McHenry County Blog

The Northwest Herald published a long letter of resignation from former Cary School District 26 School Board President David Ruelle.

He just resigned as the school district’s finances are tanking.

One item in the letter was Ruelle pointing out;

“For the third year in a row, the District exceeded its expenditure budget.”

He omitted how this is prohibited under the Illinois School Code. Must not have any meaningful consequential in the law.

So why would a board member, who became board president, allow such overspending with apparently inadequate accountability for Superintendent Brian Coleman?

Is it because his wife is a teacher in Cary District 26?

I’ve never gotten this “serve on the school board with a wife on your payroll” approach to public service.

It’s not exactly a phenomenon. Huntley School District 158’s past President Mike Skala has a wife who is a Huntley High School teacher. She was even co-president of the teachers’ union.

It always stuck me as a conflict of interest or at least an appearance of a conflict of interest.

Apparently Skala agreed, because, last time around, he didn’t participate in the union negotiations.

But, back to District 26.

You can find the salary/compensation info for the ex-school board president’s wife Elizabeth Rulle on the Champion web site.

There you can see;

Ruelle, Elizabeth A – $92,821

That is more than Thom Gippert , Principal of Maplewood School, is reported to make in the same database.

Gippert, Thomas R – $89,084

Ruelle voted to not close Maplewood school.

Mrs. Ruelle’s compensation also compares favorably with Principal Chad Nass at Briargate School in the same database.

Nass, Chad W – $88,864

The above is 2008 data.

District 26 has the highest average teachers’ salaries in McHenry County for all elementary or unit school districts, according to a chart published by the Northwest Herald.

That’s probably because of a school board caved a couple of years ago when the teachers went on strike.

Ruelle didn’t formally vote for his wife’s current teachers contract. He abstained.  He apparently did negotiate the contract’s compensation for the 2006-8 contract, plus terms and conditions.  The 2008-11 contract had the same terms and conditions as 2006-8, just different salary schedules.  He abstained on that vote, too.

It’s hard to believe this is perfectly legal in Illinois with all of our ethics and conflict of interest laws.

Wait a minute.

No, it isn’t.

The Illinois Education Association (the teachers’ union for most teachers outside of Chicago) is one of the most influential special interest groups in Illinois.

One of the provisions that Ruelle did not get removed from his wife’s teachers’ contract is this:

2. A post-retirement lump sum payment of $20,000 to be paid after the certified staff member’s last day of creditable service and after the last paycheck for regular earnings (after July 1st of retirement year) as a non-elective employer paid contribution into a post-retirement tax sheltered 403(b) annuity.

You can find it using this link. Go to electronic page 27.

Does any school district around, besides Cary, have this cash retirement wealth transfer?

Ruelle’s letter of resignation complaining about being fiscally responsible reminds me of a scene from the movie Casablanca. Maybe this dialogue will remind you of it:

Captain Renault:   “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on, in here!”Croupier walks over and gives Renault a lot of money.

Croupier:  “Your winnings, sir.

Captain Renault:   “Oh, thank you very much.”

It’s fair to say that Ruelle wanted his board to vote for another tax increase referendum.

When you have lump sum $20,000 give aways in a teachers’ contract, in view of the current economy, it’s easy to explain why residents would vote “No” to using their money to ratify such a policy.

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For those who need more of an explanation about the dialogue from “Casablanca,” I offer this from MSNBC:

Remember when Captain Renault, looking for an excuse to close down Rick’s, declares himself “shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here,” just before the croupier hands him his winnings?

Ever since, people have used that double-adjective to describe the false innocence of public officials: those who know the score, benefit from the score, and then loudly condemn the score.

The following resolution was passed 6-0 by the Cary Grade School District 26 Board of Education Monday night. My thanks to board member Chris Jenner for sending it to me.

Hard to imagine, but these local educators don’t want the Illinois General Assembly to hike income taxes 67% and send the “free money” back to them to spend.

Jenner says that Palatine School District 15 passed pretty much the same resolution on April 9.

Here is the resolution, which other emboldened school board members might present to their colleagues for approval:

A RESOLUTION ADVOCATING AGAINST SB2288 and HB750

A RESOLUTION to send a letter to the Illinois state elected officials listed below, advocating against Illinois Senate Bill 2288 and Illinois House Bill 750.

