Batavia 101 candidates debate communications perception
The terms "trust" and "communication" came up repeatedly Thursday night at a forum for Batavia school board candidates.
The question, "How is the current method of (district) communication failing" the community, parents and taxpayers got the ball rolling.
Board President Cathy Dremel disagreed with the premise of the question.
"I think our board does an incredible job communicating with our public. Unfortunately, sometimes we have opinions people don't like," Dremel said. She said board members have had coffee meetings with members of the public.
She also citied the November 2014 advisory referendum about borrowing $15 million for building and grounds project, saying the board decided to ask the question because "We could not get a read from our public. Even though we could have issued bonds (without voter approval), we respected our community."
"The fact (the proposal) went to referendum is a demonstration the board is out of touch with the public," candidate Bill Gabriel said. "If they had been listening all along I don't think it would have gone that far." He said when he has emailed the district about topics, he receives "stock" replies. "I have felt my voice is not heard."
Candidate Ellen Knautz has criticized the district for not providing more information on its website. She mentioned specifically information about school enrollment and course fees, which she was trying to find last year to compare to those of other school districts. Batavia's fees were not listed on the district's website, unlike many other districts.
Knautz also suggested the district could permanently have a link on its website to BATV broadcasts of school board meetings, perhaps with a time stamp for specific agenda items. And, she said, the district should encourage BATV to broadcast committee meetings and make them available on the district website. The BATV studio is housed at Batavia High School, and a school administrator is on BATV's board of directors.
Christopher Lowe suggested that the school board should conduct town hall-style meetings, with one or two board members attending, to have more of a dialogue with the audience. But at official board meetings, "the community has to understand there are rules that constrain the board" about immediately responding to public comment, Lowe said.
He also said the board needs to regain the trust of the community by reaching out to more people, and to businesses.
"A lot of the different groups don't believe what the other group is saying," he said, noting it isn't limited to just the school district.
Michelle Olache disagreed with Lowe about the board's ability to respond to public commenters at board meetings.
"I believe the Open Meetings Act is being used as an excuse," she said. There is nothing in that state law that says the board and the public can't communicate with each other, "throwing ideas back and forth." She cited the practice of the Batavia City Council, which routinely answers comments from the public throughout its meetings.
Olache said even at non-board forums, the public is frustrated by the district. She said at a forum in the fall about the advisory referendum on borrowing $15 million, some audience members were frustrated because the questions they submitted in writing weren't read accurately to officials. They were prevented from correcting the mistake right away and told instead to talk to the officials privately after the forum, she said.
Ron Rechenmacher, who is running as part of the GROBatavia slate with Olache and Gabriel, said he believes board members can respond individually in meetings to comments.
Board member Melanie Impastato said the board is "not just an extension or rubber stamp" for school administrators. Board members have met with the Batavia Education Association, and there are more board members attending committee meetings than on previous boards. She said board members, including herself, have met individually with members of the public.
Candidate John Dryden, a former Batavia High School teacher, said the issue of communication "is absolutely central to much of the angst in the community." He put the blame on school administrators. "Everything the board knows and acts on, the information, is brought by senior administration," he said. Dryden said, having sat through finance and policy committee meetings, he believes information given to the board is being "spun and manipulated." Dryden said one of his strengths is that he has connections outside the administration to teachers, district workers, former students and other members of the community.
Three, 4-year terms are available in the April 7 election.
The forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Central Kane County, was recorded by BATV and is being broadcast repeatedly this weekend on Channel 17 and on the BATV website mybatavia.com.