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Carmi White County Community Unit School District 5 Board of Education met September 18.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

The regular meeting of the board of education of Carmi-White County Community Unit District No. 5 was held on Monday, September 18, 2017 at Jefferson Attendance Center (new building). The meeting was called to order by President Kelli M. Chapman at 7:00 p.m.

Recital Of Pledge Of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all present.

Those present were board members Acord, Chapman, Fulkerson, Hammell, Mitchell, and Scates. Others present were Superintendent Brad Lee; Amy Atteberry, Washington Attendance Center principal; Dr. Amy Dixon, Jefferson and Lincoln Attendance Centers principal; Cindy Hoskins, Brownsville principal; Bart King, junior high school principal; Jarrod Newell, high school principal; Bob Lamp, CWCEA president; Rachel Blazier, unit secretary; Scott Mareing (WROY), and Brandon Siegert (The Carmi Chronicle).

Consent Agenda Items Approved

Consent agenda items were presented to the board for its approval as follows:

1. Minutes of the August 21, 2017 regular board meeting of the board of education

2. Serious safety hazard resolution

Article 5/29-3 requires school boards with Illinois Department of Transportation serious safety hazard approvals to annually certify that the serious safety hazards still exist. A proposed resolution was presented for the board’s approval listing the district’s current serious safety hazard approvals. It was recommended that the board adopt the resolution.

3. Final action of Board Policies 2:260, 6:80, 6:210, 7:275, and 8:70

For board policy adoptions to become effective, they must be acted on at two (2) meetings. This will be the second and final action on adoption of board policies: 2:260 Board of Education, Uniform Grievance Procedure; 6:80 Instruction, Teaching About Controversial Issues; 6:210 Instruction, Instructional Materials; 7:275 Students, Orders to Forgo Life-Sustaining Treatment; and 8:70 Community Relations, Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities.

It was recommended that the board of education give final approval to adoption of board policies, as amended.

4. Family and Medical Leave Act Requests

Cynthia Smith has submitted a Family and Medical Leave Act request beginning on September 11, 2017. After utilizing all sick and personal days that she has accumulated, she requests twenty (20) days at sub pay deduction. She plans to return to work on November 20, 2017, with date subject to change due to rate of recovery.

Shirley Ritsch has submitted a Family and Medical Leave Act request beginning August 14, 2017. After utilizing all sick and personal days that she has accumulated, she requests twenty (20) days at sub pay deduction. She plans to return to work on January 2, 2018, with date subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances.

It was recommended that the board of education accept the Family and Medical Leave Act request of Cynthia Smith beginning on September 11, 2017, utilizing all sick and personal days that she has accumulated and twenty (20) days at sub pay deduction. She plans to return to work on November 20, 2017 and accept the Family and Medical Leave Act request of Shirley Ritsch beginning on August 14, 2017, utilizing all sick and personal days that she has accumulated and twenty (20) days at sub pay deduction with her planning to return to work on January 2, 2018.

5. Resignations

Mona Warrick has submitted a letter of resignation as the Junior/Senior High School attendance secretary effective September 8, 2017.

Keisha Sisco has submitted a letter of resignation as a noon hour supervisor at Lincoln Attendance Center effective immediately.

Wayne Nelson has submitted a letter of resignation as a crossing guard at Lincoln Attendance Center effective immediately.

Dusty Aud has submitted a letter of resignation as the 5th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach effective immediately.

William Knight has submitted a letter of resignation as the 7th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach effective immediately.

Jonathan Goemaat has submitted a letter of resignation as the 8th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach effective immediately.

Clay Gray has submitted a letter of resignation as the 7th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach effective immediately.

It was recommended that the board of education accept the letter of resignation of Mona Warrick as the Junior/Senior High School attendance secretary effective September 8, 2017, the letter of resignation of Keisha Sisco as a noon hour supervisor at Lincoln Attendance Center effective immediately, the letter of resignation of Wayne Nelson as a crossing guard at Lincoln Attendance Center effective immediately, the letter of resignation of Dusty Aud as the 5th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach effective immediately, the letter of resignation of William Knight as the 7th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach effective immediately, the letter of resignation of Jonathan Goemaat as the 8th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach effective immediately, and the letter of resignation of Clay Gray as the 7th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach effective immediately.

Motion by Scates, second by Hammell, that recommendations for consent agenda items as follows:

1. Minutes of the August 21, 2017 regular board meeting

2. Serious safety hazard resolution

3. Final Action of Changes to Board Policies 2:260, 6:80, 6:210, 7:275, and 8:70

4. FMLA Requests

5. Resignations

be approved. Roll call votes: Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Bills Approved

An additional listing of bills was presented to the board at the meeting for its consideration and approval. Superintendent Lee told the board members that if there were any questions, he would be glad to answer them.

