District 113A to Discuss Certified Staffing Plan, Transportation Routes

The  Board of Education will discuss certified staffing and transportation plans for the upcoming school year, as well as student fees and another transportation audit adjustment, during its monthly business meeting Tuesday.

According to the meeting agenda, board members will consider two options for the 2012-13 certified staffing plan: one plan includes no additional staff, while the other includes the hiring of five additional teachers.

The agenda states that the positions would be added to kindergarten, second grade, fourth grade, fifth grade and seventh grade.

In February, District 113A board members directed Interim Superintendent Robert Madonia to contact the state about a possible , as well as the usage of savings from the upcoming retirement of 12 teachers. The savings could potentially be used to hire additional teachers to reduce class sizes, Madonia said.

Any changes to the staffing plan would require an update to the district's financial plan, which must be approved by the state board.

Also on the agenda

Transportation audit adjustment

Last week, the official audit of the 2009-10 transportation claim made District 113A for "unallowable reimbursements."

The total owed to the Illinois State Board of Education is now $589,956—.

Patch obtained the document through a Freedom of Information Act request. 

During Tuesday's meeting, District 113A board members and administrators will discuss option for repayment.

According to Madonia, the district will likely have two options for repaying the additional adjustments: pay one-third of the total amount each year for the next three years like the original adjustment, or issue a funding bond that would allow the district to utilize money from the bond and interest fund.

Transportation/bus routes

In February, the transportation committee recommended that District 113A eliminate another two bus routes for the upcoming school year to save an estimated $66,000.

The proposal comes in light of recent reductions in state funding for transportation. 

The two routes include students who live west of State Street between 127th Street to New Avenue and Timberline Drive. The walk zone for all affected students would be about a mile-and-a-half from each District 113A school.

District 113A will discuss a transportation plan for the 2012-13 school year Tuesday night.

Intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Lemont

Employees in the  could temporarily move their offices to the currently vacant  this summer as Village Hall undergoes scheduled renovations.

District 113A Business Manager Barbara Germany will update the board on the status of the agreement.

At the village's committee of the whole meeting Monday night, Village Administrator Ben Wehmeier said they expect to have the agreement ready to approve by next month. The village does not anticipate any costs for using the building other than the cost of water, he said.

Increase in student fees

During the March 20 board meeting, the board asked the administration to review current costs and future needs to determine an accurate rate for student fees.

While reviewing the data, the administration took into account the need for a rapid alert system, a telephone system upgrade and textbook replacement.

Based upon the administration's analysis, the recommendation is to increase fees by rounding up to 3 percent, which is in accordance with the recommendation originally brought to the board in March.

The board will vote on the increase Tuesday.

Tuesday's meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the LRC, 16100 W. 127th St.