School District 150 controversy — again

School District 150 is in the middle of another controversy—again. This time it’s about reducing the school day for all primary students by 45 minutes. A few schools, like Edison, will not be affected by the ruling.

The school board accepted the recommendation for a shorter school day made by Ken Hinton, superintendent. Shortening the day should save the district an estimated $645,000 says Hinton. However, a number of parents, teachers and others are saying, “Not so fast.” They want school board members and District 150 officials to consider other alternatives to reduce the district’s budget.

One of the objectors is Diane Vespa, mother of two children and a well-known realtor. Appearing on WOAM’s “Breakfast with Royce and Roger,” Vespa argued that a reduction of the school day will be harmful to students and will create hardships for parents. “Parents will have to change work schedules to accommodate the new departure and arrival times for their children,” Vespa said. “I don’t think the decision was thoughtfully considered by the board,” she stated. “There are alternative ways of reducing the deficit,” Vespa added.

Former board member Alicia Butler suggested district officials should give consideration to alternatives that have the least impact on students and parents. “A reduction of the school day has an immediate and direct negative impact on children,” Butler said.

Several knowledgeable and experienced educators and interested people have been meeting to study ways to help the school district reduce the budget deficit by the desired $645,000. Here are some of the cost-saving measures they recommend:

1. An immediate freeze on filling new positions.
2. Elimination or reduction of the number of cell phones by school personnel.
3. Institute a bidding process for all legal and auditing services.
4. Sell all of the homes on Prospect Road that cost the district $877,500.
5. Sell White & Loucks schools.
6. End the practice of allowing district vehicles to be driven to and from employee homes each day.
7. Evaluate the need for assistant principal positions at schools with student populations under 400.
8. Re-evaluate administrative staffing.
9. Eliminate rehiring retired administrators as consultants.
10. Eliminate all overtime except campus police for extra-curricular events.
11. End all travel except when paid for by grants.
12. Revisit outsourcing services including food service.

Wow! That’s an impressive list of alternative ways to save district revenue. It sure beats reducing the school day. Hopefully, the District 150 board will look at these suggestions and reconsider the decision to reduce the school day for 2008-2009.

HILLTOP CHANGES

New Bradley University president Joanne Glasser is still making changes on the Hilltop. The “Voice of the Bradley Braves,” Dave Snell, has been made a special assistant to the president. I’m not sure if that’s Dave’s official title, but he will work closely with Glasser on alumni and university special events. One of his active duties will be to introduce the president on speaking occasions.

Another addition to her staff is former Peoria Journal editorialist, Shelley Epstein. Epstein retired from the newspaper and went to work at Ameren CILCO. He left there to become a speech writer for Glasser.

STOP THE PRESSES!!!!!!!!!

“Kid Gitmo,” Senator Dick Durbin has announced he’s “upset by fuel price increases” and is going to conduct hearings to find out why gas costs so much. This will be the fourth, fifth or maybe the sixth time some Congressional committee has held their publicity seeking hearings.

So now it’s time for the public-seeking Senator Dick Durbin to grab a few headlines and TV times. So far Durbin has ignored the suggestion to eliminate 18 cents in gas taxes but supported a bill that halts pouring oil into our emergency and security reserves. The latter Democrat sponsored bill provides absolutely no relief for consumers.

Hey, Dick. Rising gas prices are due to supply and demand. Here are a couple of novel suggestions from people who know more about it than a career politician from Illinois: try building some new refineries while allowing off-shore drilling and drilling in Anwar.

Meanwhile, while Senator Durbin panics, investment company Lehman Bros. is predicting a drop in oil prices next year. Michael Waldron, Lehman’s oil strategist, says while demand is outpacing supplies today, by next year oil will drop to $83.00 a barrel and as low as $70 a barrel in 2010. Oil will become more plentiful with new exploration projects in large off-shore fields in Nigeria and in new areas in Saudi Arabia. By the way, gas prices have been much higher in Europe than the U.S. for years.

NO NEWS BECOMES NEWS

Former Mayor Jim Maloof would’ve been better served to keep quiet after PJS columnist Phil Luciano wrote what everyone else already knew. The former mayor is supporting Kevin Lyons for re-election as Peoria County state’s attorney. It wasn’t and isn’t news. Anyone who’s anyone knows Maloof and George Shadid co-chair the committee to re-elect Lyons.

