News From Our Superintendent and Our Principal

Newsletter from the Superintendent

Superintendent’s Message – January ‘12

School Board Update: The Board held a formal Public Hearing on December 21, 2011 at 6:50pm for the proposed 2011 Tax Levy.  The Board did officially approve the 2011 Tax Levy as part of business at the regular meeting that followed.  Additionally, the Board held a Public Hearing as part of the regular meeting concerning the intent of the Board to sell $2 million General Obligation Bonds to finance capital improvements to Taft.

Previously, I mentioned that the district has the unique opportunity to secure a construction grant from the Capital Development Board in Springfield.  The overall project would provide the much needed upgrades to our mechanical and electrical systems, roofs, and brick work.  Many of these upgrades apply to original equipment.  The district has been diligently working on this project for many months now, as the actual or original Construction Grant application to the Capital Development Board dates back to 2003.  So, as you can determine, the opportunity to secure significant funds from the Capital Development Board does not come along very often. The approximate cost is $10 million of which the Capital Development Board pledges 48% while the district is required to provide the local share of 52%.  Last month, the Board officially moved forward with a plan to specifically secure the local share of 52% or $5.2 million.  The Board passed a resolution authorizing the issuance of $2 million in General Obligation Bonds. The district will pay off the $2 million bonds over the next twenty years.  This reduces the aforementioned local share $5.2 million to $3.2 million.  Additionally, the Board passed a separate resolution to place a $3.2 million referendum question for the general primary election on March 20, 2012.  Everyone certainly recognizes and respects the potential impact to our community especially in these difficult economic times.  However, the rare opportunity to secure this construction grant from the Capital Development Board combined with the local funds to be applied to only this project will provide a solid foundation for our building for many years.  We certainly will be providing more detailed information at upcoming community meetings and mailings.  The district also has officially secured a $20,000 DCEO grant for building improvements, as well, as every little bit helps reach our goal.

Referendum Committee:  Based on the above action taken by the Taft Board of Education, there is an immediate and critical need to establish a Referendum Committee.  If any community member might be interested in participating, please contact Mr. Rogowski as soon as possible.

Taft Tournament:  Our 65^th Taft Basketball tournament started this week and continues through January 14^th.  We wish all our teams the best of luck in the tournament.  Also, a special note of appreciation is extended to Coach Howard and the Sports Association for their continued dedication and commitment to this proud event.

David A. Rogowski, Superintendent

Newsletter from the Principal

Principal's Message - January 2012

Dr. Kim Sekulich

Thank You.  We thank the families for attending our Holiday Program.  I am very proud of our students and the talents that they showcased during the program.  Ms. Ries worked hard to prepare the students for the performances.  I also appreciate the efforts of all of our staff members who helped us have a most successful program.

Good Citizenship Award.  We are proud to announce that Annie Walsh was named as our school’s recipient of the Good Citizenship Award sponsored by the Daughters of the American Revolution.  The award program honors 8^th grade students who demonstrate honor, courage, patriotism, leadership, and service.  Annie will receive her award at the Youth Recognition Gathering of the Louis Joliet Chapter in February.  Congratulations to Annie!

Power School.  Here is a reminder about how to access your child’s grades in Power School.

1.        Open a web browser, such as Internet Explorer, and navigate to the Power School Parent Portal which is located at the following URL:  http://powerschool.taft90.org/public

2.       Enter your username and password.  Click enter.

3.       Grades and Attendance Page:  Use this page to view your child’s grades.  Under the course column, you will see a list of your child’s classes/subjects.  Q2 stands for 2^nd quarter.  Click in the boxes in that column to see current grades for each class/subject.

4.       To return to the Grades and Attendance Page, click on the Grades and Attendance icon on the main menu at the top of the screen.

Book Distribution.  We have used some of the profits from the Scholastic Book Fairs to purchase books and dvds for our school’s library, and other profits to purchase Scholastic books for our students.  We are planning to have two book distributions (one in the winter and one in the spring).  All students who have met their Accelerated Reader goals (or other reading goals in the younger grades) will have an opportunity to select a free book.

I wish you and your families much happiness in the New Year!