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CCSD66 Notes

Monday, April 27, 2009

Band and Choirs Tour St. Louis


This weekend the Lakeview Junior School Bands and Choir will be competing in the Music in the Parks contest in the St. Louis area. The competition will include the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Marching Spartan Band and the Lakeview Chorus. Students will be leaving Lakeview Thursday afternoon and will tour historical and educational sites on Friday before performing in the the various competitions. Saturday morning, the Marching Band will be competing at Eureka High School and then on to Six Flags, St Louis for the rest of the day which will conclude with the an awards program in the amusement park. Sunday will include the wonderful Valley of the Flowers Parade in nearby Florissant, Mo. This is a wonderful, well attended parade and the Lakeview Marching Spartans is a perennial favorite of parade goers. Students will return home Sunday evening after a very busy weekend. Good luck to our talented young musicians. I am hoping they will return with several large trophies! Good luck to directors, Brian Ohlsen, Tom Tedeschi and Jen Berman! Go Spartans!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

New Board of Education to Be Seated

On May 5th the new Center Cass School District 66 Board of Education will be installed and seated to begin their new term. Returning to the Board are members Suzanne Armato, Jeanne Grimmer and Dan Slayden. Joining the Board will be reelected incumbents Catherine Killian and Robert Koch and newly elected members Linda Milbrandt and Mark Motuelle who will be serving their first terms. The Board will re-organize, elect officers, make committee appointments and set meeting times.

Leaving the Board this year are long time members Susan James and Ron Eberhart. Susan James has served the Board for 16 years, during which time Prairieview School and the Lakeview addition were funded and built. Mrs. James currently serves as the Board Secretary. Ron Eberhart has served the Board for eight years and has served as Treasurer and Vice-President. Mr. Eberhart provided leadership during the renovation of Lakeview in 2003 and was instrumental in negotiating the latest contract with the Center Cass Education Association.

Welcome to Linda Milbrandt and Mark Motuelle as they begin their terms. Heartfelt thanks to Sue James and Ron Eberhart for all of their efforts on behalf of Center Cass students.

Monday, April 13, 2009

What Next?


Where do we go from here? After the much ballyhooed start and the promise of new times with Governor Quinn we have made little or no progress in dealing with the state's major issues such as finance and providing necessary government services for the people. The Governor while being well-meaning and busy has not accomplished a great deal. Certainly he has been visible, he is living in the Governor's Mansion, he has pardoned some criminals, passed some legislation to protect utility customers from fraud but nothing really of substance.


Governor Quinn's budget was pronounced DOA when it was delivered almost of month ago on March 18th. While there appears to be a new spirit in Springfield, really not much has happened. Republicans and Democrats have reached no consensus on moving ahead to solve the fiscal crisis of the state. Talk of income tax increases and property tax reductions are just talk at this time as the parties plot to place themselves in the best possible position to avoid any responsibility for their actions or inactions. The result is no progress on anything!


The real issue is that both parties and their leaders have not lead for years and have made well-meaning, but systemically poor decisions to realign the finances of the state. We have added programs without paying for them, we have delayed required payments for pensions and other obligations pushing the burden onto future generations. Now the Governor wants to ask schools to rebate property taxes in exchange for state aide for schools which just won't happen. While the Governor has been fairly vocal about his budget plans the powers that be (Cullerton and Madigan) have been fairly closed mouthed throughout this debate. Polite but quiet!


The message here is that you should not expect a state budget until much later in the year, maybe by July but anything can happen. I have to think that somewhere in the quiet halls, some plans are being made and wonder when we will see and hear them. Stay tuned!

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Maybe Spring Is Here!


The weather the last couple of days has been a tempting reminder of warmer days to come. It is good to see the sunshine and see green spreading across the lawn. School has resumed after spring break and students are back into the routine of the classroom. I have observed many classrooms this week as students fresh from vacation are busy learning while teachers teach! Next week spring sports begin and there will be activity every night on our fields. This is a busy time of year and will accelerate to the crescendo of graduation in June. Enjoy one last long restful weekend!