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School district gets more state funds

In her first month as Vandalia’s
superintendent of schools, Dr. Jennifer
Garrison is seeing her lobbying efforts in
recent years pay off.
At Tuesday’s Vandalia Board of
Education meeting on Tuesday, District
Business Manager Lori Meseke reported
that the district is receiving $546,000 in new
funds from the state this year.
Those new funds are arriving in six
payments through the end of June, and are
possible as a result of lobbying efforts by
school officials throughout the state.
Among those leading that effort were
Garrison, while serving as superintendent
of the Sandoval School District, and Rich
Well, Garrison’s immediate predecessor in
the Vandalia District.
Meseke said that while ways to use
those new funds are being studied, the
district looks to handle its deficit this fiscal
year, as well as bring back some programs
and positions in the district.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Garrison and
board members agreed to allow this year’s
graduating seniors at the high school to
decorate the tops of their mortarboards for
commencement exercises.
The request was made by the senior class
officers, with President Olivia Marquardt
telling board members that the officers will
monitor the seniors to “make sure there
is nothing derogatory or inappropriate
written on the caps.”
Asked by board member Joe Lawson
how they would do that, Marquardt said
they would have class members email
photos of their mortarboards in advance of
graduation and also check them the night
of commencement exercises.
Alli Palmer added that the officers
would have a list of the graduates and
check them off as their mortarboards are
checked in advance and on the night of
graduation.
Any graduate who has an offensive or
inappropriate cap, she said, would not be
able to wear it for commencement exercises.
Board President Chris Palmer said that
he is “a fan of giving them the opportunity
as long as they can monitor it and the next
class gets to do it.”
Board member Connie Goldsmith
agreed. “I’m kind of all for offering them
a shot.”
Board member Joe Lawson said, “I’ve
never been a fan because of the potential
problems.”
Last year, he said, a student who was
almost expelled shortly before graduation
“decorated her hat with some inappropriate
things” and kept the mortarboard hidden
until it was time to walk into the gym.
Randy Protz, VCHS principal, noticed
the mortarboard and gained possession of
it before the student walked into the gym.
Protz said that one of the issues is that
“what’s offensive to one person is not
offensive to the next person.
“I almost think we need some kind of
(school) personnel who has the final say,”
Protz said.
Asked what kind of decorations students
may be applying to their mortarboards,
Marquardt said, “future colleges, that’s
what I hear most of.”
As board members and Garrison agreed
to allow decorated mortarboards, Chris
Palmer told the senior class officers, “It’s
never been allowed, so let’s make sure your
class sets a good example.”
Also on Tuesday:
• The board approved a one-time
permanent transfer of $64,875 from the
operations and maintenance fund to the
education fund for the short-term lease
and purchase of 75 computers for the high
school computer lab.
Meseke said that they will replace
refurbished computers the district received
from Scott Air Force Base, and that “they
are old.”
• Garrison reported that the color
scheme has been selected for bathroom
renovations of the high school gyms had
been selected and that the work on the
bathrooms is scheduled to be completed time for graduation. The current project is the first phase of a three-year plan for bathroom projects, Garrison said.
• Garrison reported that Kaskaskia College is offering an After School College Program to help replace dual credits. The KC Foundation has given $50,000 to pilot this program for the next school year throughout the KC district.
• The board approved a junior high dance club, with Kelly Emerick the sponsor. Emerick, VJHS Principal Brian Kern and Garrison agreed that adding the team as a club instead of a sport was the best way to start the team. It is at no cost to the district.
In personnel action, the board approved:
• The resignations of Vandalia Elementary School clerk Danielle Stone and Katie Vieregge as seventh-grade volleyball coach.
• The retirement of teacher aide Nancy Huskey at the end of the next school year.
• The transfers of Erin Langston from fourth grade to fourth- and fifth-grade special education at the junior high, Shelli Myers from fifth grade to fourth grade at VJHS and Donna Dothager from VJHS clerk to high school clerk/transportation secretary.
• The hiring of Greenville University graduate Molly Langham as a fourth-grade teacher and seventh-grade volleyball coach.
• The hiring of Meredith Gardner as speech language pathologist.
• The hiring of Joy Lewis, the daughter of retired VCUSD teacher Becky Bost, as district school nurse.
• The release of non-teaching coaches Josh Behrends, Bill Blythe, Erica Foltz, Jason Hagy, Tammy Isaiah, Angel Kpp, Nathan Miller, Elizabeth Mills, Joe Schaal, Kevin Schroeder, Misty Thompson, Tony Alstat, Alex Foster, Zac Kopp, Jeremy Leininger, Patrick Myers, MattPhilbrick, Debbie Richardson, Tony Richardson, Matt Shroyer, John Stout, Brian Swain and Colton Woolsey.

 

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