WHEREAS, the Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 Board of Education is responsible for advocating to the Illinois state elected officials representing the District 26 attendance area in matters related to education and impacting District 26; and

WHEREAS, HB750 and SB2288 propose raising the personal income tax rate from 3% to 5%, a 67% increase, and propose raising the corporate income tax rate from 4.8% to 8%; and

WHEREAS, the proposed property tax relief (if enacted) provides only a 20% reduction on the education portion of the property tax payers’ bill, and there are no restrictions preventing an increase in local property tax rates or redirection of the property tax abatement fund; and

WHEREAS, with a slowing economy and increasing prices, an increase in taxes will adversely affect the District 26 community, families and businesses and adversely affect the tax base that supports education in District 26; and

WHEREAS, of the $8 billion estimated to be raised by SB2288 and HB750, only 7.5% will go to education, 36% will go to property tax relief, and the remaining 56.5% will go to fund state debt, road construction, state employee pensions and unpaid Medicaid bills, which do not benefit education; and

WHEREAS, the proposed increases in state funding for education under HB750 and SB2288 will only provide a small increase in the state funding that District 26 actually receives; and

WHEREAS, shifting substantial portions of District 26 revenues from a steady property tax base under local control, to a less reliable income tax base under State control, undermines the idea of local control of education; and

WHEREAS, we believe that under HB750 and SB2288 the District 26 attendance area will send more tax revenue to the state than it will receive from the state, providing less tax base to support education in District 26;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY CARY COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 26 BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT:

We urge the Illinois state elected officials representing the District 26 attendance area to oppose SB 2288 and HB 750, as we believe it will adversely affect local control of education, provides a less reliable form of education funding for District 26 and will reduce the tax base available to support education in District 26 by increasing the State tax burden on District 26 families and businesses.

Approved this ___ day of April 2008

CRAIG LOEW
President, Board of Education, Cary Community Consolidated School District 26

Missing was school board member Steve Bush. He recently had rotator cuff surgery and is still under medication, Jenner advises.

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Cary Elementary School District 26 Board member Chris Jenner is seen fighting the Village of Cary’s Route 14 Tax Increment Financing district.

The following resolution was passed 6-0 by the Cary Grade School District 26 Board of Education Monday night. My thanks to board member Chris Jenner for sending it to me.

Hard to imagine, but these local educators don’t want the Illinois General Assembly to hike income taxes 67% and send the “free money” back to them to spend.

Jenner says that Palatine School District 15 passed pretty much the same resolution on April 9.

Here is the resolution, which other emboldened school board members might present to their colleagues for approval:

A RESOLUTION ADVOCATING AGAINST SB2288 and HB750

A RESOLUTION to send a letter to the Illinois state elected officials listed below, advocating against Illinois Senate Bill 2288 and Illinois House Bill 750.

WHEREAS, the Cary Community Consolidated School District 26 Board of Education is responsible for advocating to the Illinois state elected officials representing the District 26 attendance area in matters related to education and impacting District 26; and

WHEREAS, HB750 and SB2288 propose raising the personal income tax rate from 3% to 5%, a 67% increase, and propose raising the corporate income tax rate from 4.8% to 8%; and

WHEREAS, the proposed property tax relief (if enacted) provides only a 20% reduction on the education portion of the property tax payers’ bill, and there are no restrictions preventing an increase in local property tax rates or redirection of the property tax abatement fund; and

WHEREAS, with a slowing economy and increasing prices, an increase in taxes will adversely affect the District 26 community, families and businesses and adversely affect the tax base that supports education in District 26; and

WHEREAS, of the $8 billion estimated to be raised by SB2288 and HB750, only 7.5% will go to education, 36% will go to property tax relief, and the remaining 56.5% will go to fund state debt, road construction, state employee pensions and unpaid Medicaid bills, which do not benefit education; and

WHEREAS, the proposed increases in state funding for education under HB750 and SB2288 will only provide a small increase in the state funding that District 26 actually receives; and

WHEREAS, shifting substantial portions of District 26 revenues from a steady property tax base under local control, to a less reliable income tax base under State control, undermines the idea of local control of education; and

WHEREAS, we believe that under HB750 and SB2288 the District 26 attendance area will send more tax revenue to the state than it will receive from the state, providing less tax base to support education in District 26;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY CARY COMMUNITY CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT 26 BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT:

We urge the Illinois state elected officials representing the District 26 attendance area to oppose SB 2288 and HB 750, as we believe it will adversely affect local control of education, provides a less reliable form of education funding for District 26 and will reduce the tax base available to support education in District 26 by increasing the State tax burden on District 26 families and businesses.

Approved this ___ day of April 2008

CRAIG LOEW
President, Board of Education, Cary Community Consolidated School District 26

Missing was school board member Steve Bush. He recently had rotator cuff surgery and is still under medication, Jenner advises.

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Cary Elementary School District 26 Board member Chris Jenner is seen fighting the Village of Cary’s Route 14 Tax Increment Financing district.