It is hard to believe we are wrapping up another school year, and the students are getting ready to head home for the summer.  While the students will be enjoying time away from school the next couple of months, the focus of my time will be finalizing a budget for the 2013-14 school year.  If you have been reading my newsletters over the course of the past two years, you are well aware that school districts are struggling financially due to steep cuts in education funding.  We have been working very hard to trim the budget since I began my tenure as superintendent three years ago.   While we do have money in reserves, we must be frugal with spending it as we have no way of knowing how long we will be forced to endure these financially tough times.  Unfortunately, we are to the point where we have been faced with some difficult decisions.  This spring, cuts were made to summer school, the advanced learning program, and extra-curricular transportation.  We will be deciding the fate of Reading Lab and Homework Help this summer.

As of late, you may have been hearing conversation around the county on the topic of PTELL, Property Tax Extension Limitation Law.  While this law is complicated in nature, in a nutshell PTELL limits a taxing district, such as a school, to receiving a minimal increase in tax extensions on existing property from one year to the next, thus PTELL is often referred to as “tax caps”.  Obviously, with state funding being cut significantly, our local tax dollars are extremely important to the operations of our school.  As a school district, we take great pride in being good stewards of our taxpayers’ dollars.  An example of that was released earlier this month in a report issued by the Illinois State Board of Education.  This report outlined the 2012 operating expense per pupil (OEPP) of all 861 school districts in the state of Illinois.  The OEPP indicates the amount of money it cost to educate each student in a given school district for that particular year.  For fiscal year 2012, the statewide average OEPP was $11,841.  Germantown ranked the sixth lowest in the entire state at $6,516.  While Germantown had one of the lowest OEPP, we still managed to provide our students with a quality education.   Once again this year, we were awarded the School Search Bright Star Award and the Academic Excellence Award.  Our ability to operate our school on a tight budget and produce quality results speaks volumes for our commitment to making the most of the funding available to us.  

Where tax rates are concerned, the 2012-13 tax rate of $2.17 for citizens residing in the Germantown Elementary school boundaries ranks third lowest out of nine elementary districts in the county. We are extremely mindful of our taxpayers as we carry out the levy process every year.  At the same time, we must look out for the best interests of our community youth so that we can continue to provide them with the tools needed to be productive members of society.  

Stay tuned for further updates on school district funding.

Have a safe and enjoyable summer break!

Robin Becker

Please make note of the following events for May 10 - May 17.

Friday, May 10

*The fourth grade class will go on a field trip to the Lewis and Clark Museum today.

*Kindergarten screenings will be held at school today. 

Saturday, May 11

*The SIJHSAA State Track Meet will be held at Salem High School today.

Monday, May 13

*The eighth grade students will go on their class trip to Holiday World today.

*PreK graduation will be held in the gym at 6:30 this evening.

Tuesday, May 14

*The junior high awards ceremony will be held at 9:00 this morning in the gym.

*The eighth grade students will participate in graduation practice from 10:30-11:30 today.  They will be permitted to leave school afterwards with sign-out from a parent/guardian.

Wednesday, May 15

*The second grade students will go to the Magic House today for a field trip.

Thursday, May 16

*The seventh grade students will go to the zoo for a field trip today.

Friday, May 17

*The band token party will be held at the park this afternoon. 

Special Note:  It's not too late to register for the Bulldog Dash.  Registration forms will be accepted up to and including race day on May 18.

It is the mission of Germantown Elementary School District #60 to educate all children to the best of their abilities through the cooperation of school, home, and community.  The District, in an active partnership with parents and community, promotes excellence in a caring environment in which all students learn and grow.  Through this partnership we hope to empower all students to develop a strong self-esteem and to become responsible learners and decision-makers.  Attainment of our mission is determined by student academic achievement, social development and positive attitude toward learning.

The Honor Roll program at Germantown Elementary School District #60 recognizes the academic achievement of all fifth through eighth grade students.  Students with a grade point average between 3.76-4.0 earn a place on High Honor Roll while students with a GPA between 3.5-3.75 are designated as Honor Roll recipients.  All grades for core subjects must be a "B-" or higher.     

To access the 3rd quarter Honor Roll list, click here