District 150 Comptroller Pam Schau fired

WMBD is reporting that sources confirm District 150 Comptroller/Treasurer Pam Schau has been let go. During a closed door Executive Session meeting Monday night, the Board of Education voted unanimously to axe Schau.

Schau came to District 150 last July, replacing Comptroller/Treasurer Guy Cahill whose contract was also terminated without explanation in February of 2009. Schau’s initial contract with the District was set to run through June of 2011 with an annual salary of $125,000.

Schau was a retired Superintendent from a suburban Chicago school district before moving to Peoria. She came to District 150 schools at a critical time: the District faced a deficit and was more than $30 million in debt.

Schau was responsible for overseeing the budget, Buildings and Grounds and Transportation Departments, as well as some other areas within the District.

Cahill is somewhere smiling...

As previously posted by EmergePeoria:

In a recent TimesObserver article Mr. Cahill stated "the district has no choice but to make cuts if it hopes to maintain the A+ bond rating it now has from Standard & Poor’s."
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The District knew that they could loose their A+ rating if they didn't close schools. If they had made the tough decision to close schools the first time, we wouldn't be in this predicament now.

The Journal Star is reporting that on April 6, Hinton will recommend closing two primary schools. Only two—will that be enough? What about the high school situation?

What two schools do you think the District will be closing? Why the two with the least amount of resistance (i.e., south of War Memorial), of course. As a result the children in the black community, those who are the most vulnerable, will bear the brunt of the burden to cut costs.

"But there is a caveat", the Journal Star has done a little in depth reporting and are actually giving those that may oppose a heads up on what it would take to defeat the District’s attempt to seek bonds to cover the deficit:


This is just me speculating, but as long as the District stays South of War Memorial and only close primary schools—I don’t think they will meet any opposition.

How does Guy Cahill fit in?

From the District 150 Website
Planning and Budget Committee Members

As announced at the February 2 meeting, the Board of Education is establishing a special committee to assist with the school district's budgeting issues. Below is a list of the appointed members to the Planning and Budget Committee:

Mr. Pat Roesler, Chief Financial Officer, G & D. Integrated

Mrs. Lois Boaz, Retired Caterpillar Executive with experience in accounting, business analysis and Six Sigma

Mr. Erik Bush, Chief Financial Officer, Peoria County

Mr. David Underwood, Vice President of Finance & Chief Financial Officer Proctor Hospital

Mr. Charles Randle, President, Illinois Business Financial Services

Dr. Bernie Goitien, Professor of Business Management & Administration at Bradley University

Mr. Ken Casper, Retired Banker

Mr. Larry Williams, Retired Superintendent and Business Manager of Illinois Valley Community School District

The main functions of the committee include:

* develop financial templates for presenting and outlining the district budget; allowing easy assessment and financial impact of proposals, suggestions and changes

* establish a "district finances" section on the district website

* create one-page documents explaining school district financial terms and how these issues impact Peoria Public Schools. Examples include: Title I, Special Education Funding, Corporate and Property Taxes, Public Building Commission Funding and TIF Districts.

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Curious as to how this group works with Guy Cahill, the District's Controller. Do they have full access to all of District 150's financials? Will they be able to rely on administration employees to supply them with information? In a recent TimesObserver article Mr. Cahill stated "the district has no choice but to make cuts if it hopes to maintain the A+ bond rating it now has from Standard & Poor’s." I don't know a lot about bonds, but I do know you want an A+ rating if you need to finance long term projects (i.e., construction). If this Committee validates the cuts that Superintendent Hinton proposes, what is the window on preservation of the A+ bond rating?