This publication is also available as a PDF file
Voters pass six tax hikes, seven bond issues, three sales tax plans
Unofficial school referendum results from the April 7 Consolidated Election indicate voters approved six of 16 tax increase questions, seven of 14 bond propositions, and three of six county sales tax plans on the April 7 ballot.
Local school districts were successful with tax referenda for educational purposes in Colona School District 190 (a $1.09 increase per $100 of assessed valuation); Crescent-Iroquois CUSD 249, Crescent City (an 80-cent increase per $100 of assessed valuation); Hamilton CUSD 328 (a 60-cent increase per $100 of assessed valuation); Scott-Morgan CUSD 2, Bluffs (a 60-cent increase per $100 of assessed valuation); Triad CUSD 2, Troy (a 50-cent increase per $100 of assessed valuation) and Community Unit School District 316, Warsaw (a $1 increase per $100 of assessed valuation). Three of these propositions, however, were approved by fewer than 100 votes.
Voters rejected tax referenda in Breese Elementary SD 12; Granite City CUSD 9; Greenview CUSD 200; Maroa-Forsyth CUSD 2; McClellan CCSD 12, Mt. Vernon; Neoga CUSD 3; Pennoyer SD 79, Norridge; Streator Elementary SD 44; Thomasboro CCSD 130; and Woodland CCSD 50, Gurnee.
Building bond issues were approved in Delavan CUSD 703 in Tazewell County ($7.1 million for construction and repairs); Geneseo CUSD 228, in Henry County ($16.5 million to build additions to two elementary schools and improve a high school auditorium and stadium); Harrisburg CUSD 3, in Saline County (a $15 million bond issue paid from dedicated County Sales Tax receipts to reconstruct and renovate a high school); Milford Area SD 124, in Iroquois County ($17.4 million to demolish a high school and build additions for grade school and high school purposes); and West Aurora SD 129, in Kane County ($84.2 million—the largest bond issue approved—which will be used to replace an elementary school).
Two working cash bond issues won approval, as well, including a proposal in Farrington CCSD 99 in Jefferson County ($150,000); and in Paris-Crestwood CUSD 4 in Edgar County ($1.6 million). The Paris bond issue passed by only 15 votes.
Bond proposals were rejected this April in Champaign CUSD 4; Granite City CUSD 9; Jasper County CUSD 1, Newton; Midland CUSD 7, Sparland; Waltham CCSD 185, Utica; and Winthrop Harbor CCSD 1. Voters also defeated a bond referendum to pay claims against the district in Jasper County CUSD 1, Newton ($2.2 million).
The 38 percent passage rate on tax proposals this time was just above the average approval rate seen for tax issues in primary elections in even-numbered years since November 1989, which stood at 36 percent. In contrast, the 50 percent passage rate on bond issues fell below the average for elections since 1989, which stood at 58 percent for all bond issues.
Of six countywide sales tax increase proposals earmarked for school facility purposes, voters approved three: Jersey, Perry, and Scott Counties. Two of those three winning proposals passed by narrow margins, with a 100-vote margin (428-328) in Scott County and a 120-vote margin (1,924-1,804) in Perry County.
The vote in two counties where the 1 percent sales tax was defeated were close: Carroll County lost 1,427 to 1,134 and Rock Island lost, 8,531 to 8,413. The referenda was soundly defeated, 4,736 to 1,828, in Stephenson County.
To date 33 counties have adopted a sales tax to benefit school facilities, or nearly one-third of the state’s 102 counties.
In other voting, a proposed school consolidation failed by just seven votes (938-931) in East Alton-Wood River CHSD 14, Wood River; East Alton SD 13, East Alton; and Wood River-Hartford ESD 15, Wood River, all located in Madison County.
For a closer look at school finance election outcomes since 1989, visit online at: www.iasb.com/elections/finance.cfm .
Newsbulletin evolving into timely, immediate blog form
Effective with this issue, No. 754, the Illinois School Board Newsbulletin will no longer be published in its current format. Its content has been redesigned as an online blog, which will appear on the top of the IASB website.
The purpose of the change is to allow IASB to reach more members and to allow timelier reporting of education events and issues.
“We realize some members may miss the monthly newsletter. But we believe this change will give members easier and better access to information that they want to read,” said James Russell, IASB’s associate executive director for communications and production services.
