Chester Community Unit School District 139 Board of Education met May 17.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
The Board of Education of Chester Community Unit School District No. 139 held a Regular Meeting on May 17, 2023, in High School FACS Classroom B217. President Debi Caraway called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
Belton motioned, Malley seconded to enter into executive session at 6:04 p.m. for the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body and the placement of individual students in special education programs and other matters relating to individual students. Roll call vote. Ayes: Belton, Caraway, Coffey, Davitz, Fricke, Krieg, Malley. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Grade School Principal Bill Grafton and High School Principal Jeremy Blechle were both present in executive session.
Belton motioned, Malley seconded to return to open session at 7:45 p.m. Roll call vote. Ayes: Belton, Caraway, Coffey, Davitz, Fricke, Krieg, Malley. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Pledge of Allegiance
Public Comment
● No public comment was presented
Board Correspondence
● Caraway read a card from several Grade School Junior High Teachers in thanks for all the gifts and goodies they received for Teacher Appreciation Week.
High School Ag Teacher Emily Millburg seeked the board approval for a FFA flower arrangement fundraiser with a tentative date set in June. Ms. Millburg also presented the 2023 Ag Report which included enrollment, service projects and career development events.
Fricke motioned, Belton seconded to approve the consent agenda and items as listed. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Fricke, Davitz, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
● Agenda and items as listed:
● April 20, 2023 regular meeting and executive session minutes;
● Bills in the amount of $372,220.26 and payroll in the amount of $506,439.42;
● Financial reports
● May 3, 2023 Reorganizational meeting minutes
High School Athletic Director’s Report
● Baseball and softball play first round of regional games.
● Girls track won first place at the conference track meet.
● J. Meredith advanced to state in the 100 meter hurdles and P. Vasquez advanced to state in shot put.
● Boys track sectional is May 19th in Nashville.
● L. Caron won conference pole vault championship at Breese.
Grade School Athletic Director’s Report
● Class L State track meet results: A. Blechle 6th pole vault, K. Draves 7th shot put, D. Worley 6th long jump, and T. Palacio 13th long jump.
● Open gyms and tryouts for Cheerleading start next week.
● Fall schedules for baseball, softball and cross country are being finalized.
Maintenance Report
● The force main from the lift station at the track is leaking. It appears the discharge pipe, as it leaves the tank, is the issue. A & W will most likely have to do the repairs.
● RTU air filters are current.
● Water will be turned on at the football field this week in preparation for irrigating the field later down the road.
● Trying to complete the wall in the life skills room.
● Summer orders for grade school cleaning and gym floor supplies submitted.
● J F Ahern Company will be inspecting the sprinkler system on June 5th in the gym, kitchen and 4th and 5th grade area and other various areas to gather information on if there are proper sprinkler heads in place.
● Application for elevator certificate has been applied for.
Curriculum Report
● ACCESS scores are available in SIS.
● SAT scores are now available in College Board for students.
● At this date, no other state testing scores are available.
● End of the year benchmark testing is complete for K-12 with the exception of just a few students.
● Meetings to review student data are taking place this week.
● Grade School has selected Second Step as the SEL curriculum to use for the 2023-24 school year.
● High School has selected CharacterStrong as the SEL curriculum to use for the 2023-24 school year.
Grade School Principal’s Report
● Graduation is set for Thursday, May 18th at 6:00pm in Colbert Gym.
● Spring concert was held on April 27th. Fifth, sixth and jr high bands performed as well as jr high chorus.
● Celebrate Fitness was held on Thursday April 27th. Inflatables were set up in the gym and everyone enjoyed the day! PTS raised over $14,000 for our students this year.
● Teacher Appreciation Week was May 8-12th. Teachers and staff enjoyed many treats and gifts throughout the week.
● Recognized Mrs. Gross, Mrs. McSmith and Mrs. Conway on April 26th for administrative assistants day.
● Kindergarten graduations have been held and pre k graduation is this evening, May 17th.
● Summer school will run June 5-23rd. Classes offered will depend on needs.
● Positive Give Back for May raised $667. The staff raised over $3,900 this year! Mrs. Kordys does a great job with this every year.
● Congratulations to the jr high musicians who participated in the state solo and ensemble contest.
● Construction on the 4th/5th wing will begin as soon as school is out.
● Last day for students and staff is Tuesday, May 23rd.
High School Principal’s Report
● Elk Student of the Month for April are Chelsea August and Shane Bicket.
● Friday April 21st - Earth Day celebration. Students and staff focused on Cohen Complex, CGS, front of CHS and clearing a path for future escape route evacuation.
● CHS music department Florida trip parent meeting was held April 24th.
● April 26th, GSA to Equality Illinois Advocacy Day - Ms. Hodge and crew took a trip to the state capitol and participated in this event.
● Physics day at the St. Louis Science Center was April 28th.
● Attended SISHSA Banquet at SIUC on May 2nd.
● Mr. Barton and the kitchen staff cooked 400 hotdogs and 500 burgers for a senior bbq on May 10th.
● All seniors took part in Senior Signing Day to announce where they were going to continue their academic or workforce career.
● We awarded a total of $260,000 in scholarships and 1.8 million in financial assistance was given overall to the class of 2023 on CHS honors night.
● Senior final exams are completed and grades have been finalized.
● Graduation is set for Sunday, May 21st at 3:00pm in Colbert Gym.
● Underclass final exams take place May 19th, 22nd and 23rd. Exam schedule has been finalized and sent out as of Monday.
