Former D86 board member Kay Gallo. | Provided
Former D86 board member Kay Gallo. | Provided
Prior to the end of the Oct. 26 Hinsdale District 86 school board meeting school board member Kay Gallo left the boardroom and sent an email noting her resignation “effective immediately.
Gallo, who has a long history of service in the district, delivered her resignation in a letter to the board, in which she expressed her deep concerns about the current state of affairs within the school district.
Gallo, who had served one term on the Board of Maercker District and two terms in District 86, with two of those years as board president, did not mince words when it came to her assessment of the board's leadership.
Kay Gallo walking out before the end of the Oct. 26 meeting.
| D86 video screenshot
“I have no faith in this board's leadership,” she said in the letter.
"To date, I have served on multiple boards, some of which may have been considered dysfunctional, but the current D86 board is the worst. Should the board leadership continue its current trajectory, I fear more damage than good will result.”
Without giving specifics Gallo made several general allegations regarding her brief return to the board, including "multiple abuses of power, routine violations of policy, protocol and statute, disrespectful treatment of various administrators and an unwillingness to accept with humility any advice to move the board forward.”
Gallo also expressed her disappointment at the departure of another board member, Debbie Levinthal, and shared her sentiments of "futility and frustration."
She suggested Levinthal's choice of words in her resignation letter was kind.
Gallo did not make an announcement at the Oct. 26 meeting regarding her resignation.
Instead, her last words to the board were thanking them for their selection of a board member to replace Levinthal who resigned in September.
“I wanted to say I'm very happy that the board selected somebody from the South community. I thought that was quite important and thank you for doing that,” Gallo said to the board.
Levinthal was replaced by Dr. Abed Rahman. While Rahman was being sworn in Gallo slowly put on her coat and walked out of the room.
Twenty-four minutes after Gallo walked out of the meeting community member Yvonne Mayer approached the microphone during public comment to note Gallo had sent her an email regarding her immediate resignation.
“I hope you're all happy. The house is now burned to the ground. Your two most effective, intelligent and grounded board members have resigned. And it's disgusting that the collective behavior of the board leadership caused that. In my opinion, the damage is beyond repair. Good luck to all of you,” Mayer said to the board after reading Gallo’s resignation letter.
While running for the office in spring, Gallo had harsh words for the then school board and former superintendent Tammy Prentiss.
"In the last four years, significant curriculum and grading changes have rolled out un-piloted and at a rapid and irresponsible pace," Gallo said at the time.
After being elected, Gallo joined the current board members in removing Prentiss.
Gallo was the top vote getter in the April 4 election with 25.37% of the vote.
She was elected along with current board president Katherine Greenspon and secretary Asma Akhras.
The board will select a replacement for Gallo at a future meeting.
Alerts Sign-up