GIBSON CITY — The Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley school board on Wednesday, Feb. 26, heard a presentation from the high school FFA chapter’s officers, who gave their annual chapter report and highlighted their classroom and FFA successes.
The chapter’s officers are Vice President Alex Barnard, Vice President Sarah Higgins, Secretary Natalie Aberle, Treasurer Kate McCall, reporter Londyn Roderick and Sentinel Keiragan Young.
The chapter was established in 1930 with 33 members. Today, it has 131 members — equal to 49.6% of the high school’s student population.
The Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley High School FFA chapter’s officers spoke to the GCMS school board during its monthly meeting Wednesday, Feb. 26, as they presented their annual chapter report and highlighted their classroom and FFA successes. The chapter’s officers are Vice President Alex Barnard, Vice President Sarah Higgins, Secretary Natalie Aberle, Treasurer Kate McCall, reporter Londyn Roderick and Sentinel Keiragan Young.
“It’s just growing like wildfire, and they’re just doing a lot of really, really great things,” Superintendent Jeremy Darnell said. “The addition of the (FFA) greenhouse has been spectacular this past year, and we added an assistant (FFA) advisor for the first time in (school) history, just because our (participation) numbers are through the roof. We’re an ag community, and we as a (school) district are reaping the rewards of the investment that we’ve put into that program. Our kids are just killing it. I’m so super proud of them.”
Other business
Also during the school board’s Feb. 26 meeting, held in the board room at the unit office at 307 N. Sangamon Ave. in Gibson City:
— The board approved a facility-use request from the Gibson City Greyhounds youth softball program for the use of the auxiliary gymnasium at GCMS Elementary School for its practices from 10 to 11 a.m. on Feb. 16, Feb. 23, March 2 and March 9 for a fee of $100.
— The board discussed a countywide hazard mitigation plan being developed by the Ford County Emergency Management Agency with the involvement of the county’s municipalities, townships, schools and first responder agencies. A final version of the plan is expected to be completed this spring. “The county got a grant for a company to come in and create a hazard mitigation plan,” Darnell said. “For every municipality, school district and taxing body that chooses to engage in that mitigation plan, they can submit (projects) that they would do to try to avoid different hazards. … There’s no requirement attached to it, other than, should we have natural disasters, or should funds become available, if you have this plan, it’s another feather in your cap to apply for outside revenue sources — outside grants and things like that. A whole bunch of folks in Ford County participated — a lot of the townships and most municipalities, all the school districts. … The things we put in there (in the plan) as suggestions for improvement are things that were kind of in common with the City of Gibson, because it all revolves around preventative steps for water — both for water quality and for drainage and retention. There is nothing specific to schools (in the plan) other than, ‘How can we make sure our facilities and buildings and grounds don’t have any further flood damage or flood issues?’”
— The board met in closed session to discuss the superintendent’s annual performance evaluation. “It was just a good discussion on how I am doing as a superintendent,” Darnell said. “It was a great conversation. … It’s just a good opportunity for them to give me some great feedback. This year we had some really good conversations revolving around our strategic plan. Just like anyone else, when you get a target you can see, you can work hard to hit it. And I think we’re doing some good things there, and I think the board feels that way, too, so we consider ourselves pretty fortunate.”
— The board voted to accept the resignations of Anna Denault as elementary school teacher, Rebecca Purcell-Givens as middle school teacher, and Allison Able and Allison Boettcher as elementary school special education teachers, effective at the end of the 2024-25 contract year.
— The board voted to accept the resignation of Tom Stone as high school assistant track coach, effectively immediately.
— The board voted to accept the irrevocable letters of retirement for Deanna Leitz and Jenny Allen, each effective at the end of the 2027-28 school year.
— The board approved volunteers for athletics for this spring, including Chase McCall, Ali Sizemore, Kayla Henry and Manda Paris for track-and-field, Dave Dornbusch for softball and Patrick Bean for baseball.
— The board approved the hiring of Ryan Tompkins as intramural boys’ basketball coach, Tom Stone as middle school head girls’ track coach and Crystal Richard as middle school assistant boys’ track coach for the 2025 season.
— The board approved the hiring of Sarah Rehberg as an instructional coach for the school district for the 2025-26 school year.
— The board approved the hiring of Lauren Rubarts as an occupational therapist for the Ford County Special Education Cooperative, effective March 3.
— The board approved high school student Hayden Tjarks’ request to graduate early at the end of the fall 2025 semester, pending successful completion of all requirements.
— The board approved the destruction of audio recordings of closed sessions dating through the end of August 2023.
— The board approved several field trips, including the Future Business Leaders of America chapter’s trip to Springfield on March 28-29, prekindergarten students’ trip to a local farm on April 25, the second grade’s trip to the Staerkel Planetarium in Champaign on May 15, and the FFA chapter’s trips to the Christian County Fairgrounds on April 17 and McDonough County Fairgrounds on April 4.
— The board approved several donations, including a $557 anonymous donation to junior high in-service, a $1,227 donation from the GCMS Booster Club to the boys’ basketball program for new warmups, a $1,725 donation from the GCMS Booster Club to the wrestling program for a new record board in the elementary school’s gymnasium, a $500 donation from Apolis LLC of East Peoria to the FFA program, a $365 donation from Bryan and Kathleen Veatch to the FFA program, and a $50 donation from Renita and Robert Jones to the music department.