Update 11:15 a.m. -
Lincoln Hall principal Dr. Linda Klobucher will be filling in as interim superintendent and Dr. Jean Weiss will be the assistant superintendent. Stay tuned for more information as we will post it as it comes in.
Earlier -
The immediate future of Lincolnwood School District 74 isn’t clear, as the board failed to name an interim superintendent during a chaotic board meeting Thursday evening.
Potential candidates opted out of the top spot by walking out during Thursday’s board meeting.
Roughly 100 people loudly voiced their displeasure over the actions of the board in recent weeks - which included the re-election of the embattled President Amy Frankel and Darlene Fourkas as Vice President. Any possible superintendents who could have served for the remainder of the school year were turned off by what they saw, Fourkas said.
“We had planned to hire an (interim) superintendent. However, after being visitors in the room, they have declined,” Fourkas reported to the board and the rest of the audience just over an hour into the raucous proceedings.
Read more: See previous SD 74 coverage
After her re-election on a 4-3 vote, Frankel said the district is in violation of a state code by not having a superintendent in place right now.
“It is critical we seat a superintendent immediately for several reasons,” Frankel said, as her concerns centered on the fact that children were going to be in the district’s three schools without a superintendent.
A board attorney said District 74 is risking federal and state funding by not having a superintendent in place.
Eventually, the board met in executive session, but before entering, Frankel stated that the board would take no action Thursday night.
Board members are unsure how they are going to proceed.
The differences amid the board were clear when Frankel chose to be re-elected for a one-year term. She had the support of , Fourkas and Dr. Michael Davros. Trustee Scott Anderson opposed both Frankel for President and Fourkas for Vice President, but only received support from newly elected trustee Kevin Daly and veteran trustee Georjean Hlepas Nickell.
Meanwhile, the board asked its legal counsel if they should seek legal action against a website created by members in the community. The website, which criticizes board spending practices, was asked to be reviewed by the legal counsel for libel or slander.
Anderson said it’s “very disturbing” that the board would consider such an action.
It was not specified which board member requested the action. Frankel said the matter would be referred to a committee for investigation.
The troubles and the short fuses of audience members stem from the way the District 74 board oversaw the administration of who resigned after residents began to question his leadership, spending practices. Similar questions were raised about former board president Koder.
The atmosphere was so jaded that at one point a former school official walked out in disgust claiming the lack of collegiality was not the proper message to send to children.
When asked whether District 74 can still hire a quality superintendent, Anderson expressed some optimism in a brief interview after the meeting.
“Not in the least,” he said. “I can’t be specific about that because of personnel issues but I am confident.”
Frankel would not comment after the meeting.
Community resident Joel Perzov, who has been an active opponent of the board, said the actions taken tonight continue to concern him.
“It’s just more indication of a dysfunctional board,” Perzov said. They refuse to do the right thing so the school district can move on.”
But Fourkas - who received a ton of heckling and loud and bruising comments during the meeting - was disappointed in the evening’s events.
“This is a great community and a great school district and it is pretty much torn apart,” she said. “It is just a sad day.”
1200 Students don't need principals and a superintendant, If the law requires this it needs to be changed. In fact any district with less than 4 schools and 5000 students should be prohibeted from having a Superintendant. Let the principals share the duties.
I never watched your show on television but, I can tell you were educated in one of the schools you describe by the way you learned to spell, "prohibeted". Who needs leadership at a school district? It's best to not have leaders then the kids can "larn all their schoolin'" on their own just like you did while walking 10 miles in the snow barefoot.
One principal cannot manage 800 students in two different buildings. But do they need a principal AND assistant principal at the middle school??
District 219 only has one principal at each school, true, but they also have deans that handle discipline, an attendance office that handles truancy issues and student information, etc. These three (or more) jobs are rolled into one at the grade/middle school level. So you may want to reassess your view of the grade schools and learn more about the actual organization of the high school.
Frankel mistaking holding individual board members being financially responsible as "personal attacks." After chastising community members for "personal attacks," stooping to the level of remarking wryly, "our favorite person" when Kathy O'Brien stepped to the podium to speak. This showed how pompous and out of touch this board has become. She didn't even bother to say it away from the mic. Condescendingly thanking the Lincolnwood teachers for doing their job every day, something the board is obviously not doing. Frankel laughs off any factual claim brought against her, even with receipts and FOIAs present. Frankel was a listless, rudderless boat about what to do for a Sup. She had it all figured out until the walkout, and "didn't need any help with direction two hours ago," according to a fellow board member. Why are Davros and Koder backing these two ladies as BoE leaders? Is there something protecting them legally from their embezzlement as long as they are on the board? Are they just hoping the statute of limitations will run out before they are caught and held to task? How can they even show their faces in the community without shame and fear? Are they that out of touch with the village?
You are absolutely right; the 4/5 BoE meeting was a train wreck. Frankel was arrogant and downright obnoxious, not to mention, at times, a frazzled mess. What happened to her conciliatory act at the last meeting when she was still angling to get the referendum passed? Her gavel wielding censorship of citizens’ comments was particularly offensive, as was her on mic unprofessional comment about Kathy O’Brien. The situation has been dire all along, but this was the new low point. I continue to be amazed that Frankel, Fourkas, Davros, and Koder are so blinded by their ambition, spite, or who knows what, to see that no matter what they do , they cannot regain the trust of the community. And certainly their behavior at the last meeting (having a bogus preplanned reorganization, flaunting the fact that they hold the majority vote, admonishing the residents, blaming the residents for driving away the interim superintendent candidates--who did this?, continuing to hide their actions from the community, not responding to FOIA requests. . .) showed that they have little desire to do so. Why can’t they see that any decision that they make will be questioned, and if they are involved in the selection process of the new administrators, their ability to be trusted and successful will also be compromised.
One question that also isn’t being answered is what is going on with Kevin Nohelty? Why is he on administrative leave? To keep him from answering any incriminating questions in an official capacity, perhaps?
The actions of others in District 74 began years before Dr. Nohelty accepted his recent position with District 74. His career path exactly follows his education and transition to a personal growth path that has been professionally established. If anything, there has been an obvious attempt made by specific individuals to make Dr. Nohelty a potential "scapegoat" which has failed so far because of the continuing "witch-hunt". The frustration that still exists needs to be focused on the facts that remain, and fictitious speculation only clouds the real unresolved issues which remain. As for Dr. Nohelty, I would like to know who and why an attempt has been made by those remaining to silence him. Without just cause, he has been "placed on administrative leave". His positive efforts are needed to help the district move forward.
http://chicagolampoon.blogspot.com/
Official records are not the final word on matters of character. Although someone might have an impeccable rating in the "system," there are often parts left out, as in any industry. "Oh, we'll cut our losses, write an okay but inexact recommendation and get so-and-so out of here." This is true in corporate, government, and even the military. Although there may be no official trail, the road between Palatine, Wilmette, and Lincolnwood is a short one. Anyone with family or close friends in these communities knows that there is more to this story than we are being led to believe. But you defend "Dr." Nohelty admirably.