Ex-158 leader calls for caution

Huntley Unit District 158 board members got a stern admonition from a former colleague on Thursday.

Tony Quagliano, former board vice president and respected school finance expert, cautioned the District 158 board against putting the interests of a minority before the needs of the entire district.

Quagliano waded into the contentious debate over how to spend federal stimulus money. The district expects to receive $1.6 million in stimulus dollars; district officials and parents are at odds over how those funds should be spent.

Quagliano chastised his former colleagues for pledging last week to spend that entire sum on special education. Though the funds are earmarked for special education, school districts can spend up to half on other areas, according to state education officials.

"A vocal - subgroup is having an undue influence on individual board members - to the possible detriment of the district and the community as a whole," Quagliano said from prepared remarks. "Don't paint yourself into a corner to appease this group."

The former finance committee chairman said the sizable surplus in District 158's budget for this year is deceptive because it is the product of a one-time infusion from the federal and state governments.

Quagliano encouraged the board to support the administration's recommendation that the district spend half of the stimulus funds on new special education initiatives this year and half on new programs next year - if the budget permits it.

Aileen Seedorf was the only board member to respond to Quagliano. She said officials should have been flexible when they recommended spending half of the stimulus funds on regular education - a proposal they have since revised.

"I appreciate the fact that times are tough," Seedorf said. "There was never even an offer of a compromise."