Minooka High School finding ways to save money
By Kris Stadalsky For The Herald-News July 24, 2012 9:14AM
Updated: August 27, 2012 10:43AM
MINOOKA — Minooka High School district offices now are at the south campus in Channahon.
Superintendent Jim Colyott, business manager Todd Drafall and their support staff moved from a downtown Minooka location at the end of June.
The district’s lease expires at the end of this month, so it took the opportunity to look at money-saving options, Drafall said.
Because the south campus has the core structure to expand into a larger facility in the future and there was space available, it made the most sense.
Between the lease and former utilities, the district will save at least $25,000 a year.
“It made sense to do that,” Drafall said. “Particularly at a time when we’ve made (budget) reductions of about $2 million.”
District staff have been working to make the available space work for them. Drafall’s office, for instance, is smaller and he no longer has room for his conference table where he would typically meet with people.
“We give up some things, but I like my office, it’s going well,” he said. “It’s quieter. I think I am going to get more done.”
The district’s new address is 26655 W. Eames St., Channahon, IL 60410. The phone number remains the same, 815-467-2557.
Finding creative ways to save money is something Drafall is getting pretty good at. The district is using about 35 acres of unused land behind south campus for farming.
The property eventually will be used for physical education and athletics, but while it’s sitting idle it’s being put to good use.
“We had a choice of turning it into farmland or seeding it and cutting it (regularly),” Drafall said.
Wheat was planted in the fall right after it was graded to avoid erosion. The early spring made it ready to harvest about a month early so it was followed up by soybeans.
Basically, the district hires a farmer to seed, fertilize, harvest and haul the crops to a river barge for transportation. The wheat crop earned the district a check for $11,000, Drafall said.
