U-46 honors its volunteers

Elgin Area School District U-46 took an opportunity to thank its many volunteers for their many contributions during the 2008-09 school year. Districtwide volunteers include the many councils and committees that provide their valuable input, and offer support to the 41,000 students served by the district.

The district also honored one individual, Debbie Rome of Streamwood, and Superintendent Jose Torres' Student Advisory Council for their service.

Rome has volunteered for U-46 for the last 13 years. She joined the Citizens' Advisory Council in 1996 and served on the Technology Committee. As a parent, she was active at the schools her children attended - Oakhill Elementary School, Canton Middle School and Streamwood High School. She also represented those schools in CAC over the years. From 1997 to 2002, she chaired the CAC Technology Committee. In 2002, she was elected CAC vice chair, and served as chairwoman from 2003-05.

The Superintendent's Student Advisory Council was also recognized for developing the student-led process of selecting the first-ever Student adviser to the board of education. Throughout the 2008-09 school year, these students representing the five high schools in U-46, and Gifford Street Alternative High, developed the process, including accepting nominations from students at each school, conducting interviews, and recommending their choice to be the first student board member in U-46.

Students recognized include: Kim Ippolito and Allison Prang, both of Bartlett High School; Dylan Bloomquist, Adam Kuforiji and Tom Stopka, all of Elgin High School; Ashley Zuniga, Gifford Street High; Evelyn Carvajal, Melanie Chwee, Chelsea McCoy, Kyle Milnamow, and Antonio Smith, all of Larkin High School; Shannon Averill, Parth Bhansali, and Hera Rahman, all of South Elgin High School; and Gemini Bhimani, Erich Hartman, and Taylor Ross, all of Streamwood High School. Advisory groups and volunteers for School District U-46 include:

• The Citizens' Advisory Council is a group that has been advising the district for more than 50 years.

• The African-American, Bilingual Parent Advisory, and Hispanic Advisory Committees are groups that consult with District officials on issues specific to students and families from our diverse district.

• The Clergy Advisory Committee contributes guidance and shares views on issues related to the faith communities represented in U-46.

• The Senior Citizens and Student Advisory Committees provide valuable insights from their perspectives.

• The Business Advisory Council and Realty Advisory Council help keep district officials in touch with the economic concerns of all eleven communities in U-46.

• PTO and PTA leaders are dedicated to their schools. Many of them serve on CAC and other district committees.

• The advisory committees for the Career and Technical Education Program help the district stay current with real-world applications of what is being taught.

• And volunteers for the Safe and Drug-free Schools Committee and the School Safety Task Force include representatives of U-46, police departments, and other community members who work to keep students safe.

• The new U-46 Educational Foundation consists of many volunteers who focus on fundraising and supporting district projects.