Community News
CUSD 7 Board of Education adopts new science curriculum for Middle School
Christina Blevins, sixth grade science teacher, outlines the new science curriculum.
Gillespie Middle School students will have new textbooks and a new curriculum for science when they start the school year in late August as a result of action taken during Monday night’s meeting of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education.
The $32,390 cost of the seven-year contract for the Pearson science curriculum is payable in three yearly installments, but where the money comes from to make those payments was left open to some conjecture. GMS Principal Jill Rosentreter told the board she is willing to make the annual expenditure out of the school’s activity fund, a fund comprised of donations and generally used for field trips and similar expenditures. Supt. Joe Tieman, however, recommended that the district pay some, if not all, of the cost from the Education Fund once he has a better idea about the level of revenue the district can expect from the State of Illinois.
“I would hope we can fund this or at least fund part of it,” Tieman told the board. “I don’t want her (Rosentreter) having to fundraise for an academic program.”
It’s kind of like old school meets new school
Lamore said that when the teachers and GMS Principal Rosentreter began discussions about the new curriculum, they gravitated toward a program with an online emphasis.
“They said, ‘Let’s go digital’,” Lamore said, adding that the Pearson program relies on classroom work supported with online resources. Each year, students will receive a softbound workbook in which they can make notes and highlight information. In lieu of an actual textbook, teaching materials will be accessible online. Teachers will access the materials online for classroom discussion and demonstrations; students can access the material at home, using their smart phones, home computers or tablets. “It’s kind of like old school meets new school,” Lamore said.
The online resources, Lamore pointed out, are interactive and can be tailored to accommodate specific students’ reading and comprehension skill levels. Most units have videos embedded to illustrate key points. Students with low reading ability can even use a feature that “reads” the material to them.
The emphasis on online learning, Blevins said, is an advantage “because that’s where our students live.”
The emphasis on online learning, Blevins said, is an advantage “because that’s where our students live.”
Rosentreter said going with a seven-year contract will reduce the cost of workbooks from $27.50 for a one-year commitment to about $18. The $32,390 cost of the program is based on an average of 100 students per grade, or a total of 300 students. Rosentreter said she negotiated with the company to pay the cost of the program in three annual installments due annually for the first three years of the contract.
PERSONNEL
After an executive session of one hour and 15 minutes, board members voted unanimously to place BenGil Elementary Principal Angela Turcol, GMS Principal Rosentreter and GHS Principal Lori Emmons on the “appropriate salary schedule” for the 2016-17 school year. The measure translates into a salary increase of 2.88 percent, which is consistent with salary increases provided to teaching staff.
In other personnel action, the board:
- Hired Kaylee Cox as GHS cross-country coach and Robin Niemeyer as an assistant cross-country coach for the 2016-17 school year, pending certifications and background checks.
- Accepted the resignation of Kenna Moats as GMS cheer coach and hired Moats as GHS cheer coach for the coming school year. The board also voted to post the GMS cheer coach position as vacant.
- Appointed Bradley Clark as a volunteer assistant high school football coach, pending certification and a background check, for the coming school year, and posted vacancy for an assistant football coach for the 2016 season.
- Hired John Ulery as a substitute school bus driver, pending certification and a background check.
- Accepted the resignation of Christina Blevins as prom sponsor and posted the position as vacant.
- Accepted the resignations of Amy Goldasich and Kelly Bulla as National Honor Society sponsors, and posted the positions as vacant.
INSURANCE
The board approved the district’s employee health insurance policy with Blue Cross-Blue Shield with a rate increase of 6.07 percent. Tieman said the company originally offered to renew the policy with an 8.2 percent increase in the premium, but the district’s insurance agent was able to negotiate the increase down to 6.07 percent, which translates into an increase of $49,000. He said anticipated a rate hike of at least five percent in a plan to reduce deficit spending by $700,000, which was approved by the board earlier this year.
Under the renewed policy, employee contributions will increase from $9 monthly to $12.
Tieman said Blue Cross-Blue Shield offered an alternative policy that would have increased the district’s cost by only $12,000, but impose much higher deductibles and out-of-pocket costs for covered employees. Under the alternative policy, deductibles for employees would go from $1,000 to $1,500 per individual, or from $3,000 to $4,500 for families. Out-of-pocket costs would go from $3,000 to $3,500 per individual, or $9,000 to $10,000 for families.
