Coaches interviewed, no action taken
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Much of Eldorado's school board meeting Thursday was spent with the board behind closed doors interviewing about 10 candidates for coaching positions.
In February, citing community concerns and concerns of coaches, the board released coaches of middle school girls and boys track and high school and middle school boys and girls basketball.
In the February meeting Superintendent Gary Siebert said half or more of those released would likely be hired back.
The board members on Thursday made it apparent they want the community to understand they are not moving hastily on hiring. President Alan Hoskins offered a series of cautions. The first was his statement that only board members, not administrators, would be participating in the closed session of candidate interviews, provoking several expressions of confusion among the crowd.
Siebert later told the newspaper he had requested to be left out of the closed session because his son-in-law T.J. Zurliene is among the candidates and he did not want to be involved in discussions.
After a few minutes in closed session Hoskins returned to the audience with the news the board was not going to be hiring anyone that night. The board members were going to ponder the matter at least until the next meeting. Hoskins encouraged those in the audience expecting a decision at the end of the night should instead go home to their children.
"We will be treating the candidates fairly, the community fairly and the administration fairly," Hoskins said.
He also said the candidates would be interviewed in a random order, beginning with the girls coach candidates and called candidate Lisa Craig into the closed session for her interview.
The positions of high school boys varsity basketball coach, high school boys junior varsity basketball and high school boys freshman basketball remain open. Those interested in applying may submit a resume and letter of application no later than 3 p.m. May 22 to Beth Tierney, Athletic Director, Eldorado High School, 2200 Illinois Avenue, Eldorado, Ill. 62930.
The board interviewed the following candidates Thursday:
-- T.J. Zurliene for high school varsity boys basketball;
-- Joe Clark for high school freshman basketball;
-- Lisa Craig, Sara Lands and Josh Bradley for high school Lady Eagle basketball;
-- Donnie Cox, Jacquie Langley and Cathy Hathaway for high school Lady Eagle junior varsity basketball;
-- Chad Albers and Rusty Mosby for eight-grade middle school girls basketball;
-- Jennifer Kaiser and Cathy Hathaway for seventh-grade girls basketball.
Performance of teams and the respect of certain coaches shown team members are issues that have been aired at previous board meetings.
Eldorado-area parent Charlotte Brown addressed the board Thursday with her concerns about a coach she did not name. She said her freshman son has reported a coach using foul language in admonishing the team's performance, along with the terms "losers" and "worthless."
"These kids are afraid. They're really afraid," Brown said.
She wants to see the board enact a policy against such coaching methods.
"Everybody turns their heads on it. Before you guys make a decision on moving coaches around you need to listen to parents," Brown said.
Siebert and Athletic Director Beth Tierney agreed they would likely pursue such a policy.
Siebert said parents and the community are likely not aware of it, but coaches and any other staff behaving inappropriately are disciplined by administrators.
"It's not that nothing has been done. Maybe we could come up with some kind of written policy," Siebert said.
He said he hopes a policy can be in place before school starts in the fall.
Duff-Kingston seats
The board discussed at length strategies for replacing chairs seats in Duff-Kingston Gym. The pondered the idea of a third row of chair seats near the gym floor, removing portions of bleachers and lowering portions of bleachers so that top seat ticket holders would not have to stare at the back of someone's head when they want to watch a game.
Siebert said the board could fund the seats in two ways: The sale of health/life safety bonds or a lease purchase agreement with a local bank.
Siebert said he recommends the lease/purchase route because it can be done more quickly. Selling bonds could push the bidding date to September or October and seat replacement during volleyball season would be a pain. He has an estimate the lease/purchase cost could be $75,000 at 4 percent interest for five years with a monthly payment of $1,400.
The board voted to pursue an investigation into a lease/purchase agreement. Siebert said he has a bond representative scheduled for the June meeting to speak to the board and may request the school architect and a seating company representative provide more details before the board votes on a proposal.
Local woodworkers have and can continue to replace the wooden parts of the chair seats, but the hardware elements are so old they are no longer available. Some seats are held on crudely with bolts. Board members have often cited decades of people walking on the seats as a source of the breakdowns, always with the addition that adults are just as guilty as students and not even board members are totally innocent of walking on the seats.
During the meeting:
-- The board heard a speech of FFA student Josh Troester who placed first in the FFA State Prepared Public Speaking contest. Troester delivered his speech to the board on the failure of ethanol which he called "fools gold" and the benefits of a clean coal burning Future Gen plant in Mattoon. The board gave Troester a plaque. He is among 50 competing for the national championship.
FFA students Laura Grace and Fallon Boggess have been invited on the Heritage Award Tour visiting historic sites in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. July 13 to July 18, FFA adviser Bill Kittinger said.
-- The board voted to display publicly the tentatively amended 2008-2009 budget. Siebert said there is still uncertainty whether the state will pay about $193,000 owed in categorical money by the end of the fiscal year, but the district's finances will end in decent shape even if the money comes in after the June 30 end of the fiscal year.
-- The board approved summer insurance for students involved in programs as quoted by First Agency through Estel Hoffard Insurance Services. Premiums for summer camps are $700, summer conditioning is $700 and baseball is $350. Football premiums are $125 and are paid for by the district. Insurance for other programs are to be paid by parents.
David Bartok voted no.
-- The board authorized a trip of PASS, BEST, MOST and HELP middle school pupils who have earned 25 point to visit Holiday World May 29.
-- The board accepted resignations of John Fry as assistant football coach, T.J. Zurliene as freshman boys basketball coach, Greg Goodley as head boys basketball coach and Josh Bradley as junior varsity boys basketball coach.
-- DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.