McHenry Elementary School District 15
Annual Update
June, 2007

Dear Parents and Taxpayers,

This publication is the first edition of what the McHenry School District 15 Board of Education intends to mail to all taxpayers every Spring/Summer. It is designed to inform the community of significant decisions that have been made during the past school year. Since the successful passage of the March 2006 school referendum, the Board of Education made a number of key decisions affecting the 2006-2007 school year.

Decisions Impacting School Year 2006-2007

♦ Additional elementary and middle school teachers were hired to ease overcrowding in our classrooms as promised by the Board of Education

♦ $2 million in staff and program cuts were avoided, thus allowing students to continue to enjoy art, music, physical education, learning centers (libraries), middle school exploratories, and many other programs. Over 30 teachers who were laid off were returned to the classroom and the length of the school day was maintained

♦ Middle school students were allowed to enroll in band and/or chorus AND exploratories this year, a choice not available to students in the past

♦Additional special education and bilingual teachers were hired

♦Learning Center (library) Directors were reinstated

♦ Extra-curricular programs were expanded (i.e., track and field, soccer, beginning band)

♦ Student registration fees were reduced by 15%

Decisions Impacting School Year 2007-2008

In January 2007, the Board of Education approved a Strategic Plan which will serve as the blueprint for years to come (see January 2007 Superintendent’s Update to peruse the document at www.d15.org). The following items listed below are all actions that have been taken per the Strategic Plan:

♦ The District is in the process of conducting an enrollment study

♦ The District has developed five year financial projections

♦ An energy study/evaluation has been completed for all buildings

♦ A police resource officer for the middle schools will be hired next year to enhance safety and security

♦ A new elementary technology program has been developed and teachers hired

♦ Two new middle school exploratories (music and problem-based learning) have been developed and teachers hired

♦ Additional classroom teachers have been hired to ease overcrowding

♦ Additional special education and bilingual teachers have been hired

♦ New elementary reading materials are scheduled to be purchased next spring

♦ A challenging math curriculum (algebra) will be offered to middle school students

♦ Additional technology staff have been hired to maintain hardware and software, as well as update all school district websites

♦ A new technology link to grades, progress, and attendance records will be available to parents next year via the school website

Financial Responsibility

As a taxpayer, I hope you can see that the school district has made a number of positive decisions that will improve the quality of education for our students, while remaining fiscally responsible to our citizens. Even after the passage of the March 2006 referendum, McHenry School District 15's tax rate is in the lower range for McHenry County. In fact, our tax rate for this year was 2.57, lower than the 2.72 that was promised to taxpayers. In terms of financial health, our school district has received the highest financial rating from the State of Illinois for the 2006-2007 school year. To access the 2006/2007 school year budget, visit our website at www.d15.org.

Board of Education Information

Board of Education meetings are typically held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The public is always welcome to attend these meetings. In addition, past minutes of Board of Education meetings are posted on our website, as well as specific dates and locations. Board of Education members may be reached at info@d15.org.

Finally, thank you for supporting our schools in McHenry School District 15. Have a safe and happy summer.

R. Alan Hoffman
Superintendent

McHenry Elementary School District 15
1011 N. Green Street
McHenry, Illinois 60050
Phone: 815-385-7210
Fax: 815-344-7121
Email: info@d15.org

McHenry Elementary School District 15 Board of Education
Timothy Sabatka, President
Ted Pillow, Vice-President
Kimberly Qualls, Secretary
Albert Castellanos
Matthew Mayer
Patrick Miller
John O’Neill

McHenry Elementary School District 15
R. Alan Hoffman, Superintendent
John C. Lehnen, Assistant Superintendent
Allan T. Smigiel, Chief Financial Officer
Debbie Holliday, Principal—Duker School
Victoria Chrisman, Principal—Edgebrook School
Roseann Basford, Principal—Hilltop School
Kendra Carter, Principal—Landmark School
Lori Miscik, Principal—McHenry Middle School
Michael Adams, Principal—Parkland School
Kathie Robinson, Principal—Riverwood School
Jon Schleusner, Principal—Valley View School