Published on December 16, 2024 7:48 pm
Last Updated on December 16, 2024 7:50 pm
Discussion over whether to acquire portable classrooms to house all second grade students in one building led to a more expansive discussion about facility needs at Monday night’s meeting of the Effingham Unit 40 Board of Education.
South Side School Principal Jessica Reeder spoke with Superintendent Andy Johnson recently as to some way to address having some second graders at South Side and others at Central School. Reeder said having students in two different building is not good for students or teachers. She wondered whether portable classrooms could be a short-term solution.
Johnson said early information was that the portables would cost $100,000 each and that three units would allow all second graders to be housed at South Side. He reminded the Board that the needs that led to the 1% sales tax resolution haven’t gone away. That led to discussion of whether to put the question back on the ballot in April. The deadline to do that would be early in January and the feeling was that such an initiative would be too soon after the November vote.
There was some discussion of whether bonding should be pursued for the Pre-K to Grade 2 building, regardless of a sales tax increase vote.
It was decided that Johnson will compile information on bonding as well as on acquiring the portable buildings. The information will be reviewed at the Board’s January meeting, which will be held after the deadline to get a sales tax referendum on the April ballot, ending that as an option.
Also Monday, the school board approved a maintenance grant submittal seeking $130,000. The grant, which would include $50,000 in state funding, would fund new sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms at the high school. The board also purchased a new steamer for the high school kitchen for $26,318, and approved a new wellness PE course to be offered starting next school year for high school students to be offered at the Workman Sports and Wellness Complex.
The Board approved $347,000 in technology equipment purchases for the next school year including teacher and student laptops; as well as a student threat assessment implementation systems manual, and a cardiac response plan.
Board members also heard from the four senior class members of the new EHS FFA Chapter and their advisor Ty Totten. More about that in a future article.
