Representatives of Most County School Districts Gather to Discuss Common Interests

(AT THURSDAY'S MEETING, LEFT TO RIGHT: JORDAN SHIELDS AND DAVID DOTY OF BEECHER CITY UNIT #20, JANE WILLENBORG OF EFFINGHAM UNIT #40; UNIT #40 RECORDING SECRETARY PENNY WIEDMAN; SHELLY KUHNS OF ALTAMONT UNIT #10, ANGIE BYERS OF EFFINGHAM UNIT #40, KERRY WOLFF OF ALTAMONT UNIT #10, AND CORY NIEBRUGGE AND THAD GOEBEL OF DIETERICH UNIT #30)

"This is about collaboration, not about consolidation."

That was the statement made at the opening of a meeting featuring representatives of four of the five public school boards in Effingham County Thursday evening.

Representatives of the Altamont, Beecher City, Dieterich and Effingham school boards were present for the session. Teutopolis was not represented; likely since they had their own meeting scheduled later Thursday evening.

Rather than administrators, the districts were represented by school board members.Those present included Shelly Kuhns and Kerry Wolff from Altamont Unit 10, David Doty and Jordan Shields from Beecher City Unit 20, Cory Niebrugge and Thad Goebel from Dieterich Unit 30, and Angie Byers and Jane Willenborg from Effingham Unit 40. Two members from each board attended so as not to cause the need for calling special individual meetings of each school board represented.

The idea is Wolff's brainchild; Kuhns chaired the meeting as board president at Altamont. 

Wolff said he attended a school board legislative session at the state level and heard of legislation that seemed to divide those present between the rural and urban districts. He said he then wanted to explore whether the districts from the county should huddle on a periodic basis to review shared concerns and shared goals.

Areas identified for further discussion were the population difference in this region as opposed to metro areas; a need for employees not just as teachers but also as bus drivers, sports officials, and other areas; and opportunities for shared areas of instruction.

The group plans to meet again on Thursday, January 16 from 6 to 8pm, that time at Dieterich.

Again, the meetings are public sessions, open to whoever in the community would like to take part.