As Plainfield School Board grapples with how to use its $5.7 million surplus - maybe they should read this article written by Bob Okon.

The board has to decide between saving jobs for one year or paying off debt. They are looking at cutting about 112 jobs and using the $5.7 million toward paying off a $11.8 million loan they took out to buy land for three schools.

Herald-News Reporter Okon showed that finding a job isn't easy.

By Bob Okon

JOLIET - Nearly 1,100 people applied for 50 full-time jobs offered Wednesday at the Central Grocers distribution center.

In a bad economy, Central Grocers is growing -- but not fast enough to accommodate the demand for good, full-time jobs.

The lines outside the company warehouse and corporate offices in the Joliet section of the Cherry Hill Business Park showed how strong a demand there is for the kind of work Central Grocers has to offer: union jobs, full-time, wages that go beyond $20 an hour; and benefits many people aren't finding in the search for work these days.

"Here they have health benefits and a pension," said Clifton Scott of Joliet. "I never had a job that could do that for me."

Scott, 23, has been working in the logistics business for four years, always through temporary agencies that place him in jobs but don't offer him long-term employment.

Others in the long lines were in the same predicament.
At least Scott is working. Mark Yurcisin of Joliet has been out of work for 14 months. Before then, he said, he'd been working through temporary service companies.

"My resume looks horrible because of temporary positions," Yurcisin said. "It makes me look like a job hopper, but I'm not."

Yurcisin like others in line said he'd love to have a steady, full-time job.

"I've been on unemployment for over a year," said Thomas Murphy of Palos Hills, who had been making good money as a sprinkler fitter before the construction business fell flat. Looking for full-time work, Murphy said most jobs on the market now are "part-time, low pay -- $9.50 an hour or minimum wage. Minimum wage is not going to help me pay my rent."

Growing business

Central Grocers has been growing amid a weak economy in part because it has taken over business from Certified Grocers, another food distributor that formerly supplied independent grocers in the Chicago area.

The Joliet facility opened in 2009 and provided Central Grocers with more storage space, Chief Executive James Denges said.

"We've had to staff up," Denges said. "We've had an influx of new business since coming to Joliet."

Central Grocers brought 450 jobs from its former operation in Franklin Park. The Joliet facility, which includes the corporate headquarters, had already added jobs since moving and will employ more than 600 after the new workers are hired.

The company does not employ temporary workers in the warehouse.

The contract between Central Grocers and the Teamsters forbids the use of temp workers, and Denges said it would be difficult to conduct the business with a constantly changing workforce.

Packing the food with care is important. At the same time, order pickers are required to keep up a steady pace of work.

"There's actually an art to building pallets, doing stacking," Denges said. "You learn it. If we had new people every day, we'd have problems."

Central Grocers ships more than a million cases of groceries, meat and produce to 375 independent retailers, primarily in the Chicago region and northern Indiana. The company also supplies some stores in Milwaukee and Iowa and is developing new business in Michigan.

The Joliet facility was designed with an eye toward expansion.

"This building has the potential to do a lot more business," Denges said. "I could probably do 40 percent more business here without a problem."

Central Grocers expanded its meat and produce capacity in the Joliet facility.

The warehouse also features 10 "banana rooms," each capable of holding 2,000 cases of bananas so they can ripen before being sent to stores.

Another interesting feature of the Joliet facility is its use of hydrogen-powered warehouse vehicles. It's the largest hydrogen-powered distribution facility in the world, Denges said.

'Tough work'

Work there isn't easy.

Even in this job market, Denges expects that he eventually will have to hire 100 people to fill the 50 jobs, because half of those hired won't stay.

"It's tough work," he said. "Most likely they'll be working in a refrigerated part of the building."

Arriving applicants were handed job descriptions outlining some of the rigors of the job of an order picker, which include working in refrigerated sections of the warehouse that will be as cold as 20 degrees below zero.

Order pickers have to lift loads as heavy as 90 pounds. Before anyone is hired, their ability to lift heavy loads is tested with a physical therapist present.

Workers start at $10 an hour for the first 30 days, and then wages go to $16 an hour. Pay rises to $22 an hour after 16 months.

Finding 50 workers wouldn't be hard among the hundreds who showed up Wednesday.

"It's no problem," Yurcisin said of the cold temperatures and heavy loads. "I've been working in warehousing since I was 13 or 14. My dad got me in."

What's hard, he said, is being unemployed.

"I'd much rather be at work," he said, "making money and doing the things I need to do."

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Well, there was a lot of talk about what the district should do with the $5.7 million in stimulus money at Monday night's board meeting.

School board President Stuart Bledsoe and board member Michelle Smith want to see the money used to save jobs.

