School Board Votes Down Open Campus District 207 has decided the question of open campus. With a vote of seven in favor and none oppwsed, a policy entitled "Students' Use of School Tuae" was passed at the Nov. 15 School Board meeting. This policy consists of the following six points: 1. Students will be required
to attend all classes regularly a well as a homeroom period every day. They will also be required to be in attendance for five hours to meet state requirements. 2. The Board of Education will attempt to see that each student is scheduled into a school day of less than nine
periods. The qualifying factor on these decisions will be, quoting the statement of policy, "administrative feasibility, legal requirements and parental approval." Outside of the confines of the compressed schedule, "The students are free to spend their time away from the school campus."
3. The policy concerning student freedom within the schools, according to the Board, should be uniform, insofar as possible, throughout the district. 4. Students, during the periods not devoted to classes or homeroom, would have a choice of activities in designated on-campus areas. Limits on these activities would be set by the limitations of each campus. 5. The Board of Education believes that all freshmen and sophomores should have a regular assignment to a supervised study area during a portion of their non-instructional time. 6. Juniors and seniors, in response to their increasing maturity and sense of individual need, would be granted the option to participate in "superVol. 8, No. 5 Maine Township High School South, Park Ridge, III. 60068 Nov. 19, 1971 vised non-instructional activities" during the school day. According to the Board, these proposals are designed to implement the best use of school time. They will be revised annually in an effort to determine their effectiveness. In a statement which accompanied the new guidelines, the Bloodrock, the rock group hav- is given and a contract with Bloodrock. The six man rock Board of Education supported ing recently won recognition at Bloodrock is signed, the concert group from Dallas, Texas, has the "students' expression of completed its fourth album, concern regarding poorly used both Ravinia and Phase 11 of will be held on Dec. 21. the Amphitheatre, may be comIf too few tickets are sold or Bloodrock U.S.A. Last May, the non-instructional time." Tlie ing to the Spectator Gym Dec. if Bloodrock is unable to appear, group performed with Grand guidelines set up also reflect 21 under the auspices of the all money will be refunded. The Funk at Phase 11 and drew the the Board's belief that the school wiU not be held respon- biggest crowd ever assembled Maine Township High Schools Senior Class. Steve Colnitis and Warren sible since no contract will have for an indoor rock concert. Steve are the best-designed and the believes that Bloodrock is a best-equipped facilities in the Yamakoshi, both members of been signed. Although tickets will be sold great group and would give a area to serve large groups of the Senior Class, have been working on the possibility of a for three weeks, Steve Colnitis good and successful show at young people. Non-instructional time, or concert as a money making pro- stated, "The sooner all the South. needed money is in, the better At ttiis point, the proposed time not spent in classes, could ject. chance we will have of obtaining Blood"ock concert is in the ten- be used in a variety of sugHowever, due to the financial Bloodrock for Dec. 21, the date tative stage, but if enough tick- gested ways. These include loss in Maine East's concert we would like." ets are sold by Dec. 3, Bloodrock learning resource centers, open failure last year, the administraAccording to Mr. Lee Ander- may very well be appearing on labs and study halls, recreation tion will not give its approval areas, activities for social inor aUow fdans to be made until son, Senior Class sponsor, all Dec. 21. Mr. Anderson stated, "If the teraction and other learning enough money to pay for the profits from the concert will go entire concert is on reserve. into the senior treasury for the Maine students really want a experiences such as miniconcert, they must be willing to courses, discussion groups and Therefore no contract has yet prom and the class gift. workshops. Steve recently talked a b o u t buy enough tickets." been made. Tickets will be s(M in all Maine bookstores until Dec. 3 for $3 each. If enough tickets are sold to cover all costs by Dec. 3, administrative approval District 207 will present a ref- that have been forced to make will receive much support from erendum to Maine Township cuts after a failure of a ref- the new eighteen-year-old voter voters on Dec. 4 asking to raise erendum. "It's our hope," says Mrs. Beckthe tax rate 27 cents per $100 The referendum accounts only man, "that some of our seniors of assessed property value in for the deficits that exist cur- and our graduates will see need order to meet the district's 10 rently; thus, if the economy for a quality education and the per cent deficit. keeps at its current trend, Mrs. programs tliat are necessary for According to Mrs. Helen J. TTie report cards which came Beckman, District Coordinator Beckman feels that another ref- this education." erendum may be needed in a out this week were the first at of The Ralph J. Frost AdminisPublic Information, "Our an- few years if no new state aid is tration Maine South to state how many ticipated Center will be open all revenue is going to be times a person has missed a 90 per cent of what expenses offered. day Nov. 26 in order to provide certain class. The district is hopeful that it absentee ballots to Maine Townwill be. We may have to chop The system's purjwse, ac- out 10 per cent of the program." cording to Dr. Clyde K. WatMaine Township passed a refson, principal, "is to inform a erendum in 1968 for the educastudent's parents of all the tional funds. But since then, classes his child is attending, Maine Township enrollment has not just homeroom." increased by about 666 students Mr. Andrew S. Bitta, dean and prices have risen greatly beof boys, feels that recording cause of inflation. District 207's referendum is Dr. Hendee, result in a 17 per the number of absences in a Mrs. Beckman pointed out tha not the only decision scheduled cent staff cut and drastic cuts class gives "a better concep- the deficit would be compounded for the first week in December in all district programs. Thus tion of what the