2008-2009 Amended Budget updated: 5-1-09

Board Approves 2008-2009 Amended Budget

updated: 5-1-09

The Board of Education adopted the amended budget as presented for its fiscal year 2008-2009. Further, the Board approved to partially abate and transfer monies from its Working Cash Fund and Operations and Maintenance Fund to the Educational Fund and Capital Projects Fund as presented.

A copy of the approved 2008-2009 amended budget is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/AMENDED_legal_budget_form_fy09-final.pdf.

2008-2009 Amended Budget

posted: 2-27-09

The 2008-2009 budget, adopted by the Board of Education in September, 2008, included construction/renovation costs of $21 million in the Capital Projects Fund. Project funds were appropriated for Phase II of the planned renovations and additions at Conant, Schaumburg, and Hoffman Estates High Schools, and an artificial turf system and track replacement at Fremd and Schaumburg High Schools. Funding for these planned expenditures is allocated from the $53 million Working Cash Bond issuance in 2006 and designated fund balance in the Operations/Maintenance Fund. During the construction period, bond proceeds and designated fund balance are transferred, by Board of Education resolution, from the Working Cash Fund and Operations/Maintenance Fund respectively, to the Capital Projects Fund account for anticipated expenditures in each fiscal budget year.

Given the accelerated progress of current budget year construction projects, completion phase payments to contractors exceeded the anticipated schedule. While pleased with the favorable progress and timing of projects, the District will exceed the anticipated $21 million in construction expenditures allocated for the 2008-2009 budget period. In addition, with the recent bid award for the installation of an artificial turf system and track replacement at Palatine, Conant, and Hoffman Estates High Schools, appropriated funds will be needed as work commences in May.

As of January 31, the Working Cash Fund balance was $17.6 million, with approximately $5.2 million of this fund balance representing remaining bond proceeds for earmarked construction projects. In order to access already designated funding for these projects through the summer months, the Board approved amending its 2008-2009 budget at its February 26, 2009 meeting in order to provide for an additional Working Cash Fund abatement transfer of $5 million and Operations/Maintenance Fund abatement transfer of $5 million to the Capital Projects Fund Through June 30, 2009. It is important to note that this reflects accelerated payments of approved bid amounts and not increased costs of construction.

The amended 2008-2009 tentative budget will be placed on file for public inspection for a minimum of 30 days, and a public hearing will be held at the April 9, 2009 Board of Education meeting.

A copy of the accompanying Board materials is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/Amended_Budget08-09.pdf.

Energy Management Program Recognition
$3.4 million in energy savings for District 211

Energy Management Program Recognition – $3.4 million in energy savings for District 211

Since November, 2004, High School District 211 has participated in a district-wide energy management approach with Energy Education, Inc. (EEI), an energy conservation and management consulting firm. District 211 Energy Manager Reece Thome has coordinated the implementation of EEI’s program with much success as the District has reduced its energy consumption by 20% during the 47-month period, and by doing so, avoided approximately $3.4 million in energy costs. The EEI program agreement provided for a 48-month training/consulting period, which ended in September, 2008.

At the December 12 Board of Education meeting, EEI awarded High School District 211 its “Energy Excellence Award.” In a news release, Energy Education, Inc., CEO Dr. William Spears said “I am extremely pleased to present High School District 211 with our Energy Excellence Award. The district joins a very committed group of organizations across the country working hard to achieve energy savings so the dollars saved can be redirected to educational needs.”

Additional information on District 211’s energy management program is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/Energy_Management_Program_Recognition.pdf. A copy of the news release can be viewed at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/Energy_Award_Release.pdf.

It also was announced that District 211 was informed it will be receiving a check from ComEd in the amount of $162,565.94 for the District’s participation in a voluntary program to reduce electric consumption during “declared” times of peak demand use.

High School District 211 makes a difference!
As they have done in past years, High School District 211 employees showed that they care about the...

High School District 211 makes a difference!

As they have done in past years, High School District 211 employees showed that they care about the less fortunate by contributing to the Combined Charities Campaign. All told this year, employees contributed $36,945, making District 211 one of the largest school district charitable contributors in the Chicago suburban area.

“While the level to which District 211 employees contribute is impressive, I believe the most rewarding aspect of this response is that it reflects the generosity and caring attitude of our employees towards those less fortunate in our communities,” said Community Relations Coordinator Thomas Petersen who coordinated the District’s campaign.

The Combined Charities Campaign is a coordinated workplace giving program organized to offer employees hundreds of state-recognized non-profit agencies to choose from when making charitable contributions. Included among those agencies District 211 employees contributed to were American Cancer Society, Independent Charities of America, Community Health Agencies of Illinois, as well as the United Way, to which District 211 employees have contributed more than $1 million over the past 30-plus years.

The following individuals assisted in coordinating District 211’s fundraising efforts: Palatine High School Assistant Principal Dennis Zandi, William Fremd High School Dean of Students Anthony Miller, James B. Conant High School Assistant Principal William Wallace, Schaumburg High School Assistant Principal Matthew Hildebrand, Hoffman Estates High School Assistant Principal Jacquese Gilbert, Academy-North Program Administrator Sean Cunningham, Academy-South Program Administrator Jodee Culberson; Director of Transportation Ray Gawron; and Publication Assistant Becky Rolph.

Gifted Education Project Expo was held at Conant High School

Gifted Education Project Expo was held at Conant High School on May 26

High School District 211 gifted education students displayed projects at the Gifted Education Project Expo on Tuesday, May 26, 2009, at James B. Conant High School from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. More than 150 students from all five District 211 high schools have developed projects.

“District 211 continues to provide students in the Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT or Gifted) program with opportunities to explore their interests and discover their passion through the creation of an independent study project during second semester of their sophomore year,” commented David Moravek, Conant High School Social Studies/CCT Teacher. “Students’ projects topics include engineering, politics, fine arts, medicine, and business. Through the process of discovery, students experience authentic learning as they transition from research to the creation of innovative real world products.”

The District 211 gifted education program provides an excellent opportunity for community residents to become involved in students’ education, serving as mentors. Students work with mentors on projects in their particular fields of interest, obtaining practical and hands-on experience from professionals who volunteer their time to assist these students.

“The independent study project is a unique experience for students to create and develop new ideas or concepts with support and aid of district and community mentors,” added Shelley Castans, Conant High School Social Studies/CCT Teacher. “Many students move past the confines of their school to work with college professors, political leaders, and industry professionals.”

Flu Health Information

Flu Health Information - Update
printable version

May 1, 2009

Dear Parents:

This letter provides additional information about what Township High School District 211 is doing to respond to the increasing number of reports of the H1N1 virus (swine flu) in the Chicago area. First and foremost, let me reassure you that there have not been any confirmed cases within District 211 schools. However, in order to be prepared for any potential impact on the District 211 community, the District continues to work closely with our school nurses to monitor the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In order to help prevent the spread of the flu virus, we ask that you continue to practice the following good health measures and to encourage those around you to implement them throughout the day.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread that way.
• Alcohol-based hand cleaners also are effective to prevent the spread of germs.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
• When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick.
• If you believe you have flu symptoms, stay home from work, school, and errands.
• If you have flu symptoms, and you’ve recently been to a high-risk area such as Mexico, see your doctor.

Please keep your child home if he or she becomes sick with flu-like symptoms and notify your school’s attendance office regarding your child’s absence and the nature of the illness. The symptoms of the H1N1 virus are similar to the symptoms of the regular flu virus and may include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue, and difficulty breathing. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with the H1N1 virus. Please contact your health care provider if your child has symptoms consistent with influenza. Additional information on the H1N1 virus can be found on the District 211 and school web sites, as well as by accessing the following health links:
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/mitigation.htm
http://www.idph.state.il.us.flu/swine_flu_mex.htm

If District 211 learns of a suspected or confirmed case of the H1N1 virus within the District, we will consult closely with local health officials to determine whether cancellations are indicated. If cancellations are necessary to help prevent the spread of the virus, cancellations could include all classes during the school day and all extra-curricular activities such as sporting events, clubs, trips, and other after-school activities. If school or related activities are cancelled, we will keep the community informed via the District and school web sites, local newspapers, and television and radio stations.

Sincerely,

Nancy Robb Signature
Nancy N. Robb
Superintendent of School

Additional Information

Key Facts about Swine Flu
Stopping Germs at Home, Work, and School

Information from Dupage County Health Department

Preventing Swine Flu
Preventing Swine Flu (Spanish)

Morning Work Sessions (Student Late Start Days)
The Board of Education has provided schools with opportunities to hold morning work sessions...

Morning Work Sessions (Student Late Start Days)

The Board of Education has provided schools with opportunities to hold morning work sessions (late start school days for students) on multiple dates throughout the past three school years. The vision that has guided these work sessions has stemmed from the three questions that must be addressed if District 211 is to achieve its educational mission:

1.) What should our students know?
2.) How will we be able to tell if they know it?
3.) What will we do if they do not know it?

