South West Illinois News

Sparta Community Unit School District 140 Board of Education met Nov. 9.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

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, Corey Rheinecker and Rob Soderlund. Absent: none. Others present were: Superintendent Chris Miesner; Recording Secretary Tina Witherby; Principals Scott Beckley and Lynda Loesing and members of the staff and community.

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

With no public comment requests, the meeting continued.

Rob Soderlund moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the minutes of the October 12, 2023, regular meeting as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Morgan, Cooper, Pillers, Price, Rheinecker 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, Rheinecker, Cooper, Pillers, Price and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

The next regular board meeting will be December 14, 2023, at 7 p.m. at Sparta Lincoln School.

Sparta Lincoln Principal Lynda Loesing reported that the Veterans’ Day program was held at Sparta Lincoln School. The students hosted the event and did a great job. The parent-teacher conferences had over 450 parents in attendance. Trunk or treat had over 30 tables. Perandoe provided workshops today for trauma-informed training in the classroom.

Mr. Beckley introduced the ten Illinois State Scholars: Isabella Braun, Lucas Dodson, Austin Downing, Alyssa Fernandez, Jack Hamilton, Jack Loesing, Alexandria McFadden, James Pillers, Adrian Schenk and Abigail Zweigart.

Sparta High School Principal Scott Beckley went on the report that he and Mr. Miesner got more information for One Goal. He is also working on the working on tracking student numbers. The school report card numbers are not as high as they would like. The graduation rate is 87.6%, which is an improvement, but not good enough.

Superintendent Miesner reported that the summative designations came out with the Illinois School Report Card. All three schools are now designated as “Commendable”. There is still work to do, but he congratulated the students, staff and administration for their hard work. Annual school board member day is November 15th. Mr. Miesner thanked the Board for their support.

Curtis Stoll of Fick, Eggemeyer & Williamson, CPAs presented the audit for fiscal year 2023.

Rob Soderlund moved; Heather Price seconded to approve the FY23 Audit as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Price, Cooper, Morgan, Pillers, Rheinecker and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

After a review of the ending fund balances for fiscal year 2023, Rob Soderlund moved; Ryan Pillers seconded to approve the resolution stating the aggregate amount of taxes estimated to be levied for the year 2023 is $4,803,192 not including the Bond and Interest Levy of $949,815 and that the aggregate amount of taxes estimated to be levied for the year 2023 does not exceed 105% of the taxes extended in the year 2022. Roll call vote. Yeas: Soderlund, Pillers, Cooper, Morgan, Price, Rheinecker and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Board meeting dates were discussed. Changing from Thursday to Monday for meetings had been discussed previously. At this time, the Board of Education decided to leave the meetings on Thursdays. It will be discussed again at the April 2024 meeting when the regular meeting dates are set for the year.

Corey Rheinecker moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the purchase of a mini-bus from Southern Bus & Mobility in the amount of $86,106. Roll call vote. Yeas: Rheinecker, Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

First Readings were held for: School Board Policy #2:20 Powers and Duties of the School Board; Indemnification; #2:110 Qualifications, Term and Duties of Board Officers; #2:120 Board Member Development; #2:200 Types of School Board Meetings; #2:220 School Board Meeting Procedure; General School Administrations Policies #3:50 Administrative Personnel Other Than the Superintendent; Operational Services Policies #4:10 Fiscal and Business Management; #4:30 Revenue and Investments; #4:60 Purchases and Contracts; #4:90 Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds; #4:130 Free and Reduced-Price Food Services; #4:160 Environmental Quality of Buildings and Grounds; #4:170 Safety; General Personnel Policies #5:30 Hiring Process and Criteria; #5:50 Drug- and Alcohol-Free Workplace; e-cigarette, Tobacco and Cannabis Prohibition; #5:90 Abused and Neglected Child Reporting; #5:120 Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct and Conflict of Interest; #5:150 Personnel Records; #5:190 Teacher Qualifications; Professional Personnel Policies #5:200 Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal; #5:210 Resignations; #5:220 Substitute Teachers; #5:250 Leaves of Absence; #5:330 Sick Days, Vacation, Holidays and Leaves; Instruction Policies #6:15 School Accountability; #6:20 School Year Calendar and Day; #6:30 Organization of Instruction; #6:50 School Wellness; #6:60 Curriculum Content; #6:65 Student Social and Emotional Development; #6:230 Library Media Program; #6:270 Guidance and Counseling Program; #6:280 Grading and Promotion; Students Policies #7:50 School Admissions and Student Transfers To and From Non-District Schools; #7:60 Residence; #7:70 Attendance and Truancy; #7:160 Student Appearance; #7:165 School Uniforms; #7:190 Student Behavior; #7:250 Student Support Services; #7:270 Administering Medicines to Students; #7:285 Anaphylaxis Prevention, Response and Management Program; #7:290 Suicide and Depression Awareness and Prevention; #7:345 Use of Educational Technologies; Student Data Privacy and Security; Community Relations Policies #8:30 Visitors to and Conduct on School Property

Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund 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: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Rheinecker, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Heather Price seconded to come out of executive session at 8:37 p.m. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Price, Morgan, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve the executive session minutes as presented for the October 14, 2023, meeting. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Pillers, Price, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to accept the resignation of Rebecca Juelfs as the Cross-Country Coach at Evansville Attendance Center effective October 20, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Pillers, Price, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Rob Soderlund moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to accept the resignation of Jerry Carpenter as Baseball Coach at Evansville Attendance Center effective October 15, 2023. Yeas: Soderlund, Morgan, Cooper, Pillers, Price, Rheinecker and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Corey Rheinecker moved; Heather Price seconded to accept the resignation of Beth Merker as Paraprofessional, Assistant Volleyball Coach and Girls’ Track Coach at Sparta High School effective November 15, 2023. Yeas: Rheinecker, Price, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers, Morgan and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to accept the resignation of Zac Drumwright as Assistant Baseball Coach at Sparta High School effective October 7, 2023. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to employ Ashley Clark as a full-time teacher for the district with no years of experience for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year retroactive to October 23, 2023, 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, Price, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to employ Felicia Sudmeyer as a full-time paraprofessional for the district for the remainder of 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, Price, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to employ Bailey Rainey as a full-time paraprofessional for the district for the remainder of 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, Rheinecker, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to approve Thomas White as a volunteer Assistant Golf Coach at Sparta Lincoln School for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Corey Rheinecker seconded to approve Lathan Briscoe as a volunteer Assistant Boys’ Basketball Coach at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Rheinecker, Pillers, Price, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve Thomas White as an Assistant Coach for Boys’ Basketball at Sparta High School for the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Soderlund, Pillers, Price, Rheinecker, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Morgan moved; Heather Price seconded to approve a leave-of-absence for Leslie Meininger as Custodian at Sparta Lincoln School from November 17, 223, through December 4, 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Morgan, Price, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund, Cooper and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Heather Price moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to approve a leave-of-absence for Megan Greenhill as Paraprofessional at Evansville Attendance Center from approximately January 2024 through May 2024. Roll call vote. Yeas: Price, Morgan, Rheinecker, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Morgan seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:41 p.m. Roll call vote: Yeas: Cooper, Morgan, Pillers, Price, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

https://www.sparta.k12.il.us/_files/ugd/63dffa_764aa6a25ef64868bb37fc089d65564c.docx?dn=110923%20minutes.docx