 | |  | |  | |  |
Tri-City Register
School board approves tax levy
By Byron Painter
Editor
Just before the regular Tri-City school board meeting last Thursday, there was a levy hearing on
the proposed levy.
Superintendent Dave Bruno noted one person showed up and “just wanted to hear the
reasoning behind the levy.” He left without asking questions.
The levy was then approved 7-0 during the regular meeting.
The board thanked Krone Tree Farms for a donation of two Christmas trees to the school.
In the athletic report, Athletic Director Erich Schleicher noted that there have been some
donations to purchase wall mats for the old gym which will improve the safety and appearance of
the gym. The sports boosters are donating $300, and there is an anonymous donation to
purchase the wall mats that will be on the wall beyond the baskets.
Tri-City will be hosting the junior high county volleyball tournament this year.
During the bus report, Bruno noted that there have been a few minor glitches, but they were fixed
rapidly.
In a new part for the agenda, the facilities report, Bruno discussed ‘things on the radar to fix,’ like
updating restrooms and roof issues.
During his report, Bruno discussed several items. He met with several area superintendents
through the Regional Office of Education in a way to become more active in communicating with
legislators.
With board member Mike Boggs leading the way on the project, University of Illinois
representatives came to Tri-City to evaluate energy audits; it is a free service that could identify
potential energy savings for the district. However, the U of I people do not fix any problems.
The Education Foundation dinner will be March 27, with tickets available at the school or from
any foundation member.
ISAT testing will be moved up a week (now will run Feb. 22-March 5), with the state’s
permission. The dates were moved up for security reasons, since numerous administrators will
be gone during the week of March 12.
Bruno also mentioned that the new MSM sports banners have been given to the school from the
sports boosters. The work is expected to be done over Christmas break, because that will allow
the Sports Center to be prepared and will also allow the district to paint the red and green colors in
the old gym to school colors if time permits. A lift will be rented to accomplish both tasks, which is
a cheaper option.
ARRA (federal stimulus funds) for SASED have been approved, which will be used to purchase
laptops for classrooms and additional technology-based curriculum materials.
Elementary principal Kara Cummins discussed recent holiday programs, and she gave about a
40-minute Powerpoint presentation on RtI, which HS/JH principal Duane Schupp also discussed
last month.
As part of the Reading is Fundamental program, each student will receive a craft and book; the
outside group is run by parents, noted Bruno.
There was also some discussion about transitional kindergarten, building on last month.
No decisions have been made yet, according to Bruno, and there is not a requirement to
implement the program unless numbers warrant it.
Last month, Schupp also discussed RtI, which he noted was a “mandated program that says a
school shall provide interventions in the areas of math, reading and behavior to students that are
identified through assessments.” He discussed how to provide it and what programs are used to
implement the program.
Schupp noted that T-C made a list of the schools with the biggest improvements, and
conferences he has attended say “we are right on with our strategy of doing it in house.”
That being said, there are improvements that can be made, namely in “getting our lines of
communication strengthened to the faculty and the staff about what it is we are doing.”
That transitions nicely into one of Schupp’s topics for his report last week, that of PBIS (Positive
Behaviors in School), which is behavioral in nature and is used at Riverton, among others. It is
being looked at for Tri-City, and Schupp wants to “make sure it fits our needs and can be done in a
cost-effective manner.”
Schupp also is currently evaluating non-tenured teachers, which should be done by the end of
the first semester.
In Professional Development Coordinator/Technology Coordinator Christy Kindel’s report, she
noted that meetings and discussions have continued with middle school teachers related to
collaborative projects.
The middle school teachers will be visiting Lincoln Technology Magnet School in Springfield to
see a completely collaborative learning atmosphere in action, with the hope to have the meeting
sometime in January.
According to her report, “the intention is that the teachers will have the chance to see how
collaboration, differentiation and technology enhanced curriculum integration looks, and then be
allowed to ask questions to teachers fully involved in the process.”
At the elementary level, the focus continues to be on differentiation.
Professional development meetings over the next few months will focus on ISAT preparation
and procedures for grades 3-5, and special education teachers are using iPod touches to motivate
their students to learn basic skills.
Kindel also noted that Skyward usage is up this year, with about 65 percent of parents logging in
to Family Access.
The board hired Pehlman and Dold, P.C. as auditors for next year by a 7-0 vote.
The board also voted 7-0 to create an RtI aide position for the second semester only, which will
be funded by the ARRA grant.
It is a one-time hire because funding was available, noted Bruno, but if it works well, “we may
have to find additional money to continue the position.
“The goal is to have to do that,” he admitted.
Each board member discussed their experiences at the Triple I board conference last month in
Chicago.
