In observance of the Presidents Day holiday, the Northwest Herald newspaper will not be published February 18.
WOODSTOCK – The Woodstock School District 200 Board will reconsider the previously approved three-year contract and raise for Superintendent Mike Moan at its meeting Tuesday, after a Woodstock resident alleged that the board violated the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
Press secretary for the Office of the Attorney General Annie Thompson said the office is looking into a complaint related to the school board’s May 10 meeting, when Moan’s contract was approved.
Although Thompson could not confirm who provided the complaint, Republican candidate for McHenry County recorder and Voters in Actions leader Joe Tirio said he filed it June 14.
Moan’s contract renewal was considered under the “approval of routine personnel matters” section of the agenda, and the agenda listed that a “full copy of the Personnel Report is available at the meeting.”
Tirio said the board should have posted a copy of the personnel report online if it was important enough to include at the meeting. Just looking at the agenda, Tirio said, there was no indication that Moan’s contract was up for renewal.
“Had we known beforehand, then there certainly would’ve been opportunity for people to speak and voice their opinion,” Tirio said. “And that may have affected their vote. But because we didn’t know, we couldn’t.”
The contract approved at the May 10 meeting represents a $13,020 raise from Moan’s current salary of $185,850, and a 2 percent salary increase for the next two years of the contract.
The board approved it, 6-0, with board President Carl Gilmore absent. Gilmore has said that he supported the board’s decision, noting Moan’s leadership in negotiating union contracts, being involved in the community and implementing the district’s one-to-one technology program.
Gilmore said Monday that while the board believes it acted appropriately in the way the vote was done, it decided to vote again at Tuesday’s meeting so there is transparency and people can comment on the contract.
District administration provides the board with agendas, Gilmore said, and he has not seen the complaint.
Executive Assistant to the Superintendent Lynn Mohan could not be immediately reached to comment on the complaint and why the personnel report is only available at the meeting.
On Tuesday’s meeting agenda, the item is listed under new business as “approval of superintendent contract extension 2016-2019.”
The school board meeting starts 7 p.m. at Clay Academy, 112 Grove St., Woodstock.
