Though there likely will be storm clouds ahead for Benton Consolidated High School, board president Mark Minor made sure to give God "thanks for the sunshine today" during a prayer to start Tuesday's regular meeting.
Superintendent Kelly Stewart also prefaced her administrative report with some positive remarks — commenting on BCHS students' performances in state competition — but later warned board members that District 103 would have to "suck it up" during what she expects to be a difficult year, money-wise, in 2010-11.
"Next year is going to be a very hard financial year for us," Stewart said.
She said she expects the board to consider, as early as next month, some budget cuts — "not in terms of personnel, but when it comes to supplies and transportation, we're going to have to suck it up. We want to keep our people and our programs."
Budget woes forced the Sesser-Valier school district to cut six non-tenured and one tenured teacher on March 8.
On Monday, the Mt. Vernon Township High School board cut six teachers in a cost-cutting move intended to save the district $400,000 while keeping 95 percent of the programs intact, according to a story published in the Mt. Vernon Register-News.
"By the first of 2011, the board should be in position to see exactly where we're at," Stewart said. "By then, we will know what the Sugar Camp Mine assessment will be."
Stewart said she expects enrollment to be "down by 20 kids next year ... which, ballpark, is about $80,000" in lost state aid.
Principal Mark Miller presented enrollment figures for the current year and for each year since 1990. Enrollment was 643 during the 1990-91 school year and hit a 20-year high of 660 in 2003-04.
Currently, enrollment at BCHS is 564 — part of a six-year decline that includes a drop from 624 students in 2006-07 to 563 in 2007-08.
"(Board member) Dr. LaBuwi said that's because I ran everyone off," quipped Miller, who was hired as principal prior to the 2007-08 school year.
All kidding aside, Miller pointed out that average daily attendance figures also have dropped this year — thanks in large part an early flu season that "really killed us" in October, Stewart noted.
"What a hit we took with the flu. We really did get hammered that month," Miller said, noting the 86.45-percent attendance for October — a 20-year low during a month that is normally one of the highest.
Miller said he has noticed another significant trend in attendance: several freshman boys who are regularly truant.
"We have more than a handful of students who just miss so much school. They come for a day, and then you might not see them again for five days. It has really been a problem this year," he said.
Board secretary Lisa Price asked whether this was a trend with freshman boys in general.
"Just this year," Miller replied. "I can think of probably a dozen kids who just do not come to school. It's a real concern."
In other matters, the board voted 7-0 to reemploy for 2010-11:
• All tenured teachers.
• All non-tenured teachers, including first-year teachers Ryan Tockstein and Ron Winemiller, second-year teacher Brett Blondi, third-year teachers Vanessa Estes, Chris Jerrells, Bob Hagerman, Heather Sanders, Amber Williams and Dean of Students Ryan Miller; fourth-year teachers Makane Nesler and Tracy Trill, and part-time teachers Beverly Boyt, Amy Gibbs and Aaron Moore.
• All non-certified staff.
The board also voted 7-0 to reassign all extracurricular positions.
Additionally, the board unanimously approved the master schedule for 2010-11. Board members also voted 7-0 to approve a $750 salary stipend to Ryan Miller for serving as Benton Invitational Tournament director, payable from the boys' tournament fund.
Stewart reported that the 2010 BIT took in $23,144 — making it "one of the top five years since the tournament has been held," she noted.
Minus expenses of $14,376.05, the remaining $8,767.95 was split into seven shares, with one share each going to the other five tournament teams and two shares ($2,505.20) going to Benton for the boys' tournament fund and the boys' basketball fund.
Dr. Robin LaBuwi asked whether the board should consider increasing the amount kept by the host school.
"We don't get anything from Du Quoin and just a little bit from Pinckneyville," LaBuwi said of the two other tournaments in which the Rangers participate. "Times are getting tough. We may need some more shares."
Stewart said she will look at other mid-winter basketball tournaments and report back to the board.
Earlier in the meeting, Stewart commended the BCHS speech team for its eighth-place finish in the IHSA State Individual Events Tournament — noting the state championship finish by Joseph King, a runner-up showing by Ryan Knight and a state finalist effort by Christian Hoffman.
She also praised Aaron Robinson for a third-place finish in the Class 1A State Wrestling Tournament, and Evelyn Mendez's advancement to state in the girls' Three-Point Showdown.
"And congratulations to Sesser-Valier — what a run they had. They represented Franklin County very well," Stewart said of the Red Devils' second-place finish in the Class 1A State Basketball Tournament over the weekend.
