During Monday’s meeting, the Teutopolis School Board tabled discussion on the passage of a proposal to address concerns from the American Civil Liberties Union regarding public funds being used to bus children to religious activities in a public school.
The Board recently released a proposed settlement that addressed such concerns on the district’s website:
Summary of Key Changes Being Proposed to Address ACLU Concerns
1. Buses will be scheduled to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the start of the school day. Currently the bus schedule accommodates a religious education program sponsored by St. Francis Catholic Church. This Change is being made to address concerns that public funds are being used to bus children for religious education purposes.
2. The transition between the morning religion program and the public school day will be more defined with children being released to a common area at the daily religious instruction. Additionally, children transported by bus will arrive to that same common area. This change is being made to address concerns that children not participation in the religious education program, may feel intimidated into joining the program or not feel fully part of the group by joining classes already formed for religious education purposes.
3. Accommodations will be made for other groups, such as boy Scouts, 4H or others to use the facilities after school.
4. The procedural details of these changes will need to be developed, but will take effect with the 2016-2017 school year.
A special board meeting has been scheduled to continue the discussion on the proposal at the Teutopolis High School Media Center on Tuesday, April 19th beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Additionally, the Board approved the resignation of Andrew Johnson as the THS Assistant Principal and Athletic director as well as Jessica Schackmann as the Junior High Volleyball Coach.
The Board also approved a revision to the 2015-16 calendar due to the use of an emergency snow day. The last day for students is now set for May 18th.
A 2% raise in salary was also approved for non-union exempt and non-exempt employees for the 2016-17 school year.