Illini Central Education Association

Illini Central Education Association Illini Central Education Association consists of the teachers and staff at Illini Central CUSD #189 that are part of our teachers union.

We would like to take the time to say “thank you” to all of those people involved in the building addition project. So ...
03/19/2020

We would like to take the time to say “thank you” to all of those people involved in the building addition project. So much time and effort has been put into this project to come up with the right plan for what our students need.

We first want to thank the school board for all of their work over the past few years to develop a plan that best met the needs of all Illini Central students. We want to thank all administrators for their time and input, as well. Also, thank you to the building committee that met and planned over the last couple of years and have given input and participated in community meetings.

We appreciate each and every person who took the time to come to a board meeting and/or ask questions. Your thoughtfulness and care for the students doesn’t go unnoticed. Whether for or against, the people who are present and getting information is such a good thing.

Last, a huge thank you to those that voted yes. We want to express our gratitude the support you have shown the staff, students, administrators and school board members of Illini Central.

We will continue working hard to educate the future generations of Illini Central students.

Today. Today is the day you can make a difference for every student and future student of Illini Central. VOTE YES!
03/17/2020

Today. Today is the day you can make a difference for every student and future student of Illini Central.

VOTE YES!

The ICEA is asking the Illini Central community to please VOTE YES on March 17th. 🗳 First and foremost, we want to thank...
03/14/2020

The ICEA is asking the Illini Central community to please VOTE YES on March 17th. 🗳

First and foremost, we want to thank the community for asking questions. The only way to truly find out how you feel on any issue is to become knowledgeable so we highly recommend asking questions.

The committees were formed throughout this process to remain transparent about the entire process. No one has ever tried to do anything except list the facts as we look toward what is ultimately best for our students.

By voting YES, you will be helping Illini Central prioritize our students' health and safety alongside their ever growing educational needs.

Here are a few facts you should know before voting:

🔶 We are bringing all Illini Central events to one campus. We are approaching 30 years since the consolidation of San Jose, Easton and Mason City yet we still are not operating on one campus.
🔶 This addition will bring increased security for all GS, MS, and HS students and staff.
🔶 The plans drawn up were never intended to have traditional classroom space because that was never a need. It includes flexible classroom space that could be used in a variety of ways.
🔶The “Collaborative Commons” space will be utilized by teachers and staff to conduct more personal learning, innovative instruction, and group work.
🔶The district does still owe approximately $1.5 million on a previous bond for the geothermal project. It is expected to be paid off in 2023. This is paid for through different funds than the plan for the new addition. These will be completely separate projects.
🔶The school did purchase two properties adjacent to the existing property recently in an effort to secure our boundaries. The purchase to the west of our campus will be utilized as agricultural education space. The property to the north of the school has storage for the vast amount of materials we are required to keep as well as the garage space for our maintenance crew to store necessary equipment. We could not have built that space for what we purchased it for.

Who deserves better?
🔸Our Illini Central students!!!

Vote YES because you care about the future of our students!

Let’s make sure we ALL put education first and VOTE YES! ✅

Letter to the Editor of the Banner Times:In the March 3rd paper, there was an ad suggesting people should vote against t...
03/10/2020

Letter to the Editor of the Banner Times:

In the March 3rd paper, there was an ad suggesting people should vote against the Illini Central building addition in order to "put education first." Those who truly care about the educational future of our students should VOTE YES.

This ad went on to state that the district needs to provide our teachers with the best resources possible. This addition is doing just that. As a teachers union, we voted to stand behind the decisions of our school board in order to improve our building and quality of education. We believe that this is the best move as we look toward our goals for all of our students. The teachers within this district are proud to work for a school that cares so much about the future. We appreciate everything that has been done to save for this project while keeping healthy fund balances across the board.

With the new addition being built, the benefits for our students are immeasurable. In last week's article, the ad posed the question, "What are our priorities: education or athletics?" We believe this is one and the same. We want both. We strive to have healthy, engaged and well-educated students. The new administrative offices and remodel will bring two safe and secure entrances for our students and visitors. This space will also replace the two outdated modular offices and classrooms. There will be educational space in the addition plus learning spaces will be freed up elsewhere in the building. It will also have a large commons area for teachers to utilize for bigger hands-on lessons and projects.

