The unanimous election of former Evanston Township High School Board of Education Vice President Ross Friedman to the position of board president at Monday’s board meeting went smoothly, but controversy surrounded the board vice presidential election.
Board member Jane Colleton won the vice president position with a 6-1 vote.
The dissenting vote was from board member Martha Burns who, after nominating herself for the position, expressed concerns about the election process before the roll call vote.
Burns assumed that the nominations were based on seniority but was uncertain if there were any set rules governing the nomination and election process, she said. Based on the seniority tradition, Burns would have been next in line.
The election of board officers was postponed from the April meeting. In the closed session preceding that meeting, board members expressed concern about Burns’ candidacy for vice president, she said.
“People don’t feel like I’m suited for this position,” Burns said. “(The board) can’t even give me a chance, and that is disappointing to me.”
Two of the three women who spoke during the public comment session also addressed concerns about the election process.
Lisa Kupferberg, said the board’s processes and procedures need to be more public.
“The restructuring of the board should be in here with the mics on so we know what you’re thinking,” Kupferberg said of the closed session meeting held before the originally scheduled election date.
She referred to the process as a “shutdown system” and said the board should elect leaders who want to make the community part of the board’s processes.
To round out the election of board officers, ETHS Chief Financial Officer Bill Stafford was unanimously elected to the position of board secretary and Gerald Leibforth was appointed treasurer.
The board also unanimously approved the election of ETHS student Chasity Cooper for the position of student representative on the board.
But the lack of student turnout for the election sparked discussion among the board.
Lack of student campaigning and understanding were two possibilities for the low turnout, current student board representative Daniel Esrig said.
“It’s a shame that students take this position for granted,” he said.
A communication gap exists between the student body and the board and progress needs to be made in this area, he said.
Suggestions from Esrig and board members to encourage student involvement included having the student representative write a regular column in ETHS’s student paper, The Evanstonian, and conduct regular interviews with board members.
In addition to elections, a preliminary proposal about a possible extracurricular participation fee was presented to the board by D202 superintendent Allan Alson and Stafford. The plan will be brought before the board for action at the May 22 meeting.
Budget cuts for the 2005-06 school year resulted in the loss of several extracurricular and athletic activities, including the fall season for the Pom Kits. Members of this dance team came to the past two board meetings to ask the board for action in restoring their season.
Under the proposal, all registering students, with the exception of those on the free or reduced lunch program, would be charged a $125 participation fee.
The proposed fee, taking into account inflation, would provide $260,000, enough money to restore the cut programs until 2010.
Reach Anna Prior at [email protected].
