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Warsaw schools face big expenses
by diane vance /gate city staff writer
WARSAW, Ill. - Warsaw School District is in good financial shape, board President Don Roskamp said Thursday after reviewing the fund balances for the year.
A tentative budget for the 2007-2008 school year will be presented at the regular August meeting. A public hearing is scheduled at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, before the school board adopts the budget.
There are some big expenses coming up. And Illinois school districts do not know how much money the Legislature will appropriate because the state budget has not been passed.
“We'll look at using our savings account until the local property tax receipts come in and the Legislature passes the budget,” said Superintendent Kim Schilson.
She asked the board to authorize her to look at ways to finance replacing the 1957 roof in a year, estimated to cost $350,000 to $400,000.
The elementary air and heating system needs repairs now.
“We've had others (contractors) work on the system, and we were never told about the problem that's been identified now,” said Steve Lucie, board member on the building committee.
A new contractor is working on an estimate for repairs and/or replacement. The unit is nine-or-10 years-old.
“One problem is with the gas heat exchange,” said Lucie. “It could be soot build-up that just needs cleaning. It could be cracked. There are two heat exchanges.”
Roskamp noted that if one is cracked, the district would be half way to replacing the unit.
Lucie said the flexible ducting that brings air from the unit into the rooms is missing in some places, which leaves the air conditioning or heat to just blow around in the attic space. A control set also is malfunctioning. The system needs a proper by-pass so each room can be individually controlled.
Board member Todd Hardy, also on the building committee, said a rough estimate to replace the elementary HVAC is $80,000.
“We should approve repairing things that will not be lost if we have to end up replacing the unit,” said Roskamp.
The board authorized spending up to $25,000 for three projects on the elementary HVAC to get the system functioning before school starts Aug. 20.
Lucie shared a list of building and maintenance projects that have been completed this summer, which included resurfacing the track; carpeting more elementary rooms; painting some rooms, playground equipment and the football field restrooms; new wood chips added to the playground; asphalt drives sealed and painted; the football field fertilized but not seeded because it's been too dry; football field lights and fence worked on; and a district employee is working on repairing the siding above the brick on the elementary building.
“Thanks to board members Don Roskamp and Jon Hofmeister, we saved money because they used their trucks to haul the wood chips to the playground,” said Schilson. “And kids helped paint the playground.”
Schilson said the district earned an “A” on its recent life/safety compliance visit.
“Not many districts earn an ‘A'” she said. “There are a few notes and we will complete these before school starts.”
Those notes include a fire alarm in the music room; a fire detector in the greenhouse; and new, non-slip tread on the stairwell to the auto shop.
School Improvement Plan
In the 2005-2006 school year the school board, administration and staff developed a three-year School Improvement Plan.
“This is the last year of that plan and it's time to evaluate and make a new plan,” said Schilson.
This last year, 2007-2008 of the plan, includes:
New computers and server for the high school lab if REAP funding is available. The elementary used REAP funding in 2005-2006 for new computers.
Deactivation plans with Nauvoo-Colusa with a possible Feb. 5, 2008 vote.
Mandatory bleacher inspections.
Possible two or three busses for delivery on July 1, 2008.
Co-op agreements between Hamilton, Nauvoo-Colusa and Warsaw to have girls basketball and softball and all sports in 2008-2009 three-way Titans co-op this year pending approval from West Prairie Trails Conference and IHSA (Illinois High School Association).
“Do you want to begin putting together another three-year plan now or wait until after the Feb. 5 vote?” Schilson asked the board.
Board members said to wait until after the district knows if deactivation plans will go forward or not.
Elementary handbook
Schilson, who also is the pre-K-5 principal, shared changes in the elementary handbook for 2007-2008 the board adopted:
Visitors will not be permitted at meals.
“It's a safety issue,” she said. “We keep doors locked during school and require visitors to check-in with the office. It doesn't make sense to allow anyone to walk in during meals.”
Head lice is removed from the health section and simplified guidelines are included elsewhere in the handbook.
“We're asking parents to check their children often,” said Schilson.
School will dismiss at 3:05 p.m. instead of 3:10 p.m.
“We're moving dismissal up a little earlier in the high school, too, for co-ops,” said Schilson. “After sports practices, we want students riding the bus to get home at a decent time.”
Added a section on bullying that follows what Warsaw Middle School uses. Elementary teachers have taken staff development training on bullying issues.
Under items brought to school, things not allowed include cell phones. No toys are allowed on the playgrounds without playground supervisor approval.
No roller skate shoes are allowed in school.
Citizens of the Month will now include K-2; Students of the Month will be grades 3-5.
