District 205 News: Full agenda, large crowd expected at tonight’s school board meeting
Superintendent Dr. LaVonne Sheffield (File Photo by Jim Hagerty)
By Jim Hagerty
Online Editor
While hundreds of families are expecting the Rockford Board of Education to discuss more school closings and program cuts Tuesday, March 23, several other items are on the agenda.
Another large crowd is expected at Ellis Arts Academy as the board is slated to mull contracts for food service employees, paraprofessionals and reclassifying several administrators.
Yesterday (March 22), paraprofessionals ratified an agreement to accommodate Superintendent Dr. LaVonne M. Sheffield’s massive budget cutting proposal. The agreement is up for vote tonight.
The board has already closed seven schools and eliminated all non-tenured teachers for the 2011-12 academic year.
Still on the blocks are the Montessori program and Maria Montessori School, Barbour Language Academy and language immersion program, Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), gifted classes and deeper staff cuts.
According to reports, the board may also discuss last month’s budget review. The informal audit has been under fire since consulting from Baker Tilly told officials the district may receive more than $22 million District 205 CFO Cedric Lewis allegedly did not account for.
Lewis stands by his work, claiming he did not budget for the state aid because, he claims, the district is likely not to receive it.
Tonight’s meeting starts at 7 p.m. Ellis Arts Academy is at 222 S. Central Ave.
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One Comment
There are two types of leaders. Great leaders fight to the bitter end. They inspire by being role models. They give hope when moral is down. They listen to the advise of the whole and act according to their decisions. They are the first to make sacrifices. They are creative problem solvers. They are compassionate. They are in the trenches with the rest and go down with the ship.
Then you have the other leaders.