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Voters to decide deactivation issue
by diane vance/gate city staff writer
WARSAW, Ill. - The Warsaw School Board voted 5-1 Tuesday to place the question of deactivating on the Feb. 5 ballot.
Board member Jon Hofmeister was opposed and Tanya Thurman was absent. Board members Todd Hardy, Steve Lucie, Don Savage, Nick Capaldo and Don Roskamp voted yes to put the question to the community.
Warsaw School District is proposing deactivation of its junior high classes. Warsaw seventh and eighth grade students would attend school in Nauvoo-Colusa School District beginning in fall 2008.
The Nauvoo-Colusa School District is discussing deactivating its high school and sending its students in grades 9-12 to Warsaw in 2008. Deactivation has to be approved by a majority vote in both school districts.
The Nauvoo-Colusa School Board meets Monday. Tuesday is the deadline to notify the Hancock County Clerk to place the question on the Feb. 5 ballot.
Parents and community members have attended previous board meetings in both districts with questions about deactivation.
Warsaw Superintendent Kim Schilson prepared a fact sheet she handed out Tuesday to board members. Two or three community information meetings are planned in each school district before Feb. 5 to answer questions and give information to residents.
The resolution to place Warsaw's question on the ballot includes a reason to deactivate is that the school board has determined it cannot afford to increase its curriculum offerings and may not be able to “generate sufficient funds to pay the cost of providing an efficient and adequate program to meet the educational needs of the students at Warsaw Junior High.”
“I don't want to deactivate our junior high school,” said Hofmeister. “I think the decision is too premature. I have nothing against Nauvoo-Colusa; its a fine school district. I don't like the travel time involved for our students, it's a distance thing. I'm not convinced the proposed pluses outweigh the negatives.”
Warsaw staff have timed bus routes for every student eligible to ride the bus. One student would have a 66-minute bus ride each morning; everyone else would ride shorter than an hour.
If deactivation is approved in both districts, Warsaw's 61 seventh and eighth grade students would attend classes in the Nauvoo-Colusa Junior High/High School building, with Nauvoo-Colusa's 55 junior high students, creating a 116-student body.
A proposed daily schedule begins at 8:15 a.m. with homeroom for 15 minutes. Another 10-minute homeroom is added at the end of the day. School dismisses at 2:50 p.m.
“We divided homeroom into two time slots,” said Schilson. “Students can check in with teachers about homework before leaving school for the day.”
Warsaw is proposing the eight-block system for junior high. The two school districts are continuing work together on a contract for deactivation.
Warsaw junior high bus students would arrive back at Warsaw High School by 3:30 p.m. or if involved with extra-curricular activities, would arrive back at Warsaw at 5:10 p.m. at the latest. Students would then board other buses to arrive home.
Junior high sports practices could begin at 3 p.m. and must be over by 5 p.m. The same sports offered now will continue: Volleyball, baseball, boys and girls basketball and track. Nauvoo-Colusa will host all junior high sports with games split between schools if possible.
Deactivation could provide broader curriculum
Junior high curriculum offerings could expand. The same five core classes will continue: English, math, history, science and P.E.
Electives could expand from Warsaw's reading, chorus, citizenship, band, keyboarding and art to include short stories and novels; creative writing; jazz band; pre-algebra; math lab; geography; current events; government; ecology and conservation; basic forensic science; health; life skills; home economics; introduction to crop and livestock management; introduction to agricultural occupations; foreign language; and desktop publishing.
“We won't know what all can be offered until students sign-up,” said Schilson. “Not all of these would be year-long classes. Parents will have to get involved with helping their students choose electives.
“We can't determine teaching expenses until students sign-up for specific classes. I do not see cutting any teachers. We could be adding.”
Lucie said the community is talking about rumors that property taxes will increase with deactivation.
“Our valuation is increasing. Our district is valued at $25 million. Kerry Asbridge estimates a 10 percent increase to $28 million in 12 months,” said Schilson. “Property taxes will not increase because of deactivation. Warsaw property taxes are for Warsaw and Nauvoo-Colusa property taxes are for Nauvoo-Colusa.”
