Daily Archives: October 15, 2010

Peoria Public Schools

District 150 disputes press release from Rev. Watson

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After I posted the press release from Rev. Raymond E. Watson, Jr., I was received some e-mail messages disputing the accusations made. So I made some inquiries. School Board member Laura Petelle stated, “Contrary to what this press release claims, I have not been contacted by this group or any individual claiming to be connected to it, though I realized people sometimes misspell my last name when attempting to e-mail me. However, I attempted to contact them after receiving this press release and they have not returned my attempts at contact.”

In addition, I requested an official response from District 150 through Stacey Shangraw, who referred me to the new FOIA officer. My e-mail to the new FOIA officer wasn’t acknowledged, but Petelle forwarded me this e-mail from Superintendent Lathan (with Lathan’s permission). She also forwarded the e-mail to Billy Dennis (Peoria Pundit) and Emerge Peoria.

Board Members,

In response to Reverend Watson’s “press release” here are the actual facts about PHS. To my knowledge, only one blogger has inquired about the press release.

1) All principals and Central Office administrators in the District, who were not already on multi-year contracts, have been offered one-year contracts. There were no exceptions. Any ongoing multi-year contracts prior to my arrival must be honored. New principals were offered multi-year contracts.

2) Textbooks are an ongoing issue throughout our District. Several years ago, we evaluated our textbook process as a Six-Sigma project. We improved the process, but our high student mobility rate is an issue. To correct his letter, the first Peoria High textbook request sent to the warehouse was dated August 19, not August 1. The warehouse has filled all of the received textbook requisitions that are able to be filled.

3) There are only two plumbing work orders outstanding for PHS. A Sept. 30 work order for a leaking drinking fountain and an Oct. 5 work order for two toilets – one fills slowly and the other has a broken flush handle. A nearby plumbing service would need to be contacted.

4) I am developing a schedule to meet with all parent groups to introduce myself and allow time for Q&A.

5) We have been working collaboratively with the City to address the after school safety issues :

a) The posting of new signs on North Street indicating “No Stopping or Standing” and indicating no left turn onto North Street between the hours of 2:00 & 4:00 PM Monday through Friday.

b) Requesting support from the Parking Enforcement Division to assist in the enforcement of parking violations.

c) The installation of gates that will prevent vehicles from exiting designated entrance / exits.

d) The moving of the public bus stop form Richmond/North to Nebraska/North

e) The purchase of video cameras to tape student dismissal and after school activities.

f) Conduct school assemblies at all high schools regarding sidewalk safety.

Grenita F. Lathan, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Peoria Public Schools
3202 N. Wisconsin Avenue
Peoria, IL 61603

Taxes

Illinois Policy Institute advocates TIF reform

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The Illinois Policy Institute, a non-profit think tank, has issued a new report calling for reform of the Tax Increment Financing process. It’s called Tax Increment Financing: Hidden in Plain Sight. The article uses examples from Chicago almost exclusively, but the information is applicable throughout Illinois. The Institute says more transparency is needed in establishing TIF districts, and the State needs to adopt a stricter definition of what constitutes “blight.”

That last part is certainly true, not only because of the impact it would have on TIFs, but also Enterprise Zone status. In Peoria, the most abused economic development tool is the Enterprise Zone; it’s supposed to be applied to “blighted” areas, but take a look at the Enterprise Zone map (available from the City’s website here) and notice how much of the zone is applied to far north Peoria, even north of Route 6. The Enterprise Zone was even used as an incentive for annexation at one point. I would suggest that it’s not just a stricter definition of “blight” that’s needed, but stricter enforcement.

The report quotes liberally from a 2006 study by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy which found that “non-TIF areas of municipalities that use TIF grow no more rapidly, and perhaps more slowly, than similar municipalities that do not use TIF.” This is significant because it means, in addition to other taxing bodies losing out on new tax money received within TIFs, they also suffer slower growth in the areas outside of TIFs.

There is currently a new TIF being developed in the East Bluff.

(Link to report on Scribd site)