Teutopolis School Board Discusses Bus Transportation and Possibility of Seat Belts

In the wake of Friday night's accident involving the bus taking the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes boys basketball team and cheerleaders to a game, the Teutopolis school board Monday discussed a need to review procedures and processes of bus transportation. The Board also planned to review the possibility of seat belts on buses.

The Board also discussed an A.M. bus transportation proposal including an additonal morning bus route, but no action was taken. Also, a discussion of district goals was delayed until the March meeting. The Board did discuss the county school facilities tax that will appear on the April election ballot.

Teutopolis board members approved resignations from Dani Ruholl as Pomerettes sponsor and from Jeannie Gaddis as junior high cross country coach, and approved the retirement of counselor Cathy Esker effective at the end of the school year.

The Teutopolis board approved the 2017-18 school calendar. The starting date for teachers will be Wednesday, August 16, while students will start with a half-day on Thursday, August 17 followed by the first full day on Friday, August 18. The Board also approved a senior class trip for April 26.

The Board agreed to continue with alternative education programs through the Regional Office of Education including FOCUS, TriStar Academy Safe Schools, New Approach, and the Aspire Alternative High School; and approved accepting a voluntary placement of Unit Office employee Casey Repking to a part-time position of 20 hours per week.

The Board amended the school calendar for this year to reflect the half-day off on January 13 due to inclement weather, and reviewed bids for high school and junior high school security work with the bid awarded to Security Alarm of Salem for $38,500. The Board reviewed bids for roof work. The base bid for the junior high roof and Alternative #1 for the high school 1959 shop area was awarded to Geissler Roofing of Belleville for $529,290. The Board also reviewed bids for high school roof work, but took no action, and reviewed bids for masonry restoration to do miscellaneous tuckpointing at the junior high with the base bid awarded to Kross Masonry from Newman for $8,041.

Teutopolis board members tentatively set high school graduation for Sunday, May 14, at 2:30pm and tentatively set junior high promotion for Thursday, May 18, at 7:30pm.