This month’s regular meeting again starting over an hour after its scheduled start time, the Waterloo School Board heard a number of presentations on FFA activity, a new youth survey and other matters before voting on a small collection of action items – including one peculiar policy matter.

The action item receiving the most discussion by the board was the adoption and second reading of district board policies Press Plus Issue 119.

While these policy items tend to be approved fairly procedurally when appearing on the board’s agenda, one component of the policy additions – a sentence that school boards were given the option of including – prompted questions among the board.

The sentence in question, per a PDF shared alongside the meeting’s agenda, states: “A board member who fails to abide by the oath of office or the Code may be subject to action by the Board, including, but not limited to, formal censure and/or referral to the Regional Superintendent for removal from office under Board policy 2:60, Board Member Removal from Office.”

With board member John Caupert requesting clarification on the agenda item, Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron read the sentence and offered some explanation, suggesting that action might be taken against a board member for repeatedly failing to appear at board meetings, for example.

“I think it probably provides more accountability for adhering to the oath,” Charron said. “The board can ask the regional superintendent to remove that board member so the board can appoint someone who is able to perform their duties and attend.”

Discussion among the board noted that policy already notes repercussions for board members who fail to fulfill their duties, though the addition of this particular sentence would mean more accountability for board members to abide by the oaths they take when sworn in.

Notably, board vice president Neil Giffhorn voiced his support several times for the “default” position on including the sentence. When asked twice by Caupert what that “default” answer was, Giffhorn seemed to avoid explaining, saying in one instance the “default” was, “That you can be removed by the regional superintendent.”

A member of the board’s policy committee, Giffhorn also noted “a majority of the policy committee is OK with the default.”

As can be seen in the aforementioned Press Plus policy PDF, the “default” position for a district to take on including the sentence is “no.” It is unclear why Giffhorn seemed to avoid clarifying what the “default” position was on this yes or no question.

School board president Lori Dillenberger also clarified in reading the motion that the sentence would not be included.

Giffhorn, Dillenberger, Jodi Burton, Nathan Mifflin, James Yaekel and Secretary Amanda Propst all voted in favor of the motion, approving the collection of policies without the additional sentence while Caupert voted against.

As other board members did at the previous meeting, Caupert spoke during this item’s roll call to explain his vote of nay.

“I think that this extra sentence would have just enhanced the credibility and what it means to stand as part of this governing body and take an oath,” Caupert said.

Another contested vote concerned administrator compensation, with Mifflin and Propst voting against and Dillenberger, Giffhorn, Burton, Yaekel and Caupert voting in support.

As Charron explained following the meeting, this item concerned a discrepancy in compensation between two assistant principal positions in the district, with the board approving a pay increase that would amend the discrepancy.

Still another abnormal action item, the board was presented with an item to approve a memorandum of understanding for the 2024-2026 contract agreement with the Waterloo Classroom Teachers’ Association. No motion was made.

Charron also clarified this item, saying the WCTA was looking to bargain over compensation regarding some coach and sponsor positions, and the board failed to make a motion likely as the matter was only brought before them recently.

He added he expects the matter to come up again at a future board meeting.

Other approved action items concerned the employment of a high school agriculture teacher, a 2025-2027 agreement with the Waterloo Association of Service Personnel, and student handbooks for the 2025-26 school year.

A collection of presentations preceded these action items, one of which featured Anne Riley of Human Support Services and Monroe County Coalition for Drug-Free Communities Executive Director Monica Kirkpatrick.

Both speaking on behalf of the coalition, they discussed the proposed Youth Risk Behavior Survey which is intended to provide local perspective on youth use of alcohol and other substances.

As Riley explained, Monroe County previously participated in the wider Illinois Youth Survey, though this survey was dropped in recent years due to “controversial” questions pertaining to sexuality and gender.

Riley and Kirkpatrick spoke on the topics of youth substance use and the goals of the coalition as well as what they hope to accomplish with the information acquired by this survey.

“Many teens turn to things like alcohol and drugs to manage feelings of depression and anxiety,” Riley said. “Substance use can exacerbate mental health issues, and untreated mental health disorders are more likely to lead to substance use disorders, and substance use in adolescence can lead to higher rates of addiction and poor functioning in adulthood. So if we listen to our youth and gather this important data directly from them, we can continue putting ourselves in a position of developing support services that can prevent crises rather than responding to them.”

They further explained that the surveys would be private both on an individual and district level, though the results would all be combined for a county-wide overview.

When asked what other districts would be participating, they noted there has already been widespread support, with Columbia and Gibault planning to participate along with districts in Randolph County.

Earlier in the meeting, the board heard from Matt Beck to discuss the possibility of bringing an official bowling team to Waterloo Junior High School.

With a team already available through the Waterloo Sports Association, he explained students would be able to benefit from greater connection to their school and peers should the sport and team receive proper support from the district.

“Currently it’s run through WSA, and there are a lot of benefits that we’ve been able to have over the last nine years of its existence, but there are also a couple areas of concern that I want to be able to bring up and address, and those could be ratified, those could be taken care of through this process,” Beck said.

The issues in question were chiefly about coaching – he noted the WSA coaching position is unpaid and can thus be somewhat difficult to fill – and transportation, problems that could seemingly both be handled were the school to have an official team.

Beck went on to present other information to the board, particularly noting the fairly limited cost a coaching position would have on the district.

The board also heard an annual report from the Waterloo High School FFA, with ag teacher and FFA Adviser Elaine Rudolphi introducing her students.

These ag students offered a glowing overview of FFA activity over the past year, with strong class enrollment, numerous awards and strong performance at competitions of various levels as well as a collection of scholarships which display the support of FFA alumni.

One student, junior officer Ava Gilbert, spoke about future plans for the FFA group and ag courses at the school, noting plans to make good use of new technology the group has procured.

“We are currently updating current agriculture courses to better suit student interest,” Gilbert said. “We have been determining the potential for new agriculture courses to be offered based on student interest such as advanced ag mechanics or ag communication and have been evaluating potential ways to expand course offerings.”

While the WCTA didn’t have a full presentation this month, union president Renee Koeneman did address the board to discuss her and her colleagues’ anticipation for the school year as well as the work they put into their personal development and planning over the summer.

Koeneman also referenced an inspirational sentiment Charron previously expressed to district staff and faculty, further remarking on his performance on his subsequent performance of the Zach Bryan song “Something in the Orange.”

“I, along with WCTA, believe that there is something in the orange of Waterloo,” Koeneman said. “Here at Waterloo, for us, it represents resilience. For us, it represents pride. And for us, it represents the spirit of this community. There is something in this orange, and we’re hoping that this year is gonna make this orange even better. This year, we’re committed to making sure every student feels supported, challenged and inspired in our schools.”