By Byron Painter
Editor
Just before the regular Tri-City school board meeting last Thursday, there was a levy hearing on
the proposed levy.
Superintendent Dave Bruno noted one person showed up and “just wanted to hear the
reasoning behind the levy.” He left without asking questions.
The levy was then approved 7-0 during the regular meeting.
The board thanked Krone Tree Farms for a donation of two Christmas trees to the school.
In the athletic report, Athletic Director Erich Schleicher noted that there have been some
donations to purchase wall mats for the old gym which will improve the safety and appearance of
the gym. The sports boosters are donating $300, and there is an anonymous donation to
purchase the wall mats that will be on the wall beyond the baskets.
Tri-City will be hosting the junior high county volleyball tournament this year.
During the bus report, Bruno noted that there have been a few minor glitches, but they were fixed
rapidly.
In a new part for the agenda, the facilities report, Bruno discussed ‘things on the radar to fix,’ like
updating restrooms and roof issues.
During his report, Bruno discussed several items. He met with several area superintendents
through the Regional Office of Education in a way to become more active in communicating with
legislators.
With board member Mike Boggs leading the way on the project, University of Illinois
representatives came to Tri-City to evaluate energy audits; it is a free service that could identify
potential energy savings for the district. However, the U of I people do not fix any problems.
The Education Foundation dinner will be March 27, with tickets available at the school or from
any foundation member.
ISAT testing will be moved up a week (now will run Feb. 22-March 5), with the state’s
permission. The dates were moved up for security reasons, since numerous administrators will
be gone during the week of March 12.
Bruno also mentioned that the new MSM sports banners have been given to the school from the
sports boosters. The work is expected to be done over Christmas break, because that will allow
the Sports Center to be prepared and will also allow the district to paint the red and green colors in
the old gym to school colors if time permits. A lift will be rented to accomplish both tasks, which is
a cheaper option.
ARRA (federal stimulus funds) for SASED have been approved, which will be used to purchase
laptops for classrooms and additional technology-based curriculum materials.
Elementary principal Kara Cummins discussed recent holiday programs, and she gave about a
40-minute Powerpoint presentation on RtI, which HS/JH principal Duane Schupp also discussed
last month.
As part of the Reading is Fundamental program, each student will receive a craft and book; the
outside group is run by parents, noted Bruno.
There was also some discussion about transitional kindergarten, building on last month.
No decisions have been made yet, according to Bruno, and there is not a requirement to
implement the program unless numbers warrant it.
Last month, Schupp also discussed RtI, which he noted was a “mandated program that says a
school shall provide interventions in the areas of math, reading and behavior to students that are
identified through assessments.” He discussed how to provide it and what programs are used to
implement the program.
Schupp noted that T-C made a list of the schools with the biggest improvements, and
conferences he has attended say “we are right on with our strategy of doing it in house.”
That being said, there are improvements that can be made, namely in “getting our lines of
communication strengthened to the faculty and the staff about what it is we are doing.”
That transitions nicely into one of Schupp’s topics for his report last week, that of PBIS (Positive
Behaviors in School), which is behavioral in nature and is used at Riverton, among others. It is
being looked at for Tri-City, and Schupp wants to “make sure it fits our needs and can be done in a
cost-effective manner.”
Schupp also is currently evaluating non-tenured teachers, which should be done by the end of
the first semester.
In Professional Development Coordinator/Technology Coordinator Christy Kindel’s report, she
noted that meetings and discussions have continued with middle school teachers related to
collaborative projects.
The middle school teachers will be visiting Lincoln Technology Magnet School in Springfield to
see a completely collaborative learning atmosphere in action, with the hope to have the meeting
sometime in January.
According to her report, “the intention is that the teachers will have the chance to see how
collaboration, differentiation and technology enhanced curriculum integration looks, and then be
allowed to ask questions to teachers fully involved in the process.”
At the elementary level, the focus continues to be on differentiation.
Professional development meetings over the next few months will focus on ISAT preparation
and procedures for grades 3-5, and special education teachers are using iPod touches to motivate
their students to learn basic skills.
Kindel also noted that Skyward usage is up this year, with about 65 percent of parents logging in
to Family Access.
The board hired Pehlman and Dold, P.C. as auditors for next year by a 7-0 vote.
The board also voted 7-0 to create an RtI aide position for the second semester only, which will
be funded by the ARRA grant.
It is a one-time hire because funding was available, noted Bruno, but if it works well, “we may
have to find additional money to continue the position.
“The goal is to have to do that,” he admitted.
Each board member discussed their experiences at the Triple I board conference last month in
Chicago.
Issue Date: Dec. 17, 2009