NORMAL – During what he called “an ad-lib” presentation, Jim Hayek, Jr., president of Normal-based Unit 5 School Board, announced that a job transfer to Arizona would be causing him to step down from the Board either at the end of May or early June. Hayek, employed by State Farm Insurance, has been president this current school year, and a Board member for three years.
One thing Hayek said he is proud of was “providing students a number of ways to connect with the district, whether it’s in extra curricular activities or in the classroom or co-curricular activities.” Such opportunities provide students a way to connect to their school, Hayek said. From such connections, students find goals and a direction for their lives, Hayek added.
Providing such things “is one thing I’m proud of the district for in many different ways,” Hayek said. But for Hayek, such opportunities also have him fearful, he said, because “we are in times where, if our budget doesn’t improve, there are programs that might be at risk.” He said the district is going “to have to spend additional dollars on mental health issues” for students, the recent shootings at a high school in Parkland, Fla. on Valentine’s Day where 17 people were shot to death by a gunman.
He said the needs which the district must address would come from a district budget which currently “is not growing at a pace that we need it to grow to keep up with these demands.”
Hayek said he made the comments so that the “community will have an awareness I want it to have,” and that the district’s “ability to great things for kids” was, in his words, “at risk.”
Following the meeting, Hayek told reporters his new job “will be a new adventure, but it’s going to be hard to leave Unit 5 behind.” Hayek said he would have wanted to wait until after next year to make any kind of move, as his son will be a senior in high school next year, but, he added, “The timing is just right for that move. Our family is excited.”
He said “keeping the strategic plan for the district alive” was what he considered his greatest accomplishment since being on the Board.
Under State law, the district will have 45 days from the date Hayek’s resignation takes effect to appoint a successor. That person, after taking office, will have to formally run for the seat in a primary election next spring.
In addition to approving a resolution to issue $13 million in taxable education warrants, members of Normal-based Unit 5 School Board heard a trio of “good news” reports to start their meeting off on March 28 at district headquarters.
Public Comment Concerns Normal Community West Coaching Change: Board members approved the hiring of Nathan Fincham as the new head coach of Normal Community West High School’s varsity football team. Fincham was an assistant to Darren Hess, who resigned from the post in December. While approval of Fincham to the job was unanimous, a resident with concerns addressed Board members during the meeting’s public comments segment.
David Cobb told Board members making such a change “wasn’t something to be taken lightly,” and added he believed neither the school’s principal, David Johnson, or Athletic Director Stan Lewis have displayed “the leadership or concern for our African American students.” Cobb added.
Cobb said hiring Fincham would run the risk of repeating issues faced by black teammates under Hess. “By placing the current candidate as your new head coach, whom was part of the former varsity football staff, we are running the risk of the same nepotism and systemic bias as before,” Cobb explained. “It is my recommendation that we select a coach, not from the staff of a head coach who was recently terminated.” He also pointed out that neither Normal West’s football or boys’ basketball teams have ever been led by black coaches.
In an impromptu interview session with reporters following his remarks to the Board, Cobb said boys were transferring out of Normal West’s football program for various reasons. When pressed by reporters for specific reasons, he stated, “I’ll let you figure out why that is.”
In January, several Normal West football families and booster club members attended a Board meeting seeking information about Hess’ departure from the football team. At the time, district officials admitted having concerns regarding how Normal West’s Gridiron Club boosters group spent its money. At issue was whether booster dollars improperly went to Hess’ assistant coaches. Those same parents and boosters also sought an explanation for a closed door session two months earlier, asked for by Cobb and others. The state’s Open Meetings law allows public bodies to go into closed session to discuss specific employees.
Wednesday’s Unit 5 meeting agenda indicated Hess himself sought to the closed session’s minutes using a Freedom of Information Act request, which the district denied.
