Monday, November 19, 2012
Mokena Junior High Principal Mike Rolinitis talks about pay-to-play efforts in Mokena School District 159 and the future of the program in the coming years.
Last fall, the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education approved a move to pay-to-play for most athletics—including basketball, volleyball, cross country and other sports. In the spring, the board also moved musical activities—all bands and choir—to schedule B as pay-to-play activities as well. The moves were seen as a watershed moment for the district, which had been without sports for the fall semester of the 2011 school year and was without any music teachers just a few weeks before the current school year. Nearly four months into the 2012–13 school year, pay-to-play sports and activities are underway and the district is running a nearly complete schedule B—the lone exception being boys volleyball, which was cut due to lack of …
Thursday, July 19, 2012
The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education heard from MJHS Principal Mike Rolinitis and parent Heidi Yergler Herrmann on the district's bullying policy, but held off on any changes.
After months of urging the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education to confront the issue of bullying within its schools, Heidi Yergler Herrmann got her wish. At the Wednesday, July 18, board meeting the Herrmann, Mokena Junior High School Principal Mike Rolinitis and the board reviewed the district's bullying policies. Although there was no action taken on the subject—yet—all of the board members, Rolinitis and Herrmann agreed that the discussion was a fruitful one. Rolinitas kicked off the discussion by defining several terms on bullying and outlining what procedures the district currently has in place in its student handbook to deal with bullying. He added that the key component in the district for dealing with bullying is first, …
41.53508
-87.8933
Mokena Intermediate School
11331 195th St, Mokena, IL
/articles/d159-board-reviews-bullying-policy-policy-remains-unchanged-for-now
325405
/locations/7446855
Friday, June 22, 2012
Mokena Junior High Principal Mike Rolinitis told the D159 Board of Education funds have all been returned to families and money is already rolling in for the coming year, thanks to lower costs to families.
After D159 board members voted to lower fees for activities in May, families within the district have since received refunds and are once again registering—at a lower cost. Mokena Junior High Principal Michael Rolinitis on June 20 updated the board on on refunds, current registration figures, and what switching band and choir back to schedule B have meant for the district. Rolinitis told the board that due to the lowering of fees, all monies collected by the district for schedule B activities were returned to families, with the exception of two—because they paid in cash and the district is uncomfortable mailing cash. “I sent back a flier with a letter attached that said, 'Fees have changed, void your check,'” he said. “We also changed a …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Both the band and choir programs in District 159 were moved to schedule B and both come with an $80 fee, as the D159 Board of Education looks to find solutions for scheduling, teacher difficulties.
Strike up the band—and the cash register—as the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education voted Wednesday night to move band and choir from the curriculum to schedule B activities, charging approximately $80 per student for each. The fees will be in effect for the 2012–2013 school year. The move will allow the district to move forward with class schedules for the coming year, a process usually already underway by this point. “We still need to look at how the schedules play out, that's a big issue on why we need to make a decision tonight on this issue,” said Superintendent Steve Stein, adding, “We can't wait any longer to start putting those schedules together. We're kind of behind the 8-ball now in terms of putting schedules together…
41.531945
-87.890205
Mokena Elementary School
11244 Willow Crest Ln, Mokena, IL
/articles/band-choir-on-the-move-fee-added-during-d159-board-meeting
1374295
/locations/7038462
Thursday, April 19, 2012
During a nearly four-hour meeting on Wednesday, April 18, the District 159 Board of Education approved the fee structure for the 2012-13 school year for Schedule B sports and activities.
It was a warm night outside, but even warmer in the Mokena Elementary School band room as the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education meeting saw several heated exchanges between board members April 18. Board members traded verbal blows while discussing future meeting arrangements, transportation fees and extracurricular fees as well. The board voted to reinstate Schedule B activities—such as basketball, volleyball and other athletics—along with student council and National Honor Society, on a pay-to-play basis in September of last year. Although the pay-to-play initiative came too late for fall sports, spring sports were revived in time for full seasons. For the coming 2012–13 school year, the district will once again go pay-to-play…
41.531945
-87.890205
Mokena Elementary School
11244 Willow Crest Ln, Mokena, IL
/articles/d159-approves-fees-for-pay-to-play-in-2012-13-school-year
1374295
/locations/6831759
Friday, September 30, 2011
During a special meeting at MJHS, principal Mike Rolinitis and parents discussed the plans for extracurricular activities for the current school year and beyond.
The day after the Mokena District 159 Board of Education approved a new pay-for-play program, Mokena Junior High School held an open meeting for parents to learn what the new program means for students interested in activities and sports. In a handout given to everyone in attendance at the meeting, and also available at the school's website, MJHS administration outlined the cost of each activity and sport the school will offer for the remainder of the year. The most costly sport on the sheet was girls and boys basketball, which will cost $308 per student. The most costly activity will be student council, which will have an $88 participation fee for students who are elected. About 100 parents attended the meeting, which outlined costs of …
41.530115
-87.866078
Mokena Junior High School
19815 Kirkstone Way, Mokena, IL
/articles/mokena-junior-high-administration-parents-talk-pay-to-play
325078
/locations/5491395
Thursday, September 29, 2011
After cutting activities and sports last year, Mokena District 159 will now have sports and activities back for the remainder of the school year. Parents will pay to participate.
Let the games—and activities—begin! At a special meeting of the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education, board members voted unanimously to reinstate on a pay-for-play basis extracurricular sports and activities, all of which were cut last year. Costs have yet to be determined, however. The meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Mokena Elementary School was convened after months of planning and research that dates back to June of last year. “This was the soonest that the board felt they could come to a conclusion, [that the board] felt that they could decide,” Mokena Junior High Principal Mike Rolinitis said. “The bulk of it, I mean once we were given some direction about what we wanted to do, what they want to come up with for [this] …
41.531945
-87.890205
Mokena Elementary School
11244 Willow Crest Ln, Mokena, IL
/articles/district-159-oks-pay-for-play-to-revive-extracurriculars
1374295
/locations/5481112
Johnny on the spot
11:13 am on Monday, November 19, 2012
Still see the clowns are still in the circus this guy is the biggest Joke the district has ever had .Hows those facebook pages going for you Mikey more ›