Board President Chapman asked about the reimbursement to Leanett Lovell for homeless. Mr. Lee explained that Mrs. Lovell is the district’s homeless liaison. She purchases items for students in the district that are designated as homeless, and then the district is reimbursed by the ROE. Mrs. Chapman asked how many homeless students are in the district. Mr. Lee responded that there are approximately 50 homeless students in the district, however, he was not saying that these students did not have a place to stay. Dr. Dixon said that the building secretaries and the district social workers help in identifying the homeless students in the district. Homeless students may be couch surfing, not living with mother and father, family loses utilities for a length of time, etc.

Motion by Acord, second by Mitchell, that the bills for the month of August 2017 be approved as listed. Roll call vote: Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report Read And Approved

The treasurer’s report for the month of August 2017 was read as follows: Education Fund, $2,629,731; Building Fund, $578,104; Transportation Fund, $416,788; Municipal Retirement Fund, $467,438; Imprest Fund, $7,554; Tort Fund, $351,393; Debt Service Fund, $625,952; Working Cash Fund, $333,454; Fire Prevention and Safety Fund, $193,614; and Capital Projects, $615,321. Investments by Fund: Municipal Retirement Fund, $100,000.

In the month of August, the district started receiving revenue for the 2017-2018 school year. Approximately, $422,000 was received from State and local categoricals. The district received its first local taxes in the amount of $1.3 million – a little over $600,000 of this went into the education fund. The district received $75,444 in the transportation fund that was due from last year. The district received $51,132 from 1% sales tax. The district received a total of $1,848,625. The State still owes the district $296,000 in categorical payments.

Motion by Fulkerson, second by Hammell, that the treasurer’s report for the month of August 2017 be approved as read. Roll call vote: Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Superintendent’s Report To The Board

Superintendent Lee reported the following items to the board:

1. Fall Conference And Dinner Meeting Of The Iasb Egyptian Division

The next Egyptian Division meeting of the Illinois Association of School Boards will be held at Mt. Vernon SD #80 in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, on Tuesday, October 3, 2017. If any board of education member would like to attend, they are to contact Rachel or Superintendent Lee no later than Monday, September 25, 2017 so that reservations may be made.

2. IASA/IASB/IASBO (Triple I) Annual Meeting, November 17-19, 2017, Chicago

Housing requests and registration for all board of education members have been submitted to IASB. The last date for cancellation of IASB registration is October 6. If board members have not already done so, they are to let Rachel or Mr. Lee know if they are unable to attend this year’s conference as soon as possible.

3. Administrator And Teacher Compensation Report

The updated administrator and teacher compensation report will be on the district website by October 1, 2017.

4. Sixth Day Enrollment

The district’s sixth day enrollment for the 2017-2018 school year was 1,342 – down 55 students from last year’s sixth day enrollment of 1,397.

5. Chamber Of Commerce Grants

The Carmi Chamber of Commerce has awarded $200 grants to each of the following teachers in the Carmi-White County School District: Melissa Dartt (Jefferson Attendance Center), Jeannie McGarvey (Lincoln Attendance Center), Karissa Wilson (Brownsville School), Carol Potter (Washington Attendance Center), Tina Mosier (Washington Attendance Center), and Beth Hart (Brownsville School). The grant recipients were selected by the Chamber’s Education Committee. Mr. Lee thanked the Carmi Chamber of Commerce for supporting the teachers of Unit #5.

6. State Funding

Senate Bill 1947 has been signed into law and includes “The Evidence-Based Funding for Students Success Act”. This funding model aligns with the following Core Values: 1) Recognizes individual student needs, 2) Accounts for differences in local resources, 3) Closes funding gaps and keeps them closed, and 4) Provides a stable, sustainable system that gets all districts to adequacy over time.

The new formula ties school funding to those evidence-based best practices that research shows enhance student achievement in the classroom. There are 27 Core Instructional Elements the new funding can be used for. Each year districts will need to have a funding plan to show how the additional money will be spent. At this time, the district is unsure of the amount of new dollars that it will receive.

District Insurance Bid Approved

The board received a copy of the information that was received from Bushue Human Resources, Inc. in regard to the district insurance renewal. Bushue Human Resources prepares bid specifications for district insurance coverage every fourth year to seek bids from various competitive companies. This is the third year for the renewal with Wright Specialty Insurance. The anniversary date for coverage is October 1. This year is a renewal of last year’s coverages with Wright Specialty Insurance. Bushue recommends acceptance of Wright Specialty Insurance for package, boiler and machinery, auto, umbrella, and legal liability for a total premium of $145,049, as presented through MH Insurance Centre of Marion. This is an annual premium increase of $12,766 or 9.65% over expiring premiums. It was explained that this increase is due largely to the large loss on the gym floor at Washington Attendance Center.

Motion by Scates, second by Mitchell, that the board approve Bushue Human Resources, Inc.’s insurance recommendation of Wright Specialty Insurance for package, boiler, and machinery, auto, umbrella, and educator’s legal liability for a total premium of $145,049. Roll call vote: Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Budget Hearing And Adoption Of Fy18 Budget

Attached is the line item budget for FY18. In front of the line item budget is a summary of the budget that summarizes each fund. The figures vary slightly from those presented in July due to some revenue and expenditure changes and audit adjustments. Mr. Lee indicated that the budget would probably be amended again in the spring when actual costs are known.

