Good luck trying to find someone to replace him. With the BOE so tight on the purse strings and takes FOREVER to decide anything, plus their micro managing of the district, no new superintendent will want the job! Dont get me wrong, being financially responsible is a good thing, but being penny wise and pound foolish is another thing.

Did anyone really not see this coming?

No, it was very clear that the current BOE did not hold him in much regard. It was only a matter of time that he would be forced into this.

Wow this board has become the masters at creating drama and running administrators out of town.

What a sad day for our district! It seems that certain members of the BOE have achieved one of their obvious goals. Everyone needs to know that there are decisions being made that will have a huge impact on our entire district. PLEASE come to the meetings and become informed. Things are only going to get worse if we do not get involved! The BOE (again, not all members) have treated Dr. O'Donnell with complete disrespect and this cannot be a surprise to anyone paying attention. Everyone needs to let the Board know that this is not okay!

Can I assume that by "certain members" you mean those with whom you disagree?

This is a direct result of this board and their inability to trust anyone in this administration! Note, come June 30th we will be without a superintendent, an assistant superintendent and a curriculum superintendent, all three key members of the.cabinet! The actions of this board has placed serious pressure on the municipalities that make-up District 308. You want to talk about the domino effect this will bring us? I would call for an immediate resignation by the majority of this board and allow those who are committed to trust and respect for our children, their parents, our collective communities and this administration to be seated to restore D308 and protect the future of our communities!

Sorry to see Dr. O'Donnell go and so many in our administration have resigned already. Now I will have a difficult time deciding what to comment on this Monday. Decisions, decisions.

John, I agree with you.

I think it is unbelievable that the people of our community did not foresee the direction the "new" board was headed. The way our District employees and dedicated staff have been treat with a blatant disregard for their professionalism and lack of respect for their knowledge of the education system. I only hope that those board members that have conducted themselves in this manner will someday be able to enjoy someone treating them that same way. I regret to see Dr. O go .

Perhaps Dr. O’Donnell is leaving because the BOE is tightening the reigns and will not give him carte blanche to spend and spend and spend. Perhaps they have decided they are in charge.

Perhaps the poor moral is because the sluice gate of public money had closed to a trickle. A sign of the times.

As for finding someone to replace him, all the District has to advertise for is an administrator who is a fiscal conservative who understands the concept of being fiscally responsible with the public’s tax money. I don’t want a penny pincher either. Spend when it is necessary, but the current board majority ran on the concept of fiscally responsible administration of the school district. A majority also voted them into office and that majority wants them to watch the spending. I also challenge them to bargain hard with the unions when contracts become due again.

I fully support the board and hope more candidates with a similar mindset are in the future elected to board seats.

Sorry to hear the Dan has made this move. I wish him the best of luck with whatever he plans to do in the future. This is a sad day for District 308 to lose a man who has dedicated his life to education.

John, I agree. A sad day indeed. Dr. O, you did the best you could with what you had to work with, good luck.

Sometimes you got to say Enough is Enough.

@richard ayers; Dr O'Donnell's actions today reflect the wholly negative environment this board has created in our district. Public money or the lack thereof is not the reason for this dramatic move. Dr O'Donnell and his wife Sharon have graced this community in their short time in Oswego and this district and will be sorely missed. Fiscal conservatism is one thing, we have demonstrated our ability to do more with less, but to instill an environment of distrust, disrespect or acknowledgement of these professionals are unforgivable! This board's actions , as documented via the UStream Internet feed clearly demonstrate their inexperience and vendetta like treatment of this administration. Their inability to make a decision or demonstrate leadership affects all of us, parents, children and taxpayers alike!

I agree with Richard. This is not the first time there has been problems in this district. And guess what?! We survived! Everyone take a deep breath - this too shall pass...

I'm middle of the road on this...I agree with Alette. I also agree with some of what Rich Ayers said. The district will not collapse. The world will keep turning. No one is irreplaceable. There are other administrators out there. Good luck to this one and best of luck to his replacement. The district is a mess, and that didn't just start happening with the newly elected board members. It's a product of a number of factors and there will be unhappy people as it gets sorted out over the coming years.

I hope my children get a decent education in the meantime. I think that's basically what everyone hopes for, isn't it?

