Altamont Board Discusses Lights and Sound

Print

Published on October 11 2017 10:56 am
Last Updated on October 11 2017 10:56 am
Written by Greg Sapp

Lights and sound were two issues at Tuesday's Altamont school board meeting.

The lights are for the high school baseball diamond. Former players Dane Milleville and Kyle Stuemke, in the words of Altamont Superintendent Jeff Fritchtnitch, "have a passion" for getting the diamond lighted. Fritchtnitch talked with Milleville, who said a turnkey lighting project from a vendor would cost between $125,000 and $250,000. Milleville and Stuemke, though, are planning to undertake the project with donated items with a goal of keeping the project cost at between $30,000 and $40,000. Fritchtnitch said they are seeking donations of time and materials from electricians, the State of Illinois, and from local businesses. 

The sound involves absorption panels for the walls and baffles in the ceiling to improve sound quality in the high school gym. Fritchtnitch said the issue has been discussed for the past 10 years and he's ready to take action. The district is looking at possible solutions and costs. Fritchtnitch hopes sponsors could be located for some of the hanging baffles to offset cost and also as a revenue generator for volleyball and boys and girls basketball. Sound is also a concern in classrooms at the grade school building, since some of the rooms have an echo since the classrooms are not completely full. Wall and ceiling panels are being sought to address that issue.

Fritchtnitch also reported that water sampling in September showed that some areas still tested beyond the threshhold of five parts per billion. Grade school and junior high families were notified of the situation. Work to correct the situation continues. Once changes have been made, the water will again be tested.

The Board met in closed session on personnel and collective bargaining matters. Tyler Niebrugge was employed as frosh-soph boys basketball coach, and the Board set a special meeting for October 26 for further discussion of personnel and collective bargaining. The Board also tabled a goal-setting discussion and entered into an agreement with ECRA Group of Schaumburg to assist in the strategic planning process.

The Altamont board placed a student on principal's probation, including required counseling at the parents' expense, for the remainder of the school year, named Kerry Wolff as the district's delegate to the state school board convention in November, and approved an agreement with Mound Township for snow removal.

Board members also heard that district enrollment is down 32 students from last year at the grade school and down 26 at the high school, and heard from Don Williamson on a possible Trap Shooting Club for the district.