U-46's CFO leaving to take job at Harper College
The second chief financial officer in less than a year has announced his resignation from Elgin Area School District U-46.
Ron Ally will leave his position July 1, according to a Tuesday afternoon district announcement.
Ally could not be reached for comment, but the Daily Herald received a copy of an e-mail from Harper College President Kenneth Ender, announcing that Ally will join the school as an executive vice president.
"The board will confirm Ron's appointment at the April meeting and we are targeting a July 1 start date," Ender wrote to college officials.
According to spokesman Phil Burdick, Ally will replace Judy Thorson, who retired at the end of 2009.
Ally, a Larkin High School alumnus, came to U-46 in mid-August from McHenry County College, where he was serving as the school's treasurer and vice president for administrative services.
He replaced John Prince, U-46's chief financial officer since 2004, who left for Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 at the end of June, at the same time its chief operations officer, Jeff King, departed for Lake Zurich District 95.
Ally's tenure at the district has been difficult, to say the least. This fall, he announced the district would be cutting $4.9 million from its 2009-10 budget, after predicting a $53.5 million deficit at the end of the school year.
On March 15, $29.6 million in cuts to next year's budget were unveiled, including the layoffs of 1,072 staff members, the closing of an early childhood center, and cuts to special education, sports and high school electives. More are on the negotiating table.
Just Monday night, he told the school board the district has a $23 million deficit in its education fund; a $10 million deficit in its operations fund and a $17 million deficit in its transportation fund. The state is behind $20 million in payments to U-46.
"I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve the 41,000 students of U-46," Ally said in a news release. "However, because I intend to pursue other challenges, I believe it is best for me to submit my resignation now so that the search for my replacement can begin."
According to the district, Ally was making $180,495.
Superintendent Jose Torres said the search for a new CFO will begin this week.
Along with Ally, Jim O'Connor, the district's director of student services, resigned after he received a fellowship from Building Excellent Schools to open a charter school in the Chicago area. O'Connor has also been with the district less than a year. U-46 spokesman Tony Sanders said officials do not plan to fill O'Connor's position.