The situation was aired at a recent Mount Zion school board meeting.

An examination of nearly 500 pages of emails between administrators at Mount Zion High School and boosters from the Les Femmes show choir group, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, showed a clearer picture of how the misunderstanding developed.

In the series of emails, administrators expressed concerns about high school groups operating bingo for a junior high group. There were also questions raised about the legality of that kind of structure.

“I can’t support a group using another group to start a new license,” Superintendent Travis Roundcount said.

Emails showed boosters from Les Femmes were approached in February by Galaxy Bingo Hall management about possibly running bingo when the business opens this summer. Les Femmes already has an agreement with Majestic Bingo Hall.

Roundcount initially told the boosters they were free to raise funds how they saw fit, so Les Femmes boosters spent months considering their options, which included staying with Majestic or possibly doing bingo at both bingo halls.

However, groups may carry only one bingo license in Illinois, so working at both halls was not an option.

To hold bingo at Galaxy, Les Femmes approached Sound System about a partnership to run bingo at the new hall. While initially supportive, some parents from Sound System emailed Roundcount to raise questions about how the agreement would require Sound System to completely restructure its board and the potential liabilities for the group.

rvoyles@herald-review.com|(217) 421-7985