THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008
Leane Named Dist. 57 Board President
Different trustees now run two of the top three Mt. Prospect Elementary School Dist. 57 school board officer positions.
Joe Leane, who was vice president, is now district president, replacing Sue Ramstedt. Michael Withey will now serve as vice president. Secretary Virginia Webster will continue in that position.
Next April, a consolidated election will occur. Ramstedt, Joann Harms, Ann Hull and Gregory Kurr's terms all expire at that time.
Board members last week also approved student fees for the 2008-09 school year maintaining the same costs that were implemented this school year.
The subject of the student fee structure is addressed by the board every year with respect to the following categories: instructional/general, transportation, extracurricular, lunch program, outdoor education, student accident insurance, preschool, and day care.
The district-wide fee for the current school year is $95 for kindergarten students, $105 for grades 1-5, and $115 for grades 6-8. Board members decided to maintain all three fees for next year.
In addition, the cost of other items that "enhance' the program are intended to be paid by the family and are not part of the instruction fee.
Those fees include: assignment notebooks, calculators, recorders, PE uniforms; locks for hallways and PE lockers, yearbooks and graduation.
When it comes to transportation, students who live within one-and-a-half miles of their school have the option of riding a school bus by paying a fee.
The board will maintain this year's bus fee of $330.
In an effort to encourage early payment and provide assistance to the transportation department in determining routes, a $50 non-refundable application fee be charged to all families.
However, this fee is waived to all families that pay prior to Aug. 1. This school year, approximately 438 students pay for transportation.
The district charges a transportation fee for field trips that a teacher may elect for the class. This fee is in addition to the field trip activity cost. Last year's fee was $4 per student per trip and that cost will remain the same for next year.
Extracurricular fees have been structured into three categories: interscholastic athletics, intramural athletics and clubs, and performing arts.
The board decided to maintain the current fee of $123 for Interscholastic Athletics.
Fees charged for intramural athletics and clubs are intended to primarily cover costs of stipends, direct expenses, and allocation of other identifiable costs such as equipment. The current fee of $39 will remain the same for next year.
The costs of running the music programs at the middle school level includes the costs of stipends, fees, supplies, and other identifiable costs including equipment. The current fee of $60 per activity will also remain the same for next year.
The middle school lunch program will continue to be provided by Arlington Heights School Dist. 25 for next year. The three-tiered pricing for the middle school lunches are $2.35, $2.60, and $2.85, depending on the foods included and the portion sizes. Milk is included with all meals. Students who bring their own lunches may purchase milk for $.50.
An outdoor education program has been implemented as part of the sixth grade curriculum at Lincoln Middle School.
It is a blend of academic and social experience intended to assist students with the transition into sixth grade.
The $149 per student fee for next year is associated with the outdoor education program, which contributes to covering the stipends, transportation, supplies, and accommodations for a three-day/two-night stay at an outdoor education facility.
The current fee of $1,750 for tuition and registration for the Circle of Friends program will remain the same for next year.
According to school officials, fees being charged for day care services from the Kids' Corner program appear to be competitive with other area day care centers with a focus of making the program more profitable to operate. The current fees and fee structure for the 2008-09 school year will remain the same.