Rich Ayers, I'm sorry to have to completely disagree with you. While Dan was not perfect, he was respected by the administrators in the district and always an advocate for children. Finding a great candidate this late in the superintendent search cycle will be hard enough, let alone one that will look at this board's history of indecision, self-interest and lack of respect for their administrative staff and consider working here. I'd be willing to bet a shiny nickel a certain board member's close relative is already polishing off his CV.

With this school board I'm surprised he lasted this long. The newer members are laughable.

The word on the street is there is a certain board member that wants to put a close family member in this position or another high level admin role.....

Simply unbelievable. More people need to get out and vote and get INVOLVED. The thing is, so many people simply look at the $$$. They don't see the FUTURE. It's not ALWAYS about the money. This is our children's future for cryin' out loud. 2 years from now everyone will be complaining about how a 3rd high school should have been built. Well, no kidding.

Dave, and while I'm here, Rich:

The 'board' didn't do anything here other than create a hostile environment for admins to work under.

Rich: once again I'll explain that superintendents don't spend money, under the law, school BOARDS do. If these clowns want to find fiscal conservatism they only need to look in a mirror. Though they may not even see their own reflections.....,

In the short time I have gotten to know Dr. Dan O'Donnell, I have respect for the man as I did for Todd Colvin, who has also chosen to leave the district. In my opinion, the BOE seems to be untouchable, kinda like the Government. With that power at their fingertips, its difficult for administrators to work side by side with dictatorship behavior. I feel bad that these two have chosen to leave our district and not support our children, however I can understand the difficulties they faced and reasons for leaving. I was told, but wont mention anyones name, and I quote," hey, maybe one day you'll be on this Board Crystal". My reply, "ehhh, not sure about that one!" His reply," I agree, there are much easier boards to work for than this one!" WOW that statement said a lot and really put things in perspective for me. I am a current committee member, however, I am always a parent FIRST. Ive learned a lot serving on the committee, some good and def some bad, overall it was a very eye opening experience that will def effect the way I look at the BOE.

ok, here is the rest of my comment...it wouldnt fit together above. hehe
I believe if we are trying to raise adults in this district, then we all need to act like adults. Fighting, abusing our power and making decisions out of selfish motives is exactly what we ask our kids not to do, so why are people in our district doing exactly that??? That is where the problems begin. I for one, dont agree with many decision, past and current that the BOE has made, however, they do rely on our votes to be sitting where they are today, so lets make that clear to them. We can refuse to sit around and wait for someone else to do what is our job as parents, and that is to speak out and demand a better and stable dist for our kids, or we can actually get up and do something about it, go to the people who can tell the BOE what they can and can not do, and for once show our kids that there is a respectful and appropriate way to be heard and accomplish things. When our kids cry and complain we tend to get to a point of tuning them out, well that is going to happen to us as a dist if we dont start coming forward with the facts and speaking the truth in a respectful way. Ive done exactly that over the last few days with a BOE member, and I have to say it was a two way converstaion that felt accomplished for sure at the end. Lets do this as a community, stop dividing ourselves and eachother and come together no matter where we live in the dist. Anyone??

Dr. O'Donnell deserves our thanks and good wishes.

Crystal, I really like the comments you have made about expecting our kids to act better than this. We do expect that, and we should all work to set an example for them. Especially those in our school district with the authority to make decisions about their education. So sorry to see all of the politics playing out at the expense of our children.

As a former administrator in 308 I was proud to be associated with the district. After observing the incompetences of many of the current micro-managers on the Board, I can only shake my head is disbelief. Good luck finding someone with experience in a rapidly growing, suburban, large school district who will want to work with this board. If you think a current seated superintendent of a K-8 district with 100 students has the abilities, you are only kidding yourselves. It takes skills, experience and knowledge.

The board now will have the task of coming together to develop a set of attributes and criteria regarding a new superintendent. I wonder what if any community involvement will occur in the process.

