McHenry County Blog

The main entrance of Woodstock North High School.

Take a look at the emails from the parents of a high school student and the Superintendent’s reply:

First from the parents:

Dear Ms. Wrzeski,

Thank you so much for your response.

I do have a couple of more questions.

Does the permission which you mentioned mean a one-time permission given at the beginning of the year, or would this be always at the time of service?

While I appreciate your answer, I do have my concerns since I know for a fact that Title X moneys had to be available to use for contraceptives for minors as young as 12 without parental knowledge or consent.

How will the District clinic address/handle situations in which a pregnant student comes to the clinic for help?

Is there any policy in place that would prevent abortion counseling or referral for said student?

My husband and I were also wondering how the district will pay for this clinic once the grant money is spent?

Is this something the taxpayers will be expected to fund in the future?

Thank you again, for your response to our queries.

From: Ellyn Wrzeski
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2013 1:55 PM

To: Subject: Re: [Board of Education] Health clinic grant

Dear

I am writing in response to your most recent questions.

Lisa Tate, District 200 Health Services Director, is a co-respondent on this email as I wanted to make sure I was answering your questions accurately.

1. It is likely, as we do with almost all District services, that a parent will be asked to fill out a permission form which would be effective for the entire school year. However, follow-up information will be provided to the parents for students who visit the Health Clinic just as the District does now with students who see the nurse for any significant reason – excluding such things as a cut or scrape.
2. We will be contracting with a Federally Qualified health Agency who will be providing all of the health services including fees, billing, etc. The only thing that the District will be providing is the space and the construction costs which are grant funded. The clinic will have to be self-supporting and no District funds will be utilized for the ongoing provision of services.
3. Such a provider is not required to distribute contraceptives to minors and this will not be an issue. We can not speak to what happened in the 1990′s as we weren’t in Woodstock at that time but again can reassure you that we will NOT be providing contraceptive materials, advice or education. In the agreement, which will be drawn up between the selected Health Care Agency and the District, there will be explicit requirements that NO contraception distribution or education be provided to students.
4. Currently when a student presents as pregnant in our School Health Clinics, they are referred to a local health care facility. We provide no counseling regarding abortion, adoption or any other options. Our main concern is to get the student to a physician who can provide appropriate prenatal care.

Hopefully this information answers your questions.

Sincerely,
Ellyn Wrzeski and Lisa Tate

The previous article may be found here.

As did the Northwest Herald’s Kevin Lyons

State Rep. Tom Morrison questioned panelists.

At last night Illinois Policy Institute forum on teacher pensions, one question from Northwest Herald News Editor Kevin Lyons had to do with House Minority Leader Tom Cross’ having characterized a shift in tax burden from the state taxpayer to the local property taxpayer.

Laying out the problems Policy Institute Spokeswoman Diane Rickert.

She explained that there was a $203 billion problem when promised health insurance was included. That’s $41,000 per household,” she said.

Diane Rickert

She pointed out that disconnecting the setting of pension levels from the payment for pensions was “an anomaly,” that most units of local government set pensions [by setting salaries] and, then, had to come up with the money to pay them.

She pointed specifically to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF), to which most government workers who are not teachers, fire or police officers belong. [Police and fire pensions are also financed by real estate taxes.]

Several times during the meeting, Rickert argued that McHenry County taxpayers would continue to be subsidizing North Shore school districts that pay their teachers much more than teachers get paid in McHenry County, if the State taxpayer were forced to continue paying for teacher pensions. The argument seemed to have almost a class envy tinge. She said the Policy Institute favors an immediate shift of incidence.

“Doing it all at once would take 3 1/2 percent of the whole budget,” she estimated. She also gave two examples of a ten-year phase in:

• Cary Grade School District 26 with a $34.5 million budget – $150,000 in year one
• Woodstock Unit District 200 with a $98 million budget – $274,000 in the first year

“I’m pretty such some school superintendents get paid more than that,” she added.

Jeff Mason

District 47 Board President Jeff Mason answered in a manner that led me to believe that he thought a transfer of financial responsibility was inevitable. He referred to the

• “The test you didn’t want to study for
• “The leak in the roof you didn’t take care of”

Earlier, Mason had said, “We understand this expense is going to be shifted to the school district at some point. “Thirty years sounds reasonable,” he said with a chuckle. Then, five to seven years would give us a chance to ease the shock value to go forward.”

The Crystal Lake School Board President complained that there were “too many cooks–State and local.”

Mike Sayre

It the financing goes back to local schools, Mason said he thought “that’s where the rules should be set.”

“We need a permanent solution, not a Band-Aid solution.

“Just taking the accountability away from the State will not solve the problem,” Illinois Education Association Spokesman Mike Sayre, a Crystal Lake High School District teacher, added.

The IEA representative made the

• “school boards would have to cut programs to kids,”
• “doing things to affect kids”

argument several times, much to the vocal distaste of the man sitting next to me in the front row.

Don Bond opposed shifting the tax burden from the State to the local taxpayer.

There were two taxpayer questioners under the only two questions will be allowed policy, one from a teacher or retired teacher and one for everybody else at the forum.

Former School Superintendent Don Bond of Huntley grabbed the “teacher” spot.

He complained his tax bill had gone from $4,000 to $8,000 over the last twenty years.

He had a question, but his point was “Springfield made the mess. Don’t send it to the [property taxpayers]!”

