Chester District 139 Superintendent Rick Goodman has given further clarification on the situation surrounding the time the district's students spent out of school honoring fallen Chester Police officer and volunteer firefighter James Brockmeyer.
Goodman stated that the make up day students will be in attendance for on April 13 will be to make up a snow day (also called an "emergency day") from this winter, not the time missed for Brockmeyer's funeral services in early November that were held at Chester High School's Colbert Gymnasium.
Goodman said a waiver would have to be approved by the state legislature in order for the time missed to be forgiven. At the March 16 school board meeting, he noted that approval may not come until the fall session.
"We were going to be punished for the day and a half," Goodman said. "The last word I had was the waiver would have to be passed by the legislature and would have to go in the fall, because it was too late for the spring.
"It would be in the fall session and then go retroactive back to this school year as far as reimbursing the state aid. But do not be surprised if that changes as I know how the state operates."
Also at stake is about $19,000 of general state aid lost by the missed instruction.
According to the Illinois State Board of Education, a minimum of five hours of instruction - lunch, passing time and recess is not included - is required to receive full general state aid for a full day of school.
But ISBE does not specifically define what an "emergency day" is. Goodman said he has been in discussions with the Monroe/Randolph Regional Office of Education to declare the circumstances of the community support for Brockmeyer as an "emergency."
"That's my argument with (the ROE)," he said. "Our facility was used for a good cause on a bad day."
