The Fieldcrest Board of Education voted to accept the Citizens Action Committee's recommendation
to impose a participation fee for sports in order to help fund extracurriculars next year. The action
meant that Fieldcrest will include sports as an extracurricular next year. However, the program
will still need to be funded by fund raisers from the community. Board member Tim McNamara said
that we need to accept the new fee structure and also accept the risk of the community being able to fund the
gap in the cost of the program.
Citizens Action Committee Chairman Russ Martin presented the recommendations to the board. The
participation fee will be $150 per sport. Students who participate will pay for 2 out of every 3
sports in which they participate. The participation fee could raise up to $113,700. This, combined
with the $25,000 committment from the Board for bussing students to and from events, and with the
potential $126,200 from the new activity fee will generate a possible total of $264,900.
The new funding program will not cover freshman sports, except for freshman football. The booster
club is currently funding the remaining freshman sports.
CAC member Jarilyn Wells told the Board that it requires a leap of faith by the Board that the committee
and the community will be able to fund any shortfall in funding for the extracurriculars. Wells said that
extra funds raised by the community will be used to rebate part of the fees. Wells said the committee is
thinking about asking the communities in the district to impose a 1% sales tax as a source of funds for
the extracurriculars. Russ Martin said this option may not be very desirable to local businesses but it
would tap into a lot of people off of the interstate who purchase items at the businesses along the interstate.
Wells said the committee was also considering making a bid to the NASCAR race track in Joliet to provide
a group to perform duties at the race track over a weekend of races. Wells said that the group would be paid $7
an hour to perform mundane duties and the group could raise up to $25,000 for a weekend of work. Wells said
that the bidding would require the community to provide up to 300 or more workers to perform the work.
Board member Pat Schmillen said that she is willing to take the risk that the community will be able to raise enough
money for extracurriculars and lessen the fee requirements. Board member Chris Klieber said she would rather pay the fees for her children
while they are in school than have an increase in her taxes that would last forever.
Working Cash Bonds
A public hearing was held concerning the proposal to sell $750,000 of working cash bonds in order to
provide the district sufficient funds to pay expenses up through the end of May. Gene Oncken asked the
Board what is being done to lower debt. Superintendent Dr. Michael Stagliano replied that cuts in extracurriculars,
fund raisers, activity and participation fees and a possible referendum are being considered in order to
lower the debt. Board member Pat Schmillen said that the district is making cuts each year. Each year
there are fewer teachers in the district. Stagliano said that there are currently over 90 teachers in
the district. He said that $260,000 is spent on 22 teachers aids, most of whom work in special education.
The Public Hearing for the working cash bonds was the next to the last step before adopting a Resolution at the February 5, 2004 meeting providing for the sale of bonds.
At the February 5th meeting the Board will adopt the Resolution providing for the sale of the bonds.
Bus bids postphoned
The Board tabled accepting bids on the purchase of three new busses. Only two bids were submitted.
Joe Bailey of Midwest Transit, which submitted the higher bid, told the Board that the lower bid of $187,000 did
not meet all of the specifications of the bid. The specs not met were a wrap around windshield, slanted nose
hood, and a lower door window. Bailey said these were important safety features that should be considered.
Superindent Stagliano said he had a discussion with the transporation committee and felt that these features were not important enough to justify spending $5,000 more
for the higher bid. Joe Kirkpatrick told Transporation Supervisor Tom Heidenreich that it appeared that the
specs were written specifically for Midwest Transit, a charge denied by Heidenreich. Board member Tim McNamara
said he was not comfortable in accepting a bid that did not meet specs. The Board accepted Pat Schmillen's
suggestion that the issue be tabled until the next meeting, especially since board members Pickard and Barth
were not present to vote on the bids.
The Board then accepted a bid of $23,357 to purchase a Ford E350 van.
Test scores at Fieldcrest South
Fieldcrest South Principal Rebecca Oltman gave the Board good news on ISAT test scores from Fieldcrest South.
Oltman said 80% of Fifth grade math scores met or exceeded standards compared to 62% for the state average.
Similar tests for the 7th grade resulted in 70% versus 68% for the state average and the 8th grade had
61% meeting or exceeding standards compared to the state average of 53%.
In Science, grade 4 had 93% versus 67% for the state average while grade 7 had 80% versus 70% for
the state average.
In Social Studies, grade 4 had 91% versus 63% for the state average while grade 7 had 72% versus the
state average of 60%
Oltman said that the articulated curriculum at the school is the reason for the increase in test scores.
Other news
Robert Prince presented the school with a check for $1102.53 from the Knights of Columbus. The money
was raised from the Tootsie Roll drive held last year. The money will be used in the Special Education Fund.
The Board accepted the resignation of Fieldcrest South Principal Rebecca Oltman who is retiring.
The Board of Education's next meeting will be February 5th at Minonk. Consolidation of positions and
elimination of some teaching positions will be discussed. The foreign language program will also be discussed.
