'Besmirching': Official Criticizes Pleasantdale Leadership

WILLOW SPRINGS, IL – A Willow Springs official said this week he wondered what Pleasantdale School District 107 was hiding in its effort for an expanded preschool.

On Tuesday, Willow Springs Trustee Tom Arra emailed the superintendent, copying the school board and a Patch reporter.

Pleasantdale is looking to buy Burr Ridge Village Hall to set up an expanded early childhood center. According to the district, the purchase and renovation would require a property tax hike of $25 to $50 a year for a $500,000 house.

The district held a public meeting Monday in the middle school library on the proposal. It was livestreamed, but not recorded.

In his email, Arra said he was "extremely" disappointed the meeting was not recorded. He said he had urged the district to ensure "COMMUNICATION to the OVERALL COMMUNITY" and "PLEASE OVER COMMUNICATE."

"My neighbors and the community are really wanting to know what the school district is not telling us," said Arra, who told Patch that he was speaking in his role as a resident, not as a trustee. "The definition of insanity is ... repeating the same behaviors and expecting a different result. This school district deserves better communication and leadership."

In reply, Superintendent Dave Palzet said his team has worked hard to out the word about the plan.

Those efforts have included a mailer to residents, a detailed FAQ on the website, a social media campaign and a thorough presentation at the meeting, Palzet said.

"I would add that adjustments to the presentation occurred at the last minute as a direct result of your requests," the superintendent said.

He said that as a government official, Arra knows that not all meetings are recorded. For instance, he said, Willow Springs does not audio or video record its zoning meetings.

"As you know, our library, unlike our Board room or the Willow Springs Board room, is not set up for video recording," Palzet said. "In fact, we have received feedback that recordings made in this space are low quality. As a high performer yourself, I am sure you would agree that it is best not to put out a low-quality product."

The superintendent also took issue with Arra's comment that the district deserves better leadership. He said Arra should consider the district's "great" outcomes over the last decade before "besmirching" the leadership of the superintendent and his team.

Among the district's accomplishments, he said, were upgrades and repairs to buildings for generations to come, improvements to the use of technology, updated and nationally recognized curriculum and instructional practices, and some of the best student outcomes in the state.

During the pandemic, he said, Pleasantdale stayed open for business while other schools were shuttered.

More recently, the district has had the "courage to address the issues of growth and a changing community rather than kicking the can down the road," Palzet said.

In response, Arra asked for an in-person discussion.

Palzet agreed to the suggestion but wanted another person in the room, given "the level of rhetoric" in Arra's email. Palzet said he would bring Griffin Sonntag, assistant superintendent for finance.

Burr Ridge is looking to sell Village Hall and build a new one near Starbucks at Village Center. No decision has been made.