–The Paso Robles Joint Unified School District Board of Trustees met for four hours Saturday morning to craft a response to the San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury Report. The report, “Paso Robles School District: A Cautionary Tale”, criticizes the previous board for financial mismanagement during the tenure of former Superintendent Chris Williams and his board of trustees.
–Read the entire grand jury report below the story–
The board agreed 5-1 to hire independent legal counsel to help craft its response. Board President Chris Arend voted no, Trustee Lance Gannon did not attend the meeting. Two former board members called in to the meeting to address their actions while serving on the board. Joel Peterson and Joan Summers called into the special meeting to defend the actions of the previous board.
The Cascade Union School District in Anderson is reporting a nearly $1 million dollar property tax savings, from refinancing $2,769,249 in general obligation bonds in December.
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At the December meeting of the North Shore Water Reclamation District (NSWRD), the Board of Trustees held its organizational meeting. Officers were named to lead the District for the next 2 years. Trustee Stephen J. Drew (Ward 2, North Waukegan) was named President, Trustee Rhoda A. Pierce (Ward 5, Highland Park and Highwood) was named Vice President, and B. Sugar Young (Ward 3, North Chicago, south Waukegan) was named Treasurer. Dave Miller, Executive Director of the NSWRD, will act as Deputy Treasurer, Mary Jo Bryant, as Secretary of the District, and Gregory T. Jackson, was retained as the District s Attorney.
The NSWRD is divided into five wards. Voters choose the District s Trustees, making the NSWRD only one of three wastewater agencies in Illinois with a Board that is directly accountable to their customers, the electorate. This governing Board is vested with full power to enact necessary rules within the boundaries of the District.