The board is currently looking at a proposal to cut up to 112 jobs, change school times and consolidate high school classes in order to eliminate the $6.7 million deficit.

But the deficit reduction plan does not include using a one-time payment of $5.7 million from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. That money can only be used for salaries and benefits to retain existing employees, recall or rehire former employees and hire new employees to provide early childhood, elementary, or secondary educational services.

The money is not paid directly to the district, but reimbursed after the district spends the money from its own funds, creating a surplus of $5.7 million once the district receives the reimbursement.

The district has not received any directives from the state or federal government on what should happen to the surplus money, said John Prince, assistant superintendent of business and operations.

"We believe and this has been supported in our discussions with the state that this is the issue of local board action. The board has to decide what they do with all revenue in the budget," Prince said at Monday night's board meeting.

The district could use the money to reduce its $11.8 million loan that was used to buy land for Plainfield East High School, John F. Kennedy Middle School and Elizabeth Eichelberger Elementary.

Board members Eric Gallt and Mike Kelly thought the board should move forward with the administration's plan to cut jobs.

Kelly is in favor of using the surplus money to pay off the loan for the land.

"In the long run, if we reduce our ongoing expenses, it help us keep from cutting more jobs down the road," Kelly said.

Board member Rod Westfall thinks the board needs to look at making more program cuts to keep teachers and support staff in the buildings.

Gallt said the district can't keep asking employees to freeze their salaries.

This year, administrators, including his wife, Kellie Gallt, principal at Lincoln Elementary School, took a pay freeze and paid additional money for health insurance - which is basically a pay cut.

"We can't ask our employees in this district to not take raises for the next five years. That's not reasonable," Gallt said. "We have to understand we can't keep going to them and ask them to give to the district because we don't have the money. We have to create money."

Last year, teachers received a pay raise and will be negotiating will the district once the board votes on how to reduce the deficit.

Board member Dave Obrzut was at the meeting, but didn't say where he stood on this issue.

School board member Roger Bonuchi was not at the meeting. He's on a cruise to Antarctica. Stay tune for a story on that adventure.

Prince will discuss other options to use the money with the Ways and Means committee at 8 p.m. Feb. 23 at the district office, 15732 Howard St.

The next board meeting is at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at Plainfield South High School, 7800 Canton Farm Road.

The board is expected to vote on the deficit reduction plan by Feb. 28. The board meets that night at 7:30 p.m. that night at the district office, 15732 Howard St.

Here's a chance to ask some questions and be heard.

State Rep. Emily McAsey (D-Lockport) and Romeoville Mayor John Noak will be special guests at a Irene King Town Hall meeting at 10 a.m. Feb. 5 at the new Romeoville municipal complex, 1050 W. Romeo Road.

With an emphasis on two-way conversation, the meeting will focus on one central theme: Everyone has a stake in the education of our children.

Irene King Principal April Vacik and Assistant Principal Jeremy Majeski will take an up-close look at the school's educational progress as well as future plans. Rep. McAsey and Mayor Noak will also speak and be available for questions.

Refreshments will be provided, courtesy of the Village of Romeoville.

Because space is limited, reservations are required by contacting Tiffany Wright at 815-886-3380 or WrightT@vvsd.org.

Plainfield School District may have new attendance boundaries for elementary, middle and high school students next school year.

Spokesman Tom Hernandez addressed that issue in his weekly newsletter on Friday, saying that it is a possibility that the new attendance boundaries will also affect students in elementary schools and high schools.

Last November, the school board directed the administration to create a plan to relieve overcrowding at Aux Sable, John F. Kennedy and Timber Ridge middle schools.

That plan won't be presented to the board until after the board approves the deficit reduction plan next month.

However, Hernandez said it is possible that adjustments to those three middle schools' attendance zones could impact the elementary schools and the high schools.

For example, Hernandez said it is possible that some kids that now attend schools that feed into Plainfield East High School could end up in schools that feed into Plainfield North High School. That means instead of going to Plainfield East, wearing orange and green, they may be wearing red and green at Plainfield North.

But nothing is for sure yet. That's just one of many scenarios that the district is studying.

At Jan. 18th's board meeting, Larry Lehman spoke in front of the Plainfield School Board once again, stressing that the $5.7 million in stimulus money should be used to save jobs.

Plainfield School Board didn't respond in public comment nor do they have to.

Superintendent John Harper already said that an explanation on how and why the $5.7 million is being used will be addressed at the next board meeting which is at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the administration building, 15732 Howard St. in Plainfield.

Eric and Val Dierlam sent out an e-mail to board members last night after reading a district-wide weekly e-mail sent Friday by Spokesman Tom Hernandez.

