Thursday, May 2, 2013
The newly-elected board members for Mokena School District 159 were sworn in.
At the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education meeting Wednesday the newly-elected board members were sworn in and officers were appointed. Sworn-in and seated were newly-elected board members: Danielle Didrickson, Anna Brisco, Stacy Cesta and Jim Andresen. The former board officers stepped down as term limits called for. The new officers were nominated and voted in. They will serve a one year term in accordance with the limits established by the M159 Board of Education. The board approved the following positions: President: Danielle Didrickson Vice President: Jim Andresen Secretary: Anna Brisco Board Member Stacey Cesta volunteered, and the unanimously approved, to serve as the M159 representative on the Lincoln-Way Special …
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Charles Vitton, Mokena School District 159 assistant supt. of curriculum, resigns to join outgoing Supt. Steve Stein in Peotone.
Mokena School District 159 Asst. Supt. of Curriculum resigned his position, effective July 1. After serving nearly 20 years in Mokena, Charles Vitton told the MSD159 Board of Education on April 17 that he was moving on to join outgoing Supt. Steve Stein at Peotone Community Unit School District 207U. His role there will be similar. His position specifically is director of curriculum and technology. He signed a three-year contract. Stein said it's not unusual for administrators that work closely together to move on together. Speaking of Vitton, he said they have a good working relationship and their educational philosophy is in-sync. "Change can be good," said Stein. This gives M159's incoming superintendent, Omar Castillo, a chance to hire…
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Stacy Cesta, Danielle Didrickson, Anna Briscoe and Jim Andresen were all elected to the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education on Tuesday, April 9.
Four new members will take seats on the Mokena School District 159 Board of Education in the coming months, after voters elected Stacy Cesta, Danielle Didrickson, Anna Briscoe and Jim Andresen to seats on the board. “It's exciting to hear the numbers,” Didrickson said. “It's very excited to see the numbers that we're seeing and hope that officially those numbers are truly the numbers that come in at the end of the day” The quartet ran as a ticket, watching the results trickle in during election night together. “It's great, it's exciting, my wife encouraged me to get out there and do something to support the community,” Andresen said. “It's all kind of just sinking in, and between the absentee and early ballots, it's just so exciting. As …
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
A fourth-grader donned the top hat for a day.
Fourth grader Ben Osowski got his chance March 25 to be principal for a day at Mokena Intermediate School. As part of the November 2012 Fall Fling sponsored by the Mokena PTA, Osowski won the opportunity to participate in this event. Osowski's parents won the silent auction so that he could work alongside Principal Eric Melnyczenko. During his tour of duty, Osowski was given his own office, attended a meeting with other district administrators, walked into some classrooms, supervised students at lunch and recess, and made some building-level decisions. Reflecting on the experience, Osowski said, “My favorite part of being principal for a day was getting my own office because having a phone to make calls to call my parents and then having …
Sunday, March 24, 2013
The top two headlines in Mokena Patch this week featured school news and serious criminal activity.
The top two headlines in Mokena Patch this week first welcomed a new superintendent at Mokena School District 159, and second alerted readers to the capture of two suspects in the Frankfort Square armed robbery and kidnapping. UPDATE: Mokena D159 Hires New Superintendent Omar Castillo, the current assistant superintendent of Addison Dist. 4, takes the helm for Mokena School District 159, the Sun-Times Media reports. UPDATE: Frankfort Square Kidnapping Suspects Arrested in Texas A 20-year-old New Lenox man is one of two suspects in the armed robbery of a 69-year-old Frankfort Square woman, the Chicago Tribune reports. Readers might like other top stories: Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Lincoln-Way Patch sites:
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Omar Castillo, the current assistant superintendent of Addison Dist. 4, takes the helm for Mokena School District 159, the Sun-Times Media reports.
Board members for Mokena School District 159 hired a new superintendent March 20. Omar Castillo, who has been the assistant superintendent for teaching and learning at Addison School District 4, begins July 1 in Mokena. According to Sun-Times Media, Castillo has also served in the role of principal and assistant principal for schools in Valley View District 365U in Romeoville. Castillo replaces Steve Stein, who is headed to Peotone District 207U. Learn about Castillo's professional background in Sun-Times Media reports. Joe Spalla, vice president of the M159 Board of Education, has high hopes for Castillo. "We went through the whole process. We interviewed two candidates, and we though Dr. Castillo would be a good fit for both the …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Listed on the agenda is a closed-session discussion for semi-annual reviews along with an open meeting to address the tentative 2013-2014 budget.
The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. March 20 in the Band Room at Mokena Elementary School, 11244 Willow Crest Lane. The agenda includes plans to discuss semi-annual reviews in closed session, the tentative 2013-2014 budget and an agreement with the Blue Demons. See the accompanying PDF for more details. Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Lincoln-Way Patch sites:
Monday, March 11, 2013
Board members at Mokena School District 159 recently reduced transportation fees, Sun-Times Media reports.
The Mokena School District 159 board approved a transportation fee reduction for families with two or more bus riders. Families will continue to pay $200 a year for the first child, but they'll see a $20 reduction for each additional rider, according to a story in the Sun-Times Media. Visit the Sun-Time Media for more information on fee caps and board discussion. Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Lincoln-Way Patch sites:
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The board discussed whether the district could afford to lower student fees at a meeting on Wednesday.
The Mokena School District 159 Board of Education discussed the possibility of reducing district fees for students at a meeting on Jan. 16. Fees for Mokena students tend to be higher than those in surrounding districts, particularly with regard to activity fees, which are significantly more costly in Mokena than in any other nearby district, according to documents provided by D159. Mokena schools charge more than $200 for each student who participates in basketball or volleyball. The “pay to play” activity fee system was introduced in September of 2011 after the district voted to cut extracurriculars in February of the same year. District 159 also has the lowest tax rate of the school districts in the immediate area, at 2.4 percent. The …
Friday, January 4, 2013
The board determined the executive search firm that will assist in the selection process at a meeting Thursday.
The Mokena School District 159 board of education held a special meeting Jan. 3 to discuss the specifics of the search for a new district superintendent. Current Superintendent Steve Stein announced his resignation on Nov. 20. He will leave the district at the end of June. The board voted Thursday to approve the bid for B.W.P. and Associates to serve as the executive search firm throughout the superintendent selection process. “The search firm acts as a facilitator,” said Board Member Katherine Moore. The board selected B.W.P. because of its previous experience serving schools in the area, including districts in Orland Park, Tinley Park and Oak Lawn. B.W.P. was one of five firms considered by the board. Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates …
R.W.Voter
5:28 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013
How about Joe Spalla, he has a spouse who works for the District, and he votes for all the pay and benefit increases for the employees. more ›