Thanks for calling this out -- I think people have varying awareness about the circumstances back then. Weirdly, one of the "issues" was a 10-year +1500 student enrollment gain was part of nudging costs up. Seems we gave those gains back!
I think Tom has noted before, but many of the underlying financial issues were there back then, the i…
Thanks for calling this out -- I think people have varying awareness about the circumstances back then. Weirdly, one of the "issues" was a 10-year +1500 student enrollment gain was part of nudging costs up. Seems we gave those gains back!
I think Tom has noted before, but many of the underlying financial issues were there back then, the influx of $ allowed them to somewhat fly under the radar, till Horton poured gasoline on the flames.
Another factor was that Horton knew that the money was supposed to last through 2025 but he could just blow through it because he wouldn’t be here. He was looking for his next job before the ink was dry on his D65 contract. This was something that Sergio ADMITTED when he was walking out the door. It’s always bothered me that if the Board claimed to know that Horton had no long-term plans to stay in Evanston then WHY DID YOU EXTEND HIM BEFORE HIS ORIGINAL CONTRACT WAS UP????
Yeah I'm not sure I've seen evidence on this. Horton definitely knew the ESSER money was there, though, and in early 2023 treated it like his slush fund. For instance, the contracts he awarded to his friends early in the year were allegedly paid for with ESSER money. (This is why you all should complain to the DoE OiG). Nobody made any firm plans on how to spend that money and they were so bad with budgeting at the time that I don't think anyone was really looking closely. Like they used ESSER money to paid for a Principal Retreat (I can prove this) - how is that a valid use?
Oh yeah, but I always thought he meant it in an ass-kissing kind of way, like "you are too good for us and we couldn't expect you to stay here forever"
Thanks for calling this out -- I think people have varying awareness about the circumstances back then. Weirdly, one of the "issues" was a 10-year +1500 student enrollment gain was part of nudging costs up. Seems we gave those gains back!
I think Tom has noted before, but many of the underlying financial issues were there back then, the influx of $ allowed them to somewhat fly under the radar, till Horton poured gasoline on the flames.
Another factor was that Horton knew that the money was supposed to last through 2025 but he could just blow through it because he wouldn’t be here. He was looking for his next job before the ink was dry on his D65 contract. This was something that Sergio ADMITTED when he was walking out the door. It’s always bothered me that if the Board claimed to know that Horton had no long-term plans to stay in Evanston then WHY DID YOU EXTEND HIM BEFORE HIS ORIGINAL CONTRACT WAS UP????
Wait a sec -- where was it that Sergio admitted that? Was that public?
Yeah I'm not sure I've seen evidence on this. Horton definitely knew the ESSER money was there, though, and in early 2023 treated it like his slush fund. For instance, the contracts he awarded to his friends early in the year were allegedly paid for with ESSER money. (This is why you all should complain to the DoE OiG). Nobody made any firm plans on how to spend that money and they were so bad with budgeting at the time that I don't think anyone was really looking closely. Like they used ESSER money to paid for a Principal Retreat (I can prove this) - how is that a valid use?
In an article discussing Horton’s departure, Sergio made the comment that they knew he wasn’t here for the long term.
Oh yeah, but I always thought he meant it in an ass-kissing kind of way, like "you are too good for us and we couldn't expect you to stay here forever"