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Board Summary August 14

Wednesday, August 15th, 2012

The Board of Education welcomed the new teachers to the school district at the beginning of the August 14th meeting.

Reports from Board members

Board members Dave Rockwell, Kim Armstrong, Jim Bishop and Jim Veasey attended the annual “Rally at the Rock” Rock Island High School event. Veasey and Rockwell cooked and served 540 hot dogs and Jim Bishop set up one of the game areas for the students. All commended the high school staff on a well-run event. Kim Armstrong, Jim Bishop and Dave Rockwell also attended the Fall Athletic Orientation Meeting for students and parents at Rock Island High School. New Athletic Director Chris Cartee did a great job with the program and also introduced all of the fall coaches to the parents. Board members Kim Armstrong, Linda Dothard and Dave Rockwell participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Center Family Fun Day and Parade on August 4.

Dave Rockwell mentioned a thanks to former Athletic Director Bob Swanson for all of his work on the WB6 expansion of the football program. Swanson was very supportive of the effort.

Jim Bishop also attended the student sports $2 physical event on August 6 and thanked all of the volunteers for helping with the students.

Report from the Superintendent 

Dr. Oberhaus reported that the school district received $54,000 less in the final allocation for Special Education. The school district will also be watching the State of Illinois legislators closely next week as pension reform may be on the agenda during the special session. The school district and Board of Education members have been hearing from parents about bus transportation concerns. As the new contract has started with a different company, some of the parameters have changed for parents who have individually contracted bus service in the past. The former bus company distributed letters to parents last April about not continuing the individual contract service due to costs, and there are some families who relied on the transportation. School district administration is trying to work with the current bus company to come up with some solutions.

There are two parades coming up: Milan Summer Festival Parade on September 1 and the Rock Island Labor Day parade on September 4. Dr. Oberhaus encouraged board members to attend and help hand out pencils. Also, there are two events coming up next week: The Community STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) Festival at Frances Willard, and a Visiting Artist Program by Singer/Songwriter Steve Seskin who will work with students to write songs about respect and kindness. Steve Seskin will be doing a performance for staff and students on Friday, August 24, 1:00 p.m. in the Rock Island High School Auditorium. Everyone is invited to attend.

Since the start of school, there are 6,081 K-12 students. At this time there are some large class sizes and the district is doing whatever can to adjust in buildings.

Other Items

  • Board approved the PLATO Learning Contract Renewal for the high school and TMLC.
  • Board approved the contracts for FranklinCovey Client Sales, Inc., for the Leader in Me program at Denkmann, Eugene Field, Frances Willard, and RICMS. Cost will be funded through the John Deere Foundation grant.
  • Board approved the contract services Yearbook Services to Herff-Jones, Moline, IL for the 2012-13 school year.
  • Board approved the Contract forService for Kaplan Early Learning Company, Lewisville, NC, to install playground equipment at Thurgood Marshall Center.
  • Board approved the contract for Steve Seskin Visiting Artist program. Funds are paid through an Illinois Violence Prevention Authority program.
  • Board approved a contract for Broadway Presbyterian Church, Rock Island, IL, for staff to assist the Rock Island Academy Lights On For Learning program during the 2012-13 school year.
  • Board approved contract  for Johannes Bus Service, Rock Island, IL, to provide transportation to students at the Rock Island Academy Lights On For Learning program during the 2012-13 school year.
  • Board approved a contract for service with Rock Island Parks and Recreation, Rock Island, IL, to assist the Rock Island Academy Lights On For Learning program during the 2012-13 school year.
  • Board approved the ratification of a one-year contract with the RIESPA. The new contract added a 6th step at a 2% wage increase, no benefit changes and the retirement stipend to reflect the current law of 6%.

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Board Summary, July 24

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Nicole Hoffman, Alice Lee, Susan Lyon, Alexis Andrews, Amy Moffitt with Dr. Oberhaus and Mr. Cleaver.

The Board of Education recognized four RIMSD teachers at the first meeting of the school year on July 24. Dr. Oberhaus and President Cleaver presented certificates to Alexis Andrews (Frances Willard), Alice Lee (RICMS), Amy Moffitt (RICMS) and Susan Lyon (Ridgewood) in recognition of their completion of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy’s TIPP program. Nicole Hoffman from Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) said that the teachers started the program in February of 2012 and consisted of hands on development sessions for classroom teaching. The program encourages teaching that encourages students to question while learning, which is based on IMSA’s approach to inquiry. A Community STEM Festival is scheduled for August 23 at Frances Willard School from 4-6:30 p.m. and the board is welcome to attend.

Reports from Board
Dave Rockwell attended the Head Start Policy Council last Wednesday. Kim Armstrong attended registration day at Rock Island High School and commended the high school staff on the new process – it was very well organized. Linda Dothard acknowledged an email she received from a school district parent regarding the bus contract. Paula Rummels attended the BHASED meeting on June 28. Jim Bishop also attended registration at Rock Island High School and also commended the high school staff about the easy process and organization of the event.

Superintendent Report
Dr. Oberhaus reported that Illinois Governor Quinn signed off on the state budget, which resulted in $1.8 million less in state aid for the school district. Therefore, the school district budget will reflect a $3.9 million deficit instead of $2.1 million deficit as originally reported in June. Administration is not going to look into additional staff reductions, the school district will look for efficiencies throughout the year to save money. Also, the State of Illinois assembly is still looking at strategies for pension reform. The option to move the burden to local districts is still on the table and Dr. Oberhaus expects the issue to come up again soon. The Promise Neighborhood grant is being submitted this Friday.  It is a great collaborative effort between many organizations and municipalities. Thanks to Lucille Davis, Kathy Taylor, Tim Wernentin and Virginia Jarrett for helping to coordinate the effort on behalf of the school district. School begins on August 3, (full day). Registration was completed last week and enrollments have increased. On August 2, the staff is gathering for Opening Day at the High School, 7:30 a.m. is breakfast. The board is welcome to attend.

2012-2013 Budget Hearing
President Cleaver opened the 2012-2013 budget hearing at 6:28 p.m. Chief Financial Officer Bob Beckwith reported that the general state aid level dropped, and as a result the school district will receive $1.8 million less from the state this year. Now the additional reduction in state aid will result in $3.9 million deficit in the 2012-2013 school district budget. In addition, the school district needs $15 million in reserves to stay solvent, otherwise the school district could be put in a situation to borrow money. Beckwith felt that pension reform is the next issue on the horizon. The discussion is on the back burner in the state legislature at the moment but will be in the forefront again soon. It is not likely that the district would have to implement pension reform in 2012-2013, but could happen for 2013-2014. The board voted unanimously to adopt the 2012-2013 budget.

Education – Teaching and Learning Update 
Dr. Jeff Zoul, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, is officially on board and happy to be in the Rock Island-Milan School District. He complimented the school board on their involvement with the school district. His “Teaching and Learning” title reflects his philosophy – he is passionate about teaching and students. A high quality teacher is the single most important variable relating to student learning, and his job to ensure teaching Excellence Every Day.

