Decision avoids controversy of telecommuting plan
By Kellen Olshefski
SLN Staff
The East Troy Community School District Board of Education voted Monday to approve a request for a one-year leave of absence from Special Education Director Tim Peerenboom.
The move, at least for now, puts to rest a controversy that divided community members and made the school district fodder for radio talk shows and newspaper articles throughout the state.
The district had originally proposed and the board approved an arrangement that would have allowed Peerenboom to retain his job for up to two years while telecommuting from Washington, D.C., where he plans to join his fiancée.
Monday’s action – spurred by Peerenboom’s request – avoids that controversial plan.
With details concerning Peerenboom’s contract and compensation being hashed out in executive session, the board reconvened late Monday evening for a vote concerning the issue.
All board members voted in favor of approving Peerenboom’s request with the exception of President Dawn Buchholtz, who opted to abstain.
District Administrator Christopher Hibner said there were a couple of main reasons why the board felt it was important to keep Peerenboom.
Hibner stressed the ideas of continuity and consistency of leadership with the transition that’s occurring in special education.
“The new initiatives that have to be implemented in November of this coming year, and Tim’s already been leading a lot of those initiatives,” he explained.
“We’ve made a lot of good strides in that area and I thought it was very imperative that we continue to keep that consistency in leadership.”
Hibner noted the importance of keeping the director the district has had in place, the leadership skills Peerenboom offers, and his philosophy in regards to special education.
“The board has stated it and I believe in it too, and that is his philosophy in regards to special education, which is, obviously, the least restrictive environment for every students and making sure that we’re educating every single child and that every single child within special education can have a year plus of learning growth as well as every child in general education,” he said.
Hibner explained Peerenboom’s quality leadership skills are something that have played an important role in the past and will in the future as well.
“Now that they’ve approved a year leave, that’s the next goal that we have to have as a district and that is keeping the continuity of the leadership with where we’ve been and where we’re going so we don’t have a dip in our transition,” Hibner explained. “That’ll be the big thing that we have to make sure of.”
Hibner also noted it’s important to remember Peerenboom is also the district assessment manager, overseeing all data management and organization.
“I think that’s a component we’ve absolutely taken great strides in these past few years and I’ve become concerned with now having someone have to take over that consistency with managing the data and organizing it,” he said.
As for what the district intends to do in Peerenboom’s absence, Hibner said the board intends to find an interim solution that retains Peerenboom’s philosophy.
Hibner explained the board will first look at what needs to be done to maintain the continuity, consistency and leadership. It will be a one-year appointment.
“From there, whomever we’re able to fill that consistency and continuity of our philosophy of special ed, internally or externally, it will obviously have to be a year to coordinate correctly to Tim’s honoring of his year leave,” he said.
