McLean County Times

McLean County Unit School District 5 Board of Education met Aug. 21.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

A McLean County Unit District No. 5 Board of Education meeting was held Wednesday, August 21, 2024, beginning at - 6:30pm (Sign up for public comments will be open from 5:15pm - 6:15pm) at the Normal West High School, 501 N Parkside Rd, Normal, IL 61761. 

1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL 

Members present: Mark Adams, Kentrica Coleman, Stan Gozur, Kelly Pyle, Amy Roser, Alex Williams, Jeremy DeHaai. Members absent: None. 

2. ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION (5:45p.m.) 

At 5:45 p.m. Pyle moved and Coleman seconded to adjourn to closed session to discuss the following matter according to the exceptions provided in the Open Meetings Act and specified as follows: 

•2(c)(1) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee of the public body or against legal counsel for the public body to determine its validity and 

•2(c)(11) Litigation, when an action against, affecting or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or when the public body finds that an action is probable or imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be recorded and entered into the minutes of the closed meeting. 

3. RECESS 

At 6:23 p.m. the Board recessed to public session 

4. RETURN TO PUBLIC SESSION 

At 6:30 p.m. Coleman moved and Adams seconded to return to public session. 

Roll Call: Ayes: Adams, Coleman, Gozur, Pyle, Roser, Williams, DeHaai. Nays: None. Motion carried. 

Also present: Superintendent Dr. Kristen Weikle, Assistant Superintendent Michelle Lamboley, Chief Financial Officer Martin Hickman, Attorney for the District M. Curt Richardson, Director of Human Resources Heather Rogers, Executive Director of Operations Joe Adelman, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Kristal Shelvin, Director of Communications/Community Relations Dayna Brown, Director of Financial Services Tommy Hoerr, Principal of PJHS Sarah Crowder, and Clerk of the Board Emily Sargent. 

5. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 

6. FOCUS ON STUDENTS AND GOOD NEWS REPORTS 

A Staff Introductions 

Weikle began with introducing two new administrators to Unit 5 - Kelli Ward who is the new SSP Coordinator at Colene Hoose Elementary and Brandon Shaver who is the new Assistant Principal at Oakdale Elementary. 

7. SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS 

Weikle said we have had a great start to the school year. She has visited several schools since last Thursday and said it's been wonderful to see our students back in school. There is a lot of positive energy among students and staff. As we begin a new school year she encourages families to reach out to your child's teacher and school if you have any questions or concerns. We want to help support our students and we can do this best when we work together, she said. She shared the importance of our families and community members being engaged with our schools and said there are a number of ways to get involved. Each of our schools has PTOs, Unit 5 has an educational foundation, and there are many volunteer opportunities in our schools. Over the next few weeks the Promise Council will hold 100 Caring Adult events at various schools. She encourages families and community members to attend extra and co curricular activities to support our amazing students. You can find schedules for each school's activities on the school's website. Finally, she thanked everyone who helped prepare for the start of the school year, including all of the staff who helped prepare our buildings and systems over the summer so that we could welcome students and staff back this week. She also thanked all of the educators who have spent countless hours working to create a welcoming and positive environment for our students. 

8. PUBLIC COMMENTS 

Cynthia Curtis. Topic: Bussing grievance regarding College Avenue. 

9. REPORTS 

A Summer Maintenance Projects 

Joe Adelman and Tom Rockwell presented building improvements that occurred during the summer of 2024. Adelman began with thanking the HR and IT departments for their hard work to help ensure the departments are fully staffed and have what they need. There were over 100 hourly and 6 salaried employees working this summer to complete these improvements. The funds that were used were O & M, Tort, ESSER and Health Life Safety funds. Rockwell stated that as of today 122 projects have been completed with 3 still pending. Parkside and Towanda Elementary's portable classrooms that were delivered in July have been completed. Cedar Ridge received their portables 5 days before school started and the work that would normally take weeks was completed in 4 days so that students can begin learning them this week. Fox Creek had a new classroom for their special ed program completed. Secure Entrances at schools throughout the district were completed. Towanda Elementary's original boiler was replaced with a new boiler that will cut the utility costs in half. Parts from the old bioler were used to repair Field's bioler. Window leaks at Northpoint were fixed. Pepper Ridge had bathroom repairs completed. A new gym floor at NCHS was completed. The pool was repaired at NCHS as well. NCWHS's pool scoreboard was replaced with a new sign. Rockwell went on to discuss miscellaneous work throughout the district such as deep cleaning, concrete work, dire alarm updates, painting, parking lot repairs, mulching of playgrounds, etc. 