This year there will be a lot of focus on the transition to Common Core State Standards. The district did a lot of work last year to align the curriculum to the standards to get ready for the transition. It is very important for the district to communicate to all stakeholders what the standards are and why they are important for student learning.

The district received preliminary data on ISAT and PSAE scores. The data received show a flat ISAT growth in comparison to the previous year, however the PSAE data did show notable growth from the previous year.

Other Items: 

  • Board approved revisions to policies 3:40, 4:60, 4:120, 4:180, 5:70, 5:130, 5:280, 6:70, 6:180, 6:235, 7:50, 7:80, 7:140, 7:220, 7:250, 7:275 and 7:340. The policies were reviewed and read at the June 12 meeting.
  • Board approved Fall Sports Supplies purchase from several vendors and district forms from Artcraft and Printer’s Mark.
  • Board approved a contract for the Leader in Me 7 Habits Signature Program at Denkmann, Eugene Field and Frances Willard Elementary Schools. All costs will be funded through the John Deere Foundation Grant.
  • Board approved a contract with Pearson for Work Sampling for the Head Start program.
  • Board approved services with Write Tools for Earl Hanson and Rock Island Academy.
  • Board awarded a contract to Hawkeye Food Services for the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables grant program.
  • Board awarded a contract to Little Caesar’s for pizza service.
  • Board approved the purchase of a gas stacked combi oven.
  • Board approved the purchase of 25 MacBook Pro Computers.
  • Board approved the purchase of 40 iPads for Earl Hanson Elementary.
  • Board approved fundraising requests from Edison Jr. High and Ridgewood Elementary.
  • Board acknowledged donations from Lynn Rumler ($108 to RI Academy for Trivia Night); Carol Clay ($160 to RI Academy for Trivia Night); Deltas ($40 to RI Academy for Trivia Night); Inspire Giving ($50 to RI Academy); and Gloria and Victor Day Foundation ($632 for Earl Hanson School Carnival).

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Board Summary, May 8

Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

The Board of Education meeting started with reports from board members. Kim Armstrong reported that the Girls Track Team is Western Big 6 champions again this year. Also, three Rock Island High School young women will be recognized as Young Women of Achievement by the Women’s Connection and the Girl Scouts on June 7. Linda Dothard (via phone) attended the Western Big Six Girls Track event and the athletes did a great job. She also attended Eugene Field musical event and enjoyed the production. Bill Cleaver announced that the Academic Achievement Awards is tomorrow night, May 9. It is a fine opportunity to recognize those students who excel beyond the norm. He attended the Master Teacher award banquet at the iWireless Center. Out of all the teachers being recognized, RIMSD had the most teachers receiving acknowledgements.  Student Board Member Paris Roberts reported that the high school Environmental Action Club won an award. The girls soccer team start regionals next week. The NAACP local chapter is acknowledging youth and their accomplishments this year at an upcoming event. Zavier Clark reported that the high school musical “You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown” is this week, Thursday-Saturday. Senior class photo was today. The entire week of May 14th there is music events all week. Academic Awards Night is tomorrow night honoring the top 10 and departmental awards.

Update from the Superintendent
Superintendent Oberhaus ran through a calendar of events: Board retreat next Tuesday 15th at 5:30 with Dean Langdon from IASB; Teacher Retirement Tea, May 16 3:45 p.m. in high school Library; Head Start Banquet is Thurs, May 17 5:00 p.m. Milan Community Center; Medal of Honor May 17 at Holiday Inn; High School Choir 80′s pop concert is May 24 at high school; Graduation is June 3. As of the report, the high school has 389 students graduating. There are a handful of students who need to do some extra work between now and then but this class is one of the largest in a couple of years. State legislature update: Pension reform will impact many certified staff; Medicaid reduction is a hot topic the state wants to reduce 2.7 million (25%)…if the legislature cannot deal with then we can expect $7 million cut next year budget; have to cut $3.2 billion out of budget and education is a big part. No bills have been introduced yet. In regards to the federal budget as of Jan. 2013 if congress takes no action then across the board cuts will happen. That will mean 9.3% funding cut, which is $1.2 million for the school district. Dr. Oberhaus has been keeping in touch with area legislators to stress the concern from an education point of view. The cuts will have a devastating impact on programs for children.

Communication from Citizens
Joann Quinlin, Milan resident and teacher at Rock Island High School, wanted to follow up per her communication at the last board meeting regarding the COOP program at the high school. She met with Mr. Wernentin, was assured that the program was safe. However students are getting a different message from the high school counselors. Ms Quinlin feels strongly that if the program was eliminated would be a negative impact on students. The COOP program is not just a “class,” it is a program and should have been included in the program cuts if it was to be eliminated. She wants it to be available to students. She also feels that the program could be offered online and has discussed it with technology department. The COOP program is crucial and she has watched a number of students flourish because of this program. Please set in and oversee to keep the programs our district needs. She has 22 names of students and more if they want to see who has been turned away.

President Cleaver thanked Ms. Quinlin. Dr. Oberhaus reminded the board that they did make the decision to reduce class sizes, there fore in the planning stages for next year, class sizes were increased by 2, and that includes the high school. No firm decisions have been made, but the high school is working on restructuring classes. It will be hard to maintain what the building currently has in place. Rock Island High School Principal Tim Wernentin said the situation has been addressed with the counselors and everyone is on the same page.

Dr Jeff Zoul

Dr. Jeff Zoul

New Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning
Dr. Oberhaus welcomed Dr. Jeff Zoul, new Asst. Superintendent of Teaching and Learning in the Rock Island-Milan School District. A thirty year veteran educator, Dr. Zoul started his teaching career at the 1st grade level. For the last three years, he has been employed with the Southern Region Education Board traveling as a School Improvement Instructor/Consultant. He is very passionate about teaching and learning and “I still consider myself a teacher,” said Zoul. “I have seen many great things during my visit to the schools this week and I look forward to working with teachers and staff in the Rock Island-Milan School District.” Dr. Zoul officially begins on June 11.

 

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Board Summary April 10

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

The Board of Education started the meeting with the Night of 1000 Dreams Early Bird drawing for the Grand Prize Raffle/Auction Ticket. Longtime committee member Ted Hinze and Director of Development Vic Boblett drew the name of Darrell Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds will be one of six people able to participate in the Grand Prize Raffle/Auction for the trip to Punta Cana. Coach Boblett thanked the board for their support during his tenure and acknowledged Ted and his commitment to the development program for the last 21 years. The event is this Friday, April 13 and the doors open at 6:00 p.m.  See the Night of 1000 Dreams Live Auction List >> 

Rock Island High School Girls Bowling members

The Superintendent and board acknowledged the Rock Island High School Girls Bowling All Academic and All-Metro team: Lindsay Entsminger, Emily Eckert, Ali Hawotte, Jordan Scholl and Catherine Rednour. Coach Braet is excited about next year and is glad that he has some more good high school years with his team members.

