EMSD#63 needs to reschedule 2010-2011 Budget vote Update – Sep. 3, 2010…

I have just been informed by EMSD#63 Superintendent Dr. Scott Clay that the final version of the SY 2010-2011 School District Budget will not be presented to EMSD#63 Board Members and public until later this afternoon, tonight or tomorrow.

Email - Request Copy Final Budget 2010-2011

EMSD#63 Board should have received this report last week.  Now it will have slightly more than 48 hours to review the significant changes referenced in Dr. Clay’s email.

There is no need to rush!

The EMSD#63 School Board Members have a responsibility to read and possibly question the changes and the impact these changes will have to EMSD#63’s original plan.  That takes time.  And there is time.  This process does not have to be completed until October.

Do the right thing Jane, reschedule the vote!

Update – Aug. 31, 2010

I just received the following email from Dr. Clay regarding the “Final Budget.”

Email - To Dr. Clay Requesting Copy of Final Budget

So I went to the site as suggested.  This is the type of garbage that passes in EMSD#63 as the “Final Budget.”

EMSD#63 - FY11 Tentative Budget to Final Budget Changes

EMSD#63 Budget for FY11 State Budget Form

I have since sent the following email to the EMSD#63 Board.

Email - Reschedule Budget

How does anyone know what these changes mean to the District’s Plan without the context of a complete and comparable Budget Report?   

This kind of FLIMFLAM is unacceptable.  The PUBLIC and BOARD need to see a comparable report to determine the impact of these changes.

No Rush Required.

Madam Board President, 847-729-7468, jwojtkiewicz@sd63board.org; Mr. Jekot, 847-965-3485, jjekot@sd63board.org; Mr. Gluzkin, 847-965-3485, wgluzkin@sd63board.org; Ms. Kaczkowski, 847-965-3485, jkaczkowski@sd63board.org; Mr. Levy, 847-729-2772, slevy@sd63board.org; Mr. Simmons, 847-729-0219, tsimmons@sd63board.org and Ms. Urba, 847-825-0487, surban@sd63board.org, there is more than enough time to perform the budget process correctly. 

The Budget process is not an elementary school project where you get extra points and a star for getting the project done early. 

Ms. Wojtkiewicz, you are the President of our School Board.  You wanted the job.  Your Board is Responsible for this budget under Board Policy 2:20 Governance - Powers and Duties of the Board of Education Point #3 , not Dr. Clay!  Finally, you work for us, not for the District’s Administration.

Do the right thing Jane, reschedule the vote!

Update – Sep. 3, 2010

Well EMSD#63’s Board went ahead and passed the 115 page 2010-2011 Budget; a document Board members had only received scant hours before.  One would have thought these Board Members were Congressmen. From Dr. Clay’s blog site came this announcement.

Dr. Clay's Blogsite Announces 2010-2011 Budget Passage

And here’s the Budget they passed.

EMSD#63 2010-2011 Budget Passed 09-01-2010

I will be discussing this subject in a series of posting over the next few months.

Presto, they’re back…

So glad to see that our EMSD#63 School Board Members had not gone underground after all.  Seems it was a glitch in the software.

Welcome back Board Members!

EMSD#63 School Board has gone underground…

It appears that East Maine School District #63’s (EMSD#63) Board Members have removed their pictures, phone numbers and email address from the district website and have replaced it with this login. 

Access Denied: You must login to access that page SchoolCMS Login Username:* Password:*

I’m not sure why they would choose to remove themselves from the site, except this faint-hearted act does make it more difficult for taxpayers, constituents or stakeholders to express their views.  So as a public service, I am displaying EMSD#63’s Board President and Vice President names and email addresses on this post.

EMSD#63 School Board Leaders

Name	Title	Email Address
Ms. Wojtkiewicz	President	jwojtkiewicz@sd63board.org
Mr. Jekot	VP	jjekot@sd63board.org

Maybe some of you can shame our feckless board into returning this vital information to the district’s website.

After 400 days – Finally a little transparency…. (Ongoing)

It has been over 400 days since Dr. Kathleen Williams was engaged to perform post-superintendent services to this district. I have written about this story at some length numerously. Despite the many opportunities for former Superintendent Kathleen Williams, current Superintendent Scott Clay, Board President Jane Wojtkiewicz, or newly found "Voice of the Board” Steven Levy to openly and clearly discuss EMSD#63’s hush-hush Williams engagement decision, no one has came forward with an “official” story, until now.

So why is that you ask?

I’ll tell you why we didn’t officially hear about the $900 per day verbal agreement for employee/consulting/tutoring services for over 400 days; they didn’t want us to know.  Period!  