Many innovative programs and practices now in place had a genesis in these work sessions. While each school has specific educational needs, the universal focus for all schools, and all faculty, on specific educational objectives would guide morning work sessions. These include:

1.) Necessity of Literacy;
2.) Data provides real-time basis from which teaching can be accelerated;
3.) Removing roadblocks to learning; and
4.) Implementation of Literacy Practices

At its September 25, 2008 meeting, the Board authorized the Superintendent to approve morning work sessions, each 90 minutes in length, on Tuesdays, October 28, 2008; November 18, 2008; December 9, 2008; February 3 and 17, 2009; March 10, 2009; April 7, 2009; and May 19, 2009. On these days, classes at Fremd, Hoffman Estates, and Schaumburg High Schools will begin at 9:10 a.m., while classes at Conant and Palatine High Schools will start at 9:55 a.m.

For additional information on morning work sessions for staff, please visit: http://www.d211.org/pdf/Work_Session_Summary.pdf.

District 211 Board of Education makes appointment posted 3-19-09

High School District 211 Board of Education makes appointment to fill vacant seat (posted March 20, 2009)

The High School District 211 Board of Education has selected Schaumburg resident Theresa A. Tracy to fill the vacant seat on the seven-member Board. Ms. Tracy’s appointment became effective immediately at the March 19 Board meeting, and runs through the completion of former High School District 211 Board member Susan Kenley-Rupnow’s term in April, 2011. Mrs. Kenley-Rupnow sadly passed away on February 14, 2009.

Ms. Tracy has been a District 211 resident for the past 12 years and is the parent of a Hoffman Estates High School graduate. She has been active in the community through her involvement with area YWCA and YMCA. Ms. Tracy is employed as a personnel and outreach coordinator at the University of Illinois Extension, responsible for recruitment activities, professional development opportunities, and hiring activities to increase program awareness.

The District 211 Board of Education received 15 applications for the vacant seat, and considered all 15 applicants through a series of interviews on March 16 and 17 before making its decision. In order to serve on the High School District 211 Board of Education, one must be a registered voter, 18 years of age or older, and a resident of District 211 for at least one year. Major responsibilities of the Board of Education are to express and represent the view of the community in matters affecting education, determine education standards and goals, adopt policies for the administration of the school system, employ a Superintendent of Schools, authorize the appointment of teachers and other staff members, approve curriculum, secure money for school operational needs and building programs, and authorize expenditures.

Ms. Tracy will take the oath of office as a High School District 211 Board of Education member at the April 9, 2009, Board meeting at the G.A. McElroy Administration Center, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Adoption of 2008 Tax Levy & Tax Abatement

Following a public hearing at its December 12 meeting, the Board of Education approved the proposed 2008 tax levy as presented. The 2008 tax levy is $188,227,285, excluding the Debt Service Fund, and it reflects an increase of 4.6% over the 2007 tax levy.

The Board also adopted a resolution to authorize and direct the County Clerk to abate a portion of the taxes levied for the year 2008 ($5.0 million) to pay debt service on $50,470,000 of school bonds (series 2006).

In an effort to preserve the maximum operating levy as limited by the Property Tax Extension Limitation Act, a debt service abatement lessens the overall tax increase while maximizing the aggregate extension per the Tax Cap. Utilizing reserve in the Working Cash Fund, last year’s $9.0 million transfer from Working Cash to the Debt Service Fund provided for three consecutive property tax abatements of $3.0 million to levy year 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Since the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2007 established a higher property tax extension limitation per the Tax Cap (4.1%, plus new property) and Working Cash Fund balances remain healthy, the Board approved the increased abatement amount for 2008 from $3.0 million to $5.0 million. The additional $2.0 million of abatement will not adversely affect the future balance of the Working Cash Fund and will again decrease the net impact of the overall levy to taxpayers. This results in a net levy extension increase of 3.3% for 2008.

Additional information on the 2008 tax levy is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/proposed_08_levy.pdf.

Fremd HS Wind Symphony All-State Performance

Fremd H.S. Wind Symphony, Matthew Moore, Conductor
Students Perform at Illinois Music Educators Association - All State Conference - info

click to enlarge

Career Expo - April 28, 2009

More info

Adult Transition Program Pilot approved

For many years, High School District 211 has emphasized and committed substantial resources towards transition services for students with cognitive disabilities. The emphasis on transition and improving functional skill development for post-secondary opportunities is now a primary mission and focus of the most recently-updated federal special education regulations.

The District’s special education department recommended that High School District 211 create a separate and distinct pilot program called the Adult Transition Program (ATP). This program would offer students who have completed four years of high school and have met all of the District 211 graduation requirements a community-based transition program highly-focused on integrated vocational and life skills that more closely resembles the adult experience after high school.

Following a presentation at it's December 12, 2008 meeting, the Board of Education approved the Adult Transition Program as a pilot for a period of two years; ATP-North will be located on the Palatine High School campus, while ATP-South will be located on the Hoffman Estates High School campus.

Additional information on the Adult Transition Program pilot is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/adult_trans_program.pdf. The presentation can be viewed at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/Adult_Trans_Presentation_ppt.pdf.

District 211 Students Perfect on ACT

At its November 20, 2008 meeting, the Board of Education honored five District 211 students for achieving a 36, the highest possible composite score, on the ACT examination. Conant High School student Jared Bauman, Fremd High School students Michelle Lundholm and Sahana Rao, Schaumburg High School student Amanda Rooney, and Palatine High School student James Silveira were recognized as five of only 51 students in Illinois to receive a 36 on the ACT during the 2007-2008 school year.

The ACT, which is taken by nearly 60 percent of America's college-bound students as well as all junior students in Illinois as part of the Prairie State Achievement Examination, is comprised of tests in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student's score is the average of the four tests.


click picture to enlarge From left to right: Amanda Rooney, James Silveira, Jared Bauman, Sahana Rao, Michelle Lundholm.	click picture to enlarge Emily Van Der Bleek (left) is recognized by her English Teacher Nancy Sack at the January 15, 2009 Board of Education meeting.

click picture to enlarge
From left to right: Amanda Rooney, James Silveira,
Jared Bauman, Sahana Rao, Michelle Lundholm.

Below is a history of High School District 211's ACT scores of 36:

High School District 211 ACT Scores of 36 (April 1998 – June 2008)
Student (High School)	ACT Exam Date
Kirk Smiley (Fremd High School)	April 1998
Vagish Hemmige (Fremd High School)	June 1998
Brian Fimoff (Fremd High School)	January 1999
Jennifer Cutts (Hoffman Estates High School)	September 1999
Ryan Spalding (Fremd High School)	October 2000
Qiming Wu (Fremd High School)	August 2001
Joseph Calvey (Hoffman Estates High School)	August 2001
Kristin Schmitt (Fremd High School)	May 2002
Parag Gupta (Fremd High School)	February 2003 and November 2003
Jessica Morton (Conant High School)	March 2003
Chenyu Feng (Fremd High School)	November 2004
Andrew Wilson (Fremd High School)	April 2005
Alyssa Ceretti (Schaumburg High School)	April 2006
Amy Gill (Hoffman Estates High School)	April 2006
Jaclyn Woodruff (Palatine High School)	April 2006
Victoria Hewitt (Fremd High School)	June 2006
Rohan Sahasrabudhe (Schaumburg High School)	June 2006
Suzanne Birner (Palatine High School)	April 2007
Matthew Kirby (Fremd High School)	April 2007
Kyle Shymanik (Palatine High School)	April 2007*
Jared Bauman (Conant High School)	April 2008
Michelle Lundholm (Fremd High School)	April 2008
Sahana Rao (Fremd High School)	April 2008
Amanda Rooney (Schaumburg High School)	April 2008
James Silveira (Palatine High School)	April 2008
Emily Van Der Bleek (Schaumburg High School)	October 2008

*-once as part of PSAE, once on national test date

Explore Test
As part of the high school registration process, incoming freshman students will take the Explore Tests on Saturday, December 6, 2008...

Explore Text

(Incoming Freshman Placement Test)

As part of the high school registration process, incoming freshman students will take the Explore Tests on Saturday, December 6, 2008. It is important that students give their best efforts on these exams because the results will help 8th grade teachers, junior high school counselors, and high school counselors better understand students’ academic abilities. The scores from these tests will assure that students are placed in the correct classes for their freshman year of high school. It is High School District 211’s goal to make sure students take classes in which they can be challenged as well as be successful.

For additional information about the Explore Tests, please use the links below for the high school that you will attend for the 2009-2010 school year.

(these links will go to the pdf files for the brochures)
James B. Conant High School
William Fremd High School
Hoffman Estates High School
Palatine High School
Schaumburg High School

Enhancement of Incoming Freshman Summer School Initiative

At its November 20, 2008 meeting, the Board of Education approved waiving tuition and transportation fees for the Incoming Freshman Academy English and Incoming Freshman Academy Mathematics three-week summer school programs, beginning in 2009.

Background Information

At the September 23, 2004 meeting, the Board was presented information regarding the development of a six-week required summer program that was titled the Incoming Freshman Academy. The goal of the Academy was to improve skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. Students were selected for the program based on their scores on the Explore test that is given as the incoming freshman placement examination on the first Saturday in December each year. Students whose placement scores indicate they are at-risk of not meeting the reading and mathematics state standards, as measure by the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE), were required to attend this program.