The first issue of the newsletter was published in November 1943 and has been continuously published ever since.
Until July 2011, the Newsbulletin was a monthly print publication. At that time it became an e-mail newsletter Text and PDF versions have been posted online. The text version allowed readers to pick and choose individual articles without the wait for the document to download.
“We will strive to maintain the same editorial integrity of the Newsbulletin while attempting to appeal to and reach a larger audience,” said newsletter editor Gary Adkins. “While the e-newsletter has been popular, we know that our members are ready to adapt to new and faster delivery methods.”
The news blog will become part of IASB’s social media strategy, which also includes Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube sites, Russell added. “Many of the topics and features in the former newsletter will be continued in the new format.
Packets help new members get fast start on boards
IASB routinely provides a packet of helpful information to newly elected school board members. This also gives IASB the chance to remind districts to provide the names, addresses, phone numbers, and e-mails of new board members.
The packets contain:
For more information about submitting the forms containing needed names and contact information, phone IASB’s Janice Kidd at ext. 1142. The packets will be mailed to individual board members as IASB receives the updated contact information from the district.
Board appoints governor’s choice for new state superintendent
The Illinois State Board of Education is being led by a new State Superintendent of Education effective May 1.
Gov. Bruce Rauner has been making sweeping changes to the state board since he took office in January. He earlier picked former state Sen. James Meeks, D-Chicago, to serve as board chairman. The state board, at the governor’s request, has appointed Anthony Smith of River Forest to lead the 500-person agency.
“The board selected Tony Smith for his proven track record of accomplishment and leadership in education,” said Meeks. “We know that Dr. Smith will move forward to improve and expand on the agency’s initiatives to improve teaching and learning on behalf of the more than two million kindergarten through 12th-graders in Illinois public schools.”
The state board’s hiring of Smith, however, led to the formal resignation of James Baumann, a key member of the board. Baumann cited concerns about the unusual way the new state school superintendent was chosen, as there was no national search and only one candidate, he said. A former CEO and president of Follett Higher Education Group, Baumann had chaired the finance and audit committee on the state board, and his term was not due to expire until January 2017.
In previous years, the state board has used search firms and conducted a national search for the state superintendents.
The state’s new top school leader, Smith is a California native and is a former school superintendent in the Oakland school district. It is reported that he helped improve academic outcomes, district finances and family engagement during his four-year tenure. More recently, Smith served as executive director of the W. Clement and Jessie V. Stone Foundation, headquartered in Oak Park, a nonprofit group that grants more than $5 million a year to early childhood development and education.
He is a former college football player at the University of California-Berkeley and earned undergraduate, graduate and education doctoral degrees there.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Smith is not a typical candidate and never obtained a teaching or administrative credential. He was never a classroom teacher and the administrator’s credential requirement was waived by the Oakland school board when hiring him. He was said to be a charismatic but sometimes unpopular leader who closed struggling public schools, butted heads with teachers unions and created more privately run charter schools in California.
He replaces Christopher Koch, whose contract expired this spring. Koch, who was appointed state superintendent in 2006 during former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s administration, oversaw major changes to state testing and teacher evaluation. Koch was a proponent of using data to inform policy and had been working to establish a P-20 longitudinal data system where pre-K to grade-12 student achievement data can be linked to postsecondary education and careers. He also supported establishing nationally and internationally benchmarked standards, as well as assessments common to all states to permit fair and accurate comparisons about student performance between states and countries.
In his final newsletter to district administrators, Koch had good things to say about his experiences: “As I reflect back on these years, I saw acts of courage and leadership among you again and again and this gives me great hope for the future of this great state. I want to thank those of you who took on challenges because they would result in improvements with teaching and learning and those who led to make things better,” he said.
Chairman Meeks and other board members took time during the superintendent changeover announcement to thank and commend Koch for his contribution as a leader known for working collaboratively with education leaders. Koch was one of the nation’s longest-serving education chiefs as he ended his nine-year tenure in Illinois.
“We have been very fortunate in Illinois to have had Dr. Koch’s strong leadership and drive to raise the bar for everyone involved in education, but particularly our students,” said Meeks. “His experience working with children with special needs made him a strong advocate for ensuring that all children have access to a quality education.”
