Unit 40 Board Awards Contract for South Side School Improvements

Effingham Unit 40 school board members have voted to move ahead with finishing improvements to South Side School. 

The Board this week awarded a contract for renovation work at South Side to Grunloh Construction of Effingham. The $2.5 million project will include new windows, a new HVAC system, new lighting and ceilings, and classroom improvements and a new roof on the west end of the buildings. Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan said district officials have been working with Grunloh Construction and FGM Architects to do the bulk of the work over the coming two summers. The Board voted to include roller shades in the windows of the school, but delayed a decision on exterior door replacement.

Unit 40 board members also approved the calendar for the coming school year. August 15 will be the first day for teachers, with August 17 the first day for students. Finals will return to December in the coming school year.

Registration fees were approved for the coming school year. The costs will include a technology fee of $30 for those in Grades K-5 and $60 for those in Grades 6-12, with the larger fee for older students since those students sometimes take devices home. In exchange, the Board eliminated the fees for Health Services, Student ID cards, Student Messenger, and Lyceum. It will net a $1 increase for Grades K-5 students and a $31 increase for Grades 6-12 students. Lunch and breakfast prices for all students will increase by 10 cents for the coming school year.

The Board also approved discipline and handbook changes. Those include changes to the junior high honor roll guidelines eliminating the possibility of those students earning a "C" making the honor roll and clearing up where holes can appear in clothing. At the high school level, changes were made to differentiate between penalties for late arrivals and early departures, and allowing those who were disciplined for alcohol or other drug abuse to participate in extra-curricular activities and high school graduation if they have successfully completed their penalties.

Adjustments were approved to administrative contracts and to those non-certified, non-union employees. Doan said the increases were "roughly in line" with contracted employees' increases.

We reported on personnel moves in a separate story earlier this week.