Based upon the positive data and academic growth shown by students in the Incoming Freshman Academy, the Board approved two additional six-week required summer school programs for freshman and sophomore students for the Summer of 2006 – the Sophomore Academy and the English as a Second Language Summer Academy. Then, at its December 7, 2006 meeting, the Board also approved two three-week required summer school programs: Sophomore Academy English and Sophomore Academy Mathematics. The goal of each was to improve skill development for students not predicted to meet state standards in the respective disciplines.

In 2008, 810 incoming freshman students were invited to attend the three-week Incoming Freshman Academy Reading program and 57 were invited to attend the three-week Incoming Freshman Mathematics program; only 516, or 64% of the students, attended the reading program and 26, or 46%, attended the mathematics program. Since a high percentage of District 211 invited students are not taking advantage of the summer school three-week academy programs, the Board of Education approved waiving the tuition and transportation fees for the Incoming Freshman Academy English and Incoming Freshman Academy Mathematics three-week summer school programs beginning in 2009 as a possible incentive to increase student participation.

It is anticipated that the number of students who would qualify for the Summer Reading or Mathematics Invitational programs in 2009 would be similar to the 2008 totals. Therefore, based upon the 2008 numbers, the total projected increase for the program costs would be $59,525.

This modification of the existing programs completes an installation of a required summer program for every incoming freshman who is significantly deficient in academic skills defined as essential to success in all high school course curricula.

Additional information on the Incoming Freshman Summer School Initiative is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/Enhancement_Incoming_Freshmen_Summer_School_Initiative.pdf

.

District 211 Students Perfect on ACT

At its November 20, 2008 meeting, the Board of Education honored five District 211 students for achieving a 36, the highest possible composite score, on the ACT examination. Conant High School student Jared Bauman, Fremd High School students Michelle Lundholm and Sahana Rao, Schaumburg High School student Amanda Rooney, and Palatine High School student James Silveira were recognized as five of only 51 students in Illinois to receive a 36 on the ACT during the 2007-2008 school year.

The ACT, which is taken by nearly 60 percent of America's college-bound students as well as all junior students in Illinois as part of the Prairie State Achievement Examination, is comprised of tests in English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. Each test is scored on a scale of 1-36, and a student's score is the average of the four tests.

click picture to enlarge
From left to right: Amanda Rooney, James Silveira,
Jared Bauman, Sahana Rao, Michelle Lundholm.

Below is a history of High School District 211's ACT scores of 36:

High School District 211 ACT Scores of 36 (April 1998 – June 2008)
Student (High School)	ACT Exam Date
Kirk Smiley (Fremd High School)	April 1998
Vagish Hemmige (Fremd High School)	June 1998
Brian Fimoff (Fremd High School)	January 1999
Jennifer Cutts (Hoffman Estates High School)	September 1999
Ryan Spalding (Fremd High School)	October 2000
Qiming Wu (Fremd High School)	August 2001
Joseph Calvey (Hoffman Estates High School)	August 2001
Kristin Schmitt (Fremd High School)	May 2002
Parag Gupta (Fremd High School)	February 2003 and November 2003
Jessica Morton (Conant High School)	March 2003
Chenyu Feng (Fremd High School)	November 2004
Andrew Wilson (Fremd High School)	April 2005
Alyssa Ceretti (Schaumburg High School)	April 2006
Amy Gill (Hoffman Estates High School)	April 2006
Jaclyn Woodruff (Palatine High School)	April 2006
Victoria Hewitt (Fremd High School)	June 2006
Rohan Sahasrabudhe (Schaumburg High School)	June 2006
Suzanne Birner (Palatine High School)	April 2007
Matthew Kirby (Fremd High School)	April 2007
Kyle Shymanik (Palatine High School)	April 2007*
Jared Bauman (Conant High School)	April 2008
Michelle Lundholm (Fremd High School)	April 2008
Sahana Rao (Fremd High School)	April 2008
Amanda Rooney (Schaumburg High School)	April 2008
James Silveira (Palatine High School)	April 2008

*-once as part of PSAE, once on national test date

Those Who Excel

High School District 211 represented among I.S.B.E. 2008 "Those Who Excel" award recipients

Township High School District 211 will be well-represented among the recipients in the Illinois State Board of Education’s 2008 "Those Who Excel" education awards program. The State Board annually sponsors the "Those Who Excel" awards to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the state’s public and non-public schools.

High School District 211 award-winners are (listed alphabetically):

• Schaumburg High School (retired) Mathematics Teacher/Department Chair R. James Breunlin (classroom teacher category)
• Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services & Special Programs Daniel Cates (school administrator category)
• James B. Conant High School Parent Sharon Cruse (community volunteer category)
• Palatine High School Social Studies Teacher Asa Gordon (early career educator category)
• Palatine High School Psychologist Robert Ingraham (student support personnel category)
• Hoffman Estates High School Building & Grounds Manager Douglas Schippel (educational service personnel category)
• Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine/YHOP (team category); William Fremd High School graduate Kellie Kinsella

Award recipients were honored by the Illinois State Board of Education at the Those Who Excel awards banquet on Saturday, October 18, 2008, in Peoria, Ill., and by the High School District 211 Board of Education at its November 20, 2008 meeting.

click picture to enlarge
From left to right seated: R. James Breunlin,
Sharon Cruse, Daniel Cates.
Standing: Father of Kellie Kinsella (Kevin Kinsella),
Robert Ingraham, Douglas Schippel and Asa Gordon.

District 211 PSAE Appeal (Amended Oct. 2, 2008)

District 211 PSAE Appeal

High School District 211 Superintendent Roger Thornton and Superintendent-Elect Nancy Robb delivered the District's appeal of its Prairie State Achievement Examination scores to Illinois State Superintendent Chris Koch on Tuesday, September 30, 2008.

Go to APPEAL OF PSAE RESULTS page

Adoption of 2008 Tax Levy & Tax Abatement

Following a public hearing at its December 12 meeting, the Board of Education approved the proposed 2008 tax levy as presented. The 2008 tax levy is $188,227,285, excluding the Debt Service Fund, and it reflects an increase of 4.6% over the 2007 tax levy.

The Board also adopted a resolution to authorize and direct the County Clerk to abate a portion of the taxes levied for the year 2008 ($5.0 million) to pay debt service on $50,470,000 of school bonds (series 2006).

In an effort to preserve the maximum operating levy as limited by the Property Tax Extension Limitation Act, a debt service abatement lessens the overall tax increase while maximizing the aggregate extension per the Tax Cap. Utilizing reserve in the Working Cash Fund, last year’s $9.0 million transfer from Working Cash to the Debt Service Fund provided for three consecutive property tax abatements of #3.0 million to levy year 2007, 2008, and 2009.

Since the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for 2007 established a higher property tax extension limitation per the Tax Cap (4.1%, plus new property) and Working Cash Fund balances remain healthy, the Board approved the increased abatement amount for 2008 from $3.0 million to $5.0 million. The additional $2.0 million of abatement will not adversely affect the future balance of the Working Cash Fund and will again decrease the net impact of the overall levy to taxpayers. This results in a net levy extension increase of 3.3% for 2008.

Additional information on the 2008 tax levy is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/proposed_08_levy.pdf.

Stadium ArtificialTurf & Track Replacements - Updated: October 17, 2008

Click here for information

Career Expo - April 28, 2009

More info

Board of Education Adopts 2008-2009 Budget

At its September 25, 2008 meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2008-2009 budget as presented. In accordance with School Code, a public hearing and adoption of the 2008-2009 budget must be finalized by September 30, 2008.

Beginning with Fiscal Year 2009, new administrative rules have been enacted that require minor changes to school district budgets and accounts. The most recognized changes include the renaming of the “Bond & Interest Fund” to “Debt Service Fund;” and “Site & Construction Fund” to “Capital Projects Fund.” The rule changes also expand accounts to address pledged transfers for the Debt Service Fund and Capital Projects Fund. For District 211, the Capital Projects fund will now be utilized to account for all construction-related receipts and expenditures that were previously recorded in the Operations/Maintenance Fund. This includes all remaining costs associated with approved additions and renovations to District facilities. Funds appropriated for these remaining projects will be transferred from the Operations/Maintenance and Working Cash Fund. General maintenance and repairs to facilities and life safety projects will continue to be represented in the Operations/Maintenance Fund and Fire Prevention/Life Safety Fund, respectively.

The 2008-2009 budget will provide for the following:
- Local Property Taxes of approximately $183.5 million (reflects very little change from prior year due to approved $3.0 million levy abatement in Debt Service Levy; also reflects second installment of 2007 taxes and first installment of 2008 taxes payable in the spring of 2009). The 2007 levy (2007 taxes payable in 2008) was increased 1.2% by the Board of Education (while the 2007 levy, by statute, is capped at 2.5% plus new property, overall levy was lowered by abating $3.0 million from this year’s Debt Service Levy).
- Permanent transfers to the newly established Capital Projects Fund as follows:
ü $11.3 million Working Cash abatement transfer for planned construction projects.
ü $12.3 million Operations/Maintenance Fund abatement transfer for planned construction projects.
ü $350,000 of interest earnings from the Debt Service Fund.
- Salaries and Benefits at Board-approved parameters for non-union groups and collective bargaining agreements with all union groups.
- Aggregate increase in operating funds for supplies, purchased services, capital outlay, and other costs within CPI of 2.5% on a FY09 budget to FY08 actual comparison. (3.1% decrease budget to budget)
- Technology improvements for students and staff.
- $21 million of construction of additions/renovations.
- Planned Life Safety projects.
- Maintenance of buildings and grounds.
- Debt service.
- Student transportation services.
- Pension obligations.
- $5.0 million of contingency amounts spread over the individual funds

The Board also approved the transfer of approximately $350,000 of interest earnings from the Debt Service fund to the Capital Projects Fund. In addition, the Board approved to partially abate ($11,295,000) and transfer ($12,279,000) monies from the Working Cash Fund and the Operations & Maintenance Fund to the Capital Projects Fund.