Dr. Dan O'Donnell is a good and decent man and highly competent and inclusive administrator. He'll be missed. And I'll second K. Lidder's perspective and lay some of the blame on people in this community who didn't bother to vote in board elections, thus allowing a tiny minority to elect these embarrassing teabaggers, loudmouths and incompetents. This train wreck started back on Election Day 2010 and we'll continue to feel it's effects until a more responsible board is restored and damage to the district's sinking reputation can be repaired. (And, yes, I voted in 2010 -- and not for this crew).

Let's not forget candidates for this position are interviewing the board as much as they are being interviewed by the board. That could be interesting.

Now is the time for all residents of Oswego 308 to pay attention and be concerned. Dr. O'Donnell's intelligence, vision and leadership will be missed. It is very troubling that our highly dysfunctional BOE will now hire someone for his position as well as hire for 2 assistant superintendent positions as well. Please consider attending school board meetings and speaking about this troubling state of affairs during public comment. This situation needs to be monitored closely and the BOE needs to be held accountable. We vote for our school board. They need to hear our voices and concern.

Can we as a community unelect the current board members?.

Well I hope this is a wake up call for the community so when the next election is we vote for who helps the community not themselves or their friends.

Those of you who have that spend at any cost because it's for the children mentality are sadly misguided. Putting this school district in even more financial hock will benefit no one, especially the "children".

On another note, those of you who believe that just because a tax payer doesn't have a student in Dist 308 they should just be quiet. I merely would tell you to "toss off". If you pay taxes to 308, you should be able to voice your opinion on how the district is run.

So how more hundreds of millions of dollars should be spent in this District? Does anyone actually realize how much money has already been spent? There are numerous studies that show very little correlation between spending and achievement except at the very low end of the spending side.

Homeschooled kids, on average, out perform public school educated kids and do it on far less money. The last thing we need is more money being spent 'for the kids'. Guess what? The money actually comes from taxpayers and I want to see a Board that advocates for the taxpayers. The kids already have enough money and they certainly aren't lacking in any luxuries at their schools. Look at an aerial photo the the District schools and you'll see that the majority of land is used for sports fields- even fancy practice fields. Nice elevated tracks, recording studios, green room, fancy stages. Yeah, the kids are really lacking, aren't they?

As far as Dr. Dan, didn't he have a high salary in order to compensate him for this sort of job? I hope that his contract doesn't have to be bought out like in the past considering that he is the one who made the decision to leave.

The general opinions here have been heard, however regardless of your feelings on Dr. O'Donnell's resignation, I believe he showed his true colors in the January 5 issue of the Ledger Sentinel.

...They say hindsight is always 20-20, so I asked O'Donnell if he would still have taken this job on July 1, 2009 had he known of the many challenges he would have to face.

"If I knew that it was going to be this difficult and last this long, I probably would not have. I would have probably passed and gone to another state that was in better shape. And I did look at other states," he concluded.

Dr O'Donnell came to Oswego looking to earn some $$$ in conjuction with his retirement pension. It should not surprise any of us that when the current BOE did not Rubber Stamp his recommendations...he walks. The current BOE was elected by voters who wanted a thorough evaluation of the projects at hand. They have done so and have also been by far the most accessable and interactive BOE in the past 12 years that we have lived in the 308 district. Through those years, we have gone through 3 boundary changes, administrative issues, and been lied to and coerced by previous BOE members. Those previous BOE members who are no longer serving need to remember that the voters spoke, and elected others in place of you to serve the 308 district. The silent majority is not overlooking today's events, they are appreciating the fruits of their labor.

I see a lot names that commented frequently during the debate on a third high school, administrators and an ousted board member. Dr. O’Donnell continued following the 2006 Behlow plan with Todd Colvin’s advice and operational direction until a new board was elected in 2011. It was evident to anyone who thoroughly analyzed the declining growth and declining revenues that the Behlow plan was not feasible. The only significant change that Dr.O’Donnell made was installing All Day Kindergarten an unmandated program that will now occupy Eastview and increase busing costs when the state is reducing reimbursement. Those unhappy with boundaries that created overcrowding in some schools and others half empty, Thank Todd Colvin because he directed the last boundary change. The newly elected board realized the problems facing the district and has taken action to reduce spending and live within the district’s revenues as nearly as possible. Further deficit spending will cause decreased education opportunity for future students when interest on debt takes even more of the revenue. This board is doing what they were elected to do. To Richard Saunders, I am willing to bet a Shiny Nickel that the board will find administrator replacements with equal or better core academic credentials and at lower salaries.

