Chester District 139 approves curriculum changes
<span>The Chester District 139 Board of Education met Thursday at Chester Grade School and approved several curriculum changes for the 2015-16 school year.</span>
<span>The board approved changing Chemistry II to Advanced Placement Chemistry, adding a semester of Keyboarding and Formatting to be paired with Computer Concepts, combining Photoshop with Yearbook, adding the paired class of Computer Programming-Gaming and Computer Programming-App Development and adding the CEO program.</span>
<span>"The number of kids we've got in college credit classes is growing dramatically," said District Superintendent Chris Diddlebock in a phone interview with the Herald Tribune. "Classes like App Creation. I'm not sure of the numbers, but I would imagine interest in that class is pretty high."</span>
<span>The Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities program will be a first for Randolph County in the fall. Applications were due on Friday and an independent board is determining the inaugural county-wide class that is only offered to juniors and seniors.</span>
<span>Diddlebock also provided the board an update on construction of the new gymnasium at Chester Grade School. He said the $5.85 million project, three-quarters of which is being paid for through a grant by the Capital Development Board, is on time and under budget.</span>
<span>The project carries an estimated completion date of July 15 of this year.</span>
<span>"I handed the board some accounting information on where the money was going," Diddlebock said. "Fager-McGee provides a diagram where we are and I shared them with that.</span>
<span>"Hopefully by Thursday, if we get good weather, we'd put the rest of the roof on. The major steelwork is already up."</span>
<span>Diddlebock was hesitant to say whether the gym could be finished earlier than July 15.</span>
<span>"I'm still focused on us being ready to go by the first day of school," he said. "That is of utmost importance. I don't want to get ahead of myself, because you don't know what the weather's going to be.</span>
<span>"Once you have the roof on, you have a lot more leeway with stuff."</span>
<span>Diddlebock also said he was asked during the meeting about education financing from the state.</span>
<span>"Honestly, I have no idea," he said. "I need some information from the state, financial-wise. No one has absolutely any clue what the state might do."</span>
<span>The board also approved district bills in the amount of $884,087.43 and payroll in the amount of $410,792.60.</span>
<span>On its consent agenda, the following coaches were approved:</span>
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<span>Troy Clendenin as High School Track Volunteer for 2014-15</span>
</li>
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<span>Connie Clendenin as High School Track Volunteer for 2014-15</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Jim West as High School Track Volunteer for 2014-15</span>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<span>Bill Belton as High School Baseball Volunteer for 2014-15</span>
</li>
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<span>Eric Skorz as High School Baseball Volunteer for 2014-15</span>
</li>
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<span>Dale Wahl as High School Softball Volunteer for 2014-15</span>
</li>
</ul>
<span>The board also approved Curt Gilpin as High School Assistant Girls Track Coach, Trevor Kelkhoff as High School Assistant Baseball Coach and Randy Hoffman as High School Assistant Softball Coach.</span>
<span>All are for the current school year.</span>
<span>The next scheduled meeting of the Board of Education is set for Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. in the CGS Band Room.</span>