The 2008-2009 budget can be viewed at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/budget08-09.pdf.

Morning Work Sessions (Student Late Start Days)
The Board of Education has provided schools with opportunities to hold morning work sessions...

Morning Work Sessions (Student Late Start Days)

The Board of Education has provided schools with opportunities to hold morning work sessions (late start school days for students) on multiple dates throughout the past three school years. The vision that has guided these work sessions has stemmed from the three questions that must be addressed if District 211 is to achieve its educational mission:

1.) What should our students know?
2.) How will we be able to tell if they know it?
3.) What will we do if they do not know it?

Many innovative programs and practices now in place had a genesis in these work sessions. While each school has specific educational needs, the universal focus for all schools, and all faculty, on specific educational objectives would guide morning work sessions. These include:

1.) Necessity of Literacy;
2.) Data provides real-time basis from which teaching can be accelerated;
3.) Removing roadblocks to learning; and
4.) Implementation of Literacy Practices

At its September 25, 2008 meeting, the Board authorized the Superintendent to approve morning work sessions, each 90 minutes in length, on Tuesdays, October 28, 2008; November 18, 2008; December 9, 2008; February 3 and 17, 2009; March 10, 2009; April 7, 2009; and May 19, 2009. On these days, classes at Fremd, Hoffman Estates, and Schaumburg High Schools will begin at 9:10 a.m., while classes at Conant and Palatine High Schools will start at 9:55 a.m.

For additional information on morning work sessions for staff, please visit: http://www.d211.org/pdf/Work_Session_Summary.pdf.

District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant
High School District 211 has received a grant of $991,860 from the United States Department of Education to improve the quality of...

District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant

High School District 211 has received a grant of $991,860 from the United States Department of Education to improve the quality of American history education. The grant was awarded in conjunction with High School District 214. Retired Palatine High School Social Studies Department Chair David Freeman, along with Schaumburg High School Social Studies Department Chair Maribeth Westlund and Social Studies Teacher Mary Lopez, presented information about the grant to the Board of Education at its April 10 meeting.

The Northwest Suburban American History Consortium (NSAHC) offers teachers in Districts 211 and 214 to work with multiple educational resources. A comprehensive program has been designed by District 211 and 214 teachers to meet teacher needs while providing a mechanism for widespread dissemination of course work.

The main structure of the program is a series of eight graduate courses taught by University of Illinois-Chicago professors over a three-year period. Each course will be taught with the rigor of graduate-level courses with the understanding that teachers will develop classroom applications of the newly acquired knowledge.

Additional information about the American history grant is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/nw_sub_amer_history.pdf. The U.S. Department of Education issued a news release (http://www.d211.org/pdf/usde_history_grant_release08.pdf), and also has information available on its web site at: http://www.ed.gov/print/news/pressreleases/2008/04/04022008.html.

District 211 schools to host annual Open Houses
Township High School District 211 schools are preparing to host annual Open Houses...

District 211 schools to host annual Open Houses

Township High School District 211 schools are preparing to host annual Open Houses. William Fremd, James B. Conant, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, and Schaumburg High Schools will hold Open Houses on Wednesday, September 17, 2008. Parents are invited to follow shortened versions of their students’ schedules (10- to 14- minute segments) as well as take part in other special activities and events. The District’s two alternative high schools, District 211 Academy-North and District 211 Academy-South, also will host open houses on September 17.

Conant High School’s (700 E. Cougar Trail in Hoffman Estates) Open House runs from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. Highlights include a book fair presented by the English department as well as department displays and demonstrations that will be featured in Room 127. Topics teachers will discuss with parents include course objectives, class expectations, curricular materials, and how parents can help their child at home. Parent questions also are welcome. Conant High School varsity poms will be on hand to assist as guides for parents.

Fremd High School’s (1000 S. Quentin Road in Palatine) Open House will be held from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. Teachers will share class expectations and curricular materials with parents. Members of student council, pom pons, Vikettes, and cheerleader squads will serve as guides to assist parents in locating classrooms. Featured in the school cafeteria will be performances by members of the Fremd Choral Ensemble, while the Fremd Orchestra String Ensemble will perform in the media center. Parents also will be encouraged to visit the English Department Book Fair located in Room 118. Members of the Fremd Music Association and Booster Club will be represented.

Hoffman Estates High School’s (1100 W. Higgins Road in Hoffman Estates) Open House will be from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. Parents will have an opportunity to meet their child’s teachers, receive a brief overview of course curriculum, and learn about student expectations and how parents can help at home. In addition, parents can make an appointment for an individual teacher conference, as well as meet their child’s counselor.

Open House at Palatine High School (1111 N. Rohlwing Road in Palatine) will be from 7:00 until 9:30 p.m. For those wishing to arrive early, the PHS marching band will give a brief concert in the auditorium, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Among the topics teachers will discuss are course objectives, class expectations, and curricular materials. Teachers also will encourage questions and provide insight into how parents can assist their children at home. Members of the PHS spirit squads will serve as student guides, refreshments will be served in both the school cafeteria and media center, and V.I.P. booster club members will be on hand selling school spirit merchandise.

Schaumburg High School’s (1100 W. Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg) Open House runs from 7:00 until 9:30 p.m. Cheerleaders, flags, and pom-pon squads will assist parents in finding classrooms. The topics teachers will be prepared to discuss with parents are course objectives, class expectations, student achievement, curricular materials, and how parents can help their children at home. Parent questions also are welcome. V.I.P. booster club members will be taking memberships and selling school merchandise while Band Boosters, and the Schaumburg Township Library will have informational tables in the school cafeteria. Orchestra students, directed by Susan Carlson, will be playing in the cafeteria during lunch hour periods, and refreshments will be served all evening in the cafeteria.

District 211 Academy-North’s (335 E. Illinois Avenue in Palatine) Open House will be from 5:00 until 7:30 p.m. Parents will be able to tour the facility, discuss program expectations, and ask questions of teachers and the program administrator. Within classrooms, teachers will review student progress and highlight student work. Staff will be available to supervise young children to allow parents to meet with teachers. Refreshments will be served.

Newly renamed District 211 Academy-South (1544 Brandy Parkway in Streamwood) will host its Open House from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. Visitors will be able to meet the program administrator and teachers, tour the facility, and discuss the program with staff. Parents will follow a student’s schedule and learn about program expectations. A presentation will be made addressing Positive Peer Culture and the behavior management system. Refreshments will be served.

Those Who Excel

High School District 211 represented among I.S.B.E. 2008 "Those Who Excel" award recipients

Township High School District 211 will be well-represented among the recipients in the Illinois State Board of Education’s 2008 "Those Who Excel" education awards program. The State Board annually sponsors the "Those Who Excel" awards to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the state’s public and non-public schools.

High School District 211 award-winners are (listed alphabetically):

• Schaumburg High School (retired) Mathematics Teacher/Department Chair R. James Breunlin (classroom teacher category)
• Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services & Special Programs Daniel Cates (school administrator category)
• James B. Conant High School Parent Sharon Cruse (community volunteer category)
• Palatine High School Social Studies Teacher Asa Gordon (early career educator category)
• Palatine High School Psychologist Robert Ingraham (student support personnel category)
• Hoffman Estates High School Building & Grounds Manager Douglas Schippel (educational service personnel category)
• Youth Hunger Opposition in Palatine/YHOP (team category); William Fremd High School graduate Kellie Kinsella

Award recipients were honored by the Illinois State Board of Education at the Those Who Excel awards banquet on Saturday, October 18, 2008, in Peoria, Ill., and by the High School District 211 Board of Education at its November 20, 2008 meeting.

click picture to enlarge
From left to right seated: R. James Breunlin,
Sharon Cruse, Daniel Cates.
Standing: Father of Kellie Kinsella (Kevin Kinsella),
Robert Ingraham, Douglas Schippel and Asa Gordon.

Motorola Foundation grant to help fund
District 211 engineering program equipment
Once in a great while a program becomes available that is more than just an educational opportunity...

Motorola Foundation grant to help fund District 211 engineering program equipment

Once in a great while a program becomes available that is more than just an educational opportunity. It also is a chance to present a valuable vocational option for students who are typically underrepresented in an important career area. Such is the case with Project Lead the Way. This series of courses provides a combination of engineering concepts and experiences, as well as significant career investigations, for students who are interested in exploring engineering in its many facets.

Project Lead the Way is an established program that is supported by major Colleges of Engineering, including those at Purdue University and the University of Illinois. Starting with a general concepts course, and moving towards courses aimed at investigating specific areas of engineering such as bio-engineering and aeronautical engineering, the program provides a basic understanding of the work done by engineers in the 21st century. An investigation of the program as it has been offered in other states reveals that not only does this provide access to vocational exploration for the general high school population, but that young women and minority students, currently underrepresented in the engineering vocation, also have gained insight into this esteemed career area.

