The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Joy Swearingen - Quill correspondent
With two vacancies remaining on the Illini West High School board after the April 4 election, two board members were appointed during the board’s regular meeting Wednesday, May 17.
Beth Webster of Lomax is the new board member from the Dallas Elementary School area. She is a social worker in Iowa.
She attended Aquinas High School in Fort Madison, Iowa, and earned a law enforcement degree at Western Illinois University, Macomb. She and her husband, Jeremy, have two sons, Brad who graduated from IWHS two years ago, and Braxton, who will be a freshman next year.
Webster was assigned to the board transportation committee.
Sue Brown of LaHarpe is the board member from that area. She is a rural mail carrier for the U.S. Post Office. She grew up in Carmen and attended Stronghurst Southern High School.
She and her husband, Darren, have a son Tyler, 29, who is an IWHS graduate; their sons, Peyton and Spencer, are graduating this spring; and a daughter, Taylor, will be a freshman in the fall.
Brown was assigned to the board policy committee.
Retiring board member, Tracey Anders, was honored as he leaves the board after 16 years of service. Tracey is the last original member of the board elected when IWHS was formed in 2007.
Also leaving the board were John Huston with 12 years, Betsy Wujek with 6 years, and Jessie Palmer with 2 years.
Retiring social studies teacher, Greg Hoener, was honored after 33 years of teaching, including 16 at Illini West.
Hoener gave a proposal to the board related to the social sciences department.
First, he proposed a Basic American History class. This would meet the American history requirement, taught with a lower level of detail for students with certain learning concerns or special needs. It would include the Constitution instruction and tests required for high school graduation.
Hoener also proposed expanding the two-person social sciences department to two and a half teachers, and he offered to return to the school on a half-time basis.
He proposed continuing to teach two sessions of Conflicts and Mysteries class he created. He would like to see a 40-hour community service graduation requirement created, which he would help coordinate.
He offered his services for school security, being a member of the Hancock County Sheriff’s Auxiliary.
Hoener’s materials also recommended the board consider developing an Introductory Life Skills class.
Finally he urged creation of an adult/alumni Git R Done Foundation, with officers already willing to begin. This group would support and expand the work of the Illini West Git R Done student organization.
Students Desiree Pflasterer, Camryn Dysert and Spencer Brown spoke in support of the plan and of Hoener continuing to teach. Alumni Keegan Steinkamp and Ashley Cox spoke, as well as Kathy Hoener.
Before the regular meeting, a hearing allowed public comment on the e-learning plan proposal for the next three years.
The district may implement an alternative e-learning day if school would need to canceled due to an emergency. As defined by the Illinois State Board of Education, e-learning days may be issued in place of an emergency day, with teachers providing on-line instruction.
Following executive session, the board approved 2023-2024 compensation for exempt district staff not included in contracts.
This included high school principal, $92,500; director of student services, $66,000; technology coordinator, $64,000; bookkeeper, $50,000; district secretary, $21/hr; maintenance/transportation, $23 hr; maintenance director, $26/hr.
The following were hired: Tyler Rasmussen as ELA teacher, Robert Duffy and Gail Duffy as summer help, Brianna Grotts as assistant girls basketball coach, and Michaela Gooding as volunteer girls basketball coach.
The resignation of Gooding as paid assistant girls basketball coach was accepted.
The board approved creating a grant-funded, full-time equivalent position for a social worker in the district. This person would be housed at school, but could make home visits if needed.
Illini West has previously contracted social work help from the Western Illinois Special Education Coop. Illini West was one of 16 schools that received a state grant to add certified school counselors to serve students.
The fee schedule for 2023-2024 was approved, remaining the same as last year.
Board members were urged to consider attending the 2023 IASB Conference in Chicago in November.
Risk Management Plan revisions were approved.
Approval of the consent agenda included a tentative budget amendment, first reading of the employee handbook, the coaching handbook and the transportation handbook. Second reading of board policy updates and declaration of surplus items were approved.
Sue Brown, left and Beth Webster, right, newly-appointed Illini West school board members. Brown was assigned to the board policy committee and Webster was assigned to the board transportation committee.
Tracey Anders with Illini West Superintendant Jay Harnack, honored as he leaves the board after 16 years. Anders was the last board member still serving of the original committee of ten that formed in 2007 and which he was chairman.