McHenry County Blog

Not only does the McHenry area have a ten cents per $100 of assessed value referendum on the ballot to create a new countywide taxing district the $9 million proceeds (first year’s estimate tax take) of which will go to help developmentally disadvantaged individuals, but there’s a $2.2 million bond issue, too.

Here’s the referendum question that McHenry High School District voters will face.

In its February newsletter, the District explains,

“This opportunity would provide the district the ability to reinvest $2.2 million in interest savings. The savings generated will be spent on technology and necessary capital improvements, in particular, additional safety and security measures.”

Further,

“None of the money will be used for school administrator or teacher salaries. All of the money generated will be used for technology and capital improvements which include safety and security.

“If the question is unsuccessful, taxpayers who own a $200,000 home will see an average refund of $14.00 per year in the bond and interest portion of their tax bill over the next eight‐year payback period.

“If the question is successful, taxpayers will see no increase in the bond and interest portion of their tax bill.”

Details on planned expenditures can be found here.

Yesterday, McHenry County Blog published the percentage of incoming freshmen at McHenry County College require remedial math classes.

The best high school district was Huntley’s at 46% needing help to be able to take a college course.

Today, we look at the situation with regard to English.

It’s much better.

The average is only 11%.

So, take a look at the figures for each of the high school districts in McHenry County College District 528:
Previously, I typed out the results math results so people could find them with an internet search engine.  Today, we’ll do the same for preparation for college English, except going from best to worst.

• Alden-Hebron – 0%
• Richmond-Burton – 6%
• Marengo – 8%
• Johnsburg – 9%
• McHenry – 11%
• Crystal Lake, Cary-Grove – 11%
• Woodstock – 14%
• Huntley – 20%
• Harvard – 38%

Again, explanations are welcomed in the comment section.

The perecentges of incoming students from each of McHenry County College's high school district who have to take remedial math.

You can see the data above.

But, just to make sure people can use a search engine to find out how well each McHenry County College high school prepares its students who attend McHenry County College in math, I’ll type the results below:

• Harvard – 69%
• Johnsburg – 63%
• Woodstock – 52%
• Richmond-Burton – 51%
• Alden-Hebron 50%
• Marengo – 56%
• McHenry – 47%
• Crystal Lake, Cary-Grove – 47%
• Huntley – 46%

The sign on the wall inside Marengo High School says, "Where learning is value and excellence is the standard.",

Huntley High School does best in preparing McHenry County College students for college math.

“Only” 46% need remedial assistance.

What is going on when the best a high school district can do is 46%?

How did these incoming MCC students get out of high school?

I am sure there is some explanation. Please share it or them in the comment section.

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 print on top of the search engine page.

Not specifically mention, but included is the pension payments that taxpayers pay for teachers and administrators. Teachers are supposed to pay 9.4%, but many in McHenry County and elsewhere don’t. Those who must pay the employee share of Social Security might be envious of this negotiated deal.

First I looked for average salaries for high school teachers in McHenry County’s districts. You see the results below:

Average compensation for McHenry County's High School District's teachers.

District 300 is classified by state policy-makers as a Kane County school district, so it cannot be combined with the other districts in McHenry County.

You might find it of interest to compare the salaries with the percentage of students who meet or exceed state standards.

Those high schools where students do the best are Crystal Lake and Richmond-Burton.

67.9% for Richmond-Burton High School District and 67.3% for District 155.  Both have a similar percentage of low income kids.  Richmond-Burton’s is a tad higher than Crystal Lake’s.

Compare the average compensation of Crystal Lake and Richmond-Burton and there is no contest.

Crystal Lake High School District 155 ranks 16th highest in the state with average compensation of $91,960.  $62,237 is Richmond-Burton’s average, almost $30,000 less.

District 155 is currently in secret negotiations with its IEA teachers’ union.

Even a cursory review of the salary data will show that teaching in a high school district is the way to make the most money.

As I have explained before, the legislator who wrote the Resource Equalizer State Aid to Education formula in the mid-1970′s was a high school teachers from a high school district.

