Dear Thomasboro Parents/Guardians, Students, and Community Members:
Well, registration is soon upon us, and then it will be time for school to start. I hope this letter finds you and your family enjoying your summer! I am very excited for the new school year.
We have a few new teachers and teaching assistants at Thomasboro this year. We will say goodbye and wish the best of luck to Johnson Glascock, Sara Glascock, James Arriola, Allison Cimarusti, Donna Novak, and Tracey Devine.
Mrs. Rodriguez will be on her Maternity leave through October, when she returns she will be teaching Junior High Math.
Please join me in welcoming the following new teachers to our building:
Aryn Willard Rademacher - Junior High Special Education- Aryn is a recent graduate of Eastern Illinois University.
Colton Coy- P.E. Kindergarten – Eighth Grade - Colton is from Paxton, Illinois and is a recent graduate of Eastern Illinois University.
Ian Sweeny- Junior High Teacher- Ian taught at Bloomington School District 87 for 2 years prior to taking our ELA position at Thomasboro.
Ethan Colangelo- Junior High Teacher- Ethan recently graduated from Wheaton College and will be taking our Science position at Thomsaboro
April Stark- Math Specialist- April lives in Champaign and has taught Jr. High Math at St. Matthew’s in Champaign for the last 4 years.
Ashleigh Jones- Paraprofessional- Ashleigh is from Roberts and has worked in Pre-Kindergarten education for 9 years.
Brittney Coleman- Paraprofessional- Brittney is from Urbana and has 8 years of experience in education.
Registration
July 10th 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. Registration at Fountain Valley – Community Building.
July11th 9:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. at Thomasboro Grade School Gym. Registration is online and can be completed prior to coming in at the above dates and times. During the listed dates and times, we will process your proof of residency, school fees, and collect the remaining paperwork. All students must register, including Kindergarteners who “pre-registered” in the spring.
Registration: $125.00
Meals are free to all students. Athletic Fees: $50.00 per student/per sport
If child is new to district, please bring copy of birth certificate, shot records, IL physical, & social security number.
Proof of residency for all children. (Lease/mortgage, utility bill, voter registration card).
Kindergarten and 6th graders need to have an IL physical.
We must have the physical on file by September 27th. If we do not have a physical on file we are required by law to exclude you child from school beginning October 1st until a proof of a current physical is provided.
Kindergarteners need an eye exam by Oct 1st.
Kindergarten, 2nd, and 6th graders need a dental exam by May 15th.
Please call your doctor today for an appointment for the mandated exams BEFORE school starts on July 25th.
School Supplies will once again be supplied for the students.
JULY 25th FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL HOURS ARE 8:15am-3:00pm –A FULL DAY OF SCHOOL!
Morning student arrival:
The school doors open at 8:15 a.m. There will be no one on duty and students will not be allowed into the building until 8:15 a.m. Please do not send students to school prior to 8:15 a.m. The first bell rings at 8:15 a.m. and the tardy bell rings at 8:25 a.m.
Parents we expect some congestion during our morning arrival and afternoon departure times. All traffic dropping students off in the morning will flow south on Phillips street this is so that students are able to exit the cars and not cross the street to enter the building,
Doors to the building do not open until 8:15 a.m. even in inclement weather.
With the Breakfast After the Bell students will have the opportunity to eat breakfast in the classroom after the bell has rung.
In the morning the bus will drop students off at the Front Door.
Afternoon departure procedures:
Car riders will continue to be picked up in the car rider line. Please, DO NOT PARK, and pick up your students. Parents must get into the car rider line to pick up their child after school. Your child will not be released until our car rider line is finished. This creates major safety issues for our students. Please follow our dismissal procedure so that all students are dismissed safely. Please remember cell phone usage in a school zone is prohibited.
Crossing Guard:
We will be providing a crossing guard, at the sidewalk, where students cross the railroad tracks in the morning from 8:00 a.m.-8:15 a.m., and in the afternoon from 3:00 p.m.-3:10 p.m. Students will need to follow the instructions of the crossing guard. This is the only crossing where a guard will be located before and after school.
School Hours
The first bell is 8:15 a.m. The doors open at 8:15 a.m. students should not be standing outside prior to 8:15 a.m.
There will be no supervision outside the building, so please do not send your students early. Students in grades K-8 must be in their classroom at 8:25 a.m. If entering after 8:20 a.m. they must come to the office for a tardy pass.
Students are dismissed at 3:00 p.m.
School Finances
The final amended budget is posted on the website under documents- Board of Education- Budget. You will find the Budget Summary on page 22 of the budget. The 2024-2025 Tentative Budget will be presented at the August Board Meeting with a Budget Hearing in September.
We will continue to abate the bonds that were used for construction, and use the County Sales Tax Money to pay the bond.
Thomasboro CCSD#130 will be placing a referendum question on the ballot. The Board of Education would like to provide the community with facts and information regarding the referendum:
· The Citizens of Thomasboro have been asked to pass a referendum to increase the Education revenue in 1984 (40 years ago), 2014, and 2015. The County Clerk could not tell me if the referendum in 1984 passed, and the ones in 2014 and 2015 did not pass.
· The district was unable to pass a referendum in 2015. They sold bonds which helped them for a few years until ESSER Funds were available from 2019-2024. It was mandatory that ESSER Dollars be spent by September of 2024.
· Everything costs more than it did in 1984, 2014, 2015 or even 2023: goods, services, teacher salaries, everything has increased with inflation.
· The state has mandated increases in school expenses such as teacher salaries without additional revenue to fund these expenses. Salaries alone (salaries not covered by grant money= $86,415) will cost $1,209,428.03 This does not include benefits, substitute teacher salaries, or any other cost associated with educating students. Total for Salaries only equals $1,295,843.03.
· The Citizen’s of Thomasboro generate property tax revenue for the district of $864,129.44. The state generates $896,676 of revenue for the district. Total revenue from state and local sources = $1,760,805.44
· The selling of bonds in 2015 generated $775,000 with which the district deposited $80,000 per year over the last 10 years into the education fund.
· The only means to increase revenue for the education fund beyond the issuing of bonds is to increase our tax rate, which we have not done in at least 40 years.
· The continuing increase in the cost of goods, services, teacher salaries, and everything that we incur to operate without an increase in revenue to pay those costs cannot be sustained.
Thomasboro CCSD#130 will be hosting informational meetings between August and November with dates and times to be announced.
Board of Education Board Meeting Dates and Times
All Meetings are held in the Gym at 6:00 p.m.
July 16, 2024
August 20, 2024
September 24, 2024 *
October 15, 2024
November 19, 2024
December 17, 2024
January 21, 2025
February 18, 2025
March 18, 2025
April 15, 2025
May 20, 2025
June 24, 2025 *
*Dates required 30 days’ notice for budget notice in September and May.
Building Improvements and Changes:
The new addition was completed and in use during the 2023-2024 school year.
Moved Title I to Rooms 105.
Moved Ms. Pope to Room 130.
Long Jump and Shot/Discus Pad was put in for track by Mr. Evans and Mr. Drewes
I look forward to seeing each of you this school year and I am excited for our new school year to begin. Enjoy the summer!
Bonnie McArthur
Superintendent
Thomasboro Grade School
217-643-3275
bmcarthur@thomasboro.k12.il.us