District 113A Moves Forward Following Ricker's Resignation

Board members in are hoping for a fresh start in 2012 as they move on from news of an expensive audit adjustment and the subsequent resignation of Superintendent Tim Ricker.

Beginning Jan. 1, the district will be under the leadership of Asst. Superintendent Mary Gricus and the district's administrative team while the school board searches for an interim superintendent.

According to Board President Mike Aurelio, the board interviewed one candidate Dec. 23, the same night they with Ricker. They hope to interview one or two more candidates during their Jan. 11 meeting, Aurelio said.

Gricus is ineligible for the position because she lacks proper certification, according to district officials. 

Aurelio said the board has been working with the Illinois Association of School Boards, the same firm that is searching for its permanent superintendent, to fill the interim position. IASB officials have provided at least one outside candidate, but others could be considered as well, he said.

In a press release last week, Board Member and Spokesperson Lisa Wright said finding an interim superintendent to work with Gricus is the board's top priority moving into the new year.

"Rest assured that the interim superintendent will reflect our district's needs and values, as well as the accumulated wisdom of his past experiences," Wright said.

The interim superintendent will serve on a part-time basis until June 30, 2012, the date Ricker was scheduled to retire before he turned in his resignation.

Details of his agreement with District 113A have yet to be released to the public, however Patch requested a copy of the document Monday under the Freedom of Information Act. District 113A Administrative Assistant Sandra Larek, the district's FOIA officer, said the request would likely be reviewed the week of Jan. 2 since the district office has been closed for winter break.

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.