Friday, May 18, 2012
A proposal by the state pension committee to shift the costs of teacher pensions from the state to local school districts could be "catastrophic" to districts 210 and 113A in Lemont, officials said.
A proposal by the state pension committee to shift the employer costs of teacher pensions from the state to local school districts could cost Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A as much as $735,000 each year, according to Interim Superintendent Robert Madonia. Last month, District 113A board members directed administrators to analyze the potential impact of the proposal, which has been floated by legislators as a way to address Illinois' $83 billion unfunded pension liability—$44 billion of which is from the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS). The state has to come up with $5.1 billion for pensions next year, according to reports. TRS pension covers certified employees including teachers, administrators, social workers and …
The musical will run Thursday, May 17, through Saturday, May 19, at the school's Performing Arts Center.
Lemont High School students will bring the corruption and intrigue of the Prohibition era to the stage this weekend in their spring musical, Chicago. The show will run Thursday, May 17, through Saturday, May 19, at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center, 800 Porter St. Chicago satirizes the Prohibition-era corruption of the criminal justice system, as well as the phenomenon of celebrity criminals. The musical—made famous by the music of John Kander and choreography of Bob Fosse—originally debuted on Broadway in 1975, and is based on a 1926 play of the same name by Chicago Tribune reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins. She based her story on the criminals and crimes on which she reported. The Chicago of the 1920s featured hot jazz and cold-blooded …
House Speaker Michael Madigan introduced a plan Friday to use the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax to address a massive shortfall in the Teachers' Retirement System.
A proposal by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) to divert billions of dollars from local taxing bodies to the massively underfunded Teachers' Retirement System did not go to vote Wednesday, the Associated Press reports. Madigan added three amendments to House Bill 3637 on May 11, which would allow the state to tap into the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax to help cover teacher pensions. Under the proposal, local governments—including municipalities, schools, libraries and park districts—could lose as much as $1.4 billion from the CPPRT, a 2.5 percent tax on corporations that is collected by the state and earmarked for local governments. The amendments were scheduled to be discussed during a House Executive Committee …
Thursday, May 17, 2012
The school, based out of Lemont United Methodist Church, is tops in Lemont, according to reader votes and reviews.
The readers have spoken, and one local preschool emerged as the most loved in Lemont. In last week's installment of Readers’ Choice — a way for readers to give their favorite local businesses a boost — we took a look at the many wonderful preschools in Lemont. Readers made their picks by voting in our poll, as well as leaving comments and reviews on each business' Patch Places listing and our Facebook page. With the majority percent of the vote, as well as a number of positive comments, the winner is Happy Hands Methodist Preschool. Located at 25 W. Custer St. in Lemont United Methodist Church, Happy Hands offers programs for children ages 3 to 5. It aims to help children develop physically, emotionally, intellectually and socially through…
About 40-50 teachers from Lemont and surrounding communities took part in a statewide "Day of Action" outside Sen. Christine Radogno's office on State Street.
Dozens of teachers from Lemont and surrounding communities took part in a peaceful rally outside Sen. Christine Radogno's State Street office Wednesday evening to oppose fast-track pension legislation. Old Quarry Middle School teacher Michelle Nevin, president of the Local 604 of the American Federation of Teachers, said she and 40 or 50 teachers, public workers and their family members gathered outside of Radogno's office between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. as part of a coordinated, statewide "Day of Action." "We were out there to raise awareness of the state's pension issues and voice our position to Sen. Radogno," Nevin said. "We're asking lawmakers to slow down and listen to all sides before passing something that would affect all of our futures…
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Officials are pushing back against House Speaker Michael Madigan's plan to use the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax to address a massive shortfall in the Teachers' Retirement System.
Lemont officials are speaking out against a proposal by House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) to divert billions of dollars from local taxing bodies to the massively underfunded Teachers' Retirement System. Madigan added three amendments to House Bill 3637 on Friday, which would allow the state to tap into the Corporate Personal Property Replacement Tax to help cover teacher pensions. Under the proposal, local governments—including municipalities, schools, libraries and park districts—could lose as much as $1.4 billion from the CPPRT, a 2.5 percent tax on corporations that is collected by the state and earmarked for local governments. "Diversions of the magnitude proposed within the amendments would be crippling to local governments," …
The board agreed to use President Dave Molitor as an interim spokesperson after Board Member Lisa Wright stepped down from the position Tuesday night.
Nine months after removing the president as its official spokesperson, the Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Board of Education has opted to reassign the responsibility to its incoming superintendent. Board Member Lisa Wright announced during Tuesday night's meeting that she no longer wishes to serve as spokesperson, a position she has held since the board stripped former president Mike Aurelio of the duty in August. Wright's decision prompted Board President Dave Molitor to question whether the board should appoint someone to take her place, or allow individuals to speak for themselves and let meeting minutes represent the board as a whole. "I'd rather see us speak as one voice. I'd rather see one spokesperson for the board…
Seventh-and eighth-grade students from the Lemont-based program will present green business plans this week to a caucus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.
Students participating in Project Infinite Green—the Lemont-based after-school program designed to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education—traveled to Washington D.C. on Wednesday to present have been invited to present their green business plans to the STEM Education Caucus in Washington, D.C this week. Seventh- and eighth-grade student members of Project Infinite Green created business plans with a focus on reliability, sustainability and affordability after study and research conducted througout the 2011-12 school year. The Project Infinite Green presentation will be held on Thursday, May 17, from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m., in the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2253, Independence Avenue and South …
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
The board will also discuss Tuesday an intergovernmental agreement with the village of Lemont for the use of Central School and the impact a proposed pension shift would have on the district.
The Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Board of Education will consider Tuesday its 2012-13 support staffing plan, as well as an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Lemont for the use of Central School. According to the meeting agenda, District 113A administrators are recommending that the board maintain current staffing levels for all educational support personnel, including building/ground and transportation staff. Last month, board members voted unanimously to approve a certified staffing plan that also included no additional hires for the 2012-13 school year. The board will also consider an intergovernmental agreement between the district and the Village of Lemont, which is seeking to move its offices to the …
Monday, May 14, 2012
The symphonic band, journalism student Charmaine Balisalisa and Chicago Tribune All-Academic Team honoree Marjorie Dallmann were honored at an all-school assembly Thursday.
Lemont High School students and faculty members were joined Thursday morning by Mayor Brian Reaves for an assembly honoring state champions from the 2011-2012 school year. Among those recognized were members of the Symphonic Band, which was named topped band in Class 3A at the 2012 State of Illinois Invitational High School Concert Band Contest last month. The State of Illinois Invitational High School Concert Band Contest, which is hosted by Illinois State University Bands, is an invitation-only event that brings together the state’s top bands, dividing them into six classes. Lemont’s Honors Symphonic Band not only was rated at the top of all Class 3A bands, but also ranked sixth of 24 bands across all classes. Also honored was senior …
martin finn
8:13 pm on Saturday, May 19, 2012
Cut programs, give that money to the trs pension fund. Instead of bellyaching about "the devastation" Madonia should be naming programs which should be eliminated and the money used to fund trs. All these "pols" whine about lost revenue but never point to a governmental service or program they would slash, curtail or improve in order to fund the pension system. Their too busy scheming a way to … more ›