Quincy School Board
I’ve been paying attention to national and geopolitics since I was a teenager. Generally, I’ve found macro news events to be exciting and local politics to be less exciting. It wasn’t until recently, during the lockdowns, that it dawned on me that who we have governing us locally is a really big deal. It really does…
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I proudly write this letter in support of three former partners, teammates and great friends — Shelley Arns, Latonya Brock and Jim Whitfield. Our time together at Quincy Public Schools was fairly chaotic. We built five new schools, moved 400 of 490 teachers, transitioned to a grades 9-12 high school and a grades 6-8 junior…
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As I leave the Quincy School Board, I wish to acknowledge some colleagues. Accountability, good relationships with students, staff, parents and community I learned from Herb Jackson (a friend deeply missed). I thank (Tom) Dickerson and (Bill) Daniels for bringing the district into compliance fiscally and for treating all staff fairly. We hired Tom Leahy,…
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When sworn into office, Illinois School Board members take an oath to uphold federal and state laws, while “fostering excellence for every student in the areas of academic skills, knowledge, citizenship, and personal development (Illinois School Board Oath of Office).” However, there are instances when our local standards may be in conflict with the State…
Read Full Article This letter is in response to Tom Van Dyke’s claim of politicization of the Quincy School Board race. Advocating for freedom, local control and parental rights are not political but traditional American ideals. It is a response to the political decisions and non-decisions the current school board has wrought upon the citizens of Quincy for…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy School Board heard an update from the District Improvement Committee at a brief meeting Wednesday night. There were no reports from the Building, Finance or Policy Committees as none of them had met during February. According to the student discipline report, Quincy High School had a decrease in out-of-school suspensions, but…
Read Full Article I find it egregious that three candidates for Quincy School Board have seemingly, as evidenced by yard sign plantings, formed a PAC with political endorsements of a politician who supports those who have election fraud and conspiracy theories and a litigant happy ambulance chaser. Our school system should have no tolerance for politicizing the Quincy…
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I enjoyed reading Mr. Gough’s article on Mr. Dade speaking to the QHS School Board. It was very well written and is a topic that needs to be discussed. In my opinion, Mr. Dade is talking about equity, while the administration is talking about equality, which we all know are two separate things. Equity in…
Read Full Article QUINCY— Mike Dade said he just wants his daughter to have the same high school basketball experience that his son had. Dade spoke at Wednesday night’s Quincy School Board meeting and said the district “doesn’t support the (Quincy High School) girls basketball program as it should.” “A reasonable effort to address this problem would begin…
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For the second year in a row, the Quincy School Board recognized former educators with the district’s Legend Award. The late teacher, coach and principal Paul Koscielski and former teacher and principal Melanie Schrand are this year’s recipients. Koscielski’s career spanned more than 30 years and all levels of the Quincy Public School system, working…
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QUINCY — Five people have filed to run for the Quincy School Board as filings for the 2023 consolidated election have begun throughout Illinois. Three incumbents — Quincy School Board President Shelley Arns and board members Jim Whitfield and LaTonya Brock filed on Monday’s first day of filing. Two other people also filed on Monday:…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy School Board approved its tentative 2022 $42.873 tax levy Tuesday. The Board will have a public hearing on the levy at its December 14 board meeting and will consider at tax rate of $3.93, down from the previous year’s rate of $3.99. Adams County estimates the taxes for 2022-23 will have…
Read Full Article QUINCY — Before exiting to executive session, the Quincy School Board conducted a quick meeting in front of a crowd of about 20 people. The only new business was the approval of the Memorandum of Understanding for the Regional Safe Schools Program. Board members Jim Whitfield and Carol Nichols each received accommodations for Distinguished Board…
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QUINCY — Superintendent Todd Pettit and School Board President Shelley Arns both said Wednesday night the Quincy School District’s policies about COVID are … well, back to what they were before anyone had ever heard of COVID. “We’ve posted on our website our typical flu criteria and what we typically do,” Pettit said after Wednesday’s School Board…
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QUINCY — The Quincy School Board unanimously elected Shelley Arns as president and Rachael Petty as vice-president in a brief special meeting Tuesday afternoon. Sayeed Ali resigned as board president, but will remain on the board. Arns had been vice president of the board since April 2021 when she took over for Mike Troup, who…
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Sayeed Ali discusses his tenure as Quincy School Board president as it draws to a close. MRN This Week is furnished by Harvey’s.
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Dear MRN: I have a question about the Quincy School Board’s decision to hire a St. Louis company to replace a heating and air conditioning unit in one of its buildings. Why wasn’t the contract put out for bid? The Quincy School Board unanimously voted at its March 23 meeting to approve a proposal from…
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QUINCY — When Jennifer Bock Nelson learned Quincy School District officials were considering eliminating valedictorian and salutatorian honors, she wanted to share her thoughts with the Quincy School Board. Nelson, a Quincy artist, was the valedictorian of her graduating class in 1997. She believes it’s a “terrific idea” to get rid of the academic honors…
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QUINCY — The Quincy School Board has an item on Wednesday’s agenda to “consider/approve contingency contract to purchase real estate at 1600 N. 43rd.” That property is where K&L Arena is located, a multipurpose sports facility owned by Greg and Deb Shierling. Mays LLC Realtors is handling the sale of the property. The 5.32-acre property…
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Melvin J. “Bud” Niekamp, a self-proclaimed watchdog of taxpayer money while simultaneously holding elected office on two public bodies before being challenged in court for his service, has died. Niekamp, who made “Bud votes no” a standard part of many local reporter’s stories over the years, was taken to court in 2009 by a group…
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Todd Pettit was a ground-breaking choice to be Quincy’s next school superintendent. All of Quincy’s previous superintendents have been straight (as far as we know), white males, none of whom graduated from Quincy High School. So Pettit is the first QHS grad to be chosen to lead the district. At age 51, he might end…
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QUINCY — Four long-time employees of the Quincy School District comprised the inaugural class of recipients of the Legend Award, which was presented by Quincy School Board members at its Wednesday night meeting. The board recognized four men who died during a nine-day span last fall. Sayeed Ali, president of the board, presented surviving family…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The interviews are done and now the Quincy School Board must make its decision. Superintendent Roy Webb told the Quincy School Board at its Wednesday meeting the search for his replacement is nearly complete, which was basically informing the public as board members were already aware of this. Webb reported the eight-person committee…
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QUINCY — Quincy School Board Vice President Shelley Arns said the field has been narrowed in the search for the Quincy School District’s next superintendent of schools. Arns was on Muddy River News This Week and said the eight-person committee has reduced the number of finalists to two and the School Board will be doing…
Read Full Article QUINCY — The Quincy School Board had several reasons to be in a good mood when it met Tuesday night. It was the board’s last meeting before celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. It also heard a report from the finance committee that had long-time board member Carol Nichols gushing, The finance committee, which met Monday, heard…
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