Middle school hires police mentor
With a unanimous Nov. 8 vote of the school board, District 91 agreed to hire the services of the police department and bring a school resource officer to the middle school campus. The partnership was born in part from a state-funded program last year that put an officer in the school to curb bullying. Superintendent Lou Cavallo stressed the role of the officers chosen for the program is that of a mentor and a liaison, not a disciplinarian.
There is no formal agreement between the school and the police department that defines the job, according to Cavallo, but the responsibilities will be made clear. According to a brief letter to the department, Cavallo outlined the SRO will be at the school from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for lunch periods and after school as needed. District 91 will be billed monthly for the services at a rate of $31 per hour and is free to end the agreement at any time.
Revamped website set for launch
In unveiling a redesigned website for District 91, administrators touted a number of changes that will make the schools’ online presence more interactive and more substantive. The redesign was demonstrated during a Nov. 8 school board meeting and was roundly applauded as a much needed update.
Each school will have its own site, an intranet program is in the works and prospective employees will be able to apply online. All of these features were absent from the district’s previous website, which was dismantled in August. The site will also feature links to area agencies such as the public library, the park district and the village.
The school board hired an Illinois firm for $8,500 to do the work. Administrators expect the new site to go live on the web by the end of the week.
Little League registrations
Registration for the 2008 Little League season in Forest Park will begin next month with a signup event at the Community Center. Boys and girls interested in playing baseball, softball or T-ball next year can register between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Fees for boys in the junior and senior division are $100. Softball costs will be $75 per player, as will T-ball.
Little League President Rich Gray said this will not be the only opportunity for players to register. Though no dates are firm yet, registration events are also being planned for January and February.