School leaders invited to visit Berwyn tech conference
Berwyn South School District 100 is set to hold its first annual iEngage EdTech Conference on May 8 and 9. The two-day event will showcase the district’s nationally recognized 1:1 Wireless Device program.
This EdTech conference is open to all educators and community members. During the two-day conference, visitors will hear from three keynote speakers, including:
In addition to the keynotes, attendees will be able to participate in site visits to the district’s six elementary and two middle schools, discussions led by District 100 teachers and students on their experiences in a 1:1 wireless education environment, and workshops and poster discussions utilizing online tools and software to enhance school learning environments.
Cost for the two-day event is $115. For more information, visit iengage-berwyn.com or email at contact@iengage-berwyn.com .
Results of annual principals survey find possible applicant shortage ahead
The Illinois Principal’s Association (IPA) recently released its annual survey of principal salaries. The new document, “2014-2015 IPA Salary, Fringe Benefit, and Career Planning Study,” reporting recent data and trends, was written by Brian D. Schwartz, associate director and general counsel and David Landers, technology director at IPA.
IPA surveyed principals, assistant principals, and deans in public and private schools across Illinois in November and December 2014. More than 1,400 individuals responded.
Questions included age and experience, contractual information and duties, salary and benefits data, professional development and career plans.
Among the notable results of the survey, principals expressed the likelihood of increased mobility, with 45 percent of principals and 27 percent of assistant principals and deans expecting to be in their current positions in five years. The IPA report also states that, compared to the 2013-2014 survey, a higher number of teachers will consider leaving PreK-12 education within the next five years.
The latest data indicated that the average principal salary was $94,474 and was 1.4 percent higher than last year. Regionally, Cook County and the Chicago collar counties have the highest average principal and assistant principal salaries, and rural areas, especially far southern Illinois, have the lowest.
IPA suggests that changes to principal preparation, static compensation, and increased job pressures may result in a shortage of qualified candidates in the future.
The document can be read here: www.ilprincipals.org/201415SalarySurveyFINALforClient.pdf
Active school lawyer appointed to state labor board (IELRB)
A member of the Illinois Council of School Attorneys (ICSA), Andrea Waintroob, has been appointed to serve on the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board (IELRB). Gov. Bruce Rauner nominated Waintroob, of the law firm Franczek Radelet P.C., to serve as acting chair of the IELRB, pending Illinois Senate confirmation.
Waintroob was a long-time member of ICSA and served as its chair in 1996-1997.
ICSA was created in 1987 and is affiliated with the Illinois Association of School Boards and the National School Boards Association.
Waintroob is a frequent speaker on labor and bargaining matters at ICSA Annual Seminars. For more than 35 years, she has practiced in all aspects of labor and employment law with a specific focus on labor relations and negotiations. She also has handled constitutional issues and student rights for her clients, which have included school districts throughout Illinois.
“We are very proud that one of our members, and a friend to ICSA, holds this important position,” said Melinda Selbee, IASB’s General Counsel.
Miscellaneous balloting approves at-large board election approach
In addition to the many school finance referenda on the ballot, voters approved two local district propositions calling for a change to at-large election of school board members. Two of four advisory questions also were adopted at the April 7 Consolidated Election, both of them concerning labor issues in one school district. Adopted were:
Shall members of the Board of Education of Lexington Community Unit School District No. 7 , McLean County, Illinois, be elected in 2017 and thereafter, at large and without restriction by area of residence within the district instead of the current restriction that four (4) board members shall be selected from the congressional township in which at least 75% but not more than 90% of the population resides and three (3) board members shall be selected from the rest of the district?
Shall members of the Board of Education of Meredosia-Chambersburg Community Unit School District No. 11, Brown, Cass, Morgan and Pike Counties, Illinois, be elected at large from within the school district and without restriction by area of residence within the school district?
Shall the Board of Education of Hinsdale Township High School District 86 petition the Illinois General Assembly for a change in State labor law to prohibit teachers and other professional employees of public school districts from striking or engaging in any form of work stoppage?
Shall the Board of Education of Hinsdale Township High School District 86 include as criteria in the performance evaluations of its teachers and other professional employees mandatory components for assessment of those employees by the affected students and parents as well as the classroom attendance of the employees?
