Dieterich School Board Elects Officers

Dieterich school board members Monday elected officers for the next term.

Cory Niebrugge will serve as board president, with Dan Shadle as vice president and Charity Bohnhoff as secretary. Bohnhoff was sworn in along with Diane Aherin to new terms. Each was elected to a new term earlier this month.

The problem is, there were three seats to be filled in this month's election. Mike Winters, who had been serving as board president, did not seek re-election and no one else filed for the seat, leaving a vacancy. The Board will advertise the position and review the applicant in hopes of seating the additional board member at the May 8 meeting. Anyone interested in serving on the Board should submit a letter of interest to Superintendent Cary Jackson.

Winters was presented with a plaque for his eight years on the board, six of those years as board president.

Also Monday, the Dieterich board named Doug Baxter as Eastern Illinois Area Special Education Governing Board member. Thad Goebel was appointed alternate. The Board appointed Rae Lyn Schmidt as district treasurer. The Board renewed membership in the Illinois Elementary School Association for next school year, approved summer camp proposals as presented, and approved an annual agreement to be part of the Southeastern Purchasing Cooperative for next school year.

Dieterich board members approved student insurance renewals, with voluntary student accident insurance through Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company and Catastrophic Insurance through AIG covering catastrophic loss by students while participating in extra-curricular activities.

Superintendent Cary Jackson reported the district's After School Program continues to be successful, able to support itself financially and is providing a much-needed service to the community. Jackson also reported the development of the new district website continues and a mobile app is nearing completion. It will go live once all information is uploaded and migrated into the new database.

The Board approved an agreement with the Regional Office of Education regarding disbursement of revenue from the new Cumberland County school facility tax. Dieterich district has about 35 students who live in Cumberland County and will receive a portion of the sales tax generated in Cumberland County for use of maintaining school facilities.

In personnel moves, the Dieterich board accepted two letters of retirement. One was from library aide Donna McVicar, who is retiring after 36 years with the district; the other is from 3rd grade teacher Annette Niemerg, who submitted an irrevocable letter of retirement to be effective June 30, 2020. Two letters of resignation were accepted; one from district Art teacher Heather Siegel as of school year's end to go to another district, the other from high school softball coach Becky Wilson who resigned effective immediately. The Board also approved a maternity leave for elementary aide Angela Miller, and hired Maggie Britton as an after school program aide.

The Dieterich board discussed staffing needs for next school year. They include district music teacher, district art teacher, two elementary aides, after school program aide, assistant high school volleyball coach, junior high Scholar Bowl coach, high school Scholar Bowl coach, drama club sponsor, substitute bus driver and substitute teachers.