Dieterich Board Says Thanks to Dan Niemerg

Dieterich school board members took time at Monday night's meeting to salute the late Dan Niemerg.

A former school administrator and school board member at Dieterich, Niemerg died recently. The board presented Niemerg's family with a memorial plaque in appreciation and recognition of his years of service. The recognition shared that Niemerg "left a lasting impression on the numerous students and staff members that had the pleasure of working with him. He will be missed."

The Dieterich board also adopted a County School Facility Tax position statement. The 1% sales tax will be on the November election ballot in Effingham County.

The position statement reads as follows: For the 2024-2025 school year, Dieterich Community Unit School District #30 is estimated to receive $2.4 million in property taxes. With the approval of the Effingham County School Facilities Tax, the Dieterich school board will prioritize paying down current debt by $353,000 annually, an approximate 14% decrease in your Unit #30 tax rate. As well, the school facility tax will allow the school district to complete needed maintenance including but not limited to roofing, HVAC maintenance, and electrical upgrades. Once those priorities are in process, focus will be placed further on improving the student learning experience. Please note, the facilities tax is exclusively for school facility purposes, school resource officers, safety measures, and mental health services. If you have questions regarding the Effingham County School Facilities Tax, please reach out to Cary Jackson, Superintendent at 217-925-5249. 

There will be a public meeting for those seeking more information about the one-cent tax. The meeting will be held at 6pm Wednesday, the 14th, in the Dieterich school cafeteria, immediately following the Open House. Everyone is welcome to attend.

In personnel moves, the Dieterich board accepted the resignation of Special Education teacher Deanna Jansen, hired Nicole Bishop as a full-time aide and hired Selena Flach as a part-time aide , both for the upcoming school year, approved a leave of absence for Aide Morgan Flach for a week in September, and approved a maternity leave for 2nd Grade teacher Peyton Wright beginning September 9.

The Board also placed a tentative fiscal year budget on display with formal adoption at the September meeting, and heard that enrollment for the new school year is at 629, up 21 students at this point from last year.