Because this program attempts to reflect true experiences in engineering, it is highly-dependent on technology and specialized equipment. One such piece of equipment is a three-dimensional printer that can produce physical objects from drawings developed by students on computers. These 3-D printers are very expensive pieces of equipment and provide an experience that cannot be duplicated elsewhere for students.

“Recognizing that the need of students involved in the District’s Project Lead the Way program fit perfectly with the mission of the Motorola Foundation, namely to fund projects that educate and attract students to careers in mathematics, science, and engineering, our committee presented a grant application for purchase of a 3-D printer,” said Susan Farmer, District 211 Foundation chair. “With the help of the Motorola Foundation, this grant will provide outstanding opportunities for District 211 students who are interested in engineering.” The District 211 Foundation and the faculty and students of the District’s Applied Technology Department are most pleased that the Motorola Foundation has chosen to fund this grant proposal, providing approximately $35,000 for the purchase of a 3-D printer for use by students in several of District 211 schools.

“Previously, students solved design problems through the use of 2-dimensional design software,” commented Mark Hibner, District chair for applied technology. “Now, students can take solving design problems to a whole new level by evaluating the form, fit, and function of parts that were made using a 3-D printer. This gives students in engineering classes the opportunity to take an idea and make it into a reality. That is the true essence of engineering. I appreciate the work of both the District 211 Foundation and the Motorola Foundation in supporting this exciting opportunity for our students.”

For additional information please refer to www.motorola.com/giving

District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant
High School District 211 has received a grant of $991,860 from the United States Department of Education to improve the quality of...

District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant

High School District 211 has received a grant of $991,860 from the United States Department of Education to improve the quality of American history education. The grant was awarded in conjunction with High School District 214. Retired Palatine High School Social Studies Department Chair David Freeman, along with Schaumburg High School Social Studies Department Chair Maribeth Westlund and Social Studies Teacher Mary Lopez, presented information about the grant to the Board of Education at its April 10 meeting.

The Northwest Suburban American History Consortium (NSAHC) offers teachers in Districts 211 and 214 to work with multiple educational resources. A comprehensive program has been designed by District 211 and 214 teachers to meet teacher needs while providing a mechanism for widespread dissemination of course work.

The main structure of the program is a series of eight graduate courses taught by University of Illinois-Chicago professors over a three-year period. Each course will be taught with the rigor of graduate-level courses with the understanding that teachers will develop classroom applications of the newly acquired knowledge.

Additional information about the American history grant is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/nw_sub_amer_history.pdf. The U.S. Department of Education issued a news release (http://www.d211.org/pdf/usde_history_grant_release08.pdf), and also has information available on its web site at: http://www.ed.gov/print/news/pressreleases/2008/04/04022008.html.

District 211 Student Perfect on SAT
The Board of Education honored James B. Conant High School student Jared Bauman...

District 211 Student Perfect on SAT

The Board of Education honored James B. Conant High School student Jared Bauman for achieving a score of 2400, the highest possible composite score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). Comprised of mathematics, critical reading, and writing tests, between 1-2 million students nation-wide completed the SAT college-entrance examination on average each year. Jared is one of less than 300 students nationally each year to achieve a top score on the exam.

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District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant
High School District 211 has received a grant of $991,860 from the United States Department of Education to improve the quality of...

District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant

High School District 211 has received a grant of $991,860 from the United States Department of Education to improve the quality of American history education. The grant was awarded in conjunction with High School District 214. Retired Palatine High School Social Studies Department Chair David Freeman, along with Schaumburg High School Social Studies Department Chair Maribeth Westlund and Social Studies Teacher Mary Lopez, presented information about the grant to the Board of Education at its April 10 meeting.

The Northwest Suburban American History Consortium (NSAHC) offers teachers in Districts 211 and 214 to work with multiple educational resources. A comprehensive program has been designed by District 211 and 214 teachers to meet teacher needs while providing a mechanism for widespread dissemination of course work.

The main structure of the program is a series of eight graduate courses taught by University of Illinois-Chicago professors over a three-year period. Each course will be taught with the rigor of graduate-level courses with the understanding that teachers will develop classroom applications of the newly acquired knowledge.

Additional information about the American history grant is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/nw_sub_amer_history.pdf. The U.S. Department of Education issued a news release (http://www.d211.org/pdf/usde_history_grant_release08.pdf), and also has information available on its web site at: http://www.ed.gov/print/news/pressreleases/2008/04/04022008.html.

Stadium Surfaces Info and FAQs
At its regular meeting on May 15, 2008, the Board of Education awarded the business for installation of an artificial turf system and track replacement at Fremd and Schaumburg High Schools to the lowest responsible ...

Stadium Surfaces

Updated: May 19, 2008

At its regular meeting on May 15, 2008, the Board of Education awarded the business for installation of an artificial turf system and track replacement at Fremd and Schaumburg High Schools to the lowest responsible bidder, Speedy Gonzalez Landscaping, for $1,801,548.56 and $1,817,145.71, respectively, with a September 15, 2008 completion date. Bid specifications were sent out to 21 vendors, with four returned.

Posted: April 11, 2008

At its April 10, 2008 meeting, the Board of Education reviewed additional information on artificial surfaces for stadium facilities, and following discussion, approved the concept of installing an artificial surface and track replacement for stadium sites at all five District 211 high schools. Further, it approved engaging W-T Engineering to prepare project bid specifications, including the evaluation and selection of a synthetic turf system, for William Fremd and Schaumburg High Schools. The proposal from W-T Engineering also provides for the development of bid specifications for the underground drainage infrastructure, base material installation, and artificial turf components.

With this approval by the Board, it should be possible to complete the recommended installations at both Fremd and Schaumburg High Schools this summer. It is estimated that field installation can be completed in a 10- to 12-week period.

A copy of the stadium surface information presented to the Board of Education is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/stadium_surfaces04-10-08.pdf.

Posted: March 19, 2008

At its September 20, 2007 meeting, the Board of Education reviewed a plan to reconvene the Stadium Surface Committee that originally met during the 2002-2003 school year. The Committee consisted of community members, Board of Education members, central administration, and building administration. At that time, the Committee determined that artificial playing surfaces would afford greater use of existing facilities to include, but not limited to, physical education classes, marching band, football, soccer, and lacrosse practices and contests. Based upon initial cost estimates, project scope, and timing, the Board elected to defer stadium surface projects for future consideration and focus attention on the significant fiscal challenges facing the District at that time. With resolution of the fiscal challenges and other facility needs presently being addressed, it was deemed timely for the Board to again consider a recommendation regarding the installation of synthetic surfaces in each school’s stadium.

The Board received a report from the Stadium Surfaces Committee that was formed to further investigate artificial surfaces at its February 28, 2008 meeting. (http://www.d211.org/pdf/stadium_surfaces_report.pdf.) The Committee completed five surface committee meetings and three sub-committee meetings looking into the areas of stadium usage, maintenance, and safety. While the Committee has come to recognize the significant benefit of installing synthetic fields from an increased usage perspective, extensive work has been done to address safety, drainage, maintenance and funding considerations.

Following discussion at the February 28 meeting, the Board authorized the Superintendent to seek proposals to engage engineering services for site plans, storm water management, and permit work for stadium sites at Fremd and Schaumburg High Schools at a cost not to exceed $27,000.

The Superintendent also recommended continued work by the Committee to develop product selection specifications (turf types, fiber, backing systems, track surface, infill materials, user interface, maintenance, warranty, drainage, base materials, lines/markings), as well as administration and Committee members to begin discussion of potential projects with student groups, booster and band groups, faculty and coaches, and other interested parties to gain input and perspective of support for projects. (http://www.d211.org/pdf/stadium_surface_parent_meetings.pdf)

Stadium Artificial Surfaces FAQ

Additional Information

Stadium Surface Committee Information
Stadium Surface Information

Stadium Artificial Surfaces Presentation (PowerPoint - requires Microsoft Powerpoint software)

District 211 Bond Rating Upgraded by Standard & Poor's
Standard & Poor’s (S&P) is a nationally recognized statistical rating organization that issues credit ratings for both public and private sector entities. Since 2001, District 211 has maintained an...

District 211 Bond Rating Upgraded by Standard & Poor's

Standard & Poor’s (S&P) is a nationally recognized statistical rating organization that issues credit ratings for both public and private sector entities. Since 2001, District 211 has maintained an “AA” credit rating from S&P, while prior to 2001, the District utilized the rating services of Moody’s Investor Services for credit analysis. In 1998, the District’s credit rating from Moody’s was down graded to “Aa2” from “Aa1.” For purposes of comparison, the Moody’s downgrade of “Aa2” in 1998 was equivalent to a rating of “AA” from S&P.

Due to the District’s favorable change in financial performance and reserve levels over the past few years, a rating was sought by S&P on January 25, 2008. Board President Robert LeFevre, Superintendent Roger Thornton, and Associate Superintendent David Torres participated in a financial analysis review with two credit analysts from S&P. On February 6, 2008, the District was informed by S&P that District 211’s credit rating was upgraded to “AA+,” restoring the District’s credit rating to the 1996 level. The rating upgrade was based primarily on a recognized material change in the District’s financial performance over multiple-year projections, fund balance levels, debt service management, and continued strong economic factors in our area.

