Lincoln-Way hires interim consultant, hears auditing recommendations

NEW LENOX – The Lincoln-Way High School District 210 Board decided to hire a retired educator to review daily school district operations as it moves forward with the transition process after the closing of North High School.

The board also heard a recommendation from board member Christopher McFadden to change financial and auditing practices, including possibly an independent audit of Lincoln-Way’s expenses.

At Thursday’s board meeting, Steven Langert, a retired assistant superintendent who previously worked for District 230 – based in Orland Park – and Plainfield School District 202, was unanimously approved by board members to work as an interim consultant.

District officials will pay a total of $60,000 for 100 days of Langert’s service, said Superintendent Scott Tingley. He made the recommendation to the board for hiring Langert, who will start Tuesday and work six hours each day.

Langert will work in the district business office reviewing daily operations and program spending, Tingley said. He said it was an “opportune time” to bring in a consultant as some other district officials focus on the transition process.

Board members were faced with considering approval of the fiscal 2016 budget Thursday, but Tingley recommended they hold off until the Sept. 24 board meeting at North. He said because of Wednesday’s budget hearing, many questions cropped up that he wants district officials to answer before board members take action.

The board decided to postpone considering approval of the budget.

The proposed budget has estimated overall revenues of $101.4 million, $106.6 million in expenses and a $5.2 million deficit. The budget came attached with a deficit reduction plan, which anticipates a balanced budget in fiscal 2017, based on operating budget figures.

District officials say they may need to use short-term borrowing to start fiscal 2017 with positive fund balances, according to the plan. They anticipate no change in long-term borrowing.

During Thursday’s meeting, McFadden noted he was appointed to an auditing committee and he prepared several recommendations, such as improvements to the treasurer’s report and the business office, as well as enacting “some basic checks and balances.”

More importantly, he said, the school district needs to change its auditing firm and he wanted to authorize an independent audit of expenses. He said he was willing to hear Langert’s take on the situation first.

“Unless I hear something earth shattering, I do plan on making the motion to approve an outside independent audit, and I hope the rest of the board will join me on that,” McFadden said.

McFadden mentioned audit recommendations at Wednesday’s budget hearing, where an attendee asked if the auditors were doing their job correctly. McFadden said “over my dead body will we pay those auditors another penny. That’s in my opinion.”