No longer will Township High School District 211’s recognition of academic scholars be limited to graduating seniors who rank in the top 25 of their class based upon either weighted or unweighted grade point averages after seven semesters. In at least one D211 school, sixty graduating seniors would have received the award for their outstanding academic achievements during their high school careers if new criteria been in place. When D211’s Board of Education approved the elimination of class rank, beginning with the Class of 2013 it mandated a change to how academic scholars would be …

In the end, investing in the future of Community Consolidated School District 15’s students trumped arguments to delay implementing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program in all four of its junior high schools next year. D-15 has been researching the possibility of replacing its existing junior high technology enrichment courses with a nationally recognizedSTEM middle school program from Project Lead the Way (PLTW) for several months.   In November, school board members debated the merits of adding new programs to the curriculum while at the same time asking the …

Should school District 15 replace its current junior high technology enrichment courses with a STEM program proven to engage and interest students in potential 21st century careers? Does it make sense for the district to implement any new program as it prepares a list of potential budget cuts totaling $10 million to determine how much to reduce its expenditures for the 2012-13 school year? Those questions and others were debated among Community Consolidated School District 15 school board members at their Nov. 16 meeting. The idea to create a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and …

Sexual harassment in the workplace is a topic of discussion in this year’s presidential race. It is also a part of a federal lawsuit filed last month by a former Community Consolidated School District 15 assistant principal.  School districts in Illinois by law are required to have both sexual harassment and alcohol and substance abuse policies in place for their employees. However, there is nothing in Illinois School Code mandating districts provide training for employees on how to identify abuses and file a complaint. Township High School District 211 does not conduct training sessionsfor …

Community Consolidated School District 15 is looking for ways to get its structural budget deficit under control. On Oct. 24 the school district held the first of a series of public forums. About a dozen residents participated along with District 15 school board members and administrators. After a short presentation on the district’s financial outlook and a forecast of expenditures exceeding revenues until reserves are depleted in a few years, a true two-way dialogue with the district began and continued for nearly two hours. The first question posed was, “What are we going to do about it?” D…

Videotaping local school board meetings is not a new concept in Palatine. Community Consolidated School District 15 has been broadcasting its regular meetings on local cable stations since 2006 and recently began posting them on their website. Residents in other school districts have not been as lucky. Only after taking it upon themselves to tape board meetings and post them online did Park Ridge-Niles District 64 officials concede that it was a worthwhile endeavor. Other districts agree and have followed the growing trend in the northwest suburbs. Now Township High School District 211 board …

Community Consolidated School District 15 held its first of five scheduled curriculum advisory council meetings Oct. 5. The idea for the council originated from conversations and questions brought forth at last year’s Navigate15 community engagement session on curriculum.  That session in January attracted more than 90 participants and the district felt it necessary to continue the discussion especially as new Common Core Standards are phased in across the nation in 2014.  The stated purpose of these public meetings is for District 15 and the community to work together to improve student …

Community Consolidated School District 15 junior high students might have another option when selecting enrichment courses in the future.  After months of exploring the possibility of creating a STEM Academy and Demonstration school, administrators now suggest purchasing an established nationally recognized STEM program instead.  Project Lead the Way (PLTW) partners with both middle schools and high schools to provide a rigorous, relevant Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education. Through an engaging, hands-on curriculum, it encourages the development of problem-solving …

Community Consolidated School District 15 will hold a series of meetings to engage the public in a two way dialogue on topics of their choice.   The first one is scheduled for Monday, October 24 and will lead off with a short overview on the district’s finances. A question and answer period will follow for a minimum of 20 minutes before moving on to other subjects raised that evening.  The purpose of the forums is to bring in the community, let them ask questions, voice their concerns, make suggestions and offer input for the district’s future.   Plans have been made to videotape the sessions…

Community Consolidated School District 15 has made its first school board meeting video available online – and I for one couldn’t be happier. The Aug. 10 meeting can now be viewed at the public's convenience. Signs of true transparency and accountability have been showing up at an ever increasing pace since the last school board election. That’s when the community voted in three new members with a platform that included a pledge of open and transparent decision-making.  Not only is the district beginning to make meeting videos available online but a new Board Communications Committee has been…