Voters rejected advisory questions on ballots in two districts, as follows:
Shall Glencoe School District 35 implement a privately-funded School Resource Officer pilot program for the 2015-2016 school year which would place a Glencoe Public Safety Officer in Central School?
Shall the North Boone [CUSD 200, Poplar Grove] School District use school facilities sales tax funds to construct a new athletic stadium and track?
Illinois Supreme Court agrees to review lower court ruling on zoning
Attorneys Ares G. Dalianis, Brian P. Crowley, and Scott R. Metcalf, all of Franczek Radelet P.C., wrote an Amici brief recently asking the Illinois Supreme Court to rule that school districts are not subject to municipal zoning and land use regulations. The court will hear oral arguments in the case on May 20.
The attorneys wrote the law brief filed on behalf of IASB and related school management organizations supporting a McHenry County school district in a zoning dispute over school bleachers.
“IASB, Illinois ASBO, and IASA are grateful to Franczek, Radelet P.C. for writing an exceptional brief in this case,” said IASB General Counsel Melinda Selbee.
The filing states that subjecting school structures to municipal zoning and land use regulations would limit school districts’ ability to meet their obligation to provide high-quality public education.
The lower and appellate court both sided with plaintiffs, the neighboring homeowners, who claimed the bleachers violate the city zoning code, including being too tall and too close to their properties.
To read the law brief for an understanding of the issues in this case pending before the Illinois Supreme Court, visit: www.iasb. com/law/ AmicusCrystalLake.pdf.
Meetings Management assistant manager Boston retires after 35 years with IASB
IASB has announced several personnel changes in the Springfield office.
Sandy Boston retired April 15 as assistant manager of meetings management. Boston served in that post with distinction for 35 years, with primary responsibility for the exhibitions at the Joint Annual Conference.
Boston said she will miss IASB but looks forward to traveling more and spending additional time with family, adding that the Association “has been a great place to work and I will truly miss everyone.”
Dana Heckrodt has moved across departments to replace Boston. Heckrodt had been an administrative assistant in the communications department for 11 years. She was succeeded in that capacity with the hiring of Shantel Rotherham, effective April 20. Rotherham was previously employed at the St. Joseph’s Home in Springfield.
Daniel Nika has accepted a position as assistant manager, data information systems, effective June 22. Besides working with the transition and training for some new association management software, he will help with network trouble-shooting, overall technology assistance, and maintaining the IASB websites.
School design contest entries sought by July 17
IASB Service Associates invites design firms engaged in any aspect of designing public school facilities to participate in the annual Exhibition of Educational Environments at the 2015 Joint Annual Conference. Eligible projects are limited to new or renovated facilities owned or operated by or for Illinois public school districts.
The facilities may be for instructional, recreational, administrative, or other use. To qualify for the 2015 Exhibition, construction must be completed in time for occupancy with the start of school in the fall of 2015. Eligible entrants include architects and other design professionals. Entries must be submitted by or with the written permission of the author/owner of the project design documents. Each entrant is limited to no more than two project entries.
Entries will be selected for exhibition in the following categories:
An exhibition jury will review preliminary submissions and select entries for the final exhibition. This jury will consist of three school administrators and three school architects. The jury, which will meet in September, will give prime consideration to solutions to the stated educational program requirements. Entries chosen for exhibition will be eligible for Awards of Distinction and Merit. Honorable Mention recognition may also be made at the discretion of the jury. All awards will be announced at the First General Session of the conference on Friday, Nov. 20.
A Call for Entries with more details will be sent in mid-May to all Illinois public school superintendents, regional superintendents, and school architects. Entry forms and the $300 entry fee for each project submitted in the 2015 Exhibition of Educational Environments are due in the IASB office by July 17. Materials for the jury are due by Sep. 14.
More information about the exhibition is available by contacting srotherham@iasb.com, or by calling IASB at ext. 1131. Results from last year’s exhibition can be found at: www.iasb.com/jac14/eee.cfm. Entries chosen for exhibition are also entered into the School Design Data File (see accompanying article: www.iasb.com/design).
Searchable files of school designs accessible online from IASB
Did you know that IASB member districts and their architects have online access to more than 500 innovative school design projects?
