---

School Board News Bulletin
July, 2005

---

This publication is also available as a PDF file

ARTICLES

ISBE forms purchasing network for districts

Three goals highlight state's strategic plan

SES standards strengthened

Changes confirmed to ease several NCLB requirements

Tort fund use challenged by business leaders

Governor signs bills for budget, pensions, ballots

535 attend IASB's new board member workshops

Districts submit 14 resolutions for Delegate Assembly

Gidwitz in, Vallas may join race for governor

Report: minorities expelled at twice the rate of whites

Opt-out provisions part of Association e-mail policies

Webinars for 'e-tools' draw 65

ILLINOIS DISTRICTS

D-300 wants fines for false ethics complaints

Task force recommends ending Edison contract

NEWS HEADLINES

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

ISBE forms purchasing network for districts

School districts can purchase supplies and services from a pooled-purchasing network organized recently by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) in order to cut costs for schools districts.

Through the network, ISBE is partnering with U.S. Communities, a national not-for-profit governmental purchasing cooperative. Interim state superintendent of education Randy Dunn said the co-op has a proven track record of saving money for school districts, which represent 34 percent of its client base.

"We don't want local school districts spending any more on supplies and services than they need to," Dunn said. "By launching the Illinois School Purchasing Network we will help local districts leverage group buying power. This initiative gives school districts one more option in their purchasing decisions."

Nationwide more than 3,000 school districts are registered with the U.S. Communities network, and the group estimates those districts have saved many millions of dollars thanks to the group purchasing approach.

School district contracts through the network are free, voluntary and non-exclusive, with no spending minimums. Because all of the contracts in the network have been bid by another governmental entity, school districts will avoid the administrative burdens associated with the bidding process while accessing some of the best governmental pricing options available.

Districts using the purchasing approach are not subject to requirements under state purchasing law, thanks to provisions authorized recently under S.B. 3000, and a cooperative purchasing provision that already existed in law. Generally, however, some participant must have bid the purchase out. ISBE encourages districts to be aware of the "request for proposal" procedure that was followed by those with whom they are doing business.

"At Plainfield, we've been working with Office Depot through U.S. Communities, and the savings we've realized have been a big help to our district," said Eric Trimberger, director of finance, Plainfield District 202. "To put it in the simplest terms, by working with U.S. Communities we've saved enough money to fund a classroom teacher's salary and benefits for a full school year."

On average, Trimberger said the district saves about $6,000 per month, or $72,000 per year. Another advantage the district notes is the ability to purchase online with next-day delivery, thereby eliminating the need to buy in bulk and warehouse items.

U.S. Communities charges no user fees and combines more than $500 million in annual purchasing power through partnerships with 8,000 public agencies representing 87,000 local entities. Products available include school and office supplies and furniture; technology products; physical education and playground equipment; electrical, communications and data supplies; janitorial materials; carpeting and flooring; and office machines.

What is prohibited or not available from the network? Most items that do not fall under the categories just listed above are not available.

U.S. Communities has a contract with Office Depot to provide office and school supplies. It also contracts with Haworth, Herman Miller, Knoll and Steelcase for office furniture. The nonprofit's Web site lists 18 vendors, in total, under contract to offer supplies in 10 basic categories.

"We are very happy to join with ISBE in bringing another procurement option to Illinois schools," stated Steve Hamill, co-general manager of U.S. Communities. "Schools have become the largest users of U.S. Communities over the past three years, which we believe is an indicator of the value and savings that the program brings to the K-12 arena."

Why is ISBE involved at all? When the governor announced reforms to the state board in 2004 this was a priority for him. Many districts had told the state agency that they would appreciate help with lowering purchase costs. Meanwhile, to help defray its costs, the state does get a 1/10^th of one percent rebate on the price of each purchase.

ISBE has developed online access to the purchasing network. The network Web site offers an overview of the program, contact information and instructions on registering with U.S. Communities; the network is already active and districts may sign up immediately online at: http://www.uscommunities.org.

ISBE's original goal was to get 25 percent of school districts to participate in the purchasing program. More than 100 districts were already involved with U.S. Communities before the state even got involved, and at least 60 have registered under the new program.

"It's a flexible program, they don't have to commit upfront, and when they do commit they don't have a quota to meet," explained ISBE's Eamon Kelly.

School districts can also get more information about the Illinois School Purchasing Network online at http://www.isbe.net/savings or contact Eamon Kelly by e-mail at ekelly@isbe.net.

