Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Monday night voted to direct the District Superintendent to begin developing a budget to govern spending for the upcoming fiscal year. The action followed the board’s biennial reorganization during which members re-elected on April 1 were seated, and officers and committees were appointed.

By unanimous votes, the board canvased the Consolidated Election balloting and certified the vote for three incumbent board members who were re-elected. Dennis Tiburzi was re-elected with 796 votes, according to the tally certified Monday night. Peyton Bernot was re-elected with 592 votes and William “Bill” Carter, who ran as a write-in candidate, won re-election with 80 votes. All three were unopposed on the April 1 ballot.

Tiburzi, Bernot and Carter were seated after taking an oath of office administered by President Mark Hayes. Hayes was re-elected as board president by acclamation after being nominated by Bernot. Weye Schmidt was re-elected as vice president by acclamation after being nominated by Carter, and Bernot was elected as board secretary by acclamation after being nominated by Hayes. The board also voted unanimously to accept Hayes’ appointments to board committees, which are unchanged from the previous two years.

Board member Kellie Vesper was reappointed as the board’s representative to the South Macoupin County Special Education Cooperative.

Kathy McDaniel, a four-decade veteran, was reappointed to serve as the board’s recording secretary.

Essentially the reorganized board remains the same in composition and organization with the exception of Bernot assuming the role of board secretary, a role previously filled by Carter.

On a motion by Tiburzi, seconded by Bernot, the board voted unanimously to direct Supt. Shane Owsley to start work on developing a tentative fiscal 2026 budget. The routine end-of-the-year action authorizes Owsley to develop a document estimating estimated revenues and expenditures for the fiscal year beginning July 1. State law requires the district to adopt a budget by the end of September. Owsley typically presents the tentative budget in August every year, after which the document will be subject to public review for 30 days.

Last year’s budget came in at about $19.5 million, but both revenue and expenditure estimates can change during the year contingent upon unexpected expenditures and/or fluctuations in revenue.

Advertisement

The board also directed Owsley to prepare an amended fiscal 2025 budget to reflect changes in revenue and expenditures that occurred during the fiscal year that concludes at the end of June. That amended budget is likely to be adopted by the full board next month.

Additionally, board members voted unanimously to authorize the Superintendent to make necessary operational expenditures between July 1 and the end of September when the final budget will be adopted.

Also in the area of school finances, the board voted unanimously to amend the district’s Risk Management Plan to cover 80 percent of salary costs for the school resource officer from the Tort Fund budgetary line item. As a result of the action, the board will be able to levy Tort funds to cover 80 percent of the resource officer’s salary, starting with the 2006 levy for property taxes payable in 2027.

Because the school district is subject to the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), commonly known as tax caps, the change will not result in additional taxes for district property owners. However, the change will allow the district to shift 80 percent of the resource officer’s salary from the Education Fund to the Tort Fund, potentially freeing up additional money for educational expenditures.

Tort Funds typically are earmarked for risk management cost, including attorney fees, legal expenses and insurance costs. Owsley said he consulted with the district’s attorney, who agreed the district could legally use the Tort Fund to cover a portion of the school resource officer’s salary.

PERSONNEL

Following an hour-long executive session, the board voted unanimously to hire Ashlee Gibbs as a high school summer school math teacher, and hired Jennifer Brown and Rob Macias as summer school drivers’ education teachers. GHS Principal Jill Rosentreter confirmed about 18 students have enrolled for summer classes at the high school level.

The board also voted unanimously to post a vacant position for a middle school summer school teacher. GMS Principal Patrick McGinthy told the board he expects eight to 10 middle school students to enroll in summer school.

By a unanimous vote, the board hired Alicia Sloan and Amanda Manley as cafeteria workers for the summer school programs.

Advertisement

The board voted unanimously to hire Addison Mays, Glen Carbon, as the new BenGil Elementary School music teacher for the 2025-26 school year. Mays is a 2025 graduate of Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. Mays will step into a vacancy created by the resignation of Aubrey Morgan last month.

With one dissenting vote, the board hired Andrew Hirstein as a six-hour cafeteria worker, pending a routine background check. The hire was approve 6-1 with Tiburzi voting “no.”

In other personnel action, the board hired Shari Scott as a district paraprofessional for the 2025-26 school year, and accepted the resignation of Lexi Busman as Gillespie Middle School cheerleading coach and posted the position as vacant.

