Illinois Valley Times

The LaSalle Elementary School District 122 Board of Education met Aug. 16 to approve the tentative budget.

Here are the meeting's minutes, as provided by the board:

"LaSalle-Peru Township High School is governed by a School Board consisting of 7 members. The Board’s powers and duties include the authority to adopt, enforce, and monitor all policies for the management and governance of the District’s schools. Official action by the Board may only occur at a duly called and legally conducted meeting at which a quorum is physically present."

LaSalle Elementary School District 122 Board of Education Agenda Regular Board Meeting Lincoln Jr. High Media Center August 16, 2016 6:30 P.M.

Regular Meeting called to order Mr. Faletti called the regular meeting to order at 6:34 p.m. He then directed the Secretary to call roll. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica and Mrs. Spangler were in attendance. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Consent Action Items It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mrs. Spangler to approve the July 19, 2016 regular board meeting minutes, July 19, 2016 closed session minutes, August 2016 regular bills, September 2016 payrolls, July 2016 Treasurer’s Report, July 2016 Health Insurance Report and the July 2016 Activity Fund report. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Public to address the Board of Education Visitors in attendance were Superintendent Brian DeBernardi, Principal Jon Fox, PreK Director Derek Kilmartin, Assistant Principal Mary Mauck, and Karla Konieczki.

Action Items

Approve the first reading of the tentative budget – establish budget hearing date for September 20, 2016. It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Savage to approve the first reading of the tentative budget. The budget hearing date was set for September 20, 2016.

BUDGET FY17 FUND REVENUES EXPENSES EXC/(DEF) BALANCE BALANCE ACTUAL FY16

10 EDUC 8,561,644 8,394,674 166,970 2,021,742 2,188,712 20 O & M 425,138 750,182 -­325,044 1,206,700 881,656 30 DEBT SERVICE 747,270 747,866 -­596 2,870 2,274 40 TRANS 249,164 286,211 -­37,047 89,522 52,475 50 IMRF 352,104 284,039 68,065 190,455 258,520 60 CAPITAL PROJECTS 4,800,000 1,440,000 3,360,000 81 3,360,081 70 WC 47,337 4,000 43,337 1,069,662 1,112,999 80 TORT 130,708 133,314 -­2,606 90,689 88,083 90 FIRE PREV & SAFETY 42,887 42,800 87 12,186 12,273

TOTAL BUDGET SUMMARY

4,683,907 Total Beginning Balance July 1, 2016

Revenues

15,356,252 Expenditures

12,083,086 Excess/Deficit

3,273,166

Total Ending Balance June 30, 2017

7,957,073

Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve Closing the Health Insurance Report It was moved by Mr. Savage and seconded by Mrs. Spangler to approve closing the Health Insurance Account. This account was used when the district was self-insured to collect premiums and pay out claims. It has remained open for any outstanding/delayed claims from back when the district was self-insured. At this point, all open claims have been paid and reconciled. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve the transfer of funds from the closed Health Insurance Account to the Education fund It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Hicks to approve the transfer of funds from the closed Health Insurance Account to the Education fund. There will be a separate account in the Ed fund to keep these funds set apart from others. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve closing the Music Parents Association accounts, checking and savings It was moved by Mr. Hicks and seconded by Mrs. Spangler to approve closing the Music Parents Association checking and savings accounts. Over the past two years, the district has attempted to move all accounts that use the district’s tax identification number into activity accounts held by the district. This was a recommendation by the auditor and will protect the district and the individuals listed on the account. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve the transfer of funds from the closed Music Parents Association accounts, checking and savings, to the Band/Choir Activity Account It was moved by Mr. Savage and seconded by Mr. Hicks to approve the transfer of funds from the closed Music Parents Association accounts to the Band/Choir Activity Account. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve the transfer of $95,844.00 from the Education Fund to Debt Service to cover the technology lease It was moved by Mr. Hicks and seconded by Mr. Savage to approve the transfer of $95,844.00 from the Education Fund to Debt Service to cover the technology lease. This pays off the installment for next year in order to prevent interest accumulation. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve the evaluator list for certified staff evaluations It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mrs. Spangler to approve the evaluator list for certified staff evaluations. This list includes Brian DeBernardi, Jon Fox, Derek Kilmartin, Mary Mauck and Karen Steindorf. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve the evaluator list principal evaluations It was moved by Mr. Savage and seconded by Mr. Hicks to approve the evaluator list for principal evaluations. This list includes Brian DeBernardi and Karen Steindorf. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Accept the resignation from Sally Kulak, PreK ELL teacher It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Hicks to approve the resignation from Sally Kulak, PreK ELL teacher. Mrs. Kulak was hired at the June 2016 board meeting, pending state certification. There was a delay in Mrs. Kulak receiving her state certification and she felt she should resign so the district could move forward with the hiring process. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve employment of Sally Kulak, PreK ELL teacher It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Hicks to approve the employment of Sally Kulak, PreK ELL teacher. Mrs. Kulak’s state certification was finalized and therefore she was rehired as the PreK ELL teacher. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve employment of Samantha Carpenter, Kindergarten teacher It was moved by Mr. Ossola and seconded by Mr. Hicks to approve the employment of Samantha Carpenter as Kindergarten teacher. Ms. Carpenter is a graduate of ISU and has a background in early childhood. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve employment of Harvey Chance Blumhorst as Social Studies teacher It was moved by Mr. Savage and seconded by Mrs. Spangler to approve the employment of Harvey Chance Blumhorst as Social Studies teacher. Mr. Blumhorst graduated from NIU and served as athletic director at Earlville Elementary. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve employment of Brian Hanson as 7th Grade Girls’ Basketball Coach It was moved by Mr. Ossola and seconded by Mrs. Spangler to approve the employment of Brian Hanson as the 7th Grade Girls Basketball Coach. Mr. Hanson has extensive experience in coaching and will be able to teach the players valuable skills and fundamentals of basketball. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve employment of David Schmitt as 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach It was moved by Mr. Savage and seconded by Mr. Ossola to approve the employment of David Schmitt as the 8th Grade Boys’ Basketball Coach. Mr. Schmitt has been coaching 6th grade boys basketball since 2012 and will now have the opportunity to advance the player’s skills and knowledge of the game at the 8th grade level. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve employment of Jessica Weber as Northwest Yearbook Moderator It was moved by Mrs. Spangler and seconded by Mr. Ossola to approve the employment of Jessica Weber as the Northwest Yearbook Moderator. Mrs. Weber has a lot of great ideas to improve the yearbook. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve establishment of a McManus Scholarship Committee It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Hicks to approve the establishment of a McManus Scholarship Committee. The McManus medal is an award given in honor of the late J.B. McManus, former Superintendent of Schools. The medal is presented each year to an 8th grade student who has attained a high scholastic record in relation to achievement in class, general ability, test records, interests, aptitude, leadership and personality. The committee will review and update appropriate criteria for the award and be responsible for selecting the candidate. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve establishment of a McGinnis Scholarship Committee It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Hicks to approve the establishment of a McManus Scholarship Committee. The McGinnis Scholarship is a scholarship given to 8th grade graduates. Those students selected then have the ability to apply for another larger scholarship awarded to a student entering their freshman year in college. The committee will review and update appropriate criteria for the award and be responsible for selecting the scholarship winners. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye.Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Discussion Items Summer maintenance was completed without interruption for the first time in a number of summers, as no major building projects were ongoing. Outside of the floors and general cleaning in the buildings, the leading projects include the annual maintenance of plumbing, electrical, and HVAC. One of the biggest issues that we face remains the water hardness in our city water. The volume of water use and the cost to soften the city water provides constant review of our plumbing/HVAC maintenance.