Warsaw School District's levy for in fiscal year 2008 is $3.97 per $100 evaluation. Warsaw's rate will decrease in fiscal year 2009 to $3.90 because of the increased valuation. A public hearing about the tax levy is scheduled at the beginning of the next regular meeting at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 at the high school.
Board member Jon Hofmeister was opposed and Tanya Thurman was absent. Board members Todd Hardy, Steve Lucie, Don Savage, Nick Capaldo and Don Roskamp voted yes to put the question to the community.
Warsaw School District is proposing deactivation of its junior high classes. Warsaw seventh and eighth grade students would attend school in Nauvoo-Colusa School District beginning in fall 2008.
The Nauvoo-Colusa School District is discussing deactivating its high school and sending its students in grades 9-12 to Warsaw in 2008. Deactivation has to be approved by a majority vote in both school districts.
The Nauvoo-Colusa School Board meets Monday. Tuesday is the deadline to notify the Hancock County Clerk to place the question on the Feb. 5 ballot.
Parents and community members have attended previous board meetings in both districts with questions about deactivation.
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The resolution to place Warsaw's question on the ballot includes a reason to deactivate is that the school board has determined it cannot afford to increase its curriculum offerings and may not be able to “generate sufficient funds to pay the cost of providing an efficient and adequate program to meet the educational needs of the students at Warsaw Junior High.”
“I don't want to deactivate our junior high school,” said Hofmeister. “I think the decision is too premature. I have nothing against Nauvoo-Colusa; its a fine school district. I don't like the travel time involved for our students, it's a distance thing. I'm not convinced the proposed pluses outweigh the negatives.”
Warsaw staff have timed bus routes for every student eligible to ride the bus. One student would have a 66-minute bus ride each morning; everyone else would ride shorter than an hour.
If deactivation is approved in both districts, Warsaw's 61 seventh and eighth grade students would attend classes in the Nauvoo-Colusa Junior High/High School building, with Nauvoo-Colusa's 55 junior high students, creating a 116-student body.
A proposed daily schedule begins at 8:15 a.m. with homeroom for 15 minutes. Another 10-minute homeroom is added at the end of the day. School dismisses at 2:50 p.m.
“We divided homeroom into two time slots,” said Schilson. “Students can check in with teachers about homework before leaving school for the day.”
Warsaw is proposing the eight-block system for junior high. The two school districts are continuing work together on a contract for deactivation.
Warsaw junior high bus students would arrive back at Warsaw High School by 3:30 p.m. or if involved with extra-curricular activities, would arrive back at Warsaw at 5:10 p.m. at the latest. Students would then board other buses to arrive home.
Junior high sports practices could begin at 3 p.m. and must be over by 5 p.m. The same sports offered now will continue: Volleyball, baseball, boys and girls basketball and track. Nauvoo-Colusa will host all junior high sports with games split between schools if possible.
Deactivation could provide broader curriculum
Junior high curriculum offerings could expand. The same five core classes will continue: English, math, history, science and P.E.
Electives could expand from Warsaw's reading, chorus, citizenship, band, keyboarding and art to include short stories and novels; creative writing; jazz band; pre-algebra; math lab; geography; current events; government; ecology and conservation; basic forensic science; health; life skills; home economics; introduction to crop and livestock management; introduction to agricultural occupations; foreign language; and desktop publishing.
“We won't know what all can be offered until students sign-up,” said Schilson. “Not all of these would be year-long classes. Parents will have to get involved with helping their students choose electives.
“We can't determine teaching expenses until students sign-up for specific classes. I do not see cutting any teachers. We could be adding.”
Lucie said the community is talking about rumors that property taxes will increase with deactivation.
“Our valuation is increasing. Our district is valued at $25 million. Kerry Asbridge estimates a 10 percent increase to $28 million in 12 months,” said Schilson. “Property taxes will not increase because of deactivation. Warsaw property taxes are for Warsaw and Nauvoo-Colusa property taxes are for Nauvoo-Colusa.”
Warsaw School District's levy for in fiscal year 2008 is $3.97 per $100 evaluation. Warsaw's rate will decrease in fiscal year 2009 to $3.90 because of the increased valuation. A public hearing about the tax levy is scheduled at the beginning of the next regular meeting at 6:15 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 at the high school.
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