Duquoin Community Unit School District 300 Board met March 2.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
Administrators in attendance: Matthew Hickam – Supt., Cory Robbins – Business Manager, Diana Rea – Elem. Principal/Director of Instructional Services, Tim McChristian – High School Principal, Denise Woodsides – High School Assistant Principal.
I. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM
II. Roll Call
Present – Harsy, McPherson, Waller, Rodely, Riley, West, and Woodside.
Mr. Hickam asked that the board considering adding a maternity leave request to the agenda for consideration following executive session. The Board agreed to add the item as requested.
III. Reports
a. Building principals – Mrs. Rea, Mr. Hil, and Mr. McChristian shared the “Reasons We Are Proud” with the Board.
b. Superintendent – Mr. Hickam expressed thanks to the faculty and staff for their support during this time. He noted the support of the kitchen staff, custodians, and building secretaries who agreed to work during the mandated school closure. Mr. Hickam also expressed thanks to District Bookkeeper Sharon Childs and District Payroll Clerk Jamie Tyner for their current work in changing the district over to new accounting software.
Mr. Hickam noted the participation of parents, faculty, staff, students and board members at the recent School Improvement Focus Group meeting. It was indicated that there was overall support of the idea of 1-hour late-start days and discussion about the impact of the coronavirus. The virus was the main topic for discussion and collaboration at the District Leadership Team meeting. The team spent most of the meeting discussing e-learning days.
IV. Consent Agenda:
a. Approval of the minutes of the February 20, 2020 regular Board of Education meeting (including executive session minutes) and minutes of the March 5, 2020 special Board of Education meeting (including executive session minutes);
b. Approval of the renewal of IHSA membership for Du Quoin High School;
c. Adoption of resolutions to abate property taxes relative to Series 2017A, 2017B, and 2019 bonds.
Mr. Hickam noted that the IHSA membership renewal was an annual occurrence typically performed this month. He further noted that property tax abatement resolutions were part of the original agreements for each bond series pointing out that the 2019 series is abated by the city sales tax which was part of the high school construction project and the 2017A and 2017B series are abated by the county facility sales tax.
The Board requested the amount of money abated be shared. Mr. Hickam indicated he would provide this.
A motion was made by Riley, seconded by West to approve the consent agenda. Roll call vote: Yea – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
V. Financial Items:
a. Approval of the payment of bills for February 2020
Mr. Hickam indicated that there were no late bills this month due to the current transitioning to new accounting software.
A motion was made by Rodely, seconded by Waller to approve the payment of bills for February 2020. Roll call vote: Yea – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
b. Approval of the February 2020 financial report
A motion was made by Woodside, seconded by Harsy to approve the February 2020 financial report. Roll call vote: Yea – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
VI. Public Hearing
a. DEA Representative – Nikki Saunders expressed appreciation to the Board and administration for their support during this time.
b. Public – High school English teacher Angelina Mabrey addressed the Board regarding her teaching experience this year. Following Ms. Mabrey’s address, four high school students of Ms. Mabrey’s spoke – Addison Carver, Alexis Blaylock, Emily Boyett, and Cameron Shivley.
VII. New or Unfinished Business
A. Presentation and approval of 10-year Health/Life/Safety Review
Mr. Robbins gave a brief overview of the requirement and introduced Gail White and Scott Satterlee from White & Borgognoni Architects. Mr. White reviewed the document with the Board. Mr. Hickam noted that this document would be used to inform budgeting and short/long-term planning for facilities and maintenance planning.
A motion was by Waller, seconded by Riley, to approve the 10-year Health/Life/Safety Review as presented. Roll call vote: Yea – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
B. Consideration and adoption of 2020-2021 school year calendar
Mr. Hickam reviewed the calendar planning process which is part of the collective bargaining agreement with the DEA. He referred to the calendar presented in the board packet and noted it was the option selected by the most members of the DEA. Mr. Hickam indicated that the late-start days could be changed to early dismissals as this idea was yet to be finalized.
A motion was made by Rodely, seconded by Woodside, to adopt the calendar presented by the DEA Calendar Committee for the 2020-2021 school year. Roll call vote: Yea – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
C. Amending of FY20 district budget
Mr. Hickam asked the Board for the authority to amend the current budget. He noted this was common as actual revenues/expenditures are now more known. He further noted that the amended budget would be available for public viewing between April 21- May 21 and that a public hearing on the amended budget would be held on May 21, 2020 at the regular board meeting.
A motion was made Woodside, seconded by Riley, to authorize the administration to prepare an amended district budget for FY20 and post the required budget hearing notice. Roll call vote: Yea – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
D. Special education programming/services
Mr. Hickam spoke of the current practice of the District to utilize Tri-County Special Education to provide social work services for students in the K-8 building. He noted that many districts once followed this practice, but very few do now as social work has increased in its importance. He suggested that in the near future the District consider bringing the two social work positions currently employed by Tri-County and placed in the District into the bargaining unit as employees.
Mr. Hickam spoke next about two Tri-County classrooms currently serving middle school students. The classrooms are scheduled to serve over 20 students next year with the vast majority being District 300 students. Mr. Hickam suggested that it made sense to take one of these classrooms into the District to serve an appropriate number of our students. It was noted that this could be done with the possibility of little to no cost, or possibly cost savings. The Board was supportive of the idea of making this transition.
VIII. Executive Session
To discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, and performance of specific employees in accordance with 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(1).
A motion was made by West, seconded by Harsy to enter into executive session at 7:28 PM to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, and performance of specific employees in accordance with 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (1). Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
The Board returned to open session at 9:25 PM.
A motion was made by Riley, seconded by West to enter into executive session at 9:30 PM to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, and performance of specific employees in accordance with 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (1). Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
The Board returned to open session at 10:17 PM.
IX. Resignation
A. High school teaching position
A motion was made by West, seconded by Rodely, to accept the resignation of Logan Spain as a physical education teacher and assistant football coach to be effective at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
B. Middle school teaching position
A motion was made by Harsy, seconded by West, to accept the resignation of Mark Norris as a middle school social studies teacher to be effective at the end of the 2019- 2020 school year. Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
X. Employment
A. Re-employment of licensed probationary continued contractual and tenured licensed faculty for the 2020-2021 school year.
A motion was made by Rodely, seconded by Riley to re-employ the recommended probationary continued contractual licensed staff (as per attached) and all tenured licensed staff for the 2020-2021 school year. Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
A motion was made by McPherson, seconded by Riley, to adopt a resolution for the non-renewal of employment of Angelina Mabrey. Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, and West; Nay – Woodside. Motion carried 6-1.
B. Annual reduction-in-force notices for certain extra-curricular positions held by non-association members in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement between the Du Quoin Education Association and Board of Education.
A motion was made by Riley, seconded by Harsy, to adopt the annual reduction-in-force notices for the extra-curricular positions (as per attached). Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
C. Intervention teaching position at elementary school
A motion was made by Rodely, seconded by Harsy, to transfer Tyler Krone to an intervention teaching position for the 2020-2021 school year. Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
D. Spring volunteer addition
A motion was made by Riley, seconded by West, to approve the spring volunteer list as presented. Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
XI. Leave of Absence
A motion was made by Harsy, seconded by West, to approve the maternity leave request for Kasey Spencer to begin on March 27, 2020 through the end of the school year. Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
XII. Adjournment
A motion to adjourn at 10:22 PM was made by Harsy, seconded by Riley. Roll call vote: Aye – Harsy, McPherson, Riley, Rodely, Waller, West, and Woodside; Nay – None. Motion carried.
https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/670855/March_meeting_minutes.pdf
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