Principals’ Reports Northwest News – Dr. Steindorf – Northwest received $700 worth of school supplies last week from Fairmont Santrol. As in the past, Jo Ann Fabrics will continue to partner with us and provide donations to students. 557 students have enrolled. Currently there are 74 students in Kindergarten; 86 in Grade 1; 100 in Grade 2; 87 in Grade 3; 106 in Grade 4 and 104 in Grade 5. Average class size ranges from 18 in Kindergarten to 27 in 3rd grade.

Lincoln News – Mr. Fox – 288 students have enrolled. Currently there are 93 6th graders, 110 7th graders and 85 8th graders. The average class size is 23 for 6th grade; 27 for 7th grade and 21 for 8th grade.

Special Ed Report – Mrs. Mauck – As of mid-August, 15 students who attended in the past are not returning, but our special ed number still continue to rise. We will be sending 7 students to Circuit Breaker; one student to Tonica; 1 student to Camelot in DeKalb; 2 students to Lighted Way and 1 student to Streator.

PreK and Curriculum Report – Mr. Kilmartin – Our preschool numbers continue to decrease. We need to boost our community outreach efforts to make sure the community understands our offerings and that preschool students can attend for free. The full day preschool class filled up quickly to the 20-student capacity. There are about 75 students total. Teachers will conduct home visits on Friday and Monday with the Open House on Tuesday, August 23rd and the preschool first day Wednesday, August 24.

In regard to curriculum, there is a new state requirement for PE teachers that require Grades 3 – 8 to conduct physical fitness tests and report results to state. The science curriculum is also going to be revisited this year.

Superintendent’s Report and Information Mr. DeBernardi discussed the preliminary audit report. This summer Newkirk and Associates conducted the annual single audit. In addition to the annual audit, the district was subject to a state audit. The outcomes of both audits were positive, but we do have a few findings that need addressed. One of these findings is that we need to create a school-wide plan for each school for the Title 1 Grant. Mr. Kilmartin is already working on this.

Mr. DeBernardi briefly discussed the state budget which was approved in late June. The budget contains language that authorized a year-long education budget. Under the language of the budget, school districts were promised to be held harmless. No district would receive less money than the previous year and school districts would be funded at 100%. The governor has also assigned a bi-partisan school funding committee that is scheduled to address an equity-based formula for funding.

Closed Session It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Hicks to adjourn the meeting to closed session at 7:50 p.m. for appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of a specific employee to the public body and for discussion and semi-annual review of minutes of meetings lawfully closed. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Come out of closed session It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Savage to come out of closed session at 8:52 p.m. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Consider Assistant Principal Contract for Mary Mauck The assistant principal contract for Mary Mauck was considered and tabled by the Board.

Consider Assistant Principal Contract for Derek Kilmartin The assistant principal contract for Derek Kilmartin was considered and tabled by the Board.

Consider Retirement Request – non-certified employee The retirement request from Cheryl Maggio was considered and tabled by the Board.

Approve Transfer of Placement to Alternative School (A) It was moved by Mr. Hicks and seconded by Mrs. Spanger to approve the transfer of placement to the Alternative School. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Approve Transfer of Placement to Alternative School (B) It was moved by Mr. Hicks and seconded by Mrs. Spanger to approve the transfer of placement to the Alternative School. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.

Adjourn It was moved by Mr. Senica and seconded by Mr. Savage to adjourn the meeting at 8:54 p.m. Mr. Hicks, Mr. Ossola, Mr. Savage, Mr. Senica, Mrs. Spangler and Mr. Faletti voted aye. Mrs. Reeland was absent.