AI-GENERATED FOIA REQUESTS

The routine approval of the board’s consent agenda prompted a discussion regarding the relatively new phenomenon of Freedom of Information Act requests generated by artificial intelligence. Supt. Owsley reported to the board that he and his staff responded to nine requests under the state’s Freedom of Information Act for voluminous amounts of information for data regarding annual expenses paid to vendors, firms and individuals for multiple fiscal years between 1998 and 2023.

Responding to questions from board member Bernot, Owsley said the Illinois Association of School Administrators’ Legislative Committee is working on ways to address the issue of AI-generated FOIA requests with possible new legislation.

“You had nine FOIA requests?” Bernot asked.

“Yes,” Owsley responded.

“And they were all AI-generated?”

“They were,” Owsley confirmed.

Advertisement

“Whoever is behind it, these AI requests were sent to every school district in the State of Illinois?” Bernot asked.

“Yes,” said Owsley.

Owsley told the board he checked with the district’s attorney several times. “Unfortunately, there is no law about AI-generated requests,” he said. He told Bernot that collecting the information to respond to a single request took two to three hours for him and another staff member.

Bernot said he was aggravated that the district had to spend so much administrative time responding to what amounts to an anonymous FOIA request. He suggested simply ignoring the request to force whoever is responsible for them to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Public Access Department. “My understanding is that they have to use their name to file a complaint,” Bernot said. Bernot said the AI-generated requests all came from a blind email called ad.cuius.bonum@proton.me. The proton.me suffix suggests the email is being routed through foreign servers to shield the IP address of the sender.

“No one really knows where they’re coming from,” Owsley noted. “I felt a little better knowing we aren’t the only ones receiving them.”

DISTRICT FOCUS

Kayla Wills, FFA sponsor, accompanied several Gillespie High School FFA members to the meeting to discuss recent competition successes and upcoming programs.

“This is really a good group of students who have chosen to step into leadership roles,” Wills told the board, adding that the FFA program challenges students to take on new opportunities and “try things that can be a little scary.”

“This is one of the best groups we’ve had in the seven years I’ve been here,” she said. “I can hardly keep up with all the new ideas they bring forward. I can definitely say they’ve have done a lot for the community.”

Advertisement

Current FFA Vice President Kayden Koelker told the board the club’s Parliamentary team placed first at the sectional competition but fell short of advancing to the state level, placing third at the district level. “I’m confident that with the team we have for next year, we will make state.”

Landon Higginbotham told board members that the FFA Ag Power team swept all of their competitions at the sectional and district levels and were scheduled to compete at the state level this week in Construction, Surveying, Welding and Electricity.

Payton Bertolis described a Barnyard Day the group has planned May 8 at BenGil Elementary School during which FFA members will teach students about various farm animals and give students a chance to pet and interact with them. Tember Miller discussed a new outreach program allowing FFA members to teach ag-related topics to middle school special needs students.

Brooklyn Crockett, junior greenhouse manager, announced dates for the FFA’s annual greenhouse sales during which plants grown by FFA members will be available to the public. The greenhouse will be open for sales this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 2-4, as well as next Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 9-11. Senior Greenhouse Manager Nate Spencer told the board that he is managing the group’s sweet corn plot. “This year we are using phased planting so we’ll have sweetcorn all summer,” he said. Proceeds from sweetcorn sales and greenhouse sales help support FFA scholarship funds.

Cedrick Krieter described a tractor/vehicle safe driving event the club has planned for May 20.

Also during the District Focus segment, Jennifer Parker described a cross-curricular Volume Unit recently completed by 70 fifth grade students. Students were assigned to research an animal before constructing a representative of the animal using cardboard boxes. The students then were required to measure the boxes and determine the total volume of their model. Determining volume and area is a large part of the IAR assessment test fifth graders take.

Students also were assigned to write a poem about their animal and speak about their project during a special parents’ night, bringing language arts and public speaking aspects into the program.

Parker said students enjoyed the program, which “gives them an opportunity to be creative and work together.”

Advertisement

EARLY GRADUATION REQUEST

With one dissenting vote, the board approved an early graduation request for Hunter Hegel. The measure will allow the student to graduate at the end of the first semester of the 2025-26 school year, provided he has completed all graduation requirements. Tiburzi cast the sole “no” vote.

“I think our early graduation rate is too high,” President Hayes noted, adding he would like to know how the rate at GHS compares with surrounding school districts.

GHS Principal Rosentreter said the school typically approves 12 to 15 early graduation requests every year but some of those students later opt to complete the school year. The majority of early graduates chose to leave school early in order to enter the work force, she said.

