The Centralia High School Board confirmed the completion of its major summer projects at the monthly board meeting on Thursday and made several new hires to fill teaching, aide, and coaching positions.
In projects, principal Reid Shipley acknowledged a successful dedication ceremony for the stained glass installed in Trout Arena that had more than 100 people in attendance. Shipley says the work still to be done around the stained glass includes installing paneling around it, as well as painting the wall on the foyer side behind the window white to improve the quality of light that comes through the glass.
Superintendent Chuck Lane reports that the turf football field is essentially finished with minor corrective work still to be done. He says the field will be ready to go for the Shrine Game on August 30. Lane also reports that Ameren Energy is committed to starting work on the planned solar project in late October or early November. If that project proceeds on schedule, work is expected to be finished in spring of 2025.
The board approved a tentative budget which, according to Lane, conservatively estimates a surplus of $150,000 across school funds. This would be a smaller surplus than in the two previous years. The budget will be voted on at the next board meeting. The budget will be voted on at the next board meeting, which has been moved to Monday, September 23.
The board approved several new hires for the 2024-25 school year which Shipley says fully staff the teaching and aide positions in the main building. The newly hired personnel are: April Snow as special education teacher, Tammy Schaeffer as full-time aide, Arylynn Evans as full-time annex aide, Will Henegar as full-time aide, Tristan Penrod as full-time aide, Mallory Kauling as softball coach, Taylor Witges as assistant softball coach, Laura Brubaker as girls’ head bowling coach, and Austin Hinkel as annex security guard.
Three letters of resignation were accepted: Krysti Courson resigning as full-time annex aide effective August 1, Dennis Krupp resigning as full-time individual aide effective August 9, and Mike Roth resigning as assistant football coach effective August 21.
