Welcome to CUSD #430

Welcome to Community Unit School District #430. Our district offices are located in the Central Office wing of Lynn G. Haskin Elementary School. Please use the links to the right to navigate through the different areas of our administrative website.

District News

Please click on an item below to see more information about the news item.

2008-2009 Regular Board of Education Meeting Dates

(Sandwich Middle School Media Center - 7:00 p.m.)
May 20, 2008
June 10, 2008
July 15, 2008
August 19, 2008
September 16, 2008
October 21, 2008
November 18, 2008
December 16, 2008
January 20, 2009
February 10, 2009
March 17, 2009
April 21, 2009

2008-2009 Board of Education Community Coffees

Board Coffees scheduled at the middle school for the 2008-2009 school year are: October 1, 7:00 pm; December 18, 10:00 am; February 4, 7:00 pm; and May 6, 10:00 am. 10:00 am coffees will be held in the 2nd floor conference room; and 7:00 pm coffees will be held in the LRC.

Community-Associated MRSA Information

CA-MRSA Information from the Center for Disease Control
MRSA Cleaning & Disinfecting Information (PDF)

2008 Staff Recognition

On June 2, the Board of Education of Sandwich CUSD #430 honored faculty and staff members throughout the district who have served the students, parents and community of Sandwich for at least ten years.

The SHS student council was instrumental in the planning and set-up of the evening’s program.

Board President, Steve Skorup presented service awards on behalf of the District. Skorup said, "As a representative of the Board of Education, a parent, and a fellow teacher I want to commend the fine members of the staff of Sandwich CUSD #430 who have committed 10 to 30 years of their lives to our students. For that, we want you to know how much the Board of Education as well as the Sandwich community truly appreciates your service and dedication."

Superintendent of Schools, Rick Schmitt, said, "This being our 9th annual staff recognition program to recognize and show appreciation for the many years of dedicated service the staff has provided to our students, the school district, and the Sandwich community, tonight, we are honoring 27 of our employees who collectively have accumulated over 400 years of service toward teaching and learning." Schmitt went on to say, "tonight, we celebrate the professional service our teaching assistants, custodians, secretaries, transportation staff, classroom teachers, coaches, sponsors and administrators provide to our learning community and we honor you not only for your positive service, but also for the many contributions you have made to improve the programs and services delivered to our students." During the program, the following staff members were presented service awards:

10 Years - 1998
Donna Covert – SMS Teaching Assistant
Diana Dacy – H.E. Dummer Learning Center Clerk
Robyn Drew – SMS 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher
Lynn Hulon – W.W. Woodbury Secretary
Shari Johnson – H.E. Dummer Teaching Assistant
Marcella Pfaff – Prairie View Teaching Assistant
BJ Richardson – SMS Principal
Marsha Ruch – L.G. Haskin Teaching Assistant
Cheryl Ryba – Prairie View 1st Grade Teacher
Diane Severens – Transportation Department
Tom Sodaro – H.E. Dummer Principal
Linda Spradling – SHS Teaching Assistant
Nancy Strothman - SMS 6th Grade REI Teacher
15 Years - 1993
Mark Beverage – Prairie View Custodian
Sandy Bunch – H.E. Dummer Teaching Assistant
Gerald Hubbard – Prairie View Custodian
Dianne McCaslin – SMS Secretary
James Paulin – SHS Chemistry Teacher
Robert Russell – SMS physical Education Teacher
Karen Thompson - SMS Physical Education Teacher
20 Years - 1988
Sheryl McAlearney – H.E. Dummer 4th Grade Teacher
Betty Reiners - Prairie View Secretary
25 Years - 1983
Bryan LaVell - SHS Biology Teacher
30 Years - 1978
Ellen Hessenberger – SMS 6th Grade Teacher
Jaye Morrison - SHS English Teacher
Retiring
Terry Wickwire - 1979 (29 years) - SHS Music Teacher
Sue Horton - 1990 (18 years) - SMS Secretary

Click on the image below to see a slideshow of photos from the 2008 Staff Recognition Dinner.

