Sesser-Valier Community District 196 Board of Education members made a difficult decision during Monday's meeting.

The result: The loss of six non-tenured and one tenured position, along with the elimination of several programs.

Superintendent Jason Henry said five of the six non-tenured positions affect the elementary classes.

Benton Consolidated High School has released its honor roll for the second quarter ending Dec. 22, 2009. Due to a technical system error, the list was not computed correctly. This is the new honor roll.

Thompsonville Unit District 174 Superintendent Rick Goodman said he really wasn't looking for another job when another superintendent's position became available in Red Bud.

"I have property in Missouri and decided to research the district," Goodman said. "I went there three times before I made the decision. There were 25 applicants for the position, and I was selected. I liked what I saw in Red Bud and believe this is a good career move for me since I am getting closer to retirement.

"I will begin there on July 1."

Open enrollment for the summer begins Monday, March 8, at the Rend Lake College Foundation Children’s Center on the Ina campus.
 
The center provides childcare to children ages 6 weeks to 12 in the summer. Parents interested in enrolling their child can call the center at (618) 437-5321, ext. 1393, or drop by to fill out a pre-enrollment form.

Rend Lake College announces its Spring 2010 Institute of Lifelong Learning courses. These courses are held on the main campus in Ina.

Superintendents from area school districts met for their weekly breakfast meeting on Thursday, but their focus was not on food.

All eyes are focused on what will happen next as Gov. Pat Quinn prepares to impose major cuts in what the state sends to schools and universities.

Scissors, time and a steady hand are requirements to trim the thousands of Box Tops for Education down to size.

For Benton Middle School science educator Debbie Clark, time spent equals equipment for the science lab.

"Teachers collect the box tops by grade level all year long," Clark said. "Two times a year, we can send them in for cash. At the end of October, we sent in a bunch and received a check in December. This year, we have to have these in by March 1 and they should send us a check by May."

Rend Lake College is proud to announce a new logo, created with a team effort between the college’s branding committee and the Arthur Agency out of Carbondale.

The new logo features the college’s clock tower, a prominent piece of architecture on the Ina campus, over the words Rend Lake College in a serif font.

President Charley Holstein called the new logo a proud milestone for RLC.

Rend Lake College Community Education is offering two Quick Computer Workshops open to the community.

Quick Computer Workshops are convenient classes offered through Community Education. They are designed for people who are interested in learning about ever-changing computer software applications. These classes offer people the chance to take a one-, two-, or three-day class. They are quick, convenient and help meet the educational and personal development needs of the people and businesses in our community.

Balloons and cake signify a celebration, and Thursday afternoon was no different.

Mentors 4 Kids board members, Benton-West City Area Chamber of Commerce members and those who worked on the new space reveled inside and outside the new digs.
 
The ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house honored the program that matches children with adult mentors. The new office at 610 N. McLeansboro St. in Benton had help from building owners John D. and Mary Ellen Aiken and others.

Rend Lake College announces public invitation to the Institute of Lifelong Learning Spring 2010 welcome reception.

The welcome reception will be held Thursday, Feb. 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Historic Schoolhouse on the Rend Lake College main campus. This free reception is offered to share information about classes and trips that are being offered through the Institute of Lifelong Learning.

Escalating debt by the state of Illinois will continue to have an impact on funding for Benton Consolidated High School.

In what she called a "worst-case scenario," Superintendent Kelly Stewart predicted a $370,000 deficit by June when she gave her mid-year budget report Tuesday night.

"I anticipate the state holding back $200,000 from us," Stewart told members of the BCHS District 103 Board of Education during their regular monthly meeting in the Administrative Center. "This is my best guess at this time."

After the last school bell tolls for the day, the work begins for volunteers in Sesser-Valier Community District 196.

Jason Adams, a minister for the Church of Christ in Sesser, devotes time to help junior high students succeed. Mark Mikulay, coordinator of the Sesser-Valier Teen REACH after school program, said Adams' presence is an asset.

"He has done a great job helping to tutor and mentor the kids," Mikulay said.

Menus for area schools for Monday through Friday, Feb. 8-12.

McKendree University announces the students named to its President’s List and Dean’s List for exceptional academic performance during the fall 2009 term.

To be named to the President’s List, a student must earn a perfect 4.0 grade point average for the semester. The Dean’s List requires a grade point average of 3.60 or higher.