grade means by 10 per cent every year if no that may effect the future of the district is threatened with and also an idea of how many more revenue was supplied Maine South. Public School Dis- losing 30 per cent of its staff in times a student is present in through the referendum or some trict 64, which provides the ele- just two years. class in relation to the school." other means. Thus, a failure in mentary education for the maThe result of a cut in the facthe referendum could lead to a jority of Maine South students, ulty Dr. Watson commented, "I cut will be just the same as at of 10 per cent in the program will ask voters to decide on a Maine South: larger classes. Acsent my child to school and each year for the near future. tax levy of 43 cents on every cording to Dr. Hendee, "When since I pay taxes I expect to A passage of the refemdum $100 of assessed property value the pupil — teacher ratio inknow that he attends his classon Dec. 7. would only meet the district's creases, the educational level dees. I would be happy to know and thus would not be District 64, according to Super- creases." that the school and teachers deficit, able to be used for additional intendent Dr. Raymond Hendee, take an interest in my child." programs. He goes on to say that "At a has been hurt financially by the time when we should be building This change should "help the Mrs. Beckman says that up to same circumstances that have up, it seems that we are tearstudent self-evaluate himself," the present, the district has hit 207. The last elemen- ing down." He claims that the said Mr. Bitta. "If a student made every possible cut that taryDistrict referendum was past referendums faUed not becuts a class continually and re- could be made without hamper- passed school 1968 and since then in- cause people are against educaceived a D in that class he ing the school program. For flation, in as well as a cutback in tion but against rising taxes. should realize he deserved it be- example, there are no new state aid, has created a rising "Education," he explains, "is cause he missed so many clas- courses offered in Maine Town- debt. the only area where the voter ses that couldn't possibly have ship this year. district also tried has a direct say about his learned enough to pass," Mr. As to what cuts in the program forThethisschool referendum last year taxes." Dr. Hendee claims "We Bitta commented. would be made, the district only to see it defeated. This de- need a total revamping of our Recording the number of ab- has announced no definite plans, feat caused a cut of 13 per cent taxing system." sences on the report card en- saying only that any cuts would ables the parents to "observe be "across the board and not in staff positions and a cut in As the majority of Maine many extra programs such as South the grade and absences and see favoring one part of the progra athletics, students are from District intramurals and mu- 64 elementary how they correspond," stated over another. South principal Dr sic. schools, Dr. HenMr. Bitta. Mr. Bitta believes Clyde K. Watson predicts that dee feels that a failure of the The same referendum was de- District 64 referendum would althat the recording of absences ""The number of students in a on the report card will also class may increase." This has feated again last October and a most assuredly have negative efbeen the result in other district third defeat will, according to fects on the educational level of absolutely curb cutting.
Senior Class Seeking Finances For Dec. 21 Bloodrock Concert
In Student Council, Bill Dickens presented the results of an inter\iew he had with Dr. Richard Short, superintendent of schools. That plan that Bill outlined was basically that of the Board, with a few more specifics. Homeroom will be switched to after second period. This change will not be implemented until next year, but all others will be put into effect as quickly as possible. Board member Mr. Wesley Hartzell stated at the meeting that this plan was the consensus of the board after two meetings. He also stressed that the Board's votes on specific issue were not imanimous, with the "liberals" in the minority. Mr. Hartzell felt that some guidelines may be liberalized after re-evaluations. Dr. Short indicated that the designated areas for student activities were necessary to assure that the freedom of one student would not infringe on the freedom of another student to study. Various students attended the Board meeting. They were a mixed group representing Maine East and Maine West as well as Maine South. The reactions of these students included such statements as: "The big thing about having open campus was being able to leave the campus. We still can't!" "The idea is progressive for our administration, but it is a slap-in-the-face to the humanity of the students. It isn't liberalization, it just shortened the day. It didn't change the atmosphere." "One of the fears about open campus was that great hordes of kids would be leaving the school. With this new plan, you'll still have the same problems."
2 0 7 Referendum Set Dec. To Avoid Program Cuts
Cards Reporting Classes Missed
ship graduates who may be home for the Thanksgiving vacation. Maine South's Student Council has voted to support the referendum and actively assist it through the Public Relations Committee. Dr. Watson heads a committee to work for the referendum at Maine South and has picked up much support from local parents organizations.
Dec. 7 Grammar School Referendum To Effect Maine South Education Maine South. It would also, he feels, affect many of the extracurricular programs at South, since, with program cuts, entering students would have much less background in these areas. Dr. Hendee is hopeful for the upcoming referendum pointing out that although it was severely defeated in 1970, it almost won last October. He claims that the rise in support shows that "people are becoming more aware of the needs of a quality education." Much of the criticism towards the referendums has been that the school districts should "cut down on frills before they come asking for more taxes" according to one letter to the editor of the Park Ridge Herald last September." But Dr. Hendee feels that few people have any definite definition of a "frill" other than "something that my child is not involved in." He feels that many programs that have been attacked as frills, such as music. French, special education and physical education are necessary along with the regular curriculum.