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8 | November 9, 2017 | The Mokena Messenger news
mokenamessenger.com
Summit Hill D161 Board of Education
D161 official suggests reduction in extracurricular fees
Megann Horstead
Freelance Reporter
A Summit Hill District
161 official is looking to
reduce extracurricular fees
assessed to families to encourage
greater student participation.
“[Superintendent Barb]
Rains was adding some fee
information comparing our
district to other districts
around us concerning fees
for all our different activities,”
Board President Rich
Marron said. “I wanted to
propose something a little
different and a little bit out
of the norm as opposed to
just approving our fees.”
Marron wanted this item
on the agenda to open up
discussion during the Oct.
30 meeting.
“I tie [this proposal] directly
back to how we spend
tax dollars,” he said.
District 161 currently collects
extracurricular fees
valued at $50, while Marron’s
suggestion aims to
reduce the amount to a $10
maximum.
History shows that fees
have increased over the
years, with uncertainty created
over State of Illinois
funding.
“However, given the activities
of the school board
and the district from 2003
— and I’m referring to 2003
because that’s the last time
we had the referendum —
the school district is in a
pretty good financial place,
whether you agree with how
we got here or not [is] not really
relevant,” Marron said.
“We’re in a pretty good financial
place.”
Marron said there is no
extracurricular activity he
can think of where parents
are not already burdened by
costs or time management.
District 161, for example,
does not provide transportation
for students who are
involved in after-school activities.
“Given our financial condition
[and] given the tremendous
value that’s here, I
think that it’s time we get rid
of the fee-based boundaries
from kids joining these activities,”
Marron said.
Board member Patricia
Martin said she appreciates
the thought Marron has put
into the proposal.
“I just think there’s a lot
of kids who are doing it for
whatever reason,” she said.
Research shows there a
Round it up
A brief recap of action and discussion from the Oct. 30
regular meeting of the Summit Hill District 161 Board
of Education:
•Officials accepted the
2017-2018 improvement
plans for the schools and
the district.
•District staff has met
with representatives
from Tria Architecture
to begin planning some
summer 2018 projects.
That includes boiler
replacements for Hilda
number of benefits to extracurricular
activities, including
greater bonds between
students and staff, higher
continuance of education
through college years, and
helps with academics, lowers
dropout rates and builds
self-esteem.
“While the fee structure
appears to be extremely
clear that we have right now,
it is as clear as mud,” Marron
said. “There are ways
the fees can be waived, but
it involves the parents having
to talk to the superintendent
and, of course, there is a
certain amount of pride to go
Walker Intermediate
School and chillers at Dr.
Julian Rogus School. The
projects aim to address
air quality and promote a
comfortable environment
for students, faculty and
staff. Outside of these
projects, the district
intends to complete some
repairs and renovations
of roofs.
[through the process.]”
Last year, District 161
collected approximately
$100,000, excluding P.E.
uniforms, to make up less
than 0.25 percent of the
2017 operating budget.
Marron said this is a lot
of amount money generated,
but in the context of a $40
million budget, it is not.
The district spent roughly
$450,000 on extracurricular
activities last year, which
makes for 1-1.3 percent of
its budget, depending if one
looks at it operationally or
overall.
Please see D-161, 11
Mayor responds
to vandalisms as
more cases appear
T.J. Kremer III, Editor
Another round of vandalism
was discovered in Mokena
Oct. 30 at Hecht Park,
9310 Birch Ave., the same
day Mokena officials issued a
press release to address prior
vandalism from Oct. 22.
In an emailed statement
Oct. 30, Mokena Mayor
Frank Fleischer responded
to graffiti that was discovered
Oct. 22 on four public
traffic signs and one private
business sign. The private
business sign was additionally
tagged with a satanic
numeric reference. In theses
cases, swastikas were spraypainted
on the signs.
In what was originally described
as, “what appears to
be an isolated case,” Fleischer
expanded on comments
he made during the Oct. 23
Board of Trustees meeting, in
which he wouldn’t comment
directly on the matter of hate
symbols being drawn on Village
signs, because he did not
want to give the perpetrators
“their two minutes of fame.”
“I’m not going to talk about
some of the stuff because it
is so stupid, it doesn’t even
deserve comment,” Fleischer
said at the time.
In the Oct. 30 press release,
Fleischer said: “I’ve never
felt it appropriate to attribute
undue attention to cowardly
acts such as this that are generally
performed for that very
reason — to give the promulgator
of the act his or her two
seconds of fame. That having
been said, let me be very
clear: The Board of Trustees,
the Village Clerk and I in no
way condone or accept this
type of behavior.”
Mokena officials did not
immediately respond to a
request for comment on the
Oct. 30 vandalism.
Mokena Police Chief Steven
Vaccaro said he does not
believe the two incidents are
connected; however, police
are investigating and ask
anyone with information
to notify police by calling
(708) 479-3912.
Read the full press release
issued by Mokena officials on
Page 17.
THERE’S A BETTER WAY
TO ADVERTISE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
CONTACT
The Mokena Messenger
LORA HEALY
708.326.9170 ext. 31 l.healy@22ndcenturymedia.com
LW East students to perform at ILMEA All District Festival
Submitted by Lincoln-Way
Community High School
District 210
On Oct. 18, the Lincoln-
Way East High School music
department learned that 51
students were selected as part
of the Illinois Music Education
Association All District
Festival. These students were
selected in the areas of: band,
choir, orchestra, instrumental
jazz and vocal jazz.
The selected students were
chosen from an audition of
2,000 entries across 60 participating
high school music programs
in District 1 of ILMEA.
The students will perform
with selected students
from other ILMEA district
1 schools. They will also
rehearse with professional
conductors and perform in a
concert in November.
The Jazz Festival concert
will take place at 4 p.m. Nov.
11 at Thornton Fractional
South High School in Lansing.
The Concert/Choir/Orchestra
Festival will be held
at 4 p.m. Nov. 18 at Elmhurst
College in Elmhurst.
LW East students chosen to
participate in the ILMEA All
District Festival for Band include:
seniors, Evan Curatolo,
Madilyn Diaz, Matthew Fritsch,
Megan Greenburg, David
Sedivy and Dominic Tagler;
juniors Elise Clayton, Alex
Guzzo, and Madelyn Schafer;
Please see ILMEA, 14