SE Illinois News

Edwards County Community Unit School District 1 Board met July 16.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Edwards County High School Gymnasium by President, Dale Woods. The following members were present: Brian Mewes, Jayare Buerster, Lawrence Speir, Jr., Jo Rector and Andrew Spray. Also present was Superintendent, David Cowger; Principals, Dale Schmittler and Preston Nelson; Assistant Principal/Special Education Coordinator, Carrie Wells and Dean of Students, Joe Rivers. Board member Richard Wolfe was present by phone and exited the meeting at 9:35 p.m.

Motion was made by Jayare Buerster and seconded by Jo Rector to approve the following Consent Agenda items:

 Motion to approve the minutes of the open and closed sessions of the June 15, 2020 Regular School Board Meeting and the June 15, 2020 Public Hearing

 Motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report

 Motion to approve the Bill List

 Motion to destroy board meeting closed session audio recording older than 18 months per State code

Speir, Rector, Spray, Wolfe, Buerster, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Motion passes

Motion was made by Richard Wolfe and seconded by Jayare Buerster to approve the reopening of school COVID Plan.

The plan was developed to be in compliance with ISBE and IDPH regulations which includes the wearing of face mask at all times when in school buildings.

There were several members of the community present to address their displeasure with the plan and the mandates from ISBE.

Speir, Buerster, Wolfe, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Rector and Spray voted no. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Andrew Spray to approve food and milk bids from Kohl Wholesale, Wabash Foods and Prairie Farms for the 2020-2021 school year.

These were the only company from which bids were received.

Rector, Mewes, Spray, Speir, Buerster, Wolfe and Woods voted yes. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jayare Buerster and seconded by Andrew Spray to approve a Resolution for the Review of Hazardous Areas as approved by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

There were no changes from the 2019 Resolution.

Rector, Mewes, Spray, Speir, Buerster, Wolfe and Woods voted yes. Motion passes

Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Brian Mewes to approve a Resolution for the Temporary Transfer of Working Cash Funds to the Transportation fund and O & M Fund.

This will allow the District to have operating funds for day to day expenses. Funds will be transferred back no later than the close of the year.

Rector, Spray, Speir, Wolfe, Mewes, Buerster and Woods voted yes. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Andrew Spray to approve replacing the K-12 Band Room floor with a Core Tec product.

The cost of the project will be $8,379.

Buerster, Rector, Spray, Speir, Wolfe, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Motion passes

Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Jayare Buerster to amend the 2020-2021 school calendar.

The calendar was amended to allow for a Remote Learning Day on August 13th, the first day of student attendance has been moved to August 14th, and November 3rd is now a legal holiday.

Mewes, Buerster, Rector, Spray, Speir, Wolfe and Woods voted yes. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jayare Buerster and seconded by Brian Mewes to approve the ECHS Sports Booster fundraiser request to purchase a new Lion for the K-12 Building.

The Sports Booster will be utilizing a Go Fund Me effort to raise the proceeds.

Wolfe, Mewes, Buerster, Rector, Spray, Speir and Woods voted yes. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Jayare

Buerster to approve a donation over $500 from the Wolfe Foundation in the amount of $1,872.50 for the purchase of masks for the fall sports teams.

Speir, Spray, Mewes, Rector, Buerster and Woods voted yes. Wolfe abstained Motion passes

The Administrators presented their reports on the following:

• David Cowger – Superintendent 

End of the year budget review 

Summer maintenance update 

School registration

Fall athletics

 Preston Nelson – Edwards County K-12 Principal

AGS and ECHS graduations

• Dale Schmittler – West Salem Grade School Principal

WSGS graduation

• Carrie Wells – Edwards County Special Education Coordinator

• Joe Rivers – EC K-12 Dean of Students

Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Jo Rector that a Closed Session be called at 8:53 p.m. to discuss the following:

 Consider the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee to determine validity

 Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees

 Discussion regarding probable or imminent litigation

 Consider Student Discipline

Wolfe, Speir, Rector, Buerster, Spray, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Motion passes

Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by

Jayare Buerster that the Board come out of Closed Session at 9:39 p.m.