The School Design Data File is an online repository of all entries in the annual Exhibit of Educational Environments. This is a juried competition sponsored by the IASB Service Associates. All entries are displayed at the Joint Annual Conference in November; however, information about each project is also available in this free online database.
IASB has recently updated the database to provide school officials and their architects with ideas and insights into innovative Illinois school design projects. Information provided by the designing architect for each project can now be searched by an even wider variety of variables in easy to use pull-down menus. Searches can be conducted using the following categories and criteria:
After selecting any one category, the database will respond with the total number of projects meeting the selected criteria in that category. After identifying one or more projects that meet the criteria requested, the IASB Resource Center can provide a complete data report for each identified project and copies of a narrative text and/or illustrations that were supplied by the architectural firm relative to the project.
The School Design Data File can be found at: www.iasb.com/design. Additional information about the database is available by contacting the IASB Resource Center, ext. 1105, or by emailing jnelson@iasb.com. Information about the Educational Environments Exhibit is available from IASB Communications, ext. 1131, or by email at: srotherham@iasb.com.
Delegate Assembly resolutions invited through June 24
Local school boards are invited to submit resolutions for the 2015 Delegate Assembly. Information and resolution forms were mailed to district superintendents and board presidents on April 1.
IASB’s Delegate Assembly, held annually at the Joint Annual Conference, serves as the major policy-setting mechanism of the Association. Each year’s assembly consists of delegates chosen by IASB member boards to represent them, with each board entitled to send one delegate.
Active member boards may submit proposals for new IASB resolutions, amendments to existing position statements, reaffirmations of existing position statements, or belief statements. The deadline to submit resolutions is June 24.
A committee consisting of one elected member from each of the 21 IASB divisions will meet on July 31 to review the resolution proposals and recommend the approval or disapproval of proposed resolutions, and to determine which ones are presented.
Appeals to Resolutions Committee decisions are allowed when submitted in writing at least eight days before the Delegate Assembly, which will be held this year on Saturday, Nov. 21.
For information about this process, contact division representatives to the Resolutions Committee listed in the April 1 mailing, or phone IASB at ext. 1132. This year’s committee is chaired by IASB Vice President Phil Pritzker.
Resolution forms and information about the resolutions process are also available by calling the Association’s Connie Crowder at ext. 1132. A resolution form may also be downloaded online at: www.iasb.com/govrel/resolutionform.pdf .
Annual conference registration, housing to go online June 15
The 2015 Conference with the theme “Ready, Set…LEAD!” will be the 101st annual conference of IASB and the 83rd Joint Annual Conference with IASA and Illinois ASBO, Nov. 20-22, 2015. The event will be headquartered at the Hyatt Regency Chicago and Sheraton Chicago hotels.
Conference registration and housing will be available through the IASB website beginning June 15. The forms may be filled in online, but copies of each must be printed out and mailed.
The completed forms will need to be mailed to the IASB Meetings Management Department in Springfield only, (not the Lombard office), including a check with the appropriate fees for each form – $420 per person for each registrant (spouse/children complimentary) and $200 nonrefundable deposit for each guestroom requested.
All the necessary forms and instructions will be available on the Association website, www.iasb.com/jac15 .
Conference block hotels for 2015, and room rates are as follows:
Hyatt Regency Chicago .. $188
Sheraton Chicago ............ $188
Embassy Suites ................ $199
Fairmont Chicago ............ $180
InterContinental Hotel .... $179
Chicago Marriott
Downtown ................... $179
Swissotel ......................... $181
For housing to be accepted for placement, the completed official housing form and nonrefundable deposits must be accompanied by the completed registration form and fees. Housing requests not accompanied by the completed official registration form and required fees and deposits will not be processed until all forms and fees are received in the IASB Springfield office.
In filling out the housing form, acceptable hotels should be entered in descending order of preference. Guestrooms will be assigned daily on a first-received, first-assigned basis.
If one of the listed, preferred hotels is available the day the form is received, the first available choice and date assigned will be circled and a copy mailed to the district superintendent.
If none of the listed preferences are available, an alternate hotel placement will be circled, dated and a copy sent to the local district superintendent. The district superintendent may then respond by the annotated deadline to reject the placement by email to IASB Meetings Management at dheckrodt@iasb.com. If no rejection is received by the deadline, the housing will be assigned to the alternate hotel. If the alternate hotel assignment is rejected by the deadline, IASB will refund the housing deposit to the local district and the district will need to secure its own housing.
