Derek Beard New Indian Track Head Coach
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ The Du Quoin Board of Education Thursday hired special education instructor and former Indian athletic standout Derek Beard as the new head coach of Du Quoin Indian track.
He fills the vacancy created by the resignation of head track coach Al Martin at last month's meeting. Martin will continue as head coach of the Football Indians.
Beard is the son of Du Quoin High School principal Lybrand Beard and wife Kathy.
The board also approved the employment of Ashley Cook as LPN/Health Aide and transferred Nick Brown to elementary school in-school suspension supervisor.
The board accepted the resignations of Talisha Brooks as an elementary school EOC aide effective July 20 and Lesley Hamburger as an elementary school instructional aide effective at the present time.
Beard is well-suited to the position. A 2003 Du Quoin High School graduate, Beard was a two-way standout on the Indians' state runner-up football squad in 2002.
In basketball, he lettered as a key reserve on the 2002-2003 basketball team that tied a school record for victories (28).
He also earned four varsity letters in track.
For the past several seasons, he served as an assistant coach in football and track. This winter, he'll coach his second year of sophomore basketball.
The board discussed, then approved changes to reserved season seat and general admission prices for high school athletic events. The increases are designed to help cover planned increases for game officials in the Southern Illinois River to River Conference and police and staff supervision at the sporting events. The board voted to increase the adult general admission price for high school varsity events (football, boys basketball and girls basketball) from $3 to $4.
The board approved a $10 increase for reserved seats for high school football and boys basketball, but purchase of a reserved seat will include free admission for respective underclass events in those same sports at the high school level.
With the governor's signing of a $31 billion capital construction bill, Superintendent Dr. Gary Kelly updated the board on costs and a timeline for construction of a new Du Quoin High School.
Seven years ago the original estimate for construction was $13 million. Earlier this year, the estimate had risen to $16 million.
It could be six months before the school district gets written notice of intent to fund from the Illinois Capital Development Board and Illinois Board of Education.
Construction would probably begin with the new vocational annex to be located where the transportation building is located just east of the varsity baseball field.
In other action, the board voted to extend its contract with MV Student Transportation for the 2010-2011 school year. The new contract represents a 2 percent increase for the district's regular and special education transportation services over the 2009-2010 contract.