Softball field and pressure to raise (and not to raise) Dist. 300 levy

Even though Du Quoin Community Unit District 300 Supt. Dr. Gary Kelly says administrators have agreed to a salary freeze, the pressure will be on the board for teacher pay raises in an expected multi-year contract agreement early next year.

With that said, it will be interesting to see whether the board--which meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight--will seek another levy increase or live within its means. Not only has the district gotten increases in each of the last three years ( $4,383,008 in 2012, $4,390,627 in 2013 and $4,438,282 in 2014), but is also getting a half-cent sales tax to pay for the local share of the high school and a new 1 cent facilities tax which passed across the county but not in District 300. All told, the district gets about 70 cents out of every tax dollar.

The board talks about having to offset lost state dollars. Local taxpayers are talking about an inelastic economy that can't afford more tax hikes.

The board will hear information from the state report card, will consider a request for improvements to the softball field immediately southeast of the school, hear policy updates and consider a new agreement for the City of Du Quoin to recover $585,000 from the district owed the city for infrastructure work around the new high school when it was built.

The board is also expected to accept the resignation of elementary school secretary Terry Zettler effective Nov. 13, 2015 and the resignation of Logan Spain as 7th grade basketball coach effective at the present time. The board will consider the hiring of an elementary secretary, extra-curricular positions and an addendum to the high school volunteer list.