District 86 Consent Agenda Draws Dissent

It has become commonplace for local governing bodies to use a parliamentary tool called the consent agenda to speed up meetings.

It did not have that effect at Monday’s School Board meeting.

The consent agenda is supposed to include routine, non-controversial items that are voted on as a package. But items on the consent agenda Monday at generated discussion and dissent.

Any board member can ask for an item to be pulled from the consent agenda for further discussion and consideration; three board members did so Monday, resulting in five items being pulled.

Kay Gallo asked for minutes of the board’s closed session on June 6 to be pulled so that a duplicate paragraph could be deleted. That motion passed unanimously, but Dianne Barrett and Dr. Richard Skoda had less luck with items they asked to be pulled.

Legal fees questioned again

Barrett asked for payment of the district’s bills to be pulled from the consent agenda so that she could—as she has in the past—object to the payment of legal fees to the Chicago firm of Scariano, Himes & Petrarca.

Barrett said she was specifically objecting to the payment of fees to the firm for representing the district in three lawsuits, including one she filed against Board President Dennis Brennan and Superintendent Dr. Nicholas Wahl over access to documents regarding the district’s special education program.

Barrett said she was objecting to about $43,000 worth of fees.

“As I’ve asked before, I’d like this to be separated from the consent agenda and voted on separately and monthly,” she said.

She drew support from Skoda.

“Our legal bills have grown exponentially in the last two or three years for whatever reason,” Skoda said. “What really troubles me is, I went out to court last week [for a hearing on the Barrett case] … and [the district's] lawyer said to the judge, ’This case is a long way from being over.’ So, once again, who is giving direction to the lawyers? I thought we were trying to wrap this up.”

Skoda suggested that the lawyers needed to be reined in a bit.

Barrett’s motion that the bills be paid with the exception of some of the legal fees was defeated by a 5-2 vote.

A motion to pay all the bills then passed on a 7-0 vote, with Barrett requesting that her affirmative vote be recorded in the minutes as not including the legal fees.

Value by association?

Skoda requested that renewal of the board’s membership in the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) and National School Board Association (NSBA) be pulled from the consent agenda.

Skoda questioned spending $9,900 for the IASB membership and $4,500 for the NSBA.

“Obviously, all these are legitimate expenses,” he said, “but I don’t think they’re really necessary or needed.”

He compared membership in the associations to joining the AARP, saying it was nice if you can afford it.

“What does the National School Board Association do for us?” Skoda asked.

Board member Michael Kuhn responded that the membership gave the district access to NSBA resources, including scholarships. Kuhn said the IASB lobbies on behalf of the district and presents educational conferences.

“I can see the IASB, but I don’t see the necessity to spend $4,500 on the NSBA,” Barrett said.

A motion to approve the memberships passed, 5-2, with Barrett and Skoda voting against it.

Prevailing on prevailing wages

Skoda found more support for his objection to a prevailing wage resolution on the consent agenda.

He observed that the district had to accept the Illinois Department of Labor’s prevailing wage scale or come up with its own, which was problematic. He said the prevailing wage scale raised the district’s costs for painting by as much as 88 percent and roofing by up to 46 percent.

Skoda wondered if the IASB would lobby the state legislature to drop this requirement for school construction projects, as Ohio did in 1997.

“The state legislature could opt out schools,” he said. “This is an area where money should be saved.”

Board members appeared in agreement and Wahl said he would assist Skoda in making a request that the IASB consider the matter.

Skoda also asked for approval of non-bargaining group salaries to be pulled from the consent agenda so that he could ask some questions. A motion to approve the salaries passed unanimously.