Seneca Community Consolidated School District 170 Board of Education met December 20.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
The Board of Education met for their regular scheduled meeting at 7:00 p.m. on December 20th, 2017 at the Seneca Grade School North Campus Board Room.
Vice President Thompson called for roll call.
Present: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, and Thompson
Absent: Quigley, Sulzberger and Sangston
Mancuso moved to accept the regular and closed session minutes from the November 15th, 2017; seconded by Hovious.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, and Thompson
Nays: None
Hearing of Citizens: No Comments
Hearing of Teachers: Kristine Einhaus, 1st grade teacher, thanked Mrs. McGhee for the rewards incentive program she set up for students which included her being ducted taped to the wall. Everyone enjoyed the challenge. 1st grade will be making a few changes in common math strategies for students after coming back from break. Students are also wrapping up the 15 days of Christmas Kindness. Students preformed small acts of kindness each day, which may include making a Christmas card, singing a Christmas carol or simple kind gestures towards their classmates. Kelli Baudino, 1st grade teacher, thanked Mrs. McGhee, Mr. Misener, Mr. Severson and Board of Education for hosting the Holiday Party. She explained that she and Mrs. Einhaus have combined and split their reading groups in hopes of adding more reading levels to help students.
Hovious moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report as given by treasurer: Education $508,704.21; Building $70,840.87 Transportation $22,715.17; IMRF $21,281.12 Capitol Projects $2,055.00; Totaling $625,596.37; seconded by Mancuso.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, and Thompson
Nays: None
Mancuso moved to pay the following monthly bills: Education $61,015.75; Building $32,184.45; Transportation $17,047.94; Capital Projects $2,055.00; Total $112,303.14; seconded by Hovious.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, and Thompson
Nays: None
Hovious moved to approve the travel expenses related to the school board convention totaling $3,901.02; seconded by Mancuso.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, and Thompson
Nays: None
Mancuso moved to approve the 2018-2019 school tax levy as presented; seconded by Hovious. With the equalized assessed valuation value of LaSalle station at $526,688.839.00 and the increase in residential and agriculture property Supt. Misener is projecting the EAV to increase compared to last year but with a maximum rate of $1.31276 he hopes to see an increase in tax revenue of $63,159.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, and Thompson
Nays: None
Hovious moved to approve the intergovernmental agreement for the joint action in regard to the real estate valuation proceedings; seconded by Mancuso. The taxing bodies are scheduled to meet on January 31st to plan for future negotiations.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, and Thompson
Nays: None
Supt. Misener updated the Board on the plans to replace cabinetry in the science lab. Wright Assoc. will be putting together a timeline and bids for the project.
Board discussed the possible dates for setting study session in February.
Brent Sulzberger arrived 7:16 p.m.
Principal McGhee handed out the survey results from parent/teacher conferences. Ninety- six percent of parents where reached during conferences and teachers feel switching to a trimester gives them more time to give a better evaluation on each student to parents. She thanked P.S.O. for the Christmas Dance for North Campus students. Second grade continues their holiday tradition of making gingerbread houses with help from the boys’ basketball team. This week was the Preschool Open House. Parents were invited to school to participate in interactive activities with their child. Seventh grade students meet with Kindergarten students to write letters to Santa and as part of the holiday tradition they also dress PJ’s and watch the Polar Express. The fourth grade made their annual trip to the nursing home singing carols and preformed their plays. Principal McGhee and staff will be preforming the last day before break with the holiday sing-a-long at the North Campus.
Principal Severson reviewed the successfulness of having Parent/Teacher conferences the week of Thanksgiving. The P/T surveys were mostly very positive and the new 7/8 grade format was well received by parents. Everyone is counting down to break but enjoying the many fun activities planned for this week. All students were rewarded for their hard work throughout the first semester. Raider Reader rewards will be handed out Thursday afternoon to students. He thanked Voices for helping shop for those many prizes. Mrs. Wallin, spelling bee sponsor will be running the 6-8 grade school contest on Thursday. Six students from each grade will move onto competing at conference. Mrs. Craig again this year did a wonderful job organizing the Geography Fair for students and the community. The band and chorus students have both had their Winter Concerts earlier in the month and Ms. Kirk and Mrs. Richards did a wonderful job getting the students ready to perform for family and friends.
Hovious moved to go into Executive Session at 7:30 p.m. for legal and personnel; seconded by Sulzberger.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, Sulzberger, and Thompson
Nays: None
Mancuso moved to return to Open Session at 7:36 p.m.; seconded by Hovious.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, Sulzberger, and Thompson
Nays: None
Mancuso moved to hire, Brook Sulzberger, to fill the open maternity leave reading position starting January 8th, 2018; seconded by Hovious.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, and Thompson
Abstain: Sulzberger
Nays: None
Committee Report: Nothing to Report
Communications: Thank you was received for the donations of 63 filled backpacks given to the students at Bayside Intermediate Schools from students and faculty of Seneca Grade School. Margaret Einhaus and Kendra Olson both wrote very nice thank yous for the senior luncheon and K-4 Christmas program they attended.
Old Business: Nothing to report
New Business: Supt. Misener, informed board members of an upcoming school violence prevention training opportunity for administration and security officers.
Mancuso moved to adjourn at 7:39 p.m.; seconded by Hovious.
Yeas: Applebee, Hovious, Mancuso, Sulzberger, and Thompson
Nays: None
Teachers Present: Kelli Baudino
Kristine Einhaus
https://www.sgs170.org/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/47f634b894448/BOARDMINUTESDECT17.pdf
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