The Rock Island High School Boys Wrestling Team members were recognized for their great season and many accomplishments: Blake Anguisich, Michael Cole, Tyler DeHaven, Ignace Hakizimana, Darius Henderson, Kyle Kerres, B.J. McGhee, Trae Nichols, Lucas Rusk, Jean Louis Sawadogo and Chase Wiggins. Coach Joel Stockwell congratulated his wrestlers for being dedicated to the sport, and also thanked the board for their support and acknowledged Athletic Director Bob Swanson for his help and support during his coaching tenure.

Rock Island High School Wrestlers

Board Member Reports
Dave Rockwell congratulated the new inductees for National Honor Society last Wednesday, April 4. There were 32 high school seniors and many up-and-coming sophomores and juniors. Rockwell also congratulated the drama/speech team and they had their presentation last Saturday. The production, Agnes of God was a great performance. The Head Start policy council applied to DHHS for additional COLA funds for this budget year in the amount of $16,391. Head Start’s current enrollment is 321 and they are showing attendance rate of 89.4%. Dr. Kim Armstrong also attended the National Honor Society Induction program. It was great to see the large number of underclassmen involved with the program. Armstrong also attended the “Promoting the Peace” at the Martin Luther King Jr. event in which former student Destiny Wren coordinated some great opportunities for students. The Girls Track Team is still on a winning streak and the girls are breaking records left and right. Linda Dothard attended the Open Meetings Act Mandatory Training. She will be going to Naperville for the IL Student Liquid Asset Fund and going to Boston next week for Nat School board conference. Paula Rummels is heading to Thomas Jefferson this week for a visit and the BHASED meeting on April 11.

Student board member Sam Ferry announced April 16 is Annual Jazz Night in the RIHS cafeteria. It’s a great event. April 24 & 25 juniors will be taking the PSAE and ACT test. In May, The Interact Club members will be attending the RYLA conference in May.

Superintendent Update
Dr. Oberhaus extended congratulations to Debi Goslin (Frances Willard); Val Matson (Washington Jr. High); Lisa Maxwell (Eugene Field) and Anitra Whiting (Thomas Jefferson) for being selected as 2012 Dispatch Argus Master Teachers. RIMSD #41 continues the trend of having the most teachers acknowledged. The dinner an ceremony is May 4 at iWireless Center. Congratulations to the Washington Jr. High Jazz Band. The students are moving on to the state competition in May. This spring is full of sports events – please try and attend a baseball, soccer, tennis, softball or track meet. This weekend the Girls Track Team is at home and next weekend the Boys Track meet is at home. These are the only two track meet events at home for the rest of the season – please try and get out to see our students.

Personnel
The following teachers were granted with tenure, beginning the 2012-2013 year:

Andrea Bonner (Lang.Arts-Academy) Rock Island High School

Jacob Boyd (Special Ed.) Rock Island High School

Jeffery Duster (Soc.St.) Rock Island High School

Bill Gustafson (Art-Graphic) Rock Island High School

Thad Hoover (P.E.) Rock Island High School

Courtney Fulton Soc.St./Math Washington Jr. High School

Kathleen Hartzler (Science) Washington Jr. High

Steve VanDeWalle (Interventionist) Thurgood Marshall

Christine Beierlein (Grades 4-5) Denkmann Elementary

Lisa Bisom (Interventionist) Earl Hanson Elementary

Rita Jett (Multiage 5-6) Intermediate Academy

Sarah Greim (Special Ed.) Longfellow Elementary

Rebekah Stevenson (Grade 5-6) Longfellow Elementary

Ashley Brumbaugh (Kindergarten) Rock Island Academy

Amanda Hollingsworth (Multiage 3-4) Rock Island Academy

James Slankard (Physical Ed.) Rock Island Academy

Michael Carton (Multiage 1-2) R.I. Center for Math & Science

Ashley Hebblen (Looping 1-2) Thomas Jefferson Elementary

Nikki Duke (Psychologist) District

Angela Lynch (Speech Pathologist) District

The board also approved the contract renewal of 26 teachers/staff and did not renew the contracts of  16 teachers in the school district.

Rock Island High School Daily Schedule Proposal
Rock Island High School Principal Tim Wernentin and Math Teacher Michelle Lillis presented a new high school daily schedule to the board. One of the goals of Rock Island High School this year was to re-evaluate the daily schedule. Teachers and administrators know that there are students who struggle with school work, and there are those students who also want to spend more time at school on projects and activities. Therefore, a committee of teachers and parents have been working on a new high school daily schedule solution to address student access to teachers as well as help teachers address their curriculum planning needs.

Overall, the schedule change would provide a consistent format across the board for the entire 5-day week without having to observe the early-out Wednesday. Currently the high school starts at 8:00 a.m. and dismisses at 3:15 p.m. The new day schedule/proposal maintains the seven period schedule but adds an enrichment period at the beginning of the day. Therefore 7:45 – 8:30 a.m. (the enrichment period) would be used as a time when students can come in and meet with teachers to get help, and then the actual instructional day would start at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:25 p.m.

The focus for students that are failing classes is that they must attend the enrichment period for supports and assistance with their teacher. The purpose is to move them off the failing grade. This process will be a three week cycle, allowing three cycles for each quarter. Teachers will be proactive in communicating to students and parents/guardians on academic concerns and informing them of the required enrichment sessions.

For other students the enrichment would not be mandatory, but they would be encouraged to attend other enrichment activities: character, college, career, community, group work, extra support, or potentially online coursework/dual credits. This schedule also provides a common preparation period for all departments one day per week.

The committee has been gathering feedback about the new schedule. A community input meeting is going to be held on Wednesday, April 11, 6:00 p.m. at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center. The board will consider the plan at the April 24th meeting.

View the presentation (PDF) >> 

Other items:

  • The board reviewed Third Quarter Scorecard updates. Attendance is up by 94% and students with 2 or less referrals is at 83.92% (up 2% from last year) and students with no out of school suspensions is at 92% which is consistent with last year’s actual number. A total of 42 students have been placed in Special Education (this year’s target is 50). The school district monthly financials are in the red (-) and there is 139 days Cash on Hand. That could change in the fourth quarter as figures come in from the State of Illinois. Five loss-time injuries have been documented thus far, overshooting this year’s target of 4. Certified staff absences are at 7.48%, which is ahead of this year’s target.
  • An Acuity update was given, indicating that the system has measured growth in student achievement as well as the achievement gap, which saw greater than expected growth. Teachers have been creating custom tests in the system and also taking advantage of professional development opportunities. Students have also been receptive to the system and have benefitted from using the tests. A survey will be done with teachers at the end of the year to see what needs to be planned for 2012-2013.
  • The board approved board policy revisions 2:120, 2:190, 2:200, 4:110, 4:170, 5:10, 5:30, 5:125, 5:190, 5:220, 5:260, 5:285, 6:50, 6:110, 6:280, 7:100, 7:190 and 7:270.
  • The board awarded contracts to contracts to Johnson Controls, Moline, IL, in the amount of $6,390.00; Baker Group, Moline, IL, in the amount of $8,063.00; and Ragan Mechanical, Davenport, IA, in the amount of $8,305.00 for Air Conditioning Cleaning and Start-up, and a contract to Baker Group, Moline, IL, in the amount of $21,644.00 for Boiler Cleaning and Inspection.