Table of Contents

Three goals highlight state's strategic plan

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) leaders held a town hall meeting at Belleville West High School on June 21 to help draft improvements in elementary and secondary education plans. The public forum was one of eight scheduled throughout the state.

The forums are designed to gather comments to help guide a five-year comprehensive strategic plan.

The agency's preliminary plan focuses on three goals: to enhance literacy; to improve educator quality; and to expand data-driven management and school support practices. The plan is required by legislation enacted last year to restructure ISBE and expand the governor's role in appointing state board members.

Most of the feedback from the Belleville forum was aimed at either introducing reforms in testing or reducing red tape.

In response to a call for more flexibility under state rules, state board member Brenda Holmes said the board is looking at a "less red tape" initiative.

"When we were appointed in September, we were given the charge of taking a look at the rules and regulations we have and streamlining what's there," she stated.

Illinois PTA district director Rhonda Jenkins urged the board to consider reinstating state testing for social studies and the fine arts to make sure that students are receiving a comprehensive education. State testing is now required for only writing (newly reinstated in state tests through legislation enacted this spring), and math and reading in order to satisfy guidelines for the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

But one teacher said too much emphasis is being placed on state testing, which detracts from students' overall education.

"Kids can't add and divide because they're using calculators, because calculators can be used on the ISAT," said Mary McHugh, who retired from teaching in Belleville District 118 after 49 years.

Regional and district superintendents, principals and teachers also discussed the need for a new partnership between the business and education communities. Jim Pennekamp, executive director of Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, said he wants the strategic plan to define the role that business can play in education.

"From an economic development perspective, the academic achievement in the work force becomes more and more important because a qualified work force will dictate where a business locates," Pennekamp said.

In addition to Holmes, interim state superintendent Randy Dunn as well as board member Andrea Brown attended the hearing in Belleville. Hearings were held on: May 23 in Bloomington, June 6 in Chicago, June 21 in Belleville, June 28 in Paris. Other hearings were held: July 18 in Mount Vernon, July 21 in Moline, and July 27 in Springfield.

According to ISBE spokeswoman Becky Watts, the final plan will be released in September and will include information from the public forums.

"The feedback that we've gotten from the forums we've had so far, people have in some instances asked the board to change the wording of the goals or broaden the scope of the goals, so the goals are up for discussion," she said.

Table of Contents

SES standards strengthened

The state board of education adopted new administrative rules on June 16 to toughen the monitoring of supplemental educational services (SES) providers who work with 120,000 Illinois students under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB).

SES programs aim to provide further instruction outside the regular school day to increase the academic achievement of eligible students in schools required to provide such services. Such NCLB-mandated services may include academic assistance such as tutoring, remediation, and other educational interventions.

The state's overhaul of SES programs includes a more stringent selection method for tutoring providers, new monitoring visits, a grievance procedure to allow more people to report problems, and a tracking system to ensure students are making headway.

The new regulations make it easier to dismiss firms that don't produce adequate results, but some say providers that have worked in such programs for a year or two are getting a pass.

Under NCLB, the state can only fire an SES provider if it has failed to raise student achievement for two years. Because the state's new system to evaluate firms will begin in the fall, companies in place now can continue for another two years even if they have done a poor job to date.

Currently, 75 tutoring firms have been approved to serve struggling students in 457 schools in 43 districts.

ISBE staff members admit that the previous monitoring system was not effective. The state had been using a questionnaire to check up on providers.

For more information, visit the ISBE Web page dealing with the topic of SES: http://www.isbe.net/nclb/htmls/sesp.htm.

Table of Contents

Changes confirmed to ease several NCLB requirements

Illinois schools and school districts will find it a bit easier to meet federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) standards on state exams next year.

That's because the Illinois State Board of Education received confirmation on June 28 from the federal education department of several changes in NCLB regulations that will be effective this spring, including:

• Subgroup size will be increased from 40 to 45 students. Schools having fewer than 45 pupils in a subgroup, such as in special education, won't be made accountable for that subgroup's performance.
• Schools will be permitted to add 14 percent to the exam scores of students with disabilities. Previously, no such allowance was made.
• A district will not make adequate yearly progress (AYP) if specific grade spans — grades three through five, six through eight, and nine through 12 — fail to meet testing targets. Previously, a district was labeled as not making AYP if any subgroup did not meet targets.

One other change will become effective with the 2006 exams:

• Students have until May 1 to be enrolled, instead of until Sept. 30. This change should allow schools to eliminate the scores of students who enter a district late. Also, test results of students enrolled in the district by May 1 but who move from school to school in that district between May 1 and the testing date will be reflected only in the district report card and not the school report card.

