Unit 40 Board to Vote Monday on Back to School Plan

The Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education Wednesday agreed to vote at their regular meeting this coming Monday night on the back-to-school plan for the district for the 2020-2021 school year.

The plan will include both in-person instruction and family choice remote learning. This Friday is the deadline for parents to notify the district which method they wish to choose.

To accommodate both methods of instruction, Superintendent Mark Doan proposed a shorter school day for the coming year. The proposal is 8am to 2pm each weekday for those in Grades Pre-K to 8 and 7:30am to 1:30pm for Grades 9 to 12. The move would allow high schoolers to stay for lunch or leave for lunch and for the day. Another consideration is the change would allow teachers prep time to switch from in-person instruction to teaching via remote learning.

The hours would reduce junior high and high school class periods by nine minutes and would reduce passing periods to four minutes. The grades Pre-K to 8 classes would also be shortened. Central School Principal Amy Niebrugge said the focus would be on the Three R's with instruction in Science and Social Studies "where we can."

An administrator from each building shared the plans they have developed in consultation with their staffs. South Side Principal Cheri Marten said the plans were developed in the best interests and safety of their students.

Now, a reminder that what was presented Wednesday was a proposal; a final vote on the Back to School plan for the district will take place at the regular July board meeting on Monday night. Doan reminded, "We are gonna have to look at all options. It's just not gonna be perfect."

Speaking of in-person and remote learning, as of 3pm Wednesday, 88% of those who had stated a preference were for in-person learning. 12%, 164 of those who had chosen had voted for remote learning. Doan noted that more people have voted on in-person or remote learning than have registered for the school year. The consensus at the meeting was that people are waiting to see about the district's plan before indicating their preference.

The Board also voted 5-1 to require face coverings as a District policy, in compliance with State guidelines. Board member Jane Willenborg voted "No"; Board member Steve Bone did not attend the meeting.

The plan is for those in Grades 9-12 to have to attend a semester before they could switch to the other method of instruction, while those in the lower grades could consider a switch after the first nine weeks. Board members did include a provision that someone could petition before those times to switch with no guarantee the petition would be granted.

In personnel moves, the Unit 40 board hired Courtney Mathews as a paraprofessional, approved a leave of absence for Lynsie Hoffman, and okayed a transfer for technology inegrationist Julie Flack. Resignations were accepted from paraprofessional Megan Lohman and from ELC cafeteria monitors Vicki Luppino and Ruby Shupe, and retirements were approved from bus driver Wayne Stumeier and cashier and secretary Irene Stumeier.