Altamont Board Tables Decision on Safe Return to In-Person Instruction

Altamont school board members Monday tabled a decision on a Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan for another week.

The Board discussed Governor J.B. Pritzker's Mask Mandate, heard many viewpoints in opposition to the mandate, and reviewed rapidly changing guidance and information being released by the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The Board eventually voted 7-0 to table the decision until a special board meeting on Monday, August 16 at 7pm.

Board members took action on several personnel items. Resignations were accepted from teacher Rocky Lewis, paraprofessional Angie Meadows, bus driver Herb Stuemke, and from coach Sam Plum. The Board hired Mindie McManaway as head volleyball coach and J'Amy Jackson as assistant volleyball coach, approved Ken Bourgeois as volunteer baseball coach, and scheduled a vote at the special meeting on the 16th on raising the substitute pay rate to accommodate changes to the State's minimum wage rate. 

Altamont board members reviewed the proposed fiscal year budget. Superintendent Casey Adam reported that in the past five years, the District has seen improvements in their overall financial picture, that revenues continue to outpace expenditures, and that days of cash on hand continue to be on the rise and have risen consistently in recent years, along with the district's financial profile score. 

Board members heard from Maintenance Director Alan Whitt that the high school office project, the roof project at the grade school, gym painting at the grade school, and new HVAC controls at the high school have all been completed this summer.

Adam reported that website updates are underway, and that federal COVID relief funds will be utilized to upgrade the phone system.