Hamilton County Community Unit School District 10 Board of Education met March 18

Travis McCollum, Superintendent | Hamilton County Community Unit School District #10

By Philip Gonzales

Apr 20, 2025

Hamilton County Community Unit School District 10 Board of Education met March 18.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Board of Education of Hamilton County Community Unit District No. 10 met in regular session on the evening of March 18, 2025 at 7:00 p.m., in the Unit Office.

The meeting was called to order by Board President Dennis Lynch.

Roll Call was as follows: Present – Steve Becker, Bob Gray, Jeff Lueke, Tim Millenbine, Clint Ragan, Justin Woodrow, and Dennis Lynch.

Motion by Lueke, second by Ragan to approve the following items under the Consent Agenda: The minutes from the February 18, 2025 Regular Board Meeting, Treasurer’s Report, Budget reports, District bill listing, and the destruction of Executive Session Audio Recordings older than 18 months per Code.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Lueke, Ragan, Gray, Woodrow, Becker, Millenbine, and Lynch. Motion carried.

CORRESPONDENCE – None.

VISITORS/Public Comment – Civic students were present for a classroom assignment.

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT - Status

Mr. McCollum updated the Board on the following: Bleacher update in the High School gym; Discussions at the IASA Superintendent meeting.

OLD BUSINESS – None

NEW BUSINESS

Motion by Woodrow, second by Gray to approve the tentative RIF/Recall List as presented.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Woodrow, Gray, Becker, Lueke, Millenbine, Ragan, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Becker, second by Ragan to approve membership in the IHSA for the 2025- 2026 school year and to appoint Connie Lueke as the official representative.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Becker, Ragan, Gray, Millenbine, Woodrow, Lueke, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Gray, second by Ragan to authorize the Superintendent to submit for any state or federal grants that may become available to the district.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Gray, Ragan, Woodrow, Becker, Millenbine, Lueke, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Lueke, second by Ragan voted to table approving changes to the district athletic policy. Vote was taken by voice and motion carried.

Motion by Ragan, second by Becker to approve the 2025-2026 public school calendar and in-service plan as presented. Vote was taken by voice and motion carried.

Motion by Ragan, second by Becker to approve setting the high school graduation date for Friday, May 9, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Ragan, Becker, Woodrow, Millenbine, Lueke, and Lynch. Voting No – Gray. Motion carried.

Motion by Lueke, second by Ragan to convene in executive session at 7:19 p.m. to discuss appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of a specific employee(s) or office of the public body, and pending litigation pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1&2).

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Lueke, Ragan, Becker, Millenbine, Gray, Woodrow, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Becker, second by Ragan to come out of executive session at 8:48 p.m.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Becker, Ragan, Lueke, Gray, Woodrow, Millenbine, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Ragan, second by Lueke to approve the minutes from executive session. Vote was taken by voice and motion carried.

Motion by Woodrow, second by Becker, to accept an irrevocable four-year notice of intent to retire letter from Vida Dial, Bus Driver, effective at the end of the 2028-2029 school year.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Woodrow, Becker, Lueke, Gray, Ragan, Millenbine, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Woodrow, second by Becker, to accept the letter of resignation from Kristie Goosby, Teacher Aide, effective at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Woodrow, Becker, Lueke, Gray, Ragan, Millenbine, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Woodrow, second by Becker, to accept the letter of resignation from Kenneth Spruell, Credit Recovery Instructor, effective at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Woodrow, Becker, Lueke, Gray, Ragan, Millenbine, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Woodrow, second by Becker, to accept the letter of resignation from Leah Anselment, Jr. High Cheerleading Coach, effective February 26, 2025.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Woodrow, Becker, Lueke, Gray, Ragan, Millenbine and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Ragan, second by Becker, to terminate Christian Ziehm, Custodian, effective February 18, 2025.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Ragan, Becker, Lueke, Gray, Woodrow, Millenbine, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Lueke, second by Ragan, to approve Magen Miller as a volunteer softball coach for the 2025 season.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Lueke, Ragan, Becker, Millenbine, Gray, Woodrow, and Lynch. Motion carried.

Motion by Lueke, second by Ragan, to employ Kristie Goosby as an Elementary Teacher, assigned to Dahlgren Elementary School, contingent upon obtaining proper licensure prior to the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the successful completion of a background check and completion of necessary paperwork, effective with the start of the 2025-2026 school year.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Lueke, Ragan, Woodrow, Becker, Millenbine, Gray, and Lynch. Motion Carried.

Motion by Lueke, second by Ragan, to employ Courtney Garner as an Elementary Teacher, assigned to East Side School, contingent upon obtaining proper licensure prior to the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year, the successful completion of a background check, and completion of necessary paperwork, effective for the 2025-2026 school year.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Lueke, Ragan, Woodrow, Becker, Gray, Millenbine, and Lynch. Motion Carried.

Motion by Lueke, second by Gray, to voluntarily reassign Greg Anselment from Custodian to District Assistant Maintenance Director, effective July 1, 2025.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Lueke, Gray, Woodrow, Becker, Millenbine, Lueke, and Lynch. Motion Carried.

Motion by Gray, second by Becker, to employ Sammy Benbrook as General Classroom Aide, assigned to East Side School, contingent upon the successful completion of a background check and completion of necessary paperwork, effective for the 2025-2026 school year.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Gray, Becker, Woodrow, Millenbine, Ragan, Lueke, and Lynch. Motion Carried.

Motion by Lueke, second by Becker, to place the following first year teachers on second year probationary status for the 2025-2026 school year: Kelly Carlile, Travis Kovach, Katelynn Blades, Tyler Bourland, Jessica Flannigan, Madelin Hays, Jacob Woodrome, and Drew Imhoff.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Lueke, Becker, Millenbine, Woodrow, Ragan, Gray, and Lynch. Motion Carried.

Motion by Gray, second by Ragan, to place the following second year teacher on third year probationary status for the 2025-2026 school year: Tyler Buss, Alison Blades, Danielle Hutcheson, and Jessica Johnson.

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Gray, Ragan, Millenbine, Woodrow, Becker, Lueke, and Lynch. Motion Carried.

Motion by Ragan, second by Becker, to move the following teachers move to tenure status under the current PERA laws for the 2025-2026 school year: Iloany Eber Ochoa (4th yr.), Hannah Hart (4th yr.), Caleb Smothers (4th yr.), Brooke Jackson (3rd yr.), Heather Lynch (3rd yr.), Bethany Reyling (3rd yr.).

Roll Call Vote – Voting Yes – Ragan, Becker, Millenbine, Woodrow, Gray, Lueke, and Lynch. Motion Carried.

Motion by Lueke, second by Woodrow, to approve a 10 ½ month employment contract to Christina Epperson, Preschool Principal/Grant Writer/Title IX Appeals Decision Maker for 1 additional year for the 2025-2026 school year.