Edwards County Community Unit School District 1 Board Met Dec. 21.
Here is the agenda provided by the board:
The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. in the Edwards County K-12 Band Room by Presiednt, 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; Principal, Dale Schmittler; Assistant Principal/Special Education Coordinator, Carrie Wells. Board member Richard Wolfe and Principal, Preston Nelson were absent.
Motion was made by Brian Mewes and seconded by Andrew Spray to approve the following Consent Agenda items:
APPROVE CONSENT AGENDA
· Motion to approve the minutes of the open and closed sessions of the November 16, 2020 Regular School Board Meeting
· 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
· FOIA Report
Speir, Rector, Spray, Buerster, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
SPOTLIGHT
Spotlight: Leroy Moore Volunteer Recognition
APPROVE TAX LEVY
Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Brian Mewes to approve the 2020 Tax Levy in the amount of $3,091,827.00
The aggregate increase was only 4.4% so no Truth in Taxation hearing was required. The levy is a 3.9% increase from the 2019 levy.
Speir, Buerster, Rector, Mewes, Spray and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
APPROVE CURRICULUM CHANGES
Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Jayare Buerster to approve the ECHS Curriculum Changes for the 2021-2022 school year.
The high school will add a Transitional Math class for the 2021-2022 school year. This class comes in response to the Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness Act.
Spray, Speir, Buerster, Rector, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
APPROVE SECOND READING AND ADOPTION OF JOB DESCRIPTIONS
Motion was made by Brian Mewes and seconded by Jayare Buerster to approve the Second Reading and Adoption of the Cafeteria Manager, Director of Technology and IT Assistant job descriptions.
Speir, Buerster, Rector, Spray, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
ACCEPT DONATIONS OVER $500
Motion was made by Jayare Buerster and seconded by Jo Rector to accept the following donations over $500:
· Connie and Carl Welch - $1,000 for the West Salem Grade School in Memory of April Larson Couch
• The Wolfe Foundation of Edwards County - $28,556.50 for the purchase of iPads for Albion Grade School and West Salem Grade School Kindergarten classes.
Rector, Mewes, Spray, Speir, Buerster, and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
APPROVE TRUTH IN TAXATION CERTIFICATE
Motion was made by Brian Mewes and seconded by Andrew Spray to approve the Truth in Taxation Certificate of Compliance.
This is an annual item that boards are required to do and must be filed with the County Clerk along with the Levy. The Certificate indicated no Truth in Taxation Hearing was required since the aggregate levy did not exceed 105%.
Mewes, Speir, Buerster, Spray, Rector, and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
APPROVE AMENDMENT TO FINAL EXAM POLICY
Motion was made by Brian Mewes and seconded by Jo Rector to approve the amendment to the ECHS 2020-2021 Final Exam Policy.
Due to COVID impacting attendance during this school year, the final exam policy has been amended. The exemption criteria will be a student’s overall grade only and will not take into consideration dates missed. Students who have an 83% or higher can opt out of exams in classes where this criteria has been met.
Buerster, Rector, Mewes, Spray, Speir and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
FIRST READING OF POLICIES
First Reading of the following policies:
Policy 4.80 – Accounting and Audits
A section regarding Capitalization Threshold was added to address what is considered to be a capital asset. The policy was also updated under the Inventories to address property acquired through grants.
Policy 4.90 – Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds
The policy is updating a very old 1993 version. In the new policy, the policy separates funds into two categories: Student
Activity Funds and Fiduciary Funds.
Policy 6.300 – Graduation Requirements
This policy has been updated to address the new graduation requirement of completing a FAFSA. A student can also file a waiver and possibly be exempt from this requirement all together.
Policy 6.310 – High School Credit for Non-District
Experience; Course Substitutions; Re-entering Students
A section has been added addressing Registered
Apprenticeship Programs. Under this program, one or more high school courses can be satisfied through an apprenticeship program if certain criteria is met. This criteria is listed in the policy.
Policy 8.30 – Visitors to and Conduct on School Property
The list of prohibited acts on school property have updated to address the following:
· Possession of weapon
• Distribution, consume, use …. has been updated to address cannabis
• Be present when it is detectable there has been consumption of alcohol, cannabis or illegal drugs
· Addresses medical cannabis
DISCUSSION REGARDING EC ARCHERY
Let minutes reflect discussion regarding Edwards
County Archery’s request to pause club status
Due to restricts imposed on schools during the COVID pandemic mitigations, the archery club has requested to put a pause on their school affiliation until further notice. This is simply due to the COVID restrictions and plan to become school affiliated once again at a later date.
PROCEED WITH MAINTENANCE PROJECTS
Motion was made by Brian Mewes and seconded by Andrew Spray to proceed with the items of maintenance projects that Mr. Cowger presented.
The following maintenance items will move forward:
· Albion K-12 Flush Valves
· Albion K-12 Envelope Repairs
· Albion K-12 Paint/Oil Interceptor Replacement
· Albion K-12 Locker Room Flush Valve/Shower Faucet replacement
· Albion K-12 Industrial Arts roof leaks
Buerster, Rector, Mewes, Spray, Speir and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
ADMINISTRATION REPORTS
The Administrators presented their reports on the following:
• David Cowger – Superintendent
Cafeteria Report
Maintenance Projects
State Budget Updates
COVID Plan Updates
· Preston Nelson – Edwards County K-12 Principal
• Dale Schmittler – West Salem Grade School Principal
• Carrie Wells – Edwards County Special Education Coordinator
INTO CLOSED SESSION
Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Andrew Spray that a Closed Session be called at 7:46 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
· Purchase or Lease of real property for use by the public body
· Consider student discipline
Speir, Rector, Buerster, Spray, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
OUT OF CLOSED SESSION
Motion was made by Brian Mewes and seconded by Jayare Buerster that the Board come out of Closed Session at 8:22 p.m.
Mewes, Buerter, Spray, Rector, Speir, and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
EMPLOYMENT
Motion was made by Brian Mewes and seconded by Jayare Buerster to employ Cynthia Ivy as Custodian at the Edwards County K-12 Building
Rector, Buerster, Mewes, Speir, Spray, and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
AUTHORIZE PURCHASE OF PROPERTY
Motion was made by Andrew Spray and seconded by Jayare Buerster to authorize the purchase of real property in West Salem, Illinois
Spray, Speir, Buerster, Rector, Mewes and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
ADJOURN MEETING
Motion was made by Jo Rector and seconded by Jayare Buerster that the meeting be adjourned at 8:26 p.m.
Spray, Buerster, Mewes, Rector, Speir and Woods voted yes. Wolfe was absent. Motion passes
https://www.edwardscountyschools.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/53fe5652386ae/December%2021%2C%202020%20Minutes%20with%20comments.pdf
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