The Health and Human Services Committee of the DeKalb County Board met on Monday, October 3, 2005 @ 6:00p.m. in the Administration Building’s Conference Room East.  Chairman Robert Rosemier called the meeting to order.  Members present were Marlene Allen, Sally DeFauw, Julia Fullerton and Ruth Anne Tobias.  Members absent were Eileen Dubin and Eric Johnson.  Others present were Ms. Carolyn McQuillan, Ms. Jill Hirsch, Ms. Laura Loehman, Ms. Rella Peeler  and Ms. Eveline Cichy.  A Quorum was present.

APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES

          Moved by Ms. Tobias, seconded by Ms. Fullerton, and it was carried unanimously to approve the minutes from September 8, 2005.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

          Moved by Ms. DeFauw, seconded by Ms. Allen, and was carried unanimously to approve the agenda as presented.

KISHWAUKEE EDUCATION CONSORTIUM

          Chairman Rosemier introduced Ms. Carolyn McQuillan, one of the administrators from Kishwaukee Consortium.  He said that his intent was to show the committee the variety of education opportunities that are offered in DeKalb County.  Ms. McQuillan said that they provide the service, but Mr. Gil Morrison, Regional Superintendent of Schools oversees their operation.  Ms. McQuillan said that some high schools will send students for drafting, mathematics, etc., to the Kishwaukee Education Consortium.  Students can also take college credits through the Consortium and this is referred to as dual enrollment.  They also take special needs kids, truants and kids that fall through the cracks.  She has seen very bright kids at the school because they are unmotivated at their regular high schools. 

Ms. McQuillan explained that the schools pay them tuition for the kids that they send to them.  They start accepting kids at 12 years of age and they can stay up through the age of 19.  She pointed out to the committee that under state law a student can stay in high school up to the child’s 22^nd birthday.

          Ms. McQuillan said that their school is really unique.  Their school includes kids that are truants, ESL (English as a Second Language) program students and that they can start at the middle school age.   Their enrollment was 502 pre-reservations in career and technology classes.  In the alternative program for regular safe school, ESL, and truancy kids, they have 128 reservations with 110 already enrolled. They have a new culinary arts program that they are offering now too.  Cosmetology classes are taught privately and the school districts transport the kids to the locations.  She further stated that 300 to 350 students are allowed at one time in their building.  They currently have 27 staff members at her site. 

          Chairman Rosemier said that her numbers certainly shows a need for her school.  Ms. McQuillan said that all referrals to their school come through the home school district.  Chairman Rosemier then asked her if they can receive any kids through a court order?  Ms. McQuillan said yes. 

          Ms. McQuillan explained that in 1996 legislation said that every Regional Office of Education will provide a Regional Safe School in their district.  The safe school can be provided by the consortium as an all-day alternative for a student who has been expelled or highly at risk of being expelled from their home school district because they have multiple suspensions from school.  It’s an alternative to sending them out on the street.  The student can still continue their education this way.  DeKalb County seems to have long-term students, other counties do it differently. 

          Chairman Rosemier asked if security is an issue?  Ms. McQuillan said that it is always an issue. They do not have metal detectors, guards, etc.  They are watching over the students and prevent things from happening before they even start.  This school consortium is a second chance for these students, she said. 

          Before finishing her presentation Ms. McQuillan said that a couple of her teen mothers wrote a letter to the committee on behalf of the rest of the teen parents that are in their consortium.  It is very difficult to be a teen parent because of the childcare costs.  They want to come back to school, but sometimes there are family members that cannot care for their children while they are in high school trying to get an education.  Possibly this committee can read their letters and maybe you can address ways that students can stay in school and finish their education, said Ms. McQuillan.

          Chairman Rosemier asked about transportation, how are they getting around?  Ms. McQuillan said that transportation is an issue too, because some of these kids don’t even drive. 

          Ms. DeFauw said that in West Chicago they have a program called “Mom’s In School.”  Is there anything like that in the county?  Ms. McQuillan said that she thought that Indian Valley does have that component down there, but she does not know how the tuition or costs for the childcare is taken care of. 

CAMELOT SCHOOL

          Chairman Rosemier introduced Ms. Jill Hirsh, Principal of the Camelot School, Ms. Laura Loehmann, Clinical Director and Mr. Rella Peeler, Superintendent of the school.  Ms. Peeler, said that Camelot schools was approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. They are also accredited by both the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and the The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).  They cater to at-risk students.

