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Schools

Libertyville District 70, Green Oaks 68 May Share Jobs

Two school districts are discussing sharing business management services.

and neighboring Oak Grove District 68 will negotiate sharing business management services in a progressive move that will have the elementary districts working together.

With the resignation of its business manager, Oak Grove approached Libertyville about creating a contract that would allow Dr. Kurt Valentin, District 70’s assistant superintendent of finance and operations, to help manage finances for the much smaller Oak Grove district. With fewer than 900 students, the Oak Grove district is smaller than Highland Middle School.

During a special Board of Education meeting on June 6, District 70 board members unanimously agreed to have administrators further develop an agreement on sharing financial services with Oak Grove.

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Earlier this year, and encouraged school districts to save money by sharing services. Several years ago, District 70 worked with another elementary district and the feeder high school district to collaborate on a bus transportation contract to save both districts money.

“Shared services is not something new to us,” said Guy Schumacher, Libertyville Elementary District 70’s superintendent. “The Regional Office of Education through the state will be asking all districts (about) their commitment and experiences with shared services. We think it’s great when it meets the needs of our students and saves districts money.”

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While Oak Grove will gain the expertise of Valentin – who is known for running a fiscally sound and tight ship – the money paid to District 70 may be used to relieve Valentin of his buildings and grounds duty by hiring an expert in that field. Valentin took on the buildings and grounds responsibilities when that position was eliminated several years ago. This winter, to pitch in, he frequently was plowing school parking lots at 4 a.m. before heading into the central administrative office.

But with a growing need to maintain aging school buildings and the need to conserve energy, District 70 seeks the opportunity to hire one person to handle all the buildings and grounds duties. The position would include supporting the Oak Grove schools in Green Oaks.

“I look at this as though we were picking up another school,” Schumacher said of the added Oak Grove tasks. “There will be added time for Dr. Valentin to attend board meetings and such, but really, he’s very accomplished and sees this as an opportunity to collaborate effectively with another district.”

Valentin will use the same format for finances in Oak Grove as he does in District 70, he said.

“Whatever I generate for District 70 will be generated for District 68,” Valentin said. “I think this could work for both of us.”

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