B FY25 Proposed Budget Presentation 

Marty Hickman and Tommy Hoerr began with discussing the timeline of the budget process beginning in July and ending in May/June 2025. Hickman moved on to briefly present total revenue, expenditures and net change of various funds. He also discussed FY25 of education, O &M, Transportation, and Tort funds. He is projecting property tax revenue to increase 9% (12.7M) over FY2024. Property tax revenue is made up of half of the 2023 levy where EAV actually increased 14.1% and half of 2024 levy where EAV is anticipated to increase 6%. Local food service revenue is project to increase 4.7% over FY24. In state funding, EBF will is assumed to increase 7.5%. The district moved from Tier 2 to Tier 1 for FY25. Transportation revenue is expected to be the same as FY 24. 

Hoerr discussed major expenditure assumptions regarding salaries and benefits. Salaries are expected to increase 4.7% ($4.5M) over FY24. Other expenditures such as special ed tuition, food service, utilities, First Student fees, and liability insurance are expected to increase. At this time, the district does not expect to have to transfer working cash. 

This will be Unit 5's first balanced budget in recent history. The board will vote on the proposed budget at the September meeting 

C 1st Reading of Board Policies, Administrative Procedures and Exhibits 

1 Section 1: School District Organization 

a. Policy 1.20 District Organization, Operations, and Cooperative Agreements 

2 Section 2: Board of Education 

a. Policy 2.260 Uniform Grievance Procedure 

b. Policy 2.265 Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure 

c. Administrative Procedure 2.250-AP2 Protocols for Record Preservation and Development of Retention Schedules 

d. Administrative Procedure 2.265-AP1 Title IX Sexual Harassment Response 

e. Administrative Procedure 2.265-AP2 Formal Title IX Grievance Process 

f. Administrative Procedure 2.265-AP3 Title IX Coordinator 

g. Exhibit 2.265-E1 Title IX Sexual Harassment Glossary of Terms 

3 Section 3: General School Administration 

a. Exhibit 3.30-E1 - Organizational Chart for Administration 

4 Section 4: Operational Services 

a. Administrative Procedure 4.140-AP1 Fines, Fees, and Charges Waiver of Student Fees 

5 Section 5: Personnel 

a. Policy 5.100 Staff Development Program 

b. Policy 5.200 Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal 

c. Administrative Procedure 5.30-AP4 Fingerprint-Based Criminal History Record Information Security 

6 Section 6: Instruction 

a. Policy 6.140 Education of Homeless Children 

b. Administrative Procedure 6.140-AP1 Education of Homeless Children 

7 Section 7: Students 

a. Policy 7.20 Harassment of Students Prohibited 

b. Policy 7.185 Teen Dating Violence Prohibited 

c. Administrative Procedure 7.10-AP1 Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Non- Conforming Students 

d. Administrative Procedure 7.10-AP2 Accommodating Breastfeeding Students 

e. Administrative Procedure 7.20-AP1 Harassment of Students Prohibited 

f. Administrative Procedure 7.280-AP1 Managing Students with Communicable or Infectious Diseases 

g. Exhibit 7.280-E2 Reporting and Exclusion Requirements for Common Communicable Diseases 

D Requests for Information Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act The District has received and processed the following requests for information: 

1 FOIA List 08.21.24 

10. CONSENT AGENDA 

Weikle reviewed and recommended the following consent agenda items for approval. 

A Approval of Minutes 

Minutes are not released for public viewing until approved by the Board of Education 

1 07.17.24 Closed Minutes 

2 07.17.24 Regular Minutes 

B Personnel Matters 

C Payment of Bills and Payrolls 

1 Bills and Payroll Reports 

D Approve Finance Department Reports 

1 June 2024 Financial Statements 

E Approve Board Policies, Administrative Procedures, and Exhibits 

1 Section 4: Operational Services 

a. Administrative Procedure 4.110-AP1 School Bus Post-Accident Checklist 

b. Administrative Procedure 4.110-AP3 School Bus Safety Rules 

c. Administrative Procedure 4.170-AP6 Plan for Responding to a Medical Emergency at a Physical Fitness Facility with an AED 

d. Administrative Procedure 4.170-AP8 Movable Soccer Goal Safety 

e. Administrative Procedure 4.190-AP1 Targeted School Violence Prevention Program 

f. Administrative Procedure 4.190-AP2 Threat Assessment Team 

g. Exhibit 4.110-E1 Emergency Medical Information for Students Having Special Needs or Medical Conditions Who Ride School Buses 

h. Exhibit 4.170-AP2, E4 Letter to Parents Guardians About Preventing and Reducing Incidences of Sexting 

i. Exhibit 4.170-AP2,E1 Letter to Parents-Guardians Regarding Student Safety 

j. Exhibit 4.170-AP2,E2 Letter to Parents-Guardians Regarding Educational Programs About the Dangers of Underage Drinking 

k. Exhibit 4.170-AP2,E3 Letter to Parents-Guardians About Disruptive Social Media Apps; Dangers 

