by Brian Orr
The Re-1 School Board met for a workshop session on Tuesday evening, and discussed changing the district’s auditing firm (currently Greg Waller,) hiring a new maintenance supervisor, and performing a facility assessment.
Board Chairman Jesse Jackson was adamant in his opinion that now would the perfect time to change auditing firms and get a fresh set of eyes on the district finances.
Board member Lynette Kleinschmidt was equally adamant this was the wrong time to change auditors: “We need some consistency right now, and this is one thing that is consistent. We don’t need to be adding to the stress of the office manager and a new superintendent.” Board member Erin Jerant agreed, saying she felt the auditor was doing a pretty good job. Office Manager Toni Brgoch also said she was for keeping Waller, saying, “I feel the district would be losing more than it gained by switching auditors.”
It was agreed to put the issue on the Board’s next meeting agenda.
The next topic was replacing Dave Marquez, the District’s maintenance supervisor, who is leaving after more than 20 years on the job. Applications for the job have been turned in, but Brgoch told the Board that the best qualified person for the position was sitting in the room.
That person is Gaye Davis, who for the past several years has been the District’s grant writer, but that position’s funding will be tapering off next year. Davis is already on staff, knows how the building’s new computer-operated boiler systems work, and has the respect of the custodians. With this in mind, the Board will decide at the next meeting whether to go through the interview process with other candidates.
Davis also turned in a checklist of what the District would need for its facility assessment, which will be the blueprint for who will occupy which building when school starts next year. She said doing it “in house” would take a minimum of three months to complete, so it should start as soon as possible, so it is completed during the summer. Hiring an architectural firm to do the assessment would cost a minimum of $10,000.
