SD 161 Board Divided on Hiring Issues, Fees

In addition to the , the district Board of Education had to deal with another issue at its Wednesday, May 25, meeting: repeated disagreements.

It seems the board, which received two new members after the April 5 election, is at least partly divided along old members versus new — with members Sean Doyle and Dee Molinare frequently siding against the other five.

There were two items on Wednesday's agenda that warranted at-odds discussion: district late fees and hiring of two full-time positions.

Reinstating positions

The board ultimately decided by a vote of 5 to 2 — Molinare and Doyle dissented — to hire a full-time counselor and social worker for the district. The two hires are technically reinstatements of positions dropped in $2.1 million of cuts.

Doyle said he couldn't support the action because he was not given enrollment or caseload data that would justify the need for the hires.

"In hiring, we have to be very thoughtful," he said. "I do think we need to see data that supports that, not based merely on anecdotal evidence."

Molinare said she would rather see the money for the positions — estimated at some $120,000 — somehow put toward decreasing class sizes.

Vice President Joy Murphy argued the students need the full-time support of the positions and she did not agree with the cuts when they were made.

"This is for the students," she said. "I just felt the cuts that made should be restored."

Doyle countered,"If we start restoring cuts, we have to be prepared ... to pay the piper at some point." 

Doyle also disagreed with the posting of a social worker position when the board had not voted on filling the position.

"The posting of a postion without prior approval of the board should never happen — only in emergency situations," he said.

Director of Human Resources and Public Relations Barb Rains said Superintendent Keith Pain would have to answer Doyle's questions.

Late Fees

Recently-elected member George Perros suggested eliminating late fees for school registration dues.

"I don't think we make that much money where we need to charge those fees anymore," Perros said.

Doyle responded,"I don't think it was ever intended to be a revenue stream. The fees were instituted in 2006 as an incentive for the community to register by the deadline. That's all it is. It's an incentive. It was never intended to be a significant revenue stream. If you take that away, you take away the incentive."

Board Secretary Denise Lenz questioned the fairness of discontinuing the late fee in the middle of the process.

"I don't think we should do it midway," she said.

In the end, Perros' motion died due to lack of a second.

The board decided to examine discontinuing the fees next school year and implementing a discount incentive for families who pay by the deadline, Kenny said.