New Superintendent Helping Windsor School Board Deal w/Fiscal Issues

New superintendent Gavin Sronce is helping Windsor school board members address fiscal concerns in these days of even more uncertain state funding.

Board members Wednesday discussed whether to buy a new school bus, knowing the district would only be reimbursed for 72% of the purchase cost, or whether to hold on to an existing bus and run the risk of additional maintenance costs.

The Board voted to eliminate six of the eight cell phones assigned to District personnel, including Sronce's, keeping the phones assigned to the two building principals.

There was also discussion of whether to keep two Pre-K classrooms or drop to one. The district has operated a Pre-K classroom and Eastern Illinois Area Special Education has also operated a classroom at Windsor. The district's Pre-K teacher Gabby Morrow has resigned so the Board will decide whether to drop their classroom or look for a replacement.

The Board also discussed using sales tax revenue to undertake some life safety improvements rather than levy for bond money to make the improvements as it might be more affordable to use the sales tax revenue than to go through the levy process.

Board members also tabled the matter of new carpet at Windsor Elementary School.

The Windsor district has a $270,000 projected deficit this coming year.

The Board agreed to move their monthly meetings to the third Wednesday of each month, rather than the second Wednesday; and accepted resignations from Morrow, from Brian Russell as district nurse, and from Chris Marshall as a sponsor and assistant coach.

As for Sronce, he comes to Windsor after serving one year as assistant superintendent at Bureau Valley school district and three years as high school principal in Mercer County school district in Aledo. Sronce succeeds Jeff Schoonover as superintendent.