Neoga School Board Reinstates Ag Program

Neoga school board members have reinstated the district's Agriculture program.

The Board has hired Michaela Smith to teach the Ag curriculum, which will include Intro to Ag Industry, Ag Science, Ag Business and Management, Ag Construction, and Ag Mechanics.

The Ag program was one of several cuts made by the Board in recent years to pull the District out of a deep financial hole.

Meanwhile, Neoga board members approved a resolution related to receiving the district's share of revenue from Coles County's new occupational sales tax since a portion of the district is in Coles County and also discussed a similar measure on the ballot for Cumberland County voters to consider on April 4.

In personnel matters, the Neoga board approved a job description for the Dean of Students and Athletic Director's position now held by Jeff Wooters. The position currently is for an assistant principal and athletic director, but will change when the Board hires a grade school principal and junior/senior high school principal for next school year. The Board approved honorable dismissals of several staffers including Title I teacher Susan Banyai, and classroom aides Barbara Kingery, Amanda Osborn, Gwendolyn McTeer, Kimberly Ewing, Roberta Gingerich and Jennifer Davis. Those individuals could later be recalled if finances and enrollment warrant their return.

Summer School teachers were hired, including Susan Banyai, Lacy Althoff, Sheryl Fearday, Seth James and Steve McCann, and intergovernmental agreements were renewed with the Stew-Stras district for a Speech teacher and a school nurse.