Unit 40 Adopts Social Media Policy

After much discussion in recent months, and more at Monday night's meeting, the Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education adopted a social media policy that allows administrators to ask for cell phone passwords to gain access to the devices.

Board member Carol Ruffner said she doesn't like the wording of the policy. Ruffner particularly pointed out the line that reads, "Generally, it (the password) will be requested in the event of an imminent threat". She also took issue with situations in which a student might be asked for the password as outlined in the policy.

Brad and Amy Hibdon were also present to voice objections to the policy as approved. Brad Hibdon said he thinks the action of requesting the password in certain situations would be a violation of constitutional rights.

Effingham High School Principal Jason Fox said his practice will be to notify the police and notify Superintendent Mark Doan if an issue occurs where requesting the password is a possibility. Fox said, "We will not access the phone without talking with the parent."

Brad Hibdon said he was also concerned that the policy reads that a student "may be subject to further discipline" if there is a refusal to provide the password. He also noted a recent Supreme Court ruling that police must have a search warrant before they can request access to a cell phone. He contended that school officials don't have more authority than police to request a cell phone password, although school board member Todd Schaefer reminded that "you do give up certain rights when in a school setting".  

The Board approved the policies including the social media policy 6-1 with Ruffner voting No.

Also Monday, the Board approved life and health insurance coverage that involves a 9% increase in premiums, although those covered will have the option of lowering their cost with a higher deductible. The Board sold four buses to the St. Elmo School District and plan to trade off three other units as part of a trade-in package, and raised the cafeteria monitor rate of pay by 30 cents an hour, to $8.80/hour.

Doan reported that the tax rate for next year will be one cent lower than the previous year, and he believes the rate will remain the lowest in the area.  Also, Jeff Michael was named the Board's representative on the Eastern Illinois Area Special Education Board with Laurie King named the alternate.

Assistant Superintendent Rem Woodruff reported that the district's all funds balance is .46% lower than last year and the operating funds balance is 2.1% lower than last year.

Doan reported that all four quarterly categorical payments were made this year, the first time all four payments have been made since 2007. He reminded that these funds are reimbursing the district for expenses incurred last year. He said they were told not to expect all four payments again next year. Doan also said the 10-year health and life safety inspection of district buildings is underway to determine what projects will be needed over the next decade to properly maintain the buildings.

A series of personnel moves were approved Monday night. Ethan Hayward was hired as fulltime Chorus teacher for the junior high and high school buildings after Whitney Hill, who had been hired earlier, resigned to take a fulltime job. Vivian Cain was named a cafeteria monitor at South Side, and Rebecca Miller was transferred from the junior high school to high school English department. Resignations were accepted from Greg Brumleve as Industrial Arts teacher and boys tennis coach, from Tiffany Gould as English teacher, from Steve Boswell as frosh/soph baseball coach, from Kristine Renshaw as paraprofessional, from Lowell Painter as cafeteria monitor at Central, from Matt Farrar as junior high baseball assistant coach, and from Jennifer Buffington as Special Education teacher. Leaves were approved for Kathy Thomas, Patty Keck and Clara Brown, and Tina Haarmann was recalled to work as a custodian.

There was also a long list of coaching positions approved Monday night. Here's the list:

Mike Walker and Aaron Adams as high school assistant football coaches, Andrew McDonald, Kyle Garland, Matt Murfee, Curran McNeely, and Shane Smith as volunteer high school assistant football coaches, Jerry Trigg as high school head girls golf coach, Colleen Westendorf as assistant high school volleyball coach, Angela Woods as volunteer high school assistant girls tennis coach, Whitney Duncan as frosh/soph girls basketball coach, Troy Van Blaricum as volunteer assistant girls basketball coach, Bryan McMillan as head wrestling coach, Ron Diehl and Curran McNeely as volunteer high school assistant baseball coaches, Jerry Trigg as head high school softball coach, Jeff Tonn as volunteer high school softball coach, Rich Hirtzel and Chris Koester as junior high school assistant baseball coaches, Matt Farrar as volunteer junior high school assistant baseball coach, Whitney Duncan as eighth grade girls basketball coach, Stan "Michael" DePoister as volunteer junior high assistant girls basketball coach, Mike Walker as seventh grade boys basketball coach, and Steve Pickett as assistant junior high school boys track coach.

In addition, these individuals are either new hires or position changes on the coaching staff:

Derek Logue as high school assistant football coach, Jennifer Kirk as high school head cross country coach, Ryan Wohltman as boys JV basketball coach, Derek Logue as fresh/soph boys basketball coach, Whitney Duncan as fresh/soph girls basketball coach, Ty Totten as fresh/soph baseball coach, Megan Whitacre as fresh/soph softball coach, Ty Totten as junior high assistant softball coach, and Maci Zerrusen as junior high school cheer sponsor.

There are still some teaching slots to fill. The Board authorized Doan to fill those positions since the school year will begin before the next regular Board meeting. The Board will vote to confirm those hirings at that meeting.