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School Board News Bulletin
May, 2003

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Governor budgets $250 increase in foundation level

Governor picks new state board chair

State superintendent: $3.4 billion may be GSA limit

NSBA confab draws 139 districts' leaders

Workshop for board presidents set for June

NEWS FROM IASB

Conference registration/housing packet to be mailed June 9

Officer nominees sought to lead IASB in coming year

Cole Award nominations sought for 2003 honors

MicroScribe underwrites service fee to post local policies on Web

IASB’s Springfield office has moved to 2921 Baker Drive

ISBE approves finance authority’s budget for Hazel Crest district

REFERENDUM RESULTS

RECENT MAILINGS FROM IASB

Governor budgets $250 increase in foundation level

Additional money largely at expense of non-mandated categorical grants for schools

The spending plan proposed by Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich on April 9 would leave the foundation level far below the $5,665 per pupil recommended by education funding reform study groups. But, while school leaders say the proposed increase is a step in the right direction, they note the state has a long way to go.

"While this is great, and while it will help, it's not a long-term solution," said Kyle McQuaid, chief financial officer for McLean C.U. District 5, Normal.

While calling for most other state expenditures to be cut, the Governor proposed increasing the per pupil funding level for schools by $250, thus raising the foundation level to $4,810 per pupil, costing the state approximately $235 million.

Elementary and secondary education would receive an overall increase in funding from fiscal year 2003. "Gov. Blagojevich did make elementary and secondary education a priority in his budget," said Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance lobbyist Ben Schwarm.

Only part of the overall increase would be funded by adding new money to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) budget. Nearly $210 million of the increase would be a redistribution from other education budget line items.

Blagojevich did commit to funding the $500 million that makes up the second half of the School Construction Grant Program expenditures the state promised last year.

But like former governor George Ryan's final budget proposal, Gov. Blagojevich's first budget recommends that nearly all non-mandated categorical grant programs be eliminated and their funds directed toward general state aid (GSA). In fact, most of the funding needed to boost the foundation level would come from eliminating 24 grant programs for specific purposes, such as programs for gifted students and textbook loans. As a result, some school districts - particularly districts with many of these "categoricals" - could lose money under the governor's budget.

Of the nearly 900 school districts in Illinois, roughly 620 will see an increase in general state aid under the budget plan, 180 will break even and 100 will lose money, the governor's office estimated. To compensate those districts that would otherwise lose money, Gov. Blagojevich has discussed adding up to $20 million in "transitional funding" to the education budget to make sure no districts actually lose funding.

The following non-mandated categorical grant programs would be eliminated, with their funds redirected toward general state aid (GSA):

• School Safety & Ed. Improvement Block Grant
• Charter Schools
• District Consolidation Costs
• Gifted Education Reimbursement
• Low Incidence Disabilities
• Textbook Loan Program
• Teach for America Act
• Substance Abuse and Violence Prevention
• Career Awareness and Development
• Community/Residential Services Authority
• Illinois Learning Partnership
• Middle Level Schools
• Vocational Education Staff Development
• Family Literacy
• Mathematics Statewide
• Reading Improvement Statewide
• Scientific Literacy
• Universal Preschool
• Alternate Learning Opportunities Act
• Truant Alternative Optional Education
• American Education Institute
• Illinois Economic Education
• Materials Center for the Visually Impaired
• Tax Equivalent Grants

Funding axed for regional offices of education

The Governor's proposal would eliminate all funding for Regional Offices of Education. The funds that would have been allocated for regional offices would be redistributed to general state aid.

Gov. Blagojevich also recommended that the ISBE administrative budget be cut. About $9 million less would be available for ISBE administrative costs next year compared to the FY '03 level, thus cutting more than 100 positions. The Governor also called for a $2.7 million cut in the current (FY '03) budget of the ISBE.

He recommended, as well, the implementation of an Education Funding Advisory Board (EFAB) plan on school fund consolidation. This would reduce the number of school accounting funds to four.

