Unit 10 Honors Retirees, Planning For Five Day Week For 2021-2022 School Year
By Stephanie Malench
smalench@timestribunenews.com
The Collinsville Unit 10 School Board started its May meeting by recognizing its teachers and staff retiring at the end of this school year: Patty Bozeman, Mary Cauble, Charlie Johnson, Donna Sanders, Cathy Shelton, Pam Kavaliunas, Jean Smith, Darin Lee, Dave Snider, Dawn Lewis, Vonda Stephenson, Uta Robison, Kim Walters, Terri Cary, Delois Cochran, Mary Fedder, Arlene Hamner, Scott Koesterer, Lois Luthy, Sheryll Modeer, Eva Schwander, Debbie Zumwinkel.
In the Superintendent’s Report, Dr. Brad Skertich announced that the district is planning for five day a week attendance next year, and is planning with having lunch both in the cafeteria and throughout the building and six-foot, three-foot, and no social distancing plans depending on guidelines handed down by the state.
Skertich also reported that the Upward Bound program at the high school is maed out at 60 students for next year, after having only been created two years ago for first-generation high school graduates going to college.
During the public relations report, Kim Collins announced that Elliot Davis will be doing a report on how local school districts manage their funds.
The contract with Watts was extended for another year for the same price per page but providing new copiers to the various buildings.
A third hall monitor was approved for the middle school, allowing one to be stationed at the front door and one at each wing for 7th and 8th grades.
In unfinished business, discussion continued on the potential option on how to spend the $11.8 million to be handed down through reimbursable ESSER III grant funds. Funding will be announced at the end of June. The money must be spent on capital improvement projects that address air quality or square footage and work must be complete by April 30, 2024.
Options the board will be studying over the next month include building a new Caseyville Elementary School, adding another addition onto Dorris Intermediate School, or upgrading the HVAC system in all district buildings.
Two public hearings were held to discuss and vote on keeping two Unit 10 parents from coming onto school property or attending school events for the calendar year May 7, 2021 through May 6, 2022. Kachina Brown was banned for engaging in aggressive, disruptive and threatening behavior jeopardizing the safety and welfare of students at Webster Elementary after having already been banned from participating in her son’s Google Classroom sessions back in February.
Michael Vadas was banned for a year after verbally abusing the wrestling coach and athletic trainer at the high school when his son did not meet the weight requirement for the match that day. Vadas also took his mask off and was yelling at students and staff as he walked across the gym.
A real estate exchange agreement between the school district and the city of Collinsville was approved for the building trades program at the vocational center.
In other high school news, a new environmental club was approved and Assistant Principal Dan Toberman was promoted to principal due to Snider’s retirement.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting is scheduled for June 21 at the Annex.
