MK_032819

8 | March 28, 2019 | the mokena messenger school
mokenamessenger.com
Lincoln-Way Community High School D210 Board of Education
Students’ fees to remain virtually flat
T.J. Kremer III, Editor
Students — and, by
extension, their families
— caught a break at
Lincoln-Way Community
High School District
210’s Thursday, March
21 meeting: The board
voted 6-1 to keep registration
fees for the 2019-
2020 school year the
same as the current 2018-
2019 year. Board Vice
President Joseph Kosteck
was the sole “nay”
vote.
Students who drive
and utilize any of the
three schools’ parking
lots will have to pay an
additional $25, up from
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$125 currently to $150.
The increase is expected
to bring in an additional
$32,000 to help cover the
cost of maintenance and
upkeep of the parking
lots, according to board
documents.
“Are fee comparisons
are pretty similar with
other comparable districts,”
said Superintendent
Scott Tingley. “As
we know — as was discussed
at the [Feb. 21]
meeting — we’re going
to have to discuss an increase
in the technology
fee in the future, if
the board does decide
to go to a 1:1 structure,
and we will have much
more conversation about
that.”
Board member Christopher
Lucchetti asked
the other board members
and Tingley if, in the future,
it would be possible
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Round it Up
A brief recap of other items discussed at the March
21 D210 meeting
• During the Curriculum and Instruction update,
staff gave a presentation on a new feature for the
district’s school’s websites that outlines possible
college and career pathways for students, specific
to each department. The interactive model would
show students what classes are recommended
for a specific career and what kinds of careers are
available with what types of degrees. The feature is
expected to be completed over spring break.
• The board voted unanimously to approve
$478,164 for a bid from CDW-G for technology
updates at all three schools, including switches for
internet connectivity. The board stipulated that the
approval was dependent on whether discounts of
up to 40 percent would be granted, lowering the
actual cost to the district to $286,898.50.
• The board also unanimously approved bids
from four vendors for custodial supplies for a total
estimated cost $50,692.40.
to develop a policy to
display for students and
families a written summary
of where, exactly,
those fees and fundraising
money are being
applied.
“I do think you’re right;
we need to work it into
a policy,” Tingley said.
“We have not tackled this
with the activities — different
activities do different
fundraisers — but I
think you’re right. I think
we need to get something
in writing so we’re consistent
across the board,
and have it in place by
July 1 for the this next
school year.”
An ‘A’ for a ‘B’
The board voted unanimously
to change the way
in which it weighs grades
for honors and AP classes
from its currents weighted
system to a “one up”
system.
Board member Beth
Janus-Doyle explained
that the decision is
meant, in part, to reduce
the confusion that
would sometimes occur
when colleges were
presented with students’
transcripts.
“What we’re recommending
is, basically, to
change the way that we
weight grades — our indexing
system — to a
standard 1 point up, consistent
with pretty much
every other school district
in the state,” Janus-
Doyle said.
The new system gives
students who receive a
letter grade of C or above
an extra full point toward
his or her GPA. For example,
a student who
earns a B in an AP class
would have that B —
which would be weighted
as a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale —
weighted as a 4.0.
Mokena D159 Board of Education
Policy to limit use of possible
referendum funding gets OK
Danielle Brown
Freelance Reporter
Funds from a proposed
tax referendum will only
be used on specific school
maintenance, repairs and
updates following a policy
approval March 20 by the
Mokena School District
159 Board of Education.
“I think [this policy]
adds a level of security
and comfort to people that
we’re going to keep our
promise,” board member
Jim Andreesen said.
Under the policy, revenue
from the proposed referendum
would be limited
to: upgrading school security
measures; improving
and replacing school
HVAC systems; repairing
parking lots and school
walkways; interior surfaces;
and maintaining roofs,
windows and doors.
Once those projects are
completed, the proceeds
can then be used for any
facility or classroom upgrades
relating to Future
Ready or 21st Century
Learning Environments,
the policy states.
“This [policy] will help
quite a bit lessen the confusion
on what will be
happening with these proceeds,”
Superintendent
Don White said.
The proposed referendum
would allow a .3 percent
tax to remain as part
of the overall tax levy. In
January, the school board
agreed to place the referendum
on the April 2 ballot.
The tax, which is set to
expire in 2020, was originally
approved by voters
to help finance the construction
of Mokena Junior
High. It generates about
$1.8 million in additional
revenue per year.
Round it Up
A brief recap of other
items discussed at
the March 20 D159
meeting
• The board approved
student fees for the
2019-20 school
year. There were no
increases to the fees
for the upcoming year.
• The board agreed to
hold its reorganization
meeting at 6:30 p.m.
on April 25.
The policy also addressed
several concerns
regarding what actions
would be needed for it to
be suspended or revoked.
For that to happen, the
board must either unanimously
approve an “action
item to declare an
emergency situation where
proceeds will be used for
an alternate purpose,” or
the board could provide 30
days notice, hold a public
hearing and unanimously
vote to revoke or suspend
the policy.
Previously, the policy
only required five of seven
votes.
“Not only is it awesome
that we’re able to share
what it’ll be used for, but
we’re also keeping money
going from the traditional
budget toward these items
in addition to whatever
money this may generate,”
Andreesen said. “There’s
a lot of projects, it’s a lot
of money and it’s going to
take a long amount of time
before that list is complete.
We would be using this
money in addition to our
own funds to help complete
these purchases for
improving our schools.”