Gov. Blagojevich renewed his vow, however, to "make the state's 23rd and 24th payments to local school districts on time." He even called for a supplemental appropriation of nearly $22 million for the current fiscal year so that the last GSA payment is fully funded.

The State Board of Education has opposed portions of the budget, demanding to: retain several programs proposed to be transferred away from ISBE, direct more resources for special education and transportation, and fully fund some programs proposed to be eliminated.

The State Board voted on April 30 to reaffirm its commitment to funding the following items and amounts the governor recommended for elimination: Material Center for the Visually Impaired, $1,121,000; School District Consolidation Incentives, $1,669,400; Regional Offices of Education, $22,777,300; and Truant Alternative Optional Education, $18,596,500.

For a closer look at the education budget, visit the ISBE Web site at www.isbe.net/news/2003/04_Gov_Budget.pdf.

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Governor picks new state board chair

Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich recently picked Janet Steiner of Carlinville as the new Illinois State Board of Education chairperson, succeeding Ronald J. Gidwitz of Chicago, whose term as chairman had expired.

Blagojevich's move made Steiner acting chair of the board, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate. Steiner is a lifelong educator who has worked for many years as a teacher and administrator in the Carlinville public schools.

She recently retired from the faculty of Blackburn College, where she supervised student teachers. Steiner has served on the State Board since 1999 but she chaired her first meeting April 30. Her term on the board expires January 12, 2005.

Former chairman Gidwitz will continue to serve as a board member until his term expires - also on January 12, 2005.

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In a luncheon speech at the 2003 Illinois Association of School Administrators conference May 8 in Springfield, where he outlined his fight for more funding for Illinois schools, Superintendent Robert Schiller said the current proposal which would provide $3.4 billion in general state aid "may be as good as we're going to get." But, with funding shortages and program cuts reported in many other states, getting that much could be considered "a remarkable accomplishment."

Schiller said Walt Warfield, IASA executive director, asked him to try to be uplifting and positive in his remarks. "NCLB? Accountability? Assessments? The budget? Well, the corn looks good this year!"

In referring to No Child Left Behind, Schiller called on superintendents to reach out to federal legislators "so that never again will legislation come down the pike with so little input from educators." He also added, "We don't need the feds to tell us what to do. We know what to do, and we can do it."

Visita-classroom,speakers advise

"There is a life that will go on beyond the challenges we're facing," Schiller said. And if anyone questions why they do what they do or how they can face going ahead in the midst of a crisis that could become a catastrophe, all they need to do is spend some time in a classroom with children. "Rarely do I see a classroom I've walked away from that I say, 'we could do better.'"

Schiller's encouragement to visit a classroom also was recommended by Rudy Crew, a former chancellor of New York Public Schools and this year's recipient of the Van Miller Award. "Whether we retire or wherever we go, we will be defined by what we are now," Crew said in accepting his award. "Go out to the schools and remember what this is all about."

Schiller was not alone in his viewpoint. Newly appointed State Board Chairperson Janet Steiner said she sees eye-to-eye with the state superintendent on most things, including improved school funding.

Steiner made her remarks in a breakfast meeting at the 2003 IASA conference May 9 in Springfield, where she also made clear her strong support for the fight for more funding for public schools next fiscal year.

Speaking for the State Board, Steiner noted: "We voted to restore the funding for Truant Alternative Optional services, and Regional Offices of Education, and we really don't see why their services should be cut."

AASA's president advises "try throwing money at schools just once"

Raising education to a level of "universal proficiency" will be a daunting task over the next 14 years, especially when it took the United States 165 years from the beginnings of public education to deliver "universal access."

That was one of 10 talking point messages shared by John Lawrence, president of the American Association of School Administrators, during breakfast remarks at the IASA conference.

Lawrence, superintendent of the Troy R-III School District in Troy, Missouri, said no matter how bad the finances or how uncomfortable the changes necessitated by No Child Left Behind, everyone involved in education needs to remember "it's all and it's only about the kids."

