Academic Initiatives and Progress for 2008-2009

During the 2008-2009 school year, significant effort was put forth to define the needs of students and to respond to those needs. This year, more than in any other, a combination of school and District leadership inspired faculty at each school and within each department to focus on identified learning needs and desired levels of achievement when designing instructional and curricular interventions.

High School District 211 is effectively addressing the goal of student acceleration. At the same time, this is a time of great demographic change in District schools, which are educating more students of poverty and at-risk students than ever before.

At its June 11, 2009, meeting, the Board of Education viewed a presentation and received an executive summary, including five school summary reports, which outlined the intense work done during the 2008-2009 school year to improve student academic performance, and the accomplishments made to accelerate student learning. This information is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/Academic_Executive_Summary_08-09.pdf.

The data provided in these reports shows the progress made in achieving past goals. Yet, it is clear that future goals can no longer be tied to state testing, as those results while widely publicized, do not appear to accurately reflect students’ progress. Goals for the 2009-2010 school year have been developed that maintain the District’s intense dedication to post-high school readiness for each student. These goals will be presented at the next Board of Education meeting.

High School District 211 Board of Education and
Teachers’ Union ratify five-year contract extension

At a special meeting, the Township High School District 211 Board of Education ratified a five-year contract extension with the District 211 Teachers’ Union. The contract extension achieves a multi-year settlement that will sustain the Board’s long-term fiscal plan supporting the District’s instructional, co-curricular, and operational needs while continuing to build on the commitment to contain controllable expenditures relative to the increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Earlier in the week, the Teachers’ Union voted to ratify the contract extension.

The agreement on the contract extension reflects a negotiation process that resulted in shared ownership between the Union and the Board, as well as support of the educational and fiscal priorities for the District.

“We were able to utilize a different approach to collective bargaining than has been used in the past,” commented Superintendent Nancy Robb. “We concentrated on interests, options, and collaborative problem-solving to improve upon this agreement. And, by reaching agreement on the contract extension, we’re able to provide long-term stability to our District so that the focus and attention can be on the academic achievement of our students.”

A formal signing date for the contract extension will be announced at a later time.

Provisions

• The term of the contract extension will be effective from July 2009 through June 2014.

• The terms of the contract extension provide for a 0% increase on the base-salary for the 2009-2010 school year. Base-salary increases for the remaining four years of the contract will be based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), with the parameters of increases ranging from 1% to 3.75%.

• The contract extension also includes increases in employee contributions for health insurance; a phase-out of health insurance savings payments established in the prior agreement; adjustments in leave requests to more closely align with standards in other area school districts; and advances release opportunities for core department chairs to develop instructional initiatives to enhance academic achievement for students.

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The Board of Education has established student fees for the 2009-2010 school year.

The bus transportation fee for next year for students whose residence is within 1.5 miles of school will remain $170 and is due in full by July 10, 2009. There is no bus transportation fee for those students who reside beyond 1.5 miles from school. A late registration fee of $35 will be added to all applications received after July 10, 2009. Applications will be mailed to eligible students. If you do not receive an application by June 1, you may request one by calling the High School District 211 Transportation Office at (847) 755-6796.

The driver’s education behind-the-wheel fee for 2009-2010 will remain $350. Students eligible for driver’s education behind-the-wheel may choose to take this course in summer school. The summer school driver’s education fee also is $350.

The student parking user fee will remain $65 per semester. Students who wish to drive to school must obtain an application from the school’s office. At some schools, limited parking spaces are available.

The textbook/instructional supply fee for the 2009-2010 school year will remain $160, and it is due at the time of registration.

The price for the standard breakfast will remain $1.35 per meal for students. A three-tiered price schedule for the standard lunch cost will be implemented for the 2009-2010 school year, with lunch price points at $1.95, $2.10, and $2.25 per meal (with milk) for students. The price for students who qualify for reduced price meals will remain 30¢ per breakfast and 40¢ per lunch (with milk).

Reduced price meals are provided for students from families who meet federally established income guidelines. Applications for the program will be mailed in late summer. Further questions regarding payment of breakfast or lunch meal fees and eligibility for reduced breakfast and lunch fees may be directed to Lauren Hummel, director of food service, at (847) 755-6681.

Student-Built Homes

Students from Palatine, William Fremd, and James B. Conant High Schools worked on a house located in Palatine; students from Schaumburg High School constructed a house in Palatine; and students from Hoffman Estates High School worked on a house in Palatine. The District’s Building Trades Program is among the largest in Illinois. For more than 30 years, District 211 students have experienced all phases of the building process — from designing and constructing to decorating and landscaping.

“The Building Construction Program provides opportunities for lessons learned in academic classrooms to be applied to practical situations,” says Otis Price, director of career development. “The program allows application of knowledge and skills.”

Home Locations are:

922 Kenilworth Avenue in Palatine
(students from Palatine, Fremd,
and Conant High Schools)

40 E. Michigan Avenue in Palatine
(students from Schaumburg High School)

660 Benton Street in Palatine
(students from Hoffman Estates High School)