Grayslake D46 has new board leader

Contending a cloud is over some of their fellow elected officials, two newcomers made an unsuccessful request to delay selecting a president for the Grayslake Elementary District 46 board.

Following a 4-3 vote from his colleagues late Tuesday, Ray Millington became board president until next May. School board presidents lead discussion at meetings and typically act as the officials’ main voice to the public.

Kip Evans and Shannon Smigielski were the first-time board members who were sworn in with incumbent Susan Facklam for 4-year terms. Exiting were Colleen Wade and Mary Garcia, who had been board president.

Before Evans and Smigielski were seated, many in a crowd of about 60 spectators criticized what they contend were messages sent by some school officials over public email systems seeking support for Facklam and Garcia in the April 5 election.

Lake County tea party leaders sent open-records requests to receive more than 300 pages of emails from District 46 and Northbrook/Glenview Elementary District 30, where Garcia is a teacher and union leader.

Smigielski asked her colleagues to not vote on the board president selection late Tuesday because of the possibility one of them broke state law by using public resources for political activity. Tea party members received copies of emails sent by Garcia and District 46 Superintendent Ellen Correll.

Only the names of board members Keith Surroz and Michael Carbone weren’t in what appeared to be political emails connected to the Facklam and Garcia campaigns, Smigielski said. She and Evans said there is a cloud over three of the seven board members.

“We’re not in normal conditions,” Evans said. “You can’t put the fox in charge of the chicken coop.”

But other board members declined to respond to speculation. Surroz said no one has been found to have committed any infractions, and it may take several months to sort out the accusations.

“We can’t stop our board business on what ifs,” board member Karen Weinert said.

Smigielski’s motion for Carbone to be the new leader was defeated 4-3.

Elected officials from municipalities within District 46’s boundaries also weighed in at Tuesday’s session with criticism for the school board. They included Hainesville Trustee Kevin Barrett and Round Lake Trustee Susan Triphahn.

Meanwhile, just before leaving her school board post Tuesday night, Wade accused Carbone of violating his oath again by not completing an evaluation for Correll. Carbone responded that Wade “called the wrong person out,” which was followed by crowd shouts of “Get out of my wallet” and “Leave Mike alone.”

Carbone’s colleagues issued a censure, or formal disapproval, of him in March for reportedly violating his oath by inappropriately seeking personnel information to deduce whether full-time teachers skipped work to attend union rallies in Madison, Wis.