Herscher CUSD #2

Community Information Page

Welcome to our Community Information Page.

The following is provided in an attempt to keep the school community informed and allow for easy access to information about things happening in and pertaining to our school district.

Please click here for letter about HIS building plans

Report to the Community Click HERE to view. (Oct. 2023)

Finding yourself needing help? Reach out to this local crisis text line.

We are excited to announce that we have partnered with the YMCA to offer
before and after school child care for students K-5th grade.

For more information and pricing options, click HERE.

For questions or to enroll - contact the Y at 815-933-1741.

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The FBI's Child ID App. Putting Safety in Your Hands

Click on the image above to get more information about a free, new tool from the FBI
(the first created by them) to help parents in an emergency if separated from their child.

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Title I - Parent Right to Know

Use of ARP-ESSER III Funds Plan

Bullying Incident Report - We have made it easier for anyone to report a bullying event they believe they have witnessed. Reports can be made anonymously. Click here for an incident report.

District Assessment Reporting
The third annual District Assessment Survey is now available. Link to assessment survey results.

Herscher CUSD #2 Attendance Information
Click HERE to view our Parent Guide
Parents/Guardians,

We have had several occasions where we have closed school or released early for weather-related issues. I would like to review the options for how the school district deals with these issues.

These options are as follows:
1. Close all schools for the entire day.
2. Release all early. (1:30 p.m. for all buildings)
3. Start all schools late. (9:45 a.m. for all buildings)
***There may be emergency situations that would dictate that we close just one school in the District.

Some other criterion for closing schools for the entire day are below:
1. Sustained wind chills measuring - 30 degrees.
2. Heavy snow and windy conditions.
3. Extreme icy conditions.
4. Heavy fog that is not supposed to break.
5. Combination of the above criterion.

Some of the criterion for releasing early:
1. Sustained temperatures above 94 degrees with accompanying humidity above 55%.
2. Dangerous storms heading our direction. (This may cause us to shelter-in-place as well.)
3. Other emergency situations.

Some of the criterion for starting school late:
1. Heavy fog that is expected to lift.
2. Icy conditions that are expected to get better.
3. Severe cold that is expected to get better.
4. Moderate snow that is expected to be cleared.
5. Combination of the above conditions.

We now have three options to deal with weather-related issues. It is my intention to announce these decisions as early as possible (preferable the night before). If we release early, we will release all schools at 1:30 p.m.. If we start late, we will begin school at 9:45 a.m. for all schools. (The late start is a new option, so please plan accordingly.) As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Thank you for your help in making the Herscher School District the best in the area!
Dr. Richard S. Decman, Superintendent of Schools

Click here for Child Care Weather Watch Tables regarding temperatures,wind chills and the heat index

District Owned Items Declared as Surplus

BIDDING RULES:
-Individuals must be at least 21 years of age to place a bid.
-Bids must be received in a SEALED envelope.
-A separate bid form must be used for each separate item you bid on. Only multiples of the same item (ex. "3 tables") can be on the same form.
-Bids may NOT be canceled once submitted. All bids are to come sealed and will remain sealed until the opening.
-All bids are considered legally binding. Please be sure you are able to complete the purchase at the time you acquire the items should you be the winning bidder. Please seriously consider your bid before placing it.
-Once bids are opened and reviewed, the highest bidder will be contacted. If the bidder does not come in to purchase/pick up the item(s) within 5 business days from initial contact, the next highest bidder will be contacted.

PAYMENT and POSSESSION:
-Items won are to be paid for in full no later than the day items are picked-up.
-Delivery is not available.
-All items must be paid for in cash or via official bank check/money order.
-NO PERSONAL or BUSINESS CHECKS.
-All items must be picked-up within (5) business days of being contacted.

ADDITIONAL TERMS:
-Herscher CUSD #2 reserves the right to withdraw any item from the auction at any time, without additional notice.
-All items are sold in "as is" condition.
-Devices are available in "as is" condition. There is no guarantee devices function. Operating systems, office programs and other applications are not included. Accessories such as power cords, AV cords, adapters, mice, keyboards, etc. not included.

-Must provide proof of insurance and be able to present a destruction of data certificate for bids pertaining to: laptops, desktops, servers, switches, ipads, and other enterprise grade equipment that may contain sensitive data.
-Herscher CUSD #2 reserves the right to reject any bid.
-In the event of a tie, the earliest received bid will win.