Their e-mail to the board:

Dear Mr. Herandez and Board Members,

Tonight I read the following in Mr. Herandez' weekly newsletter:

At the January 11, 2011 Budget Deficit Public Forum, a community member asked why the district doesn't use the $5.7 million received from the federal jobs act this year to save teaching jobs.

District officials explained last fall when the 2010-11 budget was approved, that the $5.7 million in federal funds is a one-time revenue. The administration and Board of Education at that time agreed that using that money this year to save jobs is not the best use of this revenue, since the money is not expected to be available next year. In fact, doing so could actually compound our operating fund deficit next year, by creating new operating expenses without revenues to pay for them.

Consequently, district officials have been researching ways to use the money that will have longer-term benefits (for example, possibly paying down some short-term debt, which would help the operating fund, which in turn could help save jobs.) John Prince, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations is scheduled to outline some of those options at the January 24, 2011 Board of Education meeting.

I'm confused by this response. Below is an excerpt from the "Initial Guidance for States on the Education Jobs Fund Program" which I obtained from the Federal Department of Education website. I also have attached a copy of the document for your review.

Local Uses of Funds

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D-1. For what purposes may an LEA use its Ed Jobs funds?
An LEA must use its funds only for compensation and benefits and other expenses, such as support services, necessary to retain existing employees, to recall or rehire former employees, and to hire new employees, in order to provide early childhood, elementary, or secondary educational and related services.

D-2. What categories of expenses may an LEA support with Ed Jobs funds?
For purposes of this program, the phrase "compensation and benefits and other expenses, such as support services" includes, among other things, salaries, performance bonuses, health insurance, retirement benefits, incentives for early retirement, pension fund contributions, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment assistance, transportation subsidies, and reimbursement for childcare expenses.

D-3. Which employees may an LEA support with Ed Jobs funds?
An LEA may use the funds to pay the salaries of teachers and other employees who provide school-level educational and related services. In addition to teachers, employees supported with program funds may include, among others, principals, assistant principals, academic coaches, in-service teacher trainers, classroom aides, counselors, librarians, secretaries, social workers, psychologists, interpreters, physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, information technology personnel, nurses, athletic coaches, security officers, custodians, maintenance workers, bus drivers, and cafeteria workers.

D-4. What are the statutory prohibitions on an LEA's use of Ed Jobs funds?
The statute prohibits LEAs from using Ed Jobs funds for general administrative expenses as that term is defined by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in its Common Core of Data. These prohibited expenses are administrative expenditures related to the operation of the superintendent's office or the LEA's board of education, including the salaries and benefits of LEA-level administrative employees.

The statute also prohibits LEAs from using Ed Jobs funds for other LEA-level support services expenditures as that term is defined in the Common Core of Data. These prohibited activities include the payment of expenditures for fiscal services, LEA program planners and researchers, and human resource services.

D-5. May an LEA use Ed Jobs funds to pay the salaries and benefits of an LEA-level administrative official who also teaches or has other school-level responsibilities?
For an individual with both LEA-level and school-level responsibilities, an LEA may use Ed Jobs funds to pay only that portion of the employee's salary and benefits associated with the time spent on allowable (i.e., school-level) activities. The LEA must maintain documentation substantiating that amount of time.

The above guidance clearly states that the funds are to be used for salaries for employees who provide educational services (i.e., teachers). It also prohibits that the funds be used to pay for general administrative expenses as was stated in the weekly newsletter above. Another prohibition is using the funds to pay for (district office) administrators such as the (distirct office) director's job that is now being saved by adopting the new busing schedule. Money saved from adopting the new busing schedule and the federal jobs money should be used for personnel who provide classroom level resources to our children. The most important people in this debate are our children. Decisions should be made for the good of the children not the adults involved.

Plainfield School Board will vote on part of the $7.6 deficit reduction plan at a 7:30 p.m. special meeting (Jan. 18) Tuesday in the auditorium at Plainfield High School, 24120 W. Fort Beggs Drive, Plainfield.

The board is expected to vote only on a portion of the administrative recommendation and is not expected to vote on the entire plan, said Spokesman Tom Hernandez in an e-mail.

The agenda did not indicate what part of the plan the board expected to approve.

Superintendent John Harper will not be explaining to the taxpayers why stimulus money is not being used to save jobs at this special meeting, said Spokesman Tom Hernandez.
That will happen at the Jan. 24th meeting where administration will explain some of its long-term thinking about how the district will use the money to get long-term benefits because the money is a one-time revenue source.

Hernandez said this meeting is not a public forum. The purpose is not to gather additional public input on the administrative recommendation. However, public comment will be taken as it normally is at regular board meetings with a time limit of about 20 minutes.