State Rep. Gene Hoffman figured out how to make sure high school districts benefited most for the formula.  From the figures above, you’d have to agree he achieved his goal.

It doesn’t always work out as well as it does for Crystal Lake’s District 155 teachers. Marengo and Richmond-Burton are also high school districts. The others are unit district, meaning all 13 grades are governing by one school board.

I am sure some commentators will want to share their analyses of these statistics.

Not having figured out how to make charts, but wanting people to be able to search the data, I present below the raw data.  Get the headings from the image above.

Larry Snow

“While Democrats say Teachers ‘Have Kept Their Part of the Deal?’“

is the title of an April 5, 2011, article by former Huntley School District 158 Board member Larry Snow.  (The quote was in the Chicago Tribune Marcy 31, 2011.  It is from Executive Director Dick Ingram of Teachers’ Retirement System.)

The article was published in “The Champion” with this teaser:

“82,981 of 132,502 Illinois Teachers Pay Nothing or Little into Their Pensions“

That’s 63% of all teachers in Illinois.

The State Journal-Register is reporting that State Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D-Orland Park) is promoting a bill where state and local governments would all pay six percent of payroll toward employee pensions.

In a revealing sentence in reporter Chris Wetterich’s article, he writes,

“What’s unclear is how much more employees themselves would have to pay.“

Because no one has done the research except, I believe, the Illinois Education Association and Snow, how much extra teachers would have to pay if their so-called contribution rate was raised from 9.4% to 13.77% is a really good question.

While not covering every school district in Illinois, Snow did research the teachers’ contracts for all of the large school districts (by law all are supposed to be on the internet) in order to find out how much teachers pay in order to get a “full 75 percent pension after working only 27 years.” He points out, “Most adults work for 27 years before they turn age 50.”

As way of background, Snow notes that teachers are not in the Social Security System and, therefore, are not forced to pay Social Security taxes.

“Ordinary workers get hit with a 6.2 percent deduction for Social Security,” Snow writes. “It’s a deduction they have to pay federal and state income taxes on.

“Democrats gave teachers a huge loophole of not paying income taxes on any of their pension deductions” he continues. “This enormous no-tax handout to teachers amounts to billions of dollars each year.”

Snow’s research leads him to this conclusion:

“Over 51,000 of the total 132,502 teachers in Illinois contribute nothing from their K-12 paychecks into their pensions. Illinois law says it is to be 9.4 percent.

“About an additional 32,000 teachers pay little into their pensions. It is 1.81 percent to be precise for these 31,956 teachers.“

How many teachers pay not a dime toward their retirement?

51,025 teachers in 186 school districts pay nothing for retirement benefits.

They “don’t pay a penny into the 9.4 percent called out by Illinois law.

“There are a total of 868 districts in Illinois.

“The pay-zero teachers listed are 39 percent of all teachers in Illinois,” Snow reveals.

No agency in state government seems to keep track of this information.

Not the Downstate Teachers Retirement Fund, which boldly and incorrectly claims,

“Active TRS members are required to contribute 9.4 percent of their creditable earnings each year…”

The State Board of Education doesn’t keep track either.

My guess is that only the Illinois Education Association has a matrix showing what school districts have given what benefits in contract negotiations.

Snow discovered this about Lockport:

“…on page 14 of the Lockport Township HS 205 teachers contract it reads:

1. The Board will pay the current level of retirement contribution to the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois.”
2. It is expressly understood that figures appearing on this salary schedule include a sum equal to the current level of TRS contribution of the base salary of each Teacher which is, in fact, payable to the Teachers’ Retirement System on the Teacher’s behalf.”

“The ISBE report shows this board paying nothing. A Democrat bureaucracy doesn’t check the teachers contracts to see if what is reported, matches what’s in writing.”

And, if legislation is passed requiring 4.37 percentage points more, how long do you think it will take Lockport taxpayers to pick up the difference?

Given that local teachers’ unions pretty much control school boards wherever they are elected (read everywhere but Chicago), my guess is will be on the top of the collective bargaining list.