"This will provide a more accurate reflection of how a school fares on state tests," said Pete Sullivan, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction at Lockport Township High School District 205.

In related news, the ISBE had earlier announced that bilingual and limited-English language students should also get a state testing break. On June 16, ISBE approved lower passing grades for the test, known as IMAGE, which is administered to pupils enrolled in bilingual programs for fewer than three years. The IMAGE test changes will take effect in the spring of 2006.

Ever since NCLB took effect in 2002, critics have complained that the state exam's scoring system treated limited-English students unfairly. The new scoring cutoff is meant to rectify that.

The changes in NCLB came about after the ISBE requested them, largely in response to complaints by teachers and administrators.

"The discontent with No Child Left Behind is spreading," said Jack Jennings, president and CEO of the Center for Education Policy.

"More teachers are angry about the law. This is an attempt to defuse the opposition."

Table of Contents

Tort fund use challenged by business leaders

A statewide business group known as the Illinois Business Roundtable is publicly denouncing the practice of using tort fund tax revenue to pay for some salaries. Tort fund revenue is collected under a special property tax earmarked to cover legal costs, and such funds are intended to protect school operating budgets from unexpected legal costs, such as lawsuit settlements.

Nearly one in four school districts now use some tort-tax funds to help pay salaries. The roundtable claims that the practice is expanding.

The organization recently reported dramatic increases in tort-tax levies, based on its analysis of Illinois State Board of Education and county tax records from 1998 to 2003. An overview of the study is available online at: http://www.illinoisbusinessroundtable.com/Tort_Review.pdf

According to the roundtable, 836 school districts reported data for 2002 and 2003. Their look at tort tax extensions, the total amount billed to property owners, revealed:

• 50 school districts increased their extensions more than 100 percent;
• 52 districts increased their extensions between 50 and 100 percent;
• 90 districts increased their extensions between 20 and 49 percent;
• 126 districts increased their extensions between 10 and 19 percent;
• 208 districts increased their extensions between 1 and 9 percent;
• 241 districts had either negligible increases or decreases in their extensions.

Over 50 districts were left out of the analysis because, even though they submitted data, certain information for 2002 or 2003 was unavailable.

In addition, taxpayer groups and advocates are filing court cases to challenge how the tort fund money is being spent. Cases are pending against school districts in Coal City, Freeport, Pearl City, and Quincy.

Educators and taxpayers alike are closely watching the Freeport case, which was argued May 2. A decision is expected soon, but the result
will likely be appealed regardless who wins. The key issue is whether the local school district has a legitimate plan for its tort levy and whether it is allowed to pay salaries out of its tort fund.

State law allows school districts to "levy an annual tax upon the value of the taxable property within its territory as equalized or assessed by the Department of Revenue at a rate that will produce a sum sufficient to pay the cost of settlements or judgments," as well as the costs of liability and property insurance premiums and risk management programs.

Unlike other local school taxes, whose maximum rates are limited, there is no limit on the tax rate for the tort immunity levy.

But attorneys for protesting taxpayers say the law does limit the purposes of tort levy expenditures. "It is illegal in Illinois to levy a tax for one purpose and then to divert those funds and spend them for another purpose. That is what the taxing districts are doing," said Freeport attorney Robert Slattery, who represents plaintiffs in at least four tort levy cases.

He maintains that Illinois schools have collected more than $1 billion in tort fund levies in the past three years. "According to my estimates, from $600 million to $700 million dollars or more of these levies are illegal, and the funds are being illegally diverted to pay for salaries," Slattery stated.

But many defend the practice. "We tightly monitor our district's tort levy allocations," said El Paso-Gridley CUSD 375 Superintendent Jim Miller. The practice of using tort funds to help defray the cost of district risk management plans is also something that the state board has specifically permitted, others note.

Table of Contents

Governor signs bills for budget, pensions, ballots

Along with a plethora of substantive legislation, the governor recently signed the 2006 state budget contained in Senate Bill 1548 , sponsored by Sen. Donne Trotler (D-Chi.). As mentioned in the June Newsbulletin, the budget includes approximately $326 million in new spending for elementary and secondary education over the FY '05 level. The omnibus budget bill is now cited as Public Act 94-0015; effective July 1, 2005.

Details of other legislation signed by the governor are contained in IASB's Digest of Bills Passed, 2005, as compiled by the Illinois Statewide School Management Alliance, which can be found on the Association's Web site. It was recently published and sent to school districts.

