-1MCHS Student - 2006

Together Everyone Achieves More

According to the Chicago Tribune, “Illinois has one of the most fragmented,

massive, and inefficient education bureaucracies in the nation.” Locally, consolidation of

the four Morris area school districts will alleviate many of these issues. Morris schools

should consolidate because this act will provide financial benefits, curriculum

streamlining, and educational equality for all the children residing within the boundaries

of these districts.

First, solely from a financial standpoint, consolidation will diminish the current

deficit that half of the Morris school districts experience. Both Morris Elementary

School District 54 and Morris Community High School District 101 lost over half of their

operating income due the closing of Midwest Generation’s Collins Station in December

2004. “Both districts have executed deep cuts to personnel and operations since their

Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) decreased considerably as a result of the plant’s

decommissioning.” Without an increase to the tax rate, specifically in the Educational

Fund, these districts will continue to struggle financially. Both districts are at the

maximum allowable Educational Fund tax rate of $0.92 per $100 assessed valuation

established by the State of Illinois, which cannot be changed without passage of a

referendum. Neither district has had success passing a referendum, although both have

tried several times during recent years. If the four current school districts consolidate, the

tax rate would rise to the highest tax rate currently in effect in the four districts, which is

Saratoga’s rate of $1.79 per $100 assessed valuation. “This increase, along with the
increased revenue from new businesses on the north end of Morris, would give the

consolidated district a stable financial foundation for many years to come.”

Additionally, in this small town with population of approximately 12,000, four

separate school districts now employ a total of four separate superintendents, each

earning a salary greater than $100,000 per year. If these districts consolidate and have

one superintendent with one assistant superintendent, a savings of at least $200,000 could

be realized. Possible building consolidations resulting in savings on utilities,

maintenance, and administration would further add to the taxpayer’s benefits. This could

result in an actual lowering of the tax levy for the consolidated school district, which

would cause the individual taxpayer’s property taxes to decrease from their current level.

Moreover, the State of Illinois offers many different financial incentives to

districts after consolidation. For instance, “If the general state aid is less for the newly

reorganized district in the first year than the general state aid would have been that same

year for the individual districts, the state will make supplementary payments for the first

four years to equal the difference” (ISBE). “If there is a difference between the sum of

the salaries earned during the previous year by teachers of the new district and the sum of

the salaries those teachers would have been paid if placed on the salary schedule of the

previously existing districts using the highest salary schedule, the state will make

supplementary payments equal to the difference for the first four years” (ISBE). The state

will also fund “for a maximum of three years, an extra $4,000 for each certified employee

who is employed by the district on a full-time basis” (ISBE). Finally the state will “make

up for the deficit difference” (ISBE). “Deficits are calculated by totaling the audited fund

balances in the Educational Fund, the Operations and Maintenance Fund, the
Transportation Fund, and the Working Cash Fund for each previously existing district.

The state will make a single supplemental state aid payment to the consolidated district

equal to the difference between the largest and smallest deficit” (ISBE). While this state

aid is only in effect for four years, its presence will give the newly consolidated district

time to streamline other costs that can be lowered as a result of the merger. Such costs

would include equipment leases, purchase of supplies and classroom materials, and

transportation contracts, which would all realize beneficial savings due to volume

purchase plans.

Additionally, the current Morris school districts are in a good position to move

ahead with consolidation in terms of leadership for the newly formed district. Currently,

only one superintendent, Mr. Steve Fannin, has been with a district for a considerable

length of time, and he will be retiring at the end of the school year. His new assistant,

Mr. Pat Halloran, who is scheduled to assume the position next summer, currently

shadows Fannin. Mrs. Kathy Perry would be the logical choice for the assistant

superintendent position, considering her vast financial and leadership experience with

two of the current elementary districts. Halloran’s past leadership experience with the

Coal City Consolidated School District would also benefit the community and the

students of Morris . Experience and financial sense would be the strength of this team.

Further, consolidation will provide educational streamlining during transitions

between grade school, junior high, and high school. “Students have access to a more

diversified curriculum, and a wider range of extra-curricular activities.” Consolidation

will offer a seamless curriculum so that all teachers will present the same material in the

same fashion. This will lead to fewer content gaps between grades. Coal City schools,
which are currently consolidated, institute department meetings for every subject. These

include all teachers in the district, Kindergarten through 12th grade. If a teacher, parent,

or administrator feels that something in the curriculum needs to be changed, the whole

department meets and decides what will be the best solution. Changes are not only made

for one teacher or one grade level, but the entire spectrum is considered. This keeps

everyone working toward a common goal and allows many to voice his or her opinion.

