Columbia Community Unit School District No. 4 Board of Education met March 21.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
I. Call to Order/Roll Call
President Middelkamp called the regular meeting to order at 7:02 p.m. in the Parkview Elementary School Library.
Visitor(s) Present:
Jeanne Goacher, Christy Amos, Amber Hunsaker, Erica Kane, Jacob Amos, Ryan Groszek, Mark Graves, Ryan Moats, Al Willis, John Loraine, Amber Search, Tyson Search, James Moss, Courtney Rowan, Rip Rowan, Penny Burmester, Phil Taylor, Donna Myers, Keith Myers, Erin Allen, Mary Adams, Jennie Steckler, Janet Kniepkamp, Heidi Klein, Carleigh Ottwell, Courtney Castelli, Brad Rippelmeyer, Sandra Rippelmeyer, Tiffany Dill, Jacque Menard, Elizabeth Schreckenberg, Amy James, Shae Dix, Cress Morr, Heidi Donald, Jeanna Wheeler, Becky Alexander, Nicole Sanderson, Missie Steve, Lisa Schumacher, Robin Siler, Michelle Urke, Karen Dent, Dawn Williamson, Jennifer Woehlke, Dave Woehlke, Jody McClelland, Melissa Hazlett, Jim Brazil, Ryan Steinbach, Monica Mize, Brian Reeves, April Becherer, Micki Spivey, Carla Wantuck, Angela McConachie, Joshua McConachie, Angie Schrader, Courtney Acevedo, David Ackerman.
President Middelkamp welcomed the public.
II. Welcome/Recognition of Visitors & Accomplishments
Dr. Segobiano commented that this year. She reported the following activities/occurrences happened in just the past 30 days:
• National Honor Society Induction
• Two productions by the CHS and CMS drama departments: Aladdin and Little Women
• Sweetheart Cabaret
• After Prom Rummage Sale
• 5K Eagle Run
• Becky Savage assembly/parent meeting
• IAR State Testing
• Pops Concert
• 7th/8th Grade Band Concert
• 5th Grade Band Concert
• Spring sports have begun: Girls Soccer won the Metro Cup
• Girls On The run has begun
• HS Math Teams – one team will compete at University of Illinois on 5/4/19
• Megan Reddick and Jordin Toenjes had baby girls
• Nancy McCloud retired
• Everyone is keeping busy and moving forward towards the end of another school year.
III. Public Comments/ Correspondence
At this time, President Middelkamp called for public comments. The following individuals addressed the board:
• Sweetheart Cabaret
• After Prom Rummage Sale
• 5K Eagle Run
• Becky Savage assembly/parent meeting
• IAR State Testing
• Pops Concert
• 7th/8th Grade Band Concert
• 5th Grade Band Concert
• Spring sports have begun: Girls Soccer won the Metro Cup
• Girls On The run has begun
• HS Math Teams – one team will compete at University of Illinois on 5/4/19
• Megan Reddick and Jordin Toenjes had baby girls
• Nancy McCloud retired
• Everyone is keeping busy and moving forward towards the end of another school year.
Joe Brazil, Ryan Steinbach, Carleigh Ottwell, Heidi Klein (on behalf of Jon Wehrenberg), Carla Wantuck, Cress Morr, Penny Burmester, Micki Spivey, and Tammy Hines.
Correspondence was passed around to the board members. APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA (Items IV. and V.)
