Volume 141 No. 21
Friday, May 1, 2015
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State sweeps motor fuel tax Kinzer: ‘Definitely going to have an impact’ By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
Cities and counties are still trying to get a handle on the fallout from two bills signed into law March 27 to close a $1.6 billion
budget gap in the Fiscal Year 2015 state budget. The budget fix consisted of two measures – an appropriations bill and another authorizing $1.3 billion in special fund sweeps to stabilize the state’s general fund. With-
out the fixes, many state programs ran the risk of running out of money to pay employees. While the stopgap measures for this fiscal year spared the Local Government Distributive Fund for now, municipalities are learning they will take a hit from the funds sweeps. Some municipalities learned Wednesday, April 8, that $50 million will
be taken from the Motor Fuel Tax Fund that is used for local roads projects and materials for maintenance, including salt and blacktop. The Illinois Department of Transportation sent out a letter about the MFT sweep. The letter states IDOT learned the money will be transferred from the March MFT revenues, resulting in a “substantial” reduc-
rence Kinzer said. “That’s a little over 4 percent of our annual funding. That definitely is going to have an impact on us.” Kinzer said he did not receive notice in advance of the sweep, but heard about it through the state association of engineers. Kinzer did not have exact figures at press time. He
tion in what is received for that month. Cities and counties receive the money in monthly payments, and it is based on population. According to the Illinois Municipal League, which provides budgetary guidance, the cut projects as a per-capita loss of $1.20. “We lost half of our usual March allotment,” LaSalle County Engineer Law-
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LGS rejects fee increase By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
LOSTANT — Lostant Grade School students will see no increase in registration fees for the 2015-16 school year. The school board voted to hold the line and keep fees at the current level during its Wednesday, April 22, meeting. Board members hired two summer staff members. Nicole Larson was hired as a part-time summer custodian, and Patti Bernardoni will be the summer special education tutor. Support staff members will welcome a pay bump when they return for the 2015-16 school year. The board voted for a 2.4 percent raise for staff salaries. A third-grade class trip was approved for a trip to the LaSalle County Museum in Utica for Tuesday, April 28. The board accepted with regret the resignation of part-time custodian Agnes Swan. The LaSalle County Election Board has yet to canvas the votes for the April general election. As a result, the school board scheduled a special meeting for 8 p.m. Monday, May 4, to seat new board members and organize the board.
Tonica News photo/Dixie Schroeder
Planting time Tonica’s Tom Bruch loads his planter with seeds as he gets ready to work his field outside of Tonica off Richardson Road. Bruch farms land in the Tonica and Cedar Point area each year.
TGS expands autism program By Ken Schroeder news@tonicanews.com
TONICA — Tonica Grade School will expand its autism program. The school board green-lighted instructor Melissa Cassidy’s plan to add a third section to the current program at its meeting Wednesday, April 22. The current program has a pre-primary keys section and a primary
keys section. Pre-primary students are ages 3 to 6, and primary students are between 6 and 9 years old. This year there were two students in pre-primary and six in primary, with an additional student added near the midway point of the term. The normal maximum for an autism class is six, but Tonica received permission from the Regional Office of Education to allow for the seventh student.
With an influx of new students to the program this fall, there would be three students in pre-primary care and 10 students in the primary section. That would force four students’ families to look for an autism program outside of the TGS program, which means a substantial loss of revenue in out-ofdistrict tuition. Under the new plan proposed by Cassidy, the ages for the pre-primary keys
would change to 4 to 7 years old, with the primary keys changing to ages 7 to 9. A third keys program would address the needs of students aged 9 to 12. Under the new program for the 2015-16 school year, six students would be in the pre-primary keys program. Six students will be in the primary class with two of them elevated to the third keys section in mid-year. The third keys section would begin with
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one student with the two students from primary joining in midyear. The 2016-17 school year will see three students in pre-primary, five in primary and five students in the third keys program. The installation of new board member Al Leffelman was postponed. Leffelman was scheduled to take the oath of office at the meeting, but the
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