Sterling schools OK change to 2023-24 calendar to host IHSA state drama finals

Julie Aitken, board treasurer, serves as moderator during the Dec. 14 meeting of the Sterling Public Schools board of education.

STERLING – Sterling Public Schools approved a change in the 2023-24 school calendar so they can serve as host for the Illinois High School Association state drama finals.

The school board also approved the audit reports for the district and Whiteside Regional Vocational system and OK’d a bid for the second phase of the heat and air conditioning installations during its Dec. 14 meeting.

Anna Hutchinson portrays Bernadetta, the choir director, imploring Jenica Francis' Ruby to sing from the diaphragm on Wednesday at Centennial Auditorium. Sterling High School's production of "CODA" was a state qualifier in dramatic group interpretation.

Drama state finals

As part of the change, spring break will move to the third week in March. The previous school calendar had it listed as the second week.

“It’s going to bring over 700 students and their families, thousands of people to our community,” Superintendent Tad Everett said after the board approved the proposal. “We’re going to showcase our school and our program, but it also will be a great economic situation for our local communities.”

Sterling High School has served as a sectional host in drama for seven of the past nine seasons, and it will do so again this March.

The association runs state finals in contest play and group interpretation. The latter category has been a mainstay of the Sterling High School drama department, as it won a state title in 2005 and took fourth in 2015.

But the IHSA has added competitions in short film and musical theater review.

For that reason, the IHSA has turned from large public arenas to having high schools serve as state final hosts. Oak Lawn High School hosted in 2021, and Chatham Glenwood will host this year.

Susan Knoblauch, assistant executive director of the IHSA, said schools can provide more of a festival flavor to the two-day event. The hope is to invite local individuals in the fine arts community to conduct seminars and offer critiques.

The 2024 state championship will be March 22-23.

Audit reports

Wipfli CPAs and Consultants issued an “unqualified opinion” on the financial statements for the district and the WRVS for the fiscal year that ended June 30, which Director of Finance Timothy Schwingle said in his report to the board was the “best” opinion that could be obtained.

The summary showed that the audit’s “financial recognition” was the highest status it could receive, exceeding the board’s stated goal of being at “financial review” status.

HVAC

After experiencing delays in the supply chain for improvement projects in the district last summer, the board approved the bid for the second phase of HVAC installations for summer 2024.

The bid of $5.322 million from Loescher Heating and Air Conditioning of Freeport was accepted. Helm Group of Freeport also bid on the project.

Loescher did the first phase of work for the district. The project is being financed with county sales tax revenue, corporate replacement tax revenue, the spring bond issue and federal COVID-19 recovery grants.

Community relations

The board accepted reports from the Community Relations Committee that included a survey of the school student council, a report from the student advisory board and efforts to recruit new teachers through the Grow Your Own Program initiative.

Troy Taylor

Troy E. Taylor

Was named editor for Saukvalley.com and the Gazette and Telegraph in 2021. An Illinois native, he has been a reporter or editor in daily newspapers since 1989.