IV. Minutes and Finance
Motion to approve the following consent agenda items (Item IV. Minutes and Finance and Item V. Personnel Items), as presented, by Superintendent Segobiano:
A. Approval of Minutes–
1. Open Session(s)
a. Regular Meeting – February 21, 2019
2. Executive Session(s) –
a. Regular Meeting – February 21, 2019 (Release)
3. Continuation of Held Executive Session Minutes
4. Destruction of Executive Session Tapes – 18 Months Prior to Date
B. Approve Bookkeeper’s Financial Position/Treasurer’s Reports
C. Approve Budget Report–February 28, 2019
D. Approve Expenditures–March, 2019
E. Activity FundBalance Report–February 28, 2019
V. Personnel Items
Accept Resignations
A. AcceptResignation(s)–
a. Courtney Baker, Deaf & Hard of Hearing Teacher b. Gail Hollis, Agriculture Teacher and FFA Sponsor c. Jamie Rakers, High School English Teacher
d. Mark Sandstrom, High School Boys’ Varsity Basketball Coach
e. Andrew Thompson, Middle School Student Council Co-Advisor
f. Pila Ladd, Parkview Cafeteria Cook
Employ Educational Support Personnel
B. Employ Educational Support Personnel-
a. Andria Perez, Sign Language Interpreter
b. Robin Siler, Parkview Secretary (11 month)
c. Dana Mehrmann, CHS Financial Secretary (12 Month-2019-2020 SY)
d. Joe Burch, Part Time Paraprofessional (2019-2020 SY)
Employ Certificated Personnel
C. Employ Certificated Personnel –
a. Katy Holliday, High School English Teacher
b. Megan Vogt, High School Agriscience Teacher and FFA Sponsor
c. Joe Burch, Part Time Agriscience Teacher (estimated 0.5 FTE for SY20)
d. Allyson Rebhan, School Psychologist e. Audrey Elliott, School Social Worker
Approve Temporary Disability Leave(s)
D. Approve Temporary Disability Leave(s) -
a. David Woodhams, Permanent P/T Bus Driver (2/22/19 to release)
Approve Extra-Curricular Appointments
E. Approve Extra Curricular Assignments –
a. Tessa Amsden, High School JV Volleyball Coach b. Chloe Alexander, CMS Cheerleading Coach
c. Ray Baumann and Christine Kaiping, High School Girls’ Assistant Soccer Co-Coaches
Approve Non-Certified Class Advancements
F. Approve Non-Certified Class Advancements - None
Declare Vacancy(s)
G. Declare Vacancy(s) –
a. High School Head Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach b. Deaf & Hard of Hearing Teacher
c. Special Education Teacher
Motion To Approve Consent Agenda
Motion to approve consent agenda (Item IV. Minutes and Finance and Item V. Personnel Items), as presented, by Karen Anderson, seconded by Greg O’Connor.
On a roll call vote:
Anderson-Aye, Hines-Aye, Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye, O’Connor-Aye, Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent.
The motion carried, 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
VI. Communications - Reports and Presentations
A. Presentations - None
B. AdministrativeReports–The Board reviewed the following administrative reports:
1. EnrollmentReport
2. PrincipalsReports–Included in Board Packet
Mrs. Angela Huels, Columbia High School Assistant Principal, was in attendance and reported on the following:
• Three very talented artists at CHS painted murals in stairwells: Sydney Packard, Maddie Guetterman, and Quinten Westfall. Their artistry is amazing!
• On April 9th, every class will be busy with special activities: seniors will be job shadowing; juniors will take the SAT; sophomores will be practicing interviews and public speaking; and freshmen will be given a presentation by the FFA.
• AP tests will be given in May.
• Dana Mehrmann has done a spectacular job with the High School Newsletter. It is active now on the High School website.
• Becky Savage’s presentation to parents and to students was extremely good. Over 600 students attended her assembly. She sent a strong message, and the students were very much impacted. We are thankful she was able to speak to our students.
3. Assistant Superintendent’s Report–
a. IAR Testing Underway. Parkview and CMS students are currently taking the new Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) on the computer/Chromebooks. Columbia students have always completed the state test on the computer, for the state’s intention is for school districts to test online. For schools that do not have the technology and bandwidth capabilities to provide computer testing, a waiver can be submitted to allow paper testing. However, all school districts will be required to administer an online state test in the year 2020-2021. The new state test is very similar to the PARCC assessment, but shorter in length with a quicker turnaround for results. This is the second year that the state assessment will be used to identify students who meet and exceed state standards as well as using test results to calculate student growth used for a school’s summative designation. The student growth component is weighted 50% of a school’s rating, while the students who meet/exceed state standards are weighted at 20% of a school’s rating.
b. CMS – School Designation. At the November board meeting, the CMS designation of “Underperforming” was conveyed and discussed. The public was informed that the school designation was the result of the special education sub group not meeting the commendable level as defined by ISBE. This designation does not imply that our students are not learning, that teaching, and that our department is lacking. The designation is derived from the results of one test taken during the year that is a grade level test which is quite rigorous considering some of these students are not academically at grade level. The “underperforming” designation does not consider the academic levels of our special education students and their individual goals that match his/her disability. Teachers, both general and special education, are charged with working toward IEP goal achievement, grade level academic expectations, and the attainment of a “meets or exceeds” on the state test. All three areas have a different focus, and all are important. For the special education subgroup, the teachers feel very positive with the help of the new interventionists working on state test preparation as well as the new MAP assessment identifying student growth.
