Unit 40 Board Endorses Rural Development Technology Center

The Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education Monday approved a letter of support for a Rural Development Technology Center to be built next to the Kluthe Center in Effingham.

The Center is projected to benefit local students and school district as a resource for vocational education and training, and to benefit Lake Land College as a site of lab courses that are now available only on campus in Mattoon. Lake Land President Josh Bullock has said the college would be able to offer a complete associate's degree program in Effingham once the lab courses can be offered here.

Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan said the center is in the fiscal year state budget, but whether it will get funded is another matter. Projections are that the building would be complete within three years of funding getting approved.

Our Greg Sapp spoke with Superintendent Doan after Monday's meeting...

The Board Monday also agreed to pursue self-insurance health insurance for the next five years. The plan would be to continue self-insuring for the foreseeable future in an effort to build up a pool of funds that could withstand an occasional large claim and control premiums. The District faces a 4% premium increase for the coming year.

Board members approved an agreement with Construction Trades Education Curriculum for up to $74,900 to cover the cost of the first year of the Construction Trades class to be offered for the first time this coming school year. The course will be offered in the former Shop area at Effingham Junior High School. The Board also approved a three-year agreement with the Effingham County Sheriff's Department for the School Resource Officer program. The charge will be $10/student for the coming year, $13 for the next year, and $15 for the third year. Those charges mark the first increase since the SRO program began in the county.

The Board renewed property/casualty insurance coverage for $404,854, with $236,000 of that covering workers compensation; awarded bids for various commodities; tied 3-3 on the prevailing wage resolution so it will be brought back next month; renewed an electrical energy contract for three years with the rate going from .044 to .0595/kilowatt hour; and amended an agreement with the City on a water line and force main easement to make it 35 feet rather than 25 feet.

Board members approved an amended fiscal year budget reflecting less revenue from the State than had been promised; heard that the overall district fund balance is down 3.82% and the operating funds balance is down 7.61%; heard that enrollment is basically unchanged; and approved an additional Kindergarten teacher due to the anticipated enrollment. Doan said 218 students are already confirmed so a 10th section of Kindergarten will be added.

Hilary Claar was hired for the post. Other personnel moves: Cathy Hille, Pauline Sapp and Pansy Limes were hired as cooks for school registration dates August 5 and 6, and Pauline Sapp and Pansy Limes were hired as cooks for school registration dates on August 10 and 11; Kim Knierim was hired as an extended year bus driver; Marie Sawyer was hired as a four-hour bus driver; Lori Saunders was hired as a custodian at Central School; Kim Knierim, Janet Inman and Denise Willenborg were hired as bus driver registration workers for August 5 and 6 and Kim Knierim was hired as a bus driver registration worker on August 10 and 11; Ryan Ervin was hired as a Social Studies teacher at EHS; and Jed Shumaker was hired as a vocational instructor at EHS.

Resignations were accepted from Bonnie Jones and Dannielle Harden as cafeteria monitors at the junior high school; and Melissa Fehrenbacher as a teacher.