Unit 40 Board Approves Personnel Issues; Repairs in EHS Gym

Effingham Unit 40 school board members Wednesday approved several personnel moves as well as some repairs to the bleachers at Effingham High School.

The Board hired Amy Donaldson as a secretary at Effingham Junior High School.  One of the secretaries at the junior high was transferred to Effingham High School to fill a vacancy created when Linda Youngblood retired from the EHS Student Services office.

The Board also hired Renee Kihne as a paraprofessional in the district, accepted resignations from Ron and April Wall as bus drivers, and approved leaves of absence for teacher Cheri Lux through the Family and Medical Leave Act and for transportation department staffers Dereatha Flowers and Toni Chisler.

Board members purchased a new financial software system for the district.  The system, called Skyward, is school-based as opposed to the package now used that is business-based.  

Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan said the package is guaranteed to save the District $217,000 over the first five years and said he expects greater savings.

The Board also purchased a new drive system for the visitors bleachers in the main gym at Effingham High School.  The new system will cost $17,450.  Doan said the old system has gone out and said moving the set of bleachers damages the gym floor.  The drive system for the home bleachers was replaced in recent years.

It was also decided to begin a chair replacement project on the home bleachers.  It's hoped the work can be done this summer.

A closed session was scheduled to discuss collective bargaining and personnel, but the session was not held.   Doan said no new information was available for the session.