The board also approved a request from the city to allow a group of canoeists traveling from Minnesota to Hannibal, Mo., to be bused from the riverfront to the school and use the locker rooms to shower.
A tentative budget for the 2007-2008 school year will be presented at the regular August meeting. A public hearing is scheduled at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, before the school board adopts the budget.
There are some big expenses coming up. And Illinois school districts do not know how much money the Legislature will appropriate because the state budget has not been passed.
“We'll look at using our savings account until the local property tax receipts come in and the Legislature passes the budget,” said Superintendent Kim Schilson.
She asked the board to authorize her to look at ways to finance replacing the 1957 roof in a year, estimated to cost $350,000 to $400,000.
The elementary air and heating system needs repairs now.
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A new contractor is working on an estimate for repairs and/or replacement. The unit is nine-or-10 years-old.
“One problem is with the gas heat exchange,” said Lucie. “It could be soot build-up that just needs cleaning. It could be cracked. There are two heat exchanges.”
Roskamp noted that if one is cracked, the district would be half way to replacing the unit.
Lucie said the flexible ducting that brings air from the unit into the rooms is missing in some places, which leaves the air conditioning or heat to just blow around in the attic space. A control set also is malfunctioning. The system needs a proper by-pass so each room can be individually controlled.
Board member Todd Hardy, also on the building committee, said a rough estimate to replace the elementary HVAC is $80,000.
“We should approve repairing things that will not be lost if we have to end up replacing the unit,” said Roskamp.
The board authorized spending up to $25,000 for three projects on the elementary HVAC to get the system functioning before school starts Aug. 20.
Lucie shared a list of building and maintenance projects that have been completed this summer, which included resurfacing the track; carpeting more elementary rooms; painting some rooms, playground equipment and the football field restrooms; new wood chips added to the playground; asphalt drives sealed and painted; the football field fertilized but not seeded because it's been too dry; football field lights and fence worked on; and a district employee is working on repairing the siding above the brick on the elementary building.
“Thanks to board members Don Roskamp and Jon Hofmeister, we saved money because they used their trucks to haul the wood chips to the playground,” said Schilson. “And kids helped paint the playground.”
Schilson said the district earned an “A” on its recent life/safety compliance visit.
“Not many districts earn an ‘A'” she said. “There are a few notes and we will complete these before school starts.”
Those notes include a fire alarm in the music room; a fire detector in the greenhouse; and new, non-slip tread on the stairwell to the auto shop.
School Improvement Plan
In the 2005-2006 school year the school board, administration and staff developed a three-year School Improvement Plan.
“This is the last year of that plan and it's time to evaluate and make a new plan,” said Schilson.
This last year, 2007-2008 of the plan, includes:
New computers and server for the high school lab if REAP funding is available. The elementary used REAP funding in 2005-2006 for new computers.
Deactivation plans with Nauvoo-Colusa with a possible Feb. 5, 2008 vote.
Mandatory bleacher inspections.
Possible two or three busses for delivery on July 1, 2008.
Co-op agreements between Hamilton, Nauvoo-Colusa and Warsaw to have girls basketball and softball and all sports in 2008-2009 three-way Titans co-op this year pending approval from West Prairie Trails Conference and IHSA (Illinois High School Association).
“Do you want to begin putting together another three-year plan now or wait until after the Feb. 5 vote?” Schilson asked the board.
Board members said to wait until after the district knows if deactivation plans will go forward or not.
Elementary handbook
Schilson, who also is the pre-K-5 principal, shared changes in the elementary handbook for 2007-2008 the board adopted:
Visitors will not be permitted at meals.
“It's a safety issue,” she said. “We keep doors locked during school and require visitors to check-in with the office. It doesn't make sense to allow anyone to walk in during meals.”
Head lice is removed from the health section and simplified guidelines are included elsewhere in the handbook.
“We're asking parents to check their children often,” said Schilson.
School will dismiss at 3:05 p.m. instead of 3:10 p.m.
“We're moving dismissal up a little earlier in the high school, too, for co-ops,” said Schilson. “After sports practices, we want students riding the bus to get home at a decent time.”
Added a section on bullying that follows what Warsaw Middle School uses. Elementary teachers have taken staff development training on bullying issues.
Under items brought to school, things not allowed include cell phones. No toys are allowed on the playgrounds without playground supervisor approval.
No roller skate shoes are allowed in school.
Citizens of the Month will now include K-2; Students of the Month will be grades 3-5.
The board also approved a request from the city to allow a group of canoeists traveling from Minnesota to Hannibal, Mo., to be bused from the riverfront to the school and use the locker rooms to shower.
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| Around the Tri-State Area this weekend | 40th annual Western Ill. Threshers show set Aug. 3-5 |
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