Grade School Tax Rates

Cary Grade School 26 Board President Scott Coffey, inspired by the paraprofessionals’ demonstration in McHenry Tuesday, racked up the tax rates for all McHenry County elementary schools. I think his research is worth sharing more broadly: D-15 has the 2nd … Continue reading

McHenry Grade School 15 Paraprofessionals: “Poverty wages have got to go. Hey hey, Ho ho”

A Friend of McHenry County Blog sent a couple of photos of the McHenry Grade School District paraprofessionals rally. The chant was, “Poverty wages have got to go. Hey hey, Ho ho.” The current salary schedule can be seen below: … Continue reading

McHenry Grade School District Fails to Respond to Open Meetings Complaint

McHenry Elementary School District 15 met behind closed doors in a manner which member Erik Sivertsen deemed inappropriate. He filed a complaint with the Public Access Division of the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. The AG’s Office asked for a responsea … Continue reading

Attorney General Probing Erik Sivertsen Complaint about His McHenry Grade School Board Violating the Open Meetings Act

Here’s Assistant Attorney General Matt Hartman reacting to McHenry Elementary School Board member Erik Sivertsen’s complaint about his board’s having held an illegal secret meeting: Ms. Kimbely Qualls President McHenry Elementary School District 15 1011 North Green Street McHenry, Illinois … Continue reading

Taxpayer Candidates for McHenry Grade School Board Holding Corkscrew Pointe Fundraiser Thursday Night

An announcement about a fundraiser Thursday night for the team of candidates seeking to lower McHenry Grade School District 15 taxes: “We want to lower your taxes vote the lower half of the candidates (appearing third and forth on the … Continue reading

McHenry Grade School Member Alerts Public of Expensive Tuesday Meeting

A message from McHenry Grade School Board member Eric Sivertsen: On Tuesday night at 7:15 District 15 will be holding a public hearing at the district office on Green St. The plan is to transfer $6.5 million from the Transportation … Continue reading

Anomaly in County Clerk’s Precinct Results, List of GOP Committeemen

Take a look at the Republican Precinct Committeeman results in McHenry 29. The vote totals show McHenry Elementary School Board member Erik Sivertsen winning over McHenry Township Clerk Marsha Nelson by one vote Now look at the list of Republican … Continue reading

Local School Finances – How to Probe

Crack researcher Susan Handelsmann of rural Woodstock has put together a “how to” piece about figuring out what your school board has done with school finances. It is presented below for McHenry Grade School District 15, but can be adapted … Continue reading

The School Employees on the McHenry Grade School Board

Another article tomorrow tells of an effort in Kansas to find out the relationships of school board members to family members with jobs in their school districts and members who have jobs in other school districts. Under the article about Paul … Continue reading

McHenry Grade School District Board Picks Man Betty Davis Beat to Replace John O’Neill

When long-time incumbent John O’Neill resigned from the McHenry Elementary School District the Board had to replace him with an appointee. Tonight, Paul Santopadre, the incumbent who lost to Betty Davis, O’Neill and Mike Hettermann in the last election, was selected in a … Continue reading

McHenry Grade School Seeks Replacement for John O’Neill

The resignation of John O’Neill from the McHenry Grade School Board opens up an opportunity for someone else to step up and serve. The District 15 School Board has issued the following directions for doing so: McHENRY –  The deadline for … Continue reading

John O’Neill Resigns from McHenry Grade School Board

John O’Neill, the first home school parent to be elected to a McHenry County school board, has resigned from the McHenry Grade School Board. O’Neill told McHenry County Blog that he is “resigning due to a relocation of his family.” … Continue reading

School Stats including Cost per Classroom

Here are some 2013 McHenry County school statistics–average expenditure per pupil and per classroom, plus average teach salary–to ponder. They were calculated by a Friend of McHenry County Blog. I don’t think I have seen average spending per classroom for … Continue reading

Taxes for Schools, This Year & Last Year

Since schools comprise the bulk of property tax dollars, I thought some might be interested in seeing how they changed from last year to this year. Although the percentage change column is labeled “% Change + of -” the first … Continue reading

Another Fiscal Conservative Headed to McHenry Grade School Board

It appears fiscal conservative Betty Davis has managed to unseat incumbent McHenry Elementary School Board member Paul Santoparde.  (Paul Santopadre is wearing the off-white sweater on the right, between Pat Miller in the blue shirt and Amanda Geyer in green.) … Continue reading

Betty Davis Lays Out Ideas in Her McHenry Grade School District Election Quest

A press release from McHenry Grade School Board candidate Betty Davis: Betty Davis Challenges Incumbents in the Upcoming April 7th Election Betty Davis remarked that she was compelled to run for school board, after seeing the look of dismay on the … Continue reading

By 5-2 Vote McHenry Grade School Board Taxes to the Max

Add McHenry Elementary School District 15 to that list of tax districts planning to take as much money out of local taxpayers’ pockets as state law allows. The legal publication for the public hearing about the proposed levy said the … Continue reading

McHenry Grade School Board Going for 8.74% Budget Hike, Taxing to the Max

Since the Property Tax Cap limits non-Home Rule tax districts to a 1.5% inflationary increase for next year’s total tax take, plus new construction, it is difficult to understand why McHenry’s Grade School Board is asking for 8.74%. The difference … Continue reading

Those Interested Enough in Running for School Board to Pick Up Petitions

Petitions for school boards are being handed out by the McHenry County Clerk’s Office this year. Those getting them have an opportunity to sign their names and put other information on a legal pad. You see the results from earlier … Continue reading

It’s Tax Levy Time and the Taxpayers Are Hiding from and Being Left Out in the Cold

There are plenty of articles in the Northwest Herald about tax levies this time of year. Let me give a short course in how to report what’s going on. Headlines have read, “[X tax district] holds levy constant.” What does … Continue reading