D103 Coup?

[Ted]

 Some interesting shenanigans going on to the school district to the south of Berwyn - District 103, which encompasses Stickney, Lyons, McCook and southeast Brookfield.

  During the election, a group of 4 candidates called "Parents for Student Excellence" ran and won election.  Then, after the election, it came out that the group had received over $10,000 in in-kind donations from Lyons Village President Chris Getty that were not reported until April 14 as well as almost $3,000 in cash from Getty's PAC as well as 2 other associated PACs that were not reported until after the election. 

  The group avoided having to report these donations during the election because each cash donation was $975 (the reporting limit starts at $1,000). The $10,000 in in-kind donations were for the printings and mailings that were paid for by Getty's PAC rather than by "Parent for Student Excellence". Illinois Election law states that any in-kind donation of over $500 must be reported during an election cycle within 5 days.  The mailings had to have gone out before the election, which was April 7, yet this $10,000 was not reported until April 14.

  Then, on April 28, Chris Getty's administrative assistant (Kyle Leonard) goes to the D103 school board office and posts a notice that there will be a school board meeting on April 30 to swear in the new school board members. Part of the agenda posted was the hiring of a new law firm (Odelson Stark) and the dismissal of the current superintendents and the hiring of a new superintendent.   The posting of this notice was done without the prior knowledge or consent of the current board. The current staff in D103 refused to post the notice so Getty's assistant posted the notice himself.

  The Odelson Stark law firm had notarized a paper that they had sworn in the new board members (which they had no business doing since they were not yet hired as the D103 attorneys) and the swearing in was not done publicly by the current board, as is required by Illinois law. Also, under Illinois Law, newly elected school board members do not officially take office until May 1.  That is the date the old school board terminates and the new school board starts.

The district's current attorney then stepped in and told the superintendents that the meeting notice that was posted violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act.  The superintendents then posted a second notice that there was no board meeting scheduled for April 30. The superintendents then  locked the doors of the building.  D103 had already had a meeting scheduled for Monday, May 4 to swear in the new board members.

  Here are the three stories in the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark.  Kudos to Bob Uphues for his coverage:

http://www.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/4-28-2015/Local-pols-largely-funded-D103-school-board-bid/

http://www.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/4-29-2015/Getty_backed-candidates-stage-coup-in-District-103/

http://www.rblandmark.com/News/Articles/4-30-2015/Despite-call-for-meeting,-D103-offices-closed-for-the-day/

[chandasz]

I guess it's good to know we aren't alone when it comes to shenanigans

[berwyn senator]

If you had the time to research different towns I would bet they all have issues.

[Ted]

If you had the time to research different towns I would bet they all have issues.

But, not like this year, Senator.  The money received and spent and the political entanglements in this year's school board elections (Proviso, D201, D100, D103) are unbelievable.

  These are no longer the quaint, quiet school board elections of the past.  Big Political Money has entered the school board races in unprecedented way.

[berwyn senator]

I do believe you,I was out of touch last year.I need some catching up nothing ever changes in Berwyn!



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