Leadership Matters June 2014

End of Year Happenings Biggest Challenges faci your district

Carbon Cliff-Barstow 36

Our biggest challenge is currently going on; negotiations. In the last three years, because of State Aid prorations and growing salaries and benefits, our school district has seen the education fund decrease by almost $600,000. Our negotiating team has worked well with the teachers' association regarding common language; however, we have moved onto salary and benefits and are progress has slowed down to a crawl. With the lack of confidence in our proration status, an election year that could quite possibly see the extended state tax come to an end, and lower EAV's, we need to at least level our spending to match our revenue. A financial consultant from ISBE came to discuss our district's financial status with both the board and the teachers' association. The district has taken steps to cut expenses by freezing administrative and non-cert salaries, cut

Andy Richmond Carbon Cliff- Barstow 36

custodial hours by 1/3, and shorten our maintenance director's hours by almost 1/3. This challenge could be resolved if only the State would provide us 100% of what we are due. I know there are different scenarios out there, attempting to increase funding but I need to know now, not in September/October. Right now, our biggest challenge is to find a way to keep our district solvent and our teachers educated on what could be a dire situation. Needless to say, at this point, we have not been able to answer the challenge.

Blue Ridge 18 We replaced one of our elementary schools with a major addition onto another school. Even with a planned late start to the school year we were on a VERY tight timeline for completing enough of the project to start school in the new facility. In order to move into the new addition in time the entire staff pulled together to finish last minute cleaning, moving, unpacking and room arranging tasks. It was "All hands on deck" and showed that this is a District that gets the job done. Honestly, it was a miracle that we were able to start school in the new building!

Susan Wilson, Superintendent, Blue Ridge 18

Marseilles 150 My biggest challenge this year was to recover from the flood of 2013. Perseverance and the good old college try...

Governor Pat Quinn and JoEllen Fuller, superintendent Marseilles 150, tour her flood damaged school.

24