Altamont School Board Discusses End of Year Dates

Altamont school board members Monday discussed end-of-year dates.

Here's the schedule: Fall and Winter Sports Awards Night April 23...Senior Awards Assembly at 2pm and Baccalaureate at 7pm on Wednesday, May 6...Spring Fine Arts and Awards Concert May 13 at 7:30pm...high school commencement at 7pm Saturday, May 16...8th grade promotion at 2pm May 19 with no school for the 8th graders on May 20...grade school athletic awards night at 6pm on May 19.

Altamont Superintendent Jeff Fritchtnitch reported that renovation work is underway at Altamont Grade School. The line into the building for the sprinkler system has been installed and a work storage container is on-site. Windows will be arriving with installation beginning during a second shift shortly after arrival.

Fritchtnitch reported that a requested annexation of property to the Altamont district was denied by the Regional Board of School Trustees, and also reminded members of the process of choosing someone to fill a vacancy on the Board. Only three people ran in last week's election, so a board seat remains unfilled.

Fritchtnitch also shared information on an Effingham County Skills Trades Day on Friday, May 8, where sophomore and junior students of all county high schools will visit an auto body/mechanics shop along with a residential and commercial construction site to learn about careers in those industries. He also updated the Board on discussions regarding a regional career and technical school. The structure is now envisioned to be located next to the Lake Land College Kluthe Center in Effingham. The facility could be used by students during the day and adult learners at night. April 22 is the next meeting to discuss what the sub-committees have researched and will be reporting for next steps moving forward with the project, which could be a reality within three years.

In personnel matters, the Altamont board accepted resignations from Tim Dooling as varsity volleyball coach and from Steve Long as high school assistant girls basketball coach, and approved Monte Wall as volunteer high school assistant softball coach. The Board approved Glass and Shuffett to do audit work of the past fiscal year, and approved honorable reductions of support staffers Cheryl Will as a one-to-one aide and Laurie Graves and Kassie Bullard as teacher aides.