Triad District Cuts Part-Time Staff
By Charlie Feldman
cfeldman@timestribunenews.com
The Triad School District is reducing its part-time educational support personnel force.
This and other actions were taken at the Monday, April 26 meeting.
After due consideration, the board felt this was necessary. All honorably discharged personnel will receive notice by certified mail at least 30 days prior to May 26.
“Triad’s decision to reduce in force part-time Education Support Personnel 30 days before the end of the school year is based on making sure that the district has flexibility to hire full-time paraprofessionals and certified nursing assistants (CNAs) to fill anticipated ‘21-‘22 job openings,” Superintendent Leigh Lewis wrote to the Times-Tribune Monday afternoon.
“At this time in the current school year, it is difficult to predict if there will be part-time positions available when school begins in the fall. Triad is fortunate that several of our most dedicated support personnel employees take on different job responsibilities during a school day,” she wrote.
“Some of our employees work part-time supervising students, assisting school nurses and office personnel as well as substituting for full time staff. There will be part-time positions next school year; however, it is very difficult to predict what those jobs will be and what part of the school day those jobs are needed,” Lewis wrote.
Although it is too early to finalize, the Triad district hopes to implement a more normal schedule in 2021-22 where students will be attending five days a week for the full number of instructional hours. It hasn’t yet been determined what the exact end times to its school days will be, only that they will meet the required 300 minutes. The guidance the district will get from the Illinois Department of Public Health in the fall could make a difference in scheduling lunches, recess and unstructured times.
First order of business at the meeting, however, was to disband the retiring board of education, administer an oath to the newly elected members and choose officers. They chose to re-elect Jeff Hewitt as president, Lori Daiber as vice president and Katy Little as secretary.
In the April municipal election, Lori Daiber retained her seat on the board. Joining her are new members Chris Wasser of Marine and Brittany Evans of Troy.
The city’s change of treasurer as David Roady retired meant that the bond with Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of American needs to be canceled and a new one issued with the new bond principal signature. Three bonds for the Working Cash fund also will go through this process.
Due to concerns that Triad Middle School was reaching its capacity – the sixth graders eat in their classrooms because the cafeteria is crowded – the district is looking into purchasing or leasing a portable building as a short-term solution.
The board approved the following actions:
• a bid proposal from Busey Bank for the lease/loan of three electric buses, installation of a concrete pad and fencing and the Solar Phase II project at an interest rate of .99 plus attorney documentation fees.
• renewing the district’s membership in the Illinois High School Association.
• an overnight trip for the Boys Tennis Team to compete in a tournament in Palatine.
The next school board meeting will be held on Monday, May 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Central Offices, 203 East Throp Street in Troy. A link to watch it while it’s being Livestreamed is on the district’s website.
