Published on April 13, 2026 7:15 pm
Last Updated on April 14, 2026 9:34 am
The Effingham Unit #40 Board of Education purchased French, Science and Agri Business instructional materials Monday. The total price is $478,367.
Agri Business is a new course and will be taught at the 11th and 12th grade levels. The Science textbooks will be for grades K-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The French textbooks will be for grades 9-12.
The Board also approved a five-year program known as ParentSquare. The purchase price is $85,799.25. ParentSquare is a replacement for Edlio, which hasn’t provided the two-way communications between parents and schools the District was seeking. Superintendent Andy Johnson said after researching two-way communication products, ParentSquare is the product they want to move forward with district-wide preschool through 12th grade for both academic and extra-curriculars. Johnson added that in addition to increasing school-home communication and decreasing the number of products a parent must have, ParentSquare is a cost savings of $26,176.25 over this 5-year period of time.
The District has checked with six districts elsewhere in Illinois, and all give positive reviews relating an ease of transition and training and easy accessibility for parents. They are also following other districts, including Teutopolis, who are transitioning and no negatives have been heard.
Resources will include the ParentSquare website, a three-minute demo, and an Intro two-minute video.
Johnson also shared with the Board facility and transportation items. One item was a bus purchasing rotation with up to seven buses and a five-year depreciation. Another was whether to purchase the portable classrooms being utilized at South Side School rather than three-year lease agreement now in place. A third is resurfacing the parking lot at Effingham High School and how that could be financed. Board members offered no input on those items.
The Board approved registration fees for the 2026-2027 school year. The only change is a 10-cent increase in breakfast and lunch prices for students and adults. Also approved was membership for another year in the IESA, and renewal of catastrophic and and voluntary student accident insurance.
Johnson said district enrollment is 2,296…four more than the previous month, but 38 fewer than the previous year.
Following a closed session, the Board took action on many personnel moves. They are as follows…
EMPLOYMENT:
Andi Holliday PFA Paraprofessional and Seasonal Employee at LHECC
Susan Feldhake Paraprofessional at EHS
Paula Fulk Teacher Asst at LHECC
Lisa Beck, Jill Feldhake EJHS Credit Recovery and Summer School 2026
Kaden Howard, Kevin Hiatt, Victoria Ault, Ellen Warner, Jennifer Kesl, Tara Raddatz EHS Summer School Teachers – Seasonal/Temporary 2026
Courtney Mathews EHS Summer School – Paraprofessional Seasonal/Temporary 2026
Nathan Delks 2026 21st Century Summer Program Bus Driver
Lisa Campton 2026 21st Century Summer Program Bus Aide
Noel Ritchey Bus Driver – ESY 2026
Lana Adams Bus Aide – ESY 2026
Abbey Armstrong, Paige Gillmore LBS1 Teachers – ESY 2026
Jenny Castillo, Emily Lotz Speech Language Pathologists – ESY 2026
Kayla Legg, Kortney Conner, Leslie Koester, April Hardiek, Marissa Brown, Barbara Jamison, Jessica Budde Paraprofessionals – ESY 2026
Katrina Eirhart, Jason Eirhart, Brandon Wilson, Landon Wright, Sidney Donaldson, Adam Flack, Ben Schottman, Alex Schottman Summer Technology 2026
Brody Brown, Andrew Lotz, Carter Nichols, AJ Lybarger, Brady McDaniel Summer Maintenance 2026
Cindy Curry, Wayne Mapes, Kelli Robertson Summer Bus Garage 2026
Natalie Stortzum, Addysen Stortzum JH Cheer Co-Coaches for the 2026-27 School Year
Mikayla McWhorter HS Pom Coach for the 2026-27 School Year
RECALL:
Kenna Koester First Grade Teacher at SS for the 2026-27 School Year
TRANSFER:
Elaine Klitzing 3 Hr. Cook at EHS
Kammy McKenna HS Girls Assistant Tennis Coach for the 2026-27 School Year
Raegan Boone JH Volunteer Assistant Softball Coach for the 2026-27 School Year
Ann Grasher JH Girls Volunteer Assistant Basketball Coach for the 2026-27 School Year
Pam Koester JH Volunteer Assistant Cross Country Coach for the 2026-27 School Year
Chrissy Brown JH & HS Girls Volunteer Assistant Basketball Coach for the 2026-27 School Year
RESIGNATION:
Brooke Henn Parapro at EHS
Whitney Shimbhoff Teacher Asst at LHECC
