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player ready...The School Board for Valley View School District 365U voted Monday night to table the vote on some proposed changes to the district’s disciplinary policy after concerns were voiced that parents and students were not allowed sufficient input on the change.
Suzanne Hurdle, a Romeoville resident and Valley View parent, raised the concerns Monday and asked that the item be tabled.
Among her concerns, Hurdle said she was bothered by policies regarding the searching of students, as well as stipulations she believed could potentially impinge on students’ rights to free expression.
An item in the new policy would allow students to be disciplined for actions outside the school, and Hurdle asked the board if this would mean that students protesting something like recent police shootings in Ferguson, Mo., and New York City could face disciplinary action as a result.
Hurdle also questioned why the board didn’t seek greater student and parental input into the new policy.
It was not clear Monday when the item would come back before the board.
Hurdle also asked the board why proceeds from a recent fundraiser at The Promenade in Bolingbrook all went to Bolingbrook High School and were not split with Romeoville High School.
Vice President Rick Gougis said the district can’t tell people donating money where to donate it to.
“Gifts are given to where people want to give a gift,” he said.
President Steven Quigley suggested that perhaps in the future donations could go back and forth between the high schools.
Quigley also said Illinois Senate Bill 16, which would have changed how states allocate funding for schools and helped out cash-strapped Valley View, didn’t come up before a vote in the House before the lame-duck, post-election session ended.
With that bill failing, and the state income tax falling back from 5 to 3.5 percent on Jan. 1, Illinois will be facing a “funding issue,” he said.
“We hope they won’t balance that on the local governments and school districts,” he said.
Also Monday, the board voted to extend a contract with JAR Consulting to continue lobbying for the district through 2015.
The contract costs $3,000 monthly, according to district documents.
The Springfield-based consulting agency specializes in representing their clients’ interests in legislative matters, according to district documents.
“By educating policy makers about the impact of their decisions, we have a greater chance of success in achieving positive legislative change for the district,” an overview of the contract states. “The pension issue could have a severe negative impact on the district’s financial picture if we are not proactive in having our voice heard.”