The latest from Big Hollow

Haven't heard much from Big Hollow since the referendum passed a while back. Here's an article from the 3/19/08 Chicago Tribune:

Big Hollow school district hiring teachers, restoring programs

By Robert Channick | Special to the Tribune
10:47 PM CDT, March 18, 2008

Flush with $10 million from a February bond-sale referendum, Big Hollow School District 38 is looking to hire at least 24 teachers to alleviate crowded classrooms and reinstate programs for the upcoming academic year.

"We've already posted the vacancies," District 38 Supt. Ron Pazanin said at a School Board meeting Monday. "Quite frankly, we're getting a lot of résumés in."

The hiring plan would reduce average class size at the Ingleside-based elementary district from 28.2 pupils—the highest in Lake County—to between 20 and 27. It includes 11 teachers for art, music, computer and gym classes.

Facing a $3 million operating deficit, the board eliminated all music and art classes and reduced computer classes for the current year, prompting concerned parents to campaign door-to-door this winter for the referendum measure.

"I'm definitely encouraged that the board is taking all the right steps at this point," said Cathy Ralston of Round Lake.

Serving parts of Ingleside, Fox Lake, Round Lake, Volo and Lakemoor, Big Hollow has seen enrollment more than triple in the last decade to about 1,460 pupils. Financial woes have recently plagued the district, which has borrowed nearly $7.8 million to meet expenses over the last four years.

Though the board authorized the hiring plan and program reinstatements Monday, a "wish list" of 13 other improvements—from new textbooks to hiring a school nurse—was mostly deferred. The district's consultant, Warrenville-based PMA Financial Network, is expected to make a presentation April 21, which should give the board a better idea of how far the $10 million will go, according to officials.

"Our priority is to see what kind of money we really do have," said board member Jan Carsella.

At least one item can be scratched from the list. While respondents to an online parent survey hoped the board would reduce registration fees, it voted to maintain last year's rates of $200, with new students and early registrants paying $150 each.

Another item on some residents' wish lists involves fees added last year for interscholastic sports. After a $215 charge, participation in wrestling dropped by 50 percent, while track and field lost a third of its team over the previous year, officials said.

"We want this lowered so all kids can participate," said LaDon Schneider, athletic director at Big Hollow. "I'm obviously hoping the School Board is going to come up with something that's much more reasonable."

In a separate matter, the board unanimously approved a resolution supporting a countywide effort to ask voters to raise the sales tax by 1 percent to provide construction funding.

If passed by voters in November, the County School Facility Occupation Tax proceeds would be divided based on enrollment. Big Hollow's share would be about $825,000 per year, which could be used to offset construction bonds for its new Fish Lake campus, or set aside for future projects, officials said.