Once again, the SF School District denies public information to the public;
The district denied a recent request for a copy of Superintendent Pam Homan’s contract, citing an exception to the state’s open records law that makes “personnel information other than salaries and routine directory information” private.
Yawn. Typical of Homan and her administration. Remember when they shredded all the new school name suggestions from the public for Rosa Parks school? Why? Because I can pretty much guess that Rosa Parks wasn’t one of the recommendations. This is typical of Homan, yet the school district denies she has anything to do with it . . .
Simons said that even if Homan wanted to release her own contract, the law would not allow it, because “in South Dakota, personnel files belong to the employer.”
Who pays Homan’s wage and ’employs’ her?
Novstrup called the Sioux Falls decision “outrageous.”
“They’re saying, ‘We are spending the taxpayers’ money in a way that we don’t want you to know,’ ” he said. “We’re still not to the point where the elected official or the bureaucrat understands that the citizens own the government.”
It’s kinda like your boss handing you a paycheck then you turn around and tell him to do your job.
Accountability and transparency are critical to good governance. Exceptions? Sure – like national security, witness protection program, etc. But an employment contract? Get real. Public employee, public contract, public right to know. No wonder people are losing faith with local institutions. Hopefully, our legislatures will see their way to making this right. The public deserves nothing less.
My money – my information. If you don’t like it – go make $175,000+ somewhere else.
Does anything think there is something in the contract that we don’t know about?
Compensation is already known, so unless there is a clause in her contract that allows her to a lifetime supply of Twinkies I’m not sure what we would expect to have in there that really matters.
I can see the argument that personnel files should not be public, but if that is the case it should apply equally to all… teachers included. It should not apply for just administrators because that suggests they have something to hide.
The school board could easily resolve this by enacting some type of a rule that allows them to publish the contract, but I would guess that won’t happen.
Agree with Alice15. What especially bothers me is bonuses and hidden benefits not reported. Certain public servants must make high incomes but most are becoming millionaires from hardly 10 years of service. Then, they retire with the most lucrative benefits in the state.
I don’t have a problem with the pay, and I certainly don’t have a problem with keeping any health condition and SS# private, but there is a heckuva a lot more in a contract then that, like if she is compensated for travel? Does the school district own her vehicle? How are her bonuses set up? Knowing Pam, she probably has a clause in there that requires the district to feed her horses and all other administrators to refer to her as Queen.
Does anyone really think that after she called the Gov’s proposal for education funding half assed and her relationship with legislators that the first senate bill won’t be to fix this with and emergency clause that will go into effect about January 18th. I’d guess the legislature will expedite this bill asap. I see Novstrup already is on it. You can expect it to happen. My guess is she has additional retirement like an annuity payment or something similar that nobody else has. Sure she gets a vehicle and all the expenses etc. She has the worst political savy of anyone in that position in the past 30 years.
I am not going to defend Homan, I think she has used her power to help herself and her friends and family more then we will ever know. But it is SF politics, and until the public wakes up, shit like this will continue.
Agreed. Our school board and our city council might as well just keep their automatic signatures on speed dial because Mike and Pam just keep making a mockry of them. The school board demand the public be able to see anything regarding Pammy (or actually do ANYTHING)? When hell freezes over.
I do have to share this. I was at the Lincoln football game a couple of weeks ago and guess who was all sitting together – Pam and her husband, Fred Aderhold (former Asst Superintendent) and his wife, Tod Vik (School District Business Manager), and Kent Alberty and his wife. Sick! Don’t be afraid to hang out with all of your friends.
My wife works for the county and all her info is out there, of course she is not in the 6 figure range either. Another politician watching out for their rich friends.
[…] link on Monday), because the state legislature changed state law to make this happen. As you know, Pam wasn’t going to let anyone see it. That’s all changed now. Simons said that even if Homan wanted to release her own […]