Kickoff Shines Light on Positives in Education in County

(ALTAMONT SUPERINTENDENT STEVE MAYERHOFER)

Effingham County schools had an opportunity to shine the light on positives in education during the 2019 Kickoff to Education Breakfast Thursday. 

Regional Superintendent of Education Julie Wollerman emceed the event, sponsored each year by the Effingham County Chamber of Commerce, and introduced speakers from each of the five public school districts in the county, as well as from Sacred Heart and St. Anthony schools.

Altamont Superintendent Steve Mayerhofer and Altamont Community High School Principal Jerry Tkachuk discussed grants obtained by the district, including one to enhance distance learning opportunities. Mayerhofer said Altamont could interact with other districts, providing them with teachers in certain subject areas, and in receiving instruction in courses that aren't offered in Altamont. 

Tkachuk discussed "Indian Industries", an opportunity to blend Art, CAD, Ag Business and other areas into a program that he said borrowed from efforts being offered in Effingham Unit 40, and that could serve as a satellite for the Effingham Regional Career Academy. While the Career Academy will eventually be a standalone operation near Lake Land College's Kluthe Center, courses are already being offered in existing school buildings.

Beecher City Superintendent Phil Lark tapped student Kaylynn Moeller to make their district's presentation. She discussed dual credit possibilities available, new fencing at the junior-senior high school to complement other renovation work done in recent years, and shared that the district finished second in the county in test scores.

Dieterich Superintendent Cary Jackson discussed their new branding initiative, including new athletic and academic logos; the first time the district has had an academic logo. Jackson also reflected on expanded mobile computer labs and the district's increase in enrollment, generated at least in part by the Dieterich community making available more residential sites to encourage people to live there. He believes the increase to three sections of fourth grade this year is the first time that many sections has been needed.

Effingham Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan discussed the first phase of the junior high school building renovation project, but also improvements to South Side School and the Early Learning Center and HVAC work in the high school locker rooms at the football field. Doan also noted that the district sold health and life safety bonds to generate revenue for the projects while seeing the district's overall tax rate decline.

(SACRED HEART SCHOOL PRINCIPAL VICKI WENTHE)

Sacred Heart School Principal Vicki Wenthe shared that they are one to one on Chromebooks for each student in Grades 3 thru 6 and that two sections of four-year-old preschool is being offered. Wenthe focused, though, on the way their school can share openly about faith-based matters and that 30% of their enrollment is made up of non-Catholics.

(ST. ANTHONY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CAROLINE DETERS, JOHN ELDER AND WILL FONNER)

St. Anthony High School Principal Greg Fearday discussed the opportunities offered locally to students as comparable to what he saw during his years in public education in Omaha, Nebraska, a forward-thinking district with a much larger enrollment. Fearday also introduced students Will Fonner, John Elder and Caroline Deters, who shared about St. Anthony's coding class, called Mobile Makers.

(TEUTOPOLIS INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT DEBORAH PHILPOT)

Teutopolis Interim Superintendent Deborah Philpot discussed the expansion project at the high school, but also the heavy involvement of the community in the success of their district. Philpot also focused on the district's expanded use of fiber optics, and work on expanding internet access to homes in rural parts of the district.

Eastern Illinois University President David Glassman served as the guest speaker, sharing about expanded enrollment and course offerings at the university.