Illinois Valley Times

Oglesby Public School District #125 Board of Education met April 24. 

Here is the minutes as provided by the board:

Call to Order/Roll Call

Jim Knoblauch, President, called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Present: Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Jason Curran, Doug Kramarsic, Mike Porter, Marc Strand, and Jim Knoblauch. Others present: Michael Pillion, Superintendent, Michael Balestri, Principal, Merritt Burns, Principal, and Traci Tomasson, Secretary, Board of Education.

Pledge of Allegiance

Approval of Agenda

MOTION by Mike Porter, seconded by Mike Barrie, to approve the board meeting agenda for April 24, 2019. Voting aye: Mike Porter, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Jason Curran, Doug Kramarsic, Marc Strand, and Jim Knoblauch. The motion carried 7-0.

Approval of Consent Agenda

MOTION by Mike Barrie, seconded by Jason Curran, to approve the consent agenda as presented, keeping the March 20, 2019, closed minutes closed. Voting aye: Mike Barrie, Jason Curran, Bob Etzenbach, Doug Kramarsic, Mike Porter, Marc Strand, and Jim Knoblauch. The motion carried 7-0.

Public Comment, Correspondence and Announcements

Mr. Pillion said there was no correspondence this month.

Canvassing of the Votes

Jim Knoblauch read the official results of the school board election as follows:

           Scott Pescetto, 865 votes

           Laura Hein, 827 votes

           Mike Barrie, 610 votes

           Robert Mullane, 593 votes

School Board Organizational Meeting

Administration of Oath to the New Board Members

The New Oath of Office was read by Scott Pescetto, Laura Hein, and Mike Barrie.

Current Board Adjourns Sine Die

MOTION by Doug Kramarsic, seconded by Mike Barrie, to adjourn. All in favor, aye. The motion carried 7-0. Time 5:36 p.m. Mr. Pillion presented plaques to outgoing board members, Jim Knoblauch, Jason Curran, and Mike Porter.

President Pro Tem Calls Meeting of the New School Board to order

Michael Pillion, President Pro Tem, called the meeting to order at 5:39 p.m. Present: Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, Scott Pescetto, and Marc Strand. Others present: Michael Pillion, Superintendent, Michael Balestri, Principal, Merritt Burns, Principal, and Traci Tomasson, Secretary, Board of Education

Nominations/Election of President

Michael Pillion, President Pro Tem, called for nominations for the office of president. MOTION by Laura Hein, seconded by Marc Strand, to appoint Doug Kramarsic as President of the Oglesby District #125 Board of Education. Voting aye: Laura Hein, Marc Strand, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Doug Kramarsic, and Scott Pescetto. The motion carried 6-0.

Nominations/Election of Vice President

Doug Kramarsic, President, called for nominations for the office of vice president. MOTION by Mike Barrie, seconded by Scott Pescetto, to appoint Bob Etzenbach as Vice President of the Oglesby District #125 Board of Education. Voting aye: Mike Barrie, Scott Pescetto, Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Appointment of Board Secretary

MOTION by Bob Etzenbach, seconded by Mike Barrie, to appoint Traci Tomasson as the Secretary of the Oglesby District #125 Board of Education. Voting aye: Bob Etzenbach, Mike Barrie, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, Scott Pescetto, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Appointment of District Treasurer

MOTION by Marc Strand, seconded by Laura Hein to appoint Paul Danekas as the district treasurer. Voting aye: Marc Strand, Laura Hein, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Doug Kramarsic, and Scott Pescetto. The motion carried 6-0. Mr. Pillion added that the wages for the board secretary and district treasurer will be voted on at the next board meeting.

Appointment of Depository

MOTION by Laura Hein, seconded by Scott Pescetto, to appoint Illini and Heartland as the district’s depositories. Voting aye: Laura Hein, Scott Pescetto, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Doug Kramarsic, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Appointment of Legal Council

MOTION by Mike Barrie, seconded by Bob Etzenbach, to appoint Robbins Schwartz Nicholas Lifton & Taylor, LTD. As the district’s legal council. Voting aye: Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, Scott Pescetto, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Establishment of Board Committees

Doug Kramarsic told the board members to contact him regarding preferences for the board committees. He said the board committees will be determined at a later date.

