D159 Board Passes $13M Levy
The 2012 levy is approximately $300,000 more than the amount the district levied for in 2011.
The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the 2012 tax levy for approximately $13 million at a meeting on Dec. 19.
The board held a public hearing prior to approving the levy. Multiple residents attended the hearing and spoke about the impact the levy could have on Mokena.
“I appreciate the people that have come out here,” said Board President Patrick Markham. “We’re in this together and we all need to pull together.”
Robert Swale, a Mokena resident of five years, announced during the hearing that earlier in the week he filed to run for the district school board in April.
Swale also said that in an economy where many have taken pay cuts, he would like to see teachers in Mokena forego their Consumer Price Index increase this year to prevent the district from having to raise the tax levy.
“Somebody has to stand up for the taxpayer,” he said in an interview with Patch.
The 2012 levy is an approximately $300,000 increase over the levy in 2011, which totaled about $12.7 million.
This year, the board approved a balloon levy, according to documents provided by District 159. This means that the district will likely receive a significantly smaller amount in tax dollars than the funds it requested, due to taxing limits.
D159 will likely receive approximately $130,000 less than the amount levied, district documents state.
The district budget is currently experiencing a roughly $114,000 budgeted surplus, after a $135,000 deficit last year.
Property taxes make up 80 percent of the district budget.
The board also discussed the process of determining a third party search firm to assist the district in finding a new superintendent at Wednesday’s meeting. Current Superintendent Steve Stein announced his resignation on Nov. 20.
Board Vice President Joseph Spalla and Board Member Jeff Regan reported that most search firms cost $10,000-15,000. The board determined that they will accept bids from prospective firms during Dec. 21-31 and will award the search firm bid on Jan. 3.
Board members also spoke about the shootings in Newtown, Conn. on Wednesday, addressing the district’s need to evaluate its safety proceedings in the wake of the incident.
The board thanked Superintendent Stein for acting quickly on Tuesday, when two escaped convicts were seen in the area. Stein put the district on safety hold, meaning that all doors and windows were locked, students had indoor recess and police oversaw school dismissal.
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R.W.Voter
9:55 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
As Margaret Thatcher said, when talking about socialism "Great until you run out of other people's money" They are bleeding us dry, to pay a bunch of overpaid, underworked teachers and school employee's, two of whom are spouses of Board Members, who vote for all the increased benefits we are paying for. If this continues, Mokena will be a ghost town. I really regret moving to this community, the taxes are overwhelming. Thank you.
Diana
2:29 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Some resident's of Mokena need to stop COMPLAINING. MES, MIS and JR high are great school if you regret moving into this community what are you waiting for move already. Want to make a change run for Board. See you in election !!!
R.W.Voter
3:21 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
First of all Diana, I have a right to complain, because it is my tax money going down the drain. Secondly, no one would buy a house here with the high taxes, look at the "For Sale" signs. It is a matter of opinion that they are great schools, if they were so great, the enrollment would not be going down as fast as it is. It is a typical public school system, loaded with unionized workers, and the children come last. Most of the bullying incidents were in the classroom Diana, classrooms loaded with teachers, aides and assistants, and all blind to the fact. Give me a break, Dump the intermediate school, get rid of the administrators and staff and run this system within their budget. Half of the teachers are probably unqualified. Thank you.
Anna Schier
3:30 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Mokena 21,
Your comment was deleted because it contained personal attacks, which is a violation of Patch's commenting policy.
Thank you for reading,
Anna
Diana
4:15 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
People like you are the reason why many don't want to buy homes in Mokena. Bad-mouthing your own community, Like i said MOVE !!!! Bullying at school's will never stop until parents take matters into their hand and learn how to talk with their children stop relying on school officials to teach your own children right from wrong. Rachel's Challenge was a great success and i want to thank every school who participated in this. Enrollment may have decreased in the past couple of years but it will turn around, Mokena is a great town to live in i don't regret moving here. Children love attending school but you wouldn't know about that. Hope to see you in the next Board Meeting January 19th.
R.W.Voter
5:23 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Mine are raised, went to Catholic School. It seems the teachers always blame the parents. Bullying goes on in school because the teachers don't want to deal with the parents of the bully " that isn't in their contract" . The prior school board gave us taxpayers a new Junior High School that we didn't need and we have to staff it with union teachers. Enrollment will not go up here, because the taxes are too high. I am sure that the children might love attending scnhool, but do they learn anything? Can they do basic math without an electronic device, I doubt it. I was taught by Catholic nuns, and I am so glad that my father worked hard to see me educated in a Catholic School. The children deserve more than they get, and it wouldn't cost a fortune, just get rid of the union hacks. Thank you.
Becky Lannan Wagner
4:50 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
R.W. Voter do you have children in any of the schools? I agree with Diana! My daughter attends MES. The teachers and staff are wonderful! They put the children first! As far as bullying the schools are taking steps to stop it. But parents need to be more involved and help the schools! Not rely on the schools to teach their child right from wrong!
R.W.Voter
5:26 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Look at the facts Becky, most of the bullying is in the classroom, and the teachers can't see it. Obviously your children haven't been bullied. The teachers blame the parents and the teachers never see the incident in their own classroom. It happens on their watch they are responsible. thank you
Becky Lannan Wagner
6:00 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
No thankfully my child has not been bullied! However my friends son has been! The school handled the situation quickly! The mother of the son who was bullying said it was my friends son fault that he got bullied and acted like her son was the victim! To this day she thinks her son didn't do anything wrong! I have taught my child to be respectful of others! More parents need to do this! Bullying does not happen just in schools! It's everywhere! And most of the time it's done when no adults are around! Parents need to teach their children it's not ok to bully another child for any reason!!!
R.W.Voter
7:05 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Was this before the new system went into effect? They denied that it was going on last year, maybe one incident. Now the reporting procedures are in and it is much better. It is impossible for a child to concentrate on schoolwork if he is scared to go to school. They need all the help they can get. Thank you.