Stew-Stras Board Moves Ahead with HVAC Work

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Published on May 28 2015 10:35 am
Last Updated on May 28 2015 10:35 am
Written by Greg Sapp

The Stewardson-Strasburg Board of Education is moving ahead with another project to replace the ventilation system in the school complex.

The Board approved a ventilation project in recent years, but the units installed were too noisy. The school district took the contractor to court over the issue, but lost the suit. The noise was still a problem, though, so the Board has approved the purchase of new ventilation units and will rebid the labor to do the installation work.

The Board also approved ditch excavation work around the building and in the area of the outdoor athletic fields. Superintendent Michelle Lindenmeyer said no events could be held at the school this spring season due to the lack of drainage. The work will include new fencing for the softball field.

Board members also approved the purchase of a minivan for driver's ed and for district transportation needs; named Jeremy Chaney and Rob Quast as the representative and alternate to the Eastern Illinois Area Special Education Board; heard from Lindenmeyer that the district is "right on schedule this year" as far as finances are concerned; and discussed holding an event in August to welcome newly-hired principal Justin Deters, hold coaches and parents meetings, and to auction or raffle off Stew-Stras uniforms that will no longer be needed due to further sports co-oping with the Windsor school district.

In personnel moves, Stew-Stras board members concurred with the Windsor board in hiring Cody McCollum as the first-ever coach of the Windsor/Stew-Stras Hatchets boys basketball team and Quinn Bennett as the assistant coach; named Nick Niemerg as coach of the junior high boys basketball team with Ben Giertz as assistant coach; approved Tim Bishop as coach of the junior high girls basketball team and the junior high boys baseball team; and hired Jake Hagen as coach of the junior high track squad. The Board also hired Rita Altman as a half time Special Education teacher and a half time Special Education aide.

We had reported earlier that Justin Deters was hired as the Grades K-12 principal in the Stew-Stras school district. The Teutopolis native succeeds Mark Giertz who resigned along with his wife, Jenni, who was an aide, to take a job in Marseilles in northern Illinois.