South West Illinois News

Sparta Community Unit School District 140 Board of Education met Dec. 12.

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: Jennifer Allard, Mekalia Cooper, Ryan Pillers, Corey Rheinecker and Rob Soderlund. Absent: Heather Price. 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.

With no public comment requests, the meeting continued.

Jennifer Allard moved; Corey Rheinecker seconded to approve the minutes of the November 14, 2024, regular meeting as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Rheinecker, Cooper, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

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

The next regular board meeting will be January 9, 2025, at 7 p.m. at Sparta Lincoln School.

Principal Lynda Loesing recognized the Cross Country team of Lukas Bradshaw, Christopher Moreno, Logan Sternberg, Ronin Bradshaw, Landon Hernandez, Parker Klausing, Hayden Montroy, Owen Jacobus, Lane Kordys, Lawson Kurtz, Samuel Pillers, Jaden Reid, Eli McElroy,

Leah Coop, Paige Smith, Rebecca Ayala, Melany Baird, Callie Buch, Zoe Peck, Abigail Wilson, Christina Wilson, Jaeda Yarbrough, Britton Miller, Ella Livesay and the Coaches: Andrea Pillers, Bobby Klausing, Eric Montroy. The girls and boys placed second at State.

Mrs. Loesing also recognized the Sparta Lincoln School Softball team for their win at State. Those members were: Callie Buch, Kaylee Gerlach, Mollie Soderlund, Ellaina Buch, Adalyn Zang, Loralye Pickering, Madeline Craig, Quyn Glodo, Hailey Heller, Alana Ethington, Kyra Claybourn, Ella Presswood, Nora Pickering and Zoe Peck. The Coaches were: Zac Drumwright, Regina Heller, Nick Stork and Chandler Henson.

Principal Scott Beckley reported that Ava Reynolds was the VFW Voice of Democracy award winner.

Evansville Attendance Center Principal Kelly Carpenter reported that the Evansville Attendance Center girls’ basketball team played the Sparta Lincoln School girls’ basketball team. The Christmas Party will be December 19, 2024, and the talent show will be December 20, 2024.

After a review of the ending fund balances for fiscal year 2024, Corey Rheinecker moved; Jennifer Allard seconded to approve the resolution stating the aggregate amount of taxes to be levied for the year 2024 is $5,042,652 not including the Bond and Interest Levy of $1,946,048 and that the aggregate amount of taxes estimated to be levied for the year 2024 does not exceed 105% of the taxes extended in the year 2023. Roll call vote. Yeas: Rheinecker, Allard, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Allard moved; Corey Rheinecker seconded to approve the Resolution Appointing an

Authorized Agent with Respect to the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Rheinecker, Cooper, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Allard moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to approve the Illinois Vision 2030 Resolution as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers, Rheinecker and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Allard moved; Corey Rheinecker seconded to approve the Health Life Safety Survey for Sparta Lincoln School as presented and authorize the architect to file with the Regional Office of Education. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Rheinecker, Cooper, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Allard moved; Mekalia Cooper seconded to approve the School Board Policy #2:260 Uniform Grievance Procedure; #2:265 Title IX Grievance Procedure; General Personnel Policies #5:100 Staff Development Program; Students Policies #7:20 Harassment of Students Prohibited; and #7:185 Teen Dating Violence Prohibited as presented. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Cooper, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