The board still intends to vote on the entire deficit reduction plan no later than Feb. 28, Hernandez said.

In December, Superintendent John Harper unveiled a $7.6 million deficit reduction plan that would cut 112 full-time equivalent positions and change school times.

Harper said the three-tier busing system would save $598,298 by having a bus driver handle three routes instead of two, eliminating the need for about 30 buses and adjusting school times.

If the board embraced the bus plan, some jobs could be saved and the district could still eliminate the $6.7 million deficit. Harper said he did not intend to cut $7.6 million when there's a deficit of $6.7 million.

That means perhaps about $600,000 in salaries could be put back into the budget for next school year.

At last week's public forum, Larry Lehman asked the board to use the $5.7 million in stimulus money to prevent lay-offs. He said it would be an insult to federal taxpayers for the district to accept the money, but not use it to save jobs.

"This money is a gift," he said. "Let's use the money for what it is intended for."

Harper said there isn't a clear and concise answer to Lehman's legitimate question, but he will have one ready at the next board meeting. Harper said they will explain the impact the one-time grant would have on the deficit if it is used for jobs now.

Harper said the district is considering to use the money to provide long-term benefit, such as paying off a debt service or pay for land.

Hernandez wrote in a district-wide e-mail Friday that the debt keeps compounding despite the cuts.

"Despite cutting about $33 million in expenses over the last two years, District 202 still faces a likely multi-million operating fund deficit next year, because of rising costs. What's more, that deficit is likely to compound for the next several years if economic conditions and state funding do not improve significantly," Hernandez wrote. "However, the good news is that the projected deficit is much smaller than it was even last August, thanks to the district's hard work to control, contain and reduce costs."

At Tuesday night's public forum, parents were in favor of Superintendent John Harper's proposal for three-tier busing system that would save $598,298 by having a bus driver handle three routes instead of two, eliminating the need for about 30 buses and adjusting school times.

However, a couple of parents asked for a tweak.

If approved, high school students would attend from 7:05 a.m. to 2:16 p.m.. Middle schools would have later starts, attending from 8 a.m. to 3:01 p.m. instead of 7:30 a.m. to 2:31 p.m. Elementary school students would attend from 9:10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. instead of 8:55 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

However, a couple of parents and students asked that the district flip flop the start times and have the middle school students start at 7:05 a.m. and let the high school students start at 8 a.m. This would give high school students more time for sleep because they go to bed later due to sports, jobs and homework.

However, one parent liked the idea that Plainfield East and South high schools would start at 7:05 a.m. instead of 8:10 a.m. because right now his son has to miss classes in order to make it to sporting competitions because his school ends at 3:21 p.m.

If high school students start at 7:05 a.m., the district might have to eliminate early physical education. But one parent said a track coach has already told students they would still have early morning practice. That upset one mom who said that meant her son would even get less sleep.

A Plainfield East High School student said eliminating early bird physical education classes would hurt her because she had planned to take choir all four years. There would be no way she could do that without taking a zero period class. She couldn't fit in her general requirements plus choir. She wasn't too pleased with the idea of eliminating zero period.

If the board embraces the three tier bus schedule, some jobs could be saved and the district could still eliminate the $6.7 million deficit, Harper said.

The board will make a decision on the proposed deficit reduction plan no later than Feb. 28.

So what do you think?

After a handful of parent and staff asked Plainfield School Board not to cut programs and jobs, Larry Lehman walked up to the microphone Tuesday night with a solution: Use the $5.7 million in stimulus money to prevent lay-offs.

Lehman, of Shorewood, who has family members who will be impacted by the budget cuts, asked why the administration is proposing 112 job cuts when the federal government gave the district $5.7 million in stimulus money to save jobs.

Lehman was one of 17 speakers who spoke at a public forum at Plainfield Central High School regarding the proposed deficit reduction plan to cut $7.6 million out of the budget, including laying off 112 full-time equivalent (FTE ) positions.

"If the money is there and you don't have to lay people off, why would you?" Lehman asked. "I don't have an answer for that."

Lehman said it would be better to save jobs for one more year than make the lay-offs now. He said it would be an insult to federal taxpayers for the district to accept the money, but not use it to save jobs.

"This money is a gift," he said. "Let's use the money for what it is intended for."

Superintendent John Harper said there isn't a clear and concise answer to Lehman's legitimate question, but he will have one ready at the next board meeting at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 24 at the administration center, 15732 Howard St.

Harper said they will explain the impact the one-time grant would have on the deficit if it is used for jobs now.

"The answer is not as simple as it may appear," he said.

Harper said the district is considering to use the money to provide long-term benefit, such as paying off a debt service or pay for land.