Academically, the United Township School District is making good progress, but finances will be a huge challenge in the months ahead. That was the message last night from Superintendent Jay Morrow to a community forum.
He says graduation rates have reached all-time highs in the past couple of years - at just over 90 per cent - compared to ten years ago when UT struggled to graduate 80 per cent of its seniors.
"We started a new alternative school that's helped. We've also put in a variety of interventions to help kids stay in school and get on track. We've implemented a new disciplinary program called Safe and Civil Schools, and that's dropped our disciplinary referrals by 20 per cent."
The number of students enrolled in dual-credit programs with Black Hawk College, has doubled, to more than 200. And last year the number of kids passing their advance placement exams reached the highest level, ever.
Doctor Morrow worries the state of Illinois will try to reduce some of its budget problems by shifting the cost of teacher pensions to local districts - and that could cost his district 800,000 dollars a year. And if the state income tax increase is allowed to expire in January that could cause major cuts in state aid to Illinois schools - it's already pro-rated at 89 per cent of what it's supposed to be, and he's heard projections that it could fall to as low as 60 per cent.