Nice to hear from you Mr. Hoffer, where have you been? I think that you need to understand that many of us were not born and raised here, but chose to live in this area because of all the things it has to offer. I won't even pretend to have the knowledge you have of the decisions made in the past and to be honest with you the past is not as important as the future. None of us can undo the decisions that have already been made. While there are some you may call the "silent majority .... appreciating the fruits of their labor" their are many others who are watching not only what the BOE does, but how they do it. When the sun shines on the inner workings of the Board most people will not like what they see.

Hey Lee - As long as the canidates being considered have prior experience that did not end in termination due to a lack of ability or personal issues, and do not present a conflict of interest with the BOE or other elected bodies, I don't think anyone will have a problem. I am sure you will agree that nepotism is completely unacceptable as is the hiring of unqualified individuals. I would frankly like to see a citizen committee present with a member from each major school allowed to listen to all deliberations as well as the interview process. Correct me if I am wrong but since this involved personnel it would fall under the rule that would make all proceeding closed door in nature.

We were not born or raised here, but came here like many others to build a life for our family and an educational process for our children that allowed them to experience success beyond what we had available to us in our learning years. I am sorry, Jennifer, but I do believe that when the sun shines on the inner workings, they will see that the current BOE has stood up to years of "yes men" in order to put our students first in spite of popular opinion.

This BOE has been open to public input, has met with concerned parents at the drop of a hat and has taken our concerns and moved forward to make sure that all of the students in D308 have the best possibilities available, no matter what side of the boundaries you fall on. This BOE has the future in mind with their decisions and even when faced challenging decisions, stands up for what they believe is best.

I encourage everyone who questions this BOE's intentions to review the last 3-4 years of Closed Session which shows that between 2006 and 2010 each and every vote in Closed Session was decided with a unanimous vote by the BOE. This is extremely concerning...did not one of our elected officials have any concern or question in closed session? EVERY vote of record shows a vote that rubber stamps the status quo...between 2 different Superintendents. No wonder O'Donnell was surprised to come up against opposition and decided it was easier to move on.

Yes, I am for real. When, outside of the past few months have you been in contact with the BOE? I have had students in D308 for the past 11 years & have lived in a area that has had 3 HS boundary changes, portable classrooms and a HS admin that is sub-par at best. I have been a part of committees that have dealt with previous boards that have lied to our faces and then wondered why they were not re-elected by their peers.

You could care less what happened in closed session??? Really? A BOE who says one thing in public and does the exact opposite behind closed doors is our greatest enemy. There has been NO standing up for what THEY believe in...it has been bowing down to what the admin. wants to take place.

When our recent concerns have been shared, we have met with BOE members within a few hours notice on two separate occasions. These Board Members have listened to our concerns and have remained in contact. We had NO prior relationship with these BOE members...we just reached out for their help with a situation that was needed. Mr. Walsh has always made himself readily available to us and has been nothing but professional and respectful, even when he did not share our same opinions. I would love to see a copy of the email you sent to Bill, along with his rude response...everything is subject to opinion.

I believe that there will never be a BOE that pleases everyone on every day. But, the old adage that applies is, be careful what you wish for...

@Lee Hoffer; how is the weather in sunny Florida? Are you enjoying the fruits of your labor? The majority of this board, Walsh, Pasteris, Swanson and Lightfoot have enacted your agenda to the very detail you envisioned. The result is a 10 year step backward in the educational system in District 308. I raise two points in reference, when we opened OEHS, you voted against hiring the first principal because he was not the best candidate, you believed it should have been the husband of a current board member. Is that your plan now that we will have THREE open superintendent positions? Also, during the first SDFAC committee 10 years ago it was suggested to increase the school populations to 750 for elementary, 1100 for Jr High and no more than 3000 for the HS., yet today, you support the ever increasing population of our schools without consideration for our childrem's educational experience. What's next, full year schools?

At the end of the day sir, you are a bully and preach your words as fact We are no longer a sleepy bedroom community, we are no longer a simple river community, we are and continue to grow as a municipality that needs real leadership and not puppets! This. Boards' actions are destroying the core of our district, while you are enjoying your winter in sunny Florida!

