July 18, 2025 Local Stories in and Around St. Joseph, Illinois

Live at SJO School Board, Feb. 24, 2025

Principal Gary Page saying some kids really like the online Spanish class. Some do not.  Page saying it obviously doesn’t compare to having a teacher in the classroom. “They seem to be settling in moving forward.” 

Discussing IMEC event and a hotel snafu. Superintendent Brian Brooks said they are working with the credit card coming to contest the charges for hotel rooms that were not up to standards.

Informational items and dates: Spring Break- March 17-21.

Facility items:
Justin Franzen is here. Discussing the scoreboard. The sponsors pay $10,000. They have eight. Now they want 12. Franzen saying they have four different renderings. All the renderings show that there will be a 15 foot by 24 foot LED scoreboard. “We can do a lot of great things for kids on there.”


Franzen asking if they want the sponsorship electronic or just stagnant like they are now. They are discussing the in and outs of the new scoreboard.

Discussing a softball concession stand and bathroom.

Brooks thinks they should go out to bid and see what they get. “If we are going to do this, it is probably not going to get cheaper. Maybe we will get a lot of interest.” Brooks saying the district isn’t in a time crunch to get this done.

TIF update: “My vibe is they fully plan to do this,” Brooks said.

Brooks saying they haven’t signed off on an agreement yet. “I think, it’s in our best interest, if we are happy with it to sign it.”

“It doesn’t mean we support it,” Brooks said. “It would just be protecting our district.”

Brooks saying the residential part of the TIF is what concerns him. (Basically, bringing in kids and having no money to educate them.)

Discussing time and length of TIF. Also discussing what it means financially for the district.

“It could go through and it would be fine,” Brooks said. “There are a lot of unknowns.”

New business:
Environmental Club Activity Account- the club wants an activity account. The school board said ok.

School calendar: All three districts have met. Agreed that this is the calendar they want. “It’s basically the calendar we are on this year.”

If they don’t take emergency days they will be out before Memorial Day.
Two weeks at Christmas.

Kitchen: asking board to consider this. Rhonda Lee is retiring at the end of the next year. She goes above and beyond, Brooks said. Brooks discussing hiring someone a year ahead or half a year ahead to learn from her.

Closed session.

Out of closed.

Talking about SJO FFA banquet, wrestling and post season, girls basketball post season and the dance team.

The football was the number one academic team in 3A apparently. #smarties.

Meeting is concluded.
















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