Despite a year of legal battles and personnel problems, school board members in Lemont-Bromberek School District 113A say they do not expect the discord will harm efforts to attract a qualified superintendent.
The district has been without a permanent leader since May when Supt. C. Thomas Reiter was suspended without pay after board members accused him of insubordination, breach of duty, dishonesty and deception stemming from a 1997 incident at a staff meeting during which he held up, and joked about, a box containing pasta shaped like a body part.
The board says it plans to vote during a February meeting on whether to fire Reiter. No matter the outcome, Reiter’s contract runs out in June and the board says he will be replaced.
The ugly battle between Reiter and the board did not dissuade 54 candidates from applying for the job of superintendent.
Board President Jim Smith said he thought at first the controversy might affect the candidate search.
“But after we had 54 candidates, I don’t think it did. This district is attractive to superintendents because we have a great community that is growing and a public that is dedicated to supporting the district and the education of their children.”
The school board will spend the next few weeks interviewing six candidates.
“But we’re not going to rush the process,” said board member George Hamstra. “We consider this the most important decision we have as a board. It’s one we’ll have to live with for a while.”
Since Reiter was removed in May, the board has used three interim superintendents. The last two have been retired superintendents, who, through the state association of school boards, agree to work temporarily in districts in need. Under the terms of their retirement, though, these fill-ins can work for only 100 days in a district.
To add to the district’s problems, three top-ranking employees quit within a few months of Reiter’s suspension, including the buildings and grounds director and the director of transportation.
School board members say the revolving cast of characters has not impeded the district’s ability to move forward.
“We have not been at a standstill,” Smith said. “As a matter of fact, I think we’ve accomplished a lot. I think we’ve done a great job in getting the ball rolling.”
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But board members acknowledged that they cannot wait much longer to hire a new leader. When asked what type of superintendent they are looking for, Smith jokingly replied, “Jesus Christ.”
“Seriously, we need someone who has great communication skills, a good leader, someone with a lot of experience and someone who can work well with the board and the community,” he said. “We have some long-range and short-range planning issues we have to deal with immediately, and it’s imperative we find someone who is a visionary.”
Other board members declined to comment on what attributes they will look for in a new superintendent, referring all questions to Smith.
Lemont, like many towns near the Will-DuPage border, is booming with residential development. The school district has about 2,000 students and has been growing by about 100 each year. District officials expect they will need to expand a school or, perhaps, build another one soon.
The district also is in the midst of revamping the curriculum, improving school technology and revising the teacher evaluation process. Board members have organized communitywide committees to look at some of these issues.
“We’ve got a lot on the table right now,” Smith said.
In 1997 Reiter, who had worked for the district for 16 years, held up the box of pasta during a teachers meeting and made a crude joke. The incident angered school administrators, community members and the board of education. A week later, the board suspended Reiter for a week and the following month fined him $2,500.
Reiter, who could not be reached for comment, has said he spent the next year under the looking glass.
In May 1999 Reiter was suspended without pay after board members alleged that he failed to pay the $2,500 fine on time and lied about whether he actually paid it. Reiter was given until June 30, 1998, to pay the $2,500 fine. On June 29, the superintendent wrote a check to the district and told the district bookkeeper to keep it in the office vault, which is under his control, according to attorneys on both sides. In November 1998 a board member asked Reiter if he had paid the fine and he said he had.
Reiter contended in earlier interviews that he paid the fine on time.
His contract called for a suspension hearing in front of an independent hearing officer. The officer completed his report last week.
John Murphey, attorney for the school board, would not discuss the officer’s opinion, citing confidentiality on personnel matters. But he expressed displeasure that the hearing officer issued a ruling, instead of simply stating the facts of the case. Moreover, Murphey said, no matter the officer’s opinion, the school board will make the ultimate decision.
“It’s important to remember that this hearing officer’s opinion has absolutely no legal weight whatsoever,” he said.