Guest speaker addresses Vandalia Board of Education

DEBORAH SIMCOX

Correspondent

      At the regular meeting of Vandalia Community Unit District #203 meeting on August 21, these items on the Consent Agenda were approved:

   •Minutes of the regular BOE Meeting June 17, 2025; Special BOE Meeting June 30, 2025; and Special BOE Meeting July 17, 2025,

   •Financial Reports & Bills for Vandalia CUSD #203 and OKAW Vocational Center,

   •Destruction of Executive Session Audio Recordings older than 18 months,

   •Updated 2025-2030VUTA Contract with corrected salary schedules,

   •FY26 salary schedule for Administrators and Support Staff, and

   •First Reading of Press Plus Issue 119.

      Report from Superintendant Jennifer Garrison – Guest Speaker Brian Mendler spoke at the Teacher Institute focusing on connecting with all students including those who may be considered hardest to reach. “Every child needs at least one caring adult in his or her life.”

   Building Reports

High School Principal Randy Protz reported that:

  -Picture Day is Tuesday, August 26,

  -AP (Advanced Placement) Psychology resulted in 7 students (out of 9) scored a 3 or better and will get the college credit,

  -AP Chemistry resulted in 6 students (out of 9) scored a 3 or better. The other 3 students scored a 2,

  -AP Physics I student scored a 3,

  -Concrete for the tennis courts is scheduled to be poured Tuesday, August 26 & Wednesday, August 27,

  -First home volleyball game is Thursday, August 28, and

  -Football on Friday, August 29 at Carlinville.

      Junior High School Principal Brian Holliday opened discussion regarding the issue of cell phones at school, along with Assistant High School Principal Michael Mabry, who has been researching the sources of cell phone storage. Mabry presented two options for storage, the first from Yondr Bags & Pouches, which offers an individual pouch for each phone. The pouch is then locked and must be passed over a devise to unlock the pouch at the end of the school day. This would cost the District over $34,000. There would be an issue if the student lost the pouch. The second option was a metal storage container which could be mounted to a class room wall and could hold up to 60 cell phones. This container would be locked when classes begin and not unlocked until the end of the school day. Both Holliday and Mabry agreed that there would need to be more discussion to find a secure/accessible storage option.

      Also on the Vandalia Junior High School list:

  -Picture Day is scheduled for Thursday, September 10,

  -Enrollment of 532 students,

  -VIP Opening Celebration – Field Day on Friday, August 22, 2025,

  -Home baseball games – August 21, September 5, & 8,

  -Home softball games – August 21, 26, 28, September 1, 5 & 6, and

  -Girls’ basketball tryouts begin the week of September 15.

Vandalia Elementary School Principal Greta Krueger reported that:

  -Picture Day is scheduled for Wednesday, September 16 with makeup day Thursday, November 5,

  -Thank you to McDonalds for the $500 donation,

  -McTeacher Night at McDonalds is Wednesday, September 9,

  -The Kickoff Assembly with Vandal Man demonstrating proper behavior to the students was successful,

  -Newly organized “drop off line” was successful in helping resolve the traffic backup,

  -Expectations Boot Camps was impressive to all the classes,

  -Book Blast will kick off on Wednesday, September 24,

  -Family Funfest is on Thursday, September 25, with food trucks, and

  -Grade level benchmark testing is beginning to assess the strengths/weaknesses of individual students.

      OKAW Area Vocational Center Director Nick Casey related that:

  -Substantially increased enrollment is up to 297,

  -Additional Health Program is up & running, and

  -Cell phone storage varies from department to department based on need for data necessary for that program.

      Special Education Coordinator Keri Buscher reported that:

  -Three trainings in Crisis Prevention – CPI (75 Participants); Direct Teaching Instruction (7 Staff Members); and new Book Study “Watch Your Mouth” by Brian Mendler,

  -New Staff – Brittany Hawkins, JH Emotional Disorder Class; Teacher Aides: Kasha Lash, HS TLC Room; Melissa Elam, JH TLC 4th Grade; Josie Womack, JH TLC; Sherri Beckel, 6th/7th Grades (Mrs. Zobrist’s Class); and Kelli Allsop, HS Special Education Aide; Golden Apple Student Teacher: Preston Rice,

  -Community Involvement – Buscher and Amanda Fritcher presented the opportunity to involve the community by hosting a STEP Program Student (who would be Students with IEP & 504 Plans) to the Vandalia Chamber of Commerce. The student would earn work experience and apply social skills and receive tuition waiver if they complete the program,

  -Shout Out to all the Special Education Teachers who willingly meet individual needs for their students.

  -Shout out to two students who have exited from the ED Program to General Academics.

  -Personal Shout Out to Mrs. Ledbetter (K-3 TLC) who has been extremely flexible in accepting students who need more attention socially and academically this year.

      Board Committee Reports:

  -Tennis Courts are “slowly getting done,”

  -Parking lot is completed, and

  -Football lights are up.

      Action Items approved:

  -FY26 VCUSD Tentative Budget,

  -FY26 OKAW Tentative Budget,

  -Vandalia-OKAW Joint Agreement Resolution,

  -2025/2026 OKAW Construction Agreement,

  -Art Club Advisor Stipend,

  -District Resignations – Myra Smith, Paraprofessional; Dustin Wyant, Bus Driver; Tara Cox, Paraprofessional; Crystal Johnson, HS Cook,

  -District Employment – Kasha Lash, Paraprofessional; Melissa Elam, Paraprofessional; Paula Baldock, HS Cook,

  -District Leave of Absence – Heather Thompson, extended leave of absence,

  -District Maternity Leave – Jade Black, estimated date of leave is 11/21/254-1/2/26,

  -District Retirement – John Short, HS Custodian, retiring effective Wednesday, September 2, 2025,

  -District Coaches/Volunteer Coaches – Aydan Jones, Volunteer Assistant JH Baseball Coach,

  -Chad Bowers – Volunteer Assistant JH Softball Coach,

  -Ryan Lewis – Volunteer Assistant JH Softball Coach,

  -Gracie Philpot – Volunteer Assistant JH Softball Coach,

  -Madison Ferguson – Volunteer Assistant JH Softball Coach,

  -Gabe Emerick – Head Soccer Coach,

  -Austin Durbin – Assistant Soccer Coach,

  -Aaron Alderson – 6th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach.

      The next regularly scheduled meeting is September 18, 2025 at 6 p.m. in the Administrative Boardroom at the Vandalia High School.