I. Exhibit 4.170-AP2,E6 Letter to Parents Guardians About Safe Firearm Storage 

m. Exhibit 4.170-AP6,E2 Notification to Staff and Parents-Guardians of CPR and AED Video 

n. Exhibit 4.175-AP1,E1 Informing Parents-Guardians About Offender Community Notification Laws 

o. Exhibit 4.190-AP2, E1 Principles of Threat Assessment 

p. Exhibit 4.190-AP2, E2 Threat Assessment Documentation 

q. Exhibit 4.190-AP2, E3 Threat Assessment Key Areas and Questions Examples 

r. Exhibit 4.190-AP2, E4 Responding to Types of Threats 

s. Exhibit 4.190-AP2, E5 Threat Assessment Case Management Strategies 

2 Section 6: Instruction 

a. Policy 6.240 Field Trips 

b. Administrative Procedure 6.120-AP1 Special Education Procedures 

c. Administrative Procedure 6.240-AP1 Field Trip Approval Process 

d. Exhibit 6.240-E1 Field Trip Request Form 

e. Exhibit 6.240-E2 Parent Guardian Field Trip Consent and Release Form 

f. Exhibit 6.240-E3 Privately Arranged Field Trips Acknowledgment, Waiver, and Release 

g. Exhibit 6.240-E4 Overnight Field Trip Guidelines 

3 Section 7: Students 

a. Policy 7.270 Administering Medicines to Students 

F Approve Memorandum of Understanding for School Resource Officer Program 

G Approve Requests for Authorization to Use Fire Prevention and Safety Funds 

1 Brigham Ten Year Survey 

2 Colene Hoose Elementary Ten Year Survey 

3 EJHS Ten Year Survey 

4 Hudson Elementary Ten Year Survey 

5 Parkside Elementary Ten Year Survey 

6 Towanda Elementary Ten Year Survey 7 Northpoint Elementary Ten Year Survey 8 NCHS Amendment #38 

9 NCWHS Amendment #59 

10 NCWHS Amendment #60 

H Approve Temporary Facility Reports 

1 Cedar Ridge Elementary 

2 Parkside Elementary 

3 Towanda Elementary 

I Approve 2024 NCWHS Football Field Sound System RFP Results 

J Appoint Mark Adams as Delegate to the IASB Delegate Assembly 

K Approve Donation Request 

Pyle moved and Coleman seconded to the consent agenda as presented. 

Roll Call: Ayes: Adams, Coleman, Gozur, Pyle, Roser, Williams, DeHaai. Nays: None. Motion carried. 

11. BOARD REPRESENTATIVE COMMITTEE MEETING REPORTS, ANNOUNCEMENTS AND COMMENTS 

Gozur wished everyone a great school year and encouraged everyone to reach out to board members for help as well as if something is going well. 

Pyle praised the 100 Caring Adults events that she attended and encouraged everyone to show up to EJHS this Friday. She also thanked the operations team for all that they completed this summer especially the projects regarding safety in our schools. She also welcomed all students and staff back for a new school year. 

Coleman mentioned that Beyond the Books will meet tomorrow 8/22/24. She welcomed all students, staff, and admin back for the new school year especially Kelli and Brandon as new admin. She thanked the operations team for all their hard work over this past summer. Williams welcomed back all the students and staff for this school year. He praised the Freedom School finale. 

Roser congratulated Williams for being on the IASB resolutions committee. She stated she enjoyed all the welcome back events she has attended and recognized the staff that have helped all the students navigate the beginning of school. 

Adams welcomed back all students and staff for the school year. The Foundation will meet in 

about two weeks. He thanked all of the staff at Grove for their memorial to Amy Moore-Burns. The next PTAC will be held on 9/17/24. 

DeHaai also welcomed back all students and staff as well as the new admin that were recognized tonight. He thanked Tom, Joe, Marty and Tommy for their 

12. RETURN TO CLOSED SESSION 

Coleman moved and Adams seconded to return to closed session. 

Roll Call: Ayes: Adams, Coleman, Gozur, Pyle, Roser, Williams, DeHaai. Nays: None. Motion carried 

13. ADJOURNMENT 

The Board adjourned at 9:34 p.m.

https://meetings.boardbook.org/Documents/CustomMinutesForMeeting/1482?meeting=647868