The Examiner U-46 News Feed

Sanders’ multiple hats poses issues within U-46

By Seth Hancock
  By a 6-0 vote, the Board of Education in School District U-46 appointed Superintendent Tony Sanders as the district’s treasurer at its meeting on Monday, June 21. Board member Kate Thommes was absent.
  Sanders is replacing Jeff King who resigned, effective on June 30, from his position as deputy superintendent of operations, according to a personnel report also approved that evening.
  The appointment of Sanders as treasurer does raise legal and ethical concerns but Sue Kerr, board president, said, in response to an Examiner inquiry, that the board did seek legal advice and expects the appointment to be temporary.
  The Illinois School Code (ISC) expressly states a district treasurer “shall not be the superintendent of schools of the school district” for Class II schools, those in a county with a population over 2 million. U-46 resides in three counties including one over 2 million, Cook County, but Kerr said “we consulted with both our lawyers and the Kane County Regional Superintendent of Education.”
  “School District U-46 falls under the jurisdiction of the Kane County Regional Office of Education, which pursuant to statute is a Class I county with a population less than two million inhabitants. While we understand you(r) district’s boundaries extend into Cook and DuPage counties, pursuant to Illinois State Board of Education regulations, you fall under the auspices of the Kane County Regional Office of Education only,” wrote Patricia Dal Santo, the county superintendent, in a response dated June 9 and provided to The Examiner by Kerr, which has since been added to the public board book.
  Both Class I and II districts also require the treasurer to “have a financial background.” Sanders had a communications background prior to becoming superintendent, but Kerr said he and King were the only U-46 staff credentialed as a Chief School Business Official, which Sanders likely obtained when seeking his superintendent certification.
  The ISC does allow treasurers to be compensated, but Kerr said there will be “no additional pay for this position.”
  Having the superintendent also be the treasurer weakens internal controls. Sarah Boyce, associate director of education for the ACT, stated “that no employee should be in a position both to commit and conceal fraud or errors in the usual course of their duties” by also being treasurer of a board.
  However, Kerr said the district is seeking to hire a replacement for King’s administrative position, and “I would expect the person who is hired for that position would become treasurer.”
  How long the board has had to seek an appropriate treasurer is unclear as Kerr said she “can’t discuss personnel issues” when asked when King announced his resignation.