NL_013020

6 | January 30, 2020 | the new lenox patriot news
newlenoxpatriotdaily.com
3
Complete at least 50 categories and
be eligible to win a $500 gift card
Vote: 22ndCenturyMedia.com/swchoice
Vote now for your favorite
local businesses in more than
130 categories including:
Look for the ballot in the center of this
newspaper or vote online through Feb. 9 at
22ndCenturyMedia.com/swchoice
FIND YOUR NEXT
GREAT
HIRE
Bank
Doctor
Grocery Store
Hair Salon
Movie Theater
Pizza and more!
Call Noah Pavlina
to learn more about recruitment
advertising in your local newspaper.
708.326.9170 ext. 46
n.pavlina@22ndcenturymedia.com
New Lenox School District 122 Board of Education
Student safety asked to
be considered on State
daylight saving time bill
Derek Swanson
Freelance Reporter
The D122 board discussed
State Senate Bill
533 at its Jan. 17 meeting,
which, if passed, would
make daylight saving time
the standard time yearround.
Doing so would affect
students taking busses
to school as they would be
boarding nearly an hour
before sunrise, raising concerns
of safety. The board
agreed, minus the vote of
Board Vice President Nicole
Swallow who was
absent, to pass a resolution
against the bill and to send
a letter to the governor’s
office requesting student
safety to be considered before
the bill is passed.
“The simple solution,
which was one of my goals
before I retire, was to try to
go back to two-tier bussing,
but we really just aren’t
able to because we don’t
have enough bus drivers
to do that,” Superintendent
Peggy Manville said.
The bill is currently being
deliberated on by the
house rules committee.
The D122 board was
joined by a few special
guests from the New Lenox
Public Library and Spencer
Trail School.
Library Director Michelle
Krooswyk, joined
by Dr. Edward A. Tatro,
president and Alex Vancina,
trustee, detailed the
Round it up
A brief recap of items discussed at the New Lenox
School D122 Board of Education Jan. 17 meeting.
• The board approved the ISBE Per Capita Library
Grant, which awarded the district $3,820.50.
• The School Maintenance Project Grant Program
application was submitted, which if accepted,
would allow the district $50,000 in state funds to
pay for the Bentley HVAC renovation project.
• School fees for the 2020-21 school year will not
increase, though the cost of boxed lunch will jump
to $3.75.
• Kindergarten Information Night will be held on
Feb. 27.
• The board approved a four-year agreement with
Wipfli LLP for annual financial auditing services,
which would begin during the fiscal year of 2020.
proposed zero tax rate increase
library referendum.
If passed, the referendum
would allow the library to
extend weekday hours and
open on Sundays, expand
and improve services and
provide needed maintenance
for the building. If
the referendum does not
pass, the library will reduce
hours by 15 percent over
the next three to five years,
decrease existing services
and minimize maintenance.
Opened in 2001, the facility
has been operating
at the same tax rate as the
former library, constructed
in 1975, which was 19 percent
of the size. Construction
bonds were issued to
the library before its opening
and were paid off in
December 2019, thus providing
an opportunity to redirect
the tax rate to focus
on improvements. The vote
for the referendum takes
place on March 17.
Spencer Trail School
Principal Georgia Scott and
Assistant Principal Jennifer
Christophersen presented
classroom footage of kindergarten
students learning
through the ReadyGEN literacy
program. ReadyGEN
is a blended learning program
that grows young students
in reading, writing,
speaking and listening, and
has been successful for the
students at Spencer Trail.
“Now that we have ReadyGEN,
we see how the
kids are focused,” said
Scott. “We see them thriving…
it’s a new generation
of literacy instruction.”
The next board meeting
is Feb. 18.