Mewes, Buerter, Spray, Rector, Speir, and Woods voted yes. Wolfe exited meeting at 9:35 p.m. Motion passes

Motion was made by Brian Mewes and seconded by

Lawrence Speir Jr. to accept the retirement resignation of Bonita Thomason, teacher at WSGS, effective the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

Rector, Buerster, Mewes, Speir, and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Spray abstained. Motion passes

Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Jayare Buerster to accept the following retirement resignations:

 Trudy Brown, teacher at WSGS, effective end of the 2022-2023 school year.

 Cathy Spence, teacher at WSGS, effective end of the 2022-2023 school year Mewes, Buerster, Speir, Spray, Rector, and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jayare Buerster and seconded by Jo Rector to accept the resignation of Becky Brock as Brownsville Individual Aide.

Spray, Speir, Buerster, Rector, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes

Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Jayare Buerster to employ the following for the 2020-2021 school year:

 Kila Garrett – Individual Aide at Brownsville

 Larry Balding – Freshman Class Sponsor

 Kris Duncan – Sophomore Class Sponsor

 Bethany Rotramel – Junior Class Sponsor

 Steve Clodfelter – Senior Class Sponsor

 Karla Moore – ALPHA Sponsor

 Ashley Craig – ECHS Educators Rising Sponsor

 Bethany Rotramel – FBLA Sponsor

 Jennifer Kerr – FCCLA Sponsor

 Michelle Wiseman and Steve Clodfelter – FFA Sponsor

 Sarah Swardstrom – National Honor Society Sponsor

 Bethany Rotramel – ECHS Pep Club Sponsor

 Will Swardstrom – ECHS Varsity Scholastic Bowl Coach

 Sarah Swardstrom – ECHS Jr. Varsity Scholastic Bowl Coach

 Faye Frankland – ECHS Science Club Sponsor

 Will Swardstrom – ECHS Social Studies Club Sponsor

 Larry Balding – ECHS Spanish Club Sponsor

 Jonathan Henton – ECHS Weight Room Sponsor

 Tambree Krouse – AGS Scholastic Bowl Coach

 Cassie Nelson – AGS Student Council Sponsor

Speir, Spray, Mewes, Rector, Buerster and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jayare Buerster and seconded by Lawrence Speir Jr. to hire Cynthia Ivy as a custodian at the K-12 Building.

Speir voted yes. Buerster, Wolfe, Rector, Spray and Woods voted no. Mewes abstained. Motion failed

Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Andrew Spray to approve Eli Landingham as S3DA Archery volunteer coach for the 2020-2021 school year

Buerster, Rector, Mewes, Spray, Speir and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes

Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Jayare Buerster to approve the following volunteer assistant coaches for the 2020-2021 school year:

 ECHS Football – Levi McDaniel and Christian Cullison

 AGS Baseball – Kevin Smerdon, TJ Smerdon, Christian Cullison, Sam Speir and Matt Stevenson

 WSGS Softball – Tonya Weber and Cody Williams

 WSGS Baseball – Corey McLemore and Maddix Stuessel

Spray, Mewes, Rector, Buerster and Woods voted yes. Speir abstained and Wolfe was absent. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Jayare

Buerster to approve the following volunteer assistant coaches for the 2020-2021 school year:

 WSGS Baseball – Kyle Mewes

 AGS Softball – Rick Wolfe

Speir, Spray, Rector, Buerster and Woods voted yes. Mewes abstained and Wolfe was absent. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Andrew Spray to keep closed minutes closed.

Spray, Rector, Mewes, Buerster, Speir and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes

Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Jayare Buerster that the meeting be adjourned at 9:48 p.m.

Spray, Buerster, Mewes, Rector, Speir and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes

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