Dist. 34 eager to receive its piece of the pie

Winfield Elementary District 34 Superintendent Diane Cody was sad Thursday as she prepared to attend a farewell reception being held in her honor.

But that frown quickly turned upside down when she learned the district may finally be receiving its part of the $148 million in state grants expected to be approved by the Illinois House late Thursday.

In 2002, voters approved funding for a $9 million renovation plan that included classroom additions and extensive interior renovations to its former middle school. Cody said the district was promised $2.3 million from the state through a construction grant. The amount was significant for a school district with an annual budget of about $4 million.

"This district has been waiting since 2002 and the funding was passed twice only to have (former Gov. Rod Blagojevich) deny us funding on a ridiculous technicality," Cody said Thursday. "So my reaction is that I really can't believe it that we may actually be getting the money."

Cody, who is leaving to become the superintendent of Evergreen Park Elementary District 124, said depositing that check would be the "icing on the cake" for her six years in Winfield.

"The $2.3 million is great but I would love to have that plus interest and that's not going to happen," she said. "We stand to collect $200 per day in interest alone once we get it sitting in our bank."

The district issued more bonds to pay off the construction when it was completed in 2004 so Cody said the board of education would have to decide whether to keep the money in the district's general fund or abate it back to the community.

"But first," she said. "We're going to have one heck of a party."