“We have some things—positive things—coming up that will help deter (the number of early graduation requests),” she said. The district is looking at a work-school program that would allow students to enter the workforce while continuing their education for the final semester.

Supt. Owsley said the district also could consider making graduation requirements more stringent.

“Our graduation requirements are less than some other districts,” he said. “We require two years of science, for example. I think that could easily be bumped up to three years.”

OTHER ACTION

In other action, the board:

• Renewed the district’s membership in the Illinois Elementary Schools Association at a total cost of $1,415. The membership fee is based on the number of competitive sports, including Scholar Bowl, the school offers.

Advertisement

• Approved a fee and textbook rental schedule for the 2025-26 school year. The textbook fee remains at $75 per student. Lab fees remain at $25 for elective classes other than drivers’ education, which remains at $100. Student lunches and breakfasts will continue to be free of charge, provided the federal government releases USDA funds to subsidize the free lunch program for low income school districts.

• Approved an intergovernmental agreement to offer more than a dozen dual credit high school courses in cooperation with Lewis and Clark Community College.

• Amended the current school calendar to reflect adjustments in the dates for parent-teacher conferences during the past year.

• Agreed to move the date for the board’s June meeting from June 23 to June 30.

Comments

comments

With Mayor John Hicks presiding over the last meeting of his tenure, the Gillespie City Council approved a new three-year contract with the Fraternal Order of Police last Monday night, April 14, and approved a change order reducing the expected cost of a major downtown streetscape project prior to the start of construction.

Approval of the FOP contract came after an hour-long executive session to discuss collective bargaining and a possible real estate transaction. 

The 33-page FOP contract calls for salary increases of $7 spread over three years for police officers and dispatchers. Starting June 1, salaries for both classifications will increase by $5, followed by increases of $1 per hour for each of the remaining two years of the contract. The contract also establishes pay rates for various rankings and assignments. Under terms of the contract, Sergeants and Detectives are entitled to an additional 75 cents per hour, while Lieutenants will make an additional $1.50. The Police Department’s School Resource Officer will make an additional 25 cents per hour, while the LEADS coordinator will earn an additional 50 cents per hour.

Officers and dispatchers working the midnight shift will earn an additional 35 cents per hour, while those working the afternoon shift will be entitled to an additional 25 cents. 

The contract also calls for salary increases of three percent for longevity upon completion of 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 years of service.

The new contract was unanimously approved on a motion by Ald. Dona Rauzi, seconded by Ald. Landon Pettit, who will assume duties as Gillespie Mayor next month. After serving four terms as Mayor, Hick elected to not run in the April 1 consolidated election. Likewise, three-term City Clerk Frances Smith did not seek re-election. Tammy Beechler, who will be sworn in as City Clerk next month, shadowed Smith Monday night to familiarize herself with procedures.

STREETSCAPE CHANGE ORDER

On the recommendation of City Treasurer Dan Fisher, the council voted 5-1 to approve a pre-construction change order to reduce the scope and the cost of a long-anticipated Streetscape improvement project aimed at boosting the business climate for the downtown business district. The changes are expected to reduce the cost of the project by about $800,000.

Advertisement

Last month, the council voted 5-2 to provisionally approve a $4 million bid from Stutz Excavating, Inc. to execute the project, which includes new street lights, sewer work, sidewalks, green spaces and a realignment of parking spaces. The council greenlit the project on the condition that grant funds previously awarded by the federal Rural Development program actually materialize. Fisher warned last month that the grant funds could be at risk due to confusion of federal spending cuts and personnel reductions.

To shave the cost of the project down to $3,295,000, again provided grant funds are made available to the city, the council approved changing the style of street lights to a less expensive model, and eliminating the first block of Chestnut Street east and west of Macoupin Street from the project.

Fisher said he, Ald. Pettit and Ald. Janet Odell-Mueller met with Stutz representatives to discuss cost reductions.

“The contractor has reviewed this,” Fisher said, “and they’re fine with making these changes.”

Brought to a vote on a motion by Pettit, seconded by Odell-Mueller, the council approved the measure with Ald. Bob Fritz voting “no.”

The council also agreed to buy two additional street lights matching those used for the Streetscape Project with an eye toward using city workers to install them at Pomatto Park, replacing two defective streetlights currently located at the park.

PLUM STREET DAMAGE

After an extensive discussion, the council reached no definitive solution to mitigating damage caused to Plum Street by increased school bus traffic. Community Unit School District 7 has been using Plum Street extensively this year to facilitate synchronizing starting times and dismissal times for students at all three attendance centers. As a result, Plum Street’s integrity has become degraded, especially at the intersection with LJ Avenue where buses make a left turn onto Plum.

