CAT Tracks for February 27, 2003 THE CAIRO CITIZEN REPORTS ON CSD #1

The February 27th edition of our local paper gave extensive reports on the monthly BOE meeting and the first FOP meeting...

Cairo board receives assurance district will be open through school year

The Cairo School District No. One will be able to operate through the end of the current school year.

This announcement was made by School Superintendent Dr. Robert Isom at the regular meeting of the Board of Education.

Isom reported that the Illinois State Board of Education was in Cairo Feb. 20 to meet with members of the Cairo Board of Education. While in Cairo, officials toured some of the buildings and spoke to community members and parents. This meeting, said Isom, was so the board members could get familiarized with the Cairo School District. The officials will be back later on a fact finding tour. State Board of Education officials gave Isom assurances that the district will be able to remain open through the end of the school year.

School Superintendent Dr. Robert Isom told the board that the Medicaid reimbursement cuts will be "another hit the district will be taking" stating that cuts will be somewhere between 60-90 percent.

Isom said that the district's llth grade students will be taking the Prairie State exams near the end of April.

Isom also told the board the Regional Office of Education will be hosting a School Board Candidate workshop on March 13 from 7-9 p.m. The workshop is also open for current school board members.

The board voted to change the date of the March 20 meeting to March 18.

In the treasurer's report, Isom reported that district's overall fund balances total $1,867,266.96.

Isom reported that the 24th General State Aid payment would be prorated at 83-85 percent. The district stands to lose $15-20,000 on the last state aid payment unless the legislature appropriates additional funding.

The Education Funding Advisory Board is supporting changes to improve state funding for school districts. The E-FAB states that the current funding is inadequate to provide a high quality education to students. The group also advocates changing school funding from property tax based to income tax based.

Isom told the board that the preliminary 2000 census figures show that 395 students in the district are from families below the poverty level. This figure is down 194 from 1990. That figure is what the state bases funding on, according to Isom. That loss, he said, amounts to $250 per student and will cost the district $48,500.

The E-FAB is asking that state aid not be based on census figures but on DHS figures, which includes those students whose families qualify for food stamps and free meals.

Using the DHS figures, the district would gain 69 students and about $17,250 in funding.

The board approved letters of extension on Health Life Safety grants for work not done on the buildings yet. Some work is underway, according to school officials, and some not yet started.

The district is considering moving the seventh and eighth grade students from the Junior High School to the High School and has asked the architect for a construction estimate to renovate the shop area and green hall to classrooms for those students. The architect estimates that it will cost $53,955 to covert those areas into classrooms. The board stated that some costs could be reduced by changing some items for the classrooms.

The board also voted to request an occupancy permit for work completed at the high school. According to Isom, before new carpet could be laid at the school, the district had to get a building permit. Now that the work is complete, the district is required to obtain an occupancy permit.

Building Reports

Emerson Elementary: Emerson had a 93 percent daily average attendance rate. The building currently houses about 263 students. The students sold more than $7,900 during their recent candle fund-raiser, netting the school a $2,973 profit. The students are now raising "Pennies for Patients", with funds to benefit leukemia and other cancer patients.

Bennett Elementary: Bennett reported a 91 percent average daily attendance and houses 189 students as of Feb. 20.

On Feb. 4, third, fourth and fifth grade students took a practice test and showed remarkable improvement from November.

In preparation for the ISAT test, students are participating in a Slam Dunk for ISAT, counting down the days until the ISAT.

Junior High School: The school reported a 90 percent average daily attendance, with 183 students enrolled.

The students completed their first fund-raiser for the year, raising $6,338.50 with a $3,169.25 profit.

High School: The Sporting a Winning Attitude award has been given to Danny Brown, according to school officials. He is the second of three high school coaches to receive the award. The school will host a HIV awareness assembly on March 6. School officials are working with other schools in the area to pool resources in offering classes where each school has a small class size in the course.

Truancy program

DeBran Sudduth and Tammy Terry reported to the board about the district's truancy program.

The two reported that the definition of a truant is a student "ages 7-16" who has three or more unexcused absences.

However, they are looking at all students in the district as the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes have a 31 percent absentee rate. To combat truancy at the early ages, they have created a letter to send to the parents of pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students outlining the truancy policy. They feel that if they can curb truancy in those ages now, then they will less likely to be truant as they get older.

Currently there is a seven percent truancy rate in the first grade; 23 percent in 2nd grade; 11 percent in the third grade; 13 percent in the fourth grade and 15 percent in the, fifth grade.

There have been 24 referrals from school officials at the junior high and 37 at the high school.

According to Sudduth, with the daytime curfew in place and the additional Cairo Police Officers, more students are likely to be in school.

