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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.”

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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.”

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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.

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• 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.

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As usual, one article leads to another. In this instance, doing a search in the newspaper led to something interesting. This particular case it was a picture that came to my attention.

If you look at all the buildings that line Macoupin Street from SS Simon and Jude to the Shell Station, which one would you say has changed very little in 100 years and is the most recognizable by its design? It’s been a saloon, bank, grocery store, flower shop, and maybe a few more. Today it is an empty tavern with a “chalet” design. You’ll recognize it by the picture I found in the Gillespie News in February 1915.

John Rendolfi was a local businessman and saloon owner in Gillespie. Redolfi’s saloon sat at the corner of West Chestnut and Macoupin Streets. Redolfi was in negotiations with the Lemp Brewery to build a new building on site of his saloon in April 1914. Lemp and Falstaff beer had a strong presence in Gillespie. After several delays, the building was finished in July 1915 at a cost of approximately $12,000.

The new Lemp building or Falstaff Inn was a two-story building that stretched half way down the block. It had an upstairs meeting room and a saloon downstairs occupied by Redolfi. A barber shop was located in the rear room. In the basement there was a bowling alley. Redolfi already owned a bowling alley behind his saloon. It was the most attractive and expensive building built on Main Street and had all the most modern improvements. The Order of the Moose used the upstairs for several years as a meeting hall with pool table and card and club rooms.

Eventually, the Lemp building was sold to Gillespie Trust and Savings Bank. In 1931 after the bank merger, Bunn Grocery moved into the building.

In investigating this building, I found some interesting information that brought my into another fascinating series of business moves that involved the banks in town.

Starting in 1894, the Bank of Gillespie was located in the 200 block of South Macoupin. A new building was built on site in May 1913. Eventually the Bank of Gillespie because Gillespie Trust and Savings in April 1914. In March 1918, the Lemp building was sold to Gillespie Trust for over $19,000. Again, another bank move. The Gillespie Trust became American National Bank in February 1923.

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Meanwhile, we have another bank that the outside façade still stands. The Gillespie National Bank was started in November 1905 and moved into a new building on the corner of Walnut and Macoupin Streets in April 1906 with another new building on site in May 1912. In August 1930, both national banks merged. The American National Bank moved all its reserves to Gillespie National Bank. This merger made the new Gillespie National Bank the largest in Macoupin County.

Now the third bank in this puzzle. In July 1922, Peoples State Bank opened its doors at the corner of Macoupin and East Chestnut Streets in the old Long’s Pool Hall. So by 1923, Gillespie has three banks including two national banks and a state bank. There is little difference between the two types. National banks are ruled by federal laws versus state regulations. State regulations are less strict on real estate loans and the amount of capital on hand. These loose regulations forced many state banks to fail in the 1920’s.

I found out that when doing research one thing leads to another and before you know it, the Falstaff saloon created a brief early history of Gillespie banks. I’m going to following this article with a brief look at Gillespie bank notes issued by banks.

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Members of the Benld City Council on agreed to spend $319,000 for continuing work on the Benld Family Sports Park and voted to temporarily extend the city’s contract with the City of Gillespie for police protection while the two municipalities continue negotiations to renew the agreement, but it was horses and zoning that dominated the discussion during the council’s regular monthly meeting Monday night.

Appearing before the council as a visitor, Jennifer Zippay, 304 North Eighth Street, voiced concerns about a neighbors plans to board up to three horses on a neighboring lot zoned for agricultural use. Zippay said the property owner plans to fence the lot and build a stabling structure at the rear of the lot. The lot has been zoned for agricultural use since the city approved its zoning ordinance in 2016 and the parcel has been cropped for many years. Zippay said it never occurred to her or her neighbors that “agriculture” could also mean “livestock.”

“What is ‘agriculture’?” she asked. “To me there’s a difference between crops and horses or pigs.” Her concern she said is that the zoning ordinance does not define what animals are allowable, nor does it limit the number of animals the owner of an agricultural property can keep.

“I’m not in disagreement with you,” Mayor Jim Kelly told Zippay. “We should have a limit on the number of animals.”

The lot reportedly comprises about 220,000 square, prompting Zippay to question how many animals the property could accommodate.

“It’s well within the council’s prerogative to limit the number of animals allowed,” City Attorney Rick Verticchio advised, “but we can’t do something about something that hasn’t happened yet.” Without provisions in the zoning ordinance regarding the types and numbers of farm animals allowed, Verticchio said the city’s only option would be to pursue a public nuisance action if the animals become a nuisance.

“How many are too many?” Verticchio asked rhetorically. “Two hundred and forty seven pigs would be too many, but one goat is probably okay. The maximum number is somewhere in between.”

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Responding to a question from Ald. John Balzraine, Verticchio said there is no way to preclude the property owner from implementing his plans other than to approve a zoning ordinance amendment before the individual starts to build stabling structure or fencing. The property owner reportedly has not applied for building permits to build on the property or erect a fence. Kelly told Zippay that any fencing would have to comply with the city’s fencing code.

“The council could do something now,” Verticchio said. “Someone could make a motion. Otherwise it would have to be a nuisance.”

Ald. Dustin Fletcher noted the property owner “did the right thing” by approaching the city to familiarize himself with the zoning provisions before making plans to board horses on the property. “I have to give him credit for that,” Fletcher said.

Balzraine later suggested amending the zoning ordinance to define “agriculture” as cropland only. “I wouldn’t want to smell horse poop either,” he told Zippay.

Verticchio said he could prepare the amendment for action within 10 days. “If you want to call a special meeting to approve it, you can.”

“We’ll get this rolling,” Kelly assured Zippay.

