Summer storms cause brief power outages at SH SD151 schools
With the first day of school less than a month away, South Holland School District 151 officials say building repairs, classroom materials, and technology orders are moving ahead as students prepare to return Aug. 6.
Building staff are assessing generators after a rash of torrential weather resulted in power outages at South Holland School District 151 schools.
Phillip Neal, who oversees buildings and grounds for the district, told the board that power outages struck three school buildings that previous weekend. “We did take in some water in certain areas — that’s something that we’re looking at as well,” Neal told the board. Water caused no lasting damage, though some ceiling material in the affected areas will need to be removed, Neal said.
Neal said the outages also affected rooftop units, but new emergency generators are largely installed districtwide. Eisenhower Elementary School’s generator should be tested and running by soon, he said, while Madison’s awaits a scheduled re-piping. A fourth site’s hookup has been delayed by a gas line relocation.
Board members could tour the buildings anytime, Neal said, but suggested the week of July 27, once floor-waxing wraps up at Eisenhower and Taft Elementary School. The matter is expected to be resolved before school starts Aug. 6.
Student laptops, textbooks and gifted program changes
With curriculum staffer Christopher Roth on vacation, Superintendent Kathryn Varner delivered his committee report herself.
“The laptops have been ordered for the students that were pre-approved,” Varner told the board. “It’s looking like a fall delivery date, which means that they probably will not be distributed until after that first fall winter session.”
Textbook orders have arrived and are being placed in classrooms, Varner said. The board announced that the district’s state reporting, including gifted-program enrollment, is finalized ahead of the August meeting. The qualifying bar for the gifted program rose to the 90th percentile and above this year, which is up from the 86th percentile last year, Varner said.
Board members also praised students who recently traveled to Paris, saying they represented the district well during the trip. “The students did a phenomenal job at the Fine Arts Theater,” said board member Cynthia Shane. “They looked good, they sound good […] we were very proud of them.”
Enrollment figures and financial approvals
District enrollment stands at 1,319 students: 472 students at Coolidge Middle School; 308 students at Taft; 271 students at Madison; and 268 at Eisenhower, according to figures presented at the meeting. The district serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade across three elementary schools and one junior high school.
In other business, the board approved June payroll of $2,990,059.18 and June bills totaling $3,141,281.35.
Key school dates are approaching. Institute Day is Aug. 5, a day used by teachers for professional development and school year preparations.
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