Jim Maloof is a nice guy and served as mayor of Peoria with distinction. But, Jim is like too many Republicans. He has a history of jumping over to the other political side for a variety of reasons. In doing so, say many Republicans, he forgets who supported him, politically and personally. As one Republican told me, “Kevin Lyons and Democrats didn’t elect Jim Maloof. Republicans did.”

Endorsements mean little in today’s politics. And that’s true with the so-called news that Jim Maloof supports Kevin Lyons. People don’t care who Maloof supports anymore than they care who I endorse. The real story in the LaHood camp concerns George Shadid. You won’t hear about it because both Ray and Darin have too much class. The relationship between the Shadid and LaHood families covers many years and runs deep. There are close ties and insiders tell me the LaHood family was offended and hurt when George announced he would serve as campaign co-chairman for Lyons. But hey, it’s politics. The old saying, “Politics creates strange bed-fellows,” still rings true today.

The race for Peoria County state’s attorney between Lyons and LaHood will be close. It’s a race between a long-time elected official versus a young and successful federal prosecutor. The race will be extremely competitive. Already there are stories and rumors floating around involving law enforcement or the lack thereof. Some of the stories touch on some prominent individuals that make for far greater interest and real news than a former mayor’s endorsement. Look for at least one of the stories to become politically explosive if it becomes news.

PRISON WALLS

I don’t live next to I-74 in Peoria. Two years ago, we lived a few blocks from the highway. Some homeowners complained about the highway noise coming from the newly renovated and reconstructed I-74. To accommodate the homeowners, IDOT workers erected concrete walls to serve as sound barriers. Apparently, it works. Still, I have a hard time understanding why a homeowner would choose to look out his or her back window everyday at something resembling the walls surrounding the Stateville Penitentiary in Joliet. I wonder what will happen when the homeowner puts the house up for sale and a prospective buyer looks out the rear window to see the “prison wall” in the backyard. Ouch.

CRIME AND BOOZE

While Peoria can crow about the drop in crime in the city so far in 2008, we still experience too many shootings. Some of those happen around downtown bars, including those with 4:00 a.m. licenses.

That’s why some observers were surprised when the City Council voted to expand the boundaries on a trial basis to allow for more bars to serve “fire water” until 4:00 a.m. According to the Coalition of Concerned Citizens, Peoria and Aurora are the only cities outside of Chicago in the northern part of the state to permit drinking until 4:00 a.m. I’m not sure why the council feels more late night and early morning drinking is needed in Peoria especially since the city turned its backs on the floating riverboat casino years ago for moral reasons.

MEMORIAL DAY

As this month’s edition of the Community Word went to press, we were preparing for the Memorial Day weekend. It’s a time for fondly remembering our loved ones, especially those who died in battle.

I thought it would be interesting to refresh our memories about the number of Americans who died fighting for the many freedoms we enjoy today. Here’s the list as provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs:

American Revolution 1775-1783

Battle Deaths 4,435

War of 1812 – 1812-1815

Battle Deaths 2,260

Indian Wars 1817-1898

Battle Deaths 1,000 (estimated)

Mexican War 1846-1848

Battle Deaths 1,733

Civil War 1861-1865

Battle Deaths 215,000

Spanish-American War 1898-1902

Battle Deaths 385

World War I 1917-1918

Battle Deaths 53,402

World War II 1941-1945

Battle Deaths 291,557

Korean War 1950-1953

Battle Deaths 33,741

Vietnam War 1964-1975

Battle Deaths 47,424

Desert Shield/ Storm 1990-1991

Battle Deaths 147

Iraq War 2003-

Battle Deaths 4,047

Total Battle Deaths All Wars 655,079

Other Deaths (In Theater) 308,797

Other Deaths (Non-Theater) 230,279

Total Deaths – 1,194,155

The words written by Colonel John McCrae as a tribute to those who died in battle are as appropriate today as they were during World War I.

IN FLANDERS’ FIELDS

In Flanders’ fields the poppies blow

between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

the larks, still bravely singing fly,

Scarce heard amidst the guns below.

We are the dead.

Short days ago we lived, felt dawn,

saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved and now we lie

in Flanders’ fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe,

to you from failing hands we throw

The torch—be yours to hold it high;

if ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders’ fields.