The new gym space will guarantee grade school students have the option to run and get exercise daily. Daily exercise allows students to focus when in the classroom. The new gym will also bring all of our sports to one campus. This will eliminate the need to bus students back and forth for practices. The students participating will also be able to have more practice as we already struggle to get everyone gym space in the evenings. Being involved in an athletic program also gives the students a sense of pride, helps them to learn sportsmanship, teamwork and perseverance, but most importantly motivates many to keep their grades up. Our events also allow for groups in the community to fundraise. Our athletic events bring the community together!

The declining enrollment was also mentioned in the most recent newspaper article. We realize our enrollment is declining. However, regardless of enrollment, all students within our walls deserve and need a safe and secure entrance. As mentioned previously, this new addition will assure just that. The students that we educate should also have access to flexible learning spaces to allow for the best teaching environments.

Finally, we would like to reiterate the fact that building this addition will not raise our property taxes nor hurt the district financially. The board has promised to use various funds to pay off this building project. The students are the top priority. Our students are worth it. Shouldn’t we do absolutely everything in our power to give them the best chance to be successful? We feel this project is doing just that.

VOTE YES to support the future of education within our Illini Central School District. VOTE YES to support every single child that walks through these doors. VOTE YES because you care. VOTE YES on March 17th.

Signed: The Illini Central Education Association

Two weeks from today is the election. On March 17th, the teachers and staff in the ICEA are asking everyone to show you...
03/03/2020

Two weeks from today is the election. On March 17th, the teachers and staff in the ICEA are asking everyone to show your support for Illini Central by voting YES.

Your vote matters. Please vote.

Because this election will be a Primary election, if you have not declared a party, be sure to ask for a “Non-Partisan Ballot”. This ballot will only have questions that are not tied to the political party primary contests.

The question on the ballot is long and can be confusing. It includes a phrase that states that my taxes could go up. By Illinois law, the last phrase in the question must be included in the ballot. So while property taxes are included in the question, the district has the funds to pay this bond issuance WITHOUT raising the tax rate at all. Once again, we strongly believe in the district's ability to repay the loan.

A “Yes” vote would allow the Board to begin the addition build. The project is expected to take 14 months.

Providing our teachers and students with this space will help us achieve our goals as a district.

Please help us support all of our current and future Illini Central students. They are all worth it.

As the ICEA continues to stand in support of our school board, the teachers and staff at Illini Central want to ask for ...
02/28/2020

As the ICEA continues to stand in support of our school board, the teachers and staff at Illini Central want to ask for your vote on March 17th.

Here are 3 quick facts about the new IC addition:
1. The 25,000 sq. foot project cost is expected to be around $7.3 million.
2. The district has over $6 million to use for this currently but plans to only use $3-4 million so that the fund stays in good shape.
3. The district has promised two avenues for payback if the bonds are approved. The amount of revenue promised toward this project is almost double what the payment will be. So even if down the road, we lose businesses or sales tax goes down, we have a good plan B that will cover above and beyond the payment amount.

We strongly believe in the districts ability to repay the loan. Our district prides itself on having healthy fund balances across the board. We are reassured in their promise that taxes will not be raised for this project. We trust in their ties to the community.

The teachers strive each and every day to support all of our students at Illini Central in and out of the classroom. As we focus on the future, we see our goals being met and our students thriving with the addition being built.

We have big goals for our IC students. Please help us reach them with a YES vote on March 17th!

As a Teachers Union, we came to a unanimous vote to support the district with the addition project. The teachers within...
02/24/2020

As a Teachers Union, we came to a unanimous vote to support the district with the addition project.

The teachers within the district are proud to work for a school that cares so much about the future of our students. We appreciate everything that has been done thus far to allow us to have a financially stable district with an incredible amount of resources our students can utilize daily. With the new addition being built, the space and additional resources will dramatically enhance what we are already doing.

The future of our students, our staff and our district will always be at the forefront of our minds when choosing to support issues. And the ICEA chooses to support the addition being built.

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208 N. West Avenue
Mason City, IL

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