Tieman noted that the deductibles for employees have increased 200 percent over the last three years.
“Last year when we increased the deductible, the comment was made, ‘If we do this, can we expect that from our employees again in another year’,” Tieman said. “My recommendation is to stay with our current plan and absorb the $49,000 increase.”
If we keep the current plan, I think our contract negotiations will go better
“If we keep the current plan, I think our contract negotiations will go better,” he said.
On a motion by Bernot, seconded by Carter, the board voted unanimously to renew the policy with the 6.07 percent rate increase.
The board also approved renewal of a policy with KidGuard Insurance to provide student insurance for the coming school year with no increase in the premium.
Board members agreed to offer Catastrophic Insurance for students through Gerber Life at a cost of about $1,600. The coverage is a requirement for football players, but Tieman said the district discovered it could offer the coverage for all students at about the same price.
On a motion by Don Dobrino, seconded by Griffel, the board agreed to buy treasurer’s bond insurance from Brokers Risk at a cost of $4,515 for the 2016-17 fiscal year.
STATE BUDGET ISSUE
Tieman reported that the state government has again failed to approve a budget for the coming fiscal year, which could jeopardize school districts’ ability to operate. He said he and some teaching staff from CUSD 7 planned to participate in a rally on Wednesday at the Old Capitol Building in Vandalia calling upon the governor and legislature to approve a budget before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.
“It’s kind of hard for us to budget when you don’t know what your state aid will be,” he said. “If there is no state budget for education by the July 18 board meeting, I will make a presentation about what that means for us.” If the state fails to approve education funding, Tieman said the local district could dip into cash reserves to start the school year and operate temporarily.
“We could be open four months without an education budget, but at that point we would have spent basically every penny we have,” Tieman said. “Let’s hope there is some movement in the next 72 hours or so.”
We could be open four months without an education budget, but at that point we would have spent basically every penny we have
Tieman told Rauzi the lawsuit has been remanded back to Macoupin County Circuit Court on appeal and the district is waiting for the court to set a date. Union Pacific appealed a $10 million judgment awarded by a jury two years ago to compensate the district for damage from mine subsidence.
“We haven’t won the lawsuit,” Tieman said. “We haven’t lost the lawsuit.”
Tieman also told Rauzi that a deficit spending reduction plan approved by the board is currently in effect. As a result, the board has declined to fill vacancies created by the retirement or resignation of teaching staff. The board, however, has avoided laying off teachers on the staff.
“We eliminated teaching positions,” Tieman said. “We didn’t eliminate teachers.”
Regarding sports programs, Tieman said the district has eliminated some contests, which reduces the amount the district has to spend for transportation and paying game officials. In addition, the board authorized increasing admission prices for students and adults. Those measures, while not enough to put the programs in the black, are expected to save the district $6,000 to $7,000 during the coming school year, according to Tieman.
DISCIPLINE COMMITTEE
Tieman asked for a board member to volunteer to serve on a Discipline Committee mandated under Senate Bill 100. The new legislation establishes protocols to reduce schools’ reliance on expulsions and suspensions for dealing with student discipline issues. To comply with the legislation, the district has to have a Discipline Committee comprised of teachers and community members that will meet a minimum of once a year.
He said the law does not require a board member to sit on the panel but that he would like to have a representative of the board included. He also said he hopes the Discipline Committee will choose to meet monthly, rather than annually, with the first meeting coming sometime in September.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
- Agreed to contract with Kohl Wholesale, Quincy, to provide food and non-food products for the cafeterias during the coming school year; contract with Prairie Farms Dairy, Carlinville, to supply milk products; contract with Flowers Bakery, Bridgeton, Mo., for bread and bread products; and contract with M & M Service to supply fuel. Each of the contractors were the low bidder obtained through a cooperative involving CUSD 7 and other nearby school districts.
- Approved student handbooks for the coming school year.
- Approved a state-mandated Wellness Plan that establishes address issues such as food allergies and nutrition.