Row 1 (l to r) Tom Sodaro, Linda Spradling, Sue Horton, Jaye Morrison, Betty Reiners, Terry Wickwire
Row 2 (l to r) Sheryl McAlearney, Jim Paulin, Diana Dacy, Sherri Johnson, Bryan LaVell, Nancy Strothman, BJ Richardson

Student Enrollment

SCHOOL YEAR	1998-99	1999-2000	2000-01	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	2007-08
Haskin	451	466	465	452	262	292	288	280	310	302
Prairie View	408	403	386	380	250	246	266	299	289	294
Woodbury	281	289	279	270	229	219	218	226	235	203
Dummer	534	582	600	0	370	360	352	376	377	346
Middle School	-	-	-	631	635	648	611	582	566	585
High School	597	612	651	681	700	731	792	794	799	799

Total	2271	2352	2381	2414	2446	2496	2527	2557	2576	2553

Annual Yearly Progress Presentation and Data

View the 2008 School Report Card Presentation Regarding Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) (Flash File)

District Growth Committee Work Sessions

Growth Committee Meeting Input
January 11, 2005
SMS
Approx. Attendance: 70

The following information was presented and discussed during the public forum:

- Need to continue to seek input from community; ask friends & neighbors
- 35,000 population projection (city comprehensive plan); roughly half north of tracks, half south (30 year projection)
- Impact Fees - Overwhelming majority in attendance desire for City to consider increase in current fees.
- Land cash (recent fair market value analysis completed) and impact fees (1999 ordinance new structure currently being considered) are 2 separate types of fees
- Need equitable funding for education in Illinois - general concept of HB 750 (property tax relief) Contact your State Reps. - the District has.
- Where is industry? How can we attract more? (alternative tax base) City to consider - Concern about tax increases from each taxing body - this all adds up.
- Need for O&M fund rate increase. Currently over $400,000 General State Aid placed in fund to help balance
- First priority is HS due to enrollment projections (add, build, purchase property near SHS, etc.)
- Need is present. How long does it take to pass a referendum and actually build (2 years to build) fall '08 is best case scenario. Approximately 1 year to design in addition to build time (could be done before referendum). Approx. cost to build? $50+ million for all new HS facility.
- What will we do in the mean time? Staggered bells, adjust schedules, etc. Portables (will we temporarily need more?) Funding? (short term - next 3 years)
- Build new High School (core facility that could be added onto)
- Expand current High School
- Growth projections using 2-3%
- Talk to districts that have split campus (staff, parents, students)
- Would/should campuses stay split?
- Sewer and water hook-up cost
- Meet w/city prior to purchase of land to discuss if even feasible.
- Library/IVVC agreement status - working together for a common cause with limited financial resources
- Status of CDB grants - unless Dist has current approval, can't rely on it due to State's financial problems.
- Programs & services considerations - best practices regarding neighborhood schools; elementary buildings 600-650 max. students/building
- 2nd priority - K-8 housing: Elementary may eventually be K-5 i.e. PreK-3 @ WWW, PreK-5 @ PV & LGH; 6-8 @ SMS/HED (add onto PV & LGH/not WWW)
- WWW PreK & K; PV & LGH 1-5
- All day kindergarten consideration? (now the time to consider and include in additions/new construction plans)

It was noted the Board will continue its discussion and will rely on each sub-committee to continue to meet and discuss ideas and solutions collectively as a community.

The Board of Education continues to plan for future growth and needs within the District and its Growth Committee continues to seek input from parents & citizens. The Board encourages and welcomes parents and citizens of Sandwich to participate in their discussions. During the meetings, sub-committees continue to study student-housing needs due to current & potential developments.

Various subcommittee work will include Buildings & Grounds Capacity; Community Participation; Programs & Services; Funding & Finance; and Progress & Timelines. The following information pertains to the committee's progress and discussions:

The Buildings & Grounds Capacity sub-committee believes the top priority regarding student housing is the high school. Current discussion included:

- The group reviewed previous work of looking at both short-term (3-5 years) and long-term (5+ year's) options. Discussed was the need to not spend money on a short-term solution that would not also fit into a long-term solution.
- A review of enrollment data pertaining to developments already approved and/or annexed and the amount of students projected to be added in the short-term.
- Short-term solutions discussed included:

- Put additions on Prairie View and Haskin to house fourth grade and allow for short-term growth in PreK through fourth grade. This would provide room at Dummer for grades 5-8 expansion.
- Purchase land and build a junior/senior center near the current high school. Having it near the current high school would not require athletic field duplication.

- Long-term solutions discussed included:

- The junior/senior building would be designed to be expandable. This would allow for long-term growth. In the future if growth were large enough the current high school could become a freshman center and the new building could be expanded to include sophomores through seniors.
- Additional elementary building(s) would be built as needed in areas of new construction. In the area north of town a possible middle school could be added, as growth requires. New elementary buildings would be PreK through fifth grade.
- Depending on how much Prairie View and Haskin could be expanded they would remain PreK through fourth or become PreK through fifth grade attendance centers.