Lawrence said a recent Gallup poll showed 90 percent of Americans believe that schools can deliver universal proficiency, but the message of schools' inability to deliver without adequate funding is not being heard.

"Our critics say you can't throw money at a problem to solve it," Lawrence said, as he began his talking points countdown, "but maybe we ought to try it just once."

Also on his list was a new definition of NCLB - Nurture Children, Lessen Bureaucracy - and his description of IDEA as "a promise broken." "We teach kids not to do that," he said.

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NSBA confab draws 139 districts' leaders

The 63rd annual conference of the National School Boards Association, held April 5-8 in San Francisco, drew 11,648 people, including 7,030 paid registrants. Nearly 470 individuals representing 139 Illinois school districts attended.

IASB staff were involved in two of the 17 pre-conference workshops on Friday. Angie Peifer, director of board development, and Cathy Talbert, senior director of policy services, facilitated "The High Performing Board; Board Work on Board Time." This workshop, familiar to past participants at IASB events, focused board members on their unique role in the governing process. About 60 board members attended.

On the same day, John Cassel, director of field services, helped lead a workshop on "Practical Parliamentary Procedure." He discussed resources and techniques for effective board meetings. Twenty-eight board members and presidents attended.

Other workshops covered technology, student achievement, data-driven decisions, No Child Left Behind, and other topics.

IASB staff and their peers also participated in an executive job fair for prospective superintendent candidates. Donna Johnson, Dawn Miller, David Love, directors of field services, and Douglas Blair, senior director of field services for IASB, met with candidates to discuss this.

The state association representatives also participated in a business meeting and clinic with the National Association of Superintendent Searchers. Miller later helped to lead a panel on the superintendent search process, attended by 200.

Two Illinois districts joined IASB staffers in a Saturday afternoon meet the experts panel, "Effective Monitoring Process: The Board as a Policy-Making Body."

Michael Wright, superintendent, and Penny Rund, board president of Morris Dist. 54, joined Michael Paskewiz, superintendent, and Jan Putbress, board vice president, Lake Zurich C.U. Dist. 95, on the panel.

According to Anna Lovern, policy services director for IASB, and Sandy Gundlach, field services director, about 120 attended. The districts used the Principles of Effective Governance, a PowerPoint presentation, and a district calendar and sample compliance report.

"Online Board Policies: A Tool for Effective Governance" was the expert session hosted by IASB's Talbert and colleagues from the North Carolina and South Carolina school board associations. The 60 participants also received a hands-on demonstration of online policy features from MicroScribe Publishing.

IASB's Love joined Anthony Przeklasa, superintendent, and board members Lynda Sabani, Michael Fuechtmann, and William Griffiths of Keeneyville Dist. 20, Hanover Park, to discuss how a board can "Use Self-Evaluations Process to Monitor its Continuous Improvement."

Love said the tools he uses with Illinois boards to rate and track their performance could be adapted by any district. Keeneyville Dist. 20 also brought samples of materials and policies they have developed.

Re-authorization of IDEA compliance was the subject of another experts' panel presented by IASB's Miller and associates from national groups.

Two Illinois districts joined IASB's Talbert and Sandy Gundlach in an experts' panel on "Targeting Student Learning: A Policy Development Process that Works."

They were joined by Kenneth Perkins, superintendent, and board members Ivory Scott and Wendell Marshall, Brooklyn/Lovejoy Dist. 188.

Panels to share the success and showcase successful strategies of local districts included two Illinois districts.

Wheaton Warrenville C.U. Dist. 200 representatives showed how their after-hours program helps students who are at risk of dropping out. Board members Marie Slater, Bob Davis, and Rosemary Swanson were joined on the panel by Gary Catalani, superintendent, and staff member Susan Wolfe.

Northbrook Dist. 27 has participated in a study to benchmark its mathematics students with 41 other nations. David Kroeze, superintendent, was joined by board members Jennifer Warner and Todd Heller, in a panel on using data to improve curriculum.

