Ignoring Fieldcrest's Financial Condition No Longer an Option

For instance, Fieldcrest is going through some very, very tough financial times. The Board of Education and the Administration are carefully studying a multitude of options to bring costs under control without sacrificing the quality of education the communities have been used to. No doubt, some have heard that buildings will be closed, attendance centers instituted and radical educational cuts instituted. All the above will be discussed and studied in the coming weeks and months. Also, Superintendent Stagliano has been working very closely with a financial consultant from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for over six months. The Board and Administration are open to any and all suggestions that are cost effective and educationally sound.

Nevertheless, any solutions that will ultimately be implemented by the Board of Education will not prove popular with some community members. The past way of doing business can no longer dictate the future of Fieldcrest. Previously popular academic and school building configurations of twelve (12) years ago are neither financially possible nor practical. Politics and emotions have to be put aside for the sake of reason. We have learned that the birth of Fieldcrest would not have been possible without "promising" a grade center in each of the communities now housing our students. Shuttle service before and after games was another unwritten promise. As grand as these gestures were in 1992, they have little relevance in today's harsh economic environment.

Take for instance the recent outpouring of emotions for the retention of fully funded extracurricular activities for our students. Board meeting attendance rivaled attendance at some sports events. Yet, how many turned out to discuss and listen to the new and extremely expensive measures handed down by ISBE mandating how we are to teach our children, what test scores they must attain, and the consequences that would befall the District if AYP (adequate yearly progress) is not achieved? Don't be mistaken, extracurricular activities do have a part in the curriculum, but ISBE's mandates do not measure character, cooperation, sportsmanship and other attributes learned on the field and on the court.

Also, most read other newspapers besides the Woodford County Journal,Toluca Star Herald and the Wenona Index. If community members have been reading the Pantagraph during the past eight months one would see that communities are organizing to spearhead fundraising drives to support their schools. The Blue Ridge School District alone has over eighty (80) community volunteers seizing the moment to support extracurricular activities and other programs. The Board of Education did not organize this effort. Well meaning citizens of all backgrounds and convictions saw the handwriting on the wall and realized that Blue Ridge Board members were not blowing smoke when they announced over $1,000,000 had to be cut from a $6.5 million dollar budget. Almost $68,000 has already been raised by a myriad of individuals including several thousand-dollar donations from area businesses and financial institutions. The money raised so far will go a long way toward helping the extracurricular funding, but a far cry from solving the woes of the District. Yet, these same individuals are already organizing to get the word out to give their last spring's failed referendum another shot.

Last, out of curiosity, Superintendent Stagliano has spoken to two of the movers and shakers in the Farmer City and Mansfield Communities and asked how is it that so many rank and file citizens are coming to the aid of the school district without District leadership upfront? The response he received was that they (the communities) see the need more clearly than ever and they are proud of their schools and don't want to lose them. Can the citizens of our communities walk the talk similar to citizens of Blue Ridge? We think so and sincerely hope so.

Keep in mind that schools rise as high as their communities.