Ladd School Board
LADD — The Ladd School Board took action on the following items at its meeting Feb. 16:
• Heard the Finance Committee met to work on three-year projections for upcoming budgets. Superintendent Michelle Zeko said it is difficult to project financing with the state in such grim financial difficulties. Zeko said state aid foundation levels and grants will be cut, but by how much is yet undecided. The district’s revenues received are currently at 70 percent with expenses at 47 percent of the budgeted amount. The state has made some payments, but the district is still owed $41,310.66.
• Heard the district hosted a successful boys’ basketball tournament this year for the Bureau Valley Elementary Conference with $1,242 sent to the conference after expenses.
• Heard 17 students are pre-registered for kindergarten for 2010-11. Kindergarten round-up will be at 2 p.m. May 26 for all incoming kindergarten students and their parents or guardians.
• Heard there are currently 185 students enrolled in the district.
• Heard both the district and the school earned certificates of recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education for compliance with school code, and the district again earned a Certificate of Financial Recognition for sound fiscal management.
• Heard Ashley Keegan, eighth-grader, and Luke Lee-Brown, seventh-grader, were the winners of the school spelling bee held on Feb. 3. They competed at the Bureau County Spelling Bee on Feb. 23.
• Heard the annual reading incentive this year is Read on the Wild Side with a rainforest theme.
• Heard the PTO met on Feb. 17. The PTO approved the purchase of a Smart Board for teacher Pam Beck’s math classroom. The PTO is also providing a student assembly on cold-blooded creatures on March 11 that ties in with our reading program, and will also host a Family Movie Night on March 19 and a Family Reading Day on April 17. The next PTO meeting is at 6:30 p.m. March 8.
• Heard students in Grades 6 and 8 will take the Illinois Youth Survey. The state uses this survey to plan prevention and intervention programs to reduce youth drug use and associated risk behaviors.
• Heard the public viewing of the science fair will take place from 3:30 to 5 p.m. March 3.
• Heard students in Grades 3 through 8 will take the ISAT test beginning on March 2.
• Heard the next Starved Rock Division meeting of the Illinois Association of School Boards will be held at Parkside School in Peru on April 6.
• Discussed the drainage problem on the west end of the building. Corrugated pipe is temporarily carrying water from the downspouts away from the building. In the spring when digging and concrete work can be done, a more permanent solution will be decided upon and completed.
• Authorized the superintendent and bookkeeper to prepare the budget for the 2010-11 school year.
The next regular meeting will be held at 7 p.m. March 16 in the library.
