D159 Board Addresses Fee Reductions
The board discussed transportation fees on Wednesday, and voted on whether to reduce fees for registration and extracurriculars.
The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education discussed reducing transportation fees at a meeting Wednesday evening.
“I think it would mean a lot to the community,” said Board President Patrick Markham.
Transportation fees in Mokena cost $200 per child and cover 25 percent of district transportation costs. Any fee reduction would be compensated through funds allocated from the district levy.
One point of opposition surrounding a potential reduction is concern that the district will not have sufficient funds to provide the allocation and also remain within budget.
Director of Business Operations John Troy currently estimates a $100,000-$200,000 district surplus for the 2012-13 school year. Nevertheless, Troy cautioned the board that the levy could leave the district with a fund shortage, if the district receives only 98 percent of levy funds, instead of the estimated 99 percent.
“I don’t know if we’re going to be lucky enough to have a surplus,” said Board Member Scott Peters.
Troy recommended that the board opt not to reduce fees this year and that if they vote to reduce them in 2013-14, that the reduction total less than $40,000.
Potential reduction strategies include individual reductions per student and an aggregate reduction on family fees.
While Markham initially proposed reducing fees by as much as $50 per child, Board Member Mike Ford opposed such a steep cut. Markham and Ford requested that Troy prepare projections presenting the extent to which the district would be impacted by varying reduction amounts.
Board Member Kathy Moore proposed reducing fees for families with multiple children riding district busses. Moore requested that Troy calculate the fee cost for families with more than two students using district transportation if the fees were prorated to allocate $20,000 in reductions.
The board will review Troy’s reports at its next meeting and will then vote on whether or not to reduce the fees.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, the board voted not to reduce registration or extracurricular fees for the 2013-14 school year. The fees will continue to generate a combined total of $343,000 per year for the district.
At Moore’s request, the board will discuss and vote on whether or not to reduce Early Start program fees at its next meeting.
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R.W.Voter
8:01 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
This is something I never do, but I support members Moore and Peters in this fight. I don't know why they want to cut the fees for parents of school children, when that money will have to be paid by many in the community who do not have children. These people asked for the maximum in the latest levy on the taxpayers, many older people living on investments. These investments are not paying anything. Look at the bank interest rates and CD rates. Any member who supports reducing fees is totally wrong. The district could save money and transportation fees if they closed little MIS, that would leave only two schools to service with the busses. Plus think of the staff and faculty reductions and not paying upkeep. Maybe the new mayor will look with favor in making that building a senior housing experiment. Thank you.
R-Dub Drinking Game
11:03 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Everyone take a shot... R-Dub mentions closing MIS yet again! How uncharacteristic...
R.W.Voter
11:11 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I will continue to mention closing MIS, because it is a totally obvious waste of tax money, separate busses, separate principal, separate school building for two grades, it doesn't make economical sense. I think you have had too many as it is. Thank you
Jack
11:37 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I'm gonna have to go to AA meeting's if I have to take a shot every time I hear this broken record.
R.W.Voter
12:14 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Well, Jack, A man has to know his limitations.
Jack
10:19 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
May be you should talk to your buddy Pat on this. He was the one that wanted all these extra fee's and now he wants to cut them when he knows it wont be approved. Funny how he is playing Chicago politics (corruption is never to far behind) before the school board elections. I believe he is like you, no children in the district and wants to save HIS taxes any way he can at the expense of our children's future. So how is it he wants to play the martyr now for those with children in the district and try and save them money? I think those like you may want to rethink where you live. I chose to live in a community that digs a little deeper to provide a better future for their children. Not to be selfish and complain about my retirement fund. If you have a grandchild could you look them in the eye and tell them, Sorry grandpa needs a new Cadillac, you will have to go without updated history books that don't even have Obama (first black president) listed as a president. There are other States and communities that cater to you and your retirement. If you want to check out of society and not be a part of a community that provides a chance for our children to have a future then I wish you the best and suggest you fly South.
R.W.Voter
10:50 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Mokena has a very large population of older citizens who are living on retirement income. They chose to live here just as you did. I think that the whole school system is very overrated, if I had a child I would home school them rather than send them to public schools. I have paid for public schools all my life and thank God I never had to attend one. Maybe if they dumped MIS and eliminated bus service and all the sports teams they could afford new books. The administration denied that bullying existed in the school. Check the facebook page, and most incidents happened in the classroom. The population of students is declining at an alarming rate, because the parents can't afford the taxes and they are foreclosed and leave. Every year they ask for the maximum and then claim that they have not had a tax increase in years. Wait until the State dumps the useless teachers pension on us. Maybe more people will wake up. Thank you
Jack
11:34 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Again R-Dub. If you were well educated you would understand how corrupt this state is. It wasn't the teachers or state workers who underfunded the pensions. I still work here so I have live here and chose decades ago Mokena. I dont plan on living in this state in retirement and that's my choice. You have a choice, so again stop the hatred and mud slinging towards the teachers and FLYYYYYY SOOOOOUTH. Maybe you can walk up hill five miles both ways to the store and tell everyone how tough it was back in your day. Good Luck!
Suzette Babich
11:30 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Well, I am happy to say it's my LAST year to deal with Mokena 159. For all of you that have younger children in this district, pay very close attention. LWE will blow them away and then you all will realize what a crappy education these kids are getting. We have all been lied to for years. If you are a naturally smart, gifted student, all will be fine. For the others that are less fortunate, not so much. These kids don't know basic math or language arts. It is truly a shame! Not as great an education as we were led to believe!!
