Unit 40 Board Seeks Bids on Facility Improvements

Effingham Unit 40 school board members Monday to seek bids on a series of potential facility projects.

One project would involve replacing the roof on the transportation building. 

A second project involves replacing the roof over the gym at Central School. The gym area was not re-roofed when the rest of the building received a new roof in recent years.

A third project involves patching and painting of the exterior of the junior high school building. The building will be power washed, so areas needing patched could show up. The painting will follow. The building was painted more than 20 years ago during the general refurbishing of other district buildings when the high school was built. 

A fourth project involves replacing asphalted areas at Central School on either side of the gym. It's believed that asphalt could be original from when Central was built in the 1970s. 

Once the bids are received, the Board will decide whether to proceed with the projects.

The Board also voted to apply for a maintenance grant of up to $50,000. It is a matching grant, meaning the District would have to go halves on whatever grant funding is received. The funds would likely go towards the Central gym roof project.

Board members were also updated on the ESSER III grant survey. Input is being sought from the community on how the $4.5 million in Federal funds could be used if the grant is received. You can submit your ideas by going to the front page of the Unit 40 website or the District's Facebook page. Superintendent Mark Doan said input is also being sought from both employee unions.

Doan updated the Board on the District's Safe Return to School plan. That includes weekly testing going on for staff members. Doan said they plan to go to shield testing by the middle of October. It's a test developed and utilized by the U of I since last year. Doan said they will start with staff members, but the testing will be made available to students. He emphasized, though, that any testing of students would be with the written consent of parents; he said it would be strictly voluntary for students. 

The Board also approved the purchase of eight buses, six regular units and two special education units. It was also agreed to lease two units for the next nine months.

In personnel moves, the Unit 40 board employed Terry Walker as a custodian at the junior high school; accepted resignations from Carla Cornett as a secretary at South Side, from Marilyn Finke as a bus driver, and from Leah Schrock as a teacher; approved a leave of absence for Kristie Jackson; accepted the retirement of Vicki Stuckemeyer as a special services administrative assistant; and appointed Madi Stortzum as a volunteer high school cheer sponsor.

Board members also met with their superintendent search firm in closed session to hear about potential candidates to succeed Doan, who is retiring at the close of the school year. The Board is hopeful of hiring the next superintendent in October.