A complete copy of the S&P rating publication was presented to the Board of Education at its February 14 meeting and is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/s-p_rating_rationale.pdf.

MRSA Info
Information, FAQ and important web links to help keep you up-to-date on MRSA..

MRSA Info

MRSA – Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)

Recently, there have been sporadic cases of MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus) reported in Illinois, some among student-athletes. The health and safety of all District 211 students and staff is our top priority. We’d like to address any concerns you may have by sharing the following information.

What is MRSA (or Staph)?
It is a type of bacteria. According to the Cook County Department of Public Health, it may cause skin infections that look like pimples or boils; may be red, swollen, painful, or have drainage. Some are resistant to certain antibiotics.

How is it spread?
According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, it is easily spread by contaminated hands, by contact with contaminated objects and surfaces, and by contact with secretions from infected skin lesions, wounds, and nasal discharge. It is often spread within crowded conditions, as with athletes, the military, and crowded living conditions.

How serious are Staph Infections?
Most Staph skin infections are easily treatable. It is very important, however, to see your healthcare provider and follow all directions. If after treatment, there is not improvement within several days, inform your healthcare provider immediately.

Are there precautions to prevent infection?
Practicing good hygiene is one of the most important things to control and prevent the spread of staph and other infections. The Health Department recommends the following measures:
• Keep hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• Do not share personal items like towels, razors, or water bottles
• Avoid any contact with others’ wounds; keep cuts or scrapes clean and bandaged

Students participating in contact sports or other activities that lead to close skin to skin contact should take additional precautions related to skin infections and hygiene:
• Student-athletes should shower immediately following exercise, practice, or a game
• Do not store wet, dirty clothing in lockers
• Do not share towels, clothing, or uniforms, or other personal equipment
• Keep equipment clean; launder towels, uniforms, gym clothing, etc. frequently
• Keep cuts, abrasions, and wounds covered with clean, dry bandages
• Report any cuts, abrasions, or wounds to the coaching staff, trainer, and/or school nurse

What are our schools doing to protect students and staff?
As always, District 211 schools are sanitized and disinfected daily; they are cleaned every evening, using a hospital-grade disinfectant known to kill the MRSA bacteria on all high-touch areas (including desktops, light switches, doorknobs, drinking fountains, etc.).

What can I do?
Remind your child to take precautions. Good hygiene is the best defense against any illness. If your child develops a skin infection, get medical attention promptly.

If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the principal’s office or your high school’s nurse.

For further information:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/ar_mrsa_ca_public.html
http://www.idph.state.il.us/public/hb/hbmrsa.htm
http://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/
http://www.cookcountypublichealth.org/PDF/MRSApublicinfo101907.pdf
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAinSchools/

War Veteran Recieves Diploma

Diploma for Korean War Veteran

At the January 17, 2008 Board of Education meeting, long-time District 211 resident William A. Miotke was presented a Chicago Public Schools’ Korean Conflict Veteran High School Diploma. Illinois law requires that any diploma awarded to a veteran be from the high school in which they were last enrolled. Mr. Miotke had his education at Taft High School interrupted in order to serve our country in the military. He also was recognized for his years of service in the military with a plaque from the Board of Education.

comments made by Superintendent Roger Thornton

click on pictures below to enlarge

Two District 211 schools named among finalists for 2008 Grammy Signature Schools

Two District 211 schools named among finalists for 2008 GRAMMY Signature Schools

William Fremd High School’s and Schaumburg High School’s Music Departments were named among the finalists in the 2008 GRAMMY Signature Schools Program. The program, sponsored by the GRAMMY Foundation, recognizes public high schools for outstanding commitment to music education.

Schools selected as finalists will compete for up to 40 spots to be named as GRAMMY Signature Schools, of which some will be honored as Gold Recipients, and one will be named the National GRAMMY School. All GRAMMY Signature Schools receive monetary grant awards ranging from $1,000 to $25,000.

Twice recognized as a GRAMMY Signature School, Fremd High School was named a 2007 GRAMMY Signature School, marking the second time in three years that the school was honored by the GRAMMY Foundation. This year marks the fifth consecutive time that Schaumburg High School has been named among the finalists, being honored with a 2004 GRAMMY Signature School Award.

For additional information, visit http://www.GRAMMYintheschools.com.

Schaumburg High School Art Progam Award

Schaumburg High School named Art Education Program of the Year

The Illinois Art Education Association (IAEA) has named Schaumburg High School as the Art Education Program of the Year for 2007. This achievement recognizes the Schaumburg High School art department’s dedication and commitment to providing quality education for students in the visual arts.

IAEA Vice President Barbara Bernard stated in her congratulatory correspondence “Your department’s own creativity and continued growth contribute in a positive way to enrich the visual art contents of what you teach your students. Enhancing the ability of your students to communicate their ideas and feelings through their work and introducing them to the world beyond their immediate environment is clearly central to the way you teach. Through the work of your department and the work of your students, you have demonstrated the benefits of a conscientious dedication to excellence in teaching.”

The annual award was presented at the IAEA conference in Chicago on October 26, 2007. Schaumburg High School art department teachers are Heidi Tincknell (chair), Anita Govic, Gerry James, Kim Shade, and Jackie Settipani.

click picture to enlarge

Schaumburg High School Art Department -
Back Row (Left to Right): Kim Shade, Gerry James, Anita Govic;
Front Row (Left to Right): Heidi Tincknell (Chair), Jackie Settipani.

Note: The IAEA is an association for the art educators of Illinois. The organization has been serving the children and art educators of Illinois for 59 years by providing professional development for educators through workshops, conferences, grants, exhibition opportunities, facilitating communication, promoting conditions for the effective teaching of art, and working to influence educational change and reform.

New Teachers Contract Approved

Negotiations Update

Updated November 12, 2007

Posted November 12, 2007 p.m.

Review of the 2007-2009 Contract
Approved by Township High School Board of Education and District 211 Teachers Union

In its basic terms, the contract provides for a 3.25% increase to the base salary for the 2007-2008 school year (Attachment #9 & Attachment #10) along with a lump sum payment of 0.7%. The second year of the contract provides a base salary increase equal to the CPI-U (Consumer Price Index All Urban Consumers) of calendar year 2007, plus a lump sum amount of 1.2%. The base salary increase for 2007-2008 and the lump sum amounts for both years were less than the first two years of the Board proposed three-year contract. Basing the second year’s base salary increase on CPI-U may provide a different level of increase than that proposed by either the Union or the District, but it accomplishes a major goal of the District which is to keep salary costs in the same range as revenue increases. District 211’s revenue increases are tied directly to CPI-U.

Tuition reimbursement was increased to $300 per semester hour for 2007-2008 and to $320 per semester hour for 2008-2009. If the actual cost is less than the established rate, the amount actually billed to the student is reimbursed. In instances where public university courses are not available within a 50 mile radius, additional amounts will be reimbursed up to 60% of the cost differential. However, such coursework must have prior approval of the Principal and Superintendent.

The final increase for the PPO-2 health insurance option will be split between the two school years with 3.2% of the final 5% increase to occur in 2007-2008 and the final 1.8% in 2008-2009.

Summer school rates of pay were increased to a range of $38.25 to $46.25 in the summer of 2008 and a range of $39.25 to $47.25 in the summer of 2009. National Board Certified Teachers will receive a local stipend of $700 per year.

The contract also establishes Teacher Assistant and Non-Certified Nurses’ pay for the two school years. Teacher Assistant pay will range from $14.35 to $21.92 per hour in 2007-2008, with the 2008-2009 pay level adjusted by the CPI-U. Non-certified nurses will receive an hourly rate of $28.25 for the 2007-2008 school year.

The terms of the contract permit the District’s salary and fringe benefit costs to remain within the revenue stream of the CPI-U increase. As was promised during the referendum, the settlement will be paid from normal revenue increases and no referendum monies will be utilized to fund the salary increases. Further, the lump sum payments are directly related to the avoidance of cost increases in our health insurance program and are being shared with employees. Both the salary amounts and the lump sum amounts are budgeted within the salary account in the District’s budget.
The District’s health insurance costs have remained relatively flat for three years due to lesser cost options selected by our staff and/or higher premium payments by District 211 employees. If no adjustments had been made in the District’s health insurance program in 2005, costs would likely be $4.5 million higher than projected for the 2007-2008 school year.

Bargaining of the Contract began in January 2007 and concluded November 6, 2007. Bargaining of the successor contract will likely begin in the Spring of 2009.

I wish to extend my thanks to the Board of Education, its bargaining team, and the Teachers Union bargaining team for their hard work that led to the settlement.

Roger Thornton, Superintendent
Township High School District 211

Attachment #9
Attachment #10

Posted November 7, 2007 a.m. (#14 below is taken from the FAQ page)

14. I read in the newspaper that teachers will be voting on the best offer. How will they, and we, know what is the best offer?

