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Chester school board approves Gass, Goodman contracts

Posted April 22, 2016 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Staff Writer

Rick Goodman is now officially Chester's next superintendent.

The Chester District 139 Board of Education unanimously approved a three-year contract for Goodman at its meeting on Thursday at Chester Grade School. The matter had been previously tabled during a special meeting of the board on March 31 to clean up contract language.

The deal will keep the Alexander County native at the district's helm through the 2018-19 school year.

Goodman's contract is for a base salary of $120,000, and he told media after the meeting that he will not be seeking year-to-year pay increases.

Goodman is also the district's interim superintendent and will remain in that role until taking over full-time on July 1.

Also approved was a new one-year contract for Chester High School Principal Dr. Sarah Gass, who will keep the same base salary, $80,000, as last year.

But long before the board got to the agenda item of the contracts, the board heard from two CHS parents in executive session under the topic of "To discuss student concerns."

Before entering the closed session, Board President Mitch Hammel directed those who were not staying for the session to either leave if they went outside or wait in the school's library.

"We don't want anyone outside waiting in the hallway," he said.

The board spent 14 minutes in closed session before returning to open session. After the meeting, Goodman clarified Hammel's decision.

"We let somebody out there, an employee, could hear everything in closed session," Goodman said. "That's the only reason we did it. Hopefully, we are going to do something with this room to make it a little more professional where people couldn't overhear part of those discussions."

Other than a discussion on printer toner and the cost of network equipment and projector installations for the renovation of the CHS science rooms, the board breezed through its agenda in a hour-plus meeting.

In his technology report to the board, Rich Clasen - the district's technology coordinator - said professional installation of the projectors could cost around $8,000.

"I think if I got a student helper, we could install them on our own," he said.

Clasen also noted that 20 computers need to be replaced, most of which are teacher computers that were bought in 2010.

Board member Dan Colvis asked Clasen about the cost for print cartridges and creating a central location all teachers could print to.

"These printers nowadays are so economical and we're having to buy these toners," he said.

"Usually, our biggest cost is color anyway," Clasen said. "Black and white, you're talking about anywhere from a penny to three cents.

"Color, you're talking anywhere from a quarter to 50 cents per page."

In his superintendent's report, Goodman expressed his disappointment at the recent reveal of general state aid appropriations for fiscal year 2017.

Goodman told the board he was informed in January that GSA for District 139 would increase by $263,000. The amount in Gov. Bruce Rauner's recent proposal showed only $13,779.44.

"That's the danger of doing that before it's finalized," Goodman said. "It puts egg on your face."

Goodman also noted that the district would have to pay back $24,084.29 from the Personal Property Replacement Tax Fund that started under former Gov. Pat Quinn's administration.

The paybacks are part of $168 million in misallocations by the state, said to be caused by a calculation error during the Quinn administration while a new ledger system was implemented at the Illinois Department of Revenue.

After the meeting, Goodman said he wasn't sure if that amount would affect state aid received in the two years of overpayments and indicated he would call Sparta District 140 Superintendent Larry Beattie to discuss it.

"I can't answer it because I don't know if that's correct or not," he said.

Roundup

• The board approved a request by Chester High School student Steven Ehlers to implement a Chess Club at the school. CHS teacher Zack Jones will be its sponsor.

• The board adopted the 2016-17 school calendar and authorized Gass to implement traditional class scheduling for that year.

• The board approved the first reading of the Chester Grade School student handbook and several board policies.

CGS Principal Tim Lochhead said the two changes to the handbook are in regard to field trips. If a student has 10 or more absences, they are not eligible to participate in field trips and all outstanding book fines must be paid before participation in field trips.

• The board approved Jade Jolley as assistant grade school track coach.

• The board approved tenure for Stephanie Kennedy.

• The board approved summer driving hours for Brad Norman at $25 per hour.

• The board approved Caleb Golding, Austin Redeker, Joel Clendenin and Curt Meyer as summer custodial workers at $8.40 per hour for eight hours per day.

• The board approved Clay Herrell as summer technology worker at $8.40 per hour for eight hours per day.

• The board approved the following cheerleading coaches for 2016-17: Michelle Rust (assistant), Erin Eggemeyer (volunteer assistant), Ashley Page (volunteer assistant) and Cindy McDaniel (volunteer assistant).

• The board approved the employment of Jeremy Blechle as half-time Dean of Students at CHS and half-time teacher for 2016-17.

• The board approved extending a contract to Shirley Stegmann as the district's curriculum director for 2016-17.

• The board tabled extending a contract to Dave Kaiser as CGS administrative assistant and athletic director for 2016-17 until the contract language can be cleaned up.

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