Click HERE for our Bid Form
By submitting a bid, prospective purchasers acknowledge acceptance of these conditions.

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District Budgets

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FOIA Requests (Freedom of Information Act)
District FOIA Officer: Supt, Dr. Richard S. Decman. Requests should be directed to Dr. Decman: 501 N Main St., PO Box 504, Herscher IL 60941 or via email. The fee for black and white, letter or legal sized copies may not exceed 15 cents per page. However, no fees may be charged for the first 50 pages of black and white, letter or legal sized copies provided to the requester. (Requests received during the last 18 mos. found below

Received: June 5, 2023 From Sharmayne Soliman - Complete: 5 Days

Topic: Current employees name, work location, school/department, title/position and district provided email address.

Received: June 8, 2023 From Vince Espi, Prairie State Wire - Complete: 5 Days

Topic: Any contracts or agreements entered into between your school district and vendors providing Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) services from January 1st, 2019, to the present day. Invoices, payment records, or financial documentation related to payments made to DEI vendors during the specified period. Any reports, assessments, or evaluations conducted by DEI vendors, including their findings and recommendations. Communications, including emails, letters, and memos, exchanged between your school district and DEI vendors, discussing the provision of services or any related matters.

Received: June 16, 2023 From Katherine Smyser, NBCUniversal

Topic: All settlements resolving any Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits; all judgements or other court orders requiring you to pay attorney fees, costs, and/or civil penalties in any FOIA lawsuits; all invoices from law firms for work on an FOIA lawsuits or Public Access Counselor reviews, where the lawsuit or the PAC review was ultimately decided in favor of the requestor; all claims made to an insurance company for coverage involving a FOIA action; all studies, reports, or other records calculating or referencing the cost of FOIA lawsuits or PAC reviews on an annual or other time-period basis. From January 1, 2013 to present.

Received: June 23, 2023 From Josiah Chatterton, Prairie State Wire

Topic: Current school board members, with the following data points if available: Full name (First, middle, last), Date of Birth, Home address, First day of service, Was this board member appointed or elected

Received: June 28, 2023 From Lydia Simrayh

Topic: Copy of the bid results for the concession/locker room building and new entrance canopy project bid on 6/8/2023.

Received: July 11, 2023 From Vince Espi, Prairie State Wire

Topic: Total spending on substitute teachers by school, for the past five years. Please provide the expenditure breakdown by year and school, number of substitute teacher days by school, for the past five years. Kindly provide the number of substitute teacher days for each year and school, Per diem/payment schedule for substitute teachers for the past five years. Please provide the per diem rates or payment schedule used for substitute teachers during each year within the past five years, Names of all substitute teachers, total days worked, and total payments made to them for the last five years. Please provide a list of substitute teachers who have worked within the school district for each year within the past five years. Additionally, include the total number of days worked by each substitute teacher and the corresponding total payment made to them.

Received: July 26, 2023 From Katherine Smyser, NBCUniversal

Topic:Documents sufficient to show all communications (emails, letters, texts, board proceedings, or notes from phone calls) received by Herscher Community Unit School District 2, which include a request to reconsider, ban, and/or challenge any book or any other material in any of your school district’s libraries or classrooms including: The date of each such request; the title(s) of each book(s) or other material that was requested to be pulled from your shelves or classrooms, as well as any reason stated by the requestor; any response (email, letters, texts, board proceedings, or notes from phone calls) from anyone in your district, your school board, or individual school, to each request; the resolution of each request (i.e.: the book or material was removed completely; the book or material was partially restricted; the book or material remains on your shelves or in your classrooms; etc.), and documented threats that have been received by Herscher Community Unit School District 2, your school board, or any of your individual schools, librarians or teachers, via email, letters, texts, or voicemail recordings, that are related to books or other material kept in one of your libraries or classrooms.

Received: August 3, 2023 From Joseph Michalski

Topic: Student Letter issued on school letterhead to Mr. Michalski while attending Herscher High School

Received: August 5, 2023 From Sheri Reid, Smart Procure

Topic:Purchasing records from 05/05/2023 to current

Received: September 11, 2023 From Janine Asmus

Topic: Identify by employee name and email address each and every District employee who is certified as a school librarian and who is currently working in that capacity in the District's library/libararies/media centers this academic school year.

