Board of Education

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.