Tagged: Kim Schilson

The Illini West High School District is not giving up on the idea of building a new high school.

The Board of Education agreed to put an $8 million bond issue on the April ballot. Voters rejected a $9 million issue in November 2012, so Superintendent Kim Schilson said the board decided to pare back the request.

“One of the things we were trying to look at was trying to reduce the cost, lower the tax rate on the bond, and hopefully that will help with getting the vote through,” Schilson said.

The Illini West School Board spent a year evaluating potential sites for a new high school.  It chose a location next door.  It is just east of the current high school's parking lot.

The 40-acre site is farmland that is currently covered by tall,  green and brown corn plants.

Those who were hoping for a central location will be disappointed.

But Superintendent Kim Schilson says such a location would come with some expensive problems to solve.

Illini West High School students will pay $100 to take Drivers Education classes next school year. The fess will double to make up for part of a state cut to the program.

Superintendent Kim Schilson says the district received $20,000 less from the state for the program than it expected.

She says, “It'll help somewhat. (The) shortfall in Drivers Ed is massive. There was a cut in the general budget on the Drivers Ed next year so the funding's going down.”

The district will also raise the district registration fee for all students from $110 to $125.      

Illini West School Superintendent Kim Schilson sees a bumpy financial  road for bus transportation in the district.

She said the district began this school year with $270,000 in transportation funds. A state transportation cut of 42 percent mean the district will use up $114,000 of that by the end of the current school year.

She said, “We'll still have a small surplus left in the transportation fund. But with the way transportation funding is going that will be gone next year.

Illini West High School students have seen computers on the school's wireless network freeze up with annoying regularity. The episodes often cause students to lose some of their work.

Superintendent Kim Schilson said the latest attempt won't involve a commercial firm.

She said, “We're working with Carl Sandburg College and their technology department. And they're coming and installing some new equipment and new wires. And hopefully, that's going to solve the problems.”