Do you wonder if Rep. McCarthy knows that?

Is his proposal just a setting up local taxpayers for an even bigger fall?

Five years from now will 39% of teachers still be paying nothing for their pensions?

Even better for teachers is that this pension payment ups their pension payments.

Take a look at the chart below.  Chances are your school district is on it.

Chart of Pension Contributions by 82,981 District Teachers of 132,502 Total Illinois K-12 Teachers

Name of District	No. of Teachers	Percent of Pension Contributed by Teachers
Thornton Twp 205	428	Zero
Proviso 209	281	Zero
Waukegan 60	1,098	Zero
Morton 201	455	Zero
Kankakee 111	348	Zero
Joliet 204	340	Zero
Round Lake 116	387	Zero
Rockford	1,843	Zero
Decatur 61	454	Zero
Crete Monee	340	Zero
Danville 118	382	Zero
Valley View 365	1,068	Zero
Aurora West 129	706	Zero
East Peoria 309	69	Zero
Galesburg	281	Zero
Bremen 228	313	Zero
Freeport	317	Zero
Leyden 212	219	Zero
Elgin U-46	2,332	Zero
Rock Island	388	Zero
Mattoon	225	Zero
Collinsville	394	Zero
Massac 1	143	Zero
Sterling	219	Zero
Belvidere	531	Zero
Quincy	436	Zero
Dixon	179	Zero
West Chicago	248	Zero
Cook County 130	289	Zero
Cicero 99	738	Zero
Joliet 86	617	Zero
Harvey 152	163	Zero
Crystal Lake 155	412	Zero
Crystal Lake 47	564	Zero
Wheeling 21	489	Zero
Champaign 4	717	Zero
United CUSD 304	68	Zero
Riverdale 100	76	Zero
Reed Custer 255	114	Zero
Wilmington 209U	84	Zero
United Township 30	90	Zero
Summit Hill 161	213	Zero
Plainfield	1,695	Zero
Schiller Park 81	98	Zero
Dolton 149	176	Zero
Township 211 Palatine	799	Zero
Ball Chatham 5	248	Zero
Taylorville 3	152	Zero
Williamsville 15	81	Zero
Harrisburg 3	130	Zero
Belleville 201	281	Zero
Dupo 196	76	Zero
O’Fallon 203	145	Zero
O’Fallon 90	207	Zero
Rochester 3A	142	Zero
Pekin 108	248	Zero
Morton 709	175	Zero
New Lenox 122	287	Zero
Frankfort 157	158	Zero
Marion 2	219	Zero
Carterville 5	110	Zero
Kinnikinnick 131	122	Zero
Tolono 7	116	Zero
Mahomet-Seymour 3	161	Zero
Champaign 4	717	Zero
Urbana	346	Zero
Charleston 1	180	Zero
Park Ridge 64	319	Zero
Evanston 202	222	Zero
Maine HSD 207	508	Zero
Arlington Heights 214	753	Zero
Niles 219	350	Zero
Berkeley 87	165	Zero
Berwyn South	263	Zero
Lyons 204	239	Zero
Lemont 113	144	Zero
Palatine 15	713	Zero
Schaumburg 54	1,003	Zero
Oak Lawn 123	203	Zero
Oak Lawn 229	114	Zero
CHSD 230 Orland Park	519	Zero
Argo 217	111	Zero
Homewood 233	174	Zero
Genoa 424	137	Zero
Sycamore 427	231	Zero
Dekalb 428	362	Zero
Lombard 44	216	Zero
Downers Grove 58	277	Zero
Hinsdale 86	296	Zero
Elmhurst 205	538	Zero
Naperville 203	1,063	Zero
Effingham 40	176	Zero
Canton Union 66	175	Zero
Morris 54	61	Zero
Morris 101	50	Zero
Coal City 1	138	Zero
Jersey 100	164	Zero
Central CUSD 301	224	Zero
Kaneland 302	275	Zero
