The ‘View grows dimmer
Susan Montee’s audit of the Riverview Gardens School District back in March peeled back the layers of deception used to hide years of fiscal mismanagement, effectively lifting up the district’s skirt to expose a giant ass — ex-Superintendent Henry Williams.
The district’s accreditation was stripped in June, which means it could face a temporary state intervention if it doesn’t clean up its act by 2009.
A couple weeks ago, NorCo’s version of Rick Hummel — veteran scribe Mike Elder of the Suburban Journals — wrote a column that told of a more immediate result. Riverview’s football coach, John Atwell, decided enough was enough and will coach this fall at St. Charles High.
While Superintendent Williams was taking cash advances and the school board was traveling the world, enjoying the “get-your-nails-done-get-a-pedicure-get-your-hair-did” treatment (Copyright 2002, Missy Elliot), Atwell was trying to provide his players with true wealth — more options for their future.
Atwell was “father figure”, according to last year’s quarterback A.J. Steward. Steward earned a full ride to KU — where, God willing, he’ll be in bed at 3 a.m. so as to avoid being NorCo’s next Kalen Grimes (Hazelwood, stand up!)
“I’m angry with the people that hurt our district and our kids,” Atwell said. “I’m saddened, really. After I sat through that audit report, I was heartbroken.”
Sayeth Elder: “It’s a real shame that somebody who was willing to work that hard for the district had to leave under these circumstances.”
In the words of Riverview Gardens’ students in the late ’90s, and white suburban soccer moms a decade later: True that!
Montee’s entire stupefying audit is here.
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