“If you want to keep the problem in Springfield, expect that tax bill to climb and climb and climb,” Rickert replied after pointing out that the income tax had already been hiked 67%.

She pointed to the Huntley School Districts $82 million budget.

Over a ten-year period it would cost $735,000, she said. [I assume that is for the ten years, but my notes are unclear.]

Cary Grade School Board member asked if the State would end unfunded mandates if it pushed pension costs onto real estate taxpayers.

The non-teacher question was asked by Cary Grade School Board member Chris Jenner.

He asked if the legislature would going to shift new costs to school districts, would they take away

• unfunded mandates,
• the prevailing wage requirement that makes building cost 20-30% than for non-government projects
• ineffective life safety code requirements

“The Illinois Education Association has no position,” Sayer answered.

“The onus should be on the politicians in Springfield to remove the onerous requirements,” the Illinois Policy Institute Spokeswoman said.

Mason argued that teachers should be provided with the opportunity to make decisions about their retirement.

The IEA’s Sayer entered the fray again explaining, “When I think of Cary District 26, I know a lot of teachers who have been forced to to teach music and physical education and that’s not what they trained for.

“All things we do for the Illinois Education Association is for the students first.”

The McHenry County College meeting was well-attended, as you can see from the photo below of the dispersing crowd.

The crowd after the one-hour meeting was over.

With two State Representatives in attendance, people took the opportunity to bend their ears.

Crystal Lake’s State Rep. Mike Tryon talked with local residents.

Palatine State Rep. Tom Morrison answered questions after the forum.

Also in attendance were two District 6 candidates for McHenry County Board,Democrat Jay Kadakia and Republican Mary McCann.

Jay Kadakia, former Huntley Village Trustee, gave Republican McHenry County Board opponent Mary McCann of rural Woodstock a piece of his campaign literature after the meeting.

Then I went home to write my first article on this event, which is entitled,

“IEA Spokesman Too Young To Know His Union’s Role in the Pension Crisis.”

 You can read it here.

The North Carolina school with the lunchroom nanny apologized to the child's parents late last week.

Perhaps you heard of the lunchroom nanny in North Carolina.

Well, you don’t have to go that far to find the kids’ lunch food police.

At one Woodstock elementary school, a lunchroom nanny disapproved of the brownie that a child brought with her home-packed lunch.

I don’t know the admonishment, but the little person was told by someone in authority that it was not good for her and she couldn’t eat it.

From my college days I know about the in loco parentis (in place of the parent), but the parent made the meal. The parent’s intention was clear.

Where does a District 200 employee get off telling the child he/she can’t eat a brownie?

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.

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

McHenry County Blog has surveyed school districts with major presences in McHenry County and discovered that union employees paid $3.8 million in dues during calendar year 2010.

The total amount was $3,825,572.

Contracts are typically for more than one year and most expenses would in contract negotiation year.

Most are from dues paid by teachers, but there are also office worker and school bus drivers.

Most go to the Illinois Education Association-National Education Association.

Part of the collective bargaining proposal made by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is to end mandatory union membership.

Illinois, of course, has laws that force all employees of a bargaining unit to pay dues.

The legislation would require that teacher union officials collect their own dues, rather than having as a payroll deduction, as is the case in all of the districts below.

To no one’s surprise, employees of the largest district examined, Carpentersville Unit District 300, paid the most dues.  The total was over $1.1 million.

• Barrington Unit District 220 – $554,555
• Alden-Hebron Unit District 19 – $22,427
• Cary Grade School District 26 – $52,254
• Crystal Lake Grade School District 47 – 315,342
• Crystal Lake High School District 155 – $287,202
• Carpentersville Unit District 300 – $1,122,392
• Fox River Grove Grade School District 3 – $23,599
• Harvard Unit School District 50 – $96,745
• Huntley Unit School District 158 – $356,047
• Johnsburg Unit District 12 – $106,055
• Marengo-Union Grade School District 165 – $48,778
• Marengo High School District 154 – $30,005
• McHenry Grade School District 15 – $207,111
• McHenry High School District 156 – $109,331
• Prairie Grove Grade School District 46 – $10,863
• Richmond-Burton (Nippersink) Grade School District 2 – $59,429
• Richmond-Burton High School District 157 – $37,592
• Riley Grade School District 18 – $9,161
• Wonder Lake (Harrison) School District 36 – $13,249
• Woodstock Unit School District 200 – $372,595

Teachers walk picket line outside Huntley High School in 2008.

Click to enlarge any image.

So now we add Woodstock School District 200, Huntley School District 158 and the McHenry High and Grade School districts to the two other McHenry County school districts have announced no school Thursday.

Carpentersville School District 300, Crystal Lake Grade School Grade School District 47 are also on the list.

Woodstock Unit School District 200 has canceled classes on Wednesday.

The Woodstock School District's web site.

Capitol Fax Blog reports from a union press release that

“the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 and the Laborers’ District Council of Chicago & Vicinity reached a tentative three-year agreement with the Chicago Area Independent Contractors Association (CAICA), one of the four major employer associations that bargain on behalf of construction contractors in the Chicago metropolitan area.”

Strikers on Route 47 in Huntley.

I wonder if the employers working on Route 47 are included.

Strikers sit in the shade across from the Route 47 Woodstock Courthouse at Mary Endres Elementary School.

Similarly, I wonder if the ones striking at the Woodstock District 200 school complex across from the courthouse work for one of the firms that has settled.