Newcomers Rule the Board as District 113A Seats Members, Elects Officers

Mike Aurelio will serve as the president, David Molitor will serve as vice president and Cindy Kelly will serve as secretary.

UPDATE, 10:30 p.m. The four new District 113A board members released the following statement Tuesday evening: "We would like to thank the Lemont community for electing us to these important positions and entrusting us with overseeing the education of the children in our community. The task ahead is not easy, as many difficult decisions need to be made, but we will provide the best education we can with the resources we have, in an open and fiscally responsible way. “We have a dedicated group of teachers and staff, children eager to learn, involved parents, and supportive businesses and community members. We look forward to working together with board members Kevin Doherty, Karen Siston and Lisa Wright to determine the way forward for our …

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Lemont Election Log

Election Issues: District 113A Candidates Talk Central School

School Board candidates offer their perspectives on key issues in Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A.

On March 4, Patch published its 2011 Election Central, a complete guide to the April 5 consolidated election in Lemont. There you'll find voter information, recent election news and complete candidate biographies. Before Lemont voters head to the polls, Patch wants to give readers an opportunity to compare where candidates for the Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A School Board stand on key issues. We will publish the questions in separate posts over the next two weeks, along with responses from all nine candidates. Are you in favor of closing Central School? Why or why not? If the referendum does not pass I would be in favor of any measure that would reduce the need to cut more teachers and keep the class sizes from becoming …

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Editor's Corner

Candidate Forum Wrap-Up: Online Video Available Until April 5

Be sure to check Patch later today for the full story and a link to the event video.

If you missed Wednesday night's candidate forum for the Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Board of Education, we have some great news. Patch and the Lemont Junior Woman's Club were fortunate enough to be contacted last week by Lemont resident Jim Fiore, owner of DV Imaging. DV Imaging is a professional webcasting company who puts together webcasts for companies across the United States.  He utilized the volunteer videographers from Channel 6 to stream the event. Thanks to Fiore's offer to help us, we were able to provide a live feed from the event so voters could watch the forum from the comfort of their own home. So far, we've received great feedback both on Patch and our Facebook page. Here's the great news: the video from …

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Patti T

10:46 pm on Thursday, March 10, 2011

Martin - that is not accurate. The instructional expenditure per student does not include all expenses incurred by the district. It includes "Expenditures related to activities dealing with the teaching of pupils or the interaction between teachers and pupils. " Debt services expenditures would NOT impact our "spending per pupil" figure. Back to our same four schools from above.... with the …   more ›

Editor's Corner

Patch, Junior Woman's Club: Candidate Forum to Stream Live Online

The event will be held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, at the Lemont Township Community Center, 16300 Alba St.

Thanks to a generous offer by a member of the Lemont community, this week's candidate forum will be available to residents online through a live video stream. If you can't make it to the forum Wednesday, visit lemont.patch.com With just two days to go, we have the majority of candidates confirmed, and we are excited for the opportunity to hear their views. If you have any questions you would like asked during the forum, please comment below or send an e-mail to amanda@patch.com. On behalf of Patch and the Lemont Junior Woman's Club, I am very excited to announce a special election event that will take place next week at the new Lemont Township Community Center. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9, the Lemont Woman's Club and I are …

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District 113A Board Candidate Withdraws From Race, Remains on Ballot

Jennifer Hunt announced Tuesday that she would no longer be seeking election to the Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A School Board, but will remain on the ballot due to election law.

The race for the Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Board of Education has unofficially narrowed to nine candidates after Lemont resident Jennifer Hunt announced the suspension of her campaign Tuesday. In an e-mail to Patch, Hunt confirmed she would no longer be pursuing one of the four District 113A School Board positions up for election April 5. However, since Jan. 27 was the last day to withdraw candidacy, her name will remain on the ballot. Hunt released the following statement Tuesday night: "At this time I am unable to continue my campaign for District 113A School Board. This decision was made after weeks of contemplating whether I could give 100 percent of myself to the school board if elected. I am very involved with my…

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District 113A: Failed Referendum Would Likely Force Closing of Central School

Without an increase in revenue, the Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Board of Education is expected to make another $670,000 in cuts this year.