The one-year proposal and the three-year proposal were developed during bargaining and were outlined in the August 14, 2007, letter to the Union. The two-year proposal was developed during mediation over two days, November 5 and November 6. No assurance was given at the end of mediation early Wednesday, November 7, that any of the proposals will be voted upon at Wednesday evening’s Union meeting. The Union will determine if its membership is provided the opportunity to vote on one or all of the proposals.

One-Year Proposal
The one-year proposal provides for a 2.5% base salary increase, plus the step increase. The one-year offer is exhibited in Attachment 3 and Attachment 5 to this web site document. Seventy-three percent of District 211 teachers have already received their step increase and would receive total salary increases for the 2007-2008 school year, including both base salary and step increases, of 4.57% to 7.68%. The remaining teachers, who are at the top of their salary schedule lanes, would receive a 2.5% increase. Teachers at the top of the master’s degree schedule and above will receive from $97,968 to $110,466.

Two-Year Proposal
The two-year proposal provides for a 3.25% and a 2.5% base salary increase for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years, respectively, plus lump sum amounts of .75% and 1.20% in the respective years. The two-year offer is exhibited in Attachment 7 and Attachment 8 to this web site document. As with the other proposals, 73% of our teachers have already received the step increase. Under the two-year proposal, teachers who are not yet at the top of their salary schedule would receive total salary increases of 5.34% to 8.47% in 2007-2008 and 4.57% to 7.68% in 2008-2009, plus lump sum amounts of .75% in 2007-2008 and 1.2% in 2008-2009, respectively. Teachers who are at the top of their salary schedule with a master’s degree or higher would earn between $98,685 and $111,275 in 2008-2009 and between $101,152 and $114,057 in 2008-2009, plus the lump sum amounts.

Three-Year Proposal
The three-year proposal, which the Union asked the Board of Education to withdraw, is exhibited in Attachment 2 and Attachment 4 to this web site document and provides for base salary increases of 3.4%, 2.5%, and 2.5%, respectively, over the next three school years, plus lump sum amounts of .75%, 1.25% and 1.1%, respectively. As with the other proposals, 73% of our teachers have already received a step increase. Under the three-year proposal, teachers who are not yet at the top of their salary schedule will receive total salary increases of 6.24% to 9.38% in 2007-2008, 5.82% to 8.93% in 2008-2009, and 5.67% to 8.78% in 2009-2010. The remaining teachers, who are at the top of the schedules, will receive 3.4%, 2.5% and 2.5%, respectively in 2007-2008, 2008-2009, and 2009-2010, plus lump sum amounts equaling .75%, 1.25% and 1.1% in the respective school years. Top salaries in the masters degree and above columns will range from $98,828 to $111,436 in 2007-2008, from $101,299 to $114,222 in 2008-2009, and from $103,831 to $117,078 in 2009-2010. In addition, each teacher receiving these amounts will receive the lump sum amounts in each respective year.

The three-year proposal also provides for a partial delay in the premium increase that is scheduled to increase for the PPO-2 plan on January 1, 2008.

Attachment 2
Attachment 3
Attachment 4
Attachment 5
Attachment 7
Attachment 8

Letter to Parents Mailed October 23, 2007

Posted October 10, 2007

The Teachers Union and the District 211 Bargaining Team met for mediation on Tuesday, October 9. Mediation involves a third party appointed by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and is provided to unions and employers at no cost to facilitate agreements among the parties during difficult negotiations. Unfortunately, agreement was not reached between the parties.

Given the requests for information about the District’s proposals and offers toward settlement, we are posting several items to assist our public to be fully informed about the issues before us. First is a letter dated August 14, 2007, wherein the District’s general settlement proposal is set forth in Attachment #1 to this posting. This proposal was the District’s final and best offer after several months of negotiations and sought to address most of the Union’s requests.

The items that follow the letter (Attachment #1) are the proposed salary schedules for a three-year agreement (Attachment #2) and for a one-year agreement (Attachment #3). Accompanying those schedules are charts listing the salary increase teachers at each step would receive this year and, in the case of the three-year agreement, for the following two school years (Attachment #4 and Attachment#5).

The three-year salary proposal includes lump sum payments. Two aspects of the lump sum amounts are of note: 1.) These lump sum amounts share with employees the greater than anticipated savings with the health insurance plan adopted under the present contract; and, 2.) the amounts do not compound and are one-time payments. Should similar savings not occur in future years, the District will not have incorporated those lump-sum amounts in its salary schedules that compound annually.

The District’s base salary increases for the three-year proposal are based on the CPI driven tax revenues anticipated to be received by the District. This assures that the base salary expenditure remains within the District’s annual revenue growth. The District’s proposal for one-year equals the present CPI and is less than the first year of the three-year proposal due to uncertainty of costs of health insurance if the current plan is not assured of continuation thru a multi-year agreement.

Following the salary information is a chart demonstrating District 211’s position among sixteen area high school districts in terms of our average teachers’ salary and its ranking in 2004 and 2006, as well as similar information about the average administrator salary for that same period of time (Attachment #6).

District 211 is fortunate to have a caring, competent and highly qualified staff. The District’s Board of Education has a commitment to fairly compensate the staff while honoring its commitment to the taxpayers of the District to live within its revenue stream to ensure the long-term viability of the District’s programs for students. Given today’s economic environment, the Board of Education has offered a strong salary and benefit package to its employees with the knowledge that the fiscal strength of the District is in the best interests of its students, its employees, and its taxpayers. We will continue to work within the parameters set forth to achieve an agreement with the Teachers’ Union.

Roger Thornton, Superintendent
Township High School District 211

Attachment 1
Attachment 2
Attachment 3
Attachment 4
Attachment 5
Attachment 6

Follow-up to Bargaining News Article

Posted September 14, 2007

Though collective negotiations are usually best conducted between the two parties until an agreement is reached, Thursday, September 13th’s Daily Herald featured a front page article that included a headline stating that bargaining between the District and the Teachers Union is heading toward a strike. That article and headline have prompted a level of concern among the public that needs to be addressed. Please consider the following:

A contract between the District and the Teachers Union remains in effect thru June 2008. The salary for the 2007-2008 school year is the only re-opener and the contract states, “The Union shall not cause or engage in or sanction any strike or other concentrated effort to provide less than full service to the district during the term of this contract.”
Bargaining has been underway since January 2007. Many sessions have been held and many issues addressed. The Board of Education, in response to the Union’s latest proposal in August, provided a final and best offer via written letter on August 14, 2007.
The Board of Education’s final and best offer provides for a strong salary offer but, very importantly, it permits the District’s salary expenditures to remain within the Consumer Price Index (CPI) trend of its revenue. During the referendum, the District made a commitment to contain its controllable expenditures to the increase of the CPI so that the District would not soon again find itself spending more than its annual increase in revenue.
As reported by the Illinois State Board of Education, the District continued to strengthen the position of its average teacher salary among comparable area school districts during the years since the referendum. For example, among 16 area high school districts in 2004, District 211’s average teacher’s salary ranked 5th. In 2006, District 211’s average teacher salary among those same 16 high school districts ranked 3rd. During that same period of time, District 211’s average administrator salary as compared to those same 16 high school districts moved from 7th in 2004 to 13th in 2006. Both the teacher salary amounts and the administrator salary amounts include required contributions to the state retirement system.
Information in the article was accurate but incomplete in describing the Board’s final and best offer. The Board offered a 3.4% increase to the base salary in 2007-2008, a 2.5% increase to the base salary for 2008-2009, and a 2.5% increase to the base salary for 2009-2010. Not included or described were the step increases that all teachers except those at the top receive annually. For most teachers not at the top of the schedule, the step increases would add an additional increase of approximately 3% to the base increase. So, for teachers not at the top of the salary schedule, the total increase includes the base increase plus the step increase. Teachers at the top of the schedule, who would receive the base increase of 3.4% or 2.5% (but not the step increase) depending upon the school year, are at the $95,000 to $107,000 salary level.
Also not included in the article were the lump sum amounts additional to the percentage increases offered as compensation for the larger than expected savings from the new health insurance plan instituted under the present agreement. Under the Board’s offer, each teacher would receive a lump sum payment of .75% of their teaching salary on November 15, 2007; a 1.25% lump sum payment of their teaching salary on November 15, 2008; and, a 1.1% lump sum payment of their teaching salary on November 15, 2009.
The Board of Education has been strengthening its cash reserves thru the referendum proceeds as it committed to do. These reserves provide the District with the ability to avoid cutting programs and/or staff should tax collections be less than expected in a given year. The reserves also permit the District to avoid the need for temporary and costly borrowing for operational costs in anticipation of receipt of property tax proceeds which are sometimes delayed.

Extremely important to an understanding of the Board of Education’s position on bargaining with all of our employees are the following points:

Quality education is dependent upon high quality and highly competent employees at every level. The quality of teachers in District 211 is very high and the District has always understood that competitive salaries are important in attracting and retaining high quality teachers. The Board of Education highly values our teachers and all employees who work with students. The Board’s offer is designed to reward and retain our strong teaching staff while continuing to position District 211 as a highly competitive school district in attracting the very best and brightest in the years ahead.
Under Illinois law, District 211’s revenue is controlled by the increase in the CPI. Whenever a school district’s spending obligations exceed the CPI, that school district is likely spending monies it will not be able to sustain. The District 211 Board of Education committed to its taxpayers that, if the referendum passed in 2005, it would carefully shepherd the dollars so that taxpayers would not face another referendum request. The Board’s final and best offer is as far as the Board can go while keeping that commitment.
Some point to strong cash reserves as a place to get additional monies for higher salaries. Any District that spends its cash reserves for ongoing salary commitments is similar to a family that spends its savings account on everyday things. When the savings account runs dry, cuts have to be made. In a school district, those cuts impact students and student programs along with staff that have to be dismissed. The Board of Education is committed to live within the normal growth in the revenue stream.