St. Charles 303	880	Zero
Cahokia	298	0.4
Chicago Public Schools	23,219	2
Peoria 150	988	0.4
Springfield	1,105	0.4
Moline 40	461	0.4
Harvard	149	0.87
Dolton 148	236	1.4
Belleville 118	228	0.4
Pekin 303	125	0.4
Hononegah 207	118	0.4
Arlington Heights 59	444	3
Leyden 212	219	0.4
Summit 104	103	0.4
Palos 118	130	0.4
CHSD 219 Orland Park	519	0.4
Bensenville 2	145	1.4
DuPage 88	266	0.4
CHSD 94	122	0.9
CUSD 300	1,189	4.4
Hawthorn 73	253	1.4
Lake Forest 115	132	0.4
Wauconda 118	273	0.4
Johnsburg 12	158	0.4
Cary 26	192	4.9
Woodstock 200	385	1.4
Keeneyville 20	107	0.4
Winnebago 323	117	0.4
LaSalle-Peru Twp. 120	88	0.7
Prairie-Hills 144	187	0.4
Geneva 304	367	Zero
Herscher 2	126	Zero
Manteno 5	160	Zero
Bourbonnais 53	160	Zero
Bradley 61	103	Zero
Bradley Bourbonnais 307	114	Zero
Momence 1	88	Zero
Yorkville 115	329	Zero
Plano 88	154	Zero
Oswego 308	827	Zero
Streator 44	132	Zero
Ottawa 141	140	Zero
Ottawa 140	102	Zero
Glenview 34	343	Zero
Zion 6	177	Zero
Grayslake 46	266	Zero
Elmwood Park 401	181	Zero
Libertyville 70	159	Zero
North Shore 112	374	Zero
HSD 113 Highland Park	249	Zero
Grant 124	91	Zero
Zion-Benton 126	156	Zero
Evanston 65	547	Zero
Grayslake 127	187	Zero
Meridian 15	64	Zero
Mt. Zion 3	133	Zero
Edwardsville 7	480	Zero
Alton 11	467	Zero
Macomb 185	130	Zero
McHenry 15	282	Zero
McHenry 156	158	Zero
Nippersink 2	92	Zero
Columbia 4	111	Zero
Waterloo 5	166	Zero
Hillsboro 3	114	Zero
Meridian 223	113	Zero
Illinois Valley Central 321	139	Zero
Carbondale 165	76	Zero
Carbondale 95	105	Zero
Riverton 14	85	Zero
Auburn 10	90	Zero
Pawnee 11	47	Zero
Panhandle 2	35	Zero
Sullivan 300	75	Zero
Centralia 135	93	Zero
Litchfield 12	83	Zero
Harlem 122	505	Zero
Granite City 9	617	Zero
Princeton 115	86	Zero
Princeton 500	43	Zero
Bond County 2	120	Zero
Duquoin CUSD 300	101	Zero
Rocton 140	102	Zero
Rochelle Twp. HSD 212	71	Zero
Rochelle CCSD 231	131	Zero
Byron 226	127	Zero
Oregon 220	104	Zero
Farmington Central 265	85	Zero
Porta 202	75	Zero
River Bend 2	71	Zero
Red Bud 132	73	Zero
Sparta 140	105	Zero
Southwestern 9	107	Zero
Staunton 6	87	Zero
Gillespie 7	81	Zero
Hamilton County 10	83	Zero
Midwest Central 191	85	Zero
Tuscola 301	86	Zero
West Carroll 314	99	Zero
Oakwood 76	64	Zero
Hoopeston 11	94	Zero
Westville 2	80	Zero
Beardstown 15	98	Zero
El Paso-Gridley 11	99	Zero
Murphysboro 186	137	Zero
Monticello 25	111	Zero
Paris-Union 95	74	Zero
Mt. Vernon Twp. 210	80	Zero
Mt. Vernon 80	109	Zero
Jasper County 1	101	Zero
Steger 194	128	Zero
Calumet City 155	77	Zero
North Boone 200	116	Zero
CCSD 93 Carol Stream	294	Zero
East Maine SD 63	254	Zero
Lockport Township HS 205	205	Zero
Above Teachers Total	82,981

One doe not have to be an election expert to know that the "Three in a Row" candidates are going to win this one.

