Published: April 29, 2009 11:17 pm      

New leaders head D118 board

DANVILLE — Danville District 118’s school board reorganization meeting yielded new officers for the board.

Bill Dobbles is the new board president and Gina McGuire is now vice president.

Following in the swearing-in of re-elected members Dan Brown, Greg Hilleary, Randal Ashton and new member Frank Young, the board voted on the new positions.

But the appointments didn’t come about without some tense discussion among the board members.

Judd Peck nominated Ashton — who’d been president, and Dan Brown nominated Bill Dobbles. Dobbles was elected by four votes from Gina McGuire, Dan Brown, Frank Young and Dobbles.

Dobbles nominated Peck for vice president. Peck admitted he appreciated the consideration, but he didn’t want the position after Ashton asked him how he felt about the nod. Dobbles tried to convince him, but Peck declined again.

Dobbles then nominated McGuire and another member nominated Hilleary. McGuire won the vote with Young’s, Dobbles’, Brown’s and McGuire’s own votes.

Pete Krainock, who’d served on the board since 1997, got an official send-off from David Fields, who presented him with a plaque of recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education.

Krainock got an audience standing ovation after Fields read the plaque’s statement, which detailed his community service and volunteerism in a number of different capacities in the community. His service includes, but isn’t limited to serving as president of CRIS Senior Services, volunteering with special need children, assistance with the Splash program at the YMCA, Kiwanis and Meals on Wheels.

In other business, the board:

-- Approved the employment of Terri Albers, a teacher at Liberty Elementary School; Elizabeth Boothe, a teacher at Cannon Elementary School; Tiffany Cox, a teacher at Meade Park Elementary School; Serge Penksik, an orchestra teacher at Danville High School; Jacyln Szaras, a teacher at Meade Park, Rachel Webber, a teacher at East Park and Vanessa Winston, a teacher at Meade Park, effective Aug. 20.

-- Approved the resignation of Amanda Pittman, a social worker at Garfield Elementary School, effective May 29.

-- Approved the retirement of Marilyn Myers, a teacher at Cannon, effective at the end of the 2011-12 year.

-- Approved the appointment of Angelique Simon as assistant principal at North Ridge Middle School beginning next school year. She’s been and administrative intern at South View Middle School.

-- Approved the appointment of Robin Fluno as assistant principal at South View beginning next school year. She’s a Title 1 reading coordinator.

-- Approved summer school meal provisions to the YMCA and Danville Housing Authority this summer. The district provides the meals to the summer programs and breaks event through state reimbursement.

-- Approved renovation bids for the Danville High School New Tech High house from McDowell Builders of Sidell in the amount of $287,588.

The renovations include removing walls and classroom expansions for an area on the third floor of DHS. Other provisions include air conditioning for some rooms, electrical work and masonry.

-- Heard from Business Director Shanae Hinkle that the state of Illinois is delinquent in its funding for several grants and allocations. Currently, the state owes $3.6 million to District 118 for various grants.

The board approved a budget transfer from non-transportation funds to the transportation fund in anticipation of state reimbursement the district claims for transportation of an amount that exceeds $855,000.

The state recently awarded the district with financial recognition for keeping a well-balanced budget despite economic hardship.

-- Approved a calendar of meeting dates through spring April 27, 2011.

Young suggested that the board make only one meeting per month a formal one, and make the second meeting a study session. The board agreed to discuss the matter.

COMING UP

The Danville District 118 School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. May 13 in the Jackson Building, 516 N. Jackson St.