Carbone Chastised Again for Recent Behavior

Attendance was low at the District 46 special school board meeting Thursday and it did not run long. For what the meeting lacked in time, however, it certainly made up for in intensity.

Board member Ray Millington started the night off with a bang by reading a statement which chastised fellow board member Michael Carbone for what he described as dragging two current board candidates into the mud along with himself and for creating a backlash against Mary Garcia and Sue Facklam, current board members running for re-election.

“I think Mr. Carbone should be aware of the adage ‘people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw bricks.' I will not tolerate the shenanigans and disregard of facts that Mr. Carbone, Mr. Evans and Ms. Norris have demonstrated,” said Millington.

Shortly after, board member Keith Surroz spoke out against comments Carbone made about the board and Superintendent Ellen Correll during a Champion Radio program on January 9.

“Michael Carbone said in his radio interview that it was ok to have 40 or 50 students in a classroom, if it kept taxes down. The idea is that if taxes go up property values will go down. Well, I have to then ask, what do you think will happen to your property values if we have 50 kids in a classroom? My experience on the board does not reflect Mr. Carbone’s political agenda," said Surroz.

Carbone arrived late to the meeting just in time to hear scathing concluding statements of parent Lisa Bako. 

“I am a parent of two children and play an active role on the PTO at two district schools. My husband and I chose to live in Grayslake 14 years ago in order to be in District 46. I am appalled by Mr. Carbone’s actions. I am a taxpayer and he does not represent me. I urge the community to take an active role in unseating him in 2013,” said Bako.

The meeting concluded with two public comments that managed to take the spotlight off of Carbone. 

Christine Wilson, Paraprofessionals and School Related Personnel (PSRP) Union representative for D46, expressed concern over a mailing she had recently received from the Lake County Federation of Teachers.

“I must say I was shocked to receive a mailing urging us to support board members Garcia and Facklam in the upcoming election,” Wilson said. "That is not our role. Educating is what we do. I have nothing personally against these candidates, but parents are the ones to make the election decisions."

Board candidate Shannon Smigielski weighed in on the future of the board. “Without serious effort from every board member, D46 will continue to be tainted by poor decisions and questionable judgment. Whether it’s the most tenured of members to a new addition, without efforts to relearn how to truly represent everyone, the system will never be a cohesive one,” said Smigielski.

All board candidates were present with the exception of Marchell Norris.