SE Illinois News

Carrier Mills-Stonefort Community Unit School District #2 Board of Education met June 23.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

I) Call to Order by:  Mr. Issac Craig at 6:50 p.m.

II) Roll Call by: Mr. Clay Nolen

Present: Jason Cochran, Issac Craig, Phillip Dunn, Derek Field, Sky Fowler, and Clay Nolen.

Absent: Katie Whiting.

III) Recognition of Visitors: Mrs. Glenda Hall, Mr. Josh Hall, Mrs. Beth Horn, Mrs. Molly Hughes, Mrs. Devyn Kerley, Ms. Jordon Lay, Mr. Nick Lay, Attorney Susan Nicholas, and Officer Gary Stark.

IV) Approve Consent Agenda:  Motion by Mr. Dunn,   2nd by Mr. Nolen.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

V) Reports

A) High School Principal Report – Mr. Jerrell

Mr. Jerrell reported that the custodians have started their summer cleaning schedule. This year they will clean the high school first and then move over to the grade school. Besides their normal cleaning schedule, Mr. Jerrell gave Mr. Brian Walker, the head custodian, a list of 28 additional items that need to be fixed/updated. As we discussed at last month’s board meeting, Mr. Brian Walker contacted Womack Concrete Construction in regards to our handicap parking at the high school. The best place to add our two handicap parking spaces is the first three parking spaces next to the gym door. Mr. Bill Womack has given us an estimate of $24,400 to fix our handicap parking at the high school. Mr. Womack will dig up this section of the parking lot and pour us two handicap parking spaces (along with a 60 inch walkway towards the school) for $16,000.00. He will then remove the old concrete next to the building, and pour new concrete that will fix our draining issue and connect it to the handicap ramp for $8,400.00. We will use sales tax money for this project, which will begin in July. The high school roof project will begin after the grade school ceiling tile project has been completed.

Mr. Jerrell explained that Summer Hours began on Monday, June 2. They are Monday-Thursday from 6:30 am-1:00 pm and Friday from 6:30 am-12:00 pm. The custodians work Monday-Thursday from 6:00 am-4:00 pm. The Carrier Mills Community Health Center will be offering school and sports physicals to Carrier Mills-Stonefort students at no out-of-pocket cost. School physicals will include vaccinations at no out-of-pocket cost. This service is for both new and established patients. Also, Sophomore Easton Fowler was named to the Honorable Mention GEC All Conference Baseball Team. Junior Jaylei Musgraves was named to the GEC All Conference Softball Team.

Mr. Jerrell explained that he submitted our Phase I DCEO Energy Transition Community Grant on June 11, and he hopes to receive notification soon on the amount we will receive this year. Two years ago, the total grant was written for $160,918.00 (5th Grade teacher at $51,943.00, 6th Grade teacher at $51,696.00, School Security Officer at $37,118.00, High School Lockers at $11,763.00, and the High School Driveway & Porch project at $8,398.00). Last year, the total grant was written for $107,027 ($53,891 less; School Security Officer at $46,200, School Nurse at $55,100, and landscaping work for $5,727). Once we know our current amount, we will need to go through the process of holding a Public Hearing to allow the community to add their input on how we should spend our grant, just like we did the last two years. Depending on when we receive our grant amount, we will hold the Public Hearing before we start a Regular Board Meeting.

Mr. Jerrell reported that Senate Bill 2427 (Cell Phone Ban Bill) that would have required school districts to adopt a policy that restricted the use of cell phones during instructional time did not pass the House. The measure received significant pushback from some Democrats in the House after passing the Senate unanimously. Rumor had it that certain caucus members were pushing for additional use allowances in the bill, which, if included, would have likely watered down the ban quite significantly.

B) Grade School Principals Report - Mrs. Kuhlmann

Mrs. Kuhlmann reported that the junior high doors, the doors in the hallway by the library, as well as the kitchen door have been replaced. The glass door on the trophy case has been replaced. The heating/ac unit in Mrs. Leah’s room is still being serviced after flooding her room and some of the hallway again. The heating/ac unit in Mrs. Autumn’s room is also being serviced. The janitors are working through the summer project list.

Mrs. Kuhlmann explained that the Wonders reading curriculum will be enhanced this year with a digital component. The teachers have always used the digital component for themselves but we also added accounts for the students this year. Mrs. Horn has been working with the teachers to provide additional support with the Wonders curriculum to try to reach our struggling readers including adding fluency passages to the lower grades to further progress monitor their reading level. Leveled title reading groups will also be extended to third grade this year to try to accommodate a lower academic class. A title aide will be assigned to 3rd grade only this year and the class split is going to be based on reading level rather than using the split from the previous year teachers. All of these supports are to work toward increasing the reading level of more than half of the 3rd grade class who are reading behind grade level at this time.

VI) Action Items

A) Approve FY25 Amended Budget and Resolutions.

Mr. Jerrell explained that along with Mrs. Megan Cain, he has now finalized our revenue and our expenditures for this school year. The final budget shows we have received $6,740,918 in revenue and paid out $5,993,668 in expenditures (Difference of $747,250). As of Wednesday, June 18, we have received all but one of our Evidence Based Funding payments for this year, a total of $3,517,185, and we should receive the final $167,485 payment on June 20 (total of $3,684,680.00; which hewill include in this year’s budget). Overall, the State still owes us $276,159.19 ($108,674.19 with the final EBF payment; last year at this time it was $529,424.33, two years ago it was $1,412,219.56, three years ago it was $291,764.11, four years ago it was $178,370.94, five years ago it was $326,876.00, six years ago it was $192,972.67, seven years ago it was $160,225.73, and eight years ago it was $277,902.50). If this year is like the last several years, we will receive the additional payments in Agriculture Education, Driver Education, Early Childhood, Title I, Title II, Title IV, and Federal Special Education funding by July 31, 2025. However, any payment we receive after today will be placed on next year’s budget as revenue. Also, in the past, we have received our fourth and final transportation payment by December 31. This year, the rumor is that we will not receive that fourth payment, which is $22,586.99 for Regular Transportation and $9,000.19 for Special Education Transportation.

