Schools

District 206 Board Member: 'I Stand Behind My Superintendent'

The board president said he didn't know about Glen Giannetti's political donations until he read about it on Patch.

In the aftermath of Bloom Township High School District 206 Supt. Glen Giannetti revealing he used revenue from school district pop machines to buy tickets to a fundraiser, two district board members said they were blindsided.

"I didn’t know anything about it, until I read about it," said board president Henry Drake, adding he will discuss Giannetti's actions with his peers before making any judgments. "I’ll have to confer with the other board members on what to do about it."

State Board of Elections records show Bloom Trail High School donated to South Chicago Heights Mayor David Owen's campaign fund for the past four years, Giannetti said his office spent the money on tickets to Owen's "smoker."

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Drake said he will base part of his opinion on past procedures.

"If it’s something they (the district) have been doing in the past and it’s not illegal, I don’t have a problem with it," Drake said. "If there's something wrong with it, something should be done about it."

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Sixteen-year board member Robert Rossi said he was also surprised by the revelation.

"I was unfamiliar with it," Rossi said. "If it’s legal, I guess it’s in his jurisdiction to do it. I haven’t talked to any other superintendents to see if it’s common practice."

District 206 Supt. Glen Giannetti said he sees nothing wrong with using the money this way because the revenue is allocated to a "discretionary fund," but State officials and watchdog organizations have questioned whether the superintendent could be violating the State Election Code or the 2003 Ethics Act—or both.

Rossi, unsure about how the board will procede, said he would remain loyal to Giannetti.

"I stand behind my superintendent," he said.

One of the reasons Giannetti gave for contributing to Owen's poitical campaign was that the mayor has been an advocate for the school district, running Chicago water from South Chicago Heights into Bloom Trail. Rossi said he is equally grateful for Owen's help, in that respect.

"I do know that the mayor has helped us with the water," Rossi said. "I know it’s cheaper than what we've paid in Sauk Village."

As of Wednesday, there is no announced date or time for the board to discuss whether there are ethical or legal implications for donating to a political campaign out of pop money.


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