First Readings were held for: School Board Policy #2:105 Ethics and Gift Ban; #2:110 Qualifications, Term and Duties of Board Officers; #2:120 Board Member Development; #2:140 Communications To and From the Board; Operational Services Policy #4:10 Fiscal and Business Management; #4:30 Revenue and Investments; #4:40 Incurring Debt; #4:60 Purchases and Contracts; #4:150 Facility Management and Building Programs; #4:160 Environmental Quality of Buildings and Grounds; #4:170 Safety; #4:190 Targeted School Violence Prevention Program; General Personnel Policy #5:10 Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment; #5:20 Workplace Harassment Prohibited; #5:30 Hiring Process and Criteria; #5:15 Compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act; #5:90 Abused and Neglected Child Reporting; #5:120 Employee Ethics, Code of Professional Conduct and Conflict of Interest; #5:125 Personal Technology and Social Media, Usage and Conduct; #5:150 Personnel Records; #5:230 Maintaining Student Discipline; Instruction Policy #6:20 School Year Calendar and Day; #6:60 Curriculum Content; #6:65 Student Social and Emotional Development; #6:135 Accelerated Placement Program; #6:270 Guidance and Counseling Program; #6:340 Student Testing and Assessment Program; Students Policy #7:10 Equal Educational Opportunities; #7:100 Health, Eye and Dental Examinations, Immunizations and Exclusion of Students; #7:160 Student Appearance; #7:165 School Uniforms; #7:180 Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation and Harassment; #7:200 Suspension Procedures; and Community Relations Policy #8:10 Connection with the Community.

Jennifer Allard moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to enter into closed session at 7:18 p.m. to discuss items related to the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body and to discuss the placement of individual students in special education programs; other matters relating to individual students; or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers, Rheinecker and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Corey Rheinecker moved; Jennifer Allard seconded to come out of executive session at 8:18 p.m. Roll call vote. Yeas: Rheinecker, Allard, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Allard moved; Corey Rheinecker seconded to approve the executive session minutes as presented for the November 14, 2024, meeting. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Rheinecker, Cooper, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Allard moved; Corey Rheinecker seconded to accept the resignation of Marie Russell as Head Teacher at Evansville Attendance Center effective December 20, 2024. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Rheinecker, Cooper, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Allard moved; Mekalia Cooper seconded to accept the resignation of Nicole Gregory as a Paraprofessional at Sparta Lincoln School effective November 25, 2024. Yeas: Allard, Cooper, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Allard seconded to employ Anne Nelson as a Head Cook for the District effective January 3, 2025. Yeas: Cooper, Allard, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Jennifer Allard moved; Corey Rheinecker seconded to increase Anne Fullerton’s hours as Cook for the District from 6 hours per day to 8 hours per day effective January 3, 2025. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Rheinecker, Cooper, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Allard moved; Corey Rheinecker seconded to increase Sylvia Boston’s hours as Cook for the District from 6 hours per day to 8 hours per day effective January 3, 2025. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Rheinecker, Cooper, Pillers, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Allard moved; Rob Soderlund seconded to employ Tanya Ramon as a six-hour Cook for the district for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year with a start date of January 3, 2024, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of a criminal history background check, employment history review, physical and drug screening. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers, Rheinecker and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Allard moved; Mekalia Cooper seconded to employ Jaclyn Kempfer as a six-hour Cook for the district for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year with a start date of January 3, 2024, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of a criminal history background check, employment history review, physical and drug screening. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Cooper, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none.

Corey Rheinecker moved; Jennifer Allard seconded to employ Heather Hoagland as a six-hour Cook for the district for the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year with a start date of January 3, 2024, subject to and contingent upon successful completion of a criminal history background check, employment history review, physical and drug screening. Roll call vote. Yeas: Rheinecker, Allard, Soderlund, Cooper, Pillers and Craig. Nays: none.

Jennifer Allard moved; Mekalia Cooper seconded to allow Student #2425-05 to graduate in December 2024. Roll call vote. Yeas: Allard, Cooper, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

Mekalia Cooper moved; Jennifer Allard seconded to adjourn the meeting at 8:22 p.m. Roll call vote: Yeas: Cooper, Allard, Pillers, Rheinecker, Soderlund and Craig. Nays: none. Motion carried.

https://www.sparta140.org/_files/ugd/c42bd2_335a502dbf72416ab09a8804e63c27b9.docx?dn=121224%20minutes.docx