Board updated on health of wounded graduate

COAL CITY - It was a moment to think of their own. As the Coal City Unit School District 1 board sorted through its business Monday night, Superintendent Dr. Kent Bugg stopped to ask Coal City High School Principal Ken W. Miller if he would share with the board what he knew about the status of Lance Cpl. Marc Olson - a Coal City High School graduate. Olson, 20, was seriously injured recently during a suicide bomb attack in Iraq. He was flown Tuesday from Germany to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., with major head, neck and eye injuries. Published reports note that two suicide bombers, one possibly in a vehicle, attacked a police headquarters in Ramadi, in Al Anbar Province, on Nov. 8. Eight people were killed in the attack, and seven others were injured. Miller reaffirmed to the board Monday that Olson is back in the United States. However, his condition has not been upgraded to this point. No brain injury has been detected, but Miller said Olson has suffered serious injuries. “He's getting better,” Miller said. “Everything we're hearing is he's pulling in a positive manner. But it's going to be a tough recovery. “He's had some pretty good injuries to his head. We're lucky he's still here.” Olson joined the Marines in March 2007. Deployed to Iraq on Oct. 8, he was stationed in Ramdai, about 68 miles west of Baghdad. Both Miller and Bugg said Olson is the type of individual that can fight through such obstacles, “Knowing Marc, he's going to battle,” Miller said. “Marc is a tough kid and he's a great young man,” Bugg added. “He deserves all of our thoughts during his recovery. “ Miller said the district is putting together a care package to send to Olson and his family. Cards and letters of encouragement and well wishes may be sent to Marc Olson at National Naval Medical Center, Intensive Care Unit, 8901 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, Md., 20889.

Having their say School district officials also took an opportunity Monday to express concerns of a different sort. Those concerns were with plans for the RidgePort development and the proposed annexation of the intermodal site by the village of Diamond. Students from Diamond attend Coal City schools. RidgePort is the 3,000-acre business park proposed at the intersection of Interstate 55 and Lorenzo Road in Will County, northeast of Diamond. The intermodal will include rail-served warehouse and distribution facilities, plus more than 40 acres of commercial development, including a travel plaza, hotels, restaurants, retail services and offices. Bugg explained to the board Monday that he, Board President Shawn Hamilton and board member Ken P. Miller met with the RidgePort representatives, Diamond Mayor Michael Ramme and Trustee Teresa Kernc to discuss the controversial proposal. “We had what I felt was a productive meeting,” Bugg said. “We didn't agree on everything, but we started the conversation. “I got a call from Mayor Ramme (Monday) letting me know that we would have a follow up meeting at some point to talk further about the process. But I was pleased they were willing to listen to what we had to say. “We started the process and, as you know, what we're trying to do is make sure our taxpayers are protected in the process.” A special meeting of the Diamond Village Board is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15, at the Diamond Banquet Hall. The meeting is the same night as the district's next regular meeting, however, Bugg felt this issue was important enough to move the district's meeting one night, to Tuesday, Dec. 16. “Given the potential high stakes to the school district, I think it's important that we have representation at that public hearing,” Bugg said. “I feel I need to make a statement at that public hearing.” The board did not officially move its meeting, however. It was noted the district would know in time to notify district residents. “It's extremely important that we have representation,” Board President Shawn Hamilton said. “We need to make sure we're included.”

Special someone The board welcomed a new face to the district Monday. Sandra Rakes was hired as director of special populations for the 2009-10 school year, with a 12-month contract of $77,000 plus board-paid TRS, pending satisfactory completion of all state requirements. Rakes' responsibilities will include ushering in the district's new special education program, among other things. She will oversee the hiring of new teachers for the program, which will be around 15 new teachers. “She's also going to be more instrumental in the development and implementation of this new program,” Hamilton said. “We're extremely fortunate to have Sandy coming to us, especially considering some of her credentials and her experience at this very most important time in our district, when we continue moving forward administering the special ed program.” The hiring, Hamilton noted, is not necessarily a new expenditure. “I want to make sure everyone understands that we're not adding a new administrator position,” Hamilton said. “Currently, tuition dollars are going into the cooperative coordinating program. As we continue to form our own special ed program, the dollars will stop being paid to the cooperative.”

Other action In other action, the board: € Approved the motion to adopt the budget calendar and appoint the superintendent, director of business services and building principals to prepare, in tentative form, the school district budget for the fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2009, and ending June 30, 2010. € Approved the job description for central office secretary, assessment and special populations and IT/Data Support. € Approved six mid-year graduates who have all meet the necessary requirements for graduation. € Approved the 2008 school library per capita grant application. The library grant, if awarded, will provide a maximum of 75 cents for each student in the district. The funds will be used for reference materials, books, software, hardware, incoming line connection and other items. € Approved the calendar year 2009 subscription renewal to Policy Reference Education Subscription Service (PRESS). PRESS is the board policy and administrative procedures updating and information service provided by the Illinois Association of School Boards. € Approved the placement of student intern Bonnie Fergelec, a student from Concordia University, with Michelle Painter at the middle school during the 2009-10 school year, pending satisfactory completion of all state requirements. € Accepted the donation of books on behalf of the Cyrkiel Family/Jagar International. € Approved the purchase of a surety bond in the amount of $5.75 million at a cost of $2,757. As a result of closed session, the board: € Accepted the resignation of Enrique Villaffranco, of the maintenance department, effective Nov. 28. € Approved the maternity leave for Melanie Favero, reading aide at the intermediate school, for Oct. 17, 2008, through Jan. 6, 2009. € Approved the extracurricular resignation of Kate Cade, technology specialist at the middle school. € Approved a series of extracurricular assignments, including Carol Crawford and Marcella Martinez as assistant speech coaches; Tricia Bailey and Patricia Sikkema, high school cheerleading sponsors; and Jennifer Morris, ASAP Aide for the seventh grade. € Approved Rob Deleon as volunteer for the high school wrestling program, pending satisfactory completion of all state requirements.