The pros of purchasing land available in close proximity to SHS to build an expandable Jr./Sr. high school are:

- the flexibility of adding space as needed;
- starting out with correct sized core facilities;
- available land for building;
- possible cooperation with IVVC (sharing classroom space);
- possibility to enhance the fine arts;
- minimal busing changes

The Funding & Finance sub-committee discussed various funding options related to expansion. Current discussion included:

- A review of impact and land cash fee structures at various government bodies.
- Sandwich City Council recently adopted an increased impact fee structure;
- LaSalle County amended their land/cash ordinance which now includes a formula based off the local 'fair market value'; and
- Sandwich School District continues to work with the village of Millington regarding consideration of adopting impact and land/cash fees similar to the City of Sandwich.

A detailed report regarding the current level of bonding of the School District and additional bonding capacity was reviewed:

- Current Bonds

- 1996 Life Safety - Last payment is in Dec. 2005.
- 1999 Building - This bond was new and restructured from the 1995 building referendum at SHS and the 1998 building referendum to build the Middle School. The balance due is approximately $8 million. Last payment is scheduled for 2019.
- 2002 Life Safety - Last payment is scheduled for Dec. 2012.
- 2005 Life Safety - Last payment is scheduled for Dec. 2024.

- The current bonds result in a 26.82 cents tax levy
- Tax Cap limits new Life Safety bonding without a referendum.

Total basic bonding capacity is 13.8% of EAV assessment. Our current $242 million EAV yields a little over $33.4 million in bonding capacity (13.8% of $242 million)

- Current bonds are about $8.7M
- Current new bonding capacity is about $24.7M ( $33.4M minus $8.7M)
- If a referendum passes by 2/3, the 13.8% variable could be increased to 15%.
- The maximum bonds can be extended in years is 20 years.
- The increase in tax rate to generate approximately $25M in bonds would be about 40 cents.
- Other methods of raising revenue are from selling working cash bonds. This must be voter approved due to the tax cap. The total generated could equal 85% of what the Education Fund generates (about $6.2 million)
- Discussed needs regarding O&M fund rates. The current rate is 37.5 cents and currently over $400,000 of general state aid has been placed in the fund to help balance operating costs of existing buildings & grounds.
- In the even years (2006) there are two elections - spring & fall. The committee discussed the length of time to pass a referendum and actually build (2 years to build); therefore, Fall 2008 may be the best case scenario to build. Approximately 1 year is needed to design a project in addition to the actual build time.
- Current land/cash and impact fee fund balances (8/1/05):

Land/Cash Fees - $594,710.67
Impact Fees - $161,500.24

The Community Participation sub-committee discussed various methods and tasks pertaining to the scope of their work. Current discussion included:

- Providing reports of each sub-committee to various media outlets and developed a brochure outlining the plans of the Growth committee for citizens to read in print and on the District's webpage. Community forums were scheduled seeking input from citizens and other taxpayers.

The Programs & Service sub-committee discussed various methods and tasks pertaining to the scope of their work. Current discussion included:

- Reviewing all current programs and services the District provides and their method of delivery. - Once the attendance center at the high school has been addressed, the next priority is to review best practices regarding our PreK- 8th grade programs. Elementary student centers may eventually be PreK-5 such as grades PreK-3 at Woodbury; grades PreK-5 at Prairie View & Lynn G. Haskin; and grades 6-8 at the middle school and Herman E. Dummer School (add onto PV & LGH/not WWW). - Discussed all day kindergarten considerations as now may be the time to consider and include in additions/new construction plans

The Progress & Timelines sub-committee discussed various methods and tasks pertaining to the scope of their work. Current discussion included:

- Keeping apprised of all discussions and developing a working plan pertaining to the mission of each sub-committee.

District Growth Presentation (06/01/2006)

On June 1, 2006, the District Growth Committee presented their findings in regards to the future development of the Sandwich School District.
View the Presentation (Flash File)

Transportation Procedures

Transportation is provided for all students in the District residing at a distance of one and one-half miles (1-1/2) or more from their assigned schools. Eligible students will be assigned a bus according to their residence.

Students are not allowed to be transported to or from a baby-sitter or daycare center. The transportation department has been instructed to bus eligible students from home to school and back home only.

The Board of Education has approved the procedure of allowing students to be dropped off anywhere on their assigned bus route where their assigned bus may stop, however, changing buses for any reason will not be permitted.

While the transportation department has been instructed to continue busing eligible students from home to school and back home again, non-eligible sibling(s) will not receive transportation services (i.e. where one family member attends Sandwich Middle School and is eligible, and their sibling attends Woodbury and is not eligible based on the location of their home, the student attending the middle school qualifies and the student attending Woodbury does not).

Senior Citizen Sports Passes

Sandwich residents, 60 years and older, may contact the High School Athletic Office at the High School at (815) 786-2157 ext. 267 to receive a complimentary sports pass.

This pass will allow free admission to all middle and high school sporting events, excluding tournaments.

District Links

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