Block hotels will only accept conference housing entered by the IASB Meetings Management Department, which means the conference discount cannot be obtained through other avenues such as hotel websites and independent travel booking agents.
For questions regarding any phase of this process, district officials should call IASB meetings management staff at either ext. 1115 or 1140.
New board member workshops offer convenient training needed for service
What makes IASB’s upcoming New Board Member Workshops the best board member training available? Staff members say there are several points worth considering, including:
Code supplements soon to be shipped to update 2015 School Code Service
The 2015 Supplement to the Illinois School Code will soon be arriving from the publishers for distribution. Publisher LexisNexis says the soft-cover book contains all of the numerous new laws passed during the General Assembly’s 2014 veto session.
People who purchased the 2014-2015 Illinois School Code Service published by the Illinois Association of School Boards will receive their copies of the Supplement soon; there is no need to place additional orders.
The Supplement consists of print versions and CD versions of the entire publication.
Also, from now until the 2016 Code becomes available next year, all new sales of the School Code will include both the 2014 code and the 2015 supplement.
When it is mailed, the supplement will include an updated CD version of the complete School Code, current through all of the 2014 legislative session. The CD also includes annotations with case law and other references, all Illinois State Board of Education rules, and the text of court cases cited in the annotations. It also carries a large number of additional statutes pertinent to Illinois public schools.
The 2014-2015 School Code Service may be obtained from IASB for $55 each ($45 for IASB members) plus $7 per order for shipping. For more information or to place orders, call ext. 1108 or visit the online bookstore at: www.iasb.com/shop .
Not many strikes or strike intent notices being encountered by schools this year
There have been a total of three school strikes in the 2014-2015 school year. But there are none to report at this time, even though there have been intent-to-strike notices adopted at two school districts in recent weeks.
Most recently, a strike was avoided on April 1 in Roxana CUSD 1 where an intent-to-strike notice had been filed by 133 teachers. According to the district, both parties mutually agreed on the remaining language and the terms for a four year contract. The average increase on the base salary is 3.1% and the vacancy language was resolved with compromise from both sides.
“It was a lengthy process and everyone involved is to be commended on their commitment to reach an amicable solution that is a positive outcome for the District,” said Superintendent Debra Kreutztrager.
The only currently active strike notice is pending in Maywood SD 89, Melrose Park. An intent-to-strike notice there was filed on Dec. 15, 2014.
Two additional school districts have settled contract disputes during the current calendar year
Former IASB Director Carol Farnum dies in Florida at age 77
Carol Farnum, a former member of the IASB Board of Directors, passed away April 11. She was 77. She served as the IASB Kishwaukee division director from 2003 to 2009.
Farnum served 10 years on the East Aurora School District 131 board of education before moving to Florida with her family in the fall of 2009.
“We do more than teach children to read and write. We are teaching them we are one community,” she explained at that time.
Farnum held the position of board president from 2005 to 2007. The Illinois State Board of Education honored her with the Those Who Excel Award of Excellence in 2007 for her outstanding contribution to Illinois schools.
Latest Journal looks at concerns of rural and small schools
The May/June issue of The Illinois School Board Journal examines the unique challenges faced by rural and small school districts in Illinois, and offers insight into how school leaders are meeting those challenges.
“Being Rural” includes articles from one superintendent who makes a case that rural schools provide not only quality of education, but also quality of life to the communities they serve. The Consortium of Rural Research Group offers a voice to small and rural schools with a survey and reports on its findings. In the northwestern Illinois villages of Hanover and Elizabeth, unused school buildings became valued community resources after reorganization in the 1980s.
Also included in the Journal, The National Farm to School Network connects communities with fresh, healthy food and local food producers by changing food purchasing and education practices at schools and preschools.
Campaign makes grants available for schools to earn money serving meals
Did you know that more than 446,000 children in our state are at-risk of spending much of the school day hungry?
The Rise and Shine Illinois school breakfast campaign recently released the findings of its latest Illinois School Breakfast Report.
