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6 | December 5, 2019 | the mokena messenger School mokenamessengerdaily.com the Mokena messenger’s Standout Student Sponsored by Marquette Bank Mokena D159 Board of Education Search is on for new superintendent 9 Sophia Valentini, Noonan Academy fifth-grader What is one essential you must have when studying? I need a quiet place to study and that is not easy to find with four brothers. What do you like to do when not in school or studying? I like to dance, play basketball, swim, gymnastics, draw, do drama shows and play with my brothers. What is one thing people don’t know about you? I am half Mexican and half Italian Whom do you look up to and why? I look up to my grandma because she has had a lot of surgeries and is always very brave. What’s one thing that stands out about your school? The one thing that stands out is that God is always first. What extracurricular(s) do you wish your school had? I wish the school had a dance team, class pets, and a mascot. If you could change one thing about school what would it be? I would want Mrs. Noonan back at the school. What’s your best memory from school? My best memory is when my dad showed up as a surprise Dr. Seuss reader in my classroom. Standout Student is a weekly feature for The Mokena Messenger. Nominations come from Mokena-area schools. Broker - Management Team “10” T.J. Kremer III, Editor The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education is wasting no time in its search to replace outgoing Superintendent Don White. The board held a special meeting Nov. 25 where Tom Madden, a partner with the consulting firm School Exec Connect, presented a timeline for the vetting, interviewing and hiring process. Madden said that his village From Page 4 levy of $24,522, or about 1.24 percent, for a proposed total tax levy of $2,006,427. Overall, the 2019 rate will come in at approximately $0.2387 per $100 of equalized assessed value. Last year, the tax rate was $0.2457 per $100 of EAV. Therefore, for a home with an EAV of $308,880 compared to a home in 2018 that was assessed at $300,000, the homeowner’s tax to the Village would increase to $245.77 from $245.70 — a difference of 7 cents. “It’s tax-neutral for property owners,” Mokena Finance Director Barb Damron said during the discussion. “It provides revenues for pensions and retirement obligations. “Our overall EAV will increase by approximately $34 million, which is a positive sign for Mokena, as well. And it continues to follow the board’s conservative fiscal philosophy.” According to the presentation, the Village has historically increased its levy firm would begin the advertising process immediately by posting the open position on its own website, as well as several websites specific to educators. Applications would be accepted through Jan. 20, 2020. Madden said he anticipates approximately 40 applicants, some of whom could potentially be applicants from 2017 when White was selected to replace then outgoing Superintendent Omar Castillo. by an average of $48,519, or about 2.85 percent, over the past 10 years. Damron said that when comparing Mokena to the other 23 Will County municipalities, the Village had the lowest 2018 municipal tax rate. “We have been in this position for quite a few years,” she said. Damron also pointed out that approximately 65 percent of a resident’s tax bill goes to local school districts. “The Village only receives 4 cents of every dollar a resident pays in property tax,” Damron said. “This equates to approximately $245 in municipal property tax on a $300,000 home — or 67 cents per day. For less than the price of a cup of coffee, Mokena provides a multitude of services to our customers 24/7, 365 days a year.” Those services include: police, water and sanitary sewer, street maintenance, and permits and code enforcement. Damron said the tax levy also was discussed Of the anticipated applicants, about 20-25 would be selected for face-to-face interviews with Madden before he narrows the field to 5-7 applicants in early to mid February to present to the board for consideration. The board would then narrow that field down to three applicants, who would go through interviews with the board and a committee made up of D159 faculty, staff and members of the community, Madden said. previously at the Oct. 21 work session and was announced publicly at the Oct. 28 Village Board meeting. At the Oct. 21 work session, it was the direction of the Village Board to only include new growth in the limiting rate calculation — not incorporating the new consumer price index. “We have a commitment to being fiscally conservative and working within our budget, and we are trying to keep the money that you pay for our services as low as possible,” Trustee Joseph Siwinski said after the vote. “We provide, I believe, a big bang for your buck here in town for police services and the roads and the different things that we do for $250 or less on a $300,000 house. That’s a lot that you get.” Village seeks restoration grant for Pioneer Cemetery Later, during the work session that followed the regular meeting, the board members heard a proposal from staff to make The goal is to have a new superintendent selected by mid to late March, Madden said. Prior to closing the open application period, perhaps during the district’s winter break, Madden said he will sit down with each board member individually to discuss what it is each is looking for in the next superintendent. Madden said he would keep the board posted periodically with updates on the search. improvements at Pioneer Cemetery. Assistant Village Administrator Kirk Zoellner said the Village can apply for matching grants from Landmarks Illinois to clean and restore the grave markers at the cemetery. Zoellner said the restoration work was funded in part by a 50-50 grant from the Landmarks Illinois Preservation Heritage Fund. Zoellner said these grants can be applied for quarterly, with the next round of applications being due Feb. 15, 2020. Zoellner also met with Christine Hillman of Cemetery Preservation Inc., a private contractor who restores grave markers. After consulting with the board members, consensus was given that staff pursue applying for a grant and that the Village would be amenable to providing approximately $2,210 to have the restoration work be performed by Hillman. “She is more than capable of doing [the work] on a timeline where we can get it done in the summer,” Zoellner said.
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