Administrators in Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A will begin working on plans to close Central School next year as they prepare for the possibility of a failed referendum in April. During Monday's regular meeting of the District 113A Board of Education, board members were presented options for facility use and reorganization, which will in large part be determined by the outcome of the proposed $20 million working cash bond referendum on the April 5 ballot. Should the referendum fail, the district would need to make cost reductions of at least $670,000, per the financial plan approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. "We need to have parallel planning in place for whether the referendum passes or fails," District …

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Tom Klimczak

10:16 am on Monday, February 28, 2011

Yes. Absolutely. You must demonize yourself. As a counselor, you know the effect that a good verbal assault on oneself can have. LOL I do lament every one of our brothers and sisters of the paycheck chuck wagon who have had their pay cut, be it hours, pay rate, benefits, or, in the case of those who own their own businesses out there, sales. Every story hurts. Pat, although this did affect you in…   more ›

District 113A Policy Committee Debates Use of Proposed Referendum Funds

The special policy committee was formed last month to draft spending policies for the $20 million working cash bond referendum on the April 5 ballot.

Financial priorities and transparency were under the microscope Monday night as school board members in Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A met to discuss spending policies for the proposed $20 million working cash bond referendum in April. The special policy committee was appointed and formed by District 113A Board President Lisa Wright last month in an effort to provide the public with more information and safeguards about the way the money would be spent should the referendum pass April 5. Board Secretary Andreas Taylor and Board Member Sue Murphy were appointed by Wright to participate in the policy process. The first draft of the policies were put together by Murphy, Taylor, District 113A Superintendent Tim Ricker and …

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Week in Review: Jan. 23-29

Need to catch up on Lemont news? Here's a roundup of last week's headlines.

Highlights from last week: Families gathered at Oakwood School on Jan. 21 for a celebration of Lemont's cultural diversity. As part of a friendly bet between Lemont Patch and Waukesha Patch in Wisconsin, Local Editor Amanda Luevano filmed a video apology to fans of the Green Bay Packers after the Chicago Bears lost in the NFC championship game Jan. 23. Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves held up his end of the bargain by sporting a green and gold jacket during the Village Board meeting Monday. At the latest meeting of the Village Board of Trustees, Mayor Brian Reaves pledged his support to public education in Lemont and announced plans for a town hall meeting on the subject. Lemont High School junior Justin Knoelk became the first boys bowler in the…

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Tickets Still Available for District 113A Foundation Fundraiser

The Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Educational Foundation is hosting a "Pre-Bowl Bash" on Saturday, Feb. 5, at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club.

Tickets are still available for the first ever Pre-Bowl Bash, a fundraiser hosted by the Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A Educational Foundation. The Pre-Bowl Bash will be held Saturday, Feb. 5, at 6:30 p.m. at Ruffled Feathers Golf Club, 1 Pete Dye Drive. The event will feature hors d'oeuvres, a pasta station, desserts and drinks, as well as a bag tournament, silent auction and raffles. Items to be given away include: Guests will also be treated to a performance by the Neverly Brothers, a local rock and roll band that covers entertainers like Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The Educational Foundation will use all proceeds from the Pre-Bowl Bash to provide grants for academic …

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EduNation: A Patch Report on Local Schools

As District 113A Heads to Referendum, Threat of State Takeover Becomes Community Concern

Facing continued cash-flow problems and a community that hasn't supported a referendum in 40 years, Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A faces an uncertain future that could include state intervention.

When Lemont voters go to the polls in April to vote on a proposed $20 million working cash bond referendum for Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A, no one will be watching the results more closely than the Illinois State Board of Education. ISBE, which certified District 113A as "In Financial Difficulty" in December 2009, has been monitoring the district's every move, making sure all policies, proposals and decisions are in line with the district's submitted financial plan—a plan that requires the district to increase revenue and eliminate borrowing. After relying on short-term borrowing to pay their operational expenses for the past year, district officials faced the prospect last month of not being able to make their Jan. 14 …

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