It’s been a while, but let’s revisit everybody’s favorite county in Southwestern Illinois.
Another tussle has broken out in East St. Louis over the school board. Lonzo Greenwood was ousted as President of East St. Louis District 189 School Board by the state financial oversight board. It would appear the Mr. Greenwood felt he would unilaterally extend the food service contract.
The state-appointed panel voted Wednesday to remove Greenwood from the board for his involvement in extending the district’s $3.4 million food service contract with Sodexho. After the oversight panel held a hearing with Greenwood, it determined that he acted improperly when he signed a letter in 2002 extending the Sodexho contract for an additional three years.
When the School Board decided to seek bids in 2003, Greenwood produced the “letter of understanding” that he had signed in 2002. Sodexho ultimately was not the lowest bidder in 2003, but the district ended up extending the company’s contract through this school year.
The panel said Greenwood should have presented the letter of understanding for approval of both the oversight panel and the School Board. The situation is another example of the lack of internal financial control in the district, said Richard Mark, chairman of the panel.
The reality is that the East St. Louis Board lacks the capacity to run its own schools currently. There are people who could–Percy Harris is one of them, but he isn’t going to be elected and he isn’t crazy enough to run even if he could be. A full state takeover would be a far better answer for the children of East St. Louis.
Your blog is enlightening and wonderful. Thank you for the excellent documentation of some very interesting information.
I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Virginia. I am TRYING desperately to find some school board policy information for District 189, for a paper I am writing. I have already called the central office, emailed the superintendent, and called the local newspaper–to no avail. You seem so well-informed. Any suggestions? Thank you very much!
Your blog is enlightening and wonderful. Thank you for the excellent documentation of some very interesting information.
I am a doctoral candidate at the University of Virginia. I am TRYING desperately to find some school board policy information for District 189, for a paper I am writing. I have already called the central office, emailed the superintendent, and called the local newspaper–to no avail. You seem so well-informed. Any suggestions? Thank you very much!
We have had an outstanding debt from something we delivered to what is now Younge Middle School two years ago. We have notations of at least 13 documented contacts with school personnel, including various pricipals. Less than half of the outstanding balance was paid, and that was after 5 months of calls. False promises, ignored calls, all the earmarks of what I would call a very low end operation. I pity the poor kids.