District 27 honors employees

[MAY 13, 2000]  Lincoln Elementary School District 27’s teachers, staff, board members and guests filled the Knights of Columbus hall Friday night for the 16th Annual Recognition Dinner.  Bookkeeper Pat Kelly and junior high school social studies teacher, Joe Haning, were honored upon their retirement from the district.  Haning joined the district in 1964, Kelly in 1976.

Bruce Carmitchel, board vice president, welcomed the crowd and offered praise and thanks for the teachers, cooks and maintenance staff who have provided good schooling for hundreds of children, including his own.  Leta Herrington, also a member of the District 27 board, offered the invocation.

 


[Superintendent Bob Kidd recognizes Linda Sullivan, Janet Haning and Jody Borbely for 30 years of service.]

 

Dr. Bob Kidd, the district’s superintendent, regaled the educators with humorous anecdotes and reminiscences of the school year that is coming to an end.  Kidd offered special praise for the administration, faculty, staff, students and parents at Jefferson School for taking the school’s fire in stride. 

 


[Washington-Monroe’s special education team--Lou Ann Newman, Kim Skelton, and Jane Redding—enjoy the evening at District 27’s 16th Annual
 Recognition Dinner.]

[Joe Haning, retiring social studies teacher,
says farewell to his colleagues.]

Kidd called forward for service awards the following teachers and staff members:

Thirty years of service -

Jody Borbely

Janet Haning

Linda Sullivan

Twenty-five years of service -

Barb Norris

Twenty years of service -

Kathleen Hawkinson

Lois Lee

Jeff Nevius

Marla Williams

 


[John Guzzardo serves roast beef to Regional Superintendent George Janet.]

 

Fifteen years of service -

Jean Anderson      

Charlise Leesman

Barbara Minett

Don Ware

 

 

Ten years of service -

Marvin Gallagher

Melinda Mayfield

Karen Petty

Greg Shanle           

Gail Zimmer

 


The search is over
Romberg named superintendent/principal for West Lincoln-Broadwell

[MAY 12, 2000]  At a special meeting last night, the West Lincoln-Broadwell School Board selected Dorothy Romberg to take the reins as superintendent/principal. The decision was by a vote of 6-0 with one absent. Romberg will take the position being vacated by Dr. Kay Verstraete, who has held the position for the past four years.   Romberg signed a three-year contract at the conclusion of last night’s meeting.  Her salary will be $72,000 per year plus benefits.  

Bill Cross, school board president, said, “West Lincoln-Broadwell’s future is bright, and Romberg will bring a lot of experience to the school with her background in special education, in obtaining government grants, as well as in teaching and curriculum development.”  Although the contract has been signed, no beginning date has been cited. The board is hoping to bring her in as early as possible in June, Cross added. Romberg was selected from a group of three finalists.

 

 

Dorothy Romberg said, “I am very excited about the offer, and I am looking forward to moving to Lincoln.”  Romberg, a Mattoon native, moved to Clinton, Ill., eight years ago, and is the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction for the Clinton school district. She has held that position for the past four years.  For four years prior to that, she held the position of principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Clinton.

 


[Acting Superintendent Louie Boward works in the superintendent's office at West Lincoln Broadwell.]

 

Romberg and her husband will relocate to Lincoln sometime this summer. She has attended church in Lincoln for several years and is familiar with the community. She has one daughter and a 14-month-old granddaughter. 

Dorothy Romberg received her master’s degree in 1984 from Rockford College in Rockford and has completed the course work for a doctorate degree in educational administration and foundation at Illinois State University.  She plans to take her comprehensive examinations in June.

 

 

The board began its search for a new superintendent last January after Dr.Verstraete informed the school board in December of her decision to not seek renewal of her contract expiring June 30. Verstraete has been on a medical leave for a previous medical condition since April 13.

 

Louie Boward, a retired superintendent from the Tri-Valley district in Downs, outside of Bloomington, has been serving as the interim superintendent during Verstraete’s medical leave.  Boward was also the interim superintendent at Chester-East Lincoln during their search for a superintendent last year.  He was not interested in coming out of retirement and did not apply for either of the superintendent positions.

Other business discussed at last night’s board meeting was the board’s decision to provide acting-Superintendent Boward with the authorization to establish a contract for a student who has not met the requirements for graduation.  In closed session, the board discussed an eighth grade student’s options for possible graduation this summer.  In open session, it authorized Boward to work out a contract between the student, parent and the school in which the math criteria that the student must meet for the district is spelled out.   This will include the successful completion of appropriate tests and required tutoring that the parent is responsible for arranging. The terms of the contract will be contingent upon the student’s successful completion of a passing math grade for the last nine-week period.

 


[West Lincoln Broadwell School District #92
on RR 1 in Lincoln has hired a new leader.]

Authorization was also given to Boward to try to resolve the problems with the constant renewal of past contracts for copy machine services.  Boward has been working with the district’s attorneys to try to resolve some of the issues.  Boward said he hopes to provide the board with enough information at the next board meeting so that it feels more comfortable with the new situation.  He also hopes to have proposals from vendors.

 

[Kym C. Ammons-Scott]