An Illinois watchdog group is sounding the alarm on the long laundry list of violations against a New Lenox Village daycare facility and the potential troubles Lincoln-Way District 210 residents may face as a result.
The Edgar County Watchdogs have called out board members and administrators as a whole for conditions at Aunt Nancy’s Daycare facility.
“From bird feces on the climber to dirty cribs, it’s clear those allowing rent-free day care on public property have no idea what is really going on on their property,” the group stated on its website.
Some of the facility’s violations stemming from a 2014 Department of Children and Family Services visit include: failure to provide compliance certificates for four cribs; hot water temperature above 115 degrees Celsius in two bathroom sinks; maintenance needed on the playground; lack of adequate training and required documentation for several employees (the lack of a background test for one employee in particular); deficient snack menus; and dirty diapering pads and cribs.
“One only need read the full list of violations to see the administration of District 210 and the board members are out of touch with reality,” the group wrote. “These violations, although problematic for Aunt Nancy’s Daycare, may well put the District 210 taxpayers at risk in the event a lawsuit is brought against them as they are allowing this operation to function, rent free, on public property, not to mention a particular obligation District 210 has under the contract for this operation.”
The Edgar County Watchdogs noted that the contractual agreement between Aunt Nancy’s Daycare and District 210 requires “full compliance with the facility requirements of Illinois laws, rules and regulations.”
“Reading that obligation and then looking at the violations listed it makes me wonder who wrote this contract and who is (truly) responsible for many of these violations?” the group wrote. “We can only pray that the people of this school district see the light and find candidates qualified to be the parent in the room [because] as right now it’s clearly out of control with the children running things. In light of these additional problems coupled with Superintendent (Scott) Tingley’s inability to be honest about the budget, exposed by the Southtown Tribune, all indications are it’s time for him to go!”
Many have called out Tingley for withholding the true condition of the district’s finances.
In 2014, the superintendent presented the district’s FY 2015 budget he claimed would create a surplus that year. After the budget was approved, Tingley privately informed board members that he in fact projected a $6 million deficit — completely contradicting what he had told the public.
Tingley’s behavior and Aunt Nancy’s Daycare violations speak to the lack of accountability among board members and administrators, critics charge.
“In addition, our question of ‘Do laws matter?’ should be applied in this case as many of these violations appear to be repeat problems,” the group wrote. “At what point is anyone ever held accountable?”
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