Mr. Graff, You are very bitter after being trounced in the last election. Fortunately, the majority of the community does not share your "vision" for what makes a successful school district. You and your cohorts have driven the district and the community to the brink of financial ruin and the current board is attempting to clean up your mess. One of the primary reasons the community is at odds right now is you built schools that are located in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of empty corn fields. Thank God we did not build the third high school on Rt 126, theres not a house anywhere for miles!! What were you thinking? As far as Leland Hoffer is concerned he has been the best public servant we have ever had in Kendall County bar none. He has held people like you to account and that led to your demise as a school board member. Of course you answer to accountability was to hold major referendum during a special election, or circumventing the Open Meetings Act at every opportunity. You even did your best to ram through the new high school before the new board was seated, even though the majority of Oswegoans were opposed. It's no wonder to me that you no longer sit on the board, however it was a voluntary, unpaid position so I will thank you for your service. Leland, enjoy your stay in Florida, you earned it, and if you bump into Pat and Bill Cote give them our regards!

This is WONDERFUL news for our district!!!!!

Dave - This type of hiring has been going on in this district for years, so it should NOT be an issue. As long as they go through the process in the proper manner. I have seen hirings where those involved in the interview process should have excused themselves because of a conflict of interest - but they did not. I have total faith that any interviews this time around would be handled professionally (especially after some of the comments above). Good luck to all the board members in this process!

Why is it that so many assume that DR.O'Donnell was FORCED to resign? His resignation letter has not been made public, yet. People resign for a variety of reasons. Gen Douglas MacArthur tried to resign by his own accord on two occasions before President Truman "accepted" his resignation. Dr O'Donnell may have personal reasons for resigning...or he may have been coerced into resigning. We do not know the reasons behind it, we are only speculating at this point.
It appears that many folks are quick to point blame without concrete data. Dr O'Donnell has done a good job in his position and has displayed a high degree of competence and ethics. This district is no bed of roses for any administrator, to include the members of the BOE.
As for having a member of the board's spouse being considered for a replacement, why the heck not? If they are qualified to do the job, it makes sense to recruit a local person (existing community interest, no relocation costs, no temporary housing cost, recruitment costs, etc.). There are several candidates for the job that currently reside in the surrounding areas. I doubt we'll have any problem recruiting competent talent, despite our limitations.
Dr O'Donnell stepped up to the plate and did his job. I appreciate his work and wish him well on his future, whether it is in education, or retirement. But I hardly subscribe to any "conspiracy theory" that has been presented. Then again, his letter has not been made public.

With all this talk of a current BOE relative interested in a superintendent position. That current member must resign first due to conflict of interest. I don't know if that would happen

@Stephen Lange -- totally agree. And honestly, I don't see it happening anyway. I think the board knows that would not do anything to improve relations with the community that is already fragmented, for a variety of reasons.

Response: Jennifer I chose not to spend time on the Patch due to the superficial comments based on feelings and self interest instead of facts. Your comment, "I could care less of what has happened in closed session", is an example. Mr. Saunders, You say you are tempted to take my offer. It still stands. Check my record as a board member. I supported the 2001 referendum that built OEHS, Bednarcik Jr. High and elementary schools. My vote was always based on need and what was fiscally responsible.

For John Graff: I voted against Behlow's choice for the first principal of OEHS because he was the number three choice of the selection committee, which I was a member. Your SDFAC numbers for schools is in error. The number for Jr. Highs is 1125 not 1100 and as a board member you should know the correct numbers. I have never advocated increasing the capacities of the schools in fact I advocated leaving the developed areas at 600/900/2400, It was your board that changed the numbers to 750/1125/3000. Your board voting record was a rubber stamp for the administration and the reason you were voted off the board.
You say I am a bully and preach words as fact, so specify facts I have stated that are wrong. Compared to your bravado at board meetings and Patch comments I am mild. I vacation in Florida but I always supported the school district and paid my taxes on time, unlike your five year late payment record, while on the board and voting to spend other’s money.

A comment has been removed because it poses a threat to students in District 308.

