact, enough years to have been around when he got railroaded back in 1989. The bottom line is that he was doing a fine job as the Will County Supervisor of Assessments. The problem that happened was that in the 1988 election, there was a switch in political power, with the Will County Board Chairman going from republican to democrat. Being that Mr. Perros and the majority of the Board of Review happened to be republican, that didn't set well with the new chairman, who makes the appointments. The chairman made life difficult for George, hoping that he would quit. Finally, the chairman put together a "Blue Ribbon Committee", made up mostly of democrats and people not truly knowledgeable about the assessment process, to create a fabrication that would make the assessment process look terrible. After a year of constant badgering and harassment, George decided the struggle was not worth it any more and quit. The chairman then made it sound like he won and that he corrected the whole assessment process . That was not the case because, in reality, it was never broken. George went on to be the chief appraiser for a township assessor's office in DuPage County, a senior tax consultant for a firm in Chicago, and for the last six year, has had his own tax consulting business in Frankfort.

Now 20 years later, someone with no knowledge of what truly happened decides he doesn't like these outsiders trying to oust these incumbents and makes up some story because he read an article from 20 years ago.

Let me just say that in the many years I have known George, he is a good man and would make a great addition to the school board. Despite what the incumbents are trying to get away with in this election year, the district is going to have financial difficulties. George has 35 years of experience in the property tax field. Whether you have children in the school district or not, you pay taxes! I want someone on that board that's going to look out for my taxes and the kids. I will vote for George & Stacey.

Thank you Mr. Henderson for clearing that up...not that I was buying into the smear talk anyway. More times than not, when someone is "forced" to quit, it is because of something political and I figured that was the case with Mr. Perros...seeing that there were no details given in the articles published. If there was something really wrong, then why didn't it get printed and advertised. Why?? There was nothing there to print. Stacey & George have my vote and they have the votes of everyone I know. They will, without a doubt in my mind, help to improve the School Board and listen to us voters!!

Kudos to Mr. Henderson for coming forward to explain a situation that was implied with such a slant that it bordered on slander.
Maybe they (Matrix, Mary, Tom or Whit) could Google Mrs. Borgens next. I did, the funny thing was - it came up with all sorts of information on how she helps out in the community and fought to keep nurses in all of the school. I can't wait to read the next toxic remarks from those 4 individuals who have now basically become the laughing stock of this news feed. If I were Sean Doyle, Dave Macek, or Ken Balcerzak I would want my name as far removed from Matrix, Whit, Mary or Tom - or would that be considered an out of body experience?

Thank you Frank Henderson...this was a disgusting smear! I cannot believe Keith, Sean, Ken and Dave went back 20 years before they could find anything negative. Thank you for your positive comments, it was nice to see that George Perros stood up for his beliefs. Imagine, Somebody with a backbone is running for the Summit Hill School Board!
Get out and VOTE :April 5th! BOTTOM UP!

I have to agree with Mary. The district and the board have definitely improved since the three gentlemen have joined the board. By their comments, some people have a real issue with having men and professionals on the board and I'm not sure why. And to try to paint these men as uncaring is horrendous. They have been involved with the community in many organizations over the years. It's amazing what low people will stoop to to try and smear the repution of good people. They've earned another 4-year term in my eyes, so vote the top 3 on the ballot come April 5th!

You must be a real good friend of the guys. If you had attended board meetings or listened to the meetings, you would not be saying they are professionals and that the board has improved. You also must not have read any of the comments from the people in this district as to what has happened, such as the stipends given to the administration, the nurses' hours cut and losing their benefits, class size expanded, or the way they control the board like it was a dictatorship. I'd tell you to open your eyes, but you're like Mary, you have blinders on and can't see the facts. You just want to protect these guys who are going to punish us when they call for a referendum or screw with OUR tax dollars. They haven't earned another 4-year term, they have earned the right to go home and let people who really care get on the board.

Hi everyone. I'm still waiting to hear some justification for why, at a meeting where a board member stated that EVERYONE was going to need to make sacrifices, and this member and three others voted to cut wages and benefits for nurses (who already did not make a great deal of money), these same board members then voted to give a 1% tax-free stipend/bonus to administrators, some of whom were already making WELL in excess of $100,000. I would like a good reason for this. No poster has yet addressed this.

Sean, Dave and Ken - WOW.... you went back 21 years and found WHAT?
The Guilty always point the finger.....so what are you hiding?

