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Records fall as Huntley boys track wins Fox Valley Conference meet / C1
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Property tax freeze called a stunt Bill faces uncertain future after GOP reps. vote ‘present’ in protest By KEVIN P. CRAVER kcraver@shawmedia.com A bill to freeze property taxes statewide could be headed to an Illinois House vote, although a Republican boycott of the measure makes it very unlikely it will pass. House Bill 695, a shell bill modified Monday by state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo, would forbid any Illinois taxing body from raising proper-
On the Web You can read the text of House Bill 695 at www.ilga.gov.
ty taxes except by voter referendum. But the 37-23 vote to approve the language was entirely Democratic – 38 Republicans, who want to see what Gov. Bruce Rauner has in mind for a freeze, voted “pres-
Former school worker charged
ent” and allege nothing more than a politically motivated attempt to stymie Rauner’s agenda. Sixty votes are needed for the bill to pass. Franks, who has fought for property tax
the freeze is
State Rep. Jack Franks reduction
throughout his political career, rejected the accusation as he implored Republican lawmakers on the House floor to vote in favor. “This is a Gov. Bruce real bill that’s Rauner definitely needed, a real bill whose time has come.
I wish it would have come years ago,” Franks said. “Now it’s time to put up or shut up.” The bill’s language essentially imposes the tax cap on every Illinois taxing body and sets the inflationary increase they can receive to zero, starting with this year’s assessments that will decide next year’s property tax bills. Illinois’ average burden is second only to New Jersey according to one study, and an-
other puts McHenry County’s property tax burden as among the 30 highest of all counties nationwide. Like Franks’ previous efforts, local governments and their lobbying groups strenuously oppose imposing a freeze. While they have historically cited rising costs and unfunded state mandates in opposition to such measures,
See BILL, page A5
Pool of teachers shrinking Experts say fewer entering profession, but state far from a shortage
Alleged sex crime involved student By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – A former Johnsburg High School teacher’s aide has been charged with a sex crime involving a teenage student. Damon H. Malone, 39, is accused of engaging in oral sex with a female student. Malone worked as a teacher’s aide in the school’s front office for 2½ years, Superintendent Dan Johnson said. The alleged incident happened Feb. Damon 24, off school H. Malone grounds and not during school hours, authorities said. Court records indicate Malone lived in Carpentersville, but he left the area in March, shortly after the investigation began, authorities said. He was apprehended in St. Louis in April when charges were brought against him. Johnsburg police went to the St. Louis area to interview Malone, but he declined to speak without an attorney present, Assistant State’s Attorney Sharyl Eisenstein said. Malone was extradited from St. Louis and appeared in McHenry County rights court Friday. His bond was set at $350,000. A McHenry County grand
H. Rick Bamman – hbamman@shawmedia.com
Mary Endres Elementary School second-grade bilingual teacher Ander Espana of Vitoria, Spain, leads his students as they practice a happy birthday celebration song in Woodstock.
By CHELSEA McDOUGALL cmcdougall@shawmedia.com Will graduating seniors with a degree in education please raise your hand? Hold it high, future educators. You are part of a shrinking pool of teachers coming out of Illinois colleges and universities, according to statewide data. The Illinois Board of Higher Education reports enrollment in education programs at Illinois’ colleges
and universities fell significantly on the heels of the recession. From 2009 to 2012, the most recent data available, enrollment in education programs fell 37 percent. But there’s some news that could be troubling for those with their hands up. Even with the drop in enrollment, Illinois is far from a teacher shortage, experts say. There are far more applicants than there are job openings. Some school districts reported difficulty filling certain specialty
positions. Take District 200’s Chinese language program. Woodstock High School Principal Brian McAdow said if there’s a job opening, there might be only a handful of qualified applicants. But consider other traditional programs, such as English or social studies, and the teacher pool get much larger. “We might have 250 applicants,” McAdow said. “I think there’s certain areas, through certifications and actual content, where it’s more difficult
See CHARGES, page A6
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Jury orders death by injection for man convicted in Boston Marathon bombing / A6 SPORTS
Owl in perfect health McHenry County conservation staff are trying to reunite baby great horned owl found by residents on Mildred Avenue in Cary / A3
Richmond-Burton rebounds Game-winning goal in 71st minute gives Rockets 2-1 victory over J’burg and regional title / C1
to find teachers, and your pool of applicants is going to be smaller,” McAdow said. Teacher openings in science, mathematics and advanced placement classes that require additional certifications are harder to fill, he said. Woodstock’s ever-popular dual language programs can sometimes draw ire, McAdow said, because the district has recruited teachers from
See TEACHERS, page A5