Other panels

IASB's Miller, meanwhile, joined colleagues from other states to review how school leaders can respond to No Child Left Behind.

Several Illinois districts were scheduled to present information on successful projects, including:

• Wheaton Warrenville C.U. Dist. 200, on a monthly planning and budgeting system;
• Lombard Dist. 44, on a district goal-setting process;
• C.C. Dist. 59, Elk Grove Township, on ideas for small schools.

Eight Illinois districts were among the 125 projects showcased in the annual Exhibition of School Architecture.

The Illinois districts represented were: Wheaton Warrenville C.U. Dist. 200; Morris Dist. 54; Mokena Dist. 159; New Lenox Dist. 122; Lincolnshire-Prairie View Dist. 103; Lisle C.U. Dist. 202; Keeneyville Dist. 20, Hanover Park; and Fairmont Dist. 89, Lockport.

At an awards luncheon Monday, the American School Board Journal presented the 2003 Magna Awards to 24 districts, including Rock Island Dist. 41. Organized to advance student learning through board leadership, the Awards recognize student achievement and community engagement led by boards.

The district's winning entry, "Building a Collaborative Culture," describes how Jefferson Elementary transformed a student body rife with major disciplinary problems.

Two other Illinois districts among nearly 400 entries were given Honorable Mentions: Fenton CHSD 100, Bensenville, was honored for a parental skills program; and Lockport THSD 205 was honored for a summer program for incoming freshmen.

Districts from around the nation touted the benefits of successful academic programs. Among them was Genoa-Kingston C.U. Dist. 424.

Superintendent Rich Leahy touted the benefits of "e board meetings," which his district conducts using a Marietta, Ga., vendor. "It's intended to increase access, organization and save time," he said.

A suburban Chicago school attorney took office as Chairman for the National Council for School Attorneys.

Nancy Fredman Krent - a partner in the Arlington Heights firm of Hodges, Loizzi, Eisenhammer, Rodick & Kohn - was elected last year by NCSA members.

Melinda Selbee, IASB's general counsel, was active in each of these events.

Board/staff events

The first of 23 state meetings was held on Friday, when IASB hosted about 450 Illinois guests at the San Francisco Marriott.

IASB President Christy Coleman, who was among several IASB board members and officers to serve as a delegate or delegate alternate, was elected to represent the Central Region on NSBA's national policy committee. No major surprises occurred at this year's delegate assembly, Coleman said, but a few national board seats were challenged.

There were many panels on NCLB and "everyone's asking the same questions we are," Coleman said.

Other events

Thousands attended each of four general sessions. Visitors also sat in on specialty events, such as meetings for urban boards, school attorneys, minority groups, and board clerks.

For more information visit the Web site at: www.nsba.org/ .

The 2004 conference will be held March 27-30 in Orlando, Florida.

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Workshop for board presidents set for June

A workshop for school board presidents will be held at two locations in coming weeks: June 13 at the Hilton, Springfield; and June 20 at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago. Topics will include legal responsibilities, keys to effective meetings, parliamentary procedure, etc. For more information, visit the Web site at www.iasb.com/presw.pdf. Registration is available online at https://www.iasb.com/calendar/p_wshop_reg.cfm .

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NEWS FROM IASB

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Conference registration/housing packet to be mailed June 9

The IASB mailing date for the Joint Annual Conference Registration/ Housing packet has been changed from June 1 to June 9, 2003. Confer- ence fees for 2003 are $270.00 per person to register and $150.00 deposit for each room requested. For more information on registration procedures contact IASB Meetings Management at ext. 1115 or ext. 1102.

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Officer nominees sought to lead IASB in coming year

The 2003 Nominating Committee of the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) is seeking candidates for the offices of president and vice president.

Nominating forms are due to be submitted by early August; candidates will be interviewed in August. A slate of candidates will be presented to the Delegate Assembly meeting in Chicago at the 2003 Joint Annual Conference in November.