I scoff at that blanket "conflict of interest" argument. It's only a conflict of interest if it is made to be a conflict of interest. There is nothing wrong with considering a QUALIFIED candidate that happens to have a relative on the board.
My hometown experienced an identical population explosion as this area. My Uncle was the Supt. when he married into our family, his brothers were teachers, my folks were on the School board, my Grandma was a TA and her sister was a school nurse. My aunt was a librarian and my grandfather a custodian at the schools. That school system was as large as ours and it worked well. People become related and become friends. That's what happens when a small town grows really quickly. There's no conflict of interest in that. I would agree that the the circumstances may lead SOME people to suspect favoritism, but until any wrong doing or dishonest actions are demonstrated, tough patooties!
Being related to a board member should not exclude any qualified candidate from being considered for a position. CONFLICT of INTEREST my butt.

Is the person everyone is mentioning for consideration of Superintendant the same person that was once a OHS teacher ? The same one that taught building trades, spent the districts money to do upgrades to his home (new deck and various other upgrades) while "teaching" his class ? Is that the person we are talking about ?

Dr. O already had a paid pension with Branson Missouri, and this was icing. When the going got tough, sadly he got going. We should probably have looked into a candidate closer to home and further from retirement in the first place. My advice on the next one ? bring your candidates in, before they meet with the board on their interviews, have them run across an ill-dressed actor in a room pretending to be a parent of a kid in the district. How he behaves towards them is a good indicator on how he or she would behave to the population. It would also be nice to see a superintendent that had been in the classroom as an active teacher who had to grade papers, and be judged by a principal and superintendent as opposed to a former band director. Personally, I'd like to see Dr. Ed Howerton [former principal OEHS] take a shot at it, but this is personal opinion. Respectfully, John and Lee : the real shame is I like and voted for you both and you're both behaving like spoiled schoolkids - you speak about being respectful then take pot shots at each other. So much for character counts huh ? you got to live it. The real shame is you two would make an amazing team if you could only get along.

"A camel is a horse that was designed by a committee..." I have no idea who said that but it supports the argument that sometimes public insistence upon controlling certain matters is unproductive. There are some of us that accuse the board of being micro-managers yet insist upon controlling their every decision. There are those of us that argue points that do not have bearing on the issue at hand. And...some of us have a martini and watch with interest. I love this venue!

RIDICULOUS!!! First, we have not heard the reason that Dr. ODonnell has decided to leave. Blaming people before you even know the reason/reasons is wrong. Why not let the man be heard before you jump to conclusions, he deserves that.
Secondly all of this back stabbing and whispering out loud is disgusting. We all know who that is "sshhh" don't say it out loud. Let's all pretend we're back in grade school again and " I know something that you don't ". Mrs. Pasteris deserves some respect. Whether you agree with her decisions or not is too damn bad, get over it. Her professional and personal decisions are none of our business at this point. Bringing someone's family members into a conversation makes for tabloid rumors. Time to hand out the "A's" for character counts.
@Mrs. Buttersworth, Really!! The building trades teacher built his entire home from tax-payer money, you didn't know that. Jump back in your bottle of syrup and "CORK IT" Your take on teachers have been noted. Opinions are one thing but "Rumors" and back yard bullying are as low as it gets.

@Russ - yes I have an agenda its called hoping that this situation is handled ethically. What is yours? I never said a family member couldn't be considers, I said if that does happen that the board member whose family is applying should abstain from the vote. Do you really think I think JFK didn't have an influence? Do you really think I don't think the abstaining member wouldn't have an influence? Regardless of outcome this needs to be handled ethically. Are you opposed to ethics? I love a good argument as much as the next person Russ but you are being ridiculous.

Are people really comparing the Superintendent and our BOE to the President of the US and his influences and family? REALLY PEOPLE??? CMON, let's put an end to this ridiculousness. Agree to disagree and move on. Character Counts, right?

Before some of you shed anymore tears for these administrators, you should realize their annual salaries make most of your salaries look like minimum wage. These are typical overpaid government bureaucrats. They got caught being unqualified and arrogant. The results here speak for themselves.

In government, appointed chief executives usually "read the writing on the wall" and offer resignation to avoid an ugly public firing. It's probably the case here. No sane person quits a high paying job like super or assistant super without having something else lined up.

