WHD SD147 to appoint permanent superintendent this summer. Will the process be transparent?

The West Harvey-Dixmoor School District 147 board swore in newly-elected members while announcing plans to hire one permanent superintendent to replace its two interim superintendents. 

And for taxpayers, public transparency in district business is top of mind.

Following the April election, the board also re-established board roles on May 5. Hazel Bowman, whose term expires in May 2027, remains vice president. Mable Chapman, winning a re-election bid with over 20 percent of the vote share for a four-year term, will remain board secretary. 

Longtime board president Michael Smith, who won his re-election bid to a four-year term, was named both the board president and president pro tempore. It’s a questionable move, as the pro tempore position is specifically reserved for a board member to preside over official business in the president’s absence. 

The board also choose to seat Kenneth Henderson, elected to a two-year term but ineligible to hold local office due to two felony convictions. In a statement to the HWH about Henderson’s seat, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said it’s investigating and considering further action in the matter, declining to comment further.

Chapelle Hooks, an Harvey Public Library District board member in the audience that evening, questioned Smith’s dual appointments, board transparency, and financial decision-making. She also questioned why the board bothered to hold a voice vote on board roles, suggesting its outcome seemed predetermined.

“You’ve got two interim superintendents, which I know that’s chewing up a lot of dough,” Hooks said. The WHD SD147 board appointed two part-time interim superintendents — Creg Williams and Jerry Jordan — to share responsibilities, Williams said.

“I just don’t think it makes sense because Harvey is cash-strapped. I’m sure Dixmoor is cash-strapped,” Hooks said. “Just get one interim and let them get paid and that’s it.”

In February, the board moved to hire BWP & Associates, an educational leadership search firm, to field for a permanent superintendent. The board plans to appoint someone by July. Smith assured the public that the hiring process will be transparent.

But with that timeline in mind, it’s immediately unclear when the board will actually loop the public into the process or what transparency entails. In March, the board held a special meeting to discuss the search, done during a closed session. In accordance with state law, the public is not permitted to attend.

Both Williams and Jordan’s superintendents’ tenures will end on June 30. Contract renewal did not appear on the evening’s agenda.

Board member Bonnie Rateree narrowly won re-election to a four-year term. But she didn’t “actively campaign,” she said, instead supporting three newcomers in their bids, including Sharron McGee, who has never held public office before but won an election bid in a sea of incumbents. 

Rateree suggested she no longer seeks to remain on the board and figured she would lose her bid had she not campaigned heavily. She felt ineffective during her tenure, Rateree said. She echoed Hooks’ concerns, stating that board decisions often appeared predetermined.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Rateree said. “I’m just getting off this board,” suggesting she is not eyeing a future re-election bid. Her term will end in May 2029.