Some members of the Riverside Elementary School District 96 Board of Education usually are not but keen to separate the prices of crossing guards for Hollywood School with the village of Brookfield.
At the varsity board’s Jan. 20 assembly, Brookfield Village Manager Timothy Wiberg appeared, by way of Zoom, to elucidate his request that the varsity district cut up the $14,000 cost of the three crossing guards that serve Hollywood School, which is a part of Riverside’s faculty district however is situated in Brookfield.
Since District 96 has cut up the cost of crossing guards in Riverside since 2014, Wiberg thinks it’s only honest that the varsity district have the identical association with Brookfield.
But some District 96 faculty board members raised equity problems with their very own, questioning why Brookfield has not made the identical request to Brookfield-LaGrange Park District 95 and Lyons School District 103, each of which have colleges in Brookfield. Brookfield provides crossing guards for these faculty districts as effectively.
“I feel that Brookfield is singling us out,” mentioned faculty board member David Barsotti, who lives within the Riverside portion of the Hollywood neighborhood.
School board member Shari Klyber had the identical concern.
“I would like to see three agreements being pursued at the same time,” Klyber mentioned. “It’s an equity issue.”
Wiberg mentioned he plans to method Districts 95 and 103 shortly, however he famous that the scenario with District 95 is completely different as a result of the village already has an intergovernmental settlement with District 95.
The village’s recreation division will get free use of the brand new gymnasium at S.E. Gross Middle School and in trade the village waives water charges for Gross School and the District 95 workplace in Brookfield. The village additionally trims timber on faculty property.
“I haven’t had any meetings yet, but I’m going to start with District 95,” Wiberg mentioned.
Wiberg advised the Landmark that an settlement with District 95 might be completely different than the 50/50 cut up he sought with District 96 due to the already present settlement.
He mentioned he contacted District 96 earlier than District 103 as a result of he has a detailed working relationship with District 96 and talks to Superintendent Martha Ryan-Toye ceaselessly about points involving Hollywood School, for instance when District 96 not too long ago sought and received village approval for some on-road parking areas for Hollywood academics.
Wiberg mentioned he has not but handled District 103 within the almost two-plus years he has labored in Brookfield.
“To be honest, I have not worked cooperatively with them yet,” Wiberg mentioned. “This conversation started with 96, because Martha and I talk all the time on the other issues.”
Wiberg had hoped to have an settlement in place with District 96 to make use of as a mannequin for figuring out offers with the opposite two districts.
District 96 board President Dan Hunt and former board president Jeff Miller have philosophical objections to the district contributing to paying crossing guards, who’re village workers and overseen by the police division.
Hunt admitted that many different faculty districts do contribute to paying crossing guards, however he mentioned that it didn’t appear to be a cost a faculty district ought to assume.
“It still bothers me somewhat,” Hunt mentioned including that he would have voted in opposition to the cost-sharing settlement with Riverside had he been on the varsity board in 2014. “In my mind this is a public safety issue, not anything to do with education. It is for the benefit for students on the way to school. I do have some reservations with it.”
Miller famous that historically public security is a matter for village authorities, not faculty districts.
“It’s not a huge amount of money but it is money being transferred from education to public safety, so I have some qualms about it as well,” Miller mentioned.
District 96 board members Lynda Murphy and Joel Marhoul had been amenable to cost sharing.
Murphy famous that the crossing guards serve the district’s schoolchildren and solely work when faculty is in session.
“I fully support this cost-sharing agreement,” Murphy mentioned. “We do have it with Riverside. I just want Brookfield to start discussions [with the other districts].”
District 96 board member Joel Marhoul was keen to approve a cost-sharing settlement with Brookfield even when the village didn’t produce other cost-sharing agreements in place.
“If we have to take the first step, I’m OK with that,” Marhoul mentioned. “I think this is a fair request.”
