South West Illinois News

Sparta Community Unit School District #140 Board of Education met July 13.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The regular meeting was called to order by Board Secretary Jennifer Morgan and upon the roll being called, Jennifer Morgan and the following members of the Board of Education answered present: Ryan Pillers, Heather Price and Rob Soderlund. Absent: Mekalia Cooper and Angela Craig. Others present were: Superintendent Chris Miesner, Recording Secretary Tina Witherby, and members of the faculty.

Board Secretary Jennifer Morgan led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.

With no public comment requests, the meeting continued.

Rob Soderlund moved; Ryan Pillers seconded to approve the minutes of the June 8, 2023 regular meeting as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Pillers, Price and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to approve the Bills, Payroll, Cash Flow and Fund Balances as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Price, Pillers and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

The next regular board meeting will be August 10, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the Tilden Community Center.

Superintendent Miesner remembered Board Member Howard Gallois. Sadly, he passed away on July 3rd. He was a Sparta 140 board member for over 10 years. He was elected in 2013 and was re-elected two more times. He was the delegate at Perandoe Special Education District for 6 years. He served as the Board Representative for the Illinois Association of School Boards Governing Board for 6 years. He also attended the Joint Annual Conference and Delegate Assembly in Chicago for 5 years. He attended all of the quarterly Southwestern Division Governing Committee meetings. Mr. Gallois was a volunteer assistant volleyball coach at Evansville and the High School for several years. He had served on the Building and Grounds and Policy Committees of the Board. He enjoyed helping at the school.

A moment of silence was held on behalf of Mr. Gallois.

Superintendent Miesner reported that the district is still looking for administrators and teachers for openings. The maintenance staff has been working very hard to get the buildings back in order. The high school addition is coming along great. Unfortunately, the bleachers will not arrive until after school starts. Mr. Miesner attended a conference for new superintendents.

Mr. Pillers asked about the budget for the new gym. It is still on budget. The contingency account started with approximately $175,000 and is down to $46,000 now, but that money has been used for change orders like the conduit and allowing for adjustable basketball hoops.

Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to authorize the treasurer to make, as needed for the fiscal year 2024, interfund loans from the operations and maintenance fund to the educational fund or fire prevention and safety fund; or from the educational fund to the operations and maintenance fund or fire prevention and safety fund; or from the operations and maintenance or education fund to the transportation fund; or from the transportation fund to the operations and maintenance, educational or fire prevention and safety fund, and to make the necessary transfers on the books. Such loans shall be repaid and retransferred to the proper fund within three years. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Price, Pillers and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Ryan Pillers moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve the Fee and Admission Schedule for the 2023-2024 school year as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Pillers, Soderlund, Price and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Ryan Pillers moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve the bid from Midland Paper in the amount of $33.96 per case for copier paper for the district for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Pillers, Soderlund, Price and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Heather Price moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve the Intergovernmental Agreement for Cooperative Team Sponsorship with Steeleville CUSD #138. Roll call vote. Yeas: Price, Soderlund, Pillers and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to approve the School Board Policy #2:80 Board Member Oath and Conduct; #2:170 Procurement of Architectural, Engineering and Land Surveying Services; Operational Services #4:45 Insufficient fund Checks and Debt Recovery; #4:100 Insurance Management; Professional Personnel #5:230 Maintaining Student Discipline; Instruction #6:10 Educational Philosophy and Objectives; #6:190 Extracurricular and Co-Curricular Activities; #6:240 Field Trips; Students #7:275 Orders to Forgo Life-Sustaining Treatment; #7:305 Student Athlete Concussions and Head Injuries; #7:330 Student Use of Buildings – Equal Access; Community Relations #8:25 Advertising and Distributing Materials in Schools Provided by Non-School Related Entities; and #8:95 Parental Involvement policy as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Price, Pillers and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Ryan Pillers moved; Heather Price seconded to enter into closed session at 7:10 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: Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to come out of executive session at 7:42 p.m. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Price, Pillers and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Ryan Pillers seconded to approve the executive session minutes as presented for the June 8, 2023, meeting. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Pillers, Price and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Ryan Pillers moved; Heather Price seconded to accept the resignation of McKenzie Smith as Teacher at Sparta Lincoln School effective August 1, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Heather Price moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to accept the resignation of Dr. Charity Eugea as Principal at Evansville Attendance Center effective June 30, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Pillers, Price and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to accept the resignation of Laura Simoneaux as Teacher at Sparta Lincoln School effective August 1, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Price, Pillers and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Ryan Pillers moved; Heather Price seconded to employ Arthur Markel as a 10-month Custodian for the District for the 2023-2024 school year with a start date of August 7, 2023, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of an employment history review, physical and drug screening. Roll call vote. Yeas: Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Ryan Pillers seconded to employ Michael Oakley as a 12-month Custodian for the district for the 2023-2024 school year with a start date of August 1, 2023, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of a criminal history background check, employment history review, physical and drug screening. Yeas: Soderlund, Pillers, Price and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Ryan Pillers moved; Heather Price seconded to approve Kerry Harris as an Assistant Football Coach at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year. Yeas: Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to approve Austin, Avery and Wesley Carpenter as Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coaches at Evansville Attendance Center for the 2023-2024 school year, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of criminal history background checks and employment history reviews. Yeas: Soderlund, Price, Pillers and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Ryan Pillers moved; Heather Price seconded to approve Eric Steely as the Baseball Coach for Sparta Lincoln School for the 2023-2024 school year, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of a criminal history background check and employment history review. Roll call vote. Yeas: Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to approve Stephen Miles, Roger Gerlach and Caleb Zang as Volunteer Assistant Coaches for Baseball at Sparta Lincoln School for the 2023-2024 school year, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of criminal history background checks and employment history reviews. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Pillers, Price and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Heather Price moved; Ryan Pillers seconded to approve Marie Russell and Jerry Carpenter as Volunteer Assistant Cross Country Coaches at Evansville Attendance Center for the 2023-2024 school year. Yeas: Price, Pillers, Soderlund and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Ryan Pillers seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:46 p.m. Roll call vote: Yeas: Soderlund, Pillers, Price and Morgan. Nays: none. Motion carried.

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