South West Illinois News

Sparta Community Unit School District #140 Board of Education met March 8.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

The regular meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by President Corey Rheinecker and upon the roll being called, Corey Rheinecker and the following members of the Board of Education answered present: Bert Byington, Angela Craig, Kevin Holliday, Kenneth Kempfer and Alan Young. Absent: Howard Gallois. Others present were: Superintendent Dr. Gabrielle Schwemmer, Recording Secretary Tina Witherby; Principal Scott Beckley; and members of the community and faculty.

President Rheinecker led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.

With no public comment requests, the meeting continued.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to approve the minutes of the February 8, 2018, regular meeting as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Kevin Holliday moved, Corey Rheinecker seconded to approve the Bills, Payroll, Cash Flow and Fund Balances as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Young, Byington, Craig and Rheinecker. Nays: Kempfer. Motion carried.

Mr. Kempfer questioned the payment to France Mechanical for air conditioning in the Sparta Lincoln School gymnasium, which was paid with TIF funds. He felt the board should have voted on the item, and it should have been bid out.

The next regular board meeting will be April 12, 2018, at 7 p.m. at Evansville Attendance Center.

Sparta High School Principal Scott Beckley reported that the architect has drawn up plans for the office renovation. There will be incentives for SAT test preparation for juniors. Clayton Sheldon finished 5th at State in wrestling. Carly Carril made Honorable Mention Academic All-State. The SWIC Running Start program will need an intergovernmental agreement with the district. There are several students interested in that program. The College/Career Fair will have many speakers and representatives attending. Rich Williams received the Athletic Director of the Year award.

Dr. Schwemmer recognized the following people for the Superintendent Shout Out: Sparta High School –Mark North and Clayton Sheldon; Sparta Lincoln School – Tom Ashley and Kaylee Gerlach, and Evansville Attendance Center – Erica Kisro and Caleb Ridgeway.

Dr. Schwemmer asked the Board of Education to consider purchasing a Crisis Go app. It would alert teachers quickly if an intruder were in the school. The Illinois Empower grant is a pilot program this year. It will provide professional development for teachers during the summer and 50 scholarships for Camp Invention. The Evansville Attendance Center Director donated her pay for the camp so that 6 more scholarships could be offered. There are 24 students participating in the internship program. The newspaper interviewed two students about the disparity of the number of black teachers in the district.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to accept the resignation of Tabitha Rolerkite as Cheerleading Sponsor at Evansville Attendance Center effective at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to accept the resignation of Stephanie Carpenter as Confidential Secretary at Evansville Attendance Center effective March 2, 2018. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to accept the resignation of Sandra Jackson as School Nurse at Sparta Lincoln School effective March 8, 2018. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

The preliminary 2018-2019 school calendar was presented. The first day for students will be August 15, 2018. There will be 2 p.m. dismissal on Wednesdays for the teachers to work on vertical articulation. There will be no 11:30 a.m. dismissals. The parent-teacher conferences will be held on Thursdays from 3-7 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m.-noon. The Winter break and Spring break will both be longer. With the five snow days, the last day of school will be June 3, 2019.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to renew membership in the Illinois High School Association and to adopt and abide by the Constitution, By-Laws, Terms and Conditions and Administrative Procedures, Guidelines and Policies of the Illinois High School Association for the year of July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

The supplemental resources for English/Language Arts Engage NY curriculum for grades K-12 were presented and are on display for 30 days before adoption.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to approve the Standard Form of Master Agreement Between Owner and Architect as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to adopt the School Board Policies #2:125 Board Member Compensation; Expenses; #2:130 Board-Superintendent Relationship; #2:140 Communications To and From the Board; #2:150 Committees; #2:160 Board Attorney; #2:170 Procurement of Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Services as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Kempfer, Young, Byington, and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

First readings were held for School Board Policies #2:200 Types of School Board Meetings, #2:210 Organizational School Board Meeting; #2:220 School Board Meeting Procedure and Student Policy #7:70 Administering Medicines to Students.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to enter into executive session at 7:35 p.m. to discuss items related to specific employee performance/hiring, student discipline matter and reductions-in-force. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Board Member Howard Gallois entered the meeting at 7:40 p.m.

Howard Gallois moved, Kevin Holliday seconded to come out of executive session at 8:39 p.m. Roll call vote. Yeas: Gallois, Holliday, Kempfer, Young, Byington, Craig and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Howard Gallois moved, Kevin Holliday seconded to approve the executive session minutes as presented for the February 8, 2018, meeting. Roll call vote. Yeas: Gallois, Holliday, Kempfer, Young, Byington, Craig and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Angela Craig moved, Howard Gallois seconded to approve Shanell Roberts as the Assistant Softball Coach at Sparta High School for 2017-2018 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Craig, Gallois, Holliday, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to approve Erin Grumley as a Volunteer Assistant Softball Coach at Sparta High School for the 2017-2018 school year subject to and contingent upon successful completion of a criminal history background check. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Gallois, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Kevin Holliday moved, Angela Craig seconded to approve the Resolution to Dismiss Caleb Sattler, a first-year non-tenured certified teacher, at the end of the 2017-2018 school term and not reemploy him for the 2018-2019 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Craig, Gallois, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Kevin Holliday moved, Howard Gallois seconded to approve the Resolution for Honorable Dismissal of Educational Support Personnel Employees. The following named educational support personnel employees shall be honorably dismissed and not reemployed for the 2018-2019 school term because of the decision of the board to decrease the number of educational support personnel employees employed: Megan Gerlach, Sara Steele, Fred Miller, Rhonda

Dickey, Dana Weber, Russell Scales, Mary Niemeyer, Barry Dickerson. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Gallois, Kempfer, Young, Byington, Craig and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Howard Gallois moved, Angela Craig seconded to decrease Robin Hanebutt’s hours and position from 8-hour head cook at Evansville Attendance Center to 6-hour assistant cook effective February 26, 2018. Roll call vote. Yeas: Gallois, Craig, Holliday, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Howard Gallois moved, Angela Craig seconded to increase Tracy Penford’s hours and position from 6-hour assistant cook to 8-hour head cook at Evansville Attendance Center effective February 26, 2018. Roll call vote. Yeas: Gallois, Craig, Holliday, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Kevin Holliday moved, Howard Gallois seconded to employ Jennifer Schlueter as a 10-month (217 days) Confidential Secretary for the District. Roll call vote. Yeas: Holliday, Gallois, Kempfer, Young, Byington, Craig and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Angela Craig moved, Howard Gallois seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:42 p.m. Roll call vote: Yeas: Craig, Gallois, Holliday, Kempfer, Young, Byington and Rheinecker. Nays: none. Motion carried.

https://www.sparta.k12.il.us/copy-of-board-of-education-meeting--1