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THE ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED IN McHENRY COUNTY
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Demographic shifts over the last 14 years provide clues to what McHenry County is going to look like in the future. We should expect to be older and more diverse. How well are we situated for the gradually changing population?
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45 40 Complete forecast on page A12
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Board to begin rules review Will look to other entities with voter elected chairmen By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com
Sarah Nader – snader@shawmedia.com
English Language Learner teacher Carmen Terselic (left) quizzes third-grader Charlyn Rodriguez on English vocabulary they have been working on Dec. 18 at Bush Elementary School in Johnsburg.
SCHOOLS SERVE GROWING NUMBER OF BILINGUAL KIDS By EMILY K. COLEMAN • ecoleman@shawmedia.com
C
armen Terselic jumped from her chair and mimed heading out the door. She was trying to trigger the word “went” for third-grader Charlyn Rodriguez, one of the few vocabulary words the girl stumbled over during the review that started her break-out session with Terselic. Terselic started at Johnsburg District 12 in July as its first full-time, in-house English Language Learner teacher, a position created to address the growing number of students in its program. The program only had two students, both Spanish speakers, in its ELL program during the 2011-12 school year, the last time the district submitted its number to the state. This year, the district has 30 students, 21 of them Spanish speakers, Terselic said. She’s responsible for all but one of them, splitting her time among the district’s three elementary schools and one junior high. The
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whether placement in an ELL program is appropriate – wasn’t very clear. The number of students with limited English has grown nearly across the board; only three school districts that serve parts of McHenry County saw their populations as percent of total enrollment drop in the past decade. In Harvard District 50, the number of students with limited English proficiency climbed to 26.9 percent from 14.6 percent as its white population fell to 36.9 percent of students from 54.1 percent, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
“We see the benefits of becoming bilingual, and that’s what we want for our children ... . There are just more opportunities later in life.” Amy Mosquera
District 47’s director of dual-language and English Language Learner programs
special education department at Johnsburg High School provides services to the one ELL student there. Johnsburg isn’t the only school district to see changes, although Johnsburg’s jump could have been artificially marked, Assistant Director of Student Services Fran Milewski said. The survey sent out to parents asking what language was spoken at home – the survey that triggers testing to determine
‘Bilingual, bi-literate and bi-cultural’ Dual-language programs were developed as a way to meet the needs of these students, said Gregorio Arellano, the Harvard district’s bilingual and dual-language coordinator. But
See EDUCATION, page A4
ABOUT THIS SERIES
THE SERIES DAY-BY-DAY
A look at U.S. Census and other data and an examination of how the housing industry, social services, education and local government is adjusting to changing demographics.
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WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
What’s changing about the population of McHenry County and how are we adjusting to population needs?
How have social service agencies been changing delivery models and what needs are they trying to fill?
Is the housing market well suited for a population that’s getting older?
What are local educators doing to give students who aren’t native English speakers the best chance to succeed?
Are the shifts in ethnic diversity being reflected in local elected offices across McHenry County?
WOODSTOCK – Rewriting the McHenry County Board’s rules to account for a popularly-elected chairman will start with a review of rules from counties that already do so. The Management Services Committee, which reviews and recommends rule changes after each November election, will examine how county boards with voter-elected chairpeople share their power structure, said committee chairwoman Tina Hill, R-Woodstock. “We’re asking to see DuPage and Kane’s board rules since they’ve already invented that wheel. We’re Tina Hill going to take a look at those to see if any of [those On the rules] pertain to McHenry Net County,” Hill said. County voters in Read the March approved a binding referendum making McHenry the chairmanship directly County Board elected to four-year terms rules at http:// starting in 2016. Before shawurl. that, the 24-member board com/1mz0. after each November election elected the chairman from among themselves to a two-year term. The County Board will be 25 members starting in 2016, with 24 members and the at-large chairman. The powers the McHenry County Board rules currently grant the chairman, such as selecting members after the election to help make committee assignments and being able to recommend who chairs said committees, may not be powers the board would want a popularly elected chairman to have, especially if he or she is new to the board. While the rules can be changed to restrict the chairman’s power to recommend appointments to fill vacancies on certain boards and commissions, the County Board cannot take away ones codified in state law, such as the ability to recommend appointments to the mass-transit boards of Metra, Pace and the Regional Transportation Authority. A popularly elected chairman has few additional powers under state law. He or she can call special meetings of the board, but cannot vote except to break a tie, and can propose a redistricting map after each 10-year U.S. Census. State law gives the County Board the ability to give
See RULES, page A4
Quinn grants clemency to 179; thousands more wait for decision By SOPHIA TAREEN The Associated Press CHICAGO – Gov. Pat Quinn granted 179 clemency petitions in time for Christmas, but thousands of other applicants are anxiously awaiting word on past criminal records during the Democrat’s final weeks in office. Quinn still faces roughly 3,000 requests with less than three weeks before Republican Gov.-elect Bruce Rauner takes office. Some want criminal records expunged. Others seek innocence pardons to clear their
names. Advocates said the uncertainty with how Rauner will act – it’s the businessman’s first elected office – has given them a sense of urgency. But how far Quinn will get is unclear. Among those waiting to hear is Gordon “Randy” Steidl. He wrongfully spent 17 years in prison – a dozen on death row – for the 1986 murder of a young couple in Paris, Illinois. The Charleston man first filed for an innocence pardon in 2002. He said he wants to leave the past behind, but hasn’t heard anything. “I’ve waited on three governors. I
Pat Quinn Outgoing governor
Gordon “Randy” Steidl
don’t suppose Rauner would be any better. Who knows?” he said. “I feel like my name needs to essentially be cleared and I can finally put this
nightmare behind me. My children and grandchild deserve to have their name cleared.” People often seek clemency to get more education or better jobs. Applications ask if the person has been convicted of a crime, not whether one was committed. Gubernatorial pardons also help grantees seek compensation from the state. Quinn inherited a backlog of more than 2,800 petitions from predecessor ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Spokeswoman Katie Hickey said Quinn has mostly cleared those cases, and that
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Naval recruits celebrate in McHenry with karaoke, calls home / A3
Illinois state Rep. Mike Tryon’s band to play inauguration concert / A3
Sony Pictures’ streaming release of movie test for industry / A8
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an increase in applications accounts for lingering number. Quinn has traditionally granted clemency ahead of holidays, leaving petitioners to anticipate Christmas and New Year’s Day. The wait was especially tedious Wednesday – Christmas Eve – when there was a four-hour delay between the announcement of Quinn’s action and the list being made public. The governor announced that he’d gone through 604 applications
See CLEMENCIES, page A4
Nation&World............. A5-10 Obituaries ....................... A10 Opinion..............................A11 Puzzles ........................... D5-6 Sports..............................B1-8 TV grid............................... D6 Weather ........................... A12