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Board Summary, March 27

Wednesday, March 28th, 2012

Washington MathCounts Team

The Board of Education started the March 27 meeting with student recognitions. The Washington Jr. High MathCounts Team of Sabrina Alt, Jake Aunan, Alex Axup, Matt Benson, Maggie Flowers, Melissa Hagerty, Logan Haskill, Elizabeth Moore, Will Pohl and Kylie Wymer along with teacher Kirk Humphreys were presented certificates for their success at the competition in February. Read more >> 

The board also congratulated the Rock Island High School Girls Basketball team members for being named to the All-State Metro Teams in the Dispatch/Argus and Quad City Times: Shavonne Brewer, Sarita Goldsmith, Shamell Mangrum and Rayven Morrow. Teammates Katie Thompson and Jaqueline Twing were also recognized for being IHSA and WB6 Academic Athletes and for being Three Point Shootout finalists after the game season.

Principal Phil Ambrose of Thurgood Marshall Learning Center also received special recognition for receiving the Middle School Principal of the Year award from the Illinois Principal’s Association. Read more >> 

In a special ceremony, the Board of Education presented 89 year old Junior McAdams with a diploma. McAdams was a student at Rock Island High School and left before graduating in 1941 to join the National Guard and serve overseas in World War II. Board President Bill Cleaver presented Junior with an official Rock Island High School diploma, dated 1942, and dubbed him as the “oldest living graduate of Rock Island High School.” Read about McAdams in the Dispatch Argus and Quad City Times

Girls Basketball All-Metro Team members

Board Member Reports
Dave Rockwell expressed his thanks to the board and RIMSD staff for their thoughts and prayers after the loss of his father. He appreciated the support and kind notes. On Thursday night, the Neighborhood Partners organization is hosting their annual Neighborhood Rendezvous, 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the new Jackson Square in downtown Rock Island. The Rock Island High School Speech team did very well at the IHSA state competition over the weekend. The team placed 6th for their production, Agnes of God. They will be performing a special showing of their production his Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m. at the Rock Island High School Auditorium.

Kim Armstrong presented a flyer from a conference in which Rock Island High School students were featured on the front. She also congratulated the Rock Island Girls Track Team for their 6-0 record. They will be running in Moline this Saturday, March 31, 9:00 a.m. at Browning Field.

Linda Dothard is planning to attend the upcoming school board member-training event on the Open Meetings Act.

Bill Cleaver congratulated Mr. McAdams on his diploma and was glad to be able to celebrate the occasion with him.

Student board member Paris Roberts acknowledged the Rock Island High School Environmental Action Club – over break they volunteered at the Expo Center and helped clean up the facility after the Garden Show.

Student Board member Sam Ferry announced upcoming events: next week the high school will have a band event to help recruit grade school students. On April 16 the Jazz Band will also host the 9th Annual Jazz Night in cafeteria. He also congratulated the Jr. ROTC unit at high school. The team traveled to Bolingbrook last weekend for drill competition and they were very successful. The also have another competition coming up in April.

Superintendent Update
Dr. Oberhaus welcomed back everyone for the 4th quarter and encouraged board members to go out and visit the schools. He congratulated the Boys Basketball Team members who were presented on the All Metro Team in the Dispatch Argus – Denzel McCauley, Marquel Beasley and Brian Richardson. Also, congratulations to Rocky swimmer Charles Holliday who was named Swimmer of the Year by the Dispatch/Argus. Several other swim team members also made the list to the All-Metro Swim Team: The School District is eligible for a $50,000 maintenance program grant and Operations Supervisor Mr. Eastman and CFO Bob Beckwith are planning use of the grant funds. The Certified staff received training on the Charlotte Danielson Teacher Evaluation model at the Monday In-Service. The Danielson framework is default model used by the State Board of Education.

2012-2013 Budget
Dr. Oberhaus reviewed the proposed 2012-2013 budget and financial circumstances that the school district is currently experiencing. The administration received feedback regarding the Tier I and Tier II reduction lists over the last couple of weeks, and Dr. Oberhaus also discussed the items with board members. Several staff and community members approached the board and spoke in favor of keeping Jr. High Counselor and Dean positions at the current structure, keeping school district library staff and the Minority Teacher Incentive Program (MTIP). After some discussion, the board voted to direct administration to build the 2012-2013 budget with a deficit no larger than $2.2 million. Two major items moved from the Tier I to the Tier II reductions at the meeting were the Minority Teacher Incentive Program ($20,000) and the Junior High Dean/Counselor position ($110,000). Those two programs will be maintained in the school district for the 2012-2013 budget year. View the presentation from the board meeting >>

Other Items:

  • The board approved two overnight trip applications: Washington Jr. High School Student Council to attend the 53rd annual Illinois Association of Junior High Student Council State Convention in Springfield, IL, April 20-21, 2012; Washington Jr. High School Student Council to attend the 2013 Leadership, Education And Development (LEAD) Conference February 14-18, 2013.
  • The board reviewed revisions to Board policies 2:120, 2:190, 2:200, 4:110, 4:170, 5:10, 5:30, 5:125, 5:190, 5:220, 5:260, 5:285, 6:50, 6:110, 6:280, 7:100, 7:190 and 7:270.
  • The membership renewal to the IHSA for the 2012-13 school year was approved.
  • Board approved the purchase of 30 MacBook Air computers from Apple Computer for a cost of $33,540.00. Title I funds will be used for this purchase.
  • The board acknowledged a list of donations from Knights of Columbus of $1,800.00 Teachers classroom/building use at Horace Mann E.L.C.;  Cub Scout Pack 250 of $100.00 for School marquee at the Rock Island Center for Math & Science; HHC Brokerage of $100.00 for purchase a microwave for the Washington Jr. High cafeteria; Mighty Fortress Community of $400.00 for Winning Warrionr Breakfast Washington Jr. High School
  • The board approved Personnel requests: resignation and retirement of Jack Weese (Rock Island High School); resignation of Emily Jackson; and the appointment of Banderembako and Terri Watson.
  • The board approved the hiring of Dr. Jeffrey Zoul as the new Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for the school district. He will start on July 1, 2012.

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Board Summary, Feb. 14

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

The Board of Education began the session by recognizing students and their achievements at Rock Island High School. Six students were commended for achieving status as All State Musicians: Kayla Jackson (Jr. -Flute), Alysha McElroy-Hodges (Jr. -Bb Clarinet), Ben McKay (Jr. -Trumpet), Jordan Turnbull (Jr. -Percussion),  Mason Moss (Jr. -Jazz Band/Piano) and Alexa Penn (Sr. -Vocal Jazz/Soprano). This is also Ms. Penn’s second year as an All State Musician.