POLICE PROTECTION CONTRACT

On a motion by Ald. Mickey Robinson, seconded by Fletcher, the council voted unanimously to extend the city’s police protection contract with the City of Gillespie for 90 days while the two municipalities continue negotiations for a new contract. For the three months, the city will continue to pay the current $20,000 monthly fee for police protection.

Verticchio said the current police protection contract is set to expire April 30. Depending upon negotiations, the new rate could be charged retroactively or commence upon approval of the contract by both parties, according to Verticchio.

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Verticchio said the contract can be terminated by giving 30 day’s notice to the City of Gillespie.

OFFICERS AND ALDERMEN SEATED

Before considering new business, the council paused to swear-in newly elected and re-elected officers and aldermen. Verticchio administered the oath of office, using a Bible belonging to his mother “who died 29 years ago today,” he said.

Kelly was sworn-in to begin his third term as Mayor, along with incumbent City Treasurer Cindy Crites and incumbent City Clerk Terri Koyne, both of whom were elected to their third terms.

Verticchio also administered oaths to incumbent Ward 1 Ald. Balzraine, re-elected April 1 to his third term; Ward 2 Ald. Mickey Robinson, currently the longest-serving member of the council, becoming an alderman in 1991; and newly elected Ward 3 Ald. Brant McFarland, who replaces two-term Ald. Lance Cooper, who chose to not seek re-election.

Immediately after being seated, Mayor Kelly thanked Cooper for his “time and dedication to the city.”

“You did a good job,” Kelly said.

On a motion by Balzraine, seconded by Ald. Jerry Saracco, the council ratified Kelly’s new committee appointments as follows:

• CITY PROPERTY: Balzraine (chair), Fletcher, McFarland, Robinson, Saracco.
• HOUSING; Ald. Norm Emmons (chair), Saracco, Robinson, McFarland, Balzraine.
• ORDINANCE/JUDICIAL: Robinson (chair), Emmons, Saracco, Fletcher, Balzraine.
• FINANCE: Saracco (chair), Emmons, Balzraine, Fletcher, McFarland, and City Clerk Koyne as an advisory co-chair.
• POLICE: McFarland (chair), Fletcher, Robinson, Saracco, Emmons.
• PROPRIETARY: Fletcher (chair), Balzraine, Robinson, Emmons, McFarland.

The Mayor’s appointments run for two years and include Verticchio as City Attorney, Balzraine as Mayor Pro-Tem, and Robinson, Fletcher and Jack Burns as members of a Police Liaison Committee.

SPORTS PARK EXPENDITURES

With Ald. Saracco casting the only “no” vote, the council approved expenditures of $319,244.89 for work completed on the new Benld Family Sports Complex, located on the former site of Benld Elementary School. Community Unit School District 7 deeded the property to the of Benld several years after a mine subsidence event destroyed the school. The city secured a $600,000 Open Spaces Land Acquisition and Development grant through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources last year to underwrite developing the parcel as a park. Once completed, the Benld Sports Association will take over operation and maintenance of the facility.

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Monday night’s action authorized payment of $132,305 to Hayes Contractor, the project’s general contractor; $88,342.40 to DeLaurent Construction, Wilsonville, for paving a basketball court and walking path; and $98,597.49 to HHH Construction for construction of a pavilion and dugouts, and installation of basketball equipment, scoreboards and goal posts.

To finish the grant, the city estimates another $25,000 in expenditures, including $19,100 for concrete to dugouts and the pavilion, and $6,000 for accounting/audit fees

MFT BID

The council unanimously approved a bid of $32,818 from Illini Road Oil, LLC, Moro, to supply road oil for the city’s annual motor fuel tax street maintenance program. Illini Road Oil offered the lowest of three bids to supply 12,200 gallons of road oil at a cost of $2.69 per gallon. Other bidders were Macoupin County Asphalt, Inc., Carlinville, and Evergreen Roadworks, Urbana.

PARKING LOT BID

Council members accepted a bid of $5,342 from DeLaurent Construction to repave parking areas at the back and on the east side of the newly opened Benld City Hall, formerly First National Bank.

PROPERTY BID

Council members unanimously accepted a bid of $1,000 from Don Pratt for a surplus parcel at 205 South Seventh, provided Pratt demolishes and removes an existing nuisance structure within 120 days. Answering a question from the council, Verticchio said the council could extend the 120-day deadline in the event of extenuating circumstances. Otherwise, the property could revert to the city if the deadline is not met.

Pratt’s lives next door to the property and was the only bidder.

FOIA REQUEST

Monte Oberman, who has a small claims action pending against the city, appeared before the council, complaining that a flash drive he received in response to a Freedom of Information Act request could not be opened. Oberman said he asked for minutes from last month’s meeting of the council during which he also appeared to address the council. Since the flash drive was defective, he asked for written minutes of the meeting.

City Clerk Koyne said she could provide Oberman with a copy of the minutes since the minutes were approved by the council earlier Monday evening.

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Verticchio told Oberman that future requests for information should be directed to him since Oberman is a litigant against the city.

“One of the grounds for denying a FOIA request is if the requestor is involved in litigation against the city,” Verticchio said. “I’m not criticizing the way you asked for information, I’m just saying you may not have been doing it the right way. The proper procedure would be for you to contact the city attorney and then I have to give it to you.”

In response, Oberman handed his written request to Verticchio and noted he also is asking for all other written communication about his case.

Property owned by Oberman is the subject of a public nuisance action initiated by Verticchio on behalf of the city. Vertichio told Oberman last week that the city’s nuisance complaint will be dropped after Oberman’s small claims case is adjudicated.

A bench trial set for April 4 was rescheduled for June 19 on a motion by Oberman late last month.

ITALIAN CLUB RECOGNITION

Balzraine publicly thanked the Benld Italian Club for paying for electrical work at the food stand in Benld City Park at a cost of $1,080.

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