Unit 40 Board Passes Budget; Handles Personnel Moves

Effingham Unit 40 school board members Monday passed the budget for the new fiscal year.

Assistant Superintendent Jason Fox said the budget involves higher revenues than first projected, since the equalized assessed valuation of property in the school district rose.

The Board pruchased a student management software package for $75,829. Fox said the package will incorporate grading, online registration, the meal plans and other financial matters into one item. Also approved was the recruitment of a firm, Hart Technologies, to do a WIFI site survey of the classrooms and commons areas in district buildings to see how it will mesh with all of the new hardware acquired for the District.

Board members reviewed the tax levy for the coming year. Again, the tax rate is expected to drop by three cents. It dropped the previous year, even with the levying for health and life safety dollars, which Fox said is "unheard of". 

In personnel moves, the Unit 40 board employed Amanda Young and Danielle Jones as cafeteria monitors at Central School, and Jessica Clayton as a paraprofessional. A transfer was approved of James McElroy as a four-hour bus driver. Mandee Hirtzel and Natalie Stortzum were appointed as junior high co-cheerleading coaches. Resignations were accepted from Lowell Fehrenbacher as a bus driver and from Jamie Irwin as a cook. Leaves of absence were approved for John Taylor and Darlene Fatheree.