No action taken in public portion of meeting

For the second time in five days, the Niles Board of Education entered a closed session to discuss one or multiple issues that have not been made public.

Kathy Zeider, board president, said the board went into closed session during Monday’s regular meeting to review attorney/client privileged information.

The board held a special meeting last Thursday and entered closed session to discuss a personnel matter.

With wide-ranging rumors about the purpose of the meetings circulating throughout the city, at least 70 people attended Monday’s meeting. The crowd had the meeting room filled to capacity, so some citizens were turned away at the door.

Monday’s closed session lasted about 50 minutes, while Thursday’s went nearly two hours.

The board took no action after either closed session.

Zeider said she couldn’t comment as to whether or not these two closed sessions were related to one another.

All members of the seven-person board were present at Monday’s meeting except Mark Wortham. Two attorneys representing the school district also attended the session.

Niles Superintendent Richard Weigel, who attends the majority of school board meetings, did not attend Thursday’s special meeting or Monday’s regular meeting.

John Tanke, director of human resources, said Weigel is out sick.

The board also recessed to a closed session at its Feb. 10 meeting. Administrators and officials have declined to comment on the reasons for the meetings and whether or not any of the sessions are related.