Schools provided only 36.2 percent of breakfasts needed to reach low-income Illinois schoolchildren in 2013-2014, leaving $90.4 million in federal funding on the table.
With careful management, breakfast can be a profit center for schools. Rise and Shine Illinois, a partnership of several anti-hunger organizations and the national organization Share Our Strength, exists to help schools and districts serve breakfasts to children in need statewide.
Grants are available to fund the equipment necessary for serving breakfast in a clean, safe and efficient fashion, including Breakfast in the Classroom and Grab N Go. Rise and Shine Illinois recommends that schools utilize the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) to maximize the number of meals provided to students at no cost.
The next Rise and Shine Illinois grant deadline is June 15, 2015; the CEP application deadline is Aug. 31, 2015.
If you have questions about grants or CEP, please contact Suzy Lee of the Greater Chicago Food Depository at 773/843-2604 or slee@gcfd.org, or visit www.riseandshineillinois.org.
Chicago (April 10, Chicago Tribune) Thirteen suburbs and government agencies have lost more than $1 million each in taxpayer funds as a result of alleged fraud in a municipal investment fund. The Illinois Metropolitan Investment Fund, which invests on behalf of municipalities, pension funds and local government boards, revealed in October that it had lost more than $50 million after investing in allegedly fraudulent loans now at the center of a federal criminal investigation. Municipalities with ties to IMET generally are standing pat on their investments. The losses may impact local taxpayers through reduced services or increased taxes.
Chicago (April 9, Herald & Review, Decatur) Chicago will get more than one-third of the money earmarked to help vulnerable school districts operate through the rest of the state’s fiscal year, Illinois education officials said April 15. As part of a budget fix approved by lawmakers and the governor last month, the Illinois State Board of Education was given $97 million to help financially strapped schools. The state board’s blueprint shows Chicago will get an estimated $33.2 million of that. Over 570 of the state’s more than 800 districts will receive a portion of the remaining $63 million. For more information and a printout of allocations per district, go online to: www.isbe.net/ board/meetings/2015/april/packet1.pdf and scroll down to page five.
Danville (April 14, The News-Gazette) School board members in Danville may prohibit pizza, cupcakes, cookies, and other foods considered unhealthy from being sold at fundraisers or eaten during school parties. A committee of school staff, parents, and community members had recommended the changes to bring the district into compliance with the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
Lake Zurich (March 20, Chicago Tribune) Student mobile learning advantages provided under a so-called “1:1” district iPad program in Lake Zurich CUSD 95 are being welcomed by parents and teachers. The school district has joined Deerfield and many other Illinois school districts in implementing such a program. Three teachers came before the District 95 School Board of Education recently to talk about how the district’s “1:1 Mobile Learning Initiative,” where all middle and high school students have access to their own district-owned iPad, has affected the way they teach and students learn. Each praised the program for different reasons.
Normal (April 9, The Pantagraph, Bloomington) The McLean County Unit 5 School District is considering eliminating class rank, starting with the class of 2018. Graduating students would select a speaker to represent them at ceremonies instead of a valedictorian, and students with higher GPAs would simply earn designations as “magna cum laude” or “summa cum laude.” More than 40 other Illinois high schools have done away with class rank, with some saying it creates unnecessary stress..
Oak Park (April 16, Chicago Tribune) Oak Park and River Forest (OPRF) High School students are proposing fixes for racial inequities at the high school as a result of a classroom assignment about racial bias in America. An Advanced Placement class in American literature alleges inequities in the school’s discipline and faculty hiring systems and reported their findings and recommendations to a school board committee on April 14. The students recommended replacing in-school suspensions with mandatory in-school counseling sessions for students to help improve their at school behavior.
Streator (April 15, The Pantagraph, Bloomington) The Streator Elementary School District 44 board voted 6-0 on April 14 to reject laying off nine teachers despite a looming state takeover. Board members challenged the state to fix the financial mess they believe it created. “I’m tired of being the scapegoat in this ...,” said school board member Dave Conner. “The state can come in and do what they need to do.” A state takeover of the school district’s finances is looming as soon as 2015-16 because the district faces a $2.8 million deficit projected to balloon to $5 million next year. The Illinois State Board of Education will consider the move in May. The district has cut $5.4 million from its budget over the last seven years, including closing a school, laying off 26 employees and reducing hours for 60 more. A referendum to increase the district’s tax rate by 75 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation failed April 7.
