ANTI-UNION TACTICS CHARGED IN KNOX COUNTY

By Matthew Dutton The audience at this month’s Knox County Board meeting was dominated by outraged, upset and furious union employees lashing out against, what they saw as anti-union measures proposed by the county board. The county board has proposed a number of actions against certain public servants, including  those working in the States Attorney’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office and the Knox County Nursing Home. The contractual proposals include stripping any chance of raises for the next two years, taking away any longevity pay and wellness bonuses, and initiating a two-tier vacation system.   Most troubling of all, the new measures would increase health insurance premiums an extra hundred dollars per month, causing many to lose their insurance entirely.  The dispute has been ongoing for an entire year, and the board has adamantly refused to negotiate. Only one board member has set foot in the nursing home since the controversy arose, and no members have been willing to discuss the measures. Instead, the county board hired a $75,000 private attorney to handle the matter.  The judge presiding over the meeting admitted to having once been a resident of the Knox County Nursing Home, yet the board members had no reaction to this statement. “It would behoove the citizens of this county for the board to sit down for negotiations,” said Randy Lynch, Staff Representative for Council 31 of the AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees). “I am doing everything I can to get an agreement. Strike is always the union’s last option.” Lynch cites the cause of the issue as “the current climate of the economy. The board is taking advantage of that.” The hour prior to the board meeting saw over 100 union employees picketing the front of the courthouse; making their resentment for the county board known to anyone crossing the line. When the meeting began, many of the picketers crammed into the small courtroom, all coming together to voice their despair to the judge and the board.  One speaker noted that the $75,000 the county paid to enlist the aid of a private attorney, could have actually paid for the union’s requests in the first place; resolving any dispute preemptively. This warranted a roaring reception from crowd, followed by silence from the board. “Nobody is asking for a raise,” said another nursing home employee. “The last two raises were stripped away from us. We just want things to stay the way they are.” A single mother made note of the fact most will lose their insurance as a result of the overwhelming spike in premium rates. “We will work 40 hours per week and still not be able to go to the doctor,” she said. “This will hurt my daughter more than anything else.”

Spike In Free School Lunches

By Max Seisser

     Eighty-eight percent of the students at Monmouth-Roseville Junior High are now receiving either free or reduced price lunches.  When this information was announced at the latest Board of Education Meeting by Superintendent Edward Fletcher, it was met with skepticism by many board members.

  Secretary Kevin Killy voiced his concerns, saying it didn’t seem that this number was accurate or possible for the community. However, he was assured that the number has been verified.   Out of the roughly 240 students that attend M.R. Junior High, 140 receive free lunches, and 70 are eligible for reduced price lunches.
                 

      Fletcher explained the factors that qualify students for free/reduced lunches.   They include the number of kids in the family, the income of the parents, and if they’re on government assistance (link card, food stamps, etc.)  While the number of junior high students is steadily increasing, the same is not true for  high school students. Those numbers have remained relatively constant.  Many students who can receive the reduced/free lunch decide not to, perhaps because they are afraid of getting made fun of, being embarrassed, or don’t bring the paperwork home. 

     Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner spoke on the topic recently.   Geithner said the free/reduced lunch program is a good resource to help out children who are in need of help. With support, the board of education hopes that high school students who are in need of the lunches will come forward.  Students need to know that it isn’t something to be ashamed of because they’re not the only ones who need help and they need to be encouraged because this can truly benefit them and help their academics.

SCHOOL DISTRICT FACES ADDITIONAL CUTS

By Kelsey Watson

Teachers and staff members of the Monmouth-Roseville Community Unit School District could be losing their jobs next year due to another Deficit Reduction Plan,  Central Intermediate School, Harding Primary School, Lincoln Early Childhood School, Monmouth-Roseville Junior High School, and Monmouth-Roseville High School are the five schools that make up District #238, and are all in jeopardy of a reduction in teaching staff depending on how the Deficit Reduction Plan pans out a few months from now.

