ED, Bellwood school superintendent let go [D88]

I sought media attention for the board of ed of Bellwood elementary schools letting go Superintendent Willie Mack.

John Huston (Pioneer Press) correctly explains,

It's not technically a firing -- just a notice that he won't be rehired.

In April, the board vote to fire the previous superintendent, Rebecca Montoya-Kostro. That happened in a 4-3 vote. Maria Castrejon, the Stone Park Clerk (an elected position), swung the board from being pro-Mack to anti-Mack.

Here's what I saw as the "news" from Monday's meeting.

1. Mack was notified his contract would not be extended.
2. Board member John Wicks is not being allowed access to the audio minutes of a closed session meeting. The tapes are being held at the home of board secretary Ronald "RC" Anderson.
3. There were two logistical problems with the meeting. Parents complained that they had to wait until 8:45 PM for the open session to start. Apparently the board stays in closed session until whenever. Also, the acoustics of the gym were quite poor.
4. The staff and board majority made a lame excuse for circumventing the requirement to bid work over $10,000. They reasoned that it was OK to not seek bids on $88,000 of new carpet because no more than $10,000 was spent in any room.

You can read Pioneer Press (John Huston) for his perspective.