Tag Archives: Jim Stowell

So far, five people are definitely running, and two definitely aren’t

City Council hopefuls have six days to file petitions to be placed on the ballot. Today, five candidates filed:

  • Ryan Spain (incumbent)
  • Eric Turner (incumbent)
  • Chuck Grayeb (former councilman)
  • Chuck Weaver (Zoning Board of Appeals chairman)
  • Jim Stowell (District 150 School Board member)

Two incumbents are definitely not running:

Potential candidates have to collect a minimum of 165 signatures to be placed on the ballot, and they have until 5 p.m. next Monday (Nov. 22) to file. Incumbent Gary Sandberg is expected to file at 4:59 p.m. on Nov. 22, as is his usual practice. He likes to be the last name on the ballot. As for who will be first on the ballot — we’ll find out tomorrow. It will be one of three people: Spain, Weaver, or Grayeb. They filed at the same time, so their names will be placed in a lottery to determine their order on the ballot.

If more than 10 people run, there will be a primary on Tuesday, February 22, 2011. The general election will be held Tuesday, April 5, 2011.

Cahill out, but who’s in?

So, right after I left town for the weekend, the rumor about District 150 Controller/Treasurer Guy Cahill leaving was confirmed. Figures. It will be made official Tuesday night at the regular school board meeting. The agenda reads:

17. TERMINATION OF CONTROLLER/TREASURER CONTRACT
18. APPOINTMENT OF TEMPORARY CONTROLLER/TREASURER

So, the question is, who’s going to be filling in temporarily? School board members are tight-lipped, citing confidentiality of personnel matters.

You might be interested to know that, according to District 150’s bylaws (2:110), a school board member can serve as treasurer:

The Treasurer of the Board shall be either an elected member of the Board who serves a 1-year term or an appointed non-Board member who serves at the Board’s pleasure. A Treasurer who is a Board member may not be compensated.

I believe Jim Stowell would qualify for this position. At least in the interim, this could help the school district save money while they’re looking for a permanent replacement for Mr. Cahill, since a board member can’t be compensated, but anyone else they appoint would have to be compensated.

Stowell responds to Peoria Story

I linked previously to some pretty serious issues raised by Elaine Hopkins at her blog, Peoria Story. District 150 Board of Education member Jim Stowell has responded to that report and asked me to post it on my blog as well. If you haven’t read the original article, you might want to first before you read his response:

Elaine – Thank you again for sharing the full report from the anonymous “experts”. It is entirely incorrect to state that the “district spent $10.5 million more than it budgeted as allege.” The “on-behalf” payments are an intra-state transfer from the state treasury direct to TRS. Those funds were never received by the district nor spent by the district. In 2006 and 2007 a statutory amount was reflected, but in 2008 the state engaged in an actuarial computation which was necessary given the large and growing under funded pension system. I was told that past comptrollers always omitted the amount as it is not part of our working capital or restricted funds. The state, I am told, uses this figure in overall education funding to enhance their effort in showing how they “support” public education. These are not education dollars, but rather pension dollars for future retiree benefits. Page 62 of the audit reflects an amount of “revenue” of $10,410,849 while page 66 shows a like amount as an expenditure. By stating the larger gross figure than what we actually receive (and throughout the state), it inflates how much the state really spends on education. With respect to the deficit fund balances, the Medicaid operations fund and Mid-Central Assoc. fund are merely cash flow issues. We provide services (an expense) but are often not reimbursed in a timely manner, thereby resulting in a deficit fund balance. I am also told that the Municipal retirement/social security fund balance deficit has existed for some time and the district is “whittling away” at it so it doesn’t have to levy for it, which, while within their rights, causes taxes to rise. The Self insured workman’s comp reflects the extremely large number of comp claims filed and is why the Board voted to establish a Tort levy. I voted against the levy because the amount carried as a liability is an estimate provided by our third party administrator (TPA). I felt we should better manage and be more proactive in mitigating workman’s comp claims and only levy once the outcome of all these pending claims are known. These anonymous supposed “experts” also make ridiculous assumptions that “if an expense was incurred the previous year, it is probable that it will occur again the next year”. With all the work being done to balance a budget and the dynamics of various program changes, that is an ill-founded assumption, at best. The group does raise legitimate questions on certain line items that warrant clarification and I will be following up to address those. For example, our Board has been frugal in spending, yet page 69 shows budgeted salaries for “Board of Ed Services” of $71,085 and an actual amount spent of $395,008. I am told that salaries for “Board initiatives” are booked here. I am asking for clarification and a breakdown. I will follow-up with more when I receive answers. I encourage you to affirm or deny the source of this “report” being our auditors, as some are suggesting. Whoever the source, they are wrong to suggest that we “spent $10.5 million more than” we budgeted, as you state in your opening sentence. Thank you for your concern on behalf of our students and our community. For more legal advice see: http://goodwinbarrett.co.uk/how-to-claim/. Jim

