Unit 40 School Board Endorses District Plans to Get Struggling Students Back in Class

When the Effingham Unit 40 School District made plans for the school year in the midst of the pandemic, they made accommodations for both in-class and remote learning students.

School officials were aware that some remote learning students could end up struggling. That has proved to be the case, and Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan told the Board Monday night that steps need to be taken to get the struggling students back into the classroom.

Doan said they can't continue to let the struggling students "dig a hole; if it continues, eventually they'll quit."

When the school year began, the district allowed younger students to opt in from remote to in-class learning after the first quarter, while junior high and high school students could return to in-class learning after the first semester. Doan said teachers and other school officials have attempted to stay in contact with students who've had difficulties Some have responded, others have not.

Doan said if remote learning students are successful, they can continue in that mode of instruction; if they aren't he said, "They need to come back. We have to work to help them be successful."

The Board voted Monday to direct the district to pursue bringing struggling students back to the classroom. 

The Board also purchased interactive smart boards for just over $95,000, power cables for $15,700 to allow students to use devices at home, and iPad carts for $24,000 for better use of those devices in the classroom.

Board members approved an intergovernmental agreement for the Effingham Regional Career Academy to involve 14 school districts in the area. More districts are taking part since they have students interested in such vocational instruction with not enough seats in other programs to accommodate all of them.

In personnel moves, the Unit 40 board hired Kelli Robertson as a cafeteria monitor at the junior high school and Yrma Pimentel as a custodian at South Side and the Early Learning Center. Resignations were accepted from Jason Koester as an assistant mechanic, and Dannette Williamson and Kelsey Hutmacher as Student Council sponsors at the high school as of the end of the school year. Leaves were approved for Aaron McDaniels, Rebecca Meyers, David Worman, Jeni Phillips, Cathy Hille and Marie Sawyer, and accepted the retirement of Cheri Marten as principal of South Side School as of the end of the 23-24 school year.