There is an excellent case to be made based solely on the finances that a referendum is needed. There is also a good case to be made that homeowners should back it given what a state takeover of the schools would likely do to everyone's property values.
However there are two big barriers to a successful referendum even if one were to be p…
There is an excellent case to be made based solely on the finances that a referendum is needed. There is also a good case to be made that homeowners should back it given what a state takeover of the schools would likely do to everyone's property values.
However there are two big barriers to a successful referendum even if one were to be placed on the ballot: trust and perceived value.
When the referendum passed in 2017, there was strong support for wanting to maintain what people believed with some justification, were excellent schools. Over the last several years, the District has seen enrollment decreases which cannot be justified by low birthrates, as much as the Board would like to cling to that fantasy. More and more families are biting the bullet and paying both our enormous tax bills and private school tuition because they do not think that the District is getting the job done. That makes it hard to justify throwing more money at the District.
The other obvious issue is one of trust. The community as a whole doesn't trust the Board and/or administration to use the resources they are given wisely. Building up trust is going to be a prerequisite to a successful referendum.
There are a lot of ways that trust can be rebuilt, but if Sergio Hernandez cares about the long term viability of this District, stepping down effective the first meeting of the new Board would be an excellent first step to rebuilding the trust with the community.
Why do I think having Sergio continue on the Board would be something that would impair the rebuilding of trust?
1. He was on the Board for all of the events that have caused the loss of trust which is the problem, from the sacking of Paul Goren to the hiring of Devon Horton and all of the issues that have been well-documented on this blog and elsewhere. After the 4 incumbents leave the Board at the end of this election cycle, he will be the sole remaining Board member who was here for all of the events, and President for a good chunk of them.
2. He was a part of the process of authorizing the lease certificates for Foster School without asking any of the basic questions to determine whether the transportation savings that were supposed to fund them were actually real. Because the transportation savings were fiction, we will be paying $3.25 million a year in tax dollars to investors that should be going to pay our teachers and provide an excellent education to the kids in our community. It is a real, ongoing harm that no one should forget about.
3. He submitted the letter to ISBE claiming that there were actually $5 million in transportation savings. This ultimately led to ISBE giving an award to D65. The real number is more like $750,000. Whether this was a lie or just evidence that he didn't know the details - neither is a good option.
4. As Board president, he knew that Dr. Horton was looking to obtain employment elsewhere and kept that secret until after the 2023 election. Turnout was awful, but certainly would have been higher had the community known that selection of a new superintendent was going to be on the Board's agenda. He came out ahead on John Martin by +/- 450 votes. Did keeping that bit of information to himself help him come out ahead? Hard to say, but it is a pretty clear Dr. Horton first, community second moment ... with more to come. Read on!
5. He was part of putting Dr. Horton on a payment plan for the $25,000 buyout from the contract with D65. There was no good justification for doing that, and of course, we know that Dr. Horton didn't honor the payment plan put into place.
6. After Dr. Horton left, he went on a spending spree with the District's p-card. The money was paid back. Nothing public was said about it, but the Board knew. After Dr. Horton had moved on and paid back the District money that he had helped himself to, the public learned that Dr. Horton hadn't honored the payment plan he was given. Sergio signed a letter waiving thousands of dollars in late charges with the admonition that this should "disabuse" him of the idea that he could continue to do so. At the time he signed that letter, he knew of Dr. Horton's post-employment misadventures with the District's p-card - but the community didn't. Knowing that makes this bit of posturing all the more empty.
It takes a certain amount of courage and integrity to recognize that you are part of the problem and not the right person to be a part of the solution. Time for Sergio to come to that realization.
I think Sergio's resignation and an apology from all board members would go a long way in the community. I realize it doesn't make money appear, but if they all REALLY care about this community, admit fault. There is so much anger towards everything that has been swept under the rug.
There is an excellent case to be made based solely on the finances that a referendum is needed. There is also a good case to be made that homeowners should back it given what a state takeover of the schools would likely do to everyone's property values.
However there are two big barriers to a successful referendum even if one were to be placed on the ballot: trust and perceived value.
When the referendum passed in 2017, there was strong support for wanting to maintain what people believed with some justification, were excellent schools. Over the last several years, the District has seen enrollment decreases which cannot be justified by low birthrates, as much as the Board would like to cling to that fantasy. More and more families are biting the bullet and paying both our enormous tax bills and private school tuition because they do not think that the District is getting the job done. That makes it hard to justify throwing more money at the District.
The other obvious issue is one of trust. The community as a whole doesn't trust the Board and/or administration to use the resources they are given wisely. Building up trust is going to be a prerequisite to a successful referendum.
There are a lot of ways that trust can be rebuilt, but if Sergio Hernandez cares about the long term viability of this District, stepping down effective the first meeting of the new Board would be an excellent first step to rebuilding the trust with the community.
Why do I think having Sergio continue on the Board would be something that would impair the rebuilding of trust?
1. He was on the Board for all of the events that have caused the loss of trust which is the problem, from the sacking of Paul Goren to the hiring of Devon Horton and all of the issues that have been well-documented on this blog and elsewhere. After the 4 incumbents leave the Board at the end of this election cycle, he will be the sole remaining Board member who was here for all of the events, and President for a good chunk of them.
2. He was a part of the process of authorizing the lease certificates for Foster School without asking any of the basic questions to determine whether the transportation savings that were supposed to fund them were actually real. Because the transportation savings were fiction, we will be paying $3.25 million a year in tax dollars to investors that should be going to pay our teachers and provide an excellent education to the kids in our community. It is a real, ongoing harm that no one should forget about.
3. He submitted the letter to ISBE claiming that there were actually $5 million in transportation savings. This ultimately led to ISBE giving an award to D65. The real number is more like $750,000. Whether this was a lie or just evidence that he didn't know the details - neither is a good option.
4. As Board president, he knew that Dr. Horton was looking to obtain employment elsewhere and kept that secret until after the 2023 election. Turnout was awful, but certainly would have been higher had the community known that selection of a new superintendent was going to be on the Board's agenda. He came out ahead on John Martin by +/- 450 votes. Did keeping that bit of information to himself help him come out ahead? Hard to say, but it is a pretty clear Dr. Horton first, community second moment ... with more to come. Read on!
5. He was part of putting Dr. Horton on a payment plan for the $25,000 buyout from the contract with D65. There was no good justification for doing that, and of course, we know that Dr. Horton didn't honor the payment plan put into place.
6. After Dr. Horton left, he went on a spending spree with the District's p-card. The money was paid back. Nothing public was said about it, but the Board knew. After Dr. Horton had moved on and paid back the District money that he had helped himself to, the public learned that Dr. Horton hadn't honored the payment plan he was given. Sergio signed a letter waiving thousands of dollars in late charges with the admonition that this should "disabuse" him of the idea that he could continue to do so. At the time he signed that letter, he knew of Dr. Horton's post-employment misadventures with the District's p-card - but the community didn't. Knowing that makes this bit of posturing all the more empty.
It takes a certain amount of courage and integrity to recognize that you are part of the problem and not the right person to be a part of the solution. Time for Sergio to come to that realization.
I think Sergio's resignation and an apology from all board members would go a long way in the community. I realize it doesn't make money appear, but if they all REALLY care about this community, admit fault. There is so much anger towards everything that has been swept under the rug.