I appreciate Jim responding publicly, and he offers some very helpful insight. However, someone who wishes to remain anonymous takes issue with Jim’s comments:

The disclosure of the TRS revenue and offsetting expense by the state of Illinois on behalf of the school district is a required disclosure in the audit. Laymen may not understand that since it washes out or in Stowell’s case even like it, but by generally accepted accounting standards it must be reported that way as it has been for years! Stowell’s statement that it wasn’t budgeted before is grossly in error and personally shows how shallow his understanding. Consequently there should have been a budget though this year Cahill forgot it apparently and CG was required to highlight it!

I don’t know generally accepted accounting practices, so I’m not going to weigh in on this. All I can tell you is that the audits of the past few years haven’t looked too good, and I’m glad to see at least one board member taking these issues seriously and asking questions. Thank you, Mr. Stowell.

Counter proposals offered for D150

While Ken Hinton continues working on his plans to close schools and cut expenses, others have been trying to come up with counter proposals. There are two so far that I’ve been told. The first one comes from Board of Education member Jim Stowell:

Proposal

Purchase homes on Perry that front Lincoln

  • Build out a birth through sixth facility – beautiful new back entrance (or North end entrance to Woodruff campus)

Push up into Woodruff 7th and 8th from Lincoln

  • Mirror academy model @ Manual
  • Use best practices and cut contract and cost
  • Focus on technology (CISCO bias)

Close Peoria High; immediately begin:

  1. utilizing Peoria High as the much needed alternative school
  2. empanel group of Admin., etc. to begin planning for a better Peoria High

Planning and completion would take 3 probably 4 years – while it is being done – facilities are temporarily used as alternative school. Other programs might co-exist, but primary purpose is for much needed alternative school

Planning Part and Vision

Collaboratively with City and Park District acquire land from Peoria High North St. to Nebraska, and Nebraska to Herke Field

With city help – vacate maintenance and the two lane cut through to create Center Bluff Campus

Acquire homes on North St. to stop light. Close through traffic on North. The 74 overpass becomes gateway to new Campus.

Seen from I-74, it replaces cafeteria area and becomes a beacon on the hill.

Design curriculum to align with UIC College of Medicine and hospitals needs – have it be the choice school for a Medical Career path.

City concurrently working in planning phase to engage in the Impact Zone concept – on both sides of interstate.

North to Richmond becomes park like one-way exiting out on Knoxville.

Park-like campus helps shape revitalization of Sheridan North.

For 3 – 4 years we gain control over our costs by consolidating to 3 full service high schools.

We begin preparing what Peoria High School becomes.

oundaries for entering could be changed to south of Nebraska (McClure)?

  • go to Manual – Manual 1100, Richwoods 1400 and Woodruff 1400
    (Manual has been land-locked)

Redraw once new Central opened

  • also with academies
  • but potentially aligned with proposed Math and Science, which, should take on a lower priority currently than the needed alternative school environment

Back fill permanent alternative program into a vacated building that could be renovated

The other counter proposal comes from District 150 teacher Scott Donahue and is based on the 2005 Structural Budget Imbalance Task Force report. The SBI Task Force was made up of community members, D150 support staff, school principals, and board member David Gorenz. Many of the savings opportunities outlined in this plan were never implemented:

SBI Task Force Recommendations:
District chose to ignore these potential savings
Item Savings Recommendation
RIF Administrator $234,000 RIF Minimum 2-3 Administrators
Three Tier Bell Schedule $525,000
Eliminate Edison Contract $3,825,000 (2009-2014) Figuring district would pay $135,000 for benchmark testing each of the five years
Eliminate Department Heads @ HS $160,000
Eliminate Controller-Treasurer $150,000 Re-assign responsibilities to other central office administrators
Reduce Admin in Buildings $1,014,000 $78,000 per person for 13 positions
Eliminate Alternative High School $525,000
Eliminate Adult Education $171,000
Eliminate Transition to Success $184,000
TOTAL Savings: $6,788,000

This did not count more administrative cuts that could be made for additional savings if reducing programs and buildings.

Questions for the board:

  1. If most items from the SBI Task Force Document were implemented then where is money/savings?

    • Administration claimed to get a “Freeze” only to receive retroactive pay later on
    • The District got better than projected savings in union’s insurance package
    • The District got better than projected savings in previous teacher contract
    • The District got better than projected savings by limiting professional development for teachers thus no advancement on payscale

  2. What cuts has the District made to reduce the deficit?

My guess is that more questions and counter proposals will be coming forward in the next few weeks.

