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Serving Bureau County Since 1847
Saturday, November 19, 2016
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Hall projects stable tax rate Board looks at school’s graduation rate By Becky Kramer news@bcrnews.com
SPRING VALLEY — Superintendent Mike Struna presented the tentative 2016 tax levy to the board during Wednesday night’s Hall High School Board meeting. Struna says there is a projected 1 percent growth in local equalized assessed valuation, with the total amount of bonds to be levied equal to last year’s tax levy. Struna is projecting the total tax rate will remain the same or possibly drop by 1 cent. The board is expected to vote on the levy at the December board meeting. Also at the meeting, the board approved a suicide and depression awareness and prevention policy. The plan is consistent with Ann Marie’s Law and includes
curriculum for students through health classes, staff development, procedures for identification and referral, a response plan for death or suicide, and parental notification of the plan in the handbook. The crisis plan includes a list of crisis team members at Hall and crisis team members in the community. It clearly outlines the responsibilities of the superintendent, principal, crisis team leader, assistant principal, teachers and staff members. The plan also includes how the crisis team will communicate with students, parents and the press. Principal Jesse Brandt updated the board on how Hall fared on the Illinois School Report Card. The main concern is the graduation rate which dropped to 74 percent in 2015. The dropout rate was 6 percent which is signifi-
“If we can keep kids in school, then we can get them the help they need to graduate.” Jesse Brandt, Hall principal cantly higher than the state average of 2 percent. Brandt said improving these areas are a main goal of the school improvement team. Many interventions have been put in place to ensure students stay in school and graduate. “These two areas go hand in hand. If we can keep kids
Hall Page 4
LaMoille looks at safety issues
State still lags behind SVE has only received 23.8 percent of general state aid
Repairs set at LaMoille schools By Zachary J. Pratt news@bcrnews.com
By Becky Kramer news@bcrnews.com
SPRING VALLEY — Superintendent Jim Hermes told the board during Wednesday night’s board meeting the state of Illinois is behind on its payments to Spring Valley Elementary (SVE) School. To date, SVE has received 23.8 percent of the general state aid that is expected for this school year and no money for Early Childhood Education or special education. “I know I said it last month, but we are surviving now on our local tax money,” Hermes said, adding he spoke with Hall Superintendent Mike Struna who believes money will start coming from the state in December, according to an email he received. Hermes discussed some proposed calendar changes for the 2017-18 school year. Hermes said the calendar committee has been meeting and researching a trimester schedule instead of the current quarterly schedule. He explained students are assessed three times a year, and this lines up with the trimester schedule perfectly. The first trimester would end on Nov. 10, and parent teacher conferences would be right after that. Hermes said, “Teachers felt strong that this is the best time to meet with families.” It’s expected the calendar changes will be discussed and voted on during the December meeting. Board members want additional information from schools that are on a trimester schedule before making a final decision. In other discussions, State Bill 2912 passed the House unanimously Wednesday morning. According to
SVE Page 4 Year 170 No. 139 One Section - 20 Pages
BCR photo/Lyle Ganther
Things are a changin’, boys ... Cousins Pablo Castro and Brantley Fulkerson, both of Princeton, take advantage of Thursday’s above normal temperatures to play at Zearing Park. Those shorts and short-sleeved shirts will probably be a thing of the past by the time this photograph is published. Bureau County residents will feel a noticeable difference in this weekend’s weather with highs in the 40s after Thursday’s 70-degree weather, which was forecast to be the last warm day of 2016.
LAMOILLE — The district’s safety inspection was on the minds of the LaMoille School Board at its meeting Thursday, Nov. 17. The LaMoille School District has received its annual safety inspection. Superintendent Ricardo Espinoza said there are some aspects the district needs to work on, however, there are others which he finds debatable. “Some of these are recurring violations from last year,” Espinoza said, adding some of the violations should not need to be dealt with. “There are things in here that need fixed,” he clarified, but other elements are a matter of aesthetics, or in the case of Allen Junior High School, of retaining the building’s historic nature. “Allen, you can make the case that it’s historical,” Espinoza said. Because of the structure’s historic value, Espinoza indicated there are some things that should not be altered, so as to preserve the building’s integrity, however, he said the Regional Office of Education does not always agree. “We debate back and forth,” Espinoza said. Nevertheless, these disagreements will not hinder progress on violations which need to be addressed. “We’re going to work diligently and work real hard with our architect to make sure what needs to be done gets done,” Espinoza said. Also at the meeting, the board learned the district’s buildings will be undergoing repairs this holiday season, with stair tread work commencing at the junior high, as well as window work at the high school.
LaMoille Page 4
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