Pat Brady Speaks to Full House in Crystal Lake

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Pat Brady traveled up the Fox River Valley to talk to McHenry County Republicans Wednesday night. The event was held at the Prairie Isle Golf Club in Prairie Grove. A good number of countywide elected officials … Continue reading

39% of Illinois Teachers Pay Nothing for Pensions

“While Democrats say Teachers ‘Have Kept Their Part of the Deal?’“ is the title of an April 5, 2011, article by former Huntley School District 158 Board member Larry Snow.  (The quote was in the Chicago Tribune Marcy 31, 2011.  … Continue reading

Huntley School Teacher Contract Views – Then and Now

These comments by Huntley School District Superintendent John Burkey in the First Electric Newspaper stirred my memory: “Last year I was amazed that we avoided it,” said Supt. John Burkey. “This year it just caught up with us.” He slammed … Continue reading

Teacher Contracts in Poorest Performing Illinois Schools Require No or Little Teacher Payment

Former Huntley School Board member Larry Snow has done a prodigious amount of research about school districts where teachers pay nothing for their pensions. Those employed in the private sector pay into Social Security. But they also pay the entire … Continue reading

Huntley School District Goes Back to Days of Hiding Contracts from Public

Many public officials are in denial about how their own actions and non-cooperation add to the public’s mistrust of government and even disgust of government. Public officials adopt either a public servant’s I’m-here-to-help attitude or a self-serving I-don’t-want-to-bother attitude. I … Continue reading

Correction Time re This Article about Citizen Oversight

This article is corrected and bumped up for visibility. I misread the minutes of the Financial Advisory Committee meeting of August 2nd. It was not Huntley School District 158 Chief Financial Officer Mark Altmayer whom the minutes say advocated abolishing … Continue reading

Huntley to Pay More than $44,000 to Tear Down Williams/Borhart/Moore Homestead

There were plenty of political motives to change the longstanding agreement that Huntley 158 had which allowed Linda Moore and her family to live in the house she grew up in. Linda’s family sold the school district the property that … Continue reading

Administrators Leaving Huntley School District

First it was Teresa Ferrier. She was the Fiscal Services Director at Huntley’s District 158 until she was hired by Cary Grade School District 26 in mid-June of this year. T. Ferrier (as she likes to be known) started July … Continue reading

Will Huntley School Board Violate the Open Meetings Act Tonight? And What About Sweetening Retirement Benefits?

You need a quorum for a board meeting. Right now the Huntley school board has only one board member as a carryover for its Finance Committee. That would be Kevin Gentry. Hard to have a quorum with one committee member. … Continue reading

Why Is Mike Skala Breaking His Campaign Promise Not to Sit In on the Huntley School Board’s Secret Sessions Discussing Teacher Negotiations?

Thursday night the Huntley District 158 School Board held an executive session. Top secret. Hush, hush, don’t you know? One of the topics discussed was current contract negotiations with the teachers union, the H.E.A., short for the Huntley Educational Association. … Continue reading