This Board and Administration, under Williams/Clay/Wojtkiewicz have always had a direct line to, and a working relationship with the local papers, and in the past have never withheld even the most non-essential information from “stakeholders” – when it suited their purpose.  Even today, I can remember the article that appeared in the Pioneer Press touting the athletic prowess of former Superintendent Williams and her completion of a local triathlon. 

District 63's Williams climbs her mountain, reaches life-long goal

Aug 12, 2004; JENNIFER JOHNSON ... East Maine School District 63 Superintendent Kathleen Williams spent one Sunday last month working toward a personal goal of completing the first triathlon of her life. Williams, 54, swam, biked and jogged her way to the finish line in the Reebok Women's Triathlon which drew approximately 2,400 women to downtown Naperville. "It was one of those mountains in life I am happy to have achieved," Williams said. The triathlon consisted of a half-mile swim, followed by a 14.5 mile ...”

Yet they couldn’t see the reason or find the time to tell us this $87k+ story - until now.

We would still be unaware of this agreement except for Dr. Clay’s mistake.  It was only while talking to Superintendent Clay about another subject that local reporter Tom Robb of the Journal & Topics stumbled upon the hitherto unknown agreement.

Journal-Topics - District 63 Brings Back Williams---At $900 A Day

Only after this article appeared was any “outsider” aware of Williams return. 

So much for EMSD#63 transparency!

EMSD#63’s  Board and Administration, first under Williams/Wojtkiewicz and now under Clay/Wojtkiewicz could have spoken on this subject at any time.  They did not!

But why now?

It appears to me that the reason was obvious.  They weren’t controlling the message.  Some pesky blogger was.

Since Spring I have been writing about this subject in the following posts: When is enough, enough?, A Rudyard Kipling approach to (FOIA) requests – Part One, A Rudyard Kipling approach to (FOIA) requests – Part Two, A Rudyard Kipling approach to (FOIA) requests – Part Two – Update, A Rudyard Kipling approach to (FOIA) requests – Part Three, Is Dr. Williams a consultant to EMSD#63 or not?, Williams is gone. It appears the School Board has gotten the message!,  Woops – You mean she’s not gone? and Kathleen Williams – Superintendent, Wausau School District!

And then there are the emails and FOIA’s.

06-10-2010 - Williams Still Working Emails

And the unnecessary $7,504 attorney fee.

FOIA #100505-001 - Consulting Agreement and Support Documents

SH&P Bill - Invoice #27992

And the question of FOIA/attorney policy.

Question to Dr. Clay on FOIA Policy

And who advised employee/consultant/mentor Dr. Williams to send hundreds of emails totaling 1,314 pages to District EMSD#63 attorney's, Scariano, Himes and Petrarca for review, in response to FOIA #100505-001?

Responsibility

Or who made the initial call to the Scariano, Himes and Petrarca.

Call to Attorneys

And then we have EMSD#63’s long time Board Member  Mr. Steven Levy proposing the addition of two budget line items to track the costs of FOIA requests to the district, followed by the Board’s intention to publish those costs as part of each Board Minutes starting in August.   What’s this!  It’s like Blogo blaming the Feds for increasing his financial expenses. There would be little or no need for FOIA requests or the existence of this blog if transparency existed in East Maine School District #63. 

Email to Dr. Clay - Mr. Steven Levy Comment -Two Teachers

As a response to this decision I have included the following request on each FOIA submission: “Also, please provide the date, employee name, employee title, hourly rate, and actual time spent providing facts for this FOIA request.”  To this I receive the following answer: “The FOIA does not require us to answer questions or create documents.  However, we will be including the total hours expended and the staff cost for the month on the board action at each monthly meeting.”  How does the EMSD#63 intend to calculate these costs?  Maybe their just going to make the numbers up like they do their budgets.

Just another example of Clay/Wojtkiewicz leadership!

Just my opinion of course!

It’s true, you just can’t fix stupid!

I recently received and posted these comments to four of my fifty-four blog posts. I would like for you to take a moment to read them. They represent the darker side of the blogosphere, cowardly vile trash; this time, under the cover of anonymity. These specific comments cannot be ignored.

Recent Comments

Post Name: Dr. Clay states that he wishes to meet in private…

Anonymous said... “you sir are obviously a coward who would shake in his shoes at the very thought of speaking face to face with dr clay, you hide behind a stupid blog. If I had a problem with something you were doing I would be at your front door. The problem with people of your ilk is that you get one or two people blowing smoke up your ass and telling you what you are doing is great, but the other 99% could give 2 shits about you or what you are doing. get a clue move on and stop harrassing people who really are doing important and worthwhile work. August 15, 2010 3:12 PM”

 

Post Name: Dr. Clay is back!

