Unit 40 Board Hires Football Coach, Loses Band Director

The Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education Monday hired a football coach, but heard that they were losing their second band director in as many years.

The Board approved the appointment of Brett Hefner as varsity football coach, succeeding longtime coach Mike McDonald. More information on the new coach is available on the Football page here on the website.

However, the Board also accepted the resignation of Jordan Black as EHS band instructor as of the end of the school year. Black was hired last summer after the sudden departure of Peter Manzi for a job in California. Manzi had been hired after the resignation of Brad Wallace, who is now part of the band program at the University of Illinois.

The Board Monday also added a year to the contract of Superintendent Mark Doan, keeping his contract at a five-year length. Board member Steve Bone voted against the move, saying his vote was not based on Doan's performance, but on the uncertainties of education funding, saying no one gets a five-year contract anymore. Bone said had it been a three-year contract being discussed, he would have voted in favor. Local resident Peggy Campbell, who is running for the school board, asked the Board to wait until the new board is seated before considering the extension.

Board members approved curriculum changes at Effingham High School. One of the changes involves the Science program. Principal Jason Fox said Biology will be taught at the freshman level and a class will be added for the 2016-17 school year as the Science curriculum is being reordered.

Another change involves adding Statistics as a dual credit course. Fox said former EHS students are saying it would have been beneficial to be able to take Statistics in high school. The course will also be offered for dual credit.

The other changes are in the Industrial Arts curriculum, where a dual credit Advanced Welding course will be added, along with Construction Trades and Manufacturing Skills courses that have involved input from local contractors and tradesmen.

The Board heard from an EHS student who would like to participate as both a football and basketball cheerleader. She was told that students can only serve as one or the other so could participate. However, that means that a student who serves as a football cheerleader doesn't get to take part in Competitive Cheerleading, which is an IHSA sport during basketball season. Board members seemed receptive to changing things so a student could try out to cheer for both sports, but no final decision was made Monday night.

Assistant Superintendent Rem Woodruff reported that the district's all funds balance is down 8.27% from last year and the operating funds balance is down 9.2% from a year ago. Woodruff said General State Aid is being received on time from the State.

In personnel moves besides those involving Hefner and Black, the Board hired Theresa Fuesting as a cafeteria monitor at Central School, approved leaves of absence for Sharon Chesnut and Janie Sapp, and approved transferring Robin Imburgia from a part-time nurse paraprofessional to full-time status.

Resignations were accepted from Nancy Marschewski as a cafeteria monitor, Jarielle Kemme as high school assistant soccer coach, Juli Petersen as nurse paraprofessional, Heather Koehler as cafeteria monitor, and from Shae Westendorf as a high school teacher and Pom coach. The Board also approved Meghan Scott as a new member of the Unit 40 Foundation Board.