To request the necessary forms, interested candidates should write: IASB, 2921 Baker Drive, Springfield, IL 62703 or phone 217/528-9688, ext. 1102.

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Cole Award nominations sought for 2003 honors

Does your local newspaper do a crack job of covering local school board matters? If so, you may wish to give your beat reporter and newspaper some positive reinforcement. One way is to suggest that they enter articles in the 2003 Robert M. Cole Awards competition.

The newspaper awards, sponsored annually by IASB and administered by the Illinois Press Association, are named for IASB's first executive director. This year's contest for board coverage will cover four classifications of newspapers: 1) non dailies; 2) dailies with a circulation of less than 8,000; 3) dailies with a circulation of 8,000 to 20,000; and 4) dailies with a circulation of 20,000 or more.

Entries will be judged in mid-July as part of the IPA's annual newspaper awards, with presentations in the fall. Deadline for entries to be received at IPA is Friday, June 6.

For more information contact the Illinois Press Association, 900 Community Drive, Springfield, IL 62703; phone 217/241-1300.

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MicroScribe underwrites service fee to post local policies on Web

In recognition of the current tight budget situation facing many school districts, an IASB contractor has offered to underwrite service fees for the next 20 school districts that sign up to publish their board policy manuals online. The contractor, MicroScribe Publishing, Inc., signed on last year with IASB to convert and format school district policies into documents for the Web, complete with links to legal references.

Specifically, MicroScribe vowed to waive a $4,000 fee for the next 20 clients, cutting the cost of using IASB's School Board Policies Online Service from $7,000 to $3,000.

"This is terrific news for school districts that would like to enhance the communications value of their school board policy manual," said Cathy Talbert, IASB Senior Director of Policy Services.

For more information about the service contact: Cathy Talbert at IASB Policy Services, phone: ext. 1234 or e-mail: ctalbert@iasb.com .

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IASB's Springfield office has moved to 2921 Baker Drive

IASB has relocated its headquarters to 2921 Baker Drive, on Springfield's near south side. The office phone number has not changed, and all phone extensions remain the same as well. The Association's new extended Zip Code is 62703-5929.

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ISBE approves finance authority's budget for Hazel Crest district

ISBE determined April 30 that Hazel Crest District 152.5 will continue operating for one more year rather than dissolve this year as planned. Hazel Crest's school finance authority worked closely with the district to present a viable budget, which was approved by the State Board.

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REFERENDUM RESULTS

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Tax rate referendums were met with better than usual success at the April 1 consolidated election, as voters approved 40 of 89 tax increase referendums (44.9 percent). Bond issues were met with below-average success rates, as only 9 of 21 bond proposals were approved (42.8 percent).

Boards placed more tax rate increase proposals than usual on the ballot; in fact, the 89 propositions represented the highest total in the past 15 years. The April 1993 election, with 83 tax propositions, was the closest contender.

Just the reverse was true for bond issues, as the 21 bond issues this election represented the fewest ever in an April election. The next-fewest was the April 1991 ballot, with 31.

Voters approved 39 of 84 education fund proposals (46 percent), and one of five operations and maintenance fund proposals (20 percent).

Voters adopted education fund tax rate increases in the following school districts: Amboy C.U. Dist. 272; Astoria C.U. Dist. 1; Batavia Dist. 1; Belle Valley Dist. 119, Belleville; Chester-East Lincoln Dist. 61; Cissna Park C.U. Dist. 6; Cook Co. Dist. 130, Blue Island; Elementary Dist. 159, Matteson; Elmwood C.U. Dist. 322; Emmons Dist. 33, Antioch; Fremont Dist. 79; Greenfield C.U. Dist. 10; Lake Bluff Dist. 65; Laraway C.C. Dist. 70C, Joliet; Lee Center C.U. Dist. 271, Paw Paw; Leyden Community High School Dist. 212; Lincolnwood Dist. 74; Mannheim Dist. 83, Franklin Park; Marquardt Dist 15, Glendale Heights.

