Sparta Community Unit School District 140 Board of Education met Sept. 14.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
The budget hearing was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Board President Angela Craig.
Treasurer/Bookkeeper Tina Witherby presented the FY24 budget. With no questions or comments, the meeting continued.
Rob Soderlund moved, Jennifer Morgan seconded to adjourn the budget hearing at 7:06 p.m. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Morgan, Cooper, Pillers, Price and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
The regular meeting was called to order by Board President Angela Craig and upon the roll being called, Angela Craig and the following members of the Board of Education answered present: Mekalia Cooper, Jennifer Morgan, Ryan Pillers, Heather Price and Rob Soderlund. Absent: Corey Rheinecker. Others present were: Superintendent Chris Miesner; Recording Secretary Tina Witherby; Principals Scott Beckley, Kelly Carpenter and Lynda Loesing and members of the staff and community.
Board President Angela Craig led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Gail McElroy invited the board members to the “See you at the Pole” event where students and staff pray together. Constitution Day will be on September 17, 2023.
With no other public comment requests, the meeting continued.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to approve the minutes of the August 10, 2023, regular meeting as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Soderlund, Pillers, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve the Bills, Payroll, Cash Flow and Fund Balances as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
The next regular board meeting will be October 12, 2023, at 7 p.m. at Evansville Attendance Center.
Sparta High School Principal Scott Beckley reported the new gymnasium is almost completed. The custodial staff is working hard to get it ready. He is hoping to have the volleyball tournament in the new gym at the end of the month.
Sparta Lincoln Principal Lynda Loesing reported that the Sparta Invitational Cross-Country Meet was a success. The Sparta Lincoln School boys’ team placed second and the girls’ team placed first. There were five kids who were individual medalists. Sparta Lincoln School will host the softball regionals next week. Junior Beta Club will have “Start with Hello” week next week to promote inclusion, connection and kindness.
Kelly Carpenter, Principal at Evansville Attendance Center, reported the students have started a student blog. It will be done weekly. The scouts had sign up at Evansville. Baseball and softball regionals start next week. Popcorn and pasta fundraiser will be on October 5, 2023. An aerial photo was taken of the students that will be used on thank you cards.
Superintendent Miesner reported that the PreK received a Gold Circle of Quality rating. The district has been awarded a teacher vacancy grant. That money will go towards additional tuition reimbursement. Bloomberg is working with the district on this. There have been 12 people who are interested in getting their teaching license through this program. Mr. Miesner and the administrators have been working on a K-12 connection platform. The strategic planning process has begun. Mr. Miesner will be asking questions about how staff members feel and what support they need.
Bus #1 has been leaking gas because the chassis is old and rusted. It is currently out of commission. The estimate for repairs is more than the bus is worth. Bus #3 has been ordered and should arrive in January. It was going to replace the van that has 204,000 miles on it. Mr. Miesner is looking at options for additional transportation and will bring it back to the Board.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to approve the fiscal year 2024 official budget as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Soderlund, Cooper and Pillers. Nays: Craig. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve the Administrator and Teacher Salary and Benefits report for the 2023 school year as presented and to post the report to the district website as required by law. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to approve the Lifesaver Retreat to Pinckneyville, Illinois, on November 17-19, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve the FFA overnight trip for National FFA Convention at Indianapolis, Indiana, from November 1-3, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to rename the Sparta High School “Dawg Pound” in the Dwight Fulton Gymnasium to the “Perry Brooks’ Dawg Pound”. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: Pillers. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to appoint Mekalia Cooper as the IASB Liaison for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Abstain: Cooper. Motion carried.
Rob Soderlund moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the reimbursement of $15 per pay for the Assistant Principals and Building & Grounds Director for personal cell phone usage. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Morgan, Cooper, Pillers, Price and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve the cooperative agreement with Steeleville District #138 for wrestling for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to enter into closed session at 7:32 p.m. to discuss items related to the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body; to discuss the placement of individual students in special education programs and other matters relating to individual students; and to discuss minutes of meetings lawfully closed under this Act, whether for purposes of approval by the body of the minutes or semi-annual review of the minutes as mandated by Section 2.06. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to come out of executive session at 8:51 p.m. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Price, Cooper, Morgan, Pillers and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to approve the executive session minutes as presented for the August 11, 2023, meeting. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to authorize the destruction of the audio recording of the Board’s closed session meetings up to and through March 2022, in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Mekalia Cooper seconded to accept the resignation of Angelica Stoops as Paraprofessional at Sparta Lincoln School effective October 31, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Cooper, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to accept the resignation of Tarik Swenson as the Boys’ Track Coach at Sparta High School effective September 13, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Mekalia Cooper seconded to employ Victoria Walter as a Full-Time Paraprofessional for the District for the 2023-2024 school year retroactive to August 16, 2023, subject to and contingent upon proper licensure and successful employment history review. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Cooper, Pillers, Price, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to employ Nicole Gregory as a Full-Time Paraprofessional for the District for the 2023-2024 school year retroactive to September 6, 2023, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of an employment history review, physical and drug screening, along with proper licensure. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to employ Virginia Miller Rivera as a Full-Time Paraprofessional for the District for the 2023-2024 school year, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of a criminal history background check, employment history review, physical and drug screening, along with proper licensure. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to employ Janet Gerlach as a Part-Time Retired Teacher for the District for the 2023-2024 school year retroactive to August 21, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve changing Paul Gentry’s employment from a 6-hour Cook to a 12-month Custodian for the district effective September 18, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price and Craig. Nays: Cooper. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve changing Art Markel’s employment from a 10-month Custodian to a 12-month Custodian for the district for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to approve Angela Lysakowski as a Junior Beta Club Co-Sponsor at Sparta Lincoln School for the 2023-2024 school year. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to approve Zachary Hickman as a Volunteer Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Heather Price moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve Bob Huether, Scott Buckner, Trevor Buckner and Molly Hamilton as Volunteer Assistant Cross Country Coaches at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of criminal history background checks and employment history reviews. Yeas: Price, Morgan, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
Mekalia Cooper moved; Heather Price seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:56 p.m. Roll call vote: Yeas: Cooper, Price, Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.
https://www.sparta.k12.il.us/_files/ugd/63dffa_372eb0f63783463db77950d9afce9a46.docx?dn=091423%20minutes.docx
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