The education fund budget has projected receipts of $11,047,647 and expenditures of $9,990,237. The cash balance for July 1, 2018 is projected to be $4,204,104.

The building fund begins the year at $554,792 and is projected to complete the year at $639,344.

The debit service fund (formerly bond and interest fund) begins at $468,547 and is projected to finish the year at $506,673 as the district continues to pay down existing school district bonds. This includes $240,000 in revenue from the 1% sales tax that the district has projected to receive in 2017-2018.

The transportation fund begins with a cash balance of $334,524 and is projected to complete the year with a balance of $358,680.

The IMRF budget begins the year with a $532,395 cash balance and is projected to complete the year with a balance of $479,070.

The Capital Outlay fund begins with a cash balance of $729,284 and is projected to complete the year with a balance of $979,284.

The working cash fund starts the year with $317,490 and is projected to end the year with $385,393.

The tort immunity fund begins with a cash balance of $242,911 and is projected to end the year with a $255,834 balance. Each year the district levies for these dollars that are used to fund risk management costs to the district such as insurance and other related expenditures.

The fire prevention and safety fund shows a beginning balance of $184,702 and is projected to end the year with a project balance of $122,605.

Total receipts for all funds are projected at $14,886,847 with expenditures of $13,467,199. This results in a 2017-2018 balance of $1,419,648 in receipts vs. expenditures.

This budget continues to allow the district to maintain the programs that are expected from the community while providing dollars to maintain the positive teaching and learning environment that our teachers and students deserve.

Motion by Acord, second by Chapman, that the FY18 budget for Carmi-White County Community Unit District No. 5 be adopted. Roll call vote: Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Closed Session

Motion by Mitchell, second by Scates, that the board meet in closed session at 7:26 p.m. for purposes of discussing appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of an employee or officer. Roll call vote: Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Motion by Scates, second by Mitchell, that the board return to open session at 8:15 p.m. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

Closed Session Minutes Approved

Motion by Scates, second by Acord, that the board approve closed session minutes of the August 21, 2017 regular board meeting. Roll call vote: Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Jim Denson Employed As A Crossing Guard At Lincoln Attendance Center For The 2017-2018 School Year

Motion by Mitchell, second by Hammell, that Jim Denson be employed as a crossing guard at Lincoln Attendance Center for the 2017-2018 school year to fill the vacancy created by the death of Frances Nelson. Roll call vote: Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Faye Carter, Naydean Cox, Kay Loomis, And Winifred Rector Approved As Building Volunteers For The 2017-2018 School Year

Motion by Fulkerson, second by Acord, that Faye Carter, Naydean Cox, Kay Loomis and Winifred Rector be approved as building volunteers for the 2017-2018 school year. Roll call vote: Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Glenda Nelson Employed As A Noon Supervisor For The 2017-2018 School Year

Motion by Mitchell, second by Hammell, that Glenda Nelson be employed as a noon supervisor at Washington Attendance Center for the 2017-2018 school year to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Kathy Buchanan. Roll call vote: Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

William Knight Employed As The 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach For The 2017-2018 School Year

Motion by Acord, second by Hammell, that William Knight be employed as the 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach for the 2017-2018 school year to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Scott Conner. Roll call vote: Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Jonathan Goemaat Employed As The 7th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach For The 2017-2018 School Year

Motion by Fulkerson, second by Scates, that Jonathan Goemaat be employed as the 7 th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach for the 2017-2018 school year to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of William Knight. Roll call vote: Fulkerson; yes, Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Clay Gray Employed As 8th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach For The 2017-2018 School Year

Motion by Mitchell, second by Acord, that Clay Gray be employed as the 8th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach for the 2017-2018 school year to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Jonathan Goemaat. Roll call vote: Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Dave Gray Approved As A 7th/8th Grade Girls’ Volunteer Basketball Coach For The 2017-2018 School Year

Motion by Fulkerson, second by Hammell, that Dave Gray be approved as a 7th/8th Grade Girls’ Volunteer Basketball Coach for the 2017-2018 school year. Roll call vote: Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Cherie Westfall Employed As A High School Special Education Individual Aide For The 2017-2018 School Year

Motion by Mitchell, second by Acord, that Cherie Westfall be employed as a high school special education individual aide for the 2017-2018 school year to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Kathleen Buchanan. Roll call vote: Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Resolution Referencing The Reduction In Hours And Honorable Dismissal Of An Education Support Personnel

Motion by Fulkerson, second by Hammell, that the board of education adopt a Resolution referencing the reduction in hours and honorable dismissal of an educational support personnel. Roll call vote: Acord, yes; Fulkerson, yes; Hammell, yes; Mitchell, yes; Scates, yes; Chapman, yes. Motion carried.

Adjourn

Motion by Scates, second by Acord, that the meeting be adjourned at 8:20 p.m. Motion carried by unanimous voice vote.

http://www.carmischools.org/images/pdf/minutes/sepmin.pdf