Yurko named superintendent for Hamilton school district

Joe Yurko, Hamilton Superintendent

The Hamilton School Board welcomed Joe Yurko, the new district super-intendent, during a meeting Wednesday in the junior/ senior high school library.

Yurko was hired to replace Dr. Steve Breckon, interim superintendent for the district. Monday was Yurko's first day on the job.

“It's a pleasure to have you here,” Board President Mark Menn told Yurko. “We're thrilled to have you.”

Joe Yurko, the new superintendent of Hamilton schools, most recently served as superintendent of the Pope County School District in Golconda.

Yurko has taught at the middle school level and was a K-8 principal in the Atwood-Hammond School District, Atwood. In the Tuscola School District, he was middle school principal.

Although Yurko has been on the job in Hamilton for less than a week, he looks forward to serving the district.

“I hope to continue the development of district goals in conjunction with the school board, building level administration, district staff and the community,” he said.

Yurko holds a bachelor of science degree in education from McKendree University, Lebanon, a master of science degree in education administration from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, and an educational specialist degree in education administration, also from EIU.

He and his wife Julie have been married for 13 years. Julie is certified in mathematics and foreign language (Spanish).

Having reviewed the district's finances, Yurko expressed optimism for the future.

“In light of what I've seen in other districts, this district is doing very, very well,” he said.

Steve Schlatter, head of district maintenance, told the board that the Hamilton City Council is still waiting to receive a feasibility study of the TIF district.

“It's not yet been finalized,” Schlatter said. “It doesn't look like it's going to be voted on any time soon.”

Yurko reminded board members to consider attending the Illinois Association of School Boards joint conference Nov. 19-21 in Chicago.

In action items, the board approved:

- The district handbook and school fees for the 2010-11 school year.

- Placing the tentative budget on display, beginning Aug. 11.

- Repaying a loan from working cash by the bond and interest fund.

- Naming of school depositories (Marine Bank and Trust and First State Bank of Illinois).

- Custodians of activity funds: Ron Gilbert, junior/senior high school principal; Melissa Moore, junior/senior high school secretary; Samantha Glasscock, assistant treasurer; David Snowden, elementary school principal; and Barb Dobbins, elementary secretary.

- Yurko and Carol Mullens as Freedom of Information Act officers for the district.

- Yurko as the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund authorized agent for the district.

The board approved a resignation from bus driver Deb Genck. Two new coaches have been hired: Kyle Beagles for eighth grade boys basketball coach and Lucas Hackett for junior high boys baseball. Ed Garrelts has been hired on a part-time basis for the remainder of the summer. Three days a week, Garrelts will be cleaning and test-driving school buses.

In his principal report, Gilbert:

- Received approval for removal Verizon Wireless signs to be set up on ballfields during games. In return, Verizon Wireless will give $1,000 to the district, which will be used to replace lighting on the east end of the field.

- Said that school registration will be held Aug. 5-6 in the junior/senior high school library.

- Shared that orientation will be held Aug. 12 at 6 p.m. for junior high and 7 p.m. for freshmen. A parent portal web access presentation also will be held that evening at 8 p.m. All of these events take place at Safford Auditorium.

- Presented a sign from the National Center for Construction Education that will be posted on the vocational building. The sign recognizes the district's success in training students for industrial careers.

- Congratulated student Jacob Ayers (who will be a senior this fall) for being selected to work in a cure for cancer program at Western Illinois University, Macomb. The program is funded by the National Cancer Institute. Ayers is working in an undergraduate/graduate program to search for new ways to fight cancer. Hamilton High School science teacher Deb Moffitt had encouraged Ayers to participate in the program.

- Thanked Dave Helmick, Ray Plowman, Mark West and the entired maintenance department for their hard work this summer in getting classrooms ready for the new school year.

- Reported that he and Snowden attended an administrators' academy at MacMurray College in Jacksonville where they learned about student safety issues. The information they received will be distributed to all district educators and the technology department.