District 300 grads mark end of turbulent year

It has been a tumultuous year for high school seniors in Community Unit District 300, with the district laying off teachers and cutting programs and services to plug a budget hole.

During commencement exercises Saturday, graduates from Dundee-Crown and Jacobs high schools talked about how the budget crisis left its mark on their senior year and how they rallied around their teachers in response.

"When the district let go (more than 100) teachers, we recognized the need to support our educators," said Dundee-Crown Salutatorian Michelle Musielewicz. "We did just not just protest - we reinforced the belief that teachers were imperative to our education."

In a refreshingly frank address to almost 500 Class of 2010 classmates, Musielewicz warned against sacrificing school pride and unity to meet state and federal No Child Left Behind standards.

"We cannot take a step back by abandoning our community - for the purpose of raising individual test scores," she said. "We in this room created this community, and we in this room must not abandon it."

On Saturday afternoon, Michael Bregy delivered his last commencement address as principal of Jacobs High School. After six years as principal, Bregy is leaving the building next year to shadow Superintendent Ken Arndt before replacing him in 2011.

Bregy's address aimed to answer the question he posed at the outset of his remarks: "How could someone drop out of college, become an international flight attendant - and then be selected to be the next superintendent of District 300? - Every day, I work on me. The best way to build your future is to build yourself."

Bregy also credited the Jacobs community with spurring him to apply for District 300's top post.

"I'd like to thank the students, staff and parents of Jacobs for the ride of my life," Bregy said. "Only because I felt incredibly inspired by my experience at Jacobs did I feel I could make a difference as superintendent."