RTHS Board: Remodeling work for Library-Media Center approved

Bid for new concession trailer approved Tuesday evening

By Russ Hodges, Sports Editor
Posted 1/22/25

At its monthly meeting Tuesday evening, the Rochelle Township High School Board of Education heard a report from Dean of Students Brett Zick, who presented new data regarding attendance numbers, December graduations and academic progress at RTHS.

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RTHS Board: Remodeling work for Library-Media Center approved

Bid for new concession trailer approved Tuesday evening

Posted

ROCHELLE — At its monthly meeting Tuesday evening, the Rochelle Township High School Board of Education heard a report from Dean of Students Brett Zick, who presented new data regarding attendance numbers, December graduations and academic progress at RTHS.

Zick said that a total of 25 students graduated from RTHS in December. Of the 25 students surveyed, 12 stated their intention to enter the workforce. While reviewing attendance data, Zick said that daily attendance numbers on a week-to-week basis exceeded the school’s target goal of 94.5 percent during the first semester. Zick also stated that chronic absenteeism on a week-to-week basis landed below the target goal of less than 16 percent in the first semester.

“We have stayed in about the 95 percent range, which is a little over what our goal was,” Zick said. “We’ve had fewer kids with chronic absenteeism issues… Our goal was to have less than 16 percent of students having that issue and we’ve had less kids with absenteeism issues.”

When detailing academic deficiency data, Zick said that the number of student deficiencies (Ds or Fs) decreased from 527 to 444 from the 2023 fall semester to the 2024 fall semester. Zick also said the number of student Fs decreased from 139 to 108 from the 2023 fall semester to the 2024 fall semester. To begin the presentation, Zick said that planning for the 2025-26 school year has started, with counselors and students meeting to sign up for classes this month.

“All classes will get presentations from the counselors during classroom visits,” Zick said. “In February, counselors will meet with students individually to review their four-year plan. Summer school sign-ups take place in March and we create our master schedule in April. We will disseminate that master schedule in May. That’s our progression to get ready for next year.”

Trailer

The board unanimously approved a bid from Nite Equipment for a new concession trailer in the amount of $73,555 with a $15,000 trade-in credit for a total cost of $58,555. Superintendent Jason Harper said the decision to trade in the previous trailer and purchase a new trailer was initially discussed during the district’s board meeting in December 2024.

LMC

The board unanimously approved a bid of $746,050 from Stenstrom Construction in Rockford for remodeling work at the RTHS Library-Media Center (LMC). District Business Manager Kevin Dale said that the remodeling work will begin in early June and conclude in early August.

Personnel

The board unanimously approved personnel changes including the resignation of Mark Glosser (head bass fishing coach) and Josie Kuss (shared district executive assistant/board secretary) as well as the employment of Isabella Lodico (volunteer softball coach) and Shannon Meier (shared district executive assistant/board secretary).

Meeting

The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18 due to the President’s Day holiday.