St. Charles School Board Dumps Traffic Signal for North High

Board members say prior studies pointed to need for traffic lights before Red Gate Bridge construction began, criticize city's spending of money saved on construction.

A divided St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board of Education on Monday night flatly rejected an agreement with the city for installing traffic lights and a deceleration lane along Red Gate Road at the entrance to St. Charles North High School. The board voted 4-2 to reject an intergovernmental agreement with the city on the Red Gate Road traffic signal at St. Charles North; board members Nick Manheim, James Gaffney Jr., Judith McConnell, and Ed McNally cast the majority vote to kill the agreement, while board members Kathleen T. Hewell and Corinne Pierog voted to support the agreement. Board President Steve Spurling was absent from Monday’s meeting. Gaffney, who had criticized the proposed agreement during a board committee …

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Ted Schnell

3:23 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013

I can't say. I did have one person point out another possible conflict, but I'm not going to say anything about that until I have had the opportunity to ask some questions.   more ›

St. Charles School District to Hold Off on App

St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 may reconsider app next year.

If you got your hopes up after hearing the school district was considering developing a smartphone app as a way for parents, students and and taxpayers to keep connected, don’t hold your breath. It may not happen for another year or so. The administration’s proposal to develop the app, at a cost of $65,250 over the three-year contract, failed to muster the votes needed to pass during Monday night’s board of education meeting. Some board members questioned the cost for the proposal. Superintendent Dr. Donald Schlomann told the board that the app reflects society’s increasing desire for instant satisfaction. He told the board this might not be the right time to develop the app, but that the administration wanted to present it to the board as…

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District 303’s Schlomann to Retire in 2017

Board of Education approves amendments to superintendent’s contract, including an annual 6 percent retirement incentive annuity.

Dr. Donald Schlomann will retire at the end of the 2016-17 school year, according to an amended contract for the superintendent of St. Charles Community Unit School District 303. The Board of Education approved the contract changes during a special meeting Monday night, and Dr. Schlomann signed it Tuesday morning, school officials said. Board of Education President Steven Spurling said Tuesday evening the board’s approval of the contract amendments reflect its satisfaction with Schlomann’s performance as superintendent. “We’re very happy with Dr. Schlomann’s leadership,” he said. Under the terms of the contract, Schlomann's base pay remains where it was when the district hired him as superintendent in 2009 — at $225,000. As part of the …

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Ted Schnell

11:01 am on Monday, December 3, 2012

Thank you Ann -- that is very informative. I was unaware of it -- I started in mid-July this year.   more ›

UPDATE: Geneva Teachers Set to Strike on Monday; GEA Issues Press Release

The Geneva Education Association says Geneva teachers will go on strike Monday.

A Geneva Education Association press release says a teachers strike will happen Monday. Geneva Education Association President Carol Young says Thursday's 10-hour negotiating session was productive but did not result in an agreement. Young said the GEA offered to meet over the weekend, but the School Board task force said Tuesday would be the soonest that talks could resume. The board has a meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Monday. A press release from School District 304 is expected later this morning.  Geneva Patch will update this post when additional information is available. Here's the GEA press release: The following statement may be attributed to Carol Young, president of the Geneva Education Association (GEA). “The GEA negotiation …

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Geneva School Board, GEA Will Meet Again Thursday

An eight-hour negotiating session doesn't come up with a tentative contract agreement, but both sides will meet again in hopes of an 11th-hour settlement prior to a possible Nov. 9 teachers strike.

For Genevans hoping and praying for a settlement prior to a Friday teachers-strike deadline, the initial news from Tuesday's negotiating session was mixed and a little sketchy. School District 304 issued a press release and sent an email via 304 Connects informing the community that the Board of Education and the Geneva Education Association continued negotiations Tuesday evening with the help of a federal mediator. "Proposals were exchanged, and both parties agreed to meet again on Thursday, Nov. 8," the release said. As of 10:50 a.m. Tuesday, the GEA had not issued a press release regarding the issue or posted one on its website, gea4students.com. Following the Oct. 26 negotiations session, the School Board and GEA released details and …

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Silence Dogood

2:38 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012

Gosh, Edward, I'm SO sorry, I wasn't assuming anything, I was inferring....but hey, if that's how you choose to see it, then we'll just have to agree to disagree, and I will reluctantly acknowledge you may be half right.   more ›

Kids Give St. Charles School Board Mentoring Lesson

Thompson Middle School students discuss program in which older students help new sixth-graders adjust to life after elementary school.

Who said a school board meeting can’t be fun? Some Thompson Middle School students brought more than a little cheer — and some life lessons they’ve learned — before the St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 Board of Education on Monday. The board sometimes opts to meet at the schools for which it is responsible, and this week it met at Thompson on the city’s West Side. So instead of listening to the Superintendent's Report, Dr. Donald Schlomann chose to let a group of Thompson students give their own report to the board about what they’ve been learning — and teaching — through a Thompson program called WEB, an acronym for Where Everybody Belongs. The program’s goal is to have older middle school students help the new sixth-graders…

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5 Things: Family Day, Munger Road Clothing Drive and More

Also, two Board of Education committees meet tonight.

Here are five things going on for Sept. 26: 1. Fun Fact: Family Day was started on Sept. 26, 2001 by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University. This holiday encourages parents to "eat dinner with your children" because the frequent family sit-down encourages conversation, which can be an effective way to keep kids free from drug abuse.  You can learn more about Family Day by clicking here.  2. Three city parking lots will be closed for improvements this week and are scheduled to reopen on Oct. 4. The Ambrose Lot on the southwest corner of Route 64 and Route 31, the River Plaza Lot on the west side of Route 31 between Cedar and State Streets and two square gravel areas adjacent to North Riverside Avenue, …

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5 Things You Should Know

Dinner, Darts and Da Cubs: 5 Things You Should Know for Monday, Aug. 8

Plus, the District 303 board of education meets tonight to discuss the future of the Little Woods Facility.

Tonight, you could partake in a five-course meal with Napa Valley wine at the Pheasant Run Resort or play a game of darts with an Italian beef sandwich and a beer in Geneva. Here are five things going on today: 1. Harvest Restaurant at the Pheasant Run Resort serves world-class food, directed by executive chef Josef Yurisich. You can go there tonight for a Harvest Wine Dinner with the Hess Collection of wines from Napa Valley, CA.  This food and wine showcase is $99 a person, gratuity and tax not included. The price includes a five-course meal, specially prepared by Chef Yurisich to complement the Hess Wine Collection.  2. District 303's Board of Education meets at 7 p.m. inside the administration center, 201 S. 7th St. Tonight's meeting …

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