Education fund tax increases were approved, as well, in: New Trier Township High School Dist. 203, Northfield; Newark C.C. Dist. 66; Oak Lawn-Hometown Dist. 123; Palestine C.U. Dist. 3; Plano C.U. Dist. 88; Pleasant Plains C.U. Dist. 8; Queen Bee Dist. 16, Glendale Heights; Rantoul Dist. 137; Sandwich C.U. Dist. 430; Schuyler C.U. Dist 1, Rushville; Shirland Dist 134; South Holland Dist. 151; St. Charles C.U. Dist. 303; Summit Hill Dist 161, Frankfort; Tinley Park C.C. Dist. 146; West Chicago Elementary Dist. 33; Westchester Dist 92.5; Western Springs Dist 101; Wheeling C.C. Dist. 21; Will County Dist. 92, Lockport; Winnetka Dist. 36; and Woodridge Dist. 68.

Voters approved just one operations fund proposal, increasing taxes in Cook Co. Dist. 130, Blue Island; but the district also received voter approval for an education fund increase.

While no tax increase was proposed by school leaders in Mt. Vernon Dist. 80, voters in the town of Mt. Vernon did give their approval to a municipal plan to increase the home rule sales tax to benefit local schools. The city council has since approved a one-year, quarter-of-a-cent sales tax increase dedicated to aiding the financially strapped local schools.

Bond issues for building purposes were approved in the following eight districts: Batavia Dist. 101; Carterville C.U. Dist 5; Columbia C.U. Dist 4; Mannheim Dist. 83; Northwest C.U. Dist 175, Colchester; Shirland Dist. 134; Washington Central Dist. 51; and Wheaton Warrenville C.U. Dist. 200.

Voters approved a working cash proposal in Creston C.U. Dist. 161, which had requested a $200,000 bond issue, but they turned down another working cash bond issue there. Elsewhere, two other bond issues were defeated - one to increase the property tax extension cap under PTELL and one to pay legal claims.

Three of four school consolidation proposals proved successful; specifically, voters approved two district annexation proposals and a consolidation. Voters approved the annexation of Tower Hill C.U. District 6 to Pana C.U. District 8 in south central Illinois, and the annexation of Utica Elementary District 135 to Waltham C.C. District 185 in north central Illinois. And a consolidation plan was approved in western Illinois, establishing a new unit school district in the territory comprising Northwest C.U. District 175, Sciota, and Colchester C.U. District 180.

A tax cap was rejected by voters in Moultrie County.

Proposals to elect school board members at large were defeated in a number of school districts where sparsely populated townships are currently guaranteed representation.

Speaking of school board member elections, it appears incumbents fared worse than usual on April 1. "At this time with 83 percent of the districts reporting, we show 1,290 board members reelected and 1,306 going off the board," noted Janice Kidd, IASB's assistant manager of administrative services.

Yet among those in IASB leadership positions, 32 of 44 re-election candidates (73 percent) won races in their local school districts.

"It seems association leaders do better than their peers, which helps make the case for yet another advantage of IASB board development and leadership training," said Angie Peifer, school board development director.

For a look at statistical comparisons of recent tax and bond referendums, visit the Web site at www.iasb.com/ files/finance.htm . For more information on the results of school-related referendums at the April 1 election, and other recent elections, visit the Illinois Association of School Administrators' Web site at www.iasaedu.org/publications/srer.htm.

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RECENT MAILINGS FROM IASB

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IASB regularly sends informational materials to all member districts. Here is a list of such items mailed to representatives in your district in the past month. For more information about any item, contact your board president or district superintendent or get in touch with IASB.

Letter requesting list of recently elected new board members, March 31, 2003, sent to district superintendents.

School Code Supplement memorandum and order form, May 5, 2003, sent to board presidents and district superintendents.

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IASB ARCHIVES HOME

Illinois Association of School Boards

2921 Baker Drive
Springfield, Illinois 62703