Cumberland School Board Thanks Volunteers, Commends Students at March Board Meeting

Cumberland school board members took time at their monthly board meeting to thank the many volunteers who have stepped up to help during the COVID-19 crisis.

Several students were commended for their performance, including the District's Illinois State Scholars for this school year: Michaela Bradley, Emily Carlen, Elijah Lamb and Abigayle Russell. Also, MaKeegan Sparling and Marshall Tipsword made all-Lincoln Prairie Conference at the Scholastic Bowl Conference Tournament.

In regular action, Cumberland board members rejected the restroom, storage and concession stand bids as higher than expected. The bids ranged from just over $330,000 to $386,000. The Board also voted to approve a wrestling co-op with Jasper County High School.

The Board employed Nicole McCown, Shealyn Chesnut, Morgan Waller, and Tera Scales as tenured teachers for next school year; and also voted to employ Samara James, Coleman Sappington, April Webb, Tracy Wright, Jenna Layton, Tia Sawyer, Donna McClellan, Stephanie Nichols, Brandon Miller, Kourtney Smyser, Rebecca Williamson, Leigh Staley, Brenda Foster, Stefani Robinson, Michele Figgins, Brittany Gilbert, Kristie Thomas and Maria White for the coming school year. Board members also employed Haley Ralston as a middle school teacher.

The Board employed Jennifer Dryden as a Response to Intervention teacher, approved the internal transfer of Ellen Brown to middle school Special Education teacher, approved the internal transfer of Jessi Allison to middle school and elementary Art teacher, employed Kylee Booth as high school head volleyball coach, and posted the open positions of elementary teacher and elementary Special Education teacher.

Board members approved Adam Stults as a volunteer baseball coach, approved Kiersten Ault as a volunteer high school track coach, accepted the irrevocable letter of retirement from Susan Ingram as of the end of the 2023-2024 school year, and approved Memoranda of Understanding with both the Cumberland Education Association and the Cumberland Education Support Professionals Association concerning home-based and remote learning days.