All State Musicians

Members of the Rock Island High School Varsity Football Team were recognized for their achievements last season:
Chris Barrera, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football Team Honorable Mention, Western Big Six All Academic Team
Kyle Kerres, Quad City Times All Metro Football – Second Team, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football First Team, Western Big Six First Team All Conference
Cole McGinnis, Quad City Times All Metro Football – Honorable Mention, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football – First Team, Western Big Six First Team All Conference – Honorable Mention
James Morrow, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football – Honorable Mention
Nate Mueller, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football – First Team, Western Big Six First Team All Conference – Honorable Mention
Trae Nichols, Quad City Times All Metro Football – Honorable Mention, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football – First Team, Western Big Six First Team All Conference
Brandon Richardson, Quad City Times All Metro Football – First Team, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football – First Team, Western Big Six First Team All Conference
Lucas Rusk, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football – First Team

Brad Steger, Quad City Times All Metro Football – First Team, Argus Dispatch All Metro Football – First Team, Western Big Six First Team All Conference, Western Big Six All Academic Team, IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award, Illinois High School Football Coaches’ Association All-State Team – Class 6A, Champaign News Gazette – Top 100 Seniors

Addison Williams,Argus Dispatch All Metro Football – Honorable Mention

Members of the 2011 Varsity Football Team

 

Board Member Updates
Linda Dothard attended a school law conference offered by Franzek & Radelet. She is interested in how the teacher evaluations are going to be put in place this year and instrument is designed to promote growth. Paula Rummels enjoyed visits to Eugene Field and Denkmann schools. Both buildings are under great leadership. Jim Bishop attended the Parent Teacher conferences last week. The high school staff always does a great job and great opportunity for parents to see what their kids are getting in school.

Student member Sam Ferry congratulated the All-State Musicians. This Friday the 17th, guest artist [Mark Wood] is coming in and performing with Bettendorf and Rock Island orchestras. Read more about Electrify Your Strings >> On Feb. 21st the West Side band concert at the high school; Feb. 23 is the East side concert; and March 6 is the choir concert.

Superintendent Update
Several RIMSD students were recognized at the annual at Martin Luther King Center: Rock Island High School Youth Essay winner: Tyia Schauland; Elementary School Youth Essay winner: Katie Moore (Earl Hanson); Junior High School Essay winner: Elizabeth Moore (Washington Jr. High); Tia Farrah-Rice Youth Award: Jalea Jackson (Rock Island High School). Also, congratulations to Bryanne Trice who received the Black Hawk College Diversity Scholarship. The students will be formally recognized at a future meeting. The Illinois Association of School Boards is offering open meeting act training on March 28 at Carbon Cliff/Barstow at the BH Division Meeting. Board members are required to go through this training. The State of IL has won Race to the Top Funds at $42 million, and approx $21 million will go to school districts; Chicago Public Schools will receive half and the rest goes to other districts in the state. The Rock Island-Milan School District needs to file an intent by end of February to participate. The Rock Island Education Association needs to be involved, and the board will also need to approve an intent to participate. After those processes are complete, then the district will find out how much it will receive.

Education
Principal John Frieden presented the Denkmann School Improvement plan. Overall, the buildings set goals for this year that include development on the Acuity assessment system to drive instruction. The staff devote two Wednesday’s a month to Acuity training and development. Teacher Chris Beierlein has been a great leader with the program. The school is also working on aligning to Common Core State Standards and using Acuity diagnostic tests to help with the conversion. The building focus on respect is ongoing, and Principal Frieden works with the Rock Island Police Department and staff from Martin Luther King Jr. Center to reinforce the message.

Principal Dennis Weiss presented Eugene Field School Improvement Plan. Goals for this year include using Acuity to gather data on student learning progress. Teacher Cindy Arkebauer is Acuity contact and has been instrumental to getting the program underway. Teachers use the class data to plan / meet School Improvement goals, and Principal Weiss meets with staff on a quarterly basis to review the indicators and/or goals. The school is also working on the transition to Common Core Standards and is collaborating with Denkmann school on the conversion. Respect is also a school priority; and currently 98% of the students at Eugene Field have no office referrals.

Committee of the Whole
Barbara VenHorst of Junior Achievement (JA) updated the Board of Education on the activities and progress organization. The organization has been around for 56 years in the Quad Cities. Last May the organization reached a milestone: serving the 1 millionth student. VenHorst believes that in light of the global economy, it is more important and relevant to understand the free enterprise system, and Junior Achievement gets involved because their goal to empower people to own their economic success. JA is in every school in the Rock Island-Milan School District and serves about 3500 students with 144 programs. Their program is very closely aligned with the core standards and they feel that it is critical to the instruction that the two instructional programs mesh together. Barbara thanked the board for supporting Junior Achievement in the schools. “If we did not have the support of the education community, JA would be nothing.”

2012-2013 Budget Planning
Dr. Oberhaus gave an overview of the 2012-2013 budget planning process and revenue and expenses for the district. A list of potential cut recommendations was presented to the board, and the superintendent will be gathering feedback in the next couple of weeks and the administrative team will work on prioritizing the reductions as well as look into revenue options. The prioritized list of reductions will be presented at the next meeting on Feb. 27. View the presentation and list of reductions >> 

The school district is planning on holding three forums in the next week to gather input from the community:

  • Saturday, Feb. 18, 8:30 a.m. at the Rock Island HyVee Community Room
  • Saturday, Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m. at the Milan HyVee Community Room
  • Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2:30 p.m. at the Church of Peace, 1114 12th Street, Rock Island

People can also provide input or ask a question through the District web site in the “Coffee and Conversations” area located on the front page of www.rockislandschools.org. All questions received will be answered.

Other items:

  • Board of Education approved the purchase of 100 iPads from Apple Computer for the Rock Island Academy and Washington Jr. High School at a cost of $47,900.00. Funding for this purchase will be paid through Title I funds.
  • Board of Education approved two technology budget purchases: a Statement of Work Agreement with ESD, Inc. to upgrade APECS.net version 1.0 to APECS.net version 2.0 at a cost of $35,000.00; and Mediacom to provide a 100Mbs connection to the Internet effective April 1, 2012 at a cost of $1,600.00 per month.
  • Board of Education approved a Verizon Wireless for Wireless Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Data Services at a monthly cost of $1,107.74. Funding will be paid through district funds with the expectation of a 79% e-rate reimbursement.
  • Board of Education approve the contract with Transitions Mental Health Services, Rock Island, IL, in the amount of $7,245.00 for mental health support services to students at Rock Island High School.

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Board Summary, Jan 10

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

Student athletes recognized at Board of Education meeting

Dr. Oberhaus, Board President Bill Cleaver and coaches acknowledged Rock Island High School student athletes from the fall semester who were recognized as Dispatch Argus and QC Times All Metro athletes. Kelly Bishop, Courtney Kernan, Maggie Pappas, Katie Thompson, Laurel Enstrom, Mia Kavensky, Joe Johnson, Thomas Knuckey, Billy Mosenfelder, Celeste Arteaga and Eric Ikundiro for their outstanding performances in swimming, golf and cross-country.

