ECASD Administrators Knew More Than They Told the BOE??

Comm. Cummins has been unfairly criticized in the LT Comments that she should have resigned if she objected. I hope that EACH AND EVERY BOE member who was on the Board in October 2007 when this hit the fan will explain to the public WHAT THE H#*L THEY WERE THINKING was the meaning of this if not that a totally fake document had been created to increase Klaus' current compensation and that it had been backdated by Olson when she had no authority to do so. The fact that Cummins was concerned and, apparently, unable to sway other BOE members to share her concern deserves kudos not derision.

Maria

Updated: 6/5/2008
Cummins: Officials stonewalled school board on stipend
By Julian Emerson
Leader-Telegram staff
Two days after learning about an alteration to former Superintendent Bill Klaus' contract without the knowledge of the Eau Claire school board, member Trish Cummins requested a meeting with legal counsel outlining the district's responsibility in the matter.

An Oct. 24 e-mail message from Cummins to her fellow board members and district administrators reveals Cummins' concern about the issue.

But instead of addressing the issue, administrators to whom the message was sent - interim Superintendent James Leary, Deputy Superintendent Gregg Butler and Personnel Director Jim Kling - failed to respond to the request, prompting questions about their apparent attempt to keep the contract change under wraps, Cummins and other sources said.

The message notes Cummins' coming to terms with "the gravity of the situation" and questions the legal and ethical responsibility of board members related to the contract change that allowed Klaus to begin receiving his $225,000 retirement stipend payments earlier than allowed.

"I didn't know if this was criminal or a personnel issue," Cummins said Wednesday. "But I didn't think we could say, 'Oh well, I guess this happened and we're not going to do anything about it.' I didn't want to be the elected official who turned away from this."

Despite repeated questions about the status of seeking legal counsel, Cummins said she received little response from administrators, even as Klaus' contract alteration received continued discussion during subsequent closed-session school board meetings in November and December.

Other sources familiar with the situation confirmed that administrators with knowledge of the contract change were reluctant to reveal information about it, even to board members. Several board members said they didn't realize the full scope of the contract change until an April 19 Leader-Telegram story detailing how former board PresidentCarol Olson, at Klaus' request, signed and backdated a document stipulating that Klaus' stipend payments begin on Aug. 1, 2007.

"After going through the (school board investigation), there was a lot more information available (on Oct. 22) than was given to us that night," board member Ken Faanes said.

District officials say Klaus did not receive any of that money - to be paid over five years - after the document signed by Olson was questioned. The matter has resulted in ongoing police and school board investigations, and Klaus was placed on administrative leave from his job as Northstar Middle School principal.

Klaus has said he believed the board had approved his receiving that money as part of contract changes it approved on Feb. 5, 2007. He said he met with Leary, Kling and former school board President Michael O'Brien during late summer or early fall in an attempt to resolve stipend payment questions.

Board members said they never discussed granting Klaus early retirement payments and noted that administrators kept them in the dark about the issue even after the Oct. 22 meeting.

"I am uncertain as to why my request was not met," Cummins said, "and to not even have it addressed was very frustrating. As a board member I represent the community, and I believe most members of this community would have looked at this and said, 'What the heck is going on?' "

Leary, Butler and Kling did not return messages Wednesday seeking comment.

Administrators weren't the only people who apparently withheld information about the topic. District officials familiar with the situation say O'Brien knew about the contract change before the Oct. 22 meeting but didn't inform fellow board members.

O'Brien has said documents related to Klaus' contract sought by the Leader-Telegram should not be made available to the newspaper because that issue had been discussed in closed session. He has refused further comment on Klaus' contract.

In April, district officials granted the Leader-Telegram access to Klaus' personnel file, and the school board subsequently ordered other documents turned over to the newspaper. Some of those records still have not been released.

In the meantime, the school board and police investigations continue. The school board has interviewed six district employees, including Klaus, but hasn't announced any possible disciplinary action. Reports from the police investigation will be forwarded to Eau Claire County District Attorney Rich White, who will decide whether to file charges.

Emerson can be reached at 830-5911, 800-236-7077 or julian.emerson@ecpc.com.