Kewanee High School’s FFA chapter was honored by the school board Monday for its achievements on the state and national levels.
FFA members filled nearly two rows in the KHS auditorium at the beginning of Monday’s board meeting as their accomplishments were reported to the board by KHS Principal Amanda Tidwell:
— The Kewanee chapter was ranked as a Premier Chapter in Illinois, placing sixth among the state’s 372 FFA chapters.
— At the national FFA convention in Indianapolis earlier this year, Kewanee High received a three-star chapter rating.
— KHS FFA member Kyle Joos received the American Degree, the highest individual award offered to students. He is Kewanee’s first recipient of the award since 2014.
School board resolutions honoring Joos and the entire FFA membership were read and approved by the board. All the chapter members, wearing special yellow shirts for the occasion, joined on the auditorium state for a group photo with the school board.
Also Monday:
— The board approved a $510,000 working cash bond issue. The proceeds will go toward an HVAC replacement project in the kitchen and cafeteria area at Central School that ended up costing about three times as much as was originally estimated, according to Supt. Rebecca Baney.
— Baney told the board that a new addition to Kewanee High is being considered. The addition would include a small auditorium and a science classroom.
She said the smaller auditorium would be more suitable for some events than the Petersen Auditorium with its seating for more than 600 people. For example, it could be used as a lecture hall, offering students a college-like experience.
The science classroom, Baney said, could be used for a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) training program that would offer employment opportunities for students right out of high school. She said there is a large need for CNAs in the Kewanee area.
Baney will direct the district’s architects to begin drawing up plans for the addition.
— The district will explore the use of a company called Cartwheel Telehealth to provide mental-health counseling for students using Zoom calls.
Baney said there is a shortage of mental health professionals, which makes it difficult to offer in-person counseling sessions. Cartwheel Telehealth would make it possible to set up sessions with students and their parents in their own homes, day or night.
— Baney said she is still negotiating with officials from the company that installed solar panels on the roofs at KHS and Central School. Some of the panels were blown off the roofs in the July 15 storm, resulting in damage to the roofs. Baney is trying to get the solar panel company to pay at least some of the cost of the repairs.
