SE Illinois News

Fairfield Community High School District 225 Board of Education met April 23.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Board of Education of Fairfield Community High School District #225 met in the study hall for regular session on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 6:00 P.M. The following members answered to roll call:

Barbre, Eddie Present McGehee, Gayle Present Carter, Jeremy Absent Smothers, Derek Present Carter, Nate Present Rush, Matt Present King, Kim Present

Also in attendance were: Robert D. Wells, II, Superintendent, Tiffany Lyons, Principal; Rhonda Buchanan; Jarrod Pruitt, Wayne County Press; Steven Baker; Lori Ellis; and Sarah Rush, Hannah Fickas and Ava Isle with the CEO Program.

Motion by Derek Smothers, seconded by Nate Carter to approve consent agenda which includes the prior month’s board minutes and monthly financial report.

Smothers, Derek Yea; King, Kim Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; McGehee, Gayle Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Carter, Jeremy Absent

Motion carried.

Board member Jeremy Carter arrived at 6:11 P.M.

Motion by Nate Carter, seconded Gayle McGehee to certify the election results from April 1, 2025.

Carter, Nate Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; McGehee, Gayle Yea; Carter, Jeremy Yea; King, Kim Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Nate Carter, seconded by Derek Smothers to adjourn sine die at 6:36 P.M.

Carter, Nate Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Carter, Jeremy Yea; King, Kim Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; McGehee, Gayle Yea

Motion carried.

The recently elected Board of Education members and the existing Board of Education members were administered the Oath of Office and seated.

Motion by Derek Smothers, seconded by Kim King to nominate Matt Rush for President pro-tem.

Smothers, Derek Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; King, King Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Nate Carter, seconded by Lori Ellis to nominate Kim King as Secretary of the FCHS #225 Board of Education.

Carter, Nate Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; King, Kim Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Nate Carter, seconded by Derek Smothers to nominate Matt Rush as President of the FCHS #225 Board of Education.

Carter, Nate Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; King, Kim Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Kim King, seconded by Eddie Barbre to nominate Nate Carter as Vice-President of the FCHS #225 Board of Education.

King, Kim Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Baker, Steve Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Nate Carter, seconded by Eddie Barbre to nominate Matt Rush as the FCHS #225 delegate to the School Board Convention.

Carter, Nate Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; King, Kim Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Kim King, seconded by Derek Smothers to approve Fairfield National Bank, People’s National Bank and Edward Jones Investments as recognized depositories for District Funds.

King, Kim Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Rush, Matt Abstain; Barbre, Eddie Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Nate Carter, seconded by Kim King to approve Fairfield National Bank as the current depository for the District’s checking account.

Carter, Nate Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; King, Kim Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Rush, Matt Abstain; Smothers, Derek Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Lori Ellis, seconded by Kim King to approve Jerd Smith as the District Treasurer.

Ellis, Lori Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; King, Kim Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Baker, Steve Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Derek Smothers, seconded by Kim King to approve the District’s policy manual.

Smothers, Derek Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; King, Kim Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Kim King, seconded by Nate Carter to approve Roberts’ Rules of Order for the conduct of meetings.

King, Kim Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Baker, Steve Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Nate Carter, seconded by Kim King to approve the third Thursday of each month at 6 P.M. as the official meeting date and time of meetings with the exception of Monday, November 17, 2025 and June 23, 2026.

Carter, Nate Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; King, Kim Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Derek Smothers, seconded by Kim King to approve the new SRO contract with the City of Fairfield for 2025-2026, 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 school years.

Smothers, Derek Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; King, Kim Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Eddie Barbre, seconded by Lori Ellis to approve the FY26 Consolidated District Plan.

Barbre, Eddie Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; King, Kim Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Derek Smothers, seconded by Nate Carter to accept the cooperative milk bid from Prairie Farms for the 2025-2026 school year.

Smothers, Derek Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; King, Kim Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Kim King, seconded by Lori Elli to convene to executive session at 6:45 P.M. for the purpose of discussion on information regarding appointment, employment, retirement or dismissal of an employee, collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees.

King, Kim Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Baker, Steve Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Eddie Barbre, seconded by Nate Carter to reconvene from executive session at 7:50 P.M.

Barbre, Eddie Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Rush, Matt King, Kim Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Kim King, seconded by Lori Ellis, to re-hire Macie Clark as a long-term substitute.

King, Kim Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Baker, Steve Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Nate Carter, seconded by Eddie Barbre to rehire fall and winter coaches for FY2025-2026; Fall coaches: Justin Sanders, Cross Country; Scott Foster, Girls Tennis; Josh Braddock Girls Tennis Volunteer; Justin Townsend, head football; Donnie Lyons, Matt Brown, Ryan Burkett and Peyton Bates, assistant football; Curt Robbins, Devon Butler, Wyatt Gilbert and Henry Simmers, volunteer football; DeAirdra Dagg, volunteer swimming; Daphne Pruitt, head football cheer and Bailey McMeen, assistant football cheer. Winter coaches: Scott McElravy, head boys basketball; Cody Bailey and Peyton Bates, assistant boys basketball; Andrew Gifford, volunteer boys basketball; Tonya Conrad, head girls basketball; Jordan Grffith, head wrestling; Justin Titzer, assistant wrestling; Marty Keoughan, volunteer wrestling; Daphne Pruitt, head basketball and competitive cheer; and Bailey McMeen, assistant basketball and competitive cheer.

Carter, Nate Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Baker, Steve Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; King, Kim Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Steve Baker, seconded by Derek Smothers to approve placing an Addendum to the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Baker, Steve Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; King, Kim Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Carter, Nate Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Kim King, seconded by Lori Ellis to accept the resignation of Holden August effective April 30, 2025.

King, Kim Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Baker, Steve Yea

Motion carried.

Motion by Kim King, seconded by Nate Carter to adjourn at 7:53 P.M.

King, Kim Yea; Barbre, Eddie Yea; Carter, Nate Yea; Ellis, Lori Yea; Smothers, Derek Yea; Rush, Matt Yea; Baker, Steve Yea

Motion carried.

The undersigned Secretary and President of the Board of Education of Fairfield Community High School District #225 approve and hereby sign the above minutes.

https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1510/FCHS/5656028/April_23__2025.pdf