By EDWARD HUSAR
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
With the stroke of a pen, the Quincy School Board on Wednesday wiped out a $2.2 million deficit in the district's Education Fund.
The board accomplished this feat by taking $2.2 million from the proceeds of a voter-approved $6.2 million bond issue and transferring it to the beleaguered Education Fund, which had been in the hole for years.
Rich Royalty, the district's interim business manager, said the proceeds from the sale of working cash bonds arrived in the district's financial coffers two weeks ago, clearing the way for the fund transfer that was pledged if voters would approve the measure in the March election.
Melvin "Bud" Niekamp, who opposed the sale of working cash bonds, cast the only vote against making the transfer.
In other action Wednesday, the School Board approved a "heat related illness prevention" policy -- possibly the first of its kind developed for an Illinois school district.
The policy was unveiled at the board's May 23 meeting. It spells out safety guidelines coaches and band directors will have to follow once the heat index reaches certain levels or if students exhibit any signs of heat-related illness.
For example, the policy says no practice or activity will be allowed once the heat index reaches 105 degrees or higher. This will apply to all athletics and other physical activities, including PE classes, marching band and indoor sports when air conditioning is not available.
Other steps will have to be followed when the heat index enters the 95- to 105-degree range.
The policy goes into effect immediately.
With little discussion, the board passed a prevailing wage resolution that will require the district to pay the prevailing wage rate for all construction projects taking place in the district. The matter passed 5-2, with Niekamp and Scott Stone casting the opposing votes.
Jeff Mays said he would reluctantly vote in favor of the resolution after being a longtime opponent. He said it's a fruitless endeavor to oppose the state's prevailing wage rules, which the district must follow or face some severe penalties.
"We have no choice but to adopt it," Board President Bill Daniels told fellow members Wednesday.
Daniels said if board members rejected the resolution, they could potentially be subject to removal from office.
The board also put its stamp of approval on a proposal to apply for a state grant that could conceivably pay the district millions of dollars to help with the construction of new buildings to replace some of the district's aging facilities.
Daniels, who serves as chairman of the board's Building Committee, said there is no assurance the district will receive a grant, but applying for the money will put the district in a more competitive position in case the board decides to proceed with a major capital project in several years.
Royalty said the district's chances of getting a grant paying 67 percent of the construction costs "are increasing as time goes on" because many other school districts have already satisfied their construction needs, giving Quincy a chance to move up fairly quickly on the qualification list.
The board also:
º Agreed to lease 200 computers from Dell at a cost of $786.15 each. Once the three-year lease is over, the district will own the computers, which will be used primarily to upgrade some computer labs at Quincy High School and Quincy Junior High School.
º Designated Phyllis Stewart, the board's secretary, as the district's primary designated Freedom of Information Act officer. Larissa Brady will serve as the secondary FOIA officer.
-- ehusar@whig.com/221-3378