D150: Fewer students, more administrators

Peoria Board of Education member Jim Stowell has passed along a report he requested from staff on “Pupil-Teacher and Pupil-Administrator Ratios” from 1989 to 2008.

The report shows that, while enrollment has steadily declined over the past 20 years, the number of administrators has gone up. The pupil-administrator ratio in 1989 was 223.5:1. Last year it was 168.1:1.

Some questions remain. The report notes that deans used to be considered teachers by the Illinois State Board of Education, but are now considered administrators. That makes historical comparisons more difficult. However, the report doesn’t tell us how many deans there are in the district, or how big of a difference their change of status makes.

The report also does not define exactly who is and who is not considered an “administrator.” For instance, does this figure include the many consultants who retired, but were rehired on a per diem basis, like Cindy Fischer? Or does it only include full-time administrator positions?

Still, returning to the question of deans being changed from “teacher” to “administrator,” I don’t think this is enough to explain away the rise in administrators. In order for the district to have the same pupil-administrator ratio as 1989 (223.5:1) with 2008’s enrollment (13,642), they would have to have only 61 administrators. They have 81. No matter how you look at it, the administration is top-heavy.

Central or Woodruff campus? Pros and cons

For all of you who wondered “why Woodruff?” here’s your answer. School board member Jim Stowell forwarded me the district’s “Merged High School Campus Selection Analysis.” It basically is a detailed pro and con list for each campus. I think it helps explain the administration’s recommendation that Peoria High be used for the new “merged” high school and Woodruff be used for grade school.

On a side note, did you know that “Woodruff [was] originally designed to be [a] junior high school”? I didn’t. I’d love to know the rest of the story on that. I wonder how it went from being a junior high school to another high school.

School board member suggests some “horse trading of civic assets”

Jim StowellPeoria School Board member Jim Stowell believes the new northern branch of the library is misplaced, and would be better located by Expo Gardens and Richwoods High School. He doesn’t think it’s too late to change locations, either, since no construction has begun yet. A little over a week ago, he sent this letter to Peoria Public Library Director Ed Szynaka, Peoria Park District Director Bonnie Noble, Peoria Public Schools Superintendent Ken Hinton, and City of Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis:

Congratulations to the Peoria Public Library for the much deserved recognition from the Alliance Library Systems for their work in, as PJS described 10/30 “nudging a plan through a laborious process” that ended with 72% supporting a $35 million referendum to upgrade the present system. Full disclosure, I did not support the referendum.

Since the passage of that advisory referendum, however, much has changed economically. While some might think the $1 million spent for 6 acres behind Menards is a worthy investment, I’d suggest that with the pace of growth slowing and no shovel of dirt yet turned on this project, that the leadership of the Library would be prudent stewards of community assets if they re-assessed where to allocate precious resources. Much as city leaders have started to address issues within the heart of our city through Impact Zones, I believe we need to construct a new library where it can serve the greatest good for our community. Councilman Spears offered an idea that was not given adequate evaluation. With ICC, Mid-State College, St. Vincent’s and several public schools within walking distance, a facility near Expo could serve as a catalyst for a north-end transformation that might head off diminished real estate values likely to occur.

While I write only as an individual and not on behalf of the school board, what would be the possibility if the Library could acquire land near Richwoods free? Add the possibility that the school district would consider titling the properties acquired on Prospect to the Park District. The ultimate end would be for the Park District to acquire, over time, other parcels and square off Glen Oak Park from McClure down to Frye. This would open up green space and eyes to what many don’t realize is there.

A caveat to the agreement would need to provide for housing the District 150 Chinese teachers. Given the financial challenges facing municipal entities, it would likely take many years for the Park District to acquire the entire frontage along Prospect and our Chinese teachers could remain good neighbors of the Park.

In exchange for those assets, the School District could take possession of the Lakeview Branch, with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU for up to 30 years) that, through collaboration, the Public Library would remain open and a reading lab for students might also be established. Mentors for the reading lab could be sought from patrons. Usage could be monitored and a new “model collaborative library” might even develop.

In the end, the Library retains land where growth might occur in the next 30 years, and a “new” facility is more centrally located to serve multiple age groups and demographics. The siting could set off positive revitalization efforts throughout Exposition Gardens, with walking trails, etc. Lakeview would be enhanced and the District would have built-in mentor magnet.

In working together, the cost for the horse trading of civic assets – zero. The knowledge that the Library Board led other government entities and acted for the greater good: priceless.

Jim Stowell