R.W.Voter
12:08 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I must be in total agreement with you. I have grandkids in 4th grade public school in another village and they misspelled "Merry Christmas" on the home made card. They are not able to write their name and the printing is terrible. No child ever fails around here, and I have yet to see one go to summer school. Last night a comment was made at the meeting about classrooms which still had a blackboard. I don't think they were bad things, they served the system for over a century, let's see if interactive projectors last that long. If the teachers and administrators worried as much about teaching and less about their contract, we would be much better off. Thanks and God Bless.
Accurate Reporter
11:57 am on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Patrick Markham and his supporters on the board are cleaning up the mess left by Superintendent Perry and her enablers. Her administration cut all of the extracurriculars (as a scare tactic to help her referendum effortss it turns out, since no referendum was needed), imposed higher fees, and of course took out the best teachers first, since they have the least seniority.
Closing MIS seems like a good idea until all the downsides are factored in. Electrical service modifications and the fire system upgrades need to be made in order to sell it. The option should be examined again, but the cost to close it down is about equal to the cost to keep it running. Renting it out or selling it are options, but to who? You can't sell it to anyone, but the law says you have to. What a great thought experiment to think about what would be not appropriate to have next to a school.
The current board is doing all the right things with the limited resources they have. They are introducing new technology, such as interactive projectors. Funny isn't it that Ms. Perry, and her enablers with all their high ended educations couldn't figure out back in 2009, 2010 and 2011 that blackboards might be old technology? It took the current board only months to figure out the pluses of using new technology and they do it with a balanced budget to boot! What's not to like in this scenario?
Jack
12:50 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I don't think that is accurate. Cuts were put in place by the school administration after the state took away their funding long before Pat was even on the board. The results of those cuts didn't show up on paper until later. So lets be a little transparent. As far as the cuts to extracurricular's, why haven't they been reinstated since you say it was a scare tactic and we have all this money?
Technology, really the best you can site are interactive projectors? Wow! Movie Night! good luck!
And all I see on the board lately is members not knowing what the other's are doing. Board president making deal's with outside groups that no one else on the board is aware of? Come on. There is a reason for a board, It's to make a collective decision. There has been more than a few politician's in prison for taking bribes because they didn't go through the proper channels. Just sayin.
The only thing I partially agree with you on is MIS. But a new owner can take on the upgrades of the building.
So just because you have title as Accurate reporter doesn't make it so. Now that's Funny.
Athynia Sajpel
12:57 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I agree with Jack. I am a parent who was raised in public school, and have 2 children (1 still in school in MJS). I have ONE income thanks to the economy, and Mokena schools have managed to make it close to impossible to keep my daughter in school. I have to pay an outrageous fee for her to take the bus, and additional fees for ANYTHING she would like to join at school. Sometimes our family can barely make ends meet, but we were willing to pay for the referendum in order to make things better for our daughter. Nobody wants to pay more for anything, and I understand if you no longer have children in school it may suck more, but this is supposed to be a supportive "community". I'm not feeling much of that these days. It's about the kids. Bottom line.
R.W.Voter
1:11 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I firmly believe that those who use the transportation services should pay the cost of it, and I also believe that extra activities are exactly what they are, extra. The citizens have the responsibility to see that the children get a basic education, that doesn't include the extras unless you would like to pay for it. I do not feel that I should have to pay for football, baseball, volleyball, band and chorus, chess club and the rest. You want your children in it, pay for it. Thank you
Athynia Sajpel
1:55 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I disagree RW. When I was in school, we didnt have to pay for ANYTHING extra. Choir was an option for a class, not extracurricular. It's awesome all the old people had to walk uphill in the snow, yada yada.....but we have busses now. Which when my daughter started in Mokena schools, didn't have to pay extra for. It's ridiculous. Some activities should have a fee, I agree. Football equipment, etc...I get that. But $200+ dollars for my daughter to join cheerleading??? She's not trying out for the Dallas Cowboys!! I am paying a decent amount of $$ for my daughter to be in this school district. If they can find a way to cut the parents a break, great. If not, then I guess I'll still be paying out the ass. I just want to know that my sacrifices for my daughters education are worth it.
R.W.Voter
2:43 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
Busses are not mandated by the state for this area, so that is why it is an extra. I walked to school, my wife walked to school, my stepson walked to school. Exercise is good for the young people. I brought my lunch in a paper bag too. For high school, I took three CTA busses some through real crummy neighborhoods. That is the cost of a good education. Thank God No one I mentioned ever went to a public school. I wouldn't wish that on anybody. But the fact remains, It is the least expensive form of education available, and as times change, it does cost more, as does medicale care, medicine, gas, electricity and water. But you are not helping retired people pay that, so why should we help you pay the costs of your child's educational extras such as bus service, extra activities, field trips and the like. Thank you.
L.W. Voter
3:14 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
You sir, are a asshat. Good day....I said, GOOD DAY!
R.W.Voter
3:33 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
I find that a compliment coming from an individual such as you. Thank you
Johnny on the spot
6:03 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013
First off enough with the same ol same ol ,Kids are bused do to state regulations if any child attending school within said district crosses a Public highway ,divided highway or is with a square mileage equal to same said school district is to provide 1) Bus system capable of moving said students safely and 1) public and /or private crossing guard and or control devices within said range .Second of all Kathy Moore still attend's meeting's from out of state how in the heck is that representation of an elected official all these board members got these issues and problems from the prior boards .Pat Markham although not popular lately stands up for the children of this district and continues to do so.There are few members stuck on stupid ,so either stand up and represent the district as whole not just the ones on your own blocks and your friends step up for the right thing Moore and Peters or sit your silly selves back down and wait until you both get voted out .