Summer work scheduled at Bement schools – Piatt County Journal-Republican

Summer renovation and maintenance work is set to begin on the Bement school campus as part of $2.8 million of building upgrades.

Due to a late start because of a delay in state approval, construction of two secure entryways will take place next summer. Window replacement is expected in September.

But there is still plenty to be done before students return this August, according to Bement Superintendent Sheila Greenwood.

Well be remodeling bathrooms, the ceilings, the roof, fire alarm system. All of those things well get done this summer, she told the school board at its June 14 meeting.

She said window work will require the relocation of some classrooms for short periods of time while the more energy-efficient windows are installed this fall.

To fund the work, the district intends to levy $2.4 million in funding bonds and $425,000 in fire prevention and safety bonds. Greenwood said it should not result in a tax increase since some borrowing went off the books in 2016-17.

No one testified during a mandated public hearing held during the June 14 meeting in regards to the bond issue, which will be considered for final approval at a special school board meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 21.

Although not part of the $2.8 million project, Greenwood said some athletic field work is also planned. That will include repainting of the football field and possibly hiring a contractor to help finish work at the

Bement Foundations baseball field. The ball field work is currently being done by volunteers, but is in its fifth year of renovations and the high school team has not played there in several years.

CEO program High School Principal Doug Kepley gave a report on a possible CEO program that could be available to high school students in DeWitt, Piatt and Macon Counties in the fall of 2019. The community-based program has no cost for participating schools, and would see students report to off-campus businesses the first 90 minutes of their school day.

Students basically work through how to set up a personal business, work with businesses within the community to job shadow, to work with them to see how those organizations work, said Kepley. But it also has them to where they have to start up their own business.

Helping coordinate the effort would be the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship, which has programs in operation in 39 communities involving 160 schools.

Although there is no cost to schools, the program would need to raise about $35,000 to $50,000 per year to fund it, mostly to pay a local facilitator.

New teachers Two new teachers were introduced, including a retired Spanish instructor who will be able to provide guidance for the Bement Spanish program for up to 100 days during the school year. A long-term substitute filled the position in 2016-17.

Rachel Halliday has been a substitute teacher in Bement since retiring from Georgetown Ridge Farm, and jumped at the chance to teach Spanish.

Its a perfect fit, as far as Im concerned, said Halliday, who now lives in Monticello. I just like to teach.

Other staff and substitutes will fill the remainder of the school days for Spanish.

Also introduced was recent Eastern Illinois University graduate Marika Rosenberger, who will be a full-time high school math instructor in Bement this fall. Her plans include working with the science department to learn and observe the rare total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, just five days after school begins.

In other business,the board: heard from Kepley that the every other year trip to Washington D.C. went well. A total of 15 students teamed with students from Freeburg, Illinois and Anna, Texas to tour the sites during their four days in the nations capital;

was told enrollment projections for 2017-18 are close to the year before. High school enrollment is expected to be about 100 students, just under the 104 of this year, while 70 middle schoolers should start the school year, up slightly from 68 in 2016-17;

Heard from Kepley that BHS SAT scores averaged 1,005 in the first year of taking the exam for state purposes, compared to the state average of 1,022. He said sophomores will now be required to take the PSAT to prepare them for the SAT exam;

accepted the resignation of kindergarten teacher Sarah Snyder and high school secretary Linda Craney, the latter on Sept. 29;

approved extra-curricular assignments for 2017-18;

approved intergovernmental agreements with: The Cerro Gordo school district for the employment of Jennifer Thomas as part-time art teacher; with the Monticello school district for the shared services of social worker Jill Clodfelter; and with DeLand-Weldon for the shared services of speech language pathologist Erin Anderson;

approved a renewal of the district food services contract with Aramark;

voted to employ Shannon Connelley as district paraprofessional; and

approved the mandated prevailing wage resolution.

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Summer work scheduled at Bement schools - Piatt County Journal-Republican