AI Update for Unit 40 Board Members Monday (UPDATED)

Artificial Intelligence, or AI, was a topic at Monday night's Effingham Unit 40 school board meeting.

Joe Fatheree and Charlie Huber, who oversee things technological in the district, shared about work not only with other school districts, but  with people in education and government throughout the world.

One effort involves the ethical use of AI and agreement among nations as to how AI should be used. Fatheree also discussed the quantum internet that is being made available at the University of Illinois and not only how it can be utilized, but also how SHOULD it be utilized.

The use of AI in agriculture is another pursuit, as Fatheree said it's forecast that we have to increase the world's food supply by 70% by 2050.

Also Monday, the Board approved changes in the discipline and handbook guidelines at the junior high and high school, but deadlocked on whether dew rags should be banned along with other headgear. The mother of a high school student suggested that her son wants to wear the dew rag after his hair is treated so it will stay as the treatment is designed to do. The vote on the issue was 3-3 with board member Kathleen Smith absent. Contact with several other high schools, including some with sizable minority populations, indicated that their policies do not allow any headgear. The issue will be revisited.

The Board heard that the Unit 40 Foundation made a $5,000 grant available for items needed at the high school; agreed to seek bids on two used trucks; awarded a bid for flooring work at South Side School; extended the existing mowing contract for another three years; rejected all bids on window replacement work at East Side School; and voted to spend $248,584 for instructional materials in three courses at both the junior high and high schools.

In personnel moves, the Unit 40 board hired Sullymar Rivera-Perez as an English as Second Language Paraprofessional, Elizabeth Russell as an elementary teacher at South Side for next school year, and Beth Stundon as an elementary counselor at the preschool and the Early Learning Center for next school year.

Transfers were approved for Darlene Fatheree and Karla Greenwood as Math Interventionists for next school year.

A retirement was approved for Amy Miller as of the end of the 2023-2024 school year.

Resignations were accepted from Kelsey Appelt and Brittany Appelt as cafeteria monitors at Central School, from Jamie Irwin as a bus driver, and from Nicole Hetzel as a teacher and Pom coach.

Leaves of absence were approved for Tara Raddatz, Erica Warner and Paula Bullard.