          Their classrooms consist of no more than ten (10) students in size.  They have 11 classrooms and 7 social workers.  Their population currently is 66 students and their school is highly therapeutic.  Their school started in 1989 and had only 12 kids.  Their school included three (3) autism classrooms; preschool, elementary and middle school.  They have put metal detectors in their school mainly because of the behavioral disorder students.

          They do have a preschool program that includes autism kids.  The ages range from 3 to 21 years of age.  They also have students with social and emotional disorders. 

          The cost is paid by the school district making the placement of the child.  The school districts also provide the transportation. 

          Camelot Schools were started in the 1970’s by Dr. Spicer, PHD.  He was a psychologist who would bring kids from the inner city of Chicago to Palatine and out to the country in order to get them away from the city and the negatives.  In 1985 the local school district asked if they could start sending kids to his school that they were having problems with.  The DeKalb school started in 1999 and currently they have 11 classrooms with the new autism center.  In the initial part of the school they have three(3) high school and two (2) middle school classrooms that are departmentalized.  All of their kids have forty-five minutes to an hour of individualized counseling a week, plus they have groups for six weeks, like, anger group, job training, social skills group.  For their younger autistic children they have play therapy. They also have an elementary school in the back of their building.

          Camelot Schools is a for-profit organization.  They not only get referrals from the school districts, but parents also call their schools to try and get their children in their schools.   Ms. Peeler said that they get children from all over.  

          They now have new owners who came in 2000 and they are excellent.  One is a psychiatrist and the other is a psychologist.  They want what is best for the child and they are very good, said Ms. Peeler.

LITERACY PROGRAM AND ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL)

          Chairman Rosemier introduced Ms. Evelina Cichy, who is the Dean of Adult Education at Kishwaukee College.  She said that their program includes students from DeKalb County, 40% from Ogle County, Lee and Winnebago Counties.  They serve an area of approximately 102,000 people.  They do not serve the Sandwich area, Waubonsee College does.  Ms. Cichy said that there are 10,425 adults that are illiterate and 10,854 are in the English as a Second Language program. Some of their students are below the 9^th grade level, literacy is at the 9^th grade level, but most of the adults are at secondary level.  There were 198 people who received their G.E.D.’s.

          They have classes for 16 – 21 year olds at Kishwaukee College and they also teach a class at the county jail.  They try to teach life skills, how to get employed, and/or go on to college.  They have 30 volunteers in the Literacy classes.  They have a computer lab and they want every student to learn how to us a computer in all adult education classes. 

          The average age of the student who gets their G.E.D. is 28 years old.  The do a lot of counseling and assignments.  The G.E.D. is done at the 10^th grade level, she said.  She said that employers and school districts refer people to them and word of mouth is how they get a lot of their students.

          She further stated that 80% of the classes are taught at Kishwaukee College.  Because of this transportation is an problem for some of her students.  They do try to offer classes at business sites too. 

          Ms. Cichy explained further to the committee that 5,000 to 7,000 Hispanics are included in their population figures or about 10%.  Ninety percent (90%) of their students are Hispanic for ESL (English as a Second Language), the rest are European and Asians. She said that they are not Immigration so they do not check on residency status.  The one thing that they are in need of is more volunteers.  They also need money for scholarships for college courses. 

          Chairman Rosemier thanked everyone who gave presentations this evening to the committee.

BUDGET CONCERNS

          Chairman Rosemier said that there were no budget appeals filed.

STATUS OF GRANT FUNDING SURVEY

          Chairman Rosemier said that he hopes to get the funding survey sent and returned with responses to the committee before Christmas.

NOVEMBER MEETING  

          Chairman Rosemier said that he has invited Ms. Pat LaVigne to come and speak to the committee about DeKalb Township and their programs that help out the community along with Ms. Jackie Loften of the State of Illinois Department of Human Services (Public Aid).  He said that Mary Olson will also be coming back to see the committee too.

          In December, Chairman Rosemier has invited 4C’s to visit the committee.

Chairman Rosemier asked Ms. Supple, DeKalb County Board Coordinator, to scan the letters from the two young teen parents an to email them to all committee members to review. 

ADJOURNMENT

          Moved by Ms. Tobias, seconded by Ms. Allen, and it was carried unanimously to adjourn the meeting.

                                                          Respectfully submitted, 

                                                          ________________________________

                                                          Robert Rosemier, Chairman

_________________________________

Mary C. Supple, Secretary