Beth Taylor, Steve Bellmore and Timothy Byers have won the McHenry High School Board race.

And, in the “What part of ‘NO!’ don’t you understand?” department, the tax hike referendum is getting an 84.3% “No” vote.

The McHenry High School Tax Hikers are losing the bond referendum vote. over 5-1.

A comment showed up from long-time public official (McHenry High School Board) Ned Neumann that covers a topic I’ve been interested in but haven’t gotten around to writing about.

Municipalities along the Fox River have gotten in big financial trouble subsidizing housing overlooking the river. The first I noticed was Elgin. Then came McHenry with its RiverWalk, built where the old McHenry Hospital was located.

McHenry RiverWalk from Curtis Commercial web site.

Neumann says the building is up, but the planning was so poor that there isn’t a parking place for each condo.

Here’s Neumann’s commentary:

Cal-

You’ll remember me from forty years ago when I was on the McHenry High School Board, eventually for eighteen years.

You’ve given a lot of coverage lately to the “three in a row” candidates and their opposition to the eight million dollar tax increase being voted on Tuesday, April 5.

You’re right and they are right.

As much of the current Board as possible should be replaced and the tax increase should not be approved, the problem is; there’s a much bigger story in McHenry right now.

McHenry’s equivalent of Algonquin’s Tyvek Tower continues to be a joke. It’s primarily a residential condominium complex that has grossly inadequate parking.

The failed Algonquin condo project overlooking the Fox River and Downtown

Not even one spot for each condo, no spots for the twelve stores or restaurant, no spots for a store owner or their employees, none for a guest or customer.

Problem is: the building is mostly done and some occupancy in place.

It, the building, will survive.

The question is: survive as what?

People with a hundred, or several hundred thousand dollars to spend aren’t going to buy in a building without adequate parking.

Nobody has bought in four and a half years of effort.

The few who had contracts walked away when the parking got diminished by the City Council to help the developer survive.

Since then the bank took it back, entered into a contract for its sale to a group that is requesting the City to change the developer agreement to allow them to convert it into a rental complex.

The City gave two million dollars of incentive for the developer to build a ten million dollar owner occupied residential complex and some commercial space.

Seventy five percent of it residential units.

A four story low income or Section 8 rental complex will have nowhere near the value to justify two million dollars of incentives.

We have many low income rental properties, one or more in each of our other downtowns.

We may need more.

Certainly not as the crown jewel of our RiverWalk in the absolute center of our town.

Algonquin is lucky.

Their Tyvek Tower will either be finished according to its original plan or torn down.

McHenry’s will either be finished according to its original plan or diminished into a low income rental complex, the tenants of which somehow function without cars.

There’s talk of a special City Council meeting on April 11 with the only topic on the agenda being RiverWalk Center.

The contract purchaser group speaks freely of their request for conversion to a rental complex.

The City Council has previously caved in and gave in to whatever absurd request the out-of-towner high rollers requested.

I wonder what they’ll do this time.

I hope you pay attention. Keep up the good work. Regards!!

Ned Neumann

I’ve run the increased cost side of the numbers for merging McHenry Grade School District 15 and Wonder Lake’s Harrison School District 36 with McHenry High School District 156 and the numbers verify the judgment of the seven school board candidates Wednesday night.

When asked if they favored consolidation, as proposed Democratic Party Governor Pat Quinn, the answers were

“No,” “No,” “No,” “No,” “No,” “No,” “No.”

Seeking election to the District 156 High School Board for the first time are Timothy Byers, Darnell Qualls and Tracy Simon. All turned thumbs down on consolidation of school districts, as did the other four candidates for the board who took part in the League of Women Voters candidates' night.

When I calculated the addition cost that bringing grade school teacher salaries up to those enjoyed by Crystal Lake’s High School District 155 teachers, the number was an extra $27 million.

