Full Text of HR0285 94th General Assembly
HR0285 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
|
|
|
HR0285 |
|
LRB094 11866 CSA 44261 r |
|
| 1 |
| HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 |
| WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | 3 |
| Representatives wish to recognize the achievements of retiring | 4 |
| Rantoul Township High School (RTHS) Superintendent Jerry | 5 |
| Zachary; and
| 6 |
| WHEREAS, Superintendent Zachary has worked in education | 7 |
| for 43 years and has lead the school district since 1994; when | 8 |
| he retires on June 30, 2005, he will end a long association | 9 |
| with Rantoul school districts, beginning with his attendance at | 10 |
| Myna Thompson Elementary School and extending to his graduation | 11 |
| from RTHS in 1956; and
| 12 |
| WHEREAS, He was born in Missouri where his father farmed as | 13 |
| a sharecropper; his parents brought the family, two sons and a | 14 |
| daughter, to Rantoul on December 7, 1941, and opened a grocery | 15 |
| store called Zachary and Sons' Royal Blue; during high school, | 16 |
| he was All State in both basketball and football and was | 17 |
| captain of a basketball team that qualified in the IHSA Elite 8 | 18 |
| in 1956; he also ran the 100-yard dash, the 220-yard dash, ran | 19 |
| in a relay team, and threw shot put; in one high school meet, | 20 |
| he scored more points than the entire opposing team; in 1987, | 21 |
| he was inducted into RTHS's Hall of Fame; and
| 22 |
| WHEREAS, Inspired by his coaches, he pursued a degree in | 23 |
| physical education from Colorado College; he later transferred | 24 |
| to Eastern Illinois University (EIU) where he participated on | 25 |
| the track team and graduated with a bachelor's degree in | 26 |
| physical education; at EIU, he worked as an assistant | 27 |
| professor, assistant dean of student activities, and as | 28 |
| assistant dean of men; at Indiana University, he served as | 29 |
| coordinator of the Willkie Residence Life Center; and at the | 30 |
| Illinois State Board of Education, he was director of the | 31 |
| Career Guidance Center; after deciding to work as an | 32 |
| administrator, he took a position as principal of Newman High |
|
|
|
HR0285 |
- 2 - |
LRB094 11866 CSA 44261 r |
|
| 1 |
| School and then as principal of Argenta-Oreana High School; | 2 |
| upon finishing his superintendency education, he served | 3 |
| superintendentships at Sheldon and Palestine school districts; | 4 |
| and
| 5 |
| WHEREAS, Superintendent Zachary's challenges during his | 6 |
| 11-year tenure were reducing staff while providing a | 7 |
| comprehensive curriculum, replacing 84 percent of the faculty | 8 |
| after the retirements of 26 long-time teachers, and passing a | 9 |
| referendum approving a tax increase to strengthen the | 10 |
| district's finances; his accomplishments include implementing | 11 |
| advanced placement courses and expanding the curriculum and | 12 |
| facilitating the construction of a sorely needed all-weather | 13 |
| track; he was also a major force behind the funding and the | 14 |
| building of RTHS's new west wing; and
| 15 |
| WHEREAS, He has been very involved within the school, | 16 |
| attending almost every event; he has supported Rantoul and RTHS | 17 |
| with a hometown style; his reward has been found in doing | 18 |
| something he loved, in a town he loved; he feels the district's | 19 |
| future sits on solid ground, that it counts among its strengths | 20 |
| its rich ethnic and racial diversity, a supportive board of | 21 |
| education, and an excellent staff; and
| 22 |
| WHEREAS, In 1978, he and his wife, Monica, were married and | 23 |
| they had two children, son Blake and daughter Alainna; they | 24 |
| plan to move to Champaign and he is exploring working as an | 25 |
| interim administrator as well as increasing his involvement as | 26 |
| a volunteer for the Salvation Army, where he serves as a board | 27 |
| member, and other community organizations; and
| 28 |
| WHEREAS, He will be remembered not only for his impact on | 29 |
| the district's facilities and academics, but also for his big | 30 |
| heart, enthusiasm, and sense of humor; therefore, be it
| 31 |
| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
|
|
|
HR0285 |
- 3 - |
LRB094 11866 CSA 44261 r |
|
| 1 |
| NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 2 |
| we congratulate and thank Jerry Zachary for his tenure as | 3 |
| Superintendent of Rantoul Township High School; and be it | 4 |
| further
| 5 |
| RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 6 |
| presented to Superintendent Zachary as an expression of our | 7 |
| respect and esteem and with our best wishes for his retirement.
|
|