ROCK FALLS — Business at Rock Falls High School’s board of education meetings usually proceeds at a brisk pace.

But when it came time to accept the resignation of Toni Cain, the district’s much-appreciated administrative assistant, things ground to a halt.

Although Cain’s resignation won’t be effective until June 30, 2026 — meaning she will be around for another four years — the board’s collective reluctance was evident.

“It doesn’t happen if no one makes a motion, right?” one board member suggested.

And so, like a hot potato, the motion got bounced back and forth until members reluctantly made and seconded the motion and board President Merle Gaulrapp called for the vote. When, at last, it was Gaulrapp’s time to cast the final vote, he said aye, “with regret.”

Cain, who also serves as the board’s recording secretary, dutifully recorded the action.

“I was so appreciative of the board members and their reluctance to approve my retirement for the 2025-2026 school year,” Cain said in an email.

Cain will have been employed by the district 24 years and eight months when her retirement starts.

Hers was one of three resignations the board accepted during Wednesday’s regular meeting.

The other resignations that were accepted were longtime English language learner tutor Nicolas Velazquez and cafeteria worker Debbie Loy. Both are effective at the end of this current school year.

IHSA renewal

The board voted 5-0 to renew its membership to the Illinois High School Association for the 2022-23 school year.

Athletic Director Rich Montgomery shared with the board the happy news that not only was the IHSA not collecting an assessment fee for the next school year, it has a plan to refund the assessment collected in 2021-22 in two phases over the next two years.

On March 12, the IHSA board met in Champaign and voted to suspend the assessments for member schools. It will also refund half the assessment collected in 2022-23 and then the balance in 2023-24.

The IHSA had implemented a three-year assessment schedule in 2021-22 to help the not-for-profit organization remain solvent as a means of recovering financially because the state prohibited it from operating state championships in academic activities and athletics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ticket sales from regional, sectional and state finals are a primary revenue source for the state association.

IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson told member schools in March the board was “overly conservative in our financial planning, but the ability to conduct State Series tournaments this year has helped return us to stable financial footing.”

According to the IHSA, Rock Falls has an enrollment of 647.5 students.

Assessment rates under the old plan were based on enrollment, with the larger schools paying more. Rock Falls, with an enrollment of 647.5 students, had an assessment of $1,626 for 2021-22 and had planned to pay $813 in 2022-23 and $407 in 2023-24.