Those expecting a repeat of the July meeting of the Quincy School Board that was dominated by passionate speeches and verbal clashes over the elevation of Melvin “Bud” Niekamp to the presidency were probably disappointed Wednesday night.

Niekamp submitted a letter minutes into the meeting – after some minor haggling with other board members over whether it took a board vote (it doesn’t) to do so – that stated he has no intentions of resigning as a board member or as board president. The letter, read by board secretary Phyllis Stewart, drew no reaction from a crowd smaller than the July gathering. And it eliminated the possibility of Tom Dickerson being elevated to the presidency and a new vice president being selected, which would have added some drama.

Niekamp offered no hints at the possible “conditions” by which he would consider resigning from the board. Among those he mentioned earlier Wednesday was the formation of an ad hoc committee that he would lead that would, among other things, investigate and evaluate the district’s finances and reporting practices. He also suggested an investigation and evaluation of the district’s legal counsel, Dennis Gorman, with whom Niekamp has long feuded. Don’t expect either to materialize. Some members of the crowd lamented as the board went into executive session that too many members of the public don’t seem to realize the district is audited by an outside firm every year, blunting insinuations by some of wrongdoing.

With that moment passing, the board resumed a normal flow of business, which is probably how most School Board meetings should be conducted. Only a handful of speakers stepped to the microphone during two public comment periods, and those who either spoke in favor of Niekamp or in favor of the board’s action to dissolve four standing committees and strip the president of most of his authority were about evenly split. Only two had to be chided by Niekamp for their comments, both Niekamp supporters.

It was surprising that the board had no discussion before voting 6-1 to dissolve the Policy, Finance, Curriculum and Building committees, which were labeled as “dysfunctional” last week by Superintendent Lonny Lemon. There also was no discussion before a 6-1 vote to strip Niekamp of most of his powers. Niekamp , who also was the sole lone vote against a tax levy featuring a projected lower tax rate, did not even speak in his own defense.

Jim Sibbing, a former employee of the Illinois Veterans Home and a Niekamp appointee to the Building Committee, spoke the longest, well beyond the three-minute limit. He questioned the legality of some life-safety projects, without offering any clear specifics, and the need for others. He implored the board to show “fiscal restraint” and to be the “custodians of the money bags” when it comes to spending on these projects, which drew one of the loudest rounds of applause from the crowd.

The board had earlier, however, conducted a lengthy discussion on the merits of moving forward with the life-safety process, including $8.1 million in federal stimulus money earmarked for them. The board voted to proceed with having architects do the necessary paperwork so those life-safety projects can be submitted to the state for approval. It may be the end of the year or early next year before the district hears back from the state. Only then will the board debate whether to go ahead with some or all of the projects.

The next step in the nearly five-month saga is a Monday hearing in Adams County Circuit Court on the quo warranto lawsuit that challenges Niekamp’s position on the School Board. But that suit is probably weeks from being decided. With board members now in charge of committee duties and Niekamp holding only the powers mandated by law, it will be interesting to see how the board is able to conduct its business and address the financial problems facing the district, which, as many pointed out Wednesday night, have been exacerbated by the failure of the state to meet its obligations.