“There’s no bus traffic on Oak Street,” said Ald. Wendo Rolando. “It’s all on Plum. Plum Street is falling apart even more than last year.” She recommended leaving the situation “as is” until the end of the current school year, but addressing the problem with the school district before the 2025-26 school year.

Advertisement

At the beginning of this school year, the district routed buses west on Broadway to Kelly Street, south on Kelly Street to deliver or pick up students at BenGil Elementary School, then east on Plum Street for one block, then north on LJ Avenue to deliver and pick up students at the middle school/high school.

“Plum was never meant to be a heavily travelled street,” Ald. Pettit said. “We limited the weight on Plum because of the disintegration.”

CUSD 7 Transportation Director Tim Besserman, however, told the council that if Plum is no longer available for bus traffic, the district would be forced to return to staggered start and dismissal times. “That’s going to be terrible for everyone,” he said.

Fisher said stabilizing the street to accept bus traffic will cost upward of $250,000. The project would require removing subsurface soil at the intersection, and replacing it with more compactable soil or concrete. “That would be in addition to $100,000 or so for resurfacing,” he said.

“I think we could come up with a plan but it would it would need to involve some kind of cost-sharing with the school,” Fisher speculated. “We don’t have $200,000 to $250,000 to upgrade that street.”

Odell-Mueller, who has a background with the Illinois Department of Transportation, said the street has to be repaired immediately. “The school wanted to use Plum Street and didn’t want to listen to anyone else,” she said. “We don’t have the money” to upgrade the street.

The council reached no conclusion on the issue but will likely open conversations with CUSD 7 officials to outline an alternative route or reach a cooperative agreement to stabilize the street.

MOTOR FUEL TAX MAINTENANCE ESTIMATE

Council members approved a $608,700 cost estimate for Motor Fuel Tax maintenance costs during the 2025 calendar year. Ald. Fritz said the cost estimates include oil and chipping for 20 to 30 streets, plus milling and resurfacing for specific sections of Osie, Baker and Adams streets. 

While the document specifies streets for maintenance, Fisher pointed out the bid is a “linear bid” for specific lengths of maintenance work. The streets that ultimately get oil and chips can change, depending on the Maintenance Department’s determination.

Advertisement

“It doesn’t have to be these streets,” Fisher noted. “Let’s let the Street Department decide.”

NEW BURNING ORDINANCE

The council referred to committee the issue of drafting a new ordinance governing the burning of yard waste in the city limits.

Ald. Fritz said the city’s ordinance apparently has no time restriction on burning, meaning residents can burn waste at any time during the day or night.

“I wouldn’t want to sit outside on a nice night and have to smell someone’s leaves or grass smoldering,” Friz said.

Ald. Pettit said he searched the ordinance book and found the city has no fewer than four ordinances governing burning, some with conflicting provisions.

“Technically, by the way our ordinances are written, you can’t burn leaves at all,” Pettit said. “You can only burn branches. We need to condense and clarify our ordinances.”

City Attorney Rick Verticchio said he would include a clause in the new ordinance to rescind provisions of all previous ordinances to eliminate confusion about what is allowed.

After a brief discussion, Verticchio also agreed to provide copies of an ordinance he wrote for the City of Benld to implement a city-wide trash hauler program. Fritz said using one trash hauler for the entire city would help control damage to alleys caused by trash pick-up executed by multiple companies. Other aldermen, however, said residents have opposed such a program in the past.

Advertisement

Verticchio said residents would be likely to embrace a city-wide trash program when they realize their rates will be lower than what they pay now. Under the Benld model, trash haulers bid for the city-wide contract, resulting in lower prices. The cost of trash pick-up is added to residents’ monthly water bills. Residents can opt out of the program and hire their own trash hauling service, but would still pay the monthly trash pick-up surcharge.

“All it takes is for me to write it up,” Verticchio said. “You pass it and put it into effect.”

DUMPSTER RESTRICTIONS

Verticchio agreed to write and present an ordinance to enforce restrictions on dumpsters, which had been previously approved by the council. Mayor Hicks said he remembered the council discussing the issue but apparently no subsequent action was taken to enact an ordinance. According to BenGil Post archives, the council discussed the issue in March last year and directed Verticchio to draft a proposed ordinance.

