McHenry Times

Algonquin District 300 Board President Dr. David Scarpino accused parents of over-dramatizing their accounts of the suffering they say their children have gone through since the pandemic began nearly two years ago.

In a response to heartfelt stories from parents distraught over their children’s well-being, Scarpino said parents are putting on a show.

“I just want to remind folks, I understand you're performing for TV and everything. I get that. But please, please, please, I will – don't – I will find you out of order,” Scarpino said in a video of the meeting.

As he delivered his screed a heckler interrupted him who was escorted out amid Scarpino’s denunciation.

“I will find you out of order, sir…sir. That's it. Remove him. He's done,” Scarpino said.

As the man’s voice faced away as he was pushed out of the room he retorted, “You’re out of order.”  

Scarpino’s accusation that parents were playing for the cameras came after the testimony of parent Anna Tully whose children have faced significant challenges placed in their way.

“I’m going to do my best not to get emotional during the speech, but as all of us here, we are here for our children and not like any other parents in this room,” Tully noted as she began her comments.

She said her two sons - seven and nine - have struggled during the pandemic. In particular, she questioned the quarantine process.

“Instead of you guys actually giving me solid facts of what's happening about the quarantine effect or the amount of close contact is actually, do you get ill with Covid?” she asked. “You guys throw your legal counsel on me. The district gives me legal counsel and denies access to school and tells my son he has to quarantine for five to 10 days – even healthy.” 


Tully said the dynamic created by the school’s poor handling of Covid protocols – which have not been proven to actually help in most cases – has wrecked their lives. 



“Now (we're) losing valuable educational structure and I have to miss work,” she said.

Tully simply asked that the school board listen to her story as it is one of tens of thousands.

Rather than lend a sympathetic ear, Scarpino reacted with force.

More than 20,000 students are served by Algonquin District 300, which includes 15 elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools and one K-8 school.

Per his resume, Scarpino has made a living out of his deep connections to D300.

According to Scarpino’s official biography he served in a variety of different positions over the years before returning and becoming a school board member.

Scarpino is active locally, particularly when it comes to those positions flush public taxpayer funds. He also belongs to the Hampshire Police Pension Board and the Hampshire Fire Protection District Board of Trustees.

The control of Algonquin District 300 is much more than it appears.

That type of financial capital draws a lot of eyes and brings food to many tables. The complex nexus of political and personal alignments between its 3,000 some employees and a wide variety of outside vendors – some with deep political connections - cost taxpayers over $111 million in Fiscal Year 2021 alone.

While Scarpino may be called “doctor”, Nova Southeastern, where he received his Ph.D. has had a reputation as a “diploma mill” or "degree mill," particularly in the 1990s when he attended. 

Similarly, National Louis University, where Scarpino received his master’s degree, was scorched for listing its courses on the coupon application GroupOn.

The American Enterprise Institute opined on the college’s reputation, ““Think of what a great story you’ll have to tell your students at your failing school one day: ‘Your teacher comes from Groupon.’”

Scarpino’s current term expires in April 2025.