Steeleville BOE approves aides, presents budget

<p dir="ltr"><span>The Steeleville District 138 Board of Education is certainly excited about the prospect of full state aid funding.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>During the board's regular meeting on Aug. 15, Superintendent Stephanie Mulholland presented the district's 2016-17 budget, which will remain on display for public inspection for 30 days.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>"We presented a budget that's on display for 30 days and we'll approve the final one in September," Mulholland said. "We are still gathering some information.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>"No doubt, getting full funding will make a big difference. I don't know that we will be completely back to where we want to be, but a lot closer."</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>Mulholland said the state aid payments, which the district receives about twice a month, will be larger.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>The six-month "stopgap" budget that Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed on June 30 ensures that all elementary and secondary school districts in the state will receive as much, or more, state aid than they received last year.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>Under Rauner's school funding proposal, Steeleville District 138 could benefit the most of all the Randolph County districts with an increase of $229,597.49 - 18.4 percent more than FY 2016.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>"The payments are larger, obviously, but what the state has done in the past is just not give you your last two state aid payments and you don't typically know that until the end of June," Mulholland said.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>In other news, the board approved a platoon of individual aides - Rachel Schwartzkopf, Myra Siemers, Debbie Hood, Tracy Wingerter, Katie Cole, Amanda Hart, Beth Fiene, Amy Asher and Mary Polley.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>Previously, Mulholland has told the newspaper that an aide's employment depends on whether the student assigned to them returns to the district the following school year.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>The board also approved a new second grade teacher, Candice Feldmann. Mulholland said there are 40 students in second grade, making a second teacher necessary.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>During curriculum reports, the board heard from junior high teachers Stephanie Rubach (language arts) and Cheryl Kuhlman (social studies).</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>"They were talking about some of the writing things they had been collaborating on with the American Legion like the essay contests and the poppy posters," Mulholland said.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>In regard to the Steeleville High School science rooms renovations, Mulholland said contractors had run into some delays, but the work is expected to be finished soon.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>In the meantime, science classes are being held in the former home economics room.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>"They should be finishing the moisture mitigation (Wednesday) and putting down the floor that afternoon," she said.</span>

<p dir="ltr">Roundup

<p dir="ltr"><span>- The board approved hiring Katie Cole as Latchkey Director. Beth Fiene will be the morning supervisor.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>- The board approved the employment of Katie Crowe as Steeleville High School assistant volleyball coach. It is a paid position and Crowe will receive a $1,458 stipend from the district.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>- The board accepted the resignation of Mary Polley as junior high cheerleading sponsor.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>"I've put it out to the staff to see if anyone's interested," Mulholland said.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>- The board approved the transportation safety areas of Sunset Drive and Holt Drive, the trailer court and South Sparta Street to Jafko Road.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>- The board approved the list of bus drivers.</span>

<p dir="ltr"><span>- The board accepted a bread bid from Bimbo Bakeries.</span>

<span> </span>