The Centralia High School Board has decided to seek bids for construction of a four classroom expansion of the Annex Building.
Superintendent Dr. Chuck Lane says one room would be used as part of the effort to decrease the number of out of school suspension.
“We’d like another option instead of suspending all kids. We’d like an option maybe place them in a different room where they are still getting academic support and aren’t just sitting at home all day. And we figured this may be something we can do for that.”
Lane notes students that would be included are currently being suspended for a variety of reasons.
“Like a kid that’s chronically suspended, not just a kid that got in trouble, but a kid that can’t seem to stay in school instead of sending him home for 10 days we could send him there and get them on track and caught up academically. Whatever we can do to get kids on track.”
Centralia High School is currently listed by the State Board of Education as being in the top 20 percent for number of out of school suspensions.
One or two of the other rooms would be leased to the Kaskaskia Special Education District that is out of space.
Lane hopes the price of the addition can be kept to $700,000 to $750,000. If all goes well, he hopes the addition can be complete by the start of school in August of this year.
In other action, the board approve a letter of retirement from Brenda Stieg as attendance office secretary effective January 31st, a letter of resignation from Dan Laquet as a part-time custodian effective January 31st, and a letter of resignation from Terry Wimberly as a fulltime custodian effective February 9th.
The board employed Lundyn Waithe as head girls’ soccer coach, Brooke Simonton as post-prom coordinator, and Lachelle Tate as fulltime annex aide.
