Schools nationwide are facing transportation issues to start the 2021-2022 school year, and Flossmoor School District 161 has not been immune to the trend. “It’s been a rough, rough start,” Associate Superintendent Frances LaBella told the district’s board of education the evening of Monday, Aug. 30. In June, LaBella warned[Read More…]
Tag: Flossmoor School District 161
D161 hears more concerns regarding COVID-19 mitigation; talks construction near Parker
Flossmoor School District 161 parents are continuing to raise COVID-19 concerns as the 2021-2022 school year progresses this fall. Pam Jackson, a parent of twins in fourth grade and a kindergartener at Western Avenue Elementary School, was one of two parents to speak Aug. 30 during a board of education[Read More…]
D161 looking at $64K operating surplus for FY2022 but $671K total deficit with construction
As Flossmoor School District 161 heads toward a Sept. 13 vote on its fiscal year 2022 budget, it is expecting an operating surplus of approximately $64,000 for the fiscal year — which runs from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022 — but an overall deficit of $671,595 with construction,[Read More…]
New teachers excited for their roles in District 161
Four newly minted teachers will be among the 28 new teacher faces when District 161 students return Aug. 12. For Jillian Jendra and Shakina Washington the pandemic threw a curve to the traditional student teaching routine, but Haley Erlandson and Miranda Quinn taught children at school. You have reached content[Read More…]
As driver shortage eases, D161’s transportation woes lessen
Flossmoor School District 161’s fall transportation woes may not be as dire as originally anticipated. In June, Associate Superintendent Fran LaBella cautioned the board of education that transportation may end up being a “nightmare” because of a shortage of bus drivers poised to disrupt a return to normal routes. While transportation provider[Read More…]
D161 hears new plan for streaming tech, shifts asphalt repair project, settles lawsuit
Flossmoor School District 161 could get back to streaming its board of education meetings and more in the near future. Superintendent Dana Smith pitched a streaming technology improvement plan to the district’s board of education on Monday, July 19, that would see the district pay $26,557 to Pentegra Systems for[Read More…]
Safety measures take center stage in District 161’s fall reopening discussions
Flossmoor School District 161 knows it will be returning to in-person learning this fall. The question is how to do that as safely as possible. Superintendent Dana Smith said guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has directly influenced the district’s reopening plan. But he told the board[Read More…]
District 161 planning $60K in emergency playground repairs
In the face of labor and supply shortages that have complicated Flossmoor High School District 161’s need to replace several of its playgrounds, staff is aiming to complete roughly $60,000 in repairs “immediately” until the bigger picture can be tackled in the summer of 2022. Associate Superintendent Fran LaBella presented[Read More…]
D161 facing bus driver shortage for summer school, possibly the same this fall
Flossmoor School District 161 may have to get creative in how it transports students to school this fall, with a shortage of bus drivers poised to disrupt a return to normal routes. You have reached content available exclusively to Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle digital subscribers. Receive a 3-day free trial of unlimited[Read More…]
To stream or not to stream? D161 explores continuation of virtual meetings
The Flossmoor School District 161 Board of Education is looking at the possibility of bolstering its audio and video capabilities for the purpose of streaming events, such as its board meetings. The goal is to provide coverage at a higher quality for the community, following some audio issues with recent[Read More…]