MENDOTA – A community meeting has been set for June 5 at 6 p.m. to hear the results of the consolidation feasibility study between Mendota High School District 280 and Mendota Elementary School District 289. The joint meeting with both Boards of Education will be held at the Mendota High School auditorium. This will be an informational meeting only, no action will be taken at that time, noted Sean Pappas, board president at the District 289 school board meeting, May 18.

A short public hearing was held prior to last Thursday’s meeting on the sale of $2 million in bonds. There were no public comments or petitions objecting to the sale. The board passed the resolution declaring the intent of selling the bonds at their April meeting, after discussing it for several months. The action will increase the working cash fund in the district.

Lack of state payments and the district continually operating in a deficit reflected a $1.2 million need. Currently, the state owes the district $613,000. “Right now, I don’t think we are going to get anymore, hence our necessity to sell bonds,” commented Kristen School, district superintendent.

The sale will give the district an additional $800,000 available to sell at a later date, if needed.

The district will also be looking at a 4.79 percent increase in health insurance renewal and a 5 percent increase in dental insurance renewal. The increases will cost the district an additional $65,000. Life insurance costs remained the same.

In other business, the board approved asphalt repair at Northbrook and Blackstone schools by SKI Enterprises, Inc. for $34,510.

Finally, new recommendations for the report card, grading scale were passed. Pappas voted against; Theresa Komitas was absent.

The report card committee re-evaluated initial changes that were made earlier this year after a negative outcry from parents on the standards based report card.

The new report cards will change the kindergarten through second grade grading scale and letters to M - Meets, 82-100 percent; P - Progressing, 70-81 percent; NI – Needs Improvement, 60-69 percent; and W – Warning, 59 percent and below.

The third through fifth grade grading scale will be E – Exceeds, 93-100 percent; M – 82-92 percent; P – 70-81 percent; NI – 60-69 percent; and W – 59 percent and below.

However, report cards will only reflect the letter grade. A key on the report card will show the percentage range for each standard. Concerned parents can access the district’s online grading system, ParentEase at any time to see exactly how their child is doing. “The parents that want to know the their child’s percentages are online using ParentEase. The other parents are fine with the E, M, P,” said Vicki Johnson, Lincoln School principal.

For next year, sixth through eighth grade would remain A – 90-100 percent; B – 80-89 percent; C – 70-79 percent; D – 60-69 percent; and F – 59 percent and below. A committee will be formed to study options and percentages, and then make a recommendation for the following year.

As for format, only anchor standards would be used. Percentages would not be shown next to each standard or subject area.

“If you look at the suggestions from the parents on the surveys, it’s all in there,” stated Johnson.

As a committee is formed to assess the middle school’s grading system, Pappas asked Beth Wackerlin, curriculum director for a plan on communication and involvement with parents. “I don’t want a backlash again,” he said.

Wackerlin suggested information could be sent home to parents along with parent meetings held.

“Some people just don’t like change, but things are changing in education and we have to change with it,” reflected board member Mandy Ossman.

No matter what changes are made to the grading scale, Wackerlin finalized, “There is no reason for a child to fail – with all the interventions, and all the opportunities, and all the supports in place.”

The last day of student attendance is May 25 with a 1:30 p.m. student dismissal and eighth grade graduation at the Mendota High School at 7 p.m.

The next meeting of the District 289 Board of Education will be held on Thursday, June 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the District Education Center.