The following bills have been signed by the governor and have become law:

HB 203 (Myers) provides that a person admitted to a nursing home, or rehabilitation center five or fewer days before an election is entitled to personal delivery of an absentee ballot. Public Act 94-0018; effective June 14, 2005.

HB 324 (Rita) says an employee of any unit of local government or private employer that has 51 or more employees may be entitled to paid leave for blood donation for up to an hour every 56 days. Public Act 94-0033; effective January 1, 2006.

HB 3092 (Cultra) is intended to facilitate a school consolidation in Crescent City. Public Act 94-0052; effective June 17, 2005.

SB 27 (Schoenberg) includes the teachers' pension changes regarding the Early Retirement Option, salary limitations, and sick leave limitations. Public Act 94-0004 ; effective June 1, 2005.

SB 64 (Sullivan, D.) requires a school district to provide steroid abuse prevention education to students in interscholastic athletic programs. Public Act 94-0014; effective January 1, 2006.

SB 1637 (Radogno) provides that when the secretary or clerk of a political subdivision provides the form for a back-door referendum petition, the legal sufficiency of the form cannot be challenged to keep the referendum off the ballot. Public Act 94-0030; effective June 14, 2005.

Table of Contents

535 attend IASB's new board member workshops

June 18 concluded a series of workshops on Basics of School Law and Finance and Basics of Governance at 10 different locations across the state. Designed to get newly elected board members off to a fast, productive start, these all-day workshops covered a wide range of essential issues and procedures.

A total of 340 people attended the governance workshops at Indian Lakes, Urbana, Rend Lake, Chicago and Springfield. Another 308 attended the law and finance workshops held in Galesburg, Collinsville, Alsip, Chicago and Springfield. There were 82 who also attended board president workshops in 5 locations.

Similar workshops will be offered again at this year's Joint Annual Conference. Watch your mail for more information about them.

IASB has recently upgraded the following staff members' positions with the Association: Loretta Cotton, from Secretary to Secretary II, Field Services; Cynthia Woods, from Assistant Director to Director, Advocacy/Governmental Relations; and Angie Peifer, from Director to Senior Director, Field Services.

"The well-deserved promotions recognize the many contributions these staff members make in advancing the work of school boards and IASB," according to Mike Johnson, IASB Executive Director.

Illinois hosts trainers

IASB's field services staff recently hosted the 2005 National Trainers' Conference at the Hyatt Regency, Chicago. Seventy-eight school board association staff from 32 states plus NSBA attended the conference, which featured a pre-conference workshop on Microsoft's new "Building 21^st Century Schools" project; a general session on conflict management; and 12 different break-out sessions.

Leading participants from IASB was IASB executive director Michael Johnson, and deputy executive director Mike Bartlett. Other participants included: Policy Department staff members Anna Lovern, Cathy Talbert and Susan Farrell; Targeting Achievement Through Governance staff members Barb Toney, Bob Shanks, Debra Larson and Dusty Patrick; and Field Services staff members Donna Johnson, Doug Blair, Dave Love, Larry Dirks, Judy Williams, Dawn Miller, Judy Niezgoda, and John Cassel. Angie Peifer and Sandy Gundlach also participated.

Targeting Student Learning

This fall, IASB will be offering LeaderShop core workshops on Targeting Student Learning: Focusing on the Real Work of Boards in eight locations around the state. Registration materials for the workshops that are designed to facilitate data-based policy discussions to improve student learning should arrive in early August for these offerings:

Saturday, Sept. 10—Carbondale, Touch of Nature

Monday, Sept. 12—Crystal Lake, Holiday Inn & Collinsville, Gateway Center

Tuesday, Sept. 13—Alsip, DoubleTree & Champaign, Historic Lincoln Lodge

Wednesday, Sept. 14—Naperville, NIU Campus & Springfield, IASB Offices

Saturday, Sept. 17—Moline, Holiday Inn Convention Center

Table of Contents

Districts submit 14 resolutions for Delegate Assembly

Below are the proposed policy-setting resolutions for IASB that school boards have submitted this year for this year's delegate assembly. The Resolutions Committee will meet Aug. 5 to make recommendations on each of these resolutions:

Eureka CUSD 140 – Change NCLB subgroup mandates to conform with IDEA requirements

Highland CUSD 5 – Support school funding reforms proposed in HB 750 and similar legislation

Elgin U-46 – Oppose easing procedures for school districts to detach and form new districts

