Sears Subsidy Passes House – School District 300 Take + Roll Call on SB 397

A press release from School District 300: Sears legislation passes House, headed to Senate SPRINGFIELD – Legislation to extend the Sears EDA for another 15 years and provide additional tax credits to Sears passed the Illinois House of Representatives this … Continue reading

District 300 Gets as Good as Possible Sears’ Subsidy Legislation, Passage Not Certain

A press release from District 300: EDA issues clarified; D300 “reluctantly satisfied” SPRINGFIELD – Several of District 300’s core concerns about the latest EDA legislation were successfully addressed in a hearing today (Nov. 28) at the State Capitol, prompting a … Continue reading

District 300 Calls for Informational Picket of Sears Entrance to Protest Hoffman Estates’ “Money Grab”

Accompanying the following press release from School District 300 was this email message: If you haven’t already done so, please read the following urgent news release issued by Community Unit School District 300 this evening about the new legislation filed … Continue reading

District 300 Finds Latest Sears Subsidy Legislation Defective

A press release from School District 300: New Sears EDA legislation lacks accountability, transparency, and efficiency SPRINGFIELD – District 300 leaders discovered this afternoon (Monday, Nov. 7) while at the State Capitol that poorly written legislation had been hastily filed … Continue reading

District 300 Still Not Being Included in Negotiations, “Hoffman Estates Doesn’t Give a Flip”

This morning McHenry County Blog revealed the details of the Sears bailout bill. Allison Strupeck, District 300’s Spokesperson, reacted with the following: To be very clear, the new legislation that Senators Dan Kotowski (the chief sponsor of the original Senate … Continue reading

District 300 Touts Sears EDA Compromise Proposal

A press release from District 300: D300 proposes compromise The following is a statement from Superintendent Michael Bregy, speaking during a press conference at Senator Michael Noland’s Office in the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield (1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 25): … Continue reading

District 300 Spearheads Monday Trip to Springfield in Attempt to Thwart Plans to Force Real Estate Taxpayers to Continue Sears Subsidy

A press release from School District 300 D300 headed to Springfield to lobby against Amendment 3 D300 has invited all taxpayers, parents, students, and education employees to caravan to the Lincoln Statue at the State Capitol this Monday, Oct. 24, … Continue reading

Algonquin Objecting to Hoffman Estates TIF Rip-off

And the considerable article writing skills of District 300’s Allison Strupeck brings us the following account: Algonquin Leads Way on EDA The Village of Algonquin took a leadership role this week on the proposed extension of the Sears Economic Development … Continue reading

School District 300 Superintendent Says to Sears: “Enough Is Enough”

A press release from District 300: D300 leaders react to press reports about political deal-making at the expense of students District 300 leaders expressed alarm and increasing skepticism today after reading press reports that some Illinois legislators are working on … Continue reading

District 300 Contract Still Hidden Almost 7 Weeks after Passage

I was disappointed, but not surprised, when District 300 did not reveal the details of its teachers’ contract prior to its early June public vote. The 2008 Huntley School Board allowed taxpayers to read the document before it was approved. … Continue reading

McHenry County High School Teacher Salary Data from Sun-Times Data Base

The Chicago Sun-Times released a school teacher and administrator data base this week that some might find interesting. “Salary data includes base, summer-, after-school pay, benefits, vacation- or sick-day payouts, pre-retirement salary bumps. Average includes only full-time employees,” says the … Continue reading

Details on District 300 Teachers’ Contract

The following is a description of the District 300 teachers’ contract which I received from Joe Stevens today: Teachers’ contract approved last night—— A one year agreement Hard salary freeze Changes to insurance benefits which trigger all other labor groups … Continue reading

District 300 Board Keeps Teacher Union-Approved Contract Secret Prior to Approval

The biggest item in every local government’s budget is employee salaries. And the teachers’ contract is the biggest part of that budget segment. District 300’s Board approved the contract with the IEA local called LEAD (what does that stand for?) … Continue reading

Sears TIF Subsidy Extension Bill Goes Nowhere

So the apprehension the Carpentersville-based unit district expressed are assuaged in the short-run. District officials are talking to Sears officials. Whether state lawmakers force local taxpayer to further subsidize Sears won’t re-surface until this fall’s veto session. = = = … Continue reading

District 300 School Board Refuses to Allow Public to See New Contract Language

From the press release below from the District 300 School Board and its teachers’ union, it is evident that the taxpaying public will not be trusted to read the proposed new contract with its teachers’ union. District 300, which is … Continue reading