The Superintendent of Peoria Public Schools has seven senior staff members with new three-year-contracts. The PPS Board approved the contracts on a 5-2 vote.
Board member Dan Walther was one of the “no” votes. Walther says one of his concerns is that state funding is too uncertain to commit the district to seven three-year senior staff level contracts.
“Even if we demoted one, they’ve got protective language in there,” Walther said. “We could put them in another position they would get the same salary. That not a protection for us. It’s a protection for them.”
Walther says he’s also concerned that the board didn’t see the contracts until a couple of hours before voting on them.
Superintendent Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat says it’s standard to give senior level officers a three-year-contract. Such staff members generally have highly sought after professional skills, and are being asked to move to a new community. Kherat says the contractual commitment is one way to attract and secure top level professionals.
Revisiting the State Funding Conundrum
The Peoria Public School Board received an update on efforts to make the state school aid funding formula more adequate and equitable. Galesburg Superintendent Ralph Grimm is part of the Vision 20/20 Group. He presented the proposed “evidence-based” funding https://vimeo.com/174733070">model.
Grimm says education funding in Illinois is worst in the nation when it comes to providing resources for low income students.
“In an equitable system, property poor districts get enough state aid to close the adequacy gap created by varying levels of property wealth,” Grimm said. “And in an equitable system, the funding gaps are close on average between low income and non low-income students and low and high property wealth districts.”
Grimm says in the Illinois education system, the least amount of dollars are spent on kids who need it most. He says he’s hopeful the political will exists in Springfield to change the funding formula to a so-called “evidence-based” model.
A “Fix the Formula Rally” at the Illinois State Capitol is set to take place on May 17th.
Addressing Students’ Fears of Deportation
A group called the Safe Haven Project is asking the Peoria Public School Board to approve a resolution that contains protections for immigrant students and their families.
The group attended last night's school board meeting to make the request. The Superintendent confirms fear exists for some PPS students that their parents may be taken away while they are at school. Desmoulin-Kherat says that gets in the way of learning.
The school Dan Adler told the group the board is reviewing the district’s policies related to such concerns and is committed to making sure protections exist.
Another board member said three Peoria Public School Board Members are immigrants or the children of immigrants and ensuring entire district student population feels safe to come to school is essential.