South West Illinois News

Sparta Community Unit School District #140 Board of Education met May 11.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The regular meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by President Angela Craig and upon the roll being called, Angela Craig and the following members of the Board of Education answered present: Mekalia Cooper, Howard Gallois, Jennifer Morgan, Ryan Pillers and Rob Soderlund. Absent: Heather Price. Others present were: Acting Superintendent Chris Miesner; Recording Secretary Tina Witherby; Principal Scott Beckley; and members of the faculty and press (County Journal).

Board President Angela Craig led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.

With no public comment requests, the meeting continued.

Howard Gallois moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the minutes of the April 13, 2023 regular meeting and April 5 and May 4, 2023, special meetings as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Gallois, Morgan, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Howard Gallois seconded to approve the Bills, Payroll, Cash Flow and Fund Balances as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

The next regular board meeting will be June 8, 2023, at 7 p.m. at Sparta Lincoln School.

Sparta High School Principal Scott Beckley presented quotes for the scorers’ table for the new gym. Chairs were also discussed. He will need 80 chairs and a cart. The flooring that was chosen for the hallways and restrooms has been discontinued. The new flooring will cost $9,000 less than the original. There is a sewer line that Holland didn’t know about, which will be a problem when putting down the concrete. Mr. Beckley is going to keep all plans in the safe at the high school.

Mr. Miesner reported for Dr. Eugea, who was at the Evansville Attendance Center Awards Banquet. The students and staff have been enjoying the alphabet countdown. Girls on the Run completed their service project by assembling bags for first responders. The new playground should arrive soon.

Mr. Miesner reported that Sparta Lincoln School has been celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week. He thanked the teachers for all they do to educate the kids. Different organizations in town donated treats for the teachers. The principals went to O’Fallon and recognized students Jesse Salinas and Victoria Wisnaski at the regional breakfast.

The HVAC units for the new gym are supposed to show up on Monday. Students will be moved from certain classrooms so they can have a crane move the units.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Howard Gallois seconded to approve the FY 2023 Tentative Amended Budget, to establish the Public Hearing on the Budget which will be held prior to the June 2019 board meeting, to publish notice of the Public Hearing and to display the FY 2023 Tentative Amended Budget in the district office for 30 days. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Registration begins in June for the IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference in Chicago.

First readings were held for the 2023-2024 District Handbook and the Extra-Curricular Handbook.

Rob Soderlund moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the regular meeting dates as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Morgan, Cooper, Gallois, Pillers and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

The dates will be reviewed in September and possibly changed to Monday at that time.

Ryan Pillers moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the addendum to the SEA Contract as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Pillers, Morgan, Soderlund, Cooper, Gallois and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Golf at Sparta High School will now have a boys’ coach and a girl’s coach with no assistant. The stipend for the girls’ coach will be 10%.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the amendment to the 2023-2024 calendar as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

There will be no early out days on Wednesdays. Eight school improvement days have been added to the calendar. Those will be 11:30 dismissal days.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Howard Gallois seconded to adopt School Board Policy #2:110 Qualifications, Term, and Duties of Board Officers; General School Administration Policy #3:40 Superintendent; Operational Services Policy #4:60 Purchases and Contracts; General Personnel Policies #5:30 Hiring Process and Criteria; #5:90 Abused and Neglected Child Reporting; #5:125 Personal Technology and Social Media, Usage and Conduct; #5:150 Personnel Records; #5:170 Copyright; #5:260 Student Teachers; Instruction Policies #6:135 Accelerated Placement Program; #6:230 Library Media Program; and Community Relations Policy #8:20 Community Use of School Facilities as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Board Member Heather Price entered the meeting at 7:26 p.m.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to enter into closed session at 7:26 p.m. to discuss items related to the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to come out of executive session at 7:49 p.m. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Howard Gallois moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the executive session minutes as presented for the April 5, April 13 and May 4, 2023, meetings. Roll call vote. Yeas: Gallois, Morgan, Pillers, Price, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to accept the resignation of Robert Bohnert as Drivers’ Education/Health Teacher and Coach at Sparta High School effective August 1, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Howard Gallois seconded to accept the resignation of Alexia Maschmeier as Science Teacher at Sparta High School effective August 1, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to accept the resignation of Rebecca Juelfs as Math Team Sponsor at Sparta High School effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper, Gallois and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to accept the resignations Renee Baue and Rhonda Dickey as SADD Co-Sponsors at Sparta High School effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Howard Gallois seconded to accept the resignation of Kelly Green as Teacher at Sparta High School effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve Brock Barnes as the Head Coach for Wrestling at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve Zac Drumwright as the Softball Coach for Sparta Lincoln School for the 2023-2024 school year. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Howard Gallois seconded to approve Thomas White as the Head Coach for Golf at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Howard Gallois seconded to approve Grace Hernandez as the Student Council Co-Sponsor at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Howard Gallois seconded to approve April Zimmermann as the Math Team Sponsor at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year. Yeas: Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:53 p.m. Roll call vote: Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Gallois, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

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