From today’s Journal Star:
District 150’s truancy assessment center is in danger of being shuttered this December because its grant money will run out.
But the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce is stepping forward to raise $40,000 necessary to keep the program alive this year, and the chamber intends to raise enough money to keep it running for three years.
[…] The district can’t afford to foot the bill right now, but Associate Superintendent Cindy Fischer said in three years, the district should be in better financial standing and able to do so.
Ironically, Fischer is one of two administrators (Herschel Hannah is the other) the district is budgeting to give a $30,000 per year pay raise. That’s approx. $60,000 between the two of them per year. So, the district is in great financial standing to give an extra $60,000 to administrators, but not in good enough financial standing to fund the $40,000 needed to continue their successful truancy program.
You can draw your own conclusions on the district’s priorities.
And Caterpillar is paying for the new community relations person for two years. This is a serious problem. That $40,000 raised by the Chamber is going to impact other not-for-profit fundraising. There is only so much money to go around. With the prospect of big CILCO increases, not-for-profits are going to be scrambling to get money to help people either heat or eat. Now they will have to compete with the Chamber, who obviously has an inside track with business members. So come spring, when CILCO starts its disconnects after a winter moratorium, people will start moving out of places, leading to even more mobility, which contributes to truancy, which the Chamber and District 150 are trying to combat. The proverbial vicious circle. Meanwhile, District 150 and CILCO are flush with high-paid administrators.
$30,000 raise for one person? Dang I need a career change.
About a week ago the ‘truancy police’ picked up a Dist 150 student which somehow led them to a loaded gun hidden just outside of St.Mark School’s playground (while recess was in session).
I THINK MR. HINTON OWES IT TO THE TAX-PAYING PUBLIC TO TELL HIS PLANS ABOUT RETIREMENT-IS IT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, AND IF SO, DOES HE THIINK IT FAIR TO LAY THIS GLEN OAK SCHOOL/PARK MATTER ON THE BOARD AND NEW SUPT.? PLEASE KEN, YOU OWE IT TO US.
And word on the street is that Herschel Hannah will be the next superintendent — if so, at what pay and with what qualifications?
What does an Assistant Superintendent do exactly?
What do two Asst. Sup.s do for the school district with an ever declining student enrollment?
You got me, Mahkno. They set the salary first, then started writing the job description — see my January 7th post regarding this. The job description was “being prepared” in July 2005; I’m not sure when it was finalized, if ever.
By the way, Fischer and Hannah are “associate superintendents”; “assistant superintendent” is a separate position.
I would like to know how many assistants, associates, and other empty suits and lackeys there were 40 years ago when the enrollment was higher than it is now?
I’m betting there were a lot fewer.
This is why consolidation of school districts is bad. It doesn’t produce the efficiencies claimed, it just produces administrative bloat. We’d be better off if District 150 was split up into smaller districts.