Western teachers plan to attend school board meeting after superintendent announces plans to use tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to outsource students to Missouri schools

Western Community Unit School District 12 Supt. Darin Powell is the former administrator of the school district in Missouri where he wants to send Western students.

BARRY - Western teachers, parents and community members plan to attend tonight's Western Community Unit School District 12 meeting to speak out against a proposed plan to outsource students to Missouri Schools.

District 12 Supt. Darin Powell is pushing to bus Western students out of state to Missouri for classes. The move is expected to cost taxpayers more than $2,100 per student. This money is greatly needed in Hannibal, Mo. The Hannibal school district, where Powell proposes the District 12 students be sent, is struggling financially and was recently the subject of an audit investigation by the state of Missouri. Powell has ties to the Hannibal district, too. He is from Hannibal, taught in Hannibal School District 60, served as principal there and is the former assistant superintendent of District 60.

"First of all, we have a responsibility to our students to make sure they get the best education possible. Illinois teachers go through a rigorous process to be licensed and accredited to teach in our state," Western Education Association Co-President Susan Stout said. "Second, I am not sure the Western community is okay with their hard-earned tax dollars leaving the area when we have another viable, much more affordable option for our students right here in Illinois."

The classes Powell proposes to outsource to Missouri schools are skilled trades courses like auto, cosmetology and welding, among others. Many of those classes are also offered at Quincy Tech, where administrators say they would be happy to receive Western students. Most of these classes at Quincy Area Vocational Technical Center would cost around $1,800 per student.

In addition to outsourcing Western students' education to another state, Powell is also considering using a budget reduction to eliminate teaching positions and lower graduation requirements in District 12.

"Our teachers are hard-working and dedicated, and our students deserve nothing less than that," Stout said. "Lowering graduation requirements will shortchange our students and lead to lower district evaluations from the ISBE. Every move our district makes should be done with our students' best interests in mind."

The Western Education Association represents the nearly 60 educators working in District 12. More than 500 students attend the three schools in the district.

Tonight's District 12 Board of Education meeting starts at 6 p.m. at Western Elementary School (401 McDonough St., Barry).

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The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state's largest union. IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff, higher education faculty, retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers, statewide.