 

The new Rock Island High School Head Football Coach and Development Director was formally hired. Bryan Stortz will start with the school district on July 1 >> 

Reports from Board Members

Dave Rockwell acknowledged the Rock Island High School choir and orchestra for their Christmas programs. He also attended Head Start policy council meeting, discussion revolved around the budget and some cuts that will occur next year in funding. Rockwell appreciates the Head Start staff and the work that they do. Kim Armstrong congratulated Edison Jr. High on a great career day in December. Sherry O’Keefe did a great job coordinating the professionals. Linda Dothard will be attending the Illinois Liquid Asset Fund meeting on January 19, and will also be attending the Law conference coming up later in January. Jim Veasey attended the Earl Hanson Christmas concert. The program was well put together and the students did a great job.

Superintendent Update
Dr. Oberhaus congratulated the board for completing the TAG training through IASB. He presented a certificate of completion and commended the board for their dedication in completing the training.

Edison Jr. High School Improvement Plan
Principal Gary Flecker presented information about the Edison Junior High School Improvement plan. Four Rising Star indicators were selected as the school goals: reaching achievement goals in reading and math (as measured by the ISAT); using Acuity for assessments; transition to Common Core standards; enhance school safety and respect. Instructional Leadership is a priority at Edison, and Mr. Flecker plans on making frequent classroom visits, meeting with the School Improvement team twice a month, and reinforcing “bell-to-bell” instruction.

Illinois Education Reform
Dr. Oberhaus gave the board an overview of two pieces of education legislation from the State of Illinois that will impact the school district’s evaluation measures and contract negotiation processes: Senate Bill 315 (SB 315) and Senate Bill 7 (SB7).

SB 315 ties student performance data to teacher and principal evaluations. Within the bill is the Performance Evaluation Reform Act (PERA), which requires all teacher evaluations to incorporate ratings of, excellent, proficient, needs improvement and unsatisfactory. The school district has been using the ratings since the 2009-2010 year and probably won’t incorporate student growth component into evaluations until September of 2016.

Administration and the Rock Island Education Association (RIEA) formed a committee to draft an evaluation instrument to implement the requirements of PERA. Several meetings have been conducted and partial areas of the evaluation model have been completed. Preparation, instruction, classroom management and professional development are main areas being determined. The certified staff in the school district recently went through training on the Charlotte Danielson improvement model and will receive follow up training later in March. The Danielson model/framework identifies aspects of a teacher’s responsibilities that empirical studies have demonstrated as promoting improved student learning. The Danielson framework divides the complex activity of teaching into twenty-two components clustered into four domains of teaching responsibility: (1) planning and preparation, (2) the classroom environment, (3) instruction, and (4) professional responsibilities.

The evaluation instrument will need to be approved by both board and association members. If a teacher receives an unsatisfactory rating, the process entails a remediation plan of 90 days with mid-point and final evaluations during the remediation plan implementation. If after that time the teacher is not rated as proficient, the teacher will be dismissed.

Principal Evaluation starts 2012-2013 and there is no state model. Requires at least two conferences with principal and written feedback must be completed. Evaluations must be done by March 1.

SB 7 involves changes to negotiations, filling new or vacant positions, reduction in force and tenure. Negotiation changes relate to allowing mediation to occur at an earlier point in the process. If the parties cannot agree after 15 days of mediation, either party may declare an impasse. SB7 also allows the offers from each side to be made public after 7 days after the declaration of an impasse.

Vacancies will be filled based upon certification and qualifications, not seniority and reductions in force will be based on groupings categorized by evaluation ratings. In tenure, it will take three years to achieve the status if the teacher is rated as excellent for all three years. If a teacher is coming from another district, tenure can be achieved in two years if the prior school district rated proficient or excellent for the teacher. The mentality of “last in; first out” will be obsolete. The district needs to provide a list of groupings to the RIEA 75 days before end of school year. The grouping list has to go to RIEA by Feb. 1.

Staff Diversity Report
Jim Andrews, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, said staff diversity is an ongoing conversation in the school district. Fluctuations do occur, however staff diversity is a priority and administration will continue to work to that end. The school district has wavered between 8.6% minority teachers to the current 12.6% minority teachers in the last 9 years. The Rock Island-Milan School District does employ the highest percentage of diverse teachers in comparison to other school districts in the area.

The district has its own methods of keeping minority teachers interested and developing the next generation of school district leaders by implementing a training series called Aspiring Administrators. The Grow Your Own Program is also a focus to recruit minority teachers back to the school district.

2012-2013 Budget Update
CFO Bob Beckwith gave an overview of how the school district budget and forecast for 2012-2013. The school district’s budget is made up of nine different funds and all have specific uses and/or expenses restricted to those funds. State Revenue makes up 38% of budget; Federal Revenue 20% of budget; Locally is 41% of budget. Salaries and benefits are the largest portion of the budget in the education fund and make up 86.5% of the expenditures.

Originally the school district was looking at 7-9% reduction in Federal money and 10% reduction in State money as of early December, based on information that Beckwith received from the State of Illinois and other sources. That information brought the projected 2012-2013 budget deficit to $6,369,011. However, at the beginning of January Gov. Quinn indicated that he planned for a flat level for education funding. With that in mind, Beckwith adjusted the 2012-2013 projected deficit to $4,226,472. “The deficit could fall between those two numbers, and that is the best determination we can come to at this point.”

Other Items:

  • The board heard a reading of changes to Board Policy 6:300 and approved the revisions of Board Policies 2:250, 3:60, 4:80, 5:90, 5:100, 5:200, 5:240, 6:60, 6:150, 6:320, and 7:305.
  • Board approved the contract with Frontline Technologies, Exton, PA, in the amount of $7,137.70 to set up an automated substitute placement and absence management system (Aesop) and to train staff on the program.
  • Board approved the purchase of Steps to Respect curriculum kits for elementary staff members at a cost of $10,094.00 (funded through Illinois Violence Prevention Authority grant funds) and the purchase of Second Step curriculum kits for elementary and junior high staff members at a cost of $8,558.00 (funded from the Illinois State Board of Education’s Children’s Mental Health grant funds).
  • Board approved the Certified Appointment of Michelle Hansen and the Non-certified appointment of Uwimana Regine.
  • Board approved the Project Lead the Way Agreement for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) education curricular program.

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Board Summary, Dec. 13

Thursday, December 15th, 2011

RIHS Chamber Choir

RIHS Chamber Choir sings holiday tunes for the board.

The Rock Island High School Chamber Choir paid a visit to the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 13 and sang two holiday songs. Choir Director Scott Voigt invited everyone to hear all of the Chamber Choir holiday selections at the Winter Concert on Thursday, Dec. 15, 7:00 p.m. in the Little Theatre. The choir has also been busy singing at other venues such as the International Airport, Royal Neighbors and the Rock Island Rotary Club.

Board Member Reports

Paula Rummels went to the UT Rocky basketball game last Friday and also attended the Martin Luther King Center Coffee and Conversations last Thursday. Ms. Dothard attended the Coffee and Conversations at the King Center and Happy Joe’s in Milan. She hopes that the school district can partner with other organizations in the future to host forums. Ms. Armstrong attended the Coffee and Conversations at HyVee in Rock Island and Happy Joe’s in Milan. The attendance was low, but she learned a lot from those who were present and thought that the forums made people very comfortable enough to talk about their concerns. Mr. Rockwell attended the Blackhawk governance meeting last Tuesday. At the meeting they discussed the Triple I conference and overall the reviews were good. The conference may look at recording some of the breakout sessions next year so that the sessions can be shared with others in the future. Rockwell congratulated the band for their Winter Concert performance. He enjoyed the “Night Before Christmas” with Mr. Braddy as narrator. Band Director Pete Carlin is doing a fantastic job and has high expectations for all of the members.