I didn’t know how to calculate the savings from fewer administrators, but Quinn estimated the total to be $100 million statewide.  Would it be even a million dollars savings in District 155?

This part of the school report card shows average salaries in District 15 and compares them to the statewide average.

Elementary school teachers in McHenry District 15 earn an average of $53,496   a year, according to its 2010 School Report Card. (The link can actually be found on the front page of the district’s web site.)

Harrison School District's salaries are shown on the Report Card along with a lot of other data.

In Harrison, the figure is $46,653.  You can see the whole report card here.

The weighted average of the two is $52,853.

If you are into source data, it’s below:

Average salaries and number of teachers

• McHenry High School District 156 – $68,228 – 158 teachers
• McHenry Grade School District 15 – $53,496 – 282 teachers
• Harrison Grade School District 36 – $46,653 – 29 teachers

The average McHenry High School teacher salary is $68,228. That is $14,732 more than the average elementary school teacher's salary in its feeder districts.

So, if we subtract the average grade school salary ($53,496) from the average high school salary ($68,228) the difference is $14,732.  (The link to the high school 2010 School Report Card can be found here.)

With a total of 311 elementary school teachers, the total salary differential is $4,581,652.

Not as much as for District 155 to the south, but still a hefty number.

First to answer the consolidation question, Beth Taylor nailed the reason for opposition.

There were two questions about consolidation of high school and grade school districts at the McHenry High School Board candidates night sponsored by the McHenry County League of Women Voters Wednesday night.

Beth Taylor’s reply to the first question, which focused on possible administrative savings:

“The wage adjustments outweigh administrative savings by 8-10 times.”

Steven White pointed out there are “significant differences in average salary between elementary and high school salaries that would eliminate (any administrative savings).”

The League of Women Votrers moderator at the candidates' night.

Incumbent Board member Mellody Ahrens agreed. “We would have a big salary increase…”

“Consolidation doesn’t seem to be a good idea,” agreed Timothy Byers. “It would cost the district a great deal of money.”

The other candidates made similar remarks.

All had compared the costs of raising elementary school teachers to the higher level of high school teachers and decided it wasn’t a good idea.

Then, the moderator asked for a “Yes,” “No” answer on the topic of consolidation, evoking Governor Pat Quinn’s name.

Both candidates supported by the teachers union and those supported by the taxpaying public opposed consolitation of local grade schools with the high school district.

“No,” “No,” “No,” “No,” “No,” “No,” “No,”

said the seven candidates present.

Besides the ones mentioned above, the others in attendance were Steve Bellmore, Tracy Simon and Darnell Qualls.

Missing the meeting were Alexandra Coy and Daniel Koruna.

Why two questions when the answers to the first question were all negative?

I can only image that the Illinois League of Women Voters favors the bill that would bust the budgets of taxpayers on the eastern side of McHenry County where there are not unit districts. (I emailed the state League early Thursday morning asking whether it had taken a position on the legislation, but my email went unanswered.)

Tomorrow, the math.

Seven of nine candidates on the ballot for the McHenry High School Board showed up the League of Women Voters candidates night.

Incumbent Mellody Ahrens

Tracy Simon

The McHenry County League of Women Voters held a candidates’ night for the McHenry High School Board Wednesday night at McHenry East High School.

Steven White

There was too much covered to spell it all out, but the most important question was how candidates planned to vote on the tax hiking referendum.

Three candidates favored the measure.

The first is the incumbent up for re-election, Mellody Ahrens.

The members of the blue and white yard sign slate do, too.

They are Tracy Simon and Stephen White.

All the rest who participated said they plan to vote “No”.

Steve Bellmore

• Steve Bellmore
• Timothy Byers
• Beth Taylor

Timothy Byers

In addition, Darnell Qualls said he was an opponent to the referendum.

Two people listed on the ballot didn’t show up.

Beth Taylor

They are Alexandra Coy and Daniel Koruna.

Darnell Qualls

The missing two are, respectively, the second and last on the ballot.

Being first on a long ballot like this provides about a ten percent advantage. Being last or second has been show to add about five percent to one’s vote totals.