Schools

District 113A Business Manager Accepts Board's Counter Offer Following Resignation

The school board voted 5-2 on Friday to renew the district's contract with business manager Barbara Germany, who resigned June 19 to take a job in Peotone.

Barbara Germany, business manager for Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A, has rescinded her resignation to accept a counter offer made by the school board Friday.

Germany was set to begin a new position in Peotone Community School District 207-U on Monday, but instead resumed her duties in District 113A—three days after school board members voted to extend her contract by one year.

"I'm very happy to be here and to continue all of the work we've done in the past couple of years to give student's the best education possible," Germany said in a phone interview Monday.

Germany, who has been with District 113A for two years, submitted her letter of resignation June 19. Although the board initially planned to hire an interim business manager this summer, they made a last-minute decision to make Germany a counter offer.

Board President Cindy Kelly called an emergency special meeting Friday to discuss the matter in closed session. The board voted 5-2 to renew Germany's contract, with Vice President Dave Molitor and Board Member David Deitemyer casting the dissenting votes.

After the meeting, Kelly declined to comment on the details of the contract, but confirmed that it included a higher salary. Further details were not immediately available.

Kelly said the board has been "very happy" with Germany's work since 2011, and ultimately decided they wanted to do what they could to keep her in the district.

"She's an excellent employee," Kelly said. "It would have cost us more in the long run to hire an interim business manager and look for someone else."

Following the meeting Friday, Molitor said he voted against the contract not because of Germany, but because of the process the board used in making the counter offer.  

Typically the superintendent would make hiring recommendations, rather than board members, Molitor said.

"I have nothing but respect for Barb, who is doing an incredibly outstanding job for this district. I think she's a great fit for us," Molitor said.

"But there's a process we typically follow for hiring, and there's a lot tied to that," he added. "I just wasn't comfortable with the process behind the new offer."

Board Member Al Malley, chairman of the District 113A Finance and Audit Committee, said the decision to extend Germany a counter offer was an easy one. However, because her contract was set to expire at the end of the month, it required the board to act fast.

"We are in the middle of negotiations and several big purchases, so it would have been a very inconvenient time to lose our business manager," Malley said. "We didn't have a lot of time, so that's why we did it the way we did."

The next District 113A school board meeting is scheduled for July 17 at Old Quarry Middle School, 16100 W. 127th St.


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