Unit 40 Board Considers Tax Levy

Effingham Unit 40 school board members Monday voted to place on file a fiscal year tax levy asking for an increase over what was actually extended for taxes last year.

Assistant Superintendent Rem Woodruff asked the Board to levy 6.56% more than last year's tax extension. Woodruff said the increase is being sought against an anticipated 6.25% increase in the equalized assessed value of property in the school district.

A final vote on the levy will follow a public hearing at the Board's November meeting.

Unit 40 Curriculum Director Michelle Beck discussed the District's school improvement plan and schoolwide Title Plan. Beck said Unit 40 and other Illinois districts are dealing with the changeover to new assessment tests and the conversion to Common Core standards taking effect in Illinois.

Beck said guidelines are still being implemeted for English and Language Arts, Math, Science and PE and Health with those to be fully in place by 2017. Social Science, Fine Arts and Foreign Language guidelines are only in the development stage, and Beck said there've been no guidelines yet from the State in those areas of the curriculum.

Beck said only electronic report cards will be available from the State as of this school year. She said the data should be posted on Unit 40's website by November 1. Bright spots noted by Beck include a five-year graduation rate of 94%, a 96% attendance rate, and a rate of chronically truant students of just 1%. The State average of chronic truancy is 9%.

The Board also heard the annual report from their auditor, who noted the District's score was 3.65, which places it in the Financial Recognition category from the State. The District's long-term debt was down from $8.3 million last year to $7.5 million this year, and the District's per pupil spending rate is $9,098, less than the State average. The auditor did ask the District to budget for leasing of school buses, which was not done last year. There were funds available to cover the lease cost, but the matter has been corrected for this year.

The Board witnessed recognition of Effingham High School as this year's recipient of the School Award presented by South Central Basketball Officials Association. Spokesman Tom Strohl commended EHS for the courtesies afforded referees and the demeanor displayed by the student athletes at EHS. Effingham boys basketball coach Ron Reed and EHS girls basketball coach Jeff Schafer were on hand for the presentation along with several of the girl and boy basketball players at the high school.

(TOM STROHL {center} OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL BASKETBALL OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION PRESENTED THE 2014 SCHOOL AWARD FROM THE ASSOCIATION TO EFFINGHAM HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE COURTESY SHOWN THE ASSOCIATION'S OFFICIALS AND THE DEMEANOR DISPLAYED BY E-H-S BASKETBALL PLAYERS. FROM LEFT, BRAYDON BONE, KEVIN DAUGHERTY, MICHAEL CARIE, BOYS BASKETBALL COACH RON REED, TOM STROHL, GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH JEFF SCHAFER, JANTZEN MICHAEL, MADDY FIELD AND REED SCHAFER)

In personnel moves, the Unit 40 Board hired Jennifer Keel as a paraprofessional, and Angela Woods as the high school boys tennis coach. Approved as volunteers were Andrew Glosser as a high school boys basketball assistant coach, Elizabeth Braunecker as high school boys and girls swim coach, and Charlotte Habing as high school cheer coach.  Marilyn Sudkamp was granted a leave of absence.

The Board met in closed session to discuss personnel matters and the possible sale of the former Edgewood Grade School building, but there was no action in open session.