By Steve Robinson | August 22, 2012 - 10:32 pm
Posted in Category: The Normalite, Unit 5

NORMAL – Normal-based Unit 5 School Board voted unanimously to approve a proposed budget for the 2012-13 school year totaling $138.5 million. The budget includes an operating budget of $117.4 million; with $3.5 million for use for construction and capital; and $17.6 million in debt service

Employee costs account for 78.8 percent of the district’s Operating budget, which is the median of school districts statewide. The district has a mix of revenue sources, which include local sources, accounting for 77.2 percent of what the district takes in; 19.66 percent from the state; and Federal funding accounting for 3.14 percent.

Erik Bush, Unit 5’s Business Manager, told Board members the amount of funding the district received from the state shrank by 4/10 of one percent, from $21.7 million down to $20.8 million. But Bush added Springfield has paid Unit 5 some additional money it owes the district, specifically, $1.5 million. However, the state still owes the district $2.8 million — $1.5 million would go to the district’s education fund, and $1.3 million into Unit 5’s transportation fund. Bush said the district will be getting the remainder of what is owed by the state by the end of October.

Bush said the costs of having certified staffing increases daily, with new class sections having been added at Benjamin; Cedar Ridge; Fox Creek; Glenn; Grove; Colene Hoose; Hudson; Oakdale; Parkside; Pepper Ridge; and Sugar Creek Elementary Schools. He added three schools had class section reductions while two others had no change from the previous school year. He added the cost of basic student fees did not change.

“By and large, it’s a responsible budget,” Bush said.

Prairieland Elementary’s “Good News”: For an act of heroism, Ryan Rice, now 9-years-old, was honored by his principal, Prairieland Elementary School’s Carmen Bergmann; and his third grade teacher, Amy Lucas, for helping save the life of his father, David.

The early evening of May 19 became one neither 48-year-old David Rice of Normal, or his then 8-year-old son, Ryan, are likely to ever forget. And David has young Ryan to thank for that. That’s because that is the day the boy saved his father’s life by calling for help after David Rice suffered a stroke.

While Ryan, who was 8-years-old at the time, was with his father, the two had been at a local pool most of the day, and were preparing to go swimming again but went home to eat first. But David Rice became ill, falling to the floor, hitting his head.

Alarmed, young Ryan first called his mother, Cheryl, for help. But she was in Chicago. She instructed her son to hang up and dial 9-1-1.

His father was having difficulty moving after the stroke began, but Ryan was able to help roll his father’s body over and get him some water. Cheryl Rice talked the boy through how to dial 9-1-1. Although the boy was still hesitant, she reminded her son that he had been taught about how to use 9-1-1 both during class at Prairieland Elementary and through lessons he had in Cub Scouts.

Ryan made the call and relayed questions-and-answers between the 9-1-1 dispatcher and his father, aiding the emergency workers to know what the situation at Rice’s house would be once they arrived.

As Bergmann explained it, “Perfect examples of Ryan’s concern for others included, during the 9-1-1 call, asking his dad how his was feeling rather than answering for him; and asking his dad if he should move his dad’s shoes for the Emergency Medical Technicians. “He always cares about others first,” Bergmann said of Ryan.

About Ryan, Bergmann added, “He’s truly a remarkable person who is extremely brave and caring in taking care of his father. I’m so very, very proud of him.” Bergmann and Lucas presented Ryan with a certificate and a ribbon for his accomplishment.

District’s “Good News”: Dayna Brown, assistant to the superintendent, introduced Debbie Yeazle, who served as a volunteer who helped with recent “Back-To-School Party,” which was responsible for the gathering of donations of school supplies which were recently given to area students in need. A total of 2,000 backpacks, filled with school supplies, were recently given out at the event, held at U. S. Cellular Coliseum in Bloomington. Yeazle’s efforts with that event were recognized to the Board at the meeting. Students in need from both Unit 5 and Bloomington’s District #87 were able to participate in receiving the supplies.

“I’m so grateful to her employers at Country Financial, that they’ve allowed her to do this,” Brown said, “Because this has literally been a full-time job for her.”

“When we were worried about backpacks, she had already thought about how to handle that,” Brown said. “When we were worried about crowd control, she already had that taken care of. Volunteers need a great leader, and Debbie has been that leader.”

District Sixth Graders Receive Netbooks: On Aug. 20 and Aug. 21, each of the district’s 1,100 sixth graders began receiving an individual netbook laptop computer. Students and their parents were required to attend training sessions to learn how to operate and care for the devices. Those training sessions took place at each of the district’s four junior high schools. While students received the devices for free, the district spent a total of $800,000 to acquire them. For students and their parents who were unable to attend on either one of the first two dates, a make-up training session was held on Aug. 23 at Kingsley Junior High School.

Dr. Sandy Wilson, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction told Board members what the district was trying to accomplish was “trying to build sustainability and accessibility” with the devices, getting them in the hands of students.

Board President John Puzauskas asked Wilson if substitute teachers an advanced knowledge to be able to conduct classes where students are using the netbooks. Wilson said a class that has students using netbooks will either have to have a substitute teacher with some knowledge in doing activities that involve their use, or otherwise supervise the class in activities that do not involve using the equipment.

Puzauskas told Wilson getting the netbooks into the students’ hands to start the school year was “a great way to start the year.”

Hickman Hired As Interim Technology Director: Unit 5 has hired Marty Hickman, the former executive director of the Illinois High School Association as interim director of technology. “Marty has done a great job, and that was the kind of job he was doing when he worked over at Caterpillar in Peoria,” explained Dr. Gary Niehaus, district superintendent. “I’m getting nothing but rave, positive review about how he’s doing. I’m really happy with his performance and where he’s going.” Hickman replaces Loren Baele, who is now working with the East Peoria School District.

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