Anonymous said... “You are damn lucky to have a man that has dedicated his life to kids and education. Why don't all you idiots on this blog use your time in a more useful manner like playing with razor blades. Mrs Buttersworth does not have the guts to meet Dr Clay face to face and instead hides on the internet like the coward he truly is. He will make up some long winded excuse why it would do no good but you and I all know the truth he is as yellow as the poop in his undies. August 17, 2010 9:25 AM”

 

Post Name: Spain is a great place for a vacation. Hope our lucky administrators had good ones - Update

Anonymous said... “I have seen many people like Mrs. Buttersworth who spend their lives fantasizing that they are doing something for the public good when in reality everyone looks at them like the joke they are. They dream that they are MAKING a difference when all they are really making is an ass of themselves. You need to get back on your meds Mrs Buttersworth. August 15, 2010 11:23 AM”

 

Post Name: I apologize!

Anonymous said... “I'm not sure what your "initial track" was intended to be, but after reading your recent posts, I hope you have something better to do than to continue to disseminate these ridiculous, trumped up allegations over nothing. If you are so concerned with the operation of the school districts in your area, then you should let the administrators do their jobs and stop wasting their time reacting to your muck-raking rumors and innuendo. August 13, 2010 10:35 AM”

Two things.

1. I am am an advocate for anonymity in blog comments.
2. I keep my post on this blog site civil, rational and targeted. I have used only district-generated emails or FOIA rendered facts to support my positions. Dr. Clay’s unexpected involvement at this site and his firm but courteous comments, were welcome and appreciated.

Those four comments offer none of that. They are crude and barren. The words say more about the empty vessels from which they originated, than the subjects discussed. In this case, they say more about the Williams/Clay supporters than I could have ever said on my own.  Further, the use of ridicule is always the tool used by nuckledraggers in their attempts to smear reason and reality.

I have been called, multiple times within those comments, a “coward”, yet I’m the one who’s full name appears is on the banner and posts. I am the one placing himself on the line and to his credit, so is Dr. Clay. It’s a shame he is represented so undeservedly and shamefully by this supporter(s).

Apparently, the author or authors know little of my actual relationship with this district. Had they had done their homework, they would have known that I have spoken face-to-face and toe-to-toe with Dr. Clay several times at public gatherings; including one held at Stevenson while he was Principal. Bravery has never been a prerequisite for discussions with Clay. If you call, he will answer. I just choose not to call!

I have expressed on this site more than once, the reasons why I choose not to meet ANY School District official behind closed doors. Had those writers actually read my posts, they would have understood that my unwillingness to meet any District Administrator in a non-public venue protects all concerned.

Now, for those wishing to “take on” their local school district I have an observation to share with you. East Maine School District #63, with it’s Board and sycophant cliques, is not representative of all school districts.

In the future I will continue to post even the most obnoxious of comments. And I know after this series of comments, you will easily recognize them for what they are. Their authors are empty, sometimes cowardly, highly irrational and vile trash.

Their kind of input is rubbish.

I apologize!

Dear reader, I realize that I have been on a tangent for the last couple of months.  Seems like everything is EMSD#63, Williams or Clay this or EMSD#63, Williams or Clay that.

I apologize for this prolonged adventure but I wanted to see just how far Dr. Clay was willing to go or how long the board or district’s attorneys would let him talk.  The level of written freewheeling public conversation with a school superintendent is rare and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity for as long as it lasted. 

My intention is to return to my initial track as quickly as possible.

In the mean time, I can only ask you to stick with me to see where the Williams contract and Clay hiring stories take us. You never know, there may even be a surprise ending.

Wouldn’t be the first time!

Kathleen Williams – Superintendent, Wausau School District!

The Wausau, Wisconsin School District picked former East Maine School District #63 Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Williams as their new Superintendent.  It was a tight three-way race but our Kathleen won the day.  Read article Wausau Daily Herald. 

Makes me feel like the father of the bride who remarks to the groom after the wedding of his expensive and unmanageable daughter, “now she’s your problem.” 

Wausau, we have two more “daughters” (senior EMSD#63 administrators) to marry off.  Do you know anyone who might be interested?  Will throw in a matched set of four used non-working school board members to sweeten the deal!

To the citizens of Wausau Wisconsin and Dr. Williams, we thank you.  Good luck and goodbye! 

Send your donation to Dr. Clay - today!

Alms for the poor!   Alms for the poor!

Seems EMSD#63 is so poor that it can’t afford an accounting system that produces an traditional End-Of-Year General Ledger Summary Report.  $80,000+ on a consulting contract for Williams but we can’t afford decent accounting and budgeting software!

I’ve been trying to convince East Maine School District #63’s FOIA Administrator Lynn Glickman to provide me copy of an official report under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that includes a source, title, date and page numbers.  EMSD#63 officials do not seem to understand that official reports, even if they are ad-hoc reports like the one displayed below, need four items that: 1.) describe the source of the report, 2.) describe the report itself, 3.) show when the report was created and 4.) allow for collation should the printed report fall to the floor.