Statewide (March 31, The Associated Press) Illinois districts have been working to update policies to meet a new state law on cyberbullying. To address cases of cyberbullying, school districts can now step in when they find a student bullying another online, even if it happens off school grounds or without the use of school property. Urbana superintendent Don Owen said the school district can now take disciplinary action in cases they previously could not. He says the district is also looking to add a system to allow bullying reports to made online. Many other Illinois school districts are working to put together new bullying response guidelines based on the new law.
PARCC testing
Illinois schools report a strong start for the first administration of the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment. Since testing began in March, more than 1.4 million PARCC Performance-Based Assessment (PBA) test sessions have been completed. Schools in April wrapped up the first portion of the two-part PARCC assessment, which is aligned to the new Illinois Learning Standards in English language arts and math and given to most third- through eighth-graders and some high school students.
Excel nominations
ISBE is reminding school leaders the deadline to submit nominations for the 2015-2016 Those Who Excel/Illinois Teacher of the Year competition is June 8. School board members are traditionally underrepresented among the winners, but they are eligible for the awards. For more information, visit the website at: www.isbe.net/those-who-excel/pdfs/those-who-excel-app.pdf .
KIDS Survey: Year four
Adopted by ISBE in 2012, the Kindergarten Individual Development Survey (KIDS) is a comprehensive process designed to assess kindergarten students’ growth and development with the goal of generating more effective classroom instruction. KIDS is based on developmental research and theory, with assessments three times in kindergarten across multiple domains. To date only a limited number of school districts have participated in the KIDS pilot and received training. Statewide implementation begins in 2015-2016 and training for educators is being provided. To learn more, log onto the ISBE KIDS page at www.isbe.net/KIDS or www.illinoiskids.org .
Nominations sought
The nominating committee of IASB is seeking candidates for the offices of president and vice president. Nominating forms are due by early August and candidates will be interviewed that same month. The following criteria will be used by the committee in considering nominees: leadership experience and general participation in IASB activities; leadership experience on the local board; involvement with other education-related organizations; other leadership experiences; and special talents or interests of benefit to IASB now. A candidate slate will be presented to the Delegate Assembly in Chicago at the 2015 Joint Annual Conference in November.
Software changing
IASB will soon begin the transition of a new association management system to replace a 20-year old IBM AS-400 database. The new system is expected to enrich the online experience for members by improving staff access to member information and to ease online registration for IASB events. It will provide IASB staff with streamlined, user-friendly access to data related to IASB membership and the services it offers. The new system is expected to be available to members in the spring of 2016.
Division governing meetings
The Events Calendar at www.iasb.com lists those divisions holding spring governing meetings. All board members and superintendents are invited to attend those meetings. Beginning in late April and concluding June 30, they maintain association governance and determine board development programming topics for the fall 2015 and spring 2016 division dinner meetings for those divisions.
May 5 – Egyptian Division Summer Governing Committee Meeting, Mt. Vernon
May 5 – Blackhawk Division Summer Governing Committee Meeting, Geneseo
May 5 –Abe Lincoln Division Summer Governing Meeting, Springfield
May 6 – Central IL Valley Division Summer Governing Meeting, Peoria
May 7 – Corn Belt Division Summer Governing Meeting, Fairbury
May 7 – Kaskaskia Division Summer Governing Meeting, Vandalia
May 7 – Shawnee Division Summer Governing Meeting, Marion
May 8-9 – New Board Member Workshop, Mt. Vernon
May 8-9 – New Board Member Workshop, Glenview
May 8-9 – New Board Member Workshop, Macomb
May 12 – BoardBook Webinar, online
May 13 – Western Division Summer Governing Committee Meeting, Macomb
May 15-16 – New Board Member Workshop, Oak Lawn
May 15-16 – New Board Member Workshop, East Peoria
May 27 –Southwestern Division Summer Governing Meeting, Belleville
May 29-30 – New Board Member Workshop, Collinsville
May 29-30 – New Board Member Workshop, Normal
May 29-30 – New Board Member Workshop, Freeport
June 4 – Two Rivers Division Summer Governing Meeting, Jacksonville
For more current information, see www.iasb.com/calendar/