ROCHELLE — At its monthly meeting Monday, the Rochelle Township High School Board of Education resolved to move forward with a future detention pond reconstruction project after hearing a report on the topic from District Business Manager Kevin Dale. 

The detention pond is on the northeast portion of RTHS's property. The pond was originally designed to hold water for drainage. After a wetland project years ago, the pond has become "overgrown and unmanageable" and has seen issues with beaver dams and flooding issues, Dale said. 

"It's just time," Dale said. "The site is out of regulation, especially being so close to a native stream. It's our responsibility to try to clean that up. We had a proposal made up by engineers. We'll extend some of the current drainage because all of the water that comes from one area is flowing back one direction. We want to clean that up so we're getting a nice, clean flow and drain the property off so that all of our baseball fields and stuff like that aren't going to be flooding anymore."

The work will also include beautification and making it easier to maintain by mowing to prevent future flooding and runoff. Dale said the project will be going out to bid in the near future and the ideal time for the work would be in July or August due to them being drier months. 

"I think it needs to happen," Board Member Joel Thompson said. "It doesn't necessarily solve our drainage problems, but it's sure going to help."

Graduation

The board resolved to set a graduation date of Saturday, May 25 for RTHS graduating seniors. The event will start at 10 a.m. and will take place outdoors on the football field as it has in recent years, weather permitting. The current plan is for Wednesday, May 29 to be the last day of final exams. RTHS has seen five snow days so far this year. Summer school will begin on Monday, June 3 and conclude on Thursday, July 11. 

Personnel

The board unanimously approved its yearly personnel measures, including yearly renewals of staff members. 

The re-employment of first-year teachers was approved, including: Cody Denneau (G-Force instructor), Jonathon Gehm (social science), Kevin Hunt (social science), Sarai Orozco (special education), Colfay Pointer (guidance), Scott Stevens (special education), Megan Stoops (English), and Edna Vazquez (foreign language). 

The re-employment of second-year teachers was approved, including: Anna Adolph (English), Max Basler (special education), Anna Birsa (Spanish), Anna Criswell (science), Cory Ellis (music teacher - choral), Justin Otte (science), Rachel Plock (math), and Keaton Shumard (music teacher - band).

The re-employment of third-year teachers was approved, including: Andrea DeKing (art), Holly Karner (social science), and Tony Wyatt (Focus House special education teacher).

The re-employment of fourth-year teachers to become tenured was approved, including: Nelson Baker (science), James Jackson (science), and Deanna Jacobs (science/agriculture). 

The board approved the non-renewals of substitute teachers Steven Cohrs and Jennifer Howard. Superintendent Jason Harper said that was due to less need for substitute teachers next year.

In its regular monthly personnel item, the board unanimously approved the resignations of  Mark Zilis (head cross country coach), the employment of Randall Cicogna (substitute bus driver) and Donna Weiler (substitute bus driver) and the 2024-2025 employment of Dale Bergeson (head cross country coach), Alan Henkel (volunteer assistant bass fishing coach), Abby Jamison (English), John Loggins (assistant girls tennis coach), Charity Prose (assistant volleyball coach), and Sumayya Staab (student growth coach).