New Athletic Director Coming To NCHS July 1: NCHS will have a new athletic director effective July 1. Nic Kearfott comes to NCHS from Dekalb High School where he serves as the Athletic Director. Prior to DHS, he opened the athletic department at Woodstock North High School and was the Athletic Director there for seven years. Kearfoot has held an Athletic Director position for 14 years, and has held a seat on the Illinois Athletic Directors Association Executive Board of Directors since 2009. He is married to Stephanie Kearfott and has three boys Connor, Collin, and Cooper, ages 12, 9, and 6, respectfully. Kearfoot is an El Paso native. He and his wife have family in the Bloomington-Normal area.
He is replacing Mike Clark who is retiring. Clark has been A.D. at NCHS twice, first when the school’s new building opened in 2003, and later serving as A.D. at Parkside Junior High School for seven years before returning to NCHS as A.D. two years ago to replace Andy Turner who took a similar post at Maine South High School.
Darren Cooper Named Principal At Parkside Junior High School: With Dan Lamboley having been promoted from being a principal to director of secondary education at the district office, the school he oversaw, Parkside Junior High School, was going to need a new principal. District officials tabbed Darrin Cooper, principal at Oakdale Elementary to succeed Lamboley effective July 1. Lamboley assumes his new duties that day as well.
In addition, Shane Hill, assistant principal at Normal West will become Associate Principal at Kingsley Junior High School. Stacie France, assistant principal at Chiddix Junior High School will become principal at KJHS. All of these moves become effective July 1.
Evans Jr. High School’s “Good News”: Gina Tenuta, associate principal and athletic director at George L. Evans Junior High School, presented the school’s latest champions to Board members during a Good News report, as she introduced them to the school’s Class 8-4A Boys Basketball team. On Feb. 15, the team traveled to Urbana Middle School to compete in the Illinois Elementary School Association 8-4A State Championship Game where they faced an undefeated Urbana Middle School squad on their home court.
The EJHS Eagles held off Urbana the entire game, never letting the lead get away from them on their way to a final score of 45-37. As a result of the win, the Eagles finished the season with a 22-5 record to earn the first boys’ basketball State Championship in EJHS’ history.
EJHS entered the championship quest with a first round 42-39 win over University Park Crete Monee, which advanced them to a semifinal victory over Bolingbrook’s Jane Addams Junior High, which the Eagles won, 45-38. From there, EJHS advanced to the showdown against Urbana.
Members of the team are: Shea Zbrozek, Dax Yosten, Titan Virgil, Chase Adams, D.J. Starr, Jamarcus Webb, Aaron Eiker, Carson Beal, Jono Edmonson, Tyler Dwinal, Camden Maas, Ian Bliss, Ben Bittner, Joe Zeman, and Kaden Stork. Team managers were Parker Michels and Ohm Patel. The team’s head coach is Nate Sefton. Brian Duggins, and Alex Kepuraitis are the assistant coaches.
Kingsley Jr. High School Doubles Its “Good News”: Kingsley Junior High School doubled up on its good news reports to the Board at this meeting, as Principal Shelley Erickson introduced Board members to Diavion Smith, a seventh grader. Diavion was selected to be one of a number of keynote speakers at the annual “Be Great” Breakfast. Diavion has been a Club member since he was six-years-old. He and the other keynote speakers addressed an audience of more than 500 people who attended the breakfast, a fundraiser for the organization.
During his presentation, Diavion shared the benefits of participating in the Boys & Girls Club, including mentoring, learning leadership skills, and making lifelong friends. Diavion received a standing ovation at the end of his talk.
Erickson’s next introduction was for Board members to meet KJHS seventh grader Froylan Racey. In January, Froylan was selected to play the euphonium for the All-Illinois Junior Band at the University of Illinois. During the competition, judges were not informed which school students attended, and students were required to submit recordings of two solos and a chromatic scale in the full range of the instrument.
Froylan practiced before school with KJHS Music Teacher Becky Meadows as well as investing many hours practicing on his own. Approximately 80 students representing over 70 schools were selected to participate.