4. Superintendent’sReport–
a. End of the Year Events and Dates. The CHS newsletter has a complete list of year-end events and dates. Dr. Segobiano reminded the board that they are always welcome to attend the events. Some of the upcoming events are: Soaring Eagle (April 3), Oerter Dinner (April 25), FFA Banquet (March 27), Pentzler Awards (May 6), Senior Celebration (Excellence in Education – May 9 in a.m.), and Graduation (May 19.) Columbia Middle School’s Eighth Grade Celebration is scheduled for Thursday, May 23, at 7:00 p.m.
b. Non-Tenured Teaching Staff for 2019-2020. A list of non-tenured teachers was included in the Board packet which identifies years of service for the 2019-2020 school year. At the completion of this school year, the following teachers have successfully completed four years of teaching service at CUSD4 and are moved to tenure status: Courtney Boatman, Ali Bluell, Sara McGinthy, Kate Randle, and Krista Schoellhorn.
c. FOIA Requests.
On March 13, 2019, the district received a FOIA request from SmartProcure and responded on March 18, 2019.
On February 21, 2019, the district received a FOIA request from Angela McConachie and responded on February 28, 2019.
On February 22, 2019, the district received a FOIA request from Ed Wienhoff from Monroe County Independent and responded on February 28, 2019.
On March 4, 2019, the district received a FOIA request from Ed Wienhoff, Monroe Independent, and responded on March 8, 2019.
d. Student Records Act/Refresher Training. It was discovered that student records were included in the documents that the Regional Office of Education provided to the school board President and district attorney as well as to the Monroe county Independent and Republic Times. In order for a student record to be released, parent consent must be obtained. In this case, parental consent was not provided. To address the Student Records Act and FERPA, all teachers were provided refresher training on their responsibility to protect student rights and student information.
e. Superintendent Update. Dr. Segobiano reported on the following:
• HLS bleacher amendment and permit have been approved at the state level;
• Roof replacement amendment has been submitted and awaiting for ROE approval;
• OMA review on executive session discussion submitted by board member still awaiting outcome;
• District submitted FOIA to the ROE asking for additional information was sent on February 6. To date, the district has not received an answer. By law, the recipient has five (5) days from receipt to respond. Mr. Mundorf is working on acquiring the response.
• ISBE has indicated a response to the board’s request for clarification on ROE jurisdiction on operations and management of school district will be provided soon.
Board member Ted Schrader addressed the board. Mr. Schrader referred to the Code of Conduct that board members are expected to follow and identified Oath of Office violations. He encouraged a board member to refrain from violating the Code out of respect to taxpayers’ interests and the interests of faculty, staff, parents, and students.
Mrs. Hines responded by stating she expects our board and district to follow the law and has never said anything negative about the teachers.
VII. Items for Action
Motion to Approve 2019- 2020 Student Fees
A. Motion was made by Karen Anderson and seconded by Ted Schrader to approve the 2019-2020 school fee schedule as presented
On a roll call vote:
Hines-Aye, Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye, O’Connor-Aye, Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye.
The motion carried, 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
Motion to Approve Membership to the Illinois High School Association
B. Motion was made by Greg O’Connor and seconded by Karen Anderson to approve membership to the Illinois High School Association for the 2019-2020 school year.
Upon a voice vote, Motion Carried 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
Motion to Approve the Resolution Abating $500,000 Of Taxes Levied For the Year 2018 To Pay a Portion Of the Principal And Interest on General Obliga- tion School Refunding Bonds, Series 2010A, Using Facility Sales Tax Revenue
C. Motion was made by Karen Anderson and seconded by
Ted Schrader to approve the Resolution abating $500,000 of taxes levied for the Year 2018 to pay a portion of the principal and interest on the General Obligation School Refunding Bonds, Series 2010A using Facility Sales Tax Revenue.
On a roll call vote:
Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye, O’Connor-Aye, Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye, Hines-Aye.
The motion carried, 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
Motion to Approve the ViG Solutions Purchase of $64,650.00 for 195 Dell Optiplex Hardware
D. Motion was made by Karen Anderson and seconded by Ted Schrader to approve the ViG Solutions purchase of $64,650.00 for 195 Dell Optiplex Hardware.
On a roll call vote:
O’Connor-Aye, Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye, Hines-Aye, Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye.
The motion carried, 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
Motion to Approve the Purchase of Two Eighteen Passenger Buses From from the Lowest Bid Being Midwest Transit Equipment at a Cost of $59,000 Per Bus
E. Motion was made by Greg O’Connor and seconded by Karen Anderson to approve the purchase of two eighteen passenger school buses from the lowest bid being Midwest Transit Equipment at a cost of $59,000 per bus.