 Because the school district’s revenue is smaller than the district’s expenditures, a Deficit Reduction Plan along with an FY13 Budget was outlined in a recent school board meeting for Monmouth-Roseville.  The Tentative Budget Proposal packet distributed at the meeting reveals that  “the state is not meeting its obligation to our school district,” and is causing the plan to be put into full force.

 Ed Fletcher, the superintendent of the Monmouth-Roseville School District, has been working with the district for three years now and says that this is not the first time the school has filed for the Deficit Reduction Plan—the school also filed for a Deficit Reduction Plan back in 2008.  “We are required by the Illinois State Board of Education to complete the plan.  The reason that we have to file for the Deficit Reduction Plan is because the state of Illinois has prorated the amount of revenue they are constitutionally required to provide to school districts from 100% full funding to 89% of funding,” stated Fletcher.  “We are supposed to receive $6,119 per pupil in our district, but due to proration we will only receive $5,446 per student.”  According to the Monmouth-Roseville superintendent, the total loss of income for the school district is approximated at around $500,000. 

When asked what can be done in the future to avoid filing for the deficit plan again, Fletcher replied with, “There is only so much we can reduce to cut expenses, but we will do everything in our power to provide a quality education for our students.”  The Monmouth-Roseville School District is very concerned with their student’s educations, and even though the district had to result in filing for the plan, they are continuing to look forward and hoping for the best.  The plan will hopefully open more eyes to teachers, staff, the school board, and parents of children who attend schools in the district that they need to help and volunteer in all ways that are possible.  The Board of Education will be holding meetings for the next month to discuss with the District Administration about meeting the expected requirements for the Deficit Reduction Plan. 

Art and Artists

By Nicole Polich
Residents from around the county gathered at the Buchanan Center for Arts in Monmouth this week for the 64th Arts National Juried Exhibition featuring Juror Eric Fischl. Artists
were asked to submit works to share insights and hopes for America in the
spirit of the national initiative, “America: Now and Here.”

Juror Eric Fischl, is a worldwide acclaimed American figurative painter and sculptor.  His achievements throughout his career havemade him one of the most influential artists. Fischl’s paintings, sculptures,drawings and prints have been the subject of numerous solo and group
exhibitions and publications, for many years.

Jessica Bingham, a 2012 Monmouth College
graduate, had the chance to meet Mr. Fischl. “He is one of the most
accomplished “living” artists of our generation and was very insightful,
explaining to Connor Shields and I, about our desire to be professionals in
art, that ‘if we want it, we will get it.’ He was very kind towards the
Monmouth community, connected with the artists on a personal level and spoke
humbly about his artistic career; this was a great honor to have him here.”

Artists were given three themes to refer to
when submitting their artwork; America as Icon, America as Place and America as
People. “Art is a reflection of the society we live in” echoed a voice in the
exhibit. Each artwork symbolizes a unique aspect of America society seen
through the artist’s eyes. “Waiting for Impact, Ghost Elevator, Way up here,
Devils Highway to the American Dream, and Bitter Seduction” are just a few
names of the art work seen in the exhibit.

One specific piece of art titled “Off
Label” stood out to Monmouth College junior Kaity Washburn,“The society we live
in is always focused on the materialistic view of life, whether it’s the
clothes we wear or the places we shop. This painting proves that even an off
label can be Monmouth College beautiful.”
Other paintings resembled such things as the economy, the farming
industry, the American dream and the seduction of Starbucks, all insights of
what each artist hopes for America.


The Buchanan Center for Arts features a large exhibit space for classes,
meetings, and other arts related and community events. October 26-December 29th
will be a new artist, Gil Rocha.

Monmouth Begins Downtown Renewal

By Megan Lyle

The City of Monmouth recently devised a plan to modify many older
buildings in the City of Monmouth that are left abandoned and unused.

