District to install wireless network this
summer
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
More news and notes from Monday's Ball-Chatham Board of Education meeting:
•The board gave its approval to install a wireless network at its four K-8 buildings (excluding
Glenwood High School, which already has a fully wired network). This is part of two phases of work,
as explained by District Technology Director Scott Hruby.
There is considerable cost savings to the district, with the wireless plan estimated at $170,000, as
opposed to a traditional wired network, which would require over 1,000 cable runs, estimated at over
$300,000.
Hruby assured board members that the network would be secure, and actually be more secure
than a traditional wired network. The wireless network is expected to be in place by the start of the
next school year this fall, and will be installed at Chatham Elementary, Ball Elementary, Glenwood
Intermediate and Glenwood Middle schools.
•The Ball-Chatham Education Association will be hosting a school board candidate forum Monday,
March 30, starting at 7 p.m. at the GHS Auditorium. Audience members will be allowed the
opportunity to write down questions, and those who cannot attend can send questions in advance to
BCEA President Bob Cox at bcox@chathamschools.org.
Glenwood National Honor Society students will be involved, and there will be refreshments and
personal meet and greet opportunities after the forum.
•Supt. Bob Gillum said the district has received eight or nine applications for its Special Education
Director position. Interviews will be conducted later this spring.
•From the Good News report, Chatham Elementary, Glenwood Intermediate and Glenwood Middle
Schools have earned Academic Excellence Awards for 2008. To be included, 90 percent of students
must meet or exceed state standards for three consecutive years. There were 388 schools that
earned such recognition.
•The GHS Show Choir will be performing at the IASA State Superintendent's Conference April 2 in
Springfield. Also, two Chatham Elementary students will be part of a group leading the Pledge of
Allegiance. Gillum, the current IASA President, will be featured prominently at the conference.
•The board (5-0 vote, Carr and Hartzler absent) authorized the purchase of six new buses from
Ponder Equipment for $395,502, while also trading in four buses from the existing fleet.
•The purchase of a mower ($6,750) and trailer ($3,100) were approved by the board.
•The board approved Pehlman and Dold, P.C. to provide auditing services for the district for the
2008-09 fiscal year, at an amount not to exceed $17,300.
•Breakfast, lunch and milk fees were raised. The continued rise in costs have created a $75,000
shortfall in the District Food Service Program budget in both 2007-08 and 2008-09. Breakfast fees
will rise from $1.00 to $1.15, K-5 student lunches will rise from $1.70 to $1.80, 6-12 student lunches
will rise from $1.70 to $1.80 and adult lunches are going up from $2.00 to $2.25. Milk will go up a
nickel, from 25 to 30 cents.
•The April 20 board meeting has been cancelled, since election results will not be canvassed by
the County by then. Elected board members will be seated at the regularly scheduled meeting on
April 27.
•K-8 and GHS summer school offerings were presented to the board and approved.
•The board approved the appointment of Chris Ryan as an institutional representative on the BCEF
board.
•In personnel moves, from closed session the board approved the dismissal of bus driver Larry
Walsh for cause.
The board accepted the following resignations: Patricia Essig (CE teacher), Stephanie Dietz (BE
teacher), Jenny Keppler (BE reading teacher), Sara Podlewski (GMS Math teacher), Katie Fraher (GMS
language arts teacher), Kimberly Hall (GIS playground supervisor), Tina Root (GMS team leader), Ron
Manning (GHS social studies dept. coordinator), Cathy Slater (GMS team leader), Melissa Jadron
(GMS basketball poms coach), Matt Upchurch (GMS 7th grade girls basketball coach) and Brittany
Koester (GMS asst. softball coach).
The board voted to employ the following: Alison Anderson (CE kindergarten teacher), Kara Harmon
(GHS math team sponsor), Lynn Bee (GMS cafeteria supervisor), Julie Smith (GIS playground
supervisor), Stephanie Merano (GHS tech team member) and Kathy Franke (CE cafeteria supervisor).
summer
By Joe Pritchett
Clarion Editor
More news and notes from Monday's Ball-Chatham Board of Education meeting:
•The board gave its approval to install a wireless network at its four K-8 buildings (excluding
Glenwood High School, which already has a fully wired network). This is part of two phases of work,
as explained by District Technology Director Scott Hruby.