Set Meeting Dates, Times, and Location for Regular Board Meeting

MOTION by Mike Barrie, seconded by Scott Pescetto, to set the regular board meetings for the third Wednesdays of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Lincoln Library. Voting aye: Mike Barrie, Scott Pescetto, Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Discussion/Approval of New York Life Supplemental Life Insurance Program

Mr. Pillion said he already informed the board about the supplemental life insurance, and has met with the insurance committee and worked with the union. MOTION by Laura Hein, seconded by Mike Barrie, to approve the New York Life Supplemental Life Insurance Program as presented. Voting aye: Laura Hein, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Doug Kramarsic, Scott Pescetto, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Discussion/Approval of IESA Membership and Fees for 2019-2020

Mr. Pillion said there were no changes from last year with the IESA Membership. MOTION by Marc Strand, seconded by Scott Pescetto, to approve the IESA Membership and Fees for 2019-2020. Voting aye: Marc Strand, Scott Pescetto, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, and Doug Kramarsic. The motion carried 6-0.

Discussion/Approval of Summer Work Projects

Mr. Pillion said they made some changes to the block work at Washington to make it more affordable. He said they will be using Vissering and Just Masonry for the work. MOTION by Bob Etzenbach, seconded by Laura Hein, to approved the summer work projects as discussed. Voting aye: Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, Mike Barrie, Doug Kramarsic, Scott Pescetto, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Discussion/Approval of OT/PT Services with Hillman for 2019-2020

Mr. Pillion said we have used Hillman for OT and PT services for years and he is looking to continue those services. He noted that they have increased their hourly rate by $1.00. MOTION by Scott Pescetto, seconded by Mike Barrie, to approve the Hillman Agreement for OT/PT services for the 2019-2020 school year as presented. Voting aye: Scott Pescetto, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Reports/Updates

Superintendent Reports/Information

       Enrollment Report– Mr. Pillion said enrollment was similar to last month, but noted 7 additional students in preschool.

       Cafeteria Report– Mr. Pillion said the report was similar to previous reports at this time of the year. He said they are finalizing the lunch audit.

       Funding Update – Mr. Pillion said the district received a mandated categorical payment and noted that he is not sure if they will receive another one this year.

       Preschool Update– Mr. Pillion said he received word that they are not taking away funding from this year. He said they are opening RFP’s for expansion and noted that we are not looking at more seats but rather more funding since we are currently spending approximately 98% on just salaries and transportation. He said he will be sending a letter requesting additional funding.

       FOIA Update – Mr. Pillion said we received a FOIA request from NBC5 Chicago regarding school tornado preparedness and storm shelters.

       Insurance Update – Mr. Pillion said he has new insurance rates which includes a decrease from the last report. He said the insurance committee will be meeting again soon.

       Tuition Waiver – Mr. Pillion said they have had a tuition waiver for the last five years and only one person has taken part in it in the last few years. He said he had a discussion with the union and there is no employee that will be taking part in it in the near future, so he will not renew it for now. He said they can continue later if there is a need.

       TeachPoint – Mr. Pillion said they have been using a new program called TeachPoint for the evaluation process and said it has gone very well and has been a great time saver. He noted that the district will continue to use it for next school year.

Principal Reports/Information (Lincoln)

       Curriculum– Mr. Balestri said the main focus for teachers will be on developing the math curriculum over the next year and transitioning to the Ready math text series. He said efforts are being made to research and bolster social studies curriculum at the elementary level over the course of the next school year. He noted that next year the Math RtI will be moving to five days a week to provide interventions to students.

       Illinois Assessment of Readiness and Illinois Science Assessment –Mr. Balestri said the testing was completed the week of March 25th and said the teachers did a great job administering the test and noted that there were minimal issues.

       Professional Development – Mr. Balestri said on April 3rd the staff met in grade level teams to begin analyzing Ready math scope and sequence in preparation for the transition next school year. He said the May 1st and May 8th early release days will have time set aside for grade level articulation and a math presentation from staff members, Cara Burr and Amy Turri. He added that the formal training for Ready math is scheduled for the May 24th noon dismissal day.

       Lincoln Internal Review– Mr. Balestri said the Internal Review team met on March 27th and focused on the results of the Title I Needs Assessment and action planning to address Standards III & VI of the ESSA plan.

       P.B.I.S. – Mr. Balestri said students took part in the 2nd Trimester P.B.I.S. Celebration on March 1st. He said this coincided with the nutrition program and said students took part in different activities incorporating healthy foods and exercise.

       Young Authors – Mr. Balestri congratulated the following students who were chosen to attend this year’s Young Author’s celebration at Grand Bear Lodge on May 2nd: Second Grade, Lane Bassett, Paige Kalita, and Siena Combs, Third Grade, Connor Mickelson and Landon Balestri, Fourth Grade, Kendal Bassett, Zach Pescetto, and Michaela Smith, Fifth Grade, Kendall Adkins & Phoenix Wilts.