Jordan Wagner Instructor at LHECC – May 2026
Leah Snyder BCBA Behavior Interventionist – August 2026
Darlene Coffin 1st Grade Teacher at SS end of 2025-26 School Year
Donna Griffith Cafeteria Monitor at CGS
JaLana Robison JH Assistant Softball Coach
Abbey Armstrong 5th Grade Volleyball Coach
Mason Hull Fr/So Boys Basketball Coach
Sydney Ritz Parapro at CGS
Michael Lambton JH Chorus Director, HS Chorus Director, CGS Assistant Band Director, HS Spring Musical Director – August 2026
Alixandrie Summers Special Education Teacher at EHS end of 2025-26 School Year
Isabel Carter Paraprofessional at CGS, 21st Century After School Program – May 2026
Pam Koester JH Assistant Cross Country Coach
Beth Stundon Social Worker end of the 2025-26 School Year
RETIREMENT:
Nancy Moeller Bus Driver November 2026
Janice Flack Custodian December 2026
APPOINTMENT:
Jeff Schaefer HS Head Girls Basketball Coach
Brett Hefner HS Head Football Coach
D. Trent Mason HS Band
Jared Yager JV Boys Basketball Coach
Aaron Witges JV Girls Basketball Coach
John Stout HS Football Coordinator
Jeremy Patnaude HS Wrestling Coach
Curran McNeely HS Head Baseball Coach
Logan Arney HS Soccer Coach
Jerry Trigg HS Head Softball Coach
Quenten Austin HS Head Boys Track Coach
Shayna Scott HS Head Girls Track Coach
Laurie Bohnhoff HS Head Volleyball Coach
Drew Deters HS Bass Fishing
Megan Tylka HS Student Council
Kenny Cornell F/S Boys Basketball Coach
Troy VanBlaricum F/S Girls Basketball Coach
Nate Boggs, Matt Carpenter, Dustin Lustig, Aaron Adams, Curran McNeely, Todd Venters HS Asst. Football Coach
Aaron Witges 8th Gr. Girls Basketball Coach
Kyle Stortzum 7th Gr. Boys Basketball Coach
Shayna Scott HS Cross Country Coach
Jerry Trigg HS Girls Golf Coach
Jeff Schaefer HS Boys Golf Coach
Erik Williamson HS Boys Tennis Coach
Alexandra Estes HS Girls Tennis Coach
Sarah Wyckoff HS Scholar Bowl
Erin Wendling HS Asst. Volleyball Coach
Kyle Bourgeois HS Asst. Baseball Coach
Jack Harper, Jackson Lee HS Asst. Baseball Coach
Lori Koester HS Asst. Softball Coach
Nate Coomer HS Asst. Boys Track Coach
Jeni Phillips HS Asst. Girls Track Coach
Jiletta Patton 8th Gr. Volleyball Coach
Laurie Bohnhoff 7th Gr. Volleyball Coach
Devan Henderson HS Asst. Wrestling Coach
Melissa Habing HS Asst. Scholar Bowl Coach
Janelle Schuette HS FB Cheerleading Coach
Erin Browne HS Flag Squad (Color/Winter Guard)
Lori Koester JH Head Softball Coach
Kyle Webb JH Boys 8th Gr. Track Coach
Rebecca Quandt JH Girls 8th Gr. Track Coach
Mark Devall JH Boys 7th Gr. Track Coach
Nancy Ervin JH Girls 7th Gr. Track Coach
Nancy Ervin JH Cross Country Coach
Jean Cornell HS Community Service Coordinator
Jackie Haarmann HS FHA Sponsor (FACS)
Jackie Haarmann HS Pep Club Sponsor
Morgan Pals Sr. Class Sponsor
Sarah Wyckoff Jr. Class Sponsor
Jean Cornell Jr. Prom Sponsor
Melissa Habing So. Class Sponsor
Whitney Duncan 5th Gr. Girls Basketball Coach
Elizabeth Russell 6th Gr. Girls Basketball Coach
Jacob Stoneburner 5th Gr. Boys Basketball Coach
Garrett Wolfe 6th Gr. Boys Basketball Coach
Rebecca Quandt 6th Gr. Girls Volleyball Coach
Drew Deters JH Bass Fishing
Aaron Witges PA V Football
Derek Rios PA B & G Basketball
Alex Webb PA B & G Basketball
VOLUNTEERS:
Billy Hodge JH Boys Assistant Basketball Coach
Morgan Wilson HS Asst. Boys Golf Coach
Mason Hull HS Asst. Baseball Coach
Todd Venters HS Asst. Baseball Coach
Cassady Leech HS Asst. Basketball Cheer
Brittney DiBlasi HS Asst. Basketball Cheer
Riley Crain HS Competitive Cheer Coach
Lisa Sigg HS Competitive Cheer Coach
Jodie Davidson Boys/Girls Swimming
Jacob Stoneburner HS Asst. Football Coach
Jett Gillum HS Asst. Football Coach
Nick Painter HS Boys Asst Basketball Coach
Blake Wesselman HS Boys Asst Basketball Coach
Megan Adkins HS Girls Varsity Basketball Coach
Quenten Austin HS Asst. Volleyball Coach
David Stewart HS Asst. Wrestling Coach
Brett Ward HS Asst. Wrestling Coach
Phil Hull JH Asst. Baseball & Boys Basketball Coach
Ashley Clough JH Cheer Coach
Andrew Koester JH Asst. Track Coach
Randy Hansen JH Bass Fishing
Andrew Donaldson 5th/6th Grade Boys Basketball Coach
Robert Brickner HS Band
Cheyenne Brickner HS Band
Marc Moss HS Band
Brandon McDaniels HS Band
Erick Somodi HS Band
Braden Kiser HS Band
Emilee Ross HS Band & HS Flag (Color/Winter Guard)
Mathew Becker HS Band
Board members Chad Thompson and Desha Wear were not present for Monday’s meeting.
