Cumberland Ahead of Curve in COVID-19 Preparation for New School Year

Cumberland school board members heard at this month's meeting that the District is ahead of the curve as far as COVID-19 preparations for the new school year.

Cumberland Superintendent Todd Butler said items have been secured to help with disinfection and PPE. One fogger is an electrostatic machine, while the others are special machines to help with disinfection. 

Butler reported that some parents are concerned about students wearing face masks. Middle School Principal Stacy Keyser and board member Pam Ross modeled clear face shields at the meeting that the State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health have determined are an acceptable form of face coverings for students and staff. 

The school district has purchased more than 1,000 of the face shields and enough cloth face masks for each staff member and student to have two. 

Butler said the District has acquired needed items that have become difficult for other districts to find and purchase. Also, each employee will have a no-touch thermometer. Butler said he prefers a self-check certification so that the District does not have to maintain medical records.

The Board also learned that the District is forming a reopening committee. A group of parents, school district union leaders, two board membersand a student will make up the committee, which will have subcommittees. 

In other information concerning the start of the school year, the Cumberland board scheduled registration for August 4; online kindergarten pre-registration is going well; EIASE has rescheduled preschool screenings for August 6 and 7; the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Systems Toledo Clinic will conduct school and sports physicals on July 15 and on August 5 from 3 to 6pm; Eastern Illinois Area Special Education has rescheduled preschool screenings for August 6 and 7; and parent portal will be opened back up on July 15 for online registration to begin for the coming school year.

Also at the Cumberland meeting, Jim Miller of the Cumberland district and Tim Mueller of the Neoga school district discussed a proposal to co-op Cumberland and Neoga in cross country. There was no decision. The Board did vote to approve a revised budget for the current school year, and approved Mose, Yockey, Brown and Kull as auditors for the school year.

Cumberland board members also:

--approved purchase of commercial property and casualty insurance through North Wayne Insurance; approved the installation of new high school gym bleachers, Columbia Blue and Gold in color, with installation to occur in June 2021; Angie McElravy was hired an elementary teacher; Brittany Johns was hired as an elementary teacher; Jennifer Dryden was transferred to the open fifth grade teaching position; the resignation of Jenna Layton as an elementary teacher was accepted; and the motion to accept the irrevocable letter of retirement of Sandy Miller as of the end of the 2023-2024 school year was accepted.

The Board set pay rates for non-union employees, including Stacy Keyser for $83,800; Daniel Huffman for $81,473; Kevin Maynard for $87,193; Erin St. John at $20.75/hour; Mike Oakley for $55,474; George Hensley for $52,458; and Steve Wheeler for $61,738, for the coming school year.