GARDNER – SO. WILMINGTON HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT #73
BOARD BRIEFS
Highlights of the Regular Meeting
FEBRUARY 15, 2023
PUBLIC COMMENT:
No comment. No public at tonight’s meeting.
DIRECTOR’S REPORT:
Mr. John Williamsen, Technology Director, was present at tonight’s meeting to discuss projects he has been working on and/or completed since the school year started.
- Chromebooks were distributed to all students at the start of this school year for our 1:1 program. Repairs are being done as needed. He is ordering new Chromebooks for incoming Freshmen and getting rid of some old/outdated ones.
- MAP updates – working with Ms. Dallio on MAP set-up, testing, etc.
- State Reporting – completing these reports throughout the school year.
- Sound System in the gym – Getting quotes from three different vendors to replace and update the entire system. New microphones, new & additional speakers, new amps, install a jack at the score table, etc.
- Networks – servers need to be replaced. This would be done in stages—a new backup system.
- Cameras – they have been updated and are on the new system. They are clearer, faster, and can be accessed remotely. Grundy County Police Dept will also have access to our cameras.
- Copy Machines – getting quotes from two vendors to get new copy machines. They would be brand-new machines – one color and one black & white.
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT: Mr. Engelman, the Principal, reported the following:
- Huddle Camera – Free for GSW spectators to watch all our home events in the gym. GSW pays this fee ($8,000 per year) for the live streaming of events and stats for our coaches. Athletic Boosters help pay a portion of this fee.
- Attendance for January was: 93.4%
- Discipline for January only had two detentions.
- SEL (Social Emotional Learning for teachers) and TEAM building on Wed, Feb 8th, half-day via an Escape Room. They were separated into four groups and did their best teamwork. One lucky team did make it out. There was a lot of positive feedback from this event.
DIRECTORS’ REPORTS:
Student Services Coordinator = Ms. Angel Dallio submitted her report to the board:
- MAP Scores Presentation = Students are placed in RTI through their MAP scores. Currently, 10 students are in RTI with Mr. Wills in Pre-Algebra, and ten are in RTI with Mrs. Leigh using the ALEX program. The MAP scores also show our high-achieving students.
- Tardies – we gave detentions to 27 students for being tardy for 1st semester—64 total detentions.
- GSW Website and Social Media sites – Ms. Dallio oversees the GSW social media. On Facebook – Ms. Dallio has created Throwback Thursday, and the community has greatly received it.
Athletic Director = Mr. Engelman reported on:
- Softball co-op with Tri-Point – Mr. Engelman and Amber Eisha have met with Tri-Point regarding the 2023-24 season. Details still need to be ironed out before a 2-year contract is approved and signed by both GSW and Tri-Point boards. New uniforms were also discussed – combining the school colors into one new uniform for players.
- JV Baseball Coach – we are looking to hire a JV baseball coach. The position has been posted internally and will now be released publicly.
BUILDING AND GROUNDS REPORT : Mrs. Sue Avery discussed the following:
- Lift =We are still having issues with our current lift. The company has problems finding parts and has informed us that our best option is to replace the entire lift for approximately $43,000.
- Flag Light = We will be fixing/replacing the light on the flagpole behind the school. A new flag will be put up once the light is repaired.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT: Mrs. Avery presented the following:
- We are waiting for the maintenance grant money for the exterior doors project.
- Negotiations = The first meeting has been set for next Wed, Feb 22.
- Online registration = Registration for the 23-24 school year will open on March 1st—$ 10 discount for early registration. Our Guidance Dept has already been out to the three feeder grade schools to get our incoming Freshman registered.
- Milk Contract = We will renew our contract with Clover Farms with a $.02 increase.
- Transportation Fees with Dwight Co-op = GSW will pay for 1⁄2 of the Dwight bus driver’s salary. Drivers are paid $50 per round-trip, so that GSW will pay $25.00 per trip.
- Fishing Team Shirts = There was a discussion with a fishing team member about their team shirts. The Fishing team purchases shirts for their members since they are personalized with last names, sponsor names, logos, etc. They fundraise money and are self-sufficient. GSW purchases other team uniforms in the rotation and can be used again year after year.
- PE Position posted – We have posted the 2023-24 PE position. So far, we have received two applications. Interviews will be held next week.
- Internal Posting of JV Baseball Coach = This position was posted internally. Mr. Wills, the Varsity baseball coach, has indicated he can coach both JV and Varsity this year. There are no game schedules for the same days, as we will need more players to have two separate teams. A lot of the JV players will play both JV and Varsity. The Posting will now go out to the public.
- W Flag and the Rally Flag = The W Flag for both softball and baseball teams has been ordered. They are both school colors (orange, black & white) – but are a little different since each team picked their favorite flag design. The Rally Flag has not been ordered yet. Athletic Boosters has a meeting on Feb 27th, which will be discussed at this meeting.
- Solar Farm Update = The project has now been pushed back to 2027. Due to the new map layout, GSW will be getting a little more money than previously projected. This is good news for our school.BOE MEMBERS REPORTS:None at this time.
ACTION ITEMS:
- Approve the Milk Contract renewal with Clover Farms
- Appoint Superintendent to begin work on the Tentative Budget for the Fiscal Year 2024
- Approve the 2023-2024 District Calendar
- Approve the School Fees for the 2023-2024 school year
- Approve the Transportation Fees Dwight Co-op
- Principal Recommendation to the board – Mr. Brian Davis
- Accept the Resignation of Play Director – Stefanie Rymsza
- Accept the Resignation of Junior Varsity Baseball Coach – Mr. Bill Asbridge
- Approve Supplemental Baseball Coach – Mr. Chris Halpin
- Approve Supplemental Softball Coach – Katelyn FarrisOTHERS:Katy Wepprecht, Board Vice-President, asked if we could look into the following:
- Additional lighting for our back-parking lot. It is still very dark in the back parking lot for our fans leaving GSW after sporting events.
- Hand railing in the upper bleachers – add more railing and make the gym seating more senior-friendly
- Visitors signage – can we add “visitors” – paint block letters on the gym wall behind the visitor seating area.
Terry Schultz asked if we can get the Prom Itinerary out so that parents and students know details as soon as possible since the prom is away / out of town this year.
B OAR D O F E D U CA T I O N
President: Pam Brooks Vice-President: Katy Wepprecht Kristen Ashley, Tim Harvey, Terry Schultz, Kori Speed & Allison Wright Principal: John Engelman Superintendent: SusanAvery