       P.B.I.S. – Mr. Balestri congratulated the following P.B.I.S. Spotlight Students: Kindergarten, Ava Myers and Aaron Cain, 1st Grade, Aubree Emmerling; 2nd Grade, Taneja Newsom; 3rd Grade, Neena Baker; 4th Grade, Alexus Hines; 5th Grade, Britney Blair.

Principal Reports/Information (Washington)

       Spring Open House at Washington- Mr. Burns said 41 students and an additional 34 family members attended the Open House at Washington. He thanked Mrs. Myer and the student council members who escorted families around the building and answered questions about the school day and procedures.

       State Assessments- Mr. Burns said the ISA was completed by all 8th grade students by April 2nd, and the IAR was completed by the 6th through 8th grade students by April 3rd.

       History Fair – Mr. Burns wished the following students good luck at the History Fair on May 2nd: Brendan Pillion, Allexa Gillette, Taylor Martyn, Lea Asani, Landon Arthur, Zach Haeffner, Virginia Anderson, Olivia Owen, Hunter Savage, Luke Tunnell, Aaron Siebert, Aiden Anderson, Alex Anderson, and Olivia Wyzgowski.

       Young Authors Celebration– Mr. Burns congratulated the following Young Author winners: Emily Guadarrama, Albiona Useini, Nate Hansen, Luke Tunnell, Ellissa Pelka, and Cate MacLeod.

       Extra-Curricluar – Mr. Burns thanked SOS for their contributions to athletics, which includes: $1500 for cheerleading uniforms and pom-poms, $1000 for track equipment, and $600 for girls’ basketball practice jerseys. He also congratulated the Scholastic Bowl Team on a great season. He said the track team is looking forward to the upcoming Vermilion Conference Meet this Saturday in Seneca.

       P.B.I.S. – Mr. Burns congratulated the following P.B.I.S. Spotlight Students: Kevin Ramirez, 6th Grade, Madison Schweickert, 7th Grade, and Bella Soens, 8th Grade.

Old Business

None

New Business

Mr. Pillion said he received a request to retire letter from Diane Chapman for the 2019- 2020 school year. He read the letter to the board members and said he was seeking approval for the request. He noted that they can discuss the retirement incentive at the next board meeting. MOTION by Scott Pescetto, seconded by Mike Barrie, to approve the retirement request from Diane Chapman as presented. Voting aye: Scott Pescetto, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Closed Session

MOTION by Laura Hein, seconded by Marc Strand, to enter into closed session at 6:08 p.m. to discuss:

           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. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1).

           2. Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2).

           3. The selection of a person to fill a public office, as defined in the Open Meetings Act, including a vacancy in a public office, when the public body is given power to appoint under law or ordinance, or the discipline, performance or removal of the occupant of a public office, when the public body is given power to remove the occupant under law or ordinance. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(3).

Voting aye: Laura Hein, Marc Strand, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Doug Kramarsic, and Scott Pescetto. The motion carried 6-0.

MOTION by Bob Etzenbach, seconded by Marc Strand, to return to regular session at 6:50 p.m. Voting aye: Bob Etzenbach, Marc Strand, Mike Barrie, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, and Scott Pescetto. The motion carried 6-0.

Action Items after Closed Session

Approval of Resignation

MOTION by Laura Hein, seconded by Mike Barrie, to approve the resignation request

as presented. Voting aye: Laura Hein, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Doug Kramarsic,

Scott Pescetto, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Approval of Leave Requests

MOTION by Marc Strand, seconded by Scott Pescetto, to approve the leave requests as presented in closed session. Voting aye: Marc Strand, Scott Pescetto, Mike Barrie, Bob Etzenbach, Laura Hein, and Doug Kramarsic. The motion carried 6-0.

Appointment of Board Member to Fill Vacant Seat

MOTION by Bob Etzenbach, seconded by Mike Barrie, to appoint Jim Knoblauch to fill the vacant 2-year board seat. Voting Aye: Bob Etzenbach, Mike Barrie, Laura Hein, Doug Kramarsic, Scott Pescetto, and Marc Strand. The motion carried 6-0.

Adjourn

MOTION by Laura Hein, seconded by Mike Barrie, to adjourn. All in favor, aye. The motion carried 7-0. Time: 6:54 p.m.

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