Accused D218 Board Member Skips Meeting

Johnny Holmes is said to be "weighing his options" in the wake of his second DUI arrest and abrupt retirement from his job at the Robbins police chief.

Questions remain about whether a District 218 board member charged with DUI will continue his tenure. Connect with Patch: Palos / Oak Lawn Johnny Holmes, who was pulled over in Midlothian while allegedly carrying a flask of alcohol on Dec. 22, failed to show for a regularly scheduled Community High School District 218 Monday night. Holmes is accused of drunken driving for the second time in three years. He announced his retirement from his job as the Village of Robbins police chief earlier this month. Board President Randy Heuser said he spoke Sunday afternoon with Holmes, who indicated he was "weighing his options" for how to proceed with the school district. "He still hasn't decided what he'd going to do," Heuser said. "After he makes …

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Kelly

10:21 am on Wednesday, January 16, 2013

When are the elections? Do they all come up at the same time? Mr. Holmes HAS to go; it's a moral obligation to all tax paying citizens, students and faculty. How can we condone his actions?? What does this tellvothers? We're okay with your habitual drinking? Don't worry, we won't punish you? In fact, we let you continue to set an example to all members wof the district that this is acceptable …   more ›

Public Backlash Expected for D218 Board Member Charged with 2nd DUI

Johnny Holmes, a long-time District 218 school board member, could hear it from district residents at tonight's meeting.

Tonight will mark the first time since a Dist. 218 board member was arrested for his second drunken driving charge that he’ll face the public in an open meeting. The agenda for tonight's meeting of the Community High School District 218 school board makes no mention of discussion on former Robbins Police Chief Johnny Holmes, one of the district's longest-serving board members. Holmes retired from his top cop job last week, just days after getting his second drunken driving arrest in three years. Holmes is likely to come up for talk tonight, though. Some members of the public already are calling for his resignation from the school board. Time for public comment is usually reserved early in school board meetings, as is time for board member …

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Woman Drops Battery Charge Against D218 Board Member

Police say heated argument was taking place between Thomas F. Kosowski and a female at Alsip residence.

PatchCast: A Daily Video Report

DailyPatchCast: City Considering Layoffs, D218 Possible Resignation and Sandburg Water Polo Lead

A daily video recap of the top stories in the Southland.

City Stares Down Layoffs as Workers Ponder Concessions The Rundown: Did Pratl Resign from D218 School Board? Scout Cabin Becomes Official Historic Landmark Girls Water Polo: Sandburg Has a Read on L-W East

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D218 Seeks Better Funding for Low-income Students

Updates to proposed Title 1 plan mean low-income students may reap benefits.

The numbers don't lie. From 2009 to 2010 students who fell below the federal poverty line at Community High School District 218 was at 48 percent. This year it jumped to 53 percent then to 63 percent, said Anne Coffman, director of state and federal programs for the district. So in an effort to keep its increasingly low-income student population ahead of the curve next year, District 218 is looking to distribute Title 1 funding evenly to all three of its community high schools. It's called the Schoolwide Program, one of two under statutes of the No Child Left Behind Act. “It's a very complicated...with lots of federal regulations,” Coffman said of the Title 1 program, “but we welcome it. We're fortunate to have the funding.” At present, …

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District 218 Sees Slight Bump in Placement Test Scores

Highlights from the District 218 Board of Education meeting on Monday.

District 218 administrators say they're pleased with the modest gains in freshman placement and reading test scores, but are aware that the district and its elementary  “feeder” schools can do better. During Monday night’s board of education meeting, reports prepared by assistant superintendent Kevin McCaffrey and others were handed to board members. Most notabe were the results of a 10-year analysis of the EXPLORE test, which compiles scores in four subjects—math, science, English and reading—and collects information about students’ interests, needs and backgrounds to identify their readiness for college and appropriately place them for freshman year. The results are not homogenous, though an upward trend—however incremental—can be seen. …

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D218 Extends Daycare Contract

Despite early decisions to terminate service, Community High School District 218 renewed contract with Sandbox Early Learning Center on Monday night. The board president spoke of the benefit the potential rise in state taxes could bring.

Community High School District 218 elected on Monday night to renew a one-year contract with its daycare provider for teachers and staff with infant and pre-school children, back-pedaling on a decision last month to seek alternative services. “We’ve had them here many years and we just thought it was time to go out and look,” said business manager Joseph Daley. Instead, the board of education has decided to collect and review contract proposals for the 2012-13 school year this spring.   The school district does not subsidize costs, but rather sets aside daycare space at its Administrative Center in Oak Lawn and pays for utilities and renovations which comply with state law. Sandbox has seven other facilities, including ones in Palos Hills …

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