Superintendent’s Report
● Thank you to all the teachers and staff who participated in the Memorial Hospital Community FUN Run/Walk event and represented the district!
● Continuing to train for the new student system for next year.
● Open enrollment for health insurance is this week.
● Last day for students and staff is Tuesday, May 23rd. Mandatory staff lunch from 12:30–1:30 followed by longevity awards, retirement, and employee hall of fame recognition.
● Working on amending grants.
● Completed the SRO grant with the City of Chester this week.
● Working with Mrs. Hammel and Mr. Blechle on finding other grants to help with the media center.
● PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) training has started.
The board discussed East Perry Timber Procurement, LLC harvesting trees and tabled the approval at this time.
Fricke motioned, Belton seconded to approve the application for payment #2 to Heartland Mechanical Contractors for Chester Grade School Roof & HVAC Replacement in the amount of $22,104.32. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Malley seconded to approve the High School FFA Flower Arrangement Night Fundraiser as presented by Ms. Millburg. Upon roll call, all members voted aye. Motion carried.
Davitz motioned, Malley seconded to approve the proposal from Asphalt Maintenance, LLC to repair, seal and stripe various locations at the High School in the total amount of $49,492.00. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to approve the proposal for audit of fiscal year 2023 from Fick, Eggemeyer, and Williamson CPAs. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to approve the QNS proposal for annual recommendations of technology upgrades, replacements and software licenses for a total of $207,349.93. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
The board conducted the first reading of the Grade School and High School 2023-2024 handbooks.
Fricke motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ Jenny Cartwright as Grade School Athletic Director for the 2023-24 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Davitz seconded to approve to employ Robin Barton as High School Assistant Principal, pending contractual agreement, for the 2023-24 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Davitz seconded to approve to employ Tim Blair as Grade School Assistant Principal, pending contractual agreement, for the 2023-24 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ Shirley Stegmann as Curriculum Director, pending contractual agreement, for the 2023-24 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ Jeremy Blechle as High School Principal, pending contractual agreement, for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Davitz seconded to approve to employ Bill Grafton as Grade School Principal, pending contractual agreement, for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Malley seconded to approve to employ Kimberly Briggs as Superintendent, pending contractual agreement, for the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ Steve Colonel as High School Music/Theatre Director for the 2023-24 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Belton motioned, Fricke seconded to approve to employ Kimberly Greatting as Early Childhood Special Education Teacher effective August 14, 2023 pending background check and certification. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ Pamela Fogerson as ELL Teacher effective August 14, 2023 pending background check. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Belton seconded to accept the resignation of Kathy Miles as High School Special Education Teacher effective at the conclusion of the 2022-23 school year. Upon roll call, all members voted aye. Motion carried.
Davitz motioned, Belton seconded to accept Sonya Wingerter, Grade School Paraprofessional, letter of intent to retire November 26, 2028 and participate in the 6% retirement benefit program effective the 2024-25 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Davitz motioned, Belton seconded to accept Alice Decker, Grade School ELL Teacher, letter of intent to retire effective at the conclusion of the 2022-23 school year. Upon roll call, all members voted aye. Motion carried.
Belton motioned, Fricke seconded to approve to employ Jim West as High School Assistant Girls Track Coach for the 2023 season. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ Jaden Mott as High School Boys Golf Coach for the 2023-24 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Belton motioned, Malley seconded to approve to employ Cassandra Helmers as High School Assistant Cheerleading Coach for the 2023-24 school year. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Fricke motioned, Belton seconded to accept the resignation of Crystal Tindall as High School Softball Volunteer Coach effective April 26, 2023. Upon roll call, all members voted aye. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ a High School/Grade School Special Education Secretary. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ an additional Pre K Teacher. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ a Pre K Paraprofessional. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to return to executive session at 8:49 p.m. for the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Robin Barton, High School Assistant Principal, entered executive session at 9:36 p.m. and exited at 9:48 p.m. Jeremy Blechle, High School Principal, entered executive session at 9:48 p.m. and exited at 10:22 p.m. Tim Blair, Grade School Assistant Principal, entered executive session at 10:22 p.m. and exited at 10:27 p.m. Bill Grafton, Grade School Principal, entered executive session at 10:27 p.m. and exited at 10:35 p.m. Shirley Stegmann, Curriculum Director, entered executive session at 10:35 p.m. and exited session at 10:45 p.m. Tim Blair entered back into executive session at 11:23 p.m. and exited at 11:25 p.m.
Robin Barton entered back into executive session at 11:25 p.m. and exited at 11:27 p.m.
Shirley Stegmann entered back into executive session at 11:27 p.m. and exited at 11:28 p.m.
Bill Grafton entered back into executive session at 11:28 p.m. and exited at 11:30 p.m.
Jeremy Blechle entered back into executive session at 11:30 p.m. and exited at 11:33 p.m.
Davitz motioned, Fricke seconded to return to open session at 11:35 p.m. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Coffey, Caraway. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Malley motioned, Belton seconded to approve to employ Lorin Mott as Maintenance Director at $33.66/hr effective June 1, 2023. Roll call vote. Ayes: Malley, Krieg, Belton, Davitz, Fricke, Caraway. Nays: Coffey. Motion carried.
Motion by Davitz and seconded by Malley to adjourn the meeting at 11:37 p.m. Upon roll call, all members voted aye. Motion carried.
https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3096/CCSD/3145826/May_17__2023_Regular_Mtg_Brief.pdf
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