One month after a scathing audit of its internal operations, the Illinois State Board of Education on Thursday approved a restructuring plan that relieves the state’s highest-ranking school official of many day-to-day administrative duties.
In an effort to respond to the criticism, board members decided Thursday that three executive assistants will join the staff of state schools Supt. Joseph Spagnolo. Spagnolo came under fire after a state audit found he spent too much time away from his headquarters in Springfield and received too much compensation for travel expenses.
The assistants will assume responsibility for many of the day-to-day administrative tasks for which Spagnolo has been responsible. One of the new assistants will handle agency operations, another will coordinate major education initiatives and a third will serve as general counsel.
Spagnolo left the meeting early and could not be reached for comment. But board members, seeking to defend the superintendent, said they hope this will give Spagnolo more time to spend on major educational issues.
“This is going to free Joe up to do what we want him to do,” said board member Bill Hill of Charleston.
“The superintendent is a visionary,” said Lou Mervis of Danville, the board’s chairman. “In no way have we weakened the office of superintendent. We have strengthened it by adding these positions.”
In a March 12 report, Illinois Auditor General William G. Holland detailed problems with controls over spending at the education agency. Last month, the board created several ad hoc committees to address concerns raised in the audit.
Throughout the process, board members have been supportive of Spagnolo, acknowledging that he made mistakes but maintaining that many of the problems were due more to the complexities of the agency, which oversees more than $4 billion in state school funding.
Mervis said no new money will be needed for the three new positions. The agency will use money it already has, possibly by restructuring other staff positions.
Spagnolo and the board also agreed to amend his employment contract to do away with a $1,250 monthly housing allowance for an apartment in Chicago. Instead of the allowance, Spagnolo will follow regular state guidelines and seek reimbursement for $60 per night that he stays in Chicago on agency business.
The state audit criticized Spagnolo for spending 264 nights of 366 in Chicago during 1996, although his office is in Springfield. Board members have backed Spagnolo, saying they specifically asked him to spend more time where most of the state’s pupils attend school.
