Oak Park and River Forest High School’s Board of Education made the superintendent/principal position split official last week with a 5-2 vote.
Board President Barry Greenwald and members Valerie Fisher, John Rigas, Barbara Fernandez, and Dee Millard voted in favor of the split at last Thursday’s regular District 200 board meeting, with Yasmin Ranney and Jacques Conway voting no.
Along with a new superintendent to replace the retiring Susan Bridge, OPRF will likely have a principal, possibly chosen by the next superintendent, according to Greenwald and others on the board.
The board was expected to begin interviewing firms to conduct a superintendent search today. Ray & Associates, BWP & Associates, School Exec Connect and Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates were slated for interviews at a special board meeting Wednesday morning.
The question still up in the air is whether one or even two additional administrators will be hired.
Ranney, who opposed splitting the positions, said she would not support adding another administrator.
Conway, however, said the district would need another administrator with the top position separated, acknowledging that it would add to the district’s current costs.
The board has discussed the possible split and financial ramifications of restructuring and adding to the current Building Administration Team at several public meetings prior to last Thursday.
Board President Barry Greenwald suggested the option of leaving a line item in the 2007-08 budget for another administrative salary.
“That’s an option I would like to make use of,” he said. “You don’t want to put too much in place to hamstring the new superintendent, but having [a line item] there would give him or her a little bit of wiggle room.”
Cheryl Witham, Dist. 200’s chief financial officer, said such a line item was an option for the 2007-08 budget, which she’ll begin putting together by next January.
“That’s the time when we will be able to set aside a line item in the budget. We start with a zero-based budget, which is the most difficult to do because that’s when we, in a very detailed manner, begin looking at priorities,” she said. “If we say we want to spend money in this area, then we have to figure out where to save money in other areas.”
Rigas, however, said it was too soon to talk about any budget items relating to the school’s administration.
“I think we’re putting the cart before the horse,” he said. “We’re finalizing this year’s budget and we’re already talking about next year’s. It’s hard to know that a superintendent will want structure-wise. To me, it seems like talking about anything budget-wise doesn’t make a lot of sense.”
Witham, in part, agreed that discussing specific salary items was too soon.
“There’s some freedom within the budget, but it’s not time right now,” she said.
The last major administrative shakeup occurred in 1999. Bridge, who was hired in July 1999, reorganized the BAT, adding the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction position currently held by Phil Prale.
The assistant superintendent for pupil support services is currently vacant since Donna Stevens’ resignation last spring.
Bridge has said that the position would not be filled until the next superintendent is hired. The duties of pupil support services, including student discipline, have been reassigned to other administrators.
Prior to Bridge’s hire, OPRF’s administration consisted of five positions, including an associate school principal. After the 1999-2000 restructuring, seven administrators make up the Building Administrative Team.
Current administrators make upwards of $130,000 and more, except for Amy Hill, director of instruction, who makes $90,000, according to records from the Illinois State Board of Education.
Current salaries have increased for administrators since 1999. The assistant superintendent in 1999 made $150,875. The assistant school principal made $111,283.
Salaries have increased while the school’s enrollment has also gone up since the last restructuring. In 1999, OPRF’s enrollment was roughly 2,700 students. The school’s current enrollment is slightly more than 3,000, according to the school’s state report card.
CONTACT: tdean@wjinc.com
The District 200 Board of Education will not change its policy on how public comments are conducted at board meetings and who are allowed to make them. Board President Barry Greenwald said Policy 1200, which sets procedural guidelines on who speaks during the public comments of portions at board meetings, will remain as is.
The board had considered clarifying the procedures, said Greenwald, among them, requiring some speakers to submit a written copy of their comments to the board president prior to a meeting.
Greenwald said the vocal opposition to that and other changes prompted the halt to the changes.
“It’s simply not worth the kind of angst that it created,” he said.
Greenwald said the board was in unanimous agreement in keeping the policy the same.
-Terry Dean