For those of you who think it's wrong for a board to micromanage, you are right. However, when a staff wastes resources and time sending out bogus opinion surveys, pushing for suicidal fiscal plans, misinterpreting growth patterns, and trying to manipulate politics, micromanagement is needed until qualified people can assume responsibility for the day to day operations.

I'm gonna let you in on a little secret. District administrators are fantastic at talking the talk, but when it comes down to actually doing the work of running a district, they are mostly clueless. There are tons of high paid consultants that feed off incompetence. I used to be one of them. So, not only are you paying taxes for very high five and six figure administrator salaries, you are also paying consultant fees for the very same job. One for the price of two. That's a government deal! Wake up.

What I find very interesting is that so many people would be OK with the spouse of a BOE member as the leader of this school district. And for the record he would not have the most experience since he is a super in a rural area of Morris, IL and he also serves as the principal of that very small elementary school. This is just another thing for this current group of new BOE members to cross off their personal agendas. Also go back and listen to the live broadcasts as to how many times Dr. O had to jump in tell the board president how to call a motion or how to vote. If you think any applicant out there will not watch a live BOE meeting before taking this job you are nuts. Everyone voted for these three in order to stop the 3rd high school and everyone will soon get what they deserve!

@ ayar; I agree with your thoughts that a Superintendent should be hired from within the State of Illinois and someone that is not retired because when a person is dependent only on the income from their current job they have reason to be more motivated to do a good job. My opinion is that candidates should in their undergraduate degree have a major in a core academic subject and have several years of actual classroom teaching experience. The last two Superintendents came from out of state and their undergraduate degrees were: Music for Dr. O’Donnell and Community Science for Dr. Behlow. You were correct that Dr. O’Donnell was retired but it was from Francis Howell School District at St. Charles, MO. An extensive review of credential should be accomplished to include an on-site visit.
Thank you for voting for me; however, I don’t understand your basis for saying my behavior is like a spoiled school kid. I have only been defending myself from barbs thrown at me that have been untrue and inferred lack of honesty

Hi Lee, Refreshing to read the facts on our district, it's a pleasure to see you back. I would find it most valuable if you could way in, time to time, with facts and numbers for our current employment problem. There's so much gossip and high school drama going on most of us don't know where the district stands. I have complete faith that we'll find a replacement for Dr. ODonnell and move along. I'm guessing this is the tip of the iceberg. Enjoy the warm weather, please send some our way.

Hello Lee and Patricia,

I mentioned earlier how embarrassed I am of all this down hill slide. It is sad when there is an option of the high road with facts or the low road with slander and gossip what choices are made.
I want community members hitting the pause button. This is worst than school kids. Embarrassing to say the least.
I thank this board for protecting the tax payers and having to make incredible finance choices to serve all. Who the heck would want all this abuse? Thank you to this current board for watching my property tax bill. There has never been education gains by simply pumping more money into the system.

Peace,

Jerri Powell

@Vance, For your information I was not rejected by the voters and it appears you have no respect for the Board of Education. I will correct statements made about me that are false and I imagine that you would do the same. I would be glad to have a discussion with you if you provide your full name in future comments.

Can't let you have the last word, Mr. Hoffer :) I do have respect for your service to the community even though I disagree with you. We all need to agree to disagree, stop living in the past and work together as a community to solve difficult problems. I would enjoy a real conversation with you anytime, sincerely.

@Guy Fawkes: Your memory is incorrect. There was a committee that interviewed and examined applicants' credentials for the OEHS Principal position and made a recommendation to Supt. Behlow. I was the board member on the committee but I don't remember who all the members were except Todd Colvin was on the committee. No current board members were on that committee. The committee used a weighted system to select the best qualified for the recommendation which happened to be Dr. Pete Pasteris. Dr. Behlow without giving a reason selected Mr. Howerton. @ oswego308watch: You nailed it! The administration has been bringing in consultants to do the job that they should be able to do at their 6 figure salaries. If they can't do the job it is time to get someone who can. Taxpayers should not have to pay two to do one's job. @Jennifer: Those who don't learn from history will continue to make the same mistakes.