Seniors to reap benefits from working in schools
By Jeanne Millsap - Herald Correspondent
When children interact with those of older generations, their lives are enriched.
And, that’s only one reason why the Morris District 54 school board wants more senior citizens involved in its two schools.
There are big advantages for seniors, too, and, now, one is financial.
Until now, seniors were simply welcomed and encouraged to volunteer in the district. The board, however, Monday evening approved its Seniors Supporting Schools plan, which will pay seniors for working in the schools if they live in the school district’s boundaries.
The amount paid will be a wage up to the total amount of the property taxes the senior paid to District 54.
District Administrator Teri Shaw said she and board members became interested in the possibilities of the program after attending a seminar at an education conference last year. It’s a great offering for everyone involved, she said.
“For senior citizens on a fixed income,” Shaw said after the meeting, “finances can be difficult. This provides them an interesting job at minimum wage that can help them with their property taxes and bring them into contact with the younger generation. . . Our community is full of senior citizens who don’t have any connection to the schools except their tax bills.”
Children can also enrich the lives of seniors, Shaw said, in addition to the seniors playing important roles in the lives of our community’s children. The seniors will also help the teachers in a big way, Shaw said.
White Oak Elementary Principal Jim Carter said after the meeting there are many opportunities for seniors to serve at his school. There are direct interactions with students by helping them learn to read or with vocabulary or with math flash cards.
The school’s library can use some help, too, he said, checking out books, helping students find books, shelving books, and helping students with research projects.
Gym activities might be another way for seniors to help the school, he said, as well as many other jobs that might not even directly involve students, such as office and clerical help.
Shabbona Middle School Principal Sheryl Dzuryak said some of the opportunities for Seniors Supporting Schools at Shabbona could include helping in the library and tutoring such subjects as social studies, math, literature, and science.
Possibilities run the gamut of skills and interests, Shaw said.
“It’s the perfect situation to teach lifelong learning,” she added. “How can you give students a better example of lifelong learning than letting seniors help them with their reading or math?”
To qualify for the program, seniors must be at least 60 years old, pay real estate taxes in District 54, have a valid Social Security card, allow a background check, take a Tb test, and complete a confidentiality statement.
Shaw asks seniors interested in participating in the program to contact the district office soon so the process can be finalized by the start of the school year. The number for the District 54 office is (815) 942-0056. The office is at the east end of White Oak Elementary School, at 54 White Oak Drive, in western Morris, off DuPont Avenue.
Senior citizens who do not pay real estate taxes to the district are also welcomed to volunteer for the school in the same positions, Shaw added.