Tina,
The incumbents may be the 3 nicest, most professional men on the face of the earth (they aren't because I have watched them first hand be disrespectful to anyone who dares to disagree with them or Mr. Pain). They question nothing & spend little if any time visiting the schools. They have no problem giving money/extending Mr. Pain's contract behind closed doors. Yet in open session that took away benefits for nurses & watched class sizes exceed the guidelines they had set forth last year. We live in a good school district that should be better. Summit Hill is the lowest scoring feeder district into Lincoln Way (as stated by Dr. Gardner at a parent breakfast). That's ok with you? Mr. Pain said that 91.3% of students met or exceeded the ISAT standards - that means 312 kids aren't. The average ACT score for a Summit Hill student is 21 - that's 58% which is appalling. SHJH has not met their AYP 2 out of the past 3 years. Tina/Mary- are you ok with this? No one is saying these men are evil - but their job is to lead the superintendent, not give him carte blanche to do whatever he wants to do. Our district paid a lot of money to have an outside firm do a Strategic Plan for our district. The plan warned that 161 is heading into "the perfect storm" financially unless "draconian" cuts are made over the next few years. Tina-who do you think is responsible for this mess? I say it's the ones sitting back refusing to do anything because they want to get reelected.

It looks like it will be a win-win situation for Sean, Ken & Dave. If they win, they get what they want. If they lose, then it will be someone else's job to clean up their mess.

Seriously, Dr. Gardner did say that Lincolnway NORTH had the lowest test scores out of all the Lincolnway schools. Sadly enough, Ken Balcerzak attended this meeting with Dr. Gardner. Ken, it's VERY irresponible to only be concerned about the Summit Hill's ISAT scores.

Just another reason to VOTE: April 5th BOTTOM UP!

Well here we go again. Tom I am glad that you were able to read the articles and get something out of it. It seems everyone I told to read the articles does not get the same reaction. I understand you are friends with these men and you obviously have your opinion which i respect. BUT you do say that everything should be brought out but when things are said about your FRIENDS everyone is wrong or misinformed. It just amazes me that people like you say you are concerned about our children but still feel that everything is ok with our school board now. Do you just see what you want and tell only part of the story hmm maybe you should run for a seat you would fit right in with the others. And to Tina I understand that it is hard to hear people say things about your friends I know these men also outside of the Boardroom and they are very nice men and great businessmen but I think they just have forgotten why they are on the Board. and it is time to put someone in who remembers why we are all here and it is for the children.

Hey Tom - Frank knew the facts about what happened 20 years ago, not an "interpretation" of the events. I'm sure his friendship is no stronger than yours is with Pain and his boys. Now why don't you go make up a story about someone else. Hey, I got a good one for you...why not make something up about the nurses loss of benefits, or the stipend given to the big shots, or the expanding of the class size. Or better yet, tell us how rosy the budget is going to be next year and how we won't be talking about a referendum. Better yet, just go back to Pain and ask him what to write about next.

Just wanted to remind everyone to vote on April 5. Your vote does count and can make a difference. Please remember you vote for the candidates individually so you don't have to vote for all of them that are on one sign. See you April 5

Does anyone know if the current board established the position of Director of Human Resources? This salary is outrageous! $112,750 (salary): $1,127 ( bonus): and $11,815 ( to TRS for pension). Surely some one could do that job for half and what's left over could pay for a teacher. From what I hear the district ran fine without this position.... That position is paid more than the Principals of any of the schools get paid????? I'm sure Ms. Rains is a wonderful woman this is not about her, just the cost of the position. Is it necessary to educate our children?

this is the battle,bottom line.the admin salaries keep going up but the teachers and nurses keep getting cut. so what is up 4 to3 school board? is it the fact you keep voting for cuts on teachers and feathering your own beds. I know we can, and we will change the face of the school board. Look at the mess of mokena school system they are in the same crisis.we are going to avoid all that by voting april 5 for George Perros And Stacey Borgens.

I just have a few comments. I would like to address the people that are voting for the three incumbents. I have talked to a couple of people who are voting for them. The reasons they gave me was he is a friend of mine and I have worked with him before on issues in this area. The thing that bothered me about this was they had children that were not in the Summit Hill School District any longer and really didn't know any of the issues that were being talked about in this Patch article. Now I understand you stand by your friends but when it has to do with my children I don't think they are being fair. How can you vote for someone when you really don't know what they are doing in that job. Also I do understand that you don't feel these issues are important to you because your children don't attend this district anymore but overcrowded classrooms and a portion of a Board in the YES mode will eventually affect the resale value when you decide to move. If you are going to vote for someone please look into what issues they have voted for and if their interest is really in the children or just to have a position of power. I ask everyone to please look into what Stacey Borgens stands for you will see she is for the whole district, Children, Staff and administration. If you read about her and still don't like what she stands for then vote for who you want but at least read what sh can do for our children

Vote: Tuesday, April 5th BOTTOM UP!

Stacey BORGENS, Dave FABER, George PERROS