Steeleville BOE approves science lab bid

The Steeleville District 138 Board of Education met in regular session on Monday and approved a base bid of $257,000 to renovate the Steeleville High School Science Lab.

The bid, from H&N Construction of Steeleville, does not include asbestos abatement or the price of the cabinetry.

The board approved a down payment of $19,000 at its February meeting to go toward the $76,000 cost of the cabinetry.

"The asbestos abatement had three bidders, with Fager McGee as the low bidder," said District Superintendent Stephanie Mulholland in a phone interview with the Herald Tribune. "When they bid it, they subcontracted it to someone else, which is against state law.

"So we're putting it back out for bid."

In other news, the district avoided a reduction in force again this year.

"Everyone was rehired," Mulholland said. "We managed to escape that for another year.

"Our enrollment is up and we cannot effectively do business without the people that we have."

Mulholland said district enrollment is 420 students this school year, including 275 at Steeleville Elementary School.

"That's the highest it's been in quite some time," she said.

The board approved a resolution to discontinue certain Early Childhood special education curriculum teaching assignments, services and duties.

"We partner with SIU-Carbondale to do a pre-kindergarten program," Mulholland said. "We started doing our own program for special needs students and the teacher is both the pre-K and special education teacher.

"All we're saying is we're not filling the position until the grant for it is approved."

The board also discussed the employment of non-certified personnel, which is usually student aides.

"As long as the need is there for the following year, then they are rehired," Mulholland said. "We have a lot of aides with individual students, so their employment is dependant on the student coming back."

Lastly, the board approved the amended public school calendar after the use of two snow days.

"Our Spring Break is (today) and Monday," Mulholland said. "Our last day of school will be Monday, May 23 with 11:30 a.m. dismissal."

During informational items, the board heard updates from teachers Julie Pyatt, Andrea Reiss, Lesley Holloway and John Correll.

"Basically talking about their classes and things they've changed for their classes with PARCC," Mulholland said. "We're starting keyboarding next year at the grade school level."

Roundup

The board accepted the resignation of cheerleading coach Bethany Robinson.

The board approved Lisa Lowry-Rohlfing as volunteer track coach.

The board approved membership in the IHSA.

The board approved an overnight softball camp of April 22 in Eminence, Mo., with Karen Furman as a chaperone.

The board approved Valic as 403(b) vendor.

The next meeting of the Board of Education is April 18 at 7 p.m. in Room 1 of Steeleville High School.