East Aurora High School will be undergoing renovations this summer to accommodate 400 additional students. The pool will be filled in and converted to a physical fitness space with a wrestling area and weightlifting. Kalyn Belsha ~Sun-Times Media
Updated: July 14, 2013 2:33AM
Lazy days of summer? Not at East Aurora.
These lazy days of summer might mean a slow-down for most school folks. But that’s hardly the case on the East Side of Aurora, where there’s no lack of news coming out of the district there.
At Tuesday’s East Aurora School Board special meeting, conversation was hopping, with a multi-million-dollar expansion project being debated, new faces being introduced and familiar ones leveling criticisms against this district that has garnered more negative headlines lately than Justin Bieber unchained.
On one hand, it seemed like business as usual for the school district that found itself under fire the past year for questionable financial practices and leadership issues. Currently a Chicago-based food company is suing East for not following a fair bidding process, and there’s the threat of another lawsuit from a long-time janitorial supplier.
Public comment on Tuesday included taxpayer Ken Darby blasting the district for its past scandals, demanding responses to FOIA requests and raising concerns over the expansion project. Also stepping to the podium was Art Velasquez, president of Aurora’s League of United Latin American Citizens, who more gently chided the board for repeatedly ignoring his pleas to get involved with his group’s initiatives that work with youth.
On the other side of the table, board member Ray Hull didn’t hide his displeasure with Superintendent Jerome Roberts, who was absent from this meeting that called for approval of a $2.77 million expansion project at East Aurora High School costing taxpayers 15 percent more than when originally approved. Architects have said the rushed timetable is the reason for that extra cost. Construction, which normally would take 12 weeks, is being condensed into three for it to be completed by the time school starts.
Hull expressed huge misgivings about the project that will add up to 12 classrooms to accommodate 400 more students at the high school. He questioned why this project was being rammed through without thoroughly studying future district needs, and what it will end up costing taxpayers.
The district is also on a time crunch with budget revisions — due to the state by Sept. 30 — after finding out the high school is not going to receive a $5.4 million federal grant it had been counting on.
So yes, there were some negative vibes in that room that has absorbed more than its share this past year. But there were also signs the district is on the right path.
There’s been a staggering number of resignations, particularly among administrators, which is arguably a direct result of the problems plaguing the district. But that means there’s a new crop of leaders coming in. And they are bringing with them impressive resumes. Those include the two hires introduced recently: new Allen Principal Shannon Roedel, an award-winning administrator with the Glen Ellyn School District; and former Wesmont dean Dennis Renner, nominated for Athletic Director of the Year, and who was approved as assistant principal at East High in charge of athletics and building operations.
Another thing that was impressive: There was more discussion going on at this special board meeting that, in the past, would have been nothing more than a few minutes of casual conversation and rubber stamping. In addition to Hull’s questions, new member Mary Lou Peryea fired off plenty of her own over the expansion project and newly created role of purchasing agent.
But despite all the apparent chaos, Board President Annette Johnson says she’s “never felt better” about the direction the district is taking, including the review of all policies to make sure they are in line with the Illinois school code. And she is especially pleased with new personnel that she insists will “focus on team building.”
I know education reporter Kalyn Belsha has been kept hopping this summer as she tries to keep up with all the stories coming out of the district. Here’s hoping the headlines keep coming after school starts, and that the focus will be back where it belongs … on the kids.
From beaconnews.suntimes.com
Source:
http://justinbieber.blogm4u.com/2013/07/14/news-keeps-popping-at-east-aurora-2/