The board was informed that Julian Watkins is running for State Beta Club Vice President. The board also approved transportation and meal money for students attending the Beta Club Convention in Champaign. The meal money will be minimal and will ensure all students have "something to eat", said Isom.

The board discussed applying for Act of God days to petition the state to forgive the days the district missed due to weather over the six emergency days budgeted in the school year. If the state board approves the Act of God days, the district won't have to make up the missed days. Isom told the board that if the district doesn't apply for Act of God days, the district would have to make provisions for making up those days. The state board of education has the option of disallowing Act of God petitions.

As of Feb. 20, if the district makes up the days missed, the last day of the school year will be June 9. If Act of God is granted, the last day would be June 5. The board voted to authorize Isom to petition for Act of God days.

Financial Oversight Panel holds first Cairo meeting

The Cairo Financial Oversight Panel met with members of the Cairo School District for the first time Feb. 25 at the Garrison Administrative building.

The panel, consisting of Chairman Jack Hill, Dave Hindman and Samuel Harbin, elected Hindman as FOP treasurer and Harbin as FOP secretary.

The fourth Thursday of each month was designated as the regular meeting date of the oversight panel. The panel will meet at 1 p.m. at the Garrison Administrative building.

Mark Mullens from the Illinois State Board of Education outlined the duties and responsibilities of the Cairo FOP, including:

• Panel members shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for travel and other necessary expenses in the performance of their official duties by the State Board.

• Exercise financial control over the board of education and when approved by the State Board and the State Superintendent of Education, to furnish financial assistance so that the board can provide public education within the board's jurisdiction while permitting the board to meet its obligations to its creditors and the holders of its notes and bonds.

• To appoint a Financial Administrator to serve as the chief executive officer of the Panel.

• To approve any and all bonds, notes, teachers orders, tax anticipation warrants and other evidences of indebtedness prior to issuance or sale by the school district.

• To approve all property tax levies of the school district and require adjustments if necessary.

• To require and approve a school district financial plan.

• To approve and require revisions of the school district budget.

• To approve all contracts and other obligations as the panel deems necessary and appropriate.

• To authorize emergency state financial assistance.

• To recommend dissolution or reorganization of the school district to the General Assembly if in the panel's judgment the circumstances so require.

• To direct a phased reduction in the oversight responsibilities of the Financial Administrator and of the panel as the circumstances permit.

• To determine the amount of emergency state financial assistance to be made available to the school district and to establish an operating budget for the panel to be supported by funds available from the assistance, with the assistance and budget required to be approved by the State Superintendent.

• To pay the expenses of its operations based on the panel's budget as approved by the State Superintendent from emergency financial assistance funds available to the district or from deductions from the district's general State Aid.

The district is eligible for a $250 grant per student. State figures show that the grant would equal approximately $231,250. The State Board of Education could also approve a $900,000 loan to the district but the loan would require further appropriation from the General Assembly. If the loan is approved, the district would be required to show in their financial plan how the loan will be paid back. The panel could create a tax levy to help repay the loan, approximately $.36 per $100, generating $70-75,000 per year to repay the loan. However state officials cautioned not to rely heavily on the loan, as it is difficult to receive.

The panel voted to approve a tentative FOP budget of $3,000. The panel reserves the right to amend the budget when a Financial Administrator is in place.

The school board members present were instructed they will approve the hiring and expenditures at their regular meetings but the approvals were not binding until approved by the panel at their regular meetings.

The panel received an overall district financial report at the meeting. According to the district's projected cash flow, without the emergency aid, the district is projecting a $445,404 deficit by the end of June. With the aid, the district is facing a projected $215,404 deficit. With the grant and a loan, the district could end the year with $270,596. That figure also includes the repayment of the tax anticipation warrants that were issued in January.

"This (deficit) is not something that can be fixed in one year," Mullens told both the FOP and the school board members.

Hill asked Isom if the district will have any extraordinary expenses in the near future. Isom explained to Hill the district is exploring the possibility of consolidating two buildings.

Asked if the district was still on the state school construction list, Isom replied no due to the failure of a bond referendum twice. The bond referendum would have guaranteed the local match to the state building funds.

The panel approved a letter to petition the State Board of Education for the $231,250 emergency grant and authorized the district to pay monthly bills.

FOOTNOTE: Being a fairly good note-taker, I offer my compliments to the reporter for The Cairo Citizen...she is GOOD! Reading her article(s) is like being there...in fact, better, since much of the FOP meeting was held in hushed tones and a photocopier was running constantly in the hallway.

However...there was one typo - The architect's estimate of renovating CHS to accommodate attendance by 7th & 8th grade students was NOT $53,955. The actual figure cited for said renovation was $532,995.