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BELOIT -- The West Branch school board is seeking applicants for its impending vacancy effective Jan. 1.
Schools Superintendent Micki Egli noted at the board's November meeting the board will have a vacancy after incumbent Aaron Hawk did not seek re-election and no other candidates filed for the November ballot with the other incumbent Mikki Kanagy.
Prospective applicants must be residents of the West Branch Local School District.
Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest to Treasurer Adam Fisher by Jan. 5. The board may interview candidates to ascertain their qualifications. The vacancy must be filled by Jan. 30.
In other business, Egli provided an update on the energy usage project at the high school, middle school and early center buildings being completed by Trane at a cost of $3.8 million that will address heating, cooling and lighting.
Egli reported all boilers have been completely installed and are up and running. She said some additional work to the boilers will be completed over the next few weeks, including insulating the piping as well as finalizing the control units to all boilers.
Egli said the next steps of the project include lighting upgrades (ideally picking two classrooms before moving through the entire school) and building envelope upgrades to determine the schedule of work and ordering of materials.
Also at the meeting, the board approved the financial five-year forecast submitted by Fisher, showing a cash balance of $6 million the first four years, dropping to just under $5.8 million in the fifth.
There is a revenue surplus projected for the first two years before a break even in revenue and expenditures the next two years, then a dip into a spending deficit of almost $228,000 in the final one.
In personnel, the board accepted the the retirement of Heidi Shreve effective June 15, 2024; the resignation of Jody Greeneisen as a cook's helper effective Nov. 10, Tanya Pearson as an aide effective Nov. 10 and LaDonna Hardy as middle school yearbook advisor; and hired Jennifer
The board also granted supplemental contracts to Teresa Santee for Washington D.C. Trip coordinator-eighth grade, LaDonna Handy and Bridget Scofinsky for ticket takers-middle school, Michael D'Amico for middle school student council, and Jennifer Johnson and Lori Schlueter for middle school yearbook co-advisors.
The board also approved a field trip for the high school cheerleaders March 14-18. The cheerleaders will be traveling to Orlando for a competition under the supervision of Advisor Denise Ginocchi.
Addtionally the board accepted donations of $1,750 from Morgan Engineering to the STEM program, $3,000 in labor and service from Smith Landscaping for the practice soccer field, $684 in labor and services from Smith Landscaping for the baseball field; $176 for pictures with Santa for Preschool students, $2,384.66 from an anonymous donor for delinquent lunch accounts, $2,116.50 from Ryan and Cheryl Ficco for a new soccer dugout and $50 from Kelly Runzo and Johnny Graham for preschool snacks.
khowell@salemnews.net