- Latest
Enrollment Figures for All Programs
The enrollment figures for District 6 including all
resident students educated both within and outside of the District and
including tuition students total 1,346.- The numbers are broken
down as follows: High School, 403; South Elementary, 275; West, 324; and East,
324.- The above numbers include 62 Pre-K
students in Bright Beginnings, 8 behavior disorder students, 20 out of district
special education students and 2 department of
correction students.
- November
Board Meeting Dates
The November Regular
Meeting Date will be Tuesday, November 18. This changed meeting
date is to accommodate the IASB, IASBO Chicago meetings.
Also, a tentative levy will be
shared with the Board at the November 18th meeting.
At the December Regular Meeting of
the Board of Education, transportation bids will be let for purchasing 4
buses.- As per School Code, we must bid
out purchase of new vehicles.- The
procedure would be to publish in a newspaper of the District and one regional
paper at least two weeks prior to the deadline for receiving sealed bids in the
Unit Office.- Also, bid specifications
will be sent to no fewer than three (3) reputable companies and any other
company which desires to bid in response to the advertisement in the
newspapers.
- State
of Illinois
Finances to Date
-
Information on Working Cash Bonds
Cash flow analyses indicates
that we will need an infusion of cash prior to the end of this year.- I propose inviting Kevin Heid of First
Midstate Inc. Investment Bankers to present to the Board on November 6, 2003.- We would then adopt a Resolution at the
November 18th Board meeting.-
If a referendum is also in the cards and it passes, we can then pay back
our bonds early and save the interest cost.
New Business
- First
Reading
of Addendum to Policy 5:30, General Personnel, Hiring Process and Criteria
(physical examinations)
The Board has noted those physicals and a drug tests
for District bus drivers range from a low of about $100 to a high of around
$200.- In order to address this
disparity, it is proposed that the District 6 pay no more than $100 for bus
physicals and drug tests for drivers.-
The physical examination must adhere to the guidelines spelled out in the
original policy. If a driver desires to elect a physician that charges more
than $100.00 for the physical and drug test, the employee will be personally
responsible for any amount over the maximum $100 allowed.- Any change to policies or development of new
policies must be read and commented upon no fewer than two (2) times prior to
adoption.
-
Resolution Recognizing Fieldcrest East
Baseball Team
In recognition of Fieldcrest East-s outstanding 7th
and 8th Grade team record of 21-1 and 2nd place in the IESA
State Finals the Board hereby recognizes this great accomplishment and the hard
work and sportsmanship displayed by players, coaches, fans and supporters of
the team.
-
Thorough Explanation of Wenona TIF and
Moneys Received to Date.
I would like to devote some time (ten or so minutes)
to explain to the Board and the audience once and for all how the TIF works and
why we received the dollars to date.- I
do not have an answer as to why we received the first payment late, but I am
prepared to answer any and all questions regarding this legal tax
increment-financing district.
I don't intend to start a flurry of emails, however I want to clarify as best I can what the impact of the TIF is on District 6 and other taxing bodies. First, it is incorrect to state that the entire proceeds of our total tax rate of $4.58 are gobbled up by Wenona. Some of it is, but not all. Here is how this works.
Our General State Aid formula tries to take into account the wealth of a district (EAV), our current tax rate, whether we are a unit, elementary or high school district and other factors including TIFs when doling out the money to school districts. For instance our GSA claim for the year 2000-2001 (the year before I arrived here) PAYABLE in 2001-2002 showed that our tax rate at that time (including bonds) was $4.19 per hundred dollars of EAV. Our EAV in 1999 was $96,700,000 after backing out the value of the TIF. With the TIF included we would be worth about $99,990,000. So in essence the TIF at that time was valued roughly $3,200,000. I am rounding off, so give or take a few thousand dollars either way.
The State of Illinois knows that TIFs can hurt school districts in the wallet so by way of trying to "make whole" the GSA formula took the tax rate of $4.19 and backed out $3.00. If we were a grade school or high school district less money would have been backed out of the formula. What was left was only $1.19. Instead of being taxed at our full tax rate of $4.19 the value of the TIF ( $214,242 actual $$) was multiplied by $1.19 (made whole rate), which showed that District 6 "lost" $38,362 in $2001-2002. This is the same figure I supplied to the previous Board along with a projection out to the end of the TIF in 2016 when it is set to expire. The loss would be about $1,230,000. Of course any calculation that I did after the period of time I am now discussing was a projection based upon estimates of what EAV would do. The State of Illinois kicked in $96,427 (in the formula) to lessen our losses. Without the $3.00 backed off we would have lost $134,789.
I know a loss is a loss, but keep in mind that in order to pursue the claim that the TIF is illegal may be presumptuous on our part. As I mentioned before, after the fact challenges are not looked upon favorably by the courts who tend to side with municipalities. School districts have successfully challenged TIFs before they were set in concrete.
-
Update on First Citizens Advisory
Committee.-
Executive Session (all
approved)
Purpose:---------- Appointment and Employment of
Personnel
-
Appoint Wendy Smith, Middle East
Girls- Basketball
-
Appoint Donna Hartzler, Part-Time Aide, High
School
-
Appoint Lisa Hurd, West, Aide
-
Appoint Linda Bradbury, South, Aide
-
Appoint Sonja Ruestman, West, Aide
-
Appoint Julie Schmidt, East, Aide, Part-Time
