🗳️ Only about 7% of Lake Forest's registered voters showed up to the Caucus annual meeting. They decided who's on the slate. So who's making the decisions for the rest of us?

Two of ten names didn't make it. The Caucus says it will "get back to you" about a special meeting. Pete, Rick, Skoo and Jeff get into what that vote is supposed to be, what happens now, and why the turnout is the real story.

Then Ted Banick joins with a Highwood update: the Silver Dollar's license is dead, with no reason given.

Philippe Melin and Jeff Brincat of Parents Care take over the second half. Philippe shares his screen and walks through Superintendent Matt Montgomery's total compensation: base salary, retention bonuses, pension and benefits. Then he covers his reconstruction of what D67 and D115 spend on administration. Those are Parents Care's numbers, built from district documents and policy 3.50, and they show their work.

We close with tape from Tuesday's D115 board meeting. A board member questions the markup and the uncapped costs in the $70,000 Perkins & Will "environmental storytelling" contract. Then the vote.

Last week's episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaReBrH0QP0

🎙️ Pete Jansons — with Rick Lesser, Skoo & Jeff Urso

🎤 Guests: Ted Banick, Philippe Melin & Jeff Brincat (Parents Care)

⏱️ WHAT WE GET INTO

🗳️ 0:00 — "The people have shouted"... or did they?

🎭 1:54 — "I woke up on a Tuesday to a puppet show"

🤫 4:23 — Come on the show, or the whispers will be the story

⚖️ 7:29 — Rick: "They didn't do a better job on vetting"

⚾ 8:29 — Wearing black for the White Sox: PCA or Schwarber?

🎉 10:56 — Congratulations to Ara

🥃 14:32 — Silver Dollar update with Ted Banick

🍫 17:59 — How does a town pick who gets to do business?

📂 20:39 — The power of FOIA

📉 21:52 — 2 of 10 didn't make it, and only 7% showed up

😂 27:56 — Rick's surprise Facebook endorsement

🆕 30:57 — "The newcomers club"

🏫 33:04 — Parents Care: the $400K-plus superintendent

📈 35:03 — Administrative costs up 44% in three years

📊 36:50 — Philippe's breakdown: Montgomery's total compensation

💵 40:23 — Parents Care's math: $515,000 in total comp this year

🏛️ 43:57 — $9.6 million on administration for under 3,000 students

🎻 47:35 — The orchestra teacher and the fixed pie

✏️ 59:56 — "I wouldn't cut one teacher"

🏠 1:00:32 — Property taxes, EAV and your tax bill

📜 1:04:27 — Show the contract before the vote

⏰ 1:05:47 — 48 hours' notice on a Tuesday

☕ 1:09:03 — The Lake Bluff coffee and enrollment down 20%

🧾 1:14:21 — D115 board: the Perkins & Will contract question

🎨 1:16:47 — $70,000 for the blank walls

👀 1:18:52 — Maybe you're not the 7%. Start paying attention.

🙏 1:19:44 — Thank you to our supporters

🎸 1:21:43 — Song: "The 7% That Run This Town"

🔗 UPDATES & LINKS

▶ Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@lakeforestpodcast

▶ Visit: https://www.lakeforestpodcast.com

▶ Support the show (as little as 99¢ a month): https://www.patreon.com/lakeforestpodcast

▶ Newsletter: https://petejansons.substack.com

The Lake Forest Podcast — Not news. Just neighbors. We document. You decide.

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