FOIA - 100721-001 - Need Title Date and Page Numbers

FOIA Request by Butterly.100721-001

Now this isn’t the first time I’ve had this problem with EMSD#63 returning an “official” report without critical titling information.

Tentative+Budget+Printout.070710.Db

This tentative budget, the one the public is allowed to see prior to the passing of the Official Budget in September is, professionally speaking, worthless.  Mr. Bein made it clear at the 07/07/2010 Board Meeting that the 2010-11 budget numbers will change based on revenue availability.  This is not unexpected. 

However, as Mr. Bein stated in a Dr. Clay email to me 0n 08/04/2010, It (the tentative budget) “does not reflect final year end revenue and expense amounts as the year was not over and had not been through the accounting close process.”

The Amended Budget items (apples) reflect the full year (12 month) budget period.  The Realized Ytd (oranges) reflects an number less than full year.  Bottom line, we’re talking apples and oranges! 

The budget can not be tested for prior year budgeting accuracy. In short, we can not determine how accurate last years budget was.  That test is vital in determining the knowledge and judgment of the budgeter and the reasonableness of the new budget.

The situation we are in did not have to exist. There was enough time to do things right.  There is still enough time reissue a revised tentative budget and make the September 2010 deadline should the Board and Administration wished to do so.

Our Board Leadership is Budget Ignorant.

Not one School Board member recognized or objected to this worthless and inaccurate report when it was presented on 07/07/2010.  Placing title, date and page information on official reports are what professionals do.  Are all our board members country bumpkins?

Board President Jane Wojtkiewicz needs to fix this situation now to restore public confidence in EMSD#63’s Budgeting Process!

Twelve months of work and this is what we get?

Dr. Clay is back!

Can you believe it?  Just when I thought he’d fallen overboard and was lost, Dr. Clay returned.  There is a slight problem however.  Says I need to set the record straight.  Says he never left, never called it quits. 

How could I made such an error? 

Here in its entirety is the message Dr. Clay wrote under: EMSD#63’s Dr. Clay calls it quits. Again! 

“Mr. Butterly,

You need to reread my past responses carefully. I have never said I was ‘calling it quits’ nor that I would not be responding to your blog ever again. What I did say, was ‘I believe it is now in the best interest of our district that I restrict my responses to your blog.’ That was the only time I indicated I would be limiting my responses on here. Please, in the interest of honest dialogue, set the record straight with your readers.
I have made it clear that I welcome debate in regard to what I believe is in the best interest of our students and our school district. I don't believe it is good use of my time as superintendent to get into debates where the discussion has strayed to things like NAFTA, your suggestion that I should negotiate with foreign governments to set up teacher recruitment opportunities, or the distance from here to Mexico City. Those things have nothing to do with the challenges we face in this district. I will continue to interact in debates that are focused on the actual issues.
Also, thank you for listing the link to our blog in your last post. I do appreciate the effort.
Sincerely,
Dr. Clay

July 28, 2010 2:05 PM”

Of course not everyone interpreted Dr. Clays statement the same way he did.

Anon: July 29, 2010 8:05 PM wrote the following comment in response to Spain is a great place for a vacation. Hope our lucky administrators had good ones – Update.

"Dr. Scott Clay, Superintendent July 22, 2010 2:31 PM wrote:

'I believe it is now in the best interest of our district that I restrict my responses to your blog. Originally, I believed that addressing your individual concerns would open up a valuable dialogue; however I now believe that such a discussion has limited value....'

'... My blog, at emsd63.edublogs.org, will continue to be used to communicate and hopefully interact with our community. You and your readers are welcome to address your concerns there or with me in person.'

Seems to me like he was quitting!

Anon: July 29, 2010 8:05 PM "

Dr. Clay, I am not a stupid man, and in spite of my lacking an Ed D from Nova Southeast in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, your statement clearly indicates your intent to cease our “honest” and “valuable” dialogue through this blog.

If you were not quitting or limiting your responses to this blog you would have said something else, as you did on June 15, 2010 2:52 PM, when you stated:

"… Mr. Butterly, we have both spent far more time addressing a relatively small expenditure that took place four years ago than is really warranted. I will not be responding to this post any further."

I do owe all of my readers an slight apology. Dr. Clay only quit the blog once. The other time he quit the post.

Mea culpa!

Dr. Clay, reader Anon: July 29, 2010 8:05, I assume, knew the difference between quitting the blog and quitting the post because he only used the one quote.  I am sorry for my misstated heading, it should have read “Dr. Clay calls it quits.” Never the less, you did, all-be-it temporarily, quit this blog.

Welcome back!