Longtime educator Lybrand Beard joins list of Dist. 300 retirees
Longtime Du Quoin educator Lybrand Beard will retire at the end of he current year, ending a career that began in 1989 and included tours as Du Quoin High School principal and now elementary school special education instructor.
That career was interrupted by a debilitating back problem.
A progressive and almost total debilitation from a 1974 injury as a Du Quoin High School freshman pole vaulter robbed Lybrand Beard and certainly his family and friends o a quality of life.
Seven surgeries since 1999--two of them back-to-back on May 8 and May 10 of 2013--and a Chesterfield, Mo. orthopedic surgeon who specializes in "revision surgeries" to correct the wrongs of others- -have finally given him some of his life back,
He returned to the classrooms last year and is expected to teach through the end of the current year.
The Du Quoin Board of Education met Thursday and is looking at a 2014-2015 spending plan that forecasts revenue of $13,210,800 and expenses of $13,558,596 which will leave a deficit of $347,000.
Supt. Dr. Gary Kelly said paring that shortfall back will be a work in progress throughout the year, but he hopes some deficit reduction initiatives will take hold and create a much better picture by year's end.
At this time the district has lost nearly $3 million due to proration by the state of general state aid and categorical aid. The Board approved the tentative budget with the final approval taking place at the September Board meeting in accordance with the school code.
Resident Debbie Rider aired her concerns about less flexibility bus drivers are exercising in where they can drop off kids after school. Before, bus drivers were dropping kids off at places like relative's homes or a babysitter's house. Because two buses were eliminated, drivers no longer have that flexibility, but Mrs. Rider was assured this is a work in progress and things should improve after Labor Day.
District business manager Cory Robbins shared an update on new transportation routing within the district. Even though some challenges have arisen, each one is being addressed as they arise by the district transportation contractor. At this time the afternoon buses are running overall at 81% capacity as opposed to a much lesser capacity per bus in years past. The new transportation routes with two fewer busses are precipitated by the district continuing to receive a lesser amount of transportation aid from the state.
The board approved a maternity leave request from Shanielle Piper to tentatively begin on Nov. 12, 2014 with return on Jan. 12, 2015.
The board accepted a letter of intent to retire in accordance with the Board/DEA contract from Terry Higgerson as an elementary school instructional aide at the end of the 2015-2016 school year.
The board accepted letters of intent to retire in accordance with the Board/DEA contract from the following as certified staff at the end of the 2016-2017 school year: Kathy Beard, John Gross, Carolyn Sorrows, and Debbie Vancil and for the end of the 2014-2015 school year: Lybrand Beard.
The superintendent shared information regarding the Eight Keys of Excellence, a program within the district which will highlight several different guiding principles during the school year. A different guiding principle each month will be shared with all faculty and staff, students, and school stakeholders.
The Board employed Lanae Leposky as a high school special education program aide for the 2014-2015 school year.
The board employed Angela Scarber as a K-8 school cook for the 2014-2015 school year.
The board employed the following to extra-curricular positions for the 2014-2015 school year: Ryan Summers as High School Assistant Volleyball Coach, Wendy Wear and Erica Cowan as Elementary School CAP Team Coordinators.