Dixon Public Schools recognizes top employees with school year’s finish line in sight

DIXON — Dixon Public Schools reconfigured its board of education on Wednesday, filling officer slots and a swearing in a new member.

In separate votes, the board chose Rachel Cocar as vice president and Brandon Rogers as secretary, a carousel of changes required after the departure of Rachael Gahlbach, the vice president who moved with her family to Madison, Wisconsin.

It was a meeting conducted with a light, cheerful mood, as if all in attendance were exhaling after a school year marked by some tense moments and trying circumstances.

Board President Linda Wegner was especially effusive, recognizing three district employees for exemplary service, offering a vigorous handshake to new board member Kathleen Schaefer and pausing to solemnly mark the passing of a 30-year retired employee Barbara Howard.

Mike Grady, in his final weeks before retiring as Dixon High School’s principal, and Kevin Schultz, director of buildings and grounds, were also on hand to take part in the ceremony honoring 22-year high school science and special ed teacher Kimberly Munson and 14-year maintenance worker Steve James.

Munson, affectionately called “Queen Munson” by her students for her love of rap music and James, a personable member of the maintenance team with a reputation for detail, perfection and promptness, were thanked for their efforts during a challenging year.

Sarah Wilson, a paraprofessional at Reagan Middle School, will be recognized at the June meeting.

For Superintendent Margo Empen, the meeting marked the closing stretch of the school year, with eighth-grade promotion scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 27 and senior commencement 1 p.m. Sunday, May 29. Both exercises are planned to take place at the Dixon High School football field.

“We love the fact that kids are graduating and being promoted to the high school,” she said. “But it is always bittersweet, students who are leaving us, becoming alumni.”

She also noted the imminent departure of Grady, a fixture of the administration and recognized for steadfast leadership over his tenure. “Very exciting he gets to go on to the next chapter of his life. Very sad for us,” Empen said. But she acknowledged the “excitement” that accompanies the changing of the guard, with Jared Shaner as principal and Roger Fegan as athletic director.

Classes began in August amid a politically charged atmosphere as COVID-19 mitigations were protested on the sidewalks outside the district’s offices and debated within the board meeting room.

During the course of the year the district managed COVID-19 requirements as set forth by the Illinois State Board of the Education and responded to requests that it keep the public promptly informed on instances when contact tracing required in-person learning to be temporarily suspended.

Academic intervention and social-emotional support were recurring themes as the district identified its youngest students as needing additional help; many third-graders and younger were experiencing full-day in-person classroom instruction for the first time in the wake of the pandemic.

It conducted an extensive test of grade school language arts curriculum, implemented the administration’s improvement plan unify district assessments and processes, conducted a survey that revealed a community largely opposed to a proposal to change the start time of the school day and finally settled into a routine after the spring break as COVID cases subsided.

“I am incredibly proud we have remained in school all year and understand there are different views,” Empen said. “But we came and kept the kids in.”

She thanked teachers for working to preserve student safety, students for “hanging in there” and parents for their support.