Daily Archives: September 21, 2009

Peoria Public Schools

D150: Woodruff to be closed

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The Peoria Public Schools Board of Education voted tonight 4-3 to close Woodruff High School at the end of this school year. Voting in favor of closing Woodruff were Board President Debbie Wolfmeyer, Linda Butler, David Gorenz, and Laura Petelle. Voting against were Rachael Parker, Martha Ross, and Jim Stowell.

What started in 1903 as Averyville High School was later renamed Kingman High School, then E. N. Woodruff High School. Averyville was annexed into Peoria in 1928, and a new building was erected at 1800 NE Perry in 1937. That was the year it was named after Edward Nelson Woodruff, who served as Peoria’s mayor for eleven terms. (Sources: Reading, Writing, and Religion by Monica Vest Wheeler; Woodruff High School website; Wikipedia)

Peoria Public Schools

Monday is the day of decision for District 150

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Monday night, school board members will vote to close a high school. Two possibilities are on the agenda:

13. CLOSING OF WOODRUFF HIGH SCHOOL – Hinton
Proposed Action: That the Board of Education approve the closure of Woodruff High School effective at the end of the 2009 – 2010 school year.

14. CLOSING OF PEORIA HIGH SCHOOL –
Proposed Action: That the Board of Education approve the closure of Peoria High School effective at the end of the 2009 – 2010 school year.

There’s no telling what will ultimately be decided. Closing Woodruff is the administration’s recommendation, and the one that has been on the table the longest. It lacks an implementation plan. Closing Peoria High is an idea that was formally suggested for the first time last Monday night by board member Jim Stowell. It also lacks an implementation plan.

Adding more intrigue is the fact that the two closings are listed separately on the agenda, meaning that, theoretically, both schools or neither school could end up being closed. The odds of both schools being closed is practically zero, but there is a real possibility that neither school could get the necessary four votes in favor of closing. That outcome would leave everyone in limbo, since there is no Plan B for plugging the budget deficit.

For those who are placing bets, everyone tells me that the most likely outcome is that Woodruff will be closed.

Peoria County

Alas, poor Urich

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I’ve been waiting for an excuse to use that headline. Today, I have one.

Journal Star county beat and occasional society reporter Karen McDonald writes in Monday’s “Word on the Street” column that County Administrator Patrick Urich is under scrutiny by some County Board members, “amid growing concerns of lagging communication and issues related to the museum, Bel-Wood Nursing Home and the deficit budget.”

“I think we need better communication. We need to tackle these problems. We need to build better policy,” said board member Mike Phelan…. “It seems like the board isn’t fully informed at all times about what’s going on,” board member Pat Hidden said. “It was my understanding that the County Board made the rules and we were his boss. Maybe I was wrong. It’s like the County Board is just puppets now.”

Board members now want to do a formal performance evaluation of Mr. Urich. My guess is that he’ll come through it with flying colors. In fact, board members might just discover a new-found appreciation for the job he does. It will also give disgruntled board members a chance to explain the reason for their displeasure with Urich’s performance, and give him the opportunity to mend those relationships.

I don’t always agree on policy with Patrick, who also happens to be my neighbor, but I’ve always found him to be candid, professional, affable, and accessible. We’ve sparred quite a bit over issues involving the proposed downtown museum (which is still underfunded, by the way), but our disagreements have never gotten personal. My guess this is just a misunderstanding among some board members and it will all get worked out once they get a chance to sit down and discuss it with Patrick.