August 29, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at SJO School Board

We are live tonight at SJO school board.

It is a full audience today at school board. On the agenda is the tax levy, the risk management plan, social science curriculum review and discussing the property tax relief grant.

It’s 6 p.m. and only four board members are here. Les Hoveln, Jim Rein, Susan Mclain and Mitch Schluter. But that’s a QUORUM!

Here we go.

Kathy McCormick and April Vogelsang are not in attendance. Kevin Taylor isn’t here because he is coaching a game.

Approved October meeting minutes.

Shawn Hallett is approved as a volunteer wrestling coach. He’s the SRO. #multitasking

They are approving the final tax levy.

Risk Management Plan: Annual plan. Approved.

Social Science Curriculum Review. Mr. Schacht and Mr. Beckett.
(I love these reviews.) Plus, it’s two of my favorite teachers here!

Mr. Kieffer is in a meeting for his Alaska trip. He will be here soon.

Schacht has been here his whole teaching career. He went to Cornell.

Kieffer went to the U of I. He is the “guide to the world.”

Fun fact. Beckett student taught for Schacht. He graduated from EIU.

Faculty strengths: Stability, flexibility, committeed to SJO, involvement, energy and deep voices. (This was legit in their presentation. I am not just adding commentary.)

I am so jealous SJO has a world history class. That was not offered at my high school and I desperately wanted to take it.

Schacht’s civics course had 13 students originally and now has 66. Required for seniors with a GPA over 3.25. (If I could take any class at SJO this would be it!)

SJO Grab and Go Thrift Shop- they are taking the home economic room and stocking it with breakfast food and canned goods, Spartan hoodies, jackets for students who need it. Lindsey Aden and others are spearheading it. Student led and student driven. #goSJO

They are proposing a constitutional applications and political science class that would be a second-semester elective, one section class taught by Schacht. It would benefit those wanting to take AP Civics test, We the People, those wanting to go into law.


Property tax relief grant: The state is offering the district again to apply. But the property taxes are so low they probably wouldn’t get it. “It doesn’t hurt to apply. If every district applied we will not get it.”

Principal Gary Page is going over the School Report Card.

You can find it here.

They received the exemplary designation this year. #inshorttheyrock

“We performed in the top 10 percent of the schools, state wide,” Page said.

Closed session time.

Still in closed.

Still in closed. (Not a typo. We are still in closed.)

Out of closed.

Good of the cause: SJO school board president Jim Rein is congradulating the SJO volleyball team that placed third at state in the Class 2A volleyball state tournament. They also congradulated the cross country teams who made it to state.

Adjourned.








in Schools
Banner
Related Posts

Grade school collecting items for food pantry

January 28, 2020

January 28, 2020

The students at St. Joseph Grade School are doing more than celebrating their 100th day of school—they are helping their...

SJO honors night recipients announced

May 27, 2019

May 27, 2019

The following students were honored in mid-May by St. Joseph-Ogden High School during the high school honors night. • EIU...

SJO 2022-2023 2nd Quarter Honor Roll

January 13, 2023

January 13, 2023

FRESHMANBell, AdalynCarlson, WilliamClark, WadeCrozier, CadeCruz, AdreonaDaly, NathanDwyer, CalebEricksen, KatherineFranklin, WilliamFrick, LandonHaley, WilliamHayes, CoyHood, BryannaHouchens, BrysonMcComas, VancePreston, GraceRay, GrahamRetz, LanceSanders, EthanSexton,...

SJO announces students who earn Fall Sports Letters

November 19, 2019

November 19, 2019

Golf Joseph Acton, Sr. Payton Grimsley, Sr.Riley Myren, Jr.McGwire Atwood, Fr.Maddux Carter, Fr. Jacob Kern, Fr.Jack Robertson, Fr. Cross CountryAlly...

‘This role has been an amazing one to take on’

April 1, 2022

April 1, 2022

Wyatt Loghry has loved the Addams Family since he was little. And now, he is playing the patriarch, Gomez Addams....

Franzen chosen to lead middle school

March 30, 2021

March 30, 2021

The new St. Joseph Middle School Principal will be a familiar face. The St. Joseph Consolidated Community School Board voted...

5 questions with Mallory Wagner

April 16, 2023

April 16, 2023

Mallory Wagner plays Jay in St. Joseph-Ogden’s “The Descendents”. We asked Mallory five questions before the final show today at...

SJO third-quarter high honor roll

March 30, 2022

March 30, 2022

FreshmenBeckett, EJBenoit, AudreyBesson, WillBonny, SarahBrown, LandonClampitt, MadisonDavenport, AerolynDietiker, EllaDitchfield, LukeEnnis, JacksonFranzen, SavannaFunk, AddisonGerdes, TaytonGetty, OliviaHamilton, MakennahHarris, LaurenHesterberg, HaleyHouston, MaebreeKearney, SaraKindle,...

‘I have absolutely loved portraying her’

April 3, 2022

April 3, 2022

Sophia McDade loves everything about the Addams Family production. The senior, who is acting in her second show with the...

SJO announces academic letter winners for the 2020-21 school year

October 12, 2021

October 12, 2021

Thanks to Appl Sanitary for sponsoring our honor rolls and academic awards posts. St. Joseph-Ogden High School hosted an Academic...

An end of an era at St. Joseph Middle School

August 11, 2021

August 11, 2021

For the first time since 1994, Chris Graham won’t be greeting St. Joseph students on the first day of school...

School making changes to parking lot availability

July 4, 2024

July 4, 2024

St. Joseph Grade School is making some changes to the availability of its parking lot. The district recently placed letters...

‘I love everything about our new space’

February 15, 2023

February 15, 2023

The drama program at St. Joseph-Ogden High School has a new home. “It means a lot to this program and...

Prairieview-Ogden First Quarter Honor Roll

October 31, 2022

October 31, 2022

7th Grade Highest Honors: (3.7-4.0) Tyler Bonny Casen Goff Gaby Gomez Royce Loschen Lane McKinney Airin Rash Korinne Travis Evelyn Valentine...

Emmert expresses himself via artwork

May 1, 2019

May 1, 2019

St. Joseph-Ogden senior Nathan Emmert loves creating art work. “I have always enjoyed making different kinds of art,” he said....

Comments
Leave a Reply