West Northfield SD 31 – Support legislation to soften the school impact of property tax appeals

East Peoria CHSD 309 – Support legislation allowing each school district to establish a tax on retail sales

East Peoria CHSD 309 – Allow boards to opt to include state exams in district graduation requirements

East Peoria CHSD 309 – Exempt school employees from new overtime and salary requirements

Morris Elementary SD 54 – Urge school administrators to provide required written notice to parents before a vision screening

Indian Prairie CUSD 204 – Promote a constitutional convention to make majority funding of education by the state more than a goal

Northfield TSD 225 – Seek changes in NCLB law on the requirement of secondary schools to disclose student information to military recruiters or risk loss of funding

Northfield TSD 225 – Raise the base level of funding per pupil statewide to a national median

Schaumburg CCSD 54 – Permanently restructure IASB delegate allocations to allow each district additional delegates in proportion to average daily attendance (ADA)

East Peoria CUSD 309 – Support a change in school district boundaries to align with new city boundaries when municipalities annex undeveloped land

Tuscola CUSD 301 – Encourage the legislature to label new mandates as "unfunded" when appropriate

Table of Contents

Gidwitz in, Vallas may join race for governor

It appears that Gov. Rod Blagojevich could face at least two familiar faces in the race for the governor's chair in 2006.

On June 21 Ron Gidwitz, a former corporate CEO and one-time chairman of the State Board of Education, announced a run for governor. Meanwhile, former Chicago District 299 CEO and 2002 gubernatorial candidate Paul Vallas looks to be preparing for a run himself.

Vallas, a Democrat, is superintendent of Philadelphia public schools. His supporters recently filed court papers seeking a determination of residency status for a possible 2006 gubernatorial bid. Gidwitz, a Republican, said he is discouraged by the direction the state has taken during Blagojevich's first term. Gidwitz was chairman of ISBE from 1999 to 2004.

Table of Contents

Report: minorities expelled at twice the rate of whites

Minority students are about twice as likely as white students to be expelled from public schools in Illinois, state records indicate. Black students were three times more likely to be expelled or suspended, and Hispanic students were 1.3 times more likely.

"It almost appears that there's a window being opened and some people either wittingly or unwittingly are pushing African-American males out of schools and into prisons," said state Rep. Monique Davis, a Chicago Democrat.

State Board of Education spokeswoman Becky Watts noted that, although the board does not want to second guess school administrators' decisions, the issue will be addressed.

"These statistics show a troubling gap in discipline outcomes for students, and as school leaders we need to continue to look at this," she said.

Critics note that about 7 percent of the teaching force is black in the United States, compared with 17 percent of the student body, according to the National Education Association and the National Center for Education Statistics.

The shortage of black teachers has long been cited as one potential factor for disproportionate expulsion and discipline rates, and academic gaps, between black and white students.

But Illinois school administrators say race does not affect the decisions they make when disciplining students.

"We try to deal with every discipline situation on a case-by-case basis," said Jim Muir, assistant superintendent of Schaumburg Township Elementary District 54.

Table of Contents

Opt-out provisions part of Association e-mail policies

Associations nationwide are wrestling with burdensome new restrictions on outgoing e-mail announcing fee-based services or programs. The new restrictions arise under Federal Trade Commission rules implementing the "CAN-SPAM Act." That new law and its accompanying regulations require IASB staff to include an opt-out provision in any "commercial" e-mails.

"Most e-mail sent by IASB staff to Association members will not need to include opt-out language," according to IASB General Counsel Melinda Selbee.

When an opt-out is needed, IASB will add the following language to its e-mail: "This message contains promotional information about IASB products and services. If you do not wish to receive future e-mails containing commercial messages from the IASB, you may opt out by simply replying to this message with 'unsubscribe' in the subject line."

Webinars for 'e-tools' draw 65

IASB's online communications service known as il.schoolboardnet recently launched a series of "Webinars," or online seminars, on the use of the service's secondary, fee-based service, 'e-tools.' Sixty-five participants from nearly 50 school districts were connected to training experts via phone while online to get this interactive virtual tour of the e-tools offerings.

After these sessions participants received instructions and an online survey to complete to inform IASB about what they thought of their Webinar. Those who sent in the survey got a free 90-day trial of e-tools. Participants basically learned how to use e-tools, and were informed that by establishing a Web-based virtual community, e-tools aims to provide these benefits:

• Electronic board meetings
• Management of Web-based documents
• Distribution of materials and information

Most participants said they found the Webinar "very helpful" while many others said it was both convenient and easy to use. "It is a very powerful tool that could be helpful even for districts that already maintain their board documents online," said one participant.