Motion: To approve the FY25 Amended Budget and Resolutions.

Motion by Mr. Cochran,  2nd by Mr. Nolen.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

B) Consider Mowing Bid.

Mr. Jerrell explained that we received two bids for our mowing services for the 2025-2026 school year: Dexter’s Yard Care and New Leaf Lawn Care. The Board reviewed the bids, with Dexter’s Yard Care being a total of $415 per week, an additional $100 if the ball fields need to be mowed a second time, a $100 collection fee in needed, and a bush hog fee of $100 in the fall and $100 in the spring and New Leaf Lawn Care being a total of $520 per week, with an additional $100 if the ball fields need to be mowed a second time, a $100 collection fee, and he does not bush hog, but can get someone to do this for $100 in the fall and the spring.

Motion: To approve the Mowing Bid to Dexter’s Lawn Care for the 2025-2026 school year.

Motion by Mr. Dunn,  2nd by Mrs. Fowler.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: Mr. Cochran and Mr. Field.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

C) Consider Food Service Bids for 2025-2026.

Mr. Jerrell explained that our food service bids will look a little different this year compared to the last several years. At the January Board Meeting, the Board approved the Intergovernmental Agreement with the Southern Illinois School District Cooperative Buying Group. This co-op will solicit bids for the group, give us the best prices, and we can decide if we want to use that company or not. Basically, instead of a company giving us a bid for our 450 students, as part of a co-op, we get pricing for 1,500-2,000 students, which is cheaper. The food service bid we are approving tonight is for Kohl Wholesale and US Foods. We will approve the Milk, Bread, and Fresh Produce Bids separately in July or August when the bidding process has been completed.

Motion: To approve the Food Service Bids to Kohl Wholesale and US Foods for 2025-2026.

Motion by Mr. Nolen,  2nd by Mr. Dunn.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

D) Consider Breakfast/Lunch & School Fees.

Mr. Jerrell explained that last year we charged $1.50 for Breakfast, $0.30 for Reduced Breakfast, $2.95 for Lunch, and $0.40 for Reduced Lunch. The state has instructed us to charge an additional $0.10 for our breakfast and lunch prices for next year, so the new amount will be $1.60 for Breakfast and $3.05 for Lunch. The good news is that the Grade School and High School will be CEP schools for next year, which means all of our students will get breakfast and lunch for free. Adult lunches will be $4.52, which we already set last month. Our School Fees at the Grade School were $40 last year, and Mr. Jerrell would like to recommend we keep them the same for this year. At the High School, we charge $8 per credit (which would be $8 X 7 hours = $56), $5 for a locker, and $1 for a lock. Mr. Jerrell would like to keep these the same for this year as well.

Motion: To approve the Breakfast/Lunch & School Fees for 2025-2026.

Motion by Mr. Cochran,  2nd by Mrs. Fowler.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

VII) Non Action Items

A) WOVSED Governing Board Member.

Mr. Jerrell thanked Mr. Clay Nolen for agreeing to be our WOVSED Representative for this year. The Wabash Ohio Valley Special Education Department (WOVSED) has a 21-member governing board. The board has four meetings a year (June, August, November, and February) which start at 7:00 pm.

B) July Board Meeting: Monday, July 21, 2025 at 6:45 pm.

Mr. Jerrell reminded the Board that that our next School Board meeting will be on the third Monday in July.

VIII) Closed Session

Closed Session

Motion to move to closed session at 7:08 pm for #1, 2, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, and 14 from the closed meetings act (see attached) by Mr. Cochran, 2nd by Mr. Nolen.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

Move to Closed Session Minutes

Motion to return to open session at 9:17 pm by Mr. Dunn,   2nd by Mr. Cochran.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

Motion to approve the closed meeting minutes as read by Mrs. Fowler, 2nd by Mr. Dunn.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

IX)  Action on Closed Session Items

A.) Motion: To Table the Motion to accept resignations (none at this time).

B.1) Motion: To hire Mr. Josh Hall as a Grade School Special Education Teacher for the 2025-2026 school year.

Motion by Mr. Dunn,  2nd by Mr. Nolen.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: Mr. Cochran and Mr. Field.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

B.2) Motion: To hire Ms. Mollie Emery as a Grade School Yearbook Sponsor for the 2025-2026 school year.

Motion by Mr. Cochran,  2nd by Mrs. Fowler

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

C) Motion: To sustain the recommendation of the Superintendent and deny Ms. Jordon Lay admission to any school property event, including practice and competition for athletic, extracurricular activities, and district ceremonies, for one calendar year, commencing May 20, 2025, as further set forth in the written decision of the Board.

Motion by Mr. Nolen,  2nd by Mr. Dunn.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: Mr. Field.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

D) Motion: To approve the Salaries for the Non-Certified Personnel.

Motion by Mr. Cochran,  2nd by Mr. Nolen.

Roll Call By: Mr. Nolen

Aye: Mr. Cochran, Mr. Craig, Mr. Dunn, Mr. Field, Mrs. Fowler, and Mr. Nolen.

Nay: None.

Absent: Mrs. Whiting.

X)  Adjourn

Motion: To Adjourn at 9:22 p.m. by Mr. Nolen, 2nd by Mr. Craig.

Voice Vote:  All approved              Motion Passed

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