The Waterloo School Board gathered Monday for its first meeting of the new academic year, dedicating two district athletic fields, addressing mold in two district schools and generally discussing a number of start-of-year items.

In his report, Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron – though aware of hangups with bus routes that had seemingly been addressed – was positive about how the first few days of school had gone.

“It has been a successful first four days,” Charron said. “I’d like to thank all the administrators for the positive reception in the buildings, welcoming back teachers, welcoming back kids. It sometimes can be stressful when 3,000 people return to our buildings at the end of the summer, but there’s lots of smiling faces, and I know I see the admin smile, too.”

Among the larger action items before the board was a dedication of the Waterloo Junior High School baseball and softball fields, a decision that seemed to be discussed for a while after, as Charron noted, longtime Waterloo High School and WJHS baseball coach Mark Vogel brought the matter up some time ago.

Two legendary coaches were selected to be honored. Lon Fulte was ultimately chosen for the baseball field dedication while Cyndi Kelly was selected for the softball field. Both coached on those fields when WHS teams played there.

Waterloo School Board member John Caupert – who served on the committee for this decision alongside fellow board member James Yaekel and board president Lori Dillenberger – spoke about how the decision was made with input from many voices in the community.

“I think what’s critically important for the community to be aware of is that this was a community effort in every sense of the word,” Caupert said. “There was equal representation of the community, of the board, coaches and a number of former athletes of these coaches. I was very proud to participate.”

Another major topic of concern discussed by the board was the approval of a health/life safety amendment for mold cleaning at Gardner Elementary and WHS.

“We have worked with a company to address the leaking at Gardner,” Charron said. “We’ve waterproofed the walls, and we’ve replaced the roof to address the moisture issue there.”

Further discussion between Charron and Director of Building and Grounds Will Hulett noted that the source of moisture at the high school is still uncertain, though it could be due to insulation issues.
Approval of the health/life safety amendment simply allows the district the opportunity to use funds designated for safety projects.

The board also accepted two donations to the school district, the first of which came from Augustine Inc. – doing business as Total Roofing – for $1,302 toward the WHS boys basketball activity account.

Caupert expressed appreciation for the donation, also speaking to the connections that have been built and maintained between WHS athletics staff and former athletes.

“Mike Augustine is another example of a former Waterloo student, a former Waterloo athlete, a former Waterloo basketball player that donates so much time, so much effort, so much treasure back to the school district,” Caupert said. “I think it also speaks volumes to the relationships that our current head basketball coach Allen Siedle has created.”

The second donation came from the Southern Illinois Young Bucks for $600 toward the WHS boys baseball activity account.

As Charron explained, the club baseball team recently completed its 2024 season but was unable to continue the team for the next season. With several players having attended schools in Waterloo, the team wanted to support the district’s baseball program.

Board member Neil Giffhorn offered his thanks for this donation.

“I think this says something special that young folks who raised funds for their own club team, parents, grandparents, neighbors, whatever, instead of just splitting that money and giving it back to the players that couldn’t continue a season, they’re donating it to the program,” Giffhorn said. “I think that that’s something special.”

Another action item the board approved was for new student handbooks at each of the district’s schools.

Charron said the biggest change made to the handbooks was the note that, in line with district policy, the district has a supply of both EpiPens and opioid antagonists – medication for emergency treatment of opioid overdoses.

Training is required to administer these medications, and parents wishing for either of these medications to never be administered to their child can contact their student’s principal to have this noted.

Other items approved by the board included payment of a $319 medical bill for a student, the second reading of district board policies from Press Plus Issue 115 and the employment of a part-time speech-language pathologist for the new school year.

Item A on the agenda, consideration to approve a memorandum of understanding for a 2024-2026 contract between the board of education and Waterloo Classroom Teachers’ Association, was removed at the top of the meeting following a motion made by Caupert.

Charron noted later in the meeting that adjustments are still being made to the contract.

WCTA President Renee Koeneman offered the group’s monthly report early in the meeting, speaking about the efforts that have been made toward the contract agreement and expressing her appreciation for the board’s contributions to the discussion.

“This contract has made our educators feel seen, heard and generally valued,” Koeneman said. “I want to express my deep appreciation for the recent contract which has significantly uplifted the morale of our teaching staff.”

She further voiced hopes the district can continue to be more competitive with other districts in the area in order to improve teacher retention in the future.

“We hope that, as our salaries approach the neighboring districts, it will make staying with Waterloo a more attractive option for our dedicated educators,” Koeneman said. “While we recognize that no single contract can fully match the compensation packages of higher-paying districts like Columbia, closing this gap will undoubtedly contribute to a greater retention among staff.”