"E-tools will save a lot of boards time and money," said a school board recording secretary.

IASB plans to offer more Webinars in August and September; school leaders can visit the Web site at il.schoolboard.net to sign up. For more information about e-tools, contact Susan Farrell of IASB at ext. 1226.

Table of Contents

---

ILLINOIS DISTRICTS

---

D-300 wants fines for false ethics complaints

Carpentersville C.U. District 300 school board members are considering a change in district policy to establish fines for filing false ethics complaints. Just months after absolving three board members who were accused of ethics violations, the board now is weighing a revision in the district ethics policy that would make filing a false ethics complaint punishable by up to a $5,000 fine.

The state ethics law the proposed District 300 policy is based on lists instances where a false and malicious complaint could be punishable. But there is no mention of a possible fine for an intentionally false report.

And the board is uncertain whether or not school boards have the authority to require such fines.

Table of Contents

Task force recommends ending Edison contract

Peoria District 150 should not renew its contract with Edison Schools, Inc., the private firm that runs four district schools, according to a district task force assigned to identify potential budget savings.

Elimination of the contract could save the district $1.8 million a year starting in the 2006-07 school year, said district treasurer Guy Cahill. Students instead would attend their neighborhood schools.

The news followed an announcement in June that Edison would leave the long-troubled Chester, Pa., Upland schools. The firm will leave the Philadelphia-area district after four years with losses the company puts at $30 million, and after making only modest improvements in student achievement.

Table of Contents

---

NEWS HEADLINES

---

Arlington Heights – (June 27, Arlington Heights Daily Herald) THSD 214 turns down federal Title I funds that demand major reforms at schools that fall short of NCLB standards.

Batavia – (June 15, Arlington Heights Daily Herald) The school board is criticized for a decision that eliminated letter grades from elementary report cards.

Carpentersville – (June 21, Elgin Courier News) The board in CUSD 300 approves new $50 participation fees for high school students who take part in academic clubs.

Cary – (June 15, Arlington Heights Daily Herald) Elementary District 26 board members learn on June 13 that district band fees may be illegal because they charge parents for tuition costs.

Elgin – (June 24, Arlington Heights Daily Herald) U-46 leaders consider opening some elementary schools to health clinics.

Fox River Grove – (June 28, Arlington Heights Daily Herald) A statistician continues to press the District 3 board to provide test scores to help him discover why slow readers in lower grades aren't catching up with peers.

Industry – (June 15, Peoria Journal Star) School boards in Industry and in the newly consolidated Schuyler-Industry district continue to fight in court the loss of $2 million in property value due to a detachment.

Medinah – (June 23, Arlington Heights Daily Herald) Elementary District 11 Superintendent Joe Bailey volunteers to renegotiate his contract for the sake of uniting his board.

Mt. Prospect – (June 23, Arlington Heights Daily Herald) River Trails Elementary District 26 officials contemplate student mini-clubs to offset the loss of gifted and middle school foreign language programs.

Table of Contents

---

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

---

October 3 — Shawnee Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Carbondale ESD 95, 6:30 p.m. Dinner

October 4 — Egyptian Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Benton CCSD 47, 6:30 p.m. Dinner

October 4 — Rosh Hashanah

October 16-18 — Illinois Principals Association Annual Convention, Springfield

October 18 — Blackhawk Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Moline USD 40, 6:00 p.m. Dinner

October 19 — Corn Belt Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Ridgeview CUSD 19, 6:00 p.m. Dinner

October 25 — Two Rivers Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Greenfield CUSD 10, 6:00 p.m.

October 25 — Western Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Dallas City CUSD 336, 6:00 p.m. Dinner

October 26 — Central IL Valley Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Washington CHSD 308, 6:00 p.m. Dinner

October 27 — Kaskaskia Division Fall Dinner Meeting, Salem SD 111, 6:00 p.m.

For more information about coming events, see the IASB Web site at www.iasb.com/calendar/

Table of Contents

COPYRIGHT NOTICE -- This document is copyrighted © by the Illinois Association of School Boards. IASB hereby grants to school districts and other Internet users the right to download, print and reproduce this document provided that (a) the Illinois Association of School Boards is prominently noted as publisher and copyright holder of the document and (b) any reproductions of this document are disseminated without charge and not used for any commercial purpose.

One Imperial Place
1 East 22nd Street, Suite 20
Lombard, Illinois 60148