The process is beneficial for not only the students, but the educators as well. A

curriculum director oversees the entire process and is the expert on how to best prepare

the students for the state assessments like ISAT or ACT. “Everyone works together and

the students benefit tremendously.” Currently in Morris, math teachers are trying to

articulate with each other, both between the elementary districts and the high school, and

between grade levels within their own school districts. In one district, however,

administration has gotten in the way. “Sometimes the administrators feel as if we, the

middle school teachers, are trying to invade their building and they are intimidated by the

articulation process. The benefits are not understood and the elementary school wants to

just keep doing things they way they always have – at least in the eyes of their principal.

I really think the teachers are open to the process, but the administration won’t allow it to

happen. It is very sad.” Consolidation will help our schools make great strides in

providing the best education for the children of Morris because all teaching personnel

will be encouraged in a positive way to work together. The articulation process begun by

Mr. Halloran between the high school and elementary school math teachers has seen

much success over the past two years.

Finally, consolidation will provide educational equality for the all of the students
living in Morris. Consolidation will help evenly spread the tax dollars so that quality

athletic and fine art programs can be offered for all. Currently, District 54 has made

substantial reductions in their athletic and academic team offerings as a result of a pay-to-

play policy that was instituted when the Braves Booster Club took over the

administration of all these activities. Nettle Creek schools can barely field one team for

grades 5-8 due to their small enrollment. The quality of these academic and athletic

programs is quite different than that offered in the Saratoga school district at this time.

The same is true for the fine arts curriculum within the different schools: District 54 has

removed all fine arts from their daily curriculum, Nettle Creek does not offer an

organized band or choir due to their size, and Saratoga is able to offer both, but their

numbers are small. Consolidation would allow for all children in these current districts to

come together as early as 4th or 5th grade and beginning learning to play an instrument or

sing in a choir. This would, in turn, lead to a much more unified effort and prepare the

students phenomenally for participation in the high school band and choir, along with

extracurricular music activities like madrigals, jazz band, and the spring musical. “It is

not fair for two kids literally living across the street from one another to have completely

different opportunities as far as their education goes. The kids do not get to choose where

they live, it is not their fault.”. Families cannot easily move from one district to the other

even within the town of Morris. District 54 housing sales are declining fast, and many

families cannot afford to move to a different house when their current house has not sold.

In 2003, the number of houses in District 54 was at an all time high of 148 units sold;

after the significant cuts in 2004, sales dropped to 134 units and are currently down to

117 units in 2006. Over the past two years, housing sales in District 54 have declined
21%. Saratoga’s housing sales, however, have experienced an upward trend: after the

cuts in 2004, many people moved to the Saratoga district, increasing housing sales from

53 units in 2004 to 77 units in 2005. This increase of 45% was realized in one calendar

year alone. This clearly shows that many people understand that the curriculum, as well

as extracurricular programs, currently offered at Saratoga School will prepare their

children better than the programs in District 54. It is important for elementary schools to

have quality programs that provide the children with skills to excel during high school.

“In a K-12 unit district, a student who starts in Kindergarten will have the same education

experience as every other child entering high school, where students in K-8 districts have

differing experiences when entering high school. Consolidation helps with placements

and scheduling issues at the high school as well – they all come from a level playing

field.” This gives every student an equitable education. Currently Shabbona offers

Honors Algebra I to the students in the advanced math track. If the student scores well on

the final exam administered at the high school that student is allowed to enroll in Honors

Geometry as a freshman and have the ability to advance to Advanced Placement Calculus

as a senior. While students at Nettle Creek and Saratoga also have this opportunity, the

accelerated math program for grades six and seven at these two schools is not as

developed as the program at Shabbona, leaving the students from Nettle Creek and

Saratoga at a definite disadvantage. If this is happening within the math curriculum, it is

safe to say other subject areas are affected as well.

History of school referenda in Morris shows no hope for an increase to the

Educational Fund tax rate for District 101 or District 54. In order for these two school

districts to survive financially and provide an educationally sound curriculum for their
students, consolidation with Nettle Creek and Saratoga Schools is vital. A consolidation

of all four districts will cause an automatic rise in the Educational Fund tax rate to the

highest rate now sought. Consolidation will provide all schools with more financial

stability, better curriculum, and equity for students and taxpayers. Consolidation will

provide the schools of Morris with more funding due to the increased state aid available

for four years after consolidating, in addition to the higher tax rate. Consolidation will

also streamline the curriculum, resulting in higher standardized test scores, which in turn

produces additional state aid as well. Finally, consolidation will provide equality for our

community: all taxpayers will have the same tax rate, all schools will benefit from the

entire industry base in Morris, and all students will be exposed to the same rich

curriculum. This process of consolidation must start with a majority vote from the

residents of Morris: do your civic duty and cast a vote in favor of consolidation when it

appears on the ballot.