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Graduation Budgets gap persists crunched Local districts say poverty, cultural issues explain disparity in rates for minority students
in county Taxing bodies collecting less as property values plummet By EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@shawmedia.com Plummeting property values are lowering the ceiling on how much property taxes local taxing bodies can collect, often leading to less money in crucial funds, forcing cuts or leading governments to look for revenue in other places. District 12 in Johnsburg struggled with its finances for years before it hit the ceiling on its education fund this year, which contributed to the elimination of the equivalent of 14 full-time teaching and administrative positions. More cuts are on the table as it moves through its budgeting process. Despite this, the School District 12 Board expects to run a deficit in its education fund and the district will need to borrow to get through the
year, Superintendent Dan Johnson said. The city of Harvard had to cut 20 percent of its workforce over the past several years, leaving its public works department with three employees. “[Public works] wasn’t doing anything,” City Administrator David Nelson said. “We were just maintaining. We were just fixing when things break. You can do that in the short run, but you can’t do that forever.” How much money most taxing entities receive each year is governed by two tax caps. One limits the overall amount governments – those that don’t have home-rule authority like the cities of McHenry and Crystal Lake do – can raise their property
See TAX, page A4
Man charged with attempted murder Story by STEPHEN DiBENEDETTO - sdibenedetto@shawmedia.com Photo by SARAH NADER - snader@shawmedia.com
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ewer minority students are receiving their high school diploma on time than other classmates, despite area high schools graduating all students at higher rates than the national average. The graduation disparity locally mirrors a national trend that shows black and Hispanic students lagging behind white and Asian students when it comes to graduating in four years, a review of state and national data shows. It’s an issue familiar to area districts that serve diverse populations and grapple with achievement gaps between minority and white students throughout various grade levels. But the disparity has more to do with poverty than race, said Ben Churchill, the assistant superintendent for District 300’s high schools. “It’s about income,” he said. “Kids from impoverished families learn fewer words in preschool years. The vocabulary deficit stays with them throughout high school ... That all ties into students from low-income families being less likely to graduate on time.” The Carpentersville-based school district last year graduated 72.7 percent of its black students and 79 percent of its Hispanic students, while 94.3 percent of white students and all of its Asian students graduated on time, state data shows. Similar differences between demographics exist beyond Carpentersville. Recently released federal data that showed the United States’ graduation rate reached 80 percent for the first time in history drew praise from Education
By STEPHEN Di BENEDETTO sdibenedetto@shawmedia.com WOODSTOCK – A 32-yearold Woodstock man was charged Friday with attempted murder after police said he sprayed a female acquaintance with accelerant and lit her on fire. Woodstock police learned through an investigation that Anthony D. Cohn sprayed the 36-year-old acquaintance with accelerant and ignited Anthony D. it following an Cohn argument late Thursday afternoon near the 100 block of North Seminary Avenue, said Chief Robert Lowen. The investigation started af-
ter police and firefighters were called at 7:54 a.m. Friday to the 200 block of South Eastwood Drive, Woodstock, for a 36-yearold female needing treatment for burns to her back, Lowen said. Witnesses at the scene on Thursday helped put out the flames on the female, but she suffered serious burns. She was transported to Centegra Hospital – Woodstock on Friday for treatment. “They were friends, and she wasn’t going along with his wishes, so he sprayed accelerant on her and [lit] her on fire,” Lowen said. Police charged Cohn with attempted murder and aggravated battery, both Class X felonies. He was taken to the McHenry County Jail, where he awaits a bond hearing.
See GRADUATION, page A6
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Senior goalie Jessica Galason secured Huntley’s win against Harlem with an unlikely save. Sophomore Autumn Maraviglia would score the last goal in penalty kicks to win the Class 3A Rockford Auburn Sectional championship. For more, see page C4.