Panther Families,
We had an amazing third quarter of the school year, but are very much looking forward to Spring! There are a lot of things to highlight, celebrate, and share.
Our Student Achievement
Throughout this frigid winter, our students were busy accomplishing a lot! Here are a few highlights:
ACES Team (Academic Challenge for Engineering and Science) won the Regional Championship and had several top finishers!
AJ Breuning - MVP finishing 1st in Computer Science & Math
Halle Gerth - 1st Place in Chemistry
Sawyer Ingram - 1st Place Engineering Graphics
Jase Hobson - 1st Place English
Isaiah Schertz - 2nd Place Chemistry
Gabe Sutter - 2nd Place Biology
Sam Edmundson - 2nd Place Engineering Graphics
Izzy Shivers - 2nd Place English
Molly Scheuer and Isaiah Schertz - Tied 2nd Place Physics
Boys’ Basketball - Elite 8 for the second consecutive year and played in the Super-Sectional for only the 3rd time in school history
HOIC Art Festival
Best in Show - Isabel Vance
Best in Drawing - Peyton Ford
Honorable Mention - Katie Masterson & Tiana Larsen
Additional Featured Pieces - Joslyn Baughman & Peyton Ford
Junior High Wrestling State Finals
2nd Place at 85lbs - Ty Jackson
6th Place at 155lbs - Preston Long
State Qualifiers - Evan Conn 105lbs and Briggs Baxter 70lbs
Scholastic Bowl Team had the best season in school history finishing with a record of 13-5 and finishing 2nd in the Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament.
Willy Wonka! - Our talented musical students had an amazing performance in front of two packed houses to wrap up the quarter!
Our Community Relations
At our March Board meeting, the decision was made to cease charging families for Athletic Participation Fees. For over 20 years, the District has applied a participation fee for athletics. Current fees are $75 for high school sports and $50 for junior high sports with no charge for 3rd sports and $250 family caps. The District has not charged for any co-curricular activities - academic teams, fine arts, etc. We believe strongly in the value of student involvement—both in the classroom and beyond. Participation in co- and extra-curricular activities helps develop the whole child and prepares our students to be competitive in their future careers. With the waiver of athletic fees, the only remaining costs are a $75 Technology Fee and a $150 Driver’s Education fee for students taking Behind the Wheel at LHS.
On Thursday, March 12th, our Key Club hosted their annual American Red Cross Blood Drive. They hit 100% of their goal, welcoming 39 donors—including 6 first-time participants! This amazing event benefits both students and the community. Look for it again next Spring!
Autism Awareness Day is just around the corner on April 2nd. To support Autism Awareness, our LIFE students created, printed, and sold 300 t-shirts! This is the most they have ever sold with all $2,000 profit going to support Special Person’s Day during the next Fall Festival.
Our Facilities
As mentioned in our December Quarterly Message and throughout the year, our first major project funded by County Schools Facility Tax (CSFT) revenue is planned for this summer, and will replace asbestos tile hallway flooring in part of the elementary school with new LVT flooring in all hallways. This will include renovation of all hallway floors, as well as the office spaces across from the cafeteria/multi-purpose room. The elementary building will be closed throughout the summer in order to complete this project.
Additional scheduled projects include security camera upgrades, beginning high school furniture upgrades, sanding/painting/resealing Dud Berry Gym floor, track surface maintenance, and weight room upgrades. Security camera upgrades are a part of our regular allocation of CSFT money. The remaining items are planned to be completed through use of Health/Life/Safety funds and Operation & Maintenance funds.
Check out our CSFT Transparency Dashboard on our district website for ongoing updates to our long-term facility planning.
Key Dates
March 23-27 - Track Surface Repairs
May - Weight Room Renovations
May 26 - June 5 - Elementary Flooring Asbestos Abatement (Building & RVS Gym Closed)
May 26 - June 5 - Dud Berry Gym Closed for sanding, painting, and resealing
June 8 - July 31 - Elementary Flooring Installation
July 1 - 21 - RVS Gym Closed for Painting
Our Finance
We are happy to report that our overall revenue for this fiscal year is at 53%, right on track with expectations and historical trends. State reimbursements typically come later in the year, and our final property tax revenue won’t arrive until June, but we fully expect to receive all state and federal funding allocated to us by year-end. On the spending side, expenses are at 67%, also in line with expectations through 67% of the fiscal year.
A continuing challenge across Illinois is reduced funding for state-mandated transportation and certain special education services, which are funded at just 60–65%. So far, we have received 33% of our budgeted transportation revenue, consistent with statewide trends. The remainder will be covered through local funds. Looking ahead, these mandated reimbursements (MCATs) are expected to be prorated even more in FY27, which will place a greater demand on local revenue—but we are planning ahead to meet these needs responsibly.
We have received the first six payments (July-December) of County Schools Facility Tax (CSFT) money, equaling $488,127 — ahead of Department of Revenue Projections! Each month, we receive a check from the Regional Office of Education that goes directly into allowable budgeted funds. Revenue runs one month in arrears, so we received July revenue in August, August in September, etc. This revenue is going to allow us to lower the property tax rate for fiscal year 2027, complete the full scope of our elementary flooring project, reduce the burden on our operations and maintenance funds for additional projects, and cover the full cost for our Director of Safety & Security and school counselors.
Have a great Spring Break!
Go Panthers!
Jeff Baughman
Superintendent