The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen, J-P correspondent
The amended calendar for the remainder of the school year at Illini West High School was approved to make up for the days of school missed so far this winter due to snow and ice.
At their regular meeting Feb. 20, the board also heard a plan from Superintendent Kim Schilson to build flexibility into the next year's schedule to avoid missing days in class.
Illini West will make up 10 of the 15 school days missed because of bad weather or other emergency in the 2018-19 school year. This includes three in the first semester, and 12 missed days in the second semester.
Teachers will not make up nine inservice days.
Days added during and at end of schedule include in-service days that were changed to student attendance days on February 15 and March 15; the Thursday before and Monday after Easter, April 18 and 22; and six days in May at the end of the school year, May 21, 22, 23, 24, 28 and 29.
Schilson's proposal for next year will be discussed with other superintendents in Hancock County. She said the plan is about more than missing class or adding days at the end of the year.
"We are working on getting emergency days made up as we go along, before the kids do their SAT's," Schilson said.
"Good SAT's can mean dollars for our kids. We can't miss 15 days of school and expect them to be where they need to be."
The proposed schedule includes three four-day weekends, one each in January, February and March. When emergency days are called, days from these weekends will be used. Two "flex" days are added to Christmas vacation, and five make-up days are added at the end of the year.
"People will know right up front that we will use these days if we miss school," Schilson said.
The plan would have students starting school three days earlier than the usual time to allow for the extra days in the schedule.
"This is just a rough draft for the idea," Schilson said. "I don't know if we are in a cycle of bad winters, but we are looking at how to build snow days into the schedule and not have to add more days at the end of the year."
The board discussed ways to compensate non-salaried staff for work days they missed due to snow days.
When school is canceled, these employees have the option to take a day without pay, or to use it as a personal or vacation day. In some cases, secretarial or janitorial workers can make up the days on a weekend, but this cannot be done for bus route drivers or paraprofessionals. Action will be taken at the March meeting.
Schilson said the school is planning a pre-bid meeting with contractors and the architect to go over specifications of the restroom renovation planned for the summer.
Bids on the project will be opened at 11:00 a.m. March 6. Board members will get all information from bidders and make the decision at their March meeting.
The board got a preview of the proposed course catalog and student handbook changes for the 2019-2020 school year. These will be finalized in March.
The board adopted several changes in the to board policies. Fundraising requests for the baseball team and Key Club were approved.
After executive session, the board approved hiring Peyton Porter to teach math beginning in the second semester of the 2019-2020 school year.
Ryan Bliss was approved as softball coach, and Shane Murphy as assistant softball coach. Roger Duffy was approved as a night custodian. The resignation of Sharon Rayburn as bus aide was accepted.