On a roll call vote:
Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye, Hines-Aye, Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye, O’Connor-Aye.
The motion carried, 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
Motion to Approve the Purchase of Five Bus Camera Systems From Central States Bus at a Cost of $9,971.95
F. Motion was made by Tammy Hines and seconded by Greg O’Connor to approve the purchase of five bus camera systems from Central States Bus at a cost of $9,971.95.
On a roll call vote:
Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye, Hines-Aye, Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye, O’Connor-Aye, Schrader-Aye.
The motion carried, 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
Tammy Hines requested discussion regarding the Parkview roof replacement. She questioned why Tremco was not used to patch the roof for less money rather than replace the entire roof and to extend the warranty. Dr. Segobiano indicated roof replacement recommendations were made by a licensed roof engineer and CTS. President Middelkamp asked for a motion to end the discussion.
Motion to End Discussion
Motion was made by Ted Schrader and seconded by Karen Anderson to end the discussion.
Upon a voice vote, Motion Carried 4-Aye, 2-Absent, 1-Nay
Motion to Approve the Resolution To Approve the CTS Performance Contract for Parkview School’s Roof Replacement
G. Motion was made by Karen Anderson and seconded by Ted Schrader to approve the Resolution to Approve the CTS Performance Contract to Replace the Roof at Parkview School at a total cost of $1,046,183 contingent on legal review of contract.
On a roll call vote:
Hines-Nay, Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye, O’Connor-Aye, Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye.
The motion carried, 4-Aye, 2-Absent, 1-Nay
Motion to Approve Awarding The ADA Bleacher Contract Litteken Construction
H. Motion was made by Karen Anderson and seconded by Greg O’Connor to approve awarding Litteken Construction the ADA Bleacher contract at a cost of $496,300.
On a roll call vote:
Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye, O’Connor-Aye, Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye, Hines-Abstain.
The motion carried, 4-Aye, 2-Absent, 1-Abstain
Motion to Approve the Purchase of AP Calculus Textbooks And Algebra Textbooks
I. Motion was made by Ted Schrader and seconded by Greg O’Connor to approve the purchase of AP Calculus text- books from Pearson Education at $9,774.15 and Algebra textbooks from McGraw Hill at $10,330.07.
On a roll call vote:
O’Connor-Aye, Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye, Hines-Aye, Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye.
The motion carried, 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
VIII. Discussion Items
A. ExitInterviewLetter
Tammy Hines requested Patrice Bain’s exit letter that was written to the board be placed on the agenda. A copy of the redacted letter was included in the board packet. Dr. Segobiano spoke with Mrs. Bain on the phone recently. Most of the items occurred in 2013. Dr. Segobiano touched on each of the items included in the Letter, and the principal will obtain staff feedback.
Board member Hines addressed the board. She made a short prepared speech stating her views on the matters at hand, mainly requesting a special education third party audit.
Karen Anderson and Scott Middelkamp responded to Mrs. Hines by stating the district hired attorney Merry Rhoades, at the request of Mrs. Hines, to do an independent evaluation of the district. Mrs. Rhoades’ report came back with no findings. Mr. Middelkamp commented that the board does listen to Mrs. Hines’ concerns, as evidenced by the hiring of Ms. Rhoades.
IX. Board President’s Prerogative
President Middelkamp had no items.
Dr. Beth Horner read aloud her letter of resignation, effective June 30, 2019. She has accepted the position of Superintendent of High Mount School in Swansea.
X. Closed Session 9:01 p.m.
It was moved by Karen Anderson, seconded by Tammy Hines to enter Closed Session for: 1. Purposes of the appoint- ment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee of the public body or against legal counsel for the public body to determine its validity. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1).
On a roll call vote:
Schrader-Aye, Simmonds-Absent, Anderson-Aye, Hines-Aye, Long-Absent, Middelkamp-Aye, O’Connor-Aye.
The motion carried, 5-Aye, 2-Absent, 0-Nay
Open Meeting Reconvened - 9:46 p.m.
President Middelkamp reconvened the meeting to Open Session in the Parkview Elementary School Library at 9:46 p.m.
Action as a Result of Closed Session
No action was taken as a result of closed session.
XI. Adjourn - 9:46 p.m.
With no further business to come before the Board,
it was moved by Greg O’Connor, seconded by Ted Schrader, to adjourn the meeting. President Middelkamp adjourned the meeting at 9:46 p.m.
https://www.chseagles.com/cms/lib/IL01001406/Centricity/Domain/368/march%2021%20minutes.pdf
Alerts Sign-up