The Waterloo School Board’s final meeting of the academic year saw a number of typical agenda items but was sharply punctuated when one board member announced he would be stepping away from his role effective immediately.

Waterloo School Board Secretary Kim Ahne’s resignation came at the end of Monday’s meeting. Overcome with emotion, Ahne received support from board member John Caupert, who prompted a round of applause for Ahne from those present.

“Our family is moving in different directions,” Ahne said. “I’m offering my resignation at this time so somebody can jump in and get their feet wet in this position.”

Ahne further expressed his appreciation for those he worked with during his years as a board member.

“I do want to thank the voters for voting me into this position two times,” Ahne said. “Thank you very much for your trust. Thank you to the staff, teachers, administration and board. We’ve had some interesting times in five years. We all survived. And we will thrive. You will thrive in the future. All of you will.”

Following his announcement, Ahne received vocal support from several individuals, including his wife Lyn, who was present with the couple’s two daughters.

“Kim, your family and I, we’re here,” Lyn said. “We want you to know how proud we are of you for serving on the board of education. We know that you have faced many difficult decisions, and we are so proud of the integrity and grace that you’ve shown while representing your community.”

Waterloo School Board President Lori Dillenberger spoke up next.

“Kim, I want to say thank you,” Dillenberger said. “You’ve been a huge asset to this board. You’ve been a very strong member, and I appreciate the value you’ve brought to this district and this board, and it’s been a pleasure serving beside you. You will be missed. It’s gonna be some big shoes to fill.”

Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron offered a similar sentiment next, then also expressed appreciation for Ahne’s time on the board following the meeting.

“That came as a shock, and I’m disappointed that he’s leaving the board of education,” Charron said. “I feel that he has been a contributing member to the board and has offered valuable perspective over the years. I joked a little bit at the meeting about his attention to detail and expectation for me to provide detail, but I’m genuine when I say that I appreciate what he’s done because he has helped me prepare routinely for detailed questions at meetings.”

Ahne ultimately made the motion to adjourn the meeting.

Also following the meeting, Charron said the school board will be accepting resumes from district residents interested in filling the vacancy left by Ahne. This individual would fill this position until the next regular board election in 2025.

Resumes can be sent to Dillenberger at 302 Bellefontaine Drive, Waterloo, IL 62298, with a list of qualifications and additional details soon to be available at wcusd5.net.

Earlier in the meeting, the board heard from Waterloo High School Guidance Counselor Robert Lohman, who spoke on behalf of the Waterloo Classroom Teacher’s Association.

Lohman opened his speech by recalling a talk he’d had with a Kentucky state trooper 11 years ago. As he described, this longtime officer would drive rookies through a calm and peaceful neighborhood at night, encouraging them to do the same when the job got them down and they needed a reminder about the good in people.

WHS, Lohman said, is his neighborhood, as he can deeply appreciate how the almost 15-year-old building still seems quite new even as it’s seen hundreds of students and staff walk through it every day.

He went on to express his gratitude for the community that supports WHS and the rest of the district, noting the many businesses, individuals and organizations that provide scholarships for outgoing students each year.

“As a counselor, I just wanted to come up here – and as a WCTA member – recognize how beautiful this relationship has been and continues to be, and I’m grateful to this community for all they’ve done to help support our kids,” Lohman said. “And beyond the scholarships, I know several people I could call right now if there was a kid in need, and that need would be filled because we have so many good people in this community.”

Lohman wrapped up his speech by harkening back to the condition of the high school.

“As a counselor, as board members, as administrators, as teachers, sometimes we don’t always get to deal with the good, and that’s part of the job and we hope to make it better, but I encourage all of you to walk through this school and look at how beautiful it still is, and that’s because we come from a great community,” Lohman said.

In his superintendent’s report, Charron noted one FOIA request from Amanda Chase for information and communications concerning the emergency response at Gardner Elementary after several students reported feeling ill the morning of May 3.

Charron said the district did not have any written communication with responding agencies about the incident, though he did share communications with Daikin TMI regarding the unit inspections which showed no Freon leaks.

Regarding board committees, Charron said the transportation committee had been looking into purchasing several new vehicles to replace aging transport. He also mentioned how Ahne, on the board’s tech committee, had been working on fiber upgrades for in the district, particularly for the high school’s internet.

Director of Building and Grounds Will Hulett spoke about progress toward getting a new roof on the superintendent’s office, also mentioning how Zahnow Elementary was being emptied for abatement as well as his recent application for an LED lighting upgrade grant.

Regarding action items, the board approved the final 2023-2024 school calendar – having used one emergency day in January – as well as the 2023-2024 extra-duty assignments.

The board also approved the second reading of district board policies Press Plus Issue 114.

The board additionally approved a Health/Life Safety amendment for waterproofing at Gardner. Charron noted that this project had been approved previously and this agenda item was simply to allow the district to use Health/Life Safety funds toward it.

A contract between the district and EH Systems Group not exceeding $35,877 for fiber upgrades at WHS was also approved, as was an acknowledgement of WCTA’s demand to bargain and appoint a negotiating committee.

When it came time to address extra-duty assignments for 2024-25, the board voted to enter executive session to discuss the matter privately.

As folks returned to the library for the meeting, Ahne made a motion to amend the extra-duty assignments to individually vote for the WHS head volleyball coach position – held by Angie Crawford, though she was not mentioned by name at the meeting.

The motion died due to lack of a second, and the board ultimately approved the unamended extra-duty assignments with Ahne and Dillenberger abstaining and Caupert, Jodi Burton, Amanda Propst and James Yaekel in support. Waterloo School Board Vice President Neil Giffhorn was absent for the meeting.

The board then approved three donation items, including $500 for the WHS Post Prom Activity Account from Luhr Bros., $500 for the WHS Auto Club Activity Account from Auto Designs by Sebastian and $5,000 for the WHS Guidance Department Activity Account from Brian Wilson through the Waterloo Foundation for Excellence in Education for a $1,000 annual scholarship.

Charron expressed his appreciation for this financial support from the community.

“I know that everybody up here genuinely appreciates the support the community gives our schools and also these specific clubs and organizations with these donations and scholarships,” Charron said. “We are extremely grateful.”

The board closed the meeting with several employee items, including hiring a speech language pathologist, a special education teacher and a WHS English teacher.

Julie Bradley was also appointed as district treasurer, with some discussion taking place on the need for a raise for that position.

Also concerning employee items, this meeting’s consent agenda saw a considerable number of resignations which were tendered over the past month.

Charron said such a number is not unexpected as the end of the school year is an ideal time for most employees to depart. He added that though these resignations leave an unfortunate opening of nine paraprofessionals for the district, some applications have already been received, and these positions are expected to be filled for the next school year.