INKLINGS Nov. 29, 2010
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Volume 75 Issue 3 • Crown Point High School • 1500 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN 46307 • inklings@cps.k12.in.us
Vaccinations
After being threatened with exclusion, students were scrambling to get their vaccinations updated.
pg. 2
Hazardous electronics Laptops, cell phones, and televisions all have unexpected risks for users, including cancer.
the
IN know Inklings wins national Pacemaker award For the first time, Inklings newspaper has earned a national Pacemaker award, among 22 total newspaper winners. The Pacemaker honors those who break new ground in student journalism and truly set the pace for other publications to emulate. Then-seniors Cori Novelli and Deanna Sheaffer were editors-in-chief. The staff was advised by current Inklings adviser Julie Elston.
Pictured, from left, are newspaper staff members Mary-Katherine Lemon, Joe Nejman, adviser Julie Elston, Lauren Cain, Abby Elston, Kelsey Lennon, and Alyssa Blahunka. All attended the NSPA national convention in Kansas City where winners were announced.
Daniela Gazibara performs with symphony Senior Daniela Gazibara performed with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra is one of the premier youth orchestras in the country. Gazibara auditioned and was accepted into the top orchestra. Her performance took place on Nov. 21 in Orchestra Hall, home of the Chicago Symphony.
Crown Point selected as finalist by Family Circle
Family Circle magazine named the Crown Point community as a finalist in its annual “10 Best Towns for Families” this year. Mayor David Uran said they were told Crown Point placed at fifteen.
pg. 10
Making
sense of the
Bargain applications Around the holiday season, smart shoppers are on the lookout for the best bargains and easiest ways to save. Some of these ways come in the form of smart phone applications. One app shows coupons on the phone screen that the cashier can scan, while another compares prices between stores.
pg. 11
$750,000 4875204 942183293875274281293910 5923
Crown Point is operating with
less than last year
68 034283 402849273289182108748134 Crown Point is an exemplary school district in the lowest
8%
of funded districts in the state
huh? 739843983958 97-247 373984398395867372481745 5876 97% 2468374 103825908194328419594068 teachers would need to be cut in order to overcome the deficit in school funding
more than
of revenue comes from state funding
numbers Teachers, students struggle to adapt with decreasing funds, resources By Lauren Cain editor-in-chief Among all the numbers and statistics floating around pertaining to the budget problems, one fact emerges: the school funding issue is indeed a crisis. However, this crisis cannot be fixed by a wailing ambulance coming to the rescue or the National Guard saving the day. Instead, the fate of this crisis lies in the hands of the school corporation, students, teachers, and community members. “I am happy that the school is taking measures to save money, like conserving energy, so that we can keep our teachers for the time being, instead of cutting them,” junior Danny Kvachkoff said. All of the aforementioned people are finding ways to “make sense of the numbers,” by absorbing the reality of all the budget statistics and finding ways to overcome them. One endeavor attempted on the school corporation’s behalf is limiting electricity usage. “We’re looking at energy costs, and having people unplug fridges and coffee pots and take them home,” Principal Eric Ban said. According to Ban, clear expectations are coming from Central Office about cost saving measures. “(The energy saving endeavors are expected to save money) if you do it across the district. Other districts have saved $.25 million if they’re responsible about turning lights off and using less energy.” On the student level, Student Council is finding ways to help with the referendum by forming a committee of interested students. “As a committee, we plan on getting the word out to all students and hopefully going around door-to-door and giving the community of Crown Point a student’s perspective on the budget crisis,” Student Council president Rachael Fronek said. At the high school, some clubs are
What will help? Things being considered or looked into:
▪▪ A referendum The school board will be voting on whether or not to have a referendum, where community members will vote to have some of their property taxes go toward education. Decisions will be made on when to have the referendum, as well as on the amount.
▪▪ Development of fees and charges One option is to develop more fees for students. An example of this would be to charge a fee to participate in athletics.
▪▪ Fundraising While an option in consideration, it is not a feasible one due to the amount of money that is necessary to earn in order to offset the deficit caused by the school budget.
struggling to fund themselves amidst the budget crisis. One club finding ways to fund themselves is the Academic Decathlon team. The team was once funded by “Pepsi money,” or money from the vending machines, but this year it was taken away. Now, in order to fund the team, Lambersie and his team had to find other ways to make up for the lost vending machine funds. “One thing I personally did was go to every football game and tape it, to put together a highlight reel. It will be sold to football players and parents. We’re also having a bake sale,” Lambersie said. The money earned will go toward the binders of information, as well as for the hotel rooms needed at state. Another attempt on the school corporation’s behalf came in the form of the Community Forums, on Nov. 10, and repeated on Nov. 15. Presenters at the forum included Purdue professor of Agricultural Economics Larry DeBoer, Chief Financial Officer Matt Ruess, a representative from Umbaugh & Associates and President Board of School Trustees Karen Schrum. The purpose of the forum was to inform community members of the problem at hand and in turn, the importance of a referendum.
Things being done:
▪▪ Monitoring electricity usage Across the school corporation, efforts are being made to conserve energy. By turning lights off when they are unnecessary and having faculty unplug their personal items such as fans or coffee pots, it is expected to save money.
▪▪ Teachers taking salary freeze Teachers have taken a two year salary freeze, on top of paying higher deductibles. Costs for salaries and benefits for faculty comprise 91 percent of expenditures, forcing options such as these to be enacted.
▪▪ Clubs funding themselves Academic Decathlon had a bake sale in order to fund themselves this year.
“As you can see by tonight’s presentation, we can no longer continue down this path,” Schrum said at the Nov. 10 forum. This was followed by the announcement that the school board will vote on whether to have the referendum, continue budget cuts, or to do both. If they do choose to have the referendum, choices will be made on when to have it (either in the spring or fall elections) as well as for what amount they are going to try to receive from property taxes (options range from $5 million to $13.7 million). With the school corporation funding in “terrible shape,” as admitted by DeBoer, attempts are being made from every level of the school corporation. Without a referendum, the only way to offset the deficit in school funding would be to fire 97 to 247 teachers. The threat of letting go of faculty members is enough to make the referendum even more necessary. In order for the referendum to be passed, one of the biggest challenges will be informing community members of the importance of their vote. “Obviously, I’m a bit concerned that Crown Point will have to cut things. It’s not the Crown Point community’s fault, but the state’s fault,” Lambersie said.