Student board member Zavier Clark attended the Band Concert on Monday evening and added that the Orchestra concert is tomorrow night and Choir concert is on Thursday. Sam Ferry attended the Coffee and Conversations at the Martin Luther King Center. He learned a lot and enjoyed the opportunity to discuss concerns with the Superintendent. Invited everyone to attend Orchestra and Choir concerts this week.

Superintendent Update

Coffee and Conversations forums were held in the last two weeks, and even though the attendance was low, the district received good feedback and information about concerns of parents and community members. More forums will be held in the future and the school district will be looking to partner with community organizations to help host an event. A debriefing meeting was held with the police, parents and administration regarding the Nov. 10 district wide lock-down incident. Out of those conversations, a new indicator was added to the emergency procedures of the school district: the Code Yellow. Schools will be putting information in their newsletters about the Code Red and Code Yellow indicators, along with information about what parents can do to help the schools when they are in emergency situations. The school district wants to do everything possible to make sure all buildings are safe. The Rock Island and Milan police did a great job on Nov. 10 to contain the situation and brought it to a swift conclusion.

School Improvement Plans

Principals from Thomas Jefferson, Earl Hanson, Longfellow, Rock
 Island Academy, Rock Island Center for Math & Science, Washington Jr. High School and Rock Island High School presented their respective School Improvement Plan reports to the Board of Education.

The schools are using the Rising Star system for school improvement planning and keeping track of targets on their individual school scorecards. The schools shared similar indicators to track in Rising Star: student achievement targets, using the new assessment system (Acuity), working on Common Core standards implementation and focusing on respect.

New Engineering Course at Rock Island High School

The Board of Education approved the addition of a new engineering course at Rock Island High School. The course “Introduction to Engineering and Design” will be added into the course catalog for 2012-2013 academic year as an enhancement to the current career pathways structure. Students will learn the elements of designing a project and also learn how to reverse engineer completed projects. Wade Weber, current Mod Lab teacher, will instruct the course. Initially the course is intended for Freshman level, and the high school is working on the addition of other level courses to be rolled out in subsequent years.

Other items:

  • Administration members read through policy changes to 2:250, 3:60, 4:80, 5:90, 5:100, 5:200, 5:240, 6:60, 6:150, 6:320. Further action will be taken at a future board meeting.
  • The board approved the 2011 Tax Levy of $28,362,375.
  • The board approved purchase of a 2012 2-Wheel Drive Regular Cab Truck from Reynolds Motor, East Moline, IL in the amount of $37,000.00.
  • The board approved the purchase of band instruments from West Music in the amount of $10,966.00. The district will be using funds granted by the Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation for the purchase.
  • The board approved the contract with the Holiday Inn, Rock Island, IL in the amount of $6,385.81 (estimate) for the Medal of Honor Banquet on May 17, 2012. The cost will be covered by donations and guests of the event.
  • The board approved a contract with Dr. Jeanelle Norman to provide professional services to collect data on variables inhibiting success of students, compile and analyze the data, and provide consultation on strategies to be implemented, at a cost of $17,500.
  • The board approved an extension of the contract with the Air Force to continue the Jr. ROTC program at Rock Island High School for the 2012-2012 year.
  • The board approved the 2012-2013 School District calendar.
  • The board acknowledged donations from Rock Island Boatworks, Inc. Jackpot Account ($250) for Day of Caring at Longfellow;
    Christopher Arquello Christopher Construction, LLC for an apartment refrigerator for teachers lounge at Longfellow; Mark McKissick ($50) for student rewards fund at Washington Jr. High; Rock Island Rotary Club ($676) for student rewards fund at Washington Jr. High; Charles Dix and Mary Brodd ($10) for student rewards fund at Washington Jr. High.
  • The board approved the Non-Certified Appointment of Bridget Niyonseba.

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Board Summary, Nov. 22

Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
Christopher Cartee

Christopher Cartee

The board unanimously approved the hiring of Christopher Cartee as the new Athletic Director. Mr. Cartee will take over on July 1, 2012 and is replacing retiring Bob Swanson who has served as the Athletic Director for the last 14 years.

Board Member Reports
Several board members attended the Triple III joint annual conference of the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators and Illinois Association of School Business Officials in Chicago last weekend. Board members participated in session topics that included bullying, technology, attendance improvement, student performance data and legislative issues. Linda Dothard attended the National Alliance of Black School Educators conference in New Orleans last week and shared information on sessions about math strategies and perception/image issues of African American students and overcoming myths and stereotypes.

Superintendent Report
There are three public forums scheduled, Coffee and Conversations, that will be held in December. The forums are designed to be informal and Dr. Oberhaus hopes that a good dialogue with the community can continue as there are some difficult decisions that the school district has to make in the coming months.  An Op/Ed will be in the Argus next week which will outline some of the issues that the school district will face next year.

School District Improvement Plan
Asst. Superintendent Bill Osborne reviewed the District Improvement Plan with board members and highlighted the new tool, Rising Star, that the district is using to put the plan into place. There are action plans that relate to Achievement Targets, Accountability, Assessment, Workforce Diversity, Common Core standards and Professional Development. The school district-wide focus on respect will be included in future school district improvement planning and all schools will be using the Rising Star method in their planning process. Currently six schools are using Rising Star.

Enrollment Projections
Chief Financial Officer Bob Beckwith reviewed 5-year enrollment projections based on historical patterns of the district, live birth stats from RI County and enrollment figures from previous years. Currently the school district enrollment is 6,233. The largest increase in population over the last couple of years has been in ELL students. Overall the projections will remain flat, with fluctuations between the years, however the main emphasis is that enrollment is not projected to go down through 2016-2017.

Other Items:

  • Administration discussed and set Scorecard targets for 2011-2012 through 2013-2014.
  • The Board of Education approved the Non-Certified Appointments of Sarah Freeman, Krista Grizzle and Alina Schafman as presented.
  • The Board approved fundraisers for RICMS (sale of light bulbs) and Earl Hanson (cookie sale).
  • The Board approved computer purchase of 10 Apple laptops for Thomas Jefferson Elementary in the amount of $10,280.00. Funds from the TJ Booster Club will be used for the purchase.
  • The Board approved contracts for Supplemental Education Services with Achieve High Points, ATS Project Success, Brain Hurricane and Grade Cracker. The companies will provide services to 78 school district students in accordance with NCLB. Title I funds will be used for the services.
  • The Board approved a contract with the Consortium for Education Change in the amount of $32,130.00 for consulting services for 2 all-day Framework Educator Sessions and 8 Teacher Evaluation Team Plan Development Sessions.

