Steeleville school board approves new staff

The Steeleville District 138 Board of Education approved a laundry list of staff members at its Aug. 21 meeting.

Those approved included 10 student aides, three cafeteria servers and seven volunteer coaches. The board later also approved hiring Chelsee Tharp as a second grade teacher.

Those approved are as follows:

Rachel Schwartzkopf (individual aide)

Myra Siemers (individual aide)

Jamie Hoffman (individual aide)

Katie Cole (individual aide)

Jody Lynch (individual aide)

Beth Fiene (individual aide)

Becky Phillips (individual aide)

Hannah Hamburger (special education/Spanish aide)

Amy Asher (general aide at Steeleville Elementary)

Tracy Wingerter (reading room aide)

Karen Bower (cafeteria server)

Rachel Alexander (cafeteria server)

Nancy Jeffers (cafeteria server)

Katie Cole (Latchkey director)

Becky Phillips (Latchkey supervisor)

Beth Fiene (Latchkey supervisor)

Beth Wingerter (Steeleville High School assistant volleyball coach)

Aaron Fiene (volunteer baseball coach)

Jacob Sutton (volunteer baseball coach)

Austin Hagel (volunteer baseball coach)

Jordan Wilson (volunteer baseball coach)

Eric Raby (volunteer softball coach)

Jason Rednour (volunteer cross country coach)

Stephanie Rubach (volunteer cross country coach)

The board also approved the transportation safety areas of Sunset Drive and Holt Drive area; the trailer court and the area along the highway to the Baptist Church and past the schools on South Sparta Street up to Jasko Road.

The board later approved bus drivers for the 2017-18 school year in Emiko Qualls, Glenn Armstrong, Sharon Hepp, and Tammy Gerberding

The board approved the annual cross country trip to Peoria and approved a two-year extension on its contract with the Southwestern Illinois Bus Company (SWIBCO). According to District Superintendent Stephanie Mulholland, SWIBCO charges the district $250 per route per day and Steeleville has three bus routes.

In other news, Mulholland said workers have begun installing windows at Steeleville Elementary School, with the project anticipated to be finished by Sept. 8.

She was also asked how the district is weathering the continued education funding fight in Springfield.

"We got our first installment of property taxes, so we're OK for a little bit," she said.