A new project is underway that will renovate some of the
older historical buildings downtown in an attempt to benefit the community as a
whole.

One of the largest buildings involved is the former Maple City Candy
Company. The downtown building will be renovated, adding business space as
well as quality housing for the expanding community center.

Another idea is to hold of more publicevents within the downtown area. In order to facilitate a more visitor-friendlycenter, Monmouth will be aesthetically improving the square and adding a
community theatre.

Besides the city and tax money, Monmouth College has also provided funds
for the project to be made into reality.

“Historic tax credit programs help make renovation an affordable (and
eventually profitable) option for developers,” said Paul Schuytema, director of
Community Development. “Without that tool, we have to, locally, bridge that
gap.”

According to Schuytema, the gap is filled by an investment of TIF funds
(from the City) and financial support of the College for the apartments. Those
funds replace the tax credit incentive that the state of Illinois does not have
to offer.

The college is giving money but it will also gain some benefits when the
renovation finishes.  The benefits of the
rental space, for example, are “not just for the larger community.”

“[They will] aid in efforts to recruit young faculty,” Schuytema said,
“and to provide opportunities for MC alumni to become more involved in college
and community life. It should be noted that the apartment will be high-end,
market rate rentals, and not student housing. They are geared more towards
young professionals and active retirees.”

It is not only the college that will see these benefits, however.

“There will be many positive effects,” Schuytema said. “More folks living
downtown will energize our downtown area. They will help support the retail
we’re working to bring in. It will help save key historic buildings.”

A more detailed list of these changes can be found on the Monmouth city website.

PLEASE STAY TUNED

The Warren County Newswire is on a summer hiatus.   We will return with more regional news when Monmouth College journalism students return from summer break in September.   Thank you for your continued interest.

School Board Overules Superintent

The Monmouth Roseville School Board voted on a controversial topic last night to keep the presence of RTI aides in the classroom despite the Superintendent’s recommendation to cut the program.

RTI or “Response to Intervention” aides are a recent implementation to the district’s three year old proactive RTI program which focuses on helping below average students before the need arises to place them in a special education program. Despite a year’s worth of data from the program that showed literacy improvement, it was Superintendent Paul Woehlke’s recommended motion to cut the $100,000 program in an effort to make up for the estimated one million dollar budget deficit for the next school year.

Prior to the vote, an informational presentation by Monmouth Roseville High School math teacher and RTI coordinator Sarah Hall was given describing the significant improvement the program has made in the past year. Hall explained that the students are now consistently meeting the 25^th percentile which is composed of the average score of students throughout Illinois.  However, while their scores are improving compared to the average, they are not improving as fast as they could be. 

There are seven RTI aides in the district working with 215 students in grades K-6. Hall explained that this equates to be the equivalent of 10 classrooms yet the aides are one third the cost of a first year teacher. The Monmouth Roseville district is not the only district implementing an RTI program but according to Hall it is the only district in the area that uses aides as a significant part of the program itself. Superintendent Woehlke commented on the presentation by saying that this program “is another example of Monmouth as a district needing to walk before it can run.” 

Superintendent Woehlke also expressed that while he is in support of the RTI program he recognizes the controversial burden that the district’s needs to make cuts. Secretary Kevin Killey recognized that the program does appear to be valuable but that only a year’s worth of data is not a sufficient amount to base the program off of, and that ultimately the issue is a “financial decision and not a value decision.”  

Several alternatives to cutting the program were also discussed and included only having one aide per building, or giving the aides a 30 day notice and then hiring them back at a later date once the funds were figured out. 

 

Ultimately, the board decided that it is not fair to start a program one year and cut it the next.  However, the failure to pass the motion to dismiss the aide program has now introduced a new debate over “where will those cuts take place?” The possibility of increasing classroom sizes seemed a likely choice of the board, yet the concern was issued throughout of whether it is acceptable to keep un-certified teachers or “aides” in place of certified teachers. The board will continue to research where those cuts might occur.