Received: September 29, 2023 From Bo Kim, UnionBids.com

Topic: Bid results/tabulations or award for Herscher CUSD 2 snow removal for Herscher Intermediate, Herscher High Complex, Bonfield Grade School, and Limestone Middle School

Received: October 10, 2023 From Michael Rost, Allium Data

Topic: Copy of the last property & casualty insurance renewal summary for all lines of insurance purchased by the school district(general liability, auto, workers comp, professional, directors and officers, etc.) & a copy of the last employee benefits insurance renewal summart for health, dental and vision plans sponsored by the school district.

Received: November 3, 2023 From Sheri Reid, Smart Procure

Topic: Purchasing records from 08/02/2023 to current

Received: November 15, 2023 From Larry Wolles

Topic: I am requesting all of the video footage of my son, Jeremy, leaving the Herscher Intermediate School on the dates he left for marching band practice and returning back to the HIS. I am also requesting video footage of him departing the HIS building at the end of his shift on those exact evenings. I would hope to have your complete cooperation with this request with it being the basis for his termination.

Received: November 26, 2023 From Patrick Lee, Change the Air Foundation

Topic: Latest IAQ and Environmental Testing for each school. report that includes mold spore sampling data for each school.

Received: December 7, 2023 From Jeremy Wolles

Topic: requesting the specific dates and times of the alleged “time theft”, the basis of my termination, per my rights based on the FOIA.

Received: December 21, 2023 From Joseph Michalski

Topic: Requesting video footage from March 29th, 2023 between the hours of 1:24 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Received: December 25, 2023 From Joseph Michalski

Topic: Requesting video footage from September 15th, 2023, October 15th, 2023, November 15th, 2023, and December 15th, 2023.

Received: December 28, 2023 From: Joseph Michalski

Topic: Requesting video footage from September 15th, 2023, October 15th, 2023, November 15th, 2023, and December 25th, 2023.

Received: January 9, 2024 From: Lydia Simrayh

Topic: A copy of the bid results for the playground equipment project bid on 12/29/23.

Received: January 11, 2024 From: Paul Urenda,

Topic: copies of the participating proposals and the winning contract for the Herscher Bus Garage Charging Station Purchase No.23009

Received: January 17, 2024 From: Nathan Mihelich, Illinois Retired Teachers Association

Topic: provide the name and email address of any certified staff (teachers, administrators, nurses, counselors, etc.) who are retiring this year

Received: February 1, 2024 From: Sheri Reid, SmartProcure

Topic: Purchasing records from 11/2/2023 to current.

Received: March 6, 2024 From: Tania Campbell; DataBid

Topic: bid opening tabulation or low bidder on atheltic field improvements project that bid on March 6, 2024.

Received: March 27, 2024 - From: Jay Jones, SMART Local 265
Topic: construction and/or maintenance work planned this year for any building owned or leased by the district: HVAC, Architectural Metals used for weatherproofing and/or ornamental purposes, Gutters and/or Downspouts, New Installation and/or replacement of lockers, New installation and/or replacement of toilet partitions, Kitchen renovations, current HVAC maintenance contracts.

Received: April 25, 2024 - From: Amanda Piker
Topic: A copy of the winning contract for electric bus provision, A copy of the electric bus plan implemented by Herscher School district and/or a copy of a cost-benefit analysis if one was performed, any and all communications regarding electric buses, charging, charging stations, any maintenance records for electric buses, and any expenses the school district has covered regarding electric buses, and any budget variances related to the use of electric buses since implementation.

Received: May 1, 2024 - From: Sheri Reid, SmartProcure
Topic: Purchasing records form 1/29/24 to current.

No requests in June 2024.

Received: July 30, 2024 - From: Sheri Reid, SmartProcure
Topic: Purchasing records form 5/6/24 to current.

Received: August 12, 2024 - From: Dana Masching
Topic: Results of the Google Survery document from the letter sent to the community.

Received: August 12, 2024 - From: Susan Feller
Topic: Results of the Google Survery document from the letter sent to the community.

Received: October 28, 2024 - From: Sheri Reid, SmartProcure
Topic: Purchasing records from 7/26/2024 to current.

Received: November 12, 2024 - From: Katharine Casey, Science of Reading Illinois
Topic: 1) the names of the universal/core curricula currently used to teach reading in Kindergarten through 3^rd grade, 2) the grade levels these are used if there are multiple reading curricula, 3) the dates the reading curricula were purchased, 4) and if there are plans to purchase different literacy curricula in the future.