Superintendent's Corner 😎🏫😎
Avoca District 37
In this issue...
- Black History Month - James Baldwin
- Strategic Spotlights - Avoca Center
- Board Recognitions - Service & Achievement
- Important Issues Before the Board - Finances & School Fees
Black History Month - James Baldwin
Strategic Spotlight - Avoca Center
In recent days, you might have noticed that Avoca Center is finally now being demolished. This is a milestone in the District's history, both as a moment looking back and a moment looking forward.
Board Recognitions - February 6, 2020
And this year, we added a Staff Recognition component, acknowledging what we all know: None of us achieves or grows alone. Below are just a few pictures from the Board Recognition event on the 6th.
Important Issues Before the Board - Fees
At the February 20th Board meeting, after having sought feedback and looked long and hard at the fiscal picture, the Board will vote whether to approve new fees and some fee increases for the coming 2020-21 school year. For those with economic challenges in their home, they may be eligible for full or partial waivers (see more below). Regarding the fees themselves, please note the following:
- After seeking feedback and looking at the options, the Administration and Finance Committee have recommended the Board adopt a single transportation fee of $300 (one-way) or $500 (round trip), regardless of distance from destination.
- The Instructional Fee and the Technology Fee will be combined going forward, as the expense for an iPad has now been made a flat $150 dollars and there is no longer a need to separate these fees. Consolidation is consistent with regional practice. The whole Instructional Fee per student will now be: K=$280, 1st-4th=$315, 5th-8th=$330
- For the first time, there will be a fee associated with Orchestra. Unlike the other fees, where those fees are targeted to pay a percentage of the overall program costs, the Orchestra fee is simply assigned as that equal to the Band fee for 2020-21, which will be $230 per student.
Raising fees is never simple. In difficult financial circumstances, the Administration and Board are seeking the path that does the most to share between parents and community members these important expenditures. Please remember, if you are eligible for your lunch fees to be waived, these fees will be waived. Also, if you have challenging financial circumstances but are not eligible for waived lunch fees, you can still be eligible for reduced fees. Please email Kathi Meinzer to learn more (meinzerk@avoca37.org)
Contact us
Email: osburnk@avoca37.org
Website: www.avoca37.org
Location: 2921 Illinois Road, Wilmette, IL, USA
Phone: 847-728-4128
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avoca.schools37
Twitter: @AvocaOsburn