Eighth-grade students’ academic achievement has a larger impact on their readiness for college by the end of high school then anything that happens academically in today’s high schools. – ACT  Why isn’t science taught every day in Community Consolidated School District 15’s elementary schools? It shouldn’t be a question of money. The textbooks and skilled teaching staff are already in place. Private schools in the area teach both science and history daily. Why not District 15?  As reported earlier this year, the district is exploring the possibility of creating a STEM Academy for select sixth…

It’s that time of year again. Data from last spring’s Illinois State Standards tests (ISAT) - taken by every third through eighth grader – have arrived in Community Consolidated School District 15.   As reported at this week’s school board meeting, the vast majority of students are meeting or exceeding state standards in reading (85.7 percent) and math (96.1 percent). The goal of the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation is for all students to meet or exceed its state’s standards by 2014.   For 2011, Illinois set a goal of 85 percent. Next spring it climbs to 92.5 percent.  But how …

Chicago Public School leaders established a goal of 20 on the ACT for their high school juniors while District 211 tracks students earning a 19 or higher. Is anyone out there surprised or alarmed by this news? Township High School District 211 Board of Education members didn’t seem to be at their June 16 meeting. Not one questioned district staff during a presentation reviewing district goals for academic achievement.  Danielle Hauser, Director of Instructional Improvement stated “although not specifically a district goal, faculty monitors the percentage of students earning a composite score …

Data doesn’t lie. Despite Township High School District 211’s best efforts, more than 40 percent of its students from the past two graduating classes did not meet ACT college readiness standards for reading and mathematics.  At its June 16 Board of Education meeting, district staff presented an update on D-211’s progress toward meeting its academic goal to accelerate academic achievement for all students. Three measurements had been put in place. The first was to measure student growth in the Explore-Plan-ACT reading and mathematics subtests.  Assistant Superintendent for Instruction Theresa …

It’s interesting how things work out. The idea of an ethics commission, sanctioning or even “policing” school board member behavior in Community Consolidated School District 15 would never have seen the light of day in years past. The idea of reviewing and updating the district’s ethics policy was brought forward by board member Peggy Babcock and discussed at the June meeting.   Standard Illinois school board ethics policies essentially prohibit employees and board members from using district resources to conduct political activities – such as campaigning for or against a particular candidate…

Will proposed employee pension reforms or Springfield politics have the most impact on school district budgets going forward?  It depends on who you ask.  At Community Consolidated School District 15’s recent Navigate15 session on finances, Dr. Thomas Kersten, author of Taking the Mystery Out of Illinois School Finance and one of the panelists says - it’s the politics.  When money is sent to Springfield, it gets caught in the political process.  Education is not the number one supported public service in Illinois; it is all of the social services. Everyone competes for the dollars and when …

Just as the House always wins in Vegas, school districts can’t lose when it comes to collecting property taxes.   If your neighbor's home goes into foreclosure, the bank continues to pay the taxes. If a homeowner or business appeals their assessment and receives a reduction, the rest of the taxpayers make up the difference.  It doesn’t matter if home values are decreasing, school districts always get an increase year over year – although small at times. Property tax revenue never goes down and it represents 80 percent of Community Consolidated School District 15’s funding. Then why did the …

Community Consolidated School District 15 is a property wealthy district, ranking in the top 20 percent of all Illinois school districts. Eighty percent of the district’s revenues come from local property taxes.  Property tax revenue is very predictable. It increases every year but is limited by law to 5 percent or the Consumer Price Index (CPI) whichever is less – often referred to as the “tax cap”. However school districts can realize additional monies beyond the tax cap if there is new growth in property. Teardowns, additions, shopping centers and subdivisions all add to new growth and …

With more than 500 students enrolled in band, orchestra or choir at Fremd High School in Palatine this fall, the music department is set to experience one of its largest increases in years.   Orchestra alone is growing by 25 percent with 45 freshmen. Choir voices are expected to be a bit deeper with the addition of 15 freshmen boys increasing the number to 115 students. The band program remains strong with more than 250 members for the sixth straight year and a freshmen class of over eighty.  What’s behind the success?   We could speculate for days on that one – quality music teachers, a …

It looks like the newly reconfigured Community Consolidated School District 15 Board of Education is off to a good start.  Wednesday’s first full board meeting since three newcomers were elected April 5 proved to be one of open discussion, thoughtful questions – and not so new good ideas.  On the agenda was the call to reinstate two committees discontinued by former board president Gerald Chapman who lost his bid for reelection.   With the district’s Navigate15 sessions ending next month and seeking to continue to engage the community, new board member Manjula Sriram proposed resurrecting the…