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Board Summary, Nov. 8

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

The PRIDE of Rock Island 2011 "Hardware"

Student board members Sam Ferry and Zavier Clark shared the 2011 Marching Band Trophies with the Board of Education. On October 29, the band received 2nd Place at Western Illinois University competition and placed 12th at the IHSA State Competition at Illinois State University. The Marching Band also placed 3rd in the Morton Competition (on Sept. 17); took 2nd place in Metamora (Oct. 8 ) along with best colorguard and crowd pleaser; placed 4th at University of Illinois (Oct. 22) and also received best colorguard and best drumline. Zavier Clark also announced the annual Rocky student vs. staff basketball game is coming up this Saturday, in the Fieldhouse at 7:30 p.m., and the staff better be ready for the challenge. The students are motivated to win this year.

Reports from Board members
Dave Rockwell welcomed President Cleaver back after a long absence and also thanked Linda Dothard for serving as president in the meantime. The Annual Booster Club Raffle and Dance on Nov. 5 was a great success. The event had a record crowd and for first time sold all 250 tickets in the history of the 26 year fundraiser. Mr. Rockwell also thanked the schools for getting involved and recognized the Rock Island High School staff for purchasing 30 tickets and Washington Jr. High for purchasing 12 tickets. “It’s a tribute to the community for supporting the booster and schools.”

Dr. Kim Armstrong commended RIHS staff members Sterling Kingery, Mike Hawley and an intern for bringing 61 Rocky students to BlackHawk College for a visit. The students represented the school well. The PACER students from Rocky attended the QC Minority Youth Conference. The conference had 120 student from many different schools. The Quad City Minority Partnership Math & Science program also had Rocky students attend, one of which was Zavier Clark. Read article in the QC Times >>

Linda Dothard reported that she will be attending the National Association of Black School Board members at the annual conference in New Orleans. Dr. Bishop visited the Give Kids a Smile Bus at Eugene Field last week. The new mobile facility has three treatment bays and 34 children were seen from the school. The bus will visit other schools. Mr. Veasey attended the Thurgood Marshall Chili Supper for Hunger Drive and also attended the Head Start Policy Council meeting.

Superintendent Update
Dr. Oberhaus reported that the Athletic Director application screening process resulted in six individuals scheduled for interviews on Wednesday. A recommendation should be to the Board by the end of November.

Coffee and Conversations community forums have been scheduled again this year: December 3rd, Happy Joes in Milan, at 9:00 a.m., December 8th, Martin Luther King Center at 6:30 p.m., and December10th, Rock Island HyVee, 9:00 a.m. These meetings provide an informal forum for community members to ask questions and learn a little about the District. You are all invited to attend any or all of the forums.

The Volleyball team again won the Regional crown. They lost a close sectional battle last week. Congratulations to the Volleyball team!

In honor of School Board Member appreciation day on November 15th, Dr. Oberhaus honored the board members by thanking them for serving many hours for the good of the students in Rock Island and Milan. “We are blessed in this community to have seven very dedicated individuals that have a passion for every child in the District. They are the leaders that provide the direction of our district to ensure success for each child and staff member. They make very difficult budget decisions to maintain fiscal integrity.”

Committee of the Whole
Dr. Oberhaus presented board members with a set of test questions from the 2011 ISAT test including 5th grade Math and Reading examples. The exams are timed, which make it difficult for some children to complete the questions, and in some instances the students will also rush through without thinking. See sample test questions >>

Assistant Superintendent Bill Osborne reviewed the demographics of the test data from the results of the ISAT/PSAE. Rock Island s a diverse city, and the school district has seen an increase in two sub groups: the English Language Learners (ELL) population and the low income population (currently at 64.5%). The Special Ed group (IEP) has declined to 15.6%, which is a testament to the Response to Intervention (RtI) model has been very beneficial to determine the best solution for student’s needs.

The school district is working on implementing systems to drive curriculum, instruction and assessment. A new school improvement tool, Rising Star, is being used to implement School Improvement Plans (SIP). The system is based on research and best practices of successful school districts. The continued transition to Common Core in addition to building an articulated curriculum will help the district tackle issues with the achievement gap and address sub group issues. The new Acuity assessment system will help drive instruction in the classroom and pinpoint specific issues in student learning.

RIHS Principal Tim Wernentin remarked that the high school improvement team met and came up with 100 strategies to address student achievement. The team will prioritize the list in the coming month. The school is also using the AYP data to identify students who need extra help. Short-term strategies such as implementing a PSAE prep class and incorporating more multiple-choice tests to familiarize students with the format will head things in the right direction. In the long term, the high school will work to implement the new Common Core standards and continue to use the Acuity assessment system.

Principal Wernentin also talked to students and asked them about the tests and what would make a difference. The answers varied, however the students see the relevance of ACT but have difficulty focusing on the PSAE. Wernentin believes that instilling the same sense of Rocky Pride in academics (as in athletics and extra/co curricular activities) will also help the school’s achievement.

Five-Year Financial Projections
Chief Financial Officer Bob Beckwith reviewed criteria and target goals that the school district uses to determine financial goals. As reported in the audit last session, district revenues increased 4.5% through 2008 -11; expenditures increased 11.61% from 2008-11; the education fund balance is $23.1 million.

For 2012-2013 assumptions Mr. Beckwth plans for property tax growth at 1%; corporate taxes to remain flat; and a salaries increase of 0% (plus steps and lanes). For 2012-2013 there is a projected deficit at $4,633,456. Increases in salaries, steps & lanes and health costs take up much of the deficit ($4.1 million). Health insurance benefits also continue to rise.

For the next 5 years, Mr. Beckwith expects property taxes increase 1.0% per year and corporate taxes to remain constant. Competitive grants will reduce each year. He is planning for a salary increase of 0% in 2012-13 (plus steps and lanes); a 1% increase for 2013-14 and a 1.5% increase in 2014-15 thru 2016-17 (plus steps and lanes). Fringe benefits increase 10% per year and all other costs increase 3% per year. Steps cost the district $640,000 annually and lane changes $140,000 annually. A one percent increase in salary costs the school district $435,000 annually.

2011 Tax Levy
Chief Financial Officer Bob Beckwith estimated that the 2011 property tax levy for the school district will be $28,366,050, which is a 1.99% increase over the 2010. The projected tax rate for 2011 is $5.1145, a slight decrease from the previous year’s rate of $5.1148. The Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) for the District is estimated at $550,405,497 million, representing an increase of 1.22% over the 2010 EAV.

Property taxes account for approximately 40% of the district’s budget and are the most stable form of revenue for the district. The rest of the district revenue is depended on from the State of Illinois, which calculates its number based on the amount of property taxes levied. An increase in tax levy results in less money for the district from the State of Illinois. Additionally, there are six Tax Increment Financing (TIF) in the school district encompasses 6 Tax Increment Financing (TIF) areas, of which the EAV total comes to $87,443,416. The additional revenue would mean $2.8 million for the Education Fund, however the district is not allowed to receive a portion of TIF areas.

On December 13 the board will conduct a hearing and then adopt the 2011 levy.

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