Altamont School Board Chooses Officers

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Published on May 5 2015 2:10 pm
Last Updated on May 5 2015 2:10 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Jim Holland was chosen Monday to serve as president of the Altamont Board of Education for the next term.

Gary Goldstein was elected vice-president and Randy Tillman was chosen board secretary. Board member Shelly Kuhns was named to the Altamont Education Foundation, and Goldstein and Rodney Schultz were appointed to the Parent-Student-Teacher Advisory Council. Holland will be the distritct to the Eastern Illinois Area Special Education Governing Board with Goldstein serving as alternate.

Grade school principal Doug Hill reminded that 8th grade promotion is set for 2pm on May 19, while high school principal Gary Tkachuk said high school graduation will take place at 7pm on Saturday, May 16, with baccalaureate on May 6 at 7pm, following the senior awards assembly at 2pm that day.

Tkachuk also reported that two people have applied for the varsity volleyball coaching position, but officials are waiting to seee whether there are any internal candidates.

Work continues on the grade school renovation project. All of the windows have been installed and caulked in. The library has been packed and moved.

Superintendent Jeff Fritchtnitch reported on the Effingham County Skilled Trades Day this Friday involving 31 sophomore and junior class students from Altamont who will visit an auto body and mechanics shop, along with a residential and commercial building site to learn about careers in those industries.

Fritchtnitch also reported that the next meeting on a Regional Career and Technical School for the Effingham County area is set for June 9. He said he has invited all area state legislators and senators and Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti to the meeting.

Fritchtnitch also shared that the Altamont district has received an additional $400,000 from the Dave and Dorothy Coslet Estate, and that the Board will need to discuss how to best invest the dollars to help students and athletes.

In personnel action, the Altamont board approved Kacie Perry as a grade school teacher for a second year, approved an athletic training proposal from Bonutti Clinic for the coming school year for $5,000; discussed drafting a resolution regarding financial rating calculations and how to incorporate district assets in the rating; and approved a cooperative agreement with Altamont Lutheran Interparish School in junior high girls softball.

The Board adopted administrator performance multiplier guidelines for salary increases, and accepted the resignation of Charity Higgs as a teacher's aide. Maternity leaves were approved for Emily Golden and Beth Lawler, Cosette Groisiller was hired as a high school Spanish teacher, and Megan Burrus was hired as grade school PE and Health teacher as of August. The Board also approved an upgrade of the door security system at a cost of $7,950, discussed an increase in the School Resource Officer fee, and set a hearing on the proposed budget for June 8.