Though the District does not wish to bargain in public, it is sometimes necessary to share the District’s perspective on issues so that our public can know why the Board of Education has taken a particular stand on an issue or made a particular proposal that impacts both the schools and those who pay the taxes to permit our schools to remain strong.

Roger Thornton, Superintendent and Bargaining Spokesperson
Township High School District 211

Recent Questions & Answers Regarding Negotiations (FAQ)
Updated November 7, 2007 p.m.

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D211 Heart Walk A Success! - See pix

Heartwalk 2007

Below are links to various slideshow versions of the
Township High School District 211 Heartwalk for 2007

Please note: These files contain 122 photos, and may
take several minutes to download to your computer.

Windows Media Player - SMALL version
(also a very large file size, but loads fairly fast. Please adjust your
Windows Media Player to a SMALL window or the picture will be very fuzzy!)

Flash slideshow version 1 (Probably the fastest to load. Click on any picture to enlarge and print.)

Windows Media Player - VERY LARGE version
(this is an extremely large file - 226 mb's, and will take considerable time to download)

Instruction and Finance in District 211

At its August 16, 2007 meeting, the Board of Education approved the establishment of a Board Committee of the Whole. Meetings will be held twice a year, with two major points of focus: education and finance. These meetings will not only afford Board members an additional opportunity to review aspects of the educational plan that directly impact financial decisions, but also provide a forum for community members to readily access valuable information about District 211.

The first meeting was held on October 25, 2007, at Palatine High School.

Instructional Presentation
Associate Superintendent Nancy Robb presented instructional information to the Board of Education, followed by discussion and a question and answer period. The complete instructional presentation can be viewed at: http://www.d211.org/instructional_presentation_10-25-07.shtml.

Financial Presentation
Following the instructional presentation, Associate Superintendent for Business David Torres presented financial information to the Board of Education. A question and answer period followed with discussion by the Board. The complete financial presentation is available at: http://www.d211.org/financial_presentation_10-25-07.shtml.

Community Newsletter
Additionally, the information presented at the meeting has been incorporated into a mailing to all District residents, providing a communication vehicle to keep the communities District 211 serves informed about important instructional and financial matters. The special newsletter was mailed on Friday, November 9, 2007, and should be delivered to residents within two weeks. A copy of the newsletter is available at: http://www.d211.org/pdf/community_news11-07.pdf.

Information on senior final exam exemption with regards to PSAE

Updated: May 16, 2008

At it's May 15, 2008 meeting, the Board of Education approved the Superintendent's recommendation to set aside the condition of passing the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) as stated in Board policy for the Class of 2008.

The Board also asked that its Policy Committee review Policy IKAA Student Final Examinations as it relates to IEP and ELL students, and bring additional information for discussion to the Board of Education.

Posted: May 8, 2008

District 211 Students and Parents of the Class of 2008:

Three students, along with the signatures and presence of many more, and one parent approached the Township High School District 211 Board of Education at its April 24, 2008, meeting to request a review of the Board policy requiring passage of the Prairie State Achievement Examination (PSAE) as a condition of exemption from second semester final exams as seniors. Given the time frame of the review, it is necessary to respond to the requests in a timely manner.

I wish to respond to the requests by beginning with a brief review of the history of second semester senior final exam exemptions and the rationale for making the PSAE one of the criteria.

The Board of Education, at its September 30, 1993 meeting, approved the following criteria to qualify a senior for an exemption from second semester final examinations:

Has at least a “C” average in the course,
Has less than six absences from the class,
Has never been truant from the class,
Has never been suspended from the class, and,
Is not incomplete on assignments required by the teacher.

That policy remains in effect and, in 2007, each high school had the following percentage of seniors take final examinations:

Palatine High School
Fremd High School
Conant High School
Schaumburg High School
Hoffman Estates High School

33.6%
28%
28.7%
38%
31.3%

Senior students required to complete final exams return after graduation to complete the required tests and their diplomas are provided to them upon passing the examination(s) in question. The concept of permitting the tests to be completed prior to the graduation ceremony, as proposed at the April 24 meeting, was attempted at a point in time in District 211, but significant test administration problems ensued and the practice was discontinued. At present, we do not favor such a practice given the end-of-course testing practices of the District, the difficulty and cost of devising two equally challenging tests that would treat seniors and other students fairly, and the serious difficulty of administering tests in a separate setting while other members of the class are in the final days of test preparation. Thus, the practice of requiring seniors who are required to take examinations to return after graduation when the examination is administered to all students remains in effect.

On March 23, 2006, the administration recommended adding passage of the PSAE to the criteria for examination exemptions. The Board of Education approved the change. The recommendation and Board action followed a lengthy discussion among the Administrative Council members along with survey results from 2,416 juniors (Class of 2007). The survey results indicated that 45.5% of the respondents viewed inclusion of the requirement as a Very Important incentive to pass the PSAE while an additional 23.3% viewed it as Important.

Given the importance of high academic achievement, the recommendation was forwarded by the Superintendent and was acted upon by the Board. Board policy was updated to reflect the change. Communication of that change in parent newsletters, student sign-off at the start of the second semester and discussions with principals cause me to believe that no student or parent should have been surprised at the requirement within the last several months.

However, I am unable to assure the Board that every student knew of the requirement prior to taking the PSAE in their junior year of high school. Prior knowledge of the requirement is a reasonable expectation by students and parents. It is my view that we did not meet that expectation.

In addition, we have long been on record about concerns with the structure and results of the PSAE. We know, for example, that 440 students in the Class of 2008 achieved a score of 19 or higher on the ACT, but did not pass the PSAE. (One student, for example, received a score of 29 and did not pass PSAE.) An additional 160 students achieved an 18 on the ACT and did not pass the PSAE. An ACT score of 19 is strong enough to gain entry into most Illinois regional public universities, and an 18 is strong enough to gain entry into at least one Illinois regional public university.

Because of the seeming disparity for so many of our students between their ACT scores of 18 or higher and their failure to pass the PSAE (600 students in total), along with a number of other concerns with the entire PSAE structure, it seems disingenuous for us to require passage of the PSAE as a condition of exemption from final examinations at this time. Thus, I will be recommending to the Board of Education at its May 15, 2008 meeting that the requirement of passing the PSAE as a condition of final examination exemption be set aside. All other conditions for exam exemption will remain in effect for the Class of 2008.

The May 15 recommendation will include a proposed letter to the Illinois State Board of Education requesting their expedited and focused review of our previously presented concerns with regards to the PSAE.

Roger Thornton
Superintendent

District 211 News

Board Approves 2008-2009 Amended Budget

2008-2009 Amended Budget

Energy Management Program Recognition – $3.4 million in energy savings for District 211

High School District 211 makes a difference!

Gifted Education Project Expo was held at Conant High School on May 26

Flu Health Information - Update printable version

Morning Work Sessions (Student Late Start Days)

High School District 211 Board of Education makes appointment to fill vacant seat (posted March 20, 2009)

Adoption of 2008 Tax Levy & Tax Abatement

More info

Adult Transition Program Pilot approved

District 211 Students Perfect on ACT

Explore Text

(Incoming Freshman Placement Test)

Enhancement of Incoming Freshman Summer School Initiative

District 211 Students Perfect on ACT

High School District 211 represented among I.S.B.E. 2008 "Those Who Excel" award recipients

District 211 PSAE Appeal

Adoption of 2008 Tax Levy & Tax Abatement

More info

Board of Education Adopts 2008-2009 Budget

Morning Work Sessions (Student Late Start Days)

District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant

District 211 schools to host annual Open Houses

High School District 211 represented among I.S.B.E. 2008 "Those Who Excel" award recipients

Motorola Foundation grant to help fund District 211 engineering program equipment

District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant

High School District 211 Names New Superintendent

Building Construction program

District 211 Student Perfect on SAT

District 211 Awarded $1 Million American History Grant

Stadium Surfaces

Stadium Artificial Surfaces FAQ

Additional Information

District 211 Bond Rating Upgraded by Standard & Poor's

MRSA Info

MRSA – Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (Staph)

Diploma for Korean War Veteran

Two District 211 schools named among finalists for 2008 GRAMMY Signature Schools

Schaumburg High School named Art Education Program of the Year

Negotiations Update

Updated November 12, 2007

Follow-up to Bargaining News Article

Heartwalk 2007

Instruction and Finance in District 211

Information on senior final exam exemption with regards to PSAE

Announcement Line High School District 211 has a courtesy announcement line containing information and dates. The announcement line, provided as a service to community members, can be accessed by calling (847) 755-6635.

Flu Health Information - Update
printable version

Announcement Line
High School District 211 has a courtesy
announcement line containing information and dates.
The announcement line, provided as a service
to community members, can be accessed
by calling (847) 755-6635.