Based on the previous discussion, the ordinance will ban dumpsters in excess of three yards in size in residential areas. The new ordinance will carve out exceptions, however, for temporary dumpsters in place for construction, remodeling and similar projects. In those instances, the dumpsters can remain no longer than 30 days without council approval. The ordinance will also prohibit placing dumpsters on city sidewalks or rights-of-way.

FINAL POLICE STATION PAYMENTS

The council approved three resolutions authorizing payments from the city’s Tax Increment Financing funds to Watson Contracting for work completed on remodeling a building at 124 N. Macoupin Street to become the Police Department’s new headquarters. The separate actions authorized a third payment of $39,018.42 and a fourth payment of $17,759.77, plus a final payment of $5,919.94 due upon completion and acceptance of the project.

The council also approved a payment of $14,700 to Watson for work required after a sewer back-up in the basement resulting from excessive rain last month. The additional work included repairs plus installation of a backflow device to prevent back-ups in the future.

In a related matter, the council approved payment to Global Technologies of $11,699 for a new radio tower, plus $1,500 for installation. Police Chief DePoppe told the council the city originally intended to move an existing tower at the current Police Station but Global strongly advised against that plan.

The council also authorized DePoppe to hire up to three new full-time police officers to restore the department to a full complement.

Advertisement

PUBLIC COMMENT

The council denied a request registered by Tim Loveless to forgive and sewer portion of two excessive water bills he received as a result of water leak at 411 Elm Street. Loveless said he became aware of the leak after receiving a $1,600 water bill for the address. He said he shut of the water service at the house but did not have the city shut off the meter. A month later, he received a bill for $600. He asked that the city forgive the portion of the bill for sewer service, indicating the water collected under the house and in the yard but did not enter the sewer. Loveless said forgiving the sewer bill would save him about $400.

Mayor Hicks told Loveless, however, that the past practice of the council had been to hold homeowners responsible for charges resulting from water passing through the meter. 

“Anything that goes through the meter is yours,” Hicks said.

The council took under advisement and referred to the Police Department a complaint from Park Avenue resident Stacey Hart regarding ATVs and side-by-sides allegedly attempting to run her off the road when she is operating a motorized scooter she uses for mobility issues. She also asked for clarification about the permissibility of placing “no trespassing” signs on her property. She said she once placed “no trespassing” signs but was later told by police that she had to remove them. Upon further questioning from City Attorney Verticchio, it was learned that the officer who allegedly told her to take down the signs has not been on the police force for two decades.

Verticchio told Hart she has a right to erect “no trespassing” signs on her on property, and that the city had no authority to advise her on where those signs have to be placed.

The council also gave permission for Kim Henderson to locate temporary vendors in front of Gotcha Latte for a Tea Party event on May 4 or 10. Henderson expressed concerns about the Streetscape project possibly precluding her from using the sidewalk at the time she wants to schedule the event. Mayor Hicks told her the project will proceed a block at a time. While the city doesn’t yet know the construction schedule, Hicks said Henderson could relocate her vendors if the space in front of the coffee shop is not available.

OTHER ACTION

In other action, the council:

• Heard a report from Ald. Rolando, regarding a city clean-up project scheduled for May 2. The city plans to use CUSD 7 students completing community service requirements for the project, and will enlist city workers to assist.

Advertisement

• Accepted a bid of $30 from Mark Rauzi to purchase grass seed declared as surplus property.

• Directed the Lake Committee to work on revising the rules and lease agreement for Gillespie Lake lots. Ald. Pettit said the current document runs to 15 pages and contains overlapping policies.

Comments

comments

Gillespie High School proudly celebrated its senior athletes on Wednesday, April 9, as they signed letters of intent to continue their academic and athletic pursuits at colleges and universities nearby.

The ceremony honored the dedication and achievements of these talented students, who will now take the next step in their educational and athletic journeys:

• Haylie Otten will attend the University of Health, Science, and Pharmacy in St. Louis, where she plans to major in nursing and continue her passion for soccer.
• Mia Brawner will join Lewis and Clark Community College to pursue a major in sonography while competing on the basketball court.
• Corinne Fellin has committed to Lincoln Land Community College, majoring in radiology and continuing her soccer career.

“We are incredibly proud of our seniors and their accomplishments both on the field and in the classroom,” said GHS Athletic Director Jeremy Smith. “Their dedication and hard work have truly paid off, and we look forward to seeing all they will achieve in the next chapter of their lives.”

This year’s signing day highlights the strong tradition of student-athlete success at Gillespie High School, where academics and athletics go hand in hand to prepare students for bright futures.