School Board questions Moyer’s commitment to District 205

Applies for position out-of-state as referendum issue looms

The Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 Board held a meeting on August 14 at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York St. All seven board members attended the meeting.

At its previous meeting on Aug. 8, the board announced the Aug. 14 meeting would feature a vote regarding the possibility of placing a referendum on the ballot this November. The board is considering a referendum that would ask voters to approve the borrowing of $168.5 million to pay for proposed improvements to the district’s facilities. Those proposed improvements include complete replacements of Lincoln Elementary School and Field Elementary School. If the board wants to put a referendum question on the ballot in the election of November 6, 2018, it would have to write the specific ballot question and adopt a resolution no later than Aug. 20.

Early in the Aug. 14 meeting, Board President Kara Caforio read a prepared statement:

“Within the last 24 hours, the board has learned that Superintendent Dr. David Moyer recently applied for a superintendent’s position in a large out-of-state district. Dr. Moyer has since withdrawn from the preliminary search, however the board wants time to further discuss his commitment to District 205. As a result, the board will postpone its vote on the referendum until Monday, Aug. 20. While we, the board, believe this is the community’s referendum, we want to ensure its leader is committed to District 205 at this time.”

Moyer, who attended the Aug. 14 meeting, did not make any comments regarding the proposed referendum, or his application for the out-of-state position, during the meeting.

According to the agenda for the Aug. 14 meeting, the board planned to consider placing the following question on the ballot in the November election:

“Shall the Board of Education of Elmhurst Community Unit School District Number 205, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, build and equip two school buildings to replace the Field and Lincoln Elementary School Buildings; build and equip additions to and alter, repair and equip existing buildings, including but not limited to improving security, providing STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) facilities, improving energy-efficiency and technology infrastructure and adding classrooms for full-day kindergarten; improve sites; acquire, improve and equip a building for educational purposes and acquire the site thereof and issue bonds of said School District to the amount of $168,500,000 for the purpose of paying the costs thereof?”

Before holding its Aug. 20 meeting, the board held a closed session meeting on the morning of Aug. 17.