Calhoun School Board gathers for May meeting

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By Carissa Sitki

The Calhoun Community Unit School District #40 Board of Education met for their monthly meeting, last Tuesday, May 17, at 5:30 p.m. in the District Office.
At the start of the meeting, the Board heard from visitors and Ryan Graner spoke on behalf of Casey Longnecker for Boys Basketball Coach.
During the meeting’s committee and administrative reports portion of the meeting, several announcements were made from the district.
First, the Board was informed that the Library Committee held a meeting on May 12, at which ideas were shared about the needs of a public library in addition to a high school library. Additionally, preliminary drawings from GRP|Wegman were reviewed. There are a couple of ideas that the district is going to consider looking into for cost, such as a buzz-in system for the outside door for use after school hours. The next meeting will be held July 7 at 6 p.m. at the District Office.
Next, there was an update with the IESA co-op with St. Norbert’s and St. Mary’s. It was announced that the district received the signed IESA forms for the sports from both schools.
It was also reported that the final insurance premiums have been set. The increase came out to only 1.2% with the same coverage. It was noted that there wasn’t a need to raise any co-pays or out of pocket expenses in the plan. This will bring the new total to $750 per month for individuals and $1530 for families. The employee contribution will change from $67.00 to $68.00.
The Board was made aware that GRP has ordered the bleachers and information about the project was presented. According to the district report, the bleachers are still not expected to be in by December. It is the district’s responsibility to tear down and clear out the existing bleachers. Over the summer, a thorough inspection will be done to see if they can be used. If not, they will begin demolition this summer. The district is also proceeding with the press box as a separate structure.
Currently, the way prices are set, the press box would have been more than the bleachers, according to the district. The architect stated that the district can still get a few years off of the current ones. However, in their inspection it was noted that there needs to be repairs made and some interior work done to keep the inside free from bird droppings.
The district presented the Board with the possibility of a usage fee for renting facilities. While the district said it does not need to be an astronomical amount, they noted that it does help keep facilities maintained. The district plans on asking around to other districts to get an idea of the going rate for facility rental fees.
In other business, the Board approved:
■ 2022-2023 athletic and registration fees, which will remain unchanged
■ MISSVIC Intergovernmental agreement
■ Appoint MISSVIC Voting members as Andrea Lee and Meghan Klunk
■ FFA Convention trip that will take place June 14-16
■ IVEDC Building Rental/Lease Agreement for Head Start
■ Establish Class of 2026 Activity Fund
The Board then approved the resignation of Social Studies Teacher Clint Borton following their Executive Session.
The following personnel updates were approved:
■ Amy Godar as cook. Godar has experience with preparing meals and currently works as a babysitter
■ Nick Wyatt as High School social studies teacher. Wyatt recently completed his student teaching in Jerseyville and has a secondary social science degree from SIUE. He is also interested in coaching baseball, football, and is willing to be a class sponsor.
■ Kassidy Klocke as High School math teacher. Klocke is completing her work in mathematics from WGU.
Additionally, the district is seeking part-time summer custodian/maintenance work. They are looking toward staff to see if anyone is interested in picking up some hours this summer for mowing and projects in the schools.
The ESSER grant can cover the cost.
Additionally, the employment of Lindsey Taul as cheerleading coach was approved. Taul is returning to the position after spending several years in a dance and gymnastics studio.
There will be a budget amendment hearing to be held at the next Calhoun Board of Education meeting which is scheduled for Tuesday, June 28, at 5:30 p.m. in the District Office.