Residents air their concerns at Pillager School Board meeting

PILLAGER -- Officials were surprised Wednesday when about 20 people attended the Pillager School Board meeting.

Pillager Superintendent Phil Johnson said this morning that usually few people attend the meetings. He said the number of people who attended Wednesday leads him to believe there are rumors passing through the community.

Gene Squires of Pillager said there are many rumors flying that are not true. However, he said there also are many community concerns.

After the meeting, Squires said he called several residents and asked them to go to the school meeting. Squires, a former school board member, said he has questions about school finances, as well as Title I money. He also said school board members should be held accountable for their actions.

Squires asked the board during the public comment time if the school district found a large sum of money and if so where it came from.

Johnson said the school district did not find a large sum of money. He said when the 2001-02 audit was complete there was an excess of $183,000 in revenues more than what he projected.

Another resident asked if the football field press box at the school cost $17,000. The board said the number is correct and the money was in the budget.

Before residents were given a chance to speak Chairman Robert Gillson said residents are restricted to five minutes to comment.

After the meeting, some residents discussed their concerns as a group. One woman said she feels the public is not given enough opportunities to speak on school issues and their input is not wanted.