There is considerable cost savings to the district, with the wireless plan estimated at $170,000, as
opposed to a traditional wired network, which would require over 1,000 cable runs, estimated at over
$300,000.
Hruby assured board members that the network would be secure, and actually be more secure
than a traditional wired network. The wireless network is expected to be in place by the start of the
next school year this fall, and will be installed at Chatham Elementary, Ball Elementary, Glenwood
Intermediate and Glenwood Middle schools.
•The Ball-Chatham Education Association will be hosting a school board candidate forum Monday,
March 30, starting at 7 p.m. at the GHS Auditorium. Audience members will be allowed the
opportunity to write down questions, and those who cannot attend can send questions in advance to
BCEA President Bob Cox at bcox@chathamschools.org.
Glenwood National Honor Society students will be involved, and there will be refreshments and
personal meet and greet opportunities after the forum.
•Supt. Bob Gillum said the district has received eight or nine applications for its Special Education
Director position. Interviews will be conducted later this spring.
•From the Good News report, Chatham Elementary, Glenwood Intermediate and Glenwood Middle
Schools have earned Academic Excellence Awards for 2008. To be included, 90 percent of students
must meet or exceed state standards for three consecutive years. There were 388 schools that
earned such recognition.
•The GHS Show Choir will be performing at the IASA State Superintendent's Conference April 2 in
Springfield. Also, two Chatham Elementary students will be part of a group leading the Pledge of
Allegiance. Gillum, the current IASA President, will be featured prominently at the conference.
•The board (5-0 vote, Carr and Hartzler absent) authorized the purchase of six new buses from
Ponder Equipment for $395,502, while also trading in four buses from the existing fleet.
•The purchase of a mower ($6,750) and trailer ($3,100) were approved by the board.
•The board approved Pehlman and Dold, P.C. to provide auditing services for the district for the
2008-09 fiscal year, at an amount not to exceed $17,300.
•Breakfast, lunch and milk fees were raised. The continued rise in costs have created a $75,000
shortfall in the District Food Service Program budget in both 2007-08 and 2008-09. Breakfast fees
will rise from $1.00 to $1.15, K-5 student lunches will rise from $1.70 to $1.80, 6-12 student lunches
will rise from $1.70 to $1.80 and adult lunches are going up from $2.00 to $2.25. Milk will go up a
nickel, from 25 to 30 cents.
•The April 20 board meeting has been cancelled, since election results will not be canvassed by
the County by then. Elected board members will be seated at the regularly scheduled meeting on
April 27.
•K-8 and GHS summer school offerings were presented to the board and approved.
•The board approved the appointment of Chris Ryan as an institutional representative on the BCEF
board.
•In personnel moves, from closed session the board approved the dismissal of bus driver Larry
Walsh for cause.
The board accepted the following resignations: Patricia Essig (CE teacher), Stephanie Dietz (BE
teacher), Jenny Keppler (BE reading teacher), Sara Podlewski (GMS Math teacher), Katie Fraher (GMS
language arts teacher), Kimberly Hall (GIS playground supervisor), Tina Root (GMS team leader), Ron
Manning (GHS social studies dept. coordinator), Cathy Slater (GMS team leader), Melissa Jadron
(GMS basketball poms coach), Matt Upchurch (GMS 7th grade girls basketball coach) and Brittany
Koester (GMS asst. softball coach).
The board voted to employ the following: Alison Anderson (CE kindergarten teacher), Kara Harmon
(GHS math team sponsor), Lynn Bee (GMS cafeteria supervisor), Julie Smith (GIS playground
supervisor), Stephanie Merano (GHS tech team member) and Kathy Franke (CE cafeteria supervisor).
Chatham Clarion
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Issue Date: March 19, 2009