Unit 40 Board to Revisit Junior High Building Future

Unit 40 school board members Monday decided to revisit the issue of Effingham Junior High School; whether to renovate the building, construct a new facility, or to do nothing and react as needs occur.

Superintendent Mark Doan said the District faces $361,000 in required health and life safety work on the current building, and another $193,000 in recommended projects. Doan asked how the Board wants the Administration to proceed on the issue.

Board member Kathleen Smith suggested holding a meeting at the junior high building and taking a tour as part of the agenda. Doan will look at possible dates for the session.

Previous consideration of the project produced a $35 million price tag for a new building as opposed to $14 million for renovation of the existing structure.

As to how to pay for the work, bonds are an option as well as another attempt to pass a 1% sales tax. Assistant Superintendent Rem Woodruff, in his final meeting prior to retirement, again pushed the renovation project as the best option because of the cost and due to available and potential revenues.

Board President Jeff Michael thinks a decision is needed to "better define what renovation means". Major infrastructure changes have been suggested, as well as building a cafeteria out of the current basement location. A ground level cafeteria has been suggested, or renovating the second gym into a cafeteria and building a second gym.

Woodruff said, as things stand, "we're in a kind of limbo; do we want to do these things and then take them all out?"

Also Monday, the Board was updated by Curriculum Director Michelle Beck on the Title I plan for the district, utilizing the Every Student Succeeds Act, which replaces the No Child Left Behind Act. Beck said the Federal Title I dollars will be allocated at Southside, Early Learning Center and Central to help student get off to good starts. She discussed the various methods to be utilized to help students needing an assist; interventionists, paraprofessionals, trained volunteers, peer assistance and computer-assisted programs besides teacher instruction and guidance. 

Beck said teachers continue to learn in the process; large group, small group, personalized learning and teacher leadership.

The Board heard from Bryan Wenthe about progress made this past year in CTEC; Construction Trades Education Curriculum. Wenthe said the program continues to grow as it educates learners in the various construction disciplines. He compared it to CEO, including the businesses who are helping fund the program. Wenthe said all six county high schools will participate in CTEC in the coming school year.

The Board approved an amended budget for the current fiscal year, adding $150,000 to the Education Fund to cover a couple of additional teacher salaries, adding $35,000 to the IMRF allocation, and adding $1.7 million to the budget for the roof replacement work at EHS and at Central. Woodruff, in his last report, said the all funds balance for the district is 11% ahead of last year, but the operational funds budget is close to 7% behind last year's budget.

Also Monday, the Board renewed property casualty insurance coverage with the current carriers for $384,485, which is less than a year ago; and awarded the bid for PE shirts and shorts to JEDCO Sales of Effingham for $3,954.38. The Board approved prevailing wages for contracted work; appointed Jane Willenborg as the Board's Illinois School Board Association Governing Board Representative; and took action on a host of personnel moves.

Those hired: Sara Mitchell as a vocational instructor, Emily Lotz as a speech pathologist, Blake Doehring as a behind-the-wheel driver's ed instructor, Melissa Koester as a nurse paraprofessional, Shelly Baker and Stephanie Tracy as English/Language Arts instructors, Sarah Schabbing as an elementary teacher, and Mary Um as a chorus teacher.

Resignations were accepted from David Hoesli as a bus driver and from Maci Meinhart as a teacher.

A number of appointments were approved, including former head football coach Mike McDonald returning as an assistant coach. Also named assistant football coaches were Jovan Glasper, Blake Wesselman, Nick Bushue and Blake Doehring. Juan Angel was named a high school assistant soccer coach, Jerry Trigg for another year as high school head girls golf coach and high school head softball coach, Colleen Westendorf as high school assistant volleyball coach, Whitney Duncan as high school assistant girls basketball coach, Bryan McMillan for another year as high school head wrestling coach, and Dick Reimers as high school head boys track coach. Also approved, Kristin Harvey as high school assistant softball coach, Hillary Kopplin as junior high head softball coach and Rick WIttenberg as junior high assistant softball coach, Rich Hirtzel as junior high assistant baseball coach, Jeff Tonn as 8th grade girls basketball coach, Stan "Mike" Depoister as 7th grade girls basketball coach, Ken Cornell as 7th grade boys basketball coach, and Alexis Holder as junior high basketball cheer coach.

Approved as volunteers were Shane Smith and Heath Summers for high school football assistant coaches, Steve Boswell and Ron Diehl for high school baseball assistant coaches, Jeff Tonn as high school and junior high assistant softball coach, and Ken Cornell as junior high assistant baseball coach.