3-18-2008

UNIT 2 APPROVES 2008-2009 CALENDAR AND PURCHASE OF BUSES

 

The Unit 2 Board of Education met Monday night for their regular monthly meeting.  Board members approved the calendar for the 2008-2009 school year.  With extensive work to be done at the high school this summer, school will start a little later in the fall than in previous years.  The first day of school is set for August 22^nd with the last day of school scheduled for June 8^th to pick up report cards.  The calendar includes seven emergency days. 

 

Unit 2 board members then agreed to purchase five 2009, 71-passenger buses and two 2008, 26-passenger buses.  With these purchases, the district will be able to get rid of five older buses and then every bus in the fleet will be less than five years old.  The reimbursement rate to the district, for the new buses, is around 65%.

 

Graduation dates for this year were set for May 24^th at the high school and May 27^th for all junior high centers.

 

After 42 years with the Unit 2 School District, Junior High secretary Nyla Strole submitted a letter of retirement, effective June 28^th.  Principal Gary Brauns, along with the board, commended Nyla for her wonderful service to the district throughout the years.

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MATH, ENGLISH AND DRIVERS ED TO BE OFFERED THIS SUMMER AT UNIT 2

 

Summer Driver's Education, Math and English classes will again be offered at the Unit 2 High School this year.  Principal Kevin Cochrane presented information to the school board Monday night about the need for the extra classes.

 

Math and English would be available to those who are behind in credits, as a result of failing during the school year. Cochrane explained that due to the work scheduled to be done at the building this summer, the classes would be held at the Jr. High.

 

Driver's Education would be available to those students who have birthdays qualifying them for the summer session. Each class would meet five days a week, three hours per day, for four weeks, equaling 60 hours for the summer. Cochrane said that the programs have been very successful over the past two years.

HEALTH FAIR 2008

 

The final numbers are still being tallied but Greenville Regional Hospital health fair 2008 was a hugely successful and popular event.  Over 3,000 attended the health fair last Friday.  Over 40 national, state and local organizations took part in this years health fair offering everything from vision, hearing and pulmonary function tests, to the Greenville Police Department’s child information packets which include fingerprints, pictures, DNA samples and other information that could help find a missing child. 

 

One of the biggest draws every year to the Health Fair are the blood tests.  These tests are offered at drastically reduced prices and gauge many health aspects for the attendee.  Greenville Regional Hospital director of advancement and communcication Ryan Mifflin, sends his thanks all of this years volunteers. 

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METRO EAST STATE BUDGET HEARING TO BE HELD IN BELLEVILLE

 

Lawmakers will host one of several public hearings on state finances, at the end of the month.  Wednesday, March 29^th, the public is invited to attend the Metro-East budget hearing at Belleville West High School.

 

According to State Representative Tom Holbrook, the state budget is nearly $60 billion and it has a wide ranging affect on every person in the state.  He continued by saying that in order to make sure that the legislature draft a budget that is both balanced and effective, the input of residents is greatly needed.

 

Those who would like more information or want to provide testimony at the hearing should contact Holbrook's office 618-465-5900.

GREENVILLE CITY LAND DEAL

 

Last week, the City of Greenville closed on the purchase of land that would be needed to connect Governor Bond Lake to a new proposed City Lake. Several lots near the Marina on Governor Bond were purchased from Don Rogier. He in turn purchased land from the City, adjacent to those lots. Several weeks ago, at a public meeting, the City unveiled plans to build a second lake just west of Governor Bond. Mayor Alan Gaffner commented at that meeting that several industrial prospects, currently considering Greenville for locations, were large water users. So the land deal needed by the City to combine the current lake to the proposed lake is now complete.  

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