District 113A Superintendent Tim Ricker Resigns

Tim Ricker, the embattled superintendent of , resigned during a special meeting Friday night.

Following a nearly three-hour closed session meeting, school board members voted unanimously to approve a resignation agreement with Ricker, effective Dec. 31.

Ricker, who was not in attendance Friday, was scheduled to retire June 30, 2012.

Current Asst. Superintendent Mary Gricus and the district's administrative team will oversee operations until the board names an interim superintendent, according to a press release from Board Member and Spokesperson Lisa Wright.

"In compliance with state regulations, the board will soon name a part-time interim superintendent who will work with Dr. Gricus through the remainder of this school year," Wright stated in the release. "Rest assured that the interim superintendent will reflect our district's needs and values, as well as the accumulated wisdom of his past experiences."

Further details of Ricker's resignation were not immediately available.

About two dozen people attended Friday's meeting, which was called just 24 hours after a tense board meeting in which that District 113A received in late August.

The audit was conducted by the Illinois State Board of Education on a 2008-09 transportation claim made by former District 113A Business Manager Bob Beckwith. According to Ricker, the auditor determined that District 113A received "unallowable reimbursements" totaling $305,056 for regular transportation and $23,900 for special education transportation.

In a letter dated Aug. 29, the ISBE Funding and Disbursement Services Department contacted Ricker about the district's options for paying back the reimbursements. At that point, Ricker claims he delegated the letter to Germany. Board members were not informed of the correspondence.

"I submitted the letter to [Germany] and delegated that," Ricker said. "I'm not throwing her under the bus. ... I accept full responsibility for a miscommunication from an internal standpoint."

ISBE officials followed up with Ricker via email Dec. 2. After the district again failed to respond, the state sent another letter—dated Dec. 12—threatening to deduct the full adjustment out of next year's reimbursements should the district fail to respond by Dec. 16.

District 113 board members learned of the adjustment last week, more than 10 months after Ricker first learned of the issue.

Following Friday's meeting, Wright said District 113A will move forward with its search for a permanent superintendent—a process that began in October when the board at the end of the 2011-2012 school year.

"The Board of Education is confident that the administrators, faculty and staff remain committed to providing students with a quality education during this transition period," Wright said. "The Board fully supports and respects their work and will ensure that the key issued related to student achievement are priorities as the Board plans for the future."

Ricker has served as the superintendent of District 113A since July 2006. Before coming to Lemont, he worked as a teacher and administrator in the Missouri public school system for more than 30 years.