If there was one solid theme at the end of the Danville District 118 School Board meeting Wednesday night, it was, “we are tired, you are tired, everyone’s tired, we understand, but we must come together as a team.” The number one issue was superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddes talking about how the mandate from the governor about requirements for school personnel has been passed down to the State Board of Education, who personally spoke with Dr Geddes on Wednesday. And the message was this: About 300 district personnel had not yet registered, on a system called Skyward, their information as to either being vaccinated against COVID, or testing negative for COVID. And unless that changes by next week, then by Tuesday, District 118 would have to close down schools each day it continues due to lack of adequate personnel. Dr. Geddes says, her hands are tied. If they do not do what the state says here, there goes the district’s certification.
AUDIO: Well the state board has the authority, if we don’t comply, to pull our recognition. Which means we would not be able to participate in IHSA sports, our diplomas would not have any value, and we would lose funding.
And by the way, any school days lost because not enough personel have turned in their vaccination or testing information would, like snow days, have to be made up at the end of the year. Meanwhile, South View School nurse Claire Pasquel addressed the 118 Board, saying that all the 118 nurses are so busy with now required COVID contract tracing work that they cannot adequately do their regular nursing jobs. She said afterwards, something has to change.
AUDIO: We all need help, perhaps a redefinition of the role. The nurses definitely need a contact tracers in there. It’s literally two jobs. From the moment we enter the doors to the moment we leave we are doing nothing but contact tracing. We don’t have time to be a school nurse right now, unfortunately.
Dr. Geddes say the district has job postings for both nurses and contact tracers. But like so many other places right now, they can’t get the people they need.
AUDIO: We have a posting to take additional people who could help us with COVID tracking, searching for TAs, but we’re short staffed. Which is why they say, the administrators are in the classrooms, my nurses can’t get to their jobs, it’s hard all the way around, certainly. But we’re just like everyone in Vermilion County, we have a staffing shortage, and it’s hard to recruit people.
OTHER DISTRICT 118 BUSINESS:
Despite the concerns about mandates, some accomplishments were definitely taken care of during Wednesday evening’s District 118 Board meeting.
In addition to the passage of the new budget, three separate after school programs for the district were passed: one by Laura Lee, one by Project Success, and one by Community Action. Superintendent Dr Alicia Geddes is often heard saying she wants kids to have something available from seven to seven. Because with busy, working parents, that can make all the difference.
AUDIO: When I came to the district, I came with a vision that from 7 AM to 7 PM this was the best place for students to be, and hopefully we’ll get there. We would take so much weight off the parents. We can get their homework done, we can get some physical activity into the students, and then when they get home they can have some quality time with their parents.
Also, a first reading was presented during the meeting on District 118 suspending, temporarily, some extra requirements on top of what the state requires for graduation. This would include items like 11 and a half extra curricular hours, four years of PE, and seven semesters of enrollment for graduation. As Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Yacobi says, this is all about letting students, and everything else, get back in line and caught up from all the disruptions from the pandemic.
Meanwhile, it was made official by the 118 Board that Danville High School can now have a competitive Esports team for video game players. Athletic Director Mark Bacys says the IHSA was vote on adding Esports to their list of competitions in early 2020, but then the pandemic hit. But this past August 23rd, they did finally approve it. Bacys says, the first state series will be this coming April. And D-H-S will be ready.
AUDIO: The world is changing and times are changing, kids are playing more games. And to bring something of their interest to the high school level, where they can compete and be crowned state champion in ESports is pretty spectacular, I think.
Gage Womack, from the DHS music department, will be coaching the Vikings ESports team.