- Approved a state-mandated Bullying Plan aimed at reducing instances of bullying by establishing protocols for reporting and responding to complaints of bullying.
- Approved a state-mandated Prevailing Wage resolution requiring the district to contract with companies that pay prevailing wages as established by the Department of Labor.
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Carlinville – The Macoupin County Agriculture Education (MCAE) Foundation is offering 6 – $1,000 scholarships for the upcoming 2025-26 school year to students wishing to pursue agriculture majors.
The MCAE Foundation offers scholarships to provide encouragement and financial assistance to Macoupin County residents and/or students of Macoupin County schools who display well-balanced attributes of good citizenship, commitment to activities and scholastic ability.
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FELONIES
Domincqua N. Contreras, 31 of Bunker Hill, is charged with aggravated battery in a public place in connection with a January 8 incident.
Dillion D. Grether, 25 of South Roxana, is charged with possession of methamphetamines’ (<5 grams) in connection with an October 15 incident.
MISDEMEANORS
Cory J. Dodson, 36 of Carlinville, is charged with theft/unauthorized control (<$500) in connection with a December 6 incident.
Megan J. Morgan, 33 of Carlinville, is charged with theft/unauthorized control (<$500) in connection with a December 6 incident.
Robert D. Sanson, 34 of Belleville, is charged with criminal trespass to a building in connection with a December 2 incident.
Christopher R. Lott, 47 of Carlinville, is charged with theft of labor/services/property and criminal trespass to land in connection with a January 7 incident.
Amiel K. Kimsey, 20 of Homewood, is charged with minor in possession of liquor in public and driving 15-20 mph above the limit in connection with a January 1 incident.
TRAFFIC
Dawn M. Malone, 57 of Collinsville, is charged with driving on a suspended license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, disregarding a stop sign, no turn signal lights, unsafe loading, operating a motor vehicle vehicle with suspended registration, and unregistered/expired registration in connection with a January 4 incident.
Cheri L. Bagwell, 47 of Carlinville, is charged with driving on a suspended license, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, and transporting/carrying alcohol in connection with a January 1 incident.
Siera A. Lewis, 28 of Alton, is charged with driving on a suspended license, operating a motor vehicle with a suspended registration, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle in connection with a January 1 incident.
Stephen C. Springman, 37 of Shipman, is charged with driving on a revoked license in connection with a December 17 incident.
Shundrana M. Roy, 29 of Milwaukee, WI, is charged with driving on a suspended license and driving 21-25 mph above the limit in connection with a January 1 incident.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
- Trent Eichen and Summer Melton, both of Carlinville
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Gillespie voters will have an opportunity to vote on whether or not the City of Gillespie can impose a one percent retail sales tax for Public Safety purposes as a result of action taken by the city council Monday night. Council members voted unanimously to approve a resolution prepared by City Attorney Rick Verticchio to put the question on the April 1 consolidated election ballot. The question will be presented in conjunction with the election to choose the mayor, city clerk, city treasurer and three aldermen.
The council discussed the issue of seeking a Public Safety sales tax during the council’s regular meeting on Dec. 9 and during a continued meeting on Dec. 23, at which time there was speculation the city could implement the tax via resolution only without seeking voter approval. The resolution presented Monday night confirms that voters can weigh in at the ballot box on whether or not to impose the tax.
“This is just a resolution so we can have that question on the ballot,” Verticchio told the council.
During the December meetings, Treasurer Dan Fisher said the city agreed to seek the tax during collective bargaining negotiations with the police officers union. The expected $200,000 will help cover additional costs associated with local police joining the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund system for retirement benefits, as well as the cost of adding additional police officers to cover police protection services in satellite communities. Benld Ald. Jerry Saracco told the Benld Council last month that satellite communities also were being asked to consider seeking a Public Safety sales tax to help defray police protection costs, but there appeared to be no interest on the part of the Benld Council to follow Gillespie’s lead.
In addition to the tax question and city officials, the consolidated ballot also will include elections for three Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education members, as well as township officials.
POLICE STATION PROGRESS
On a motion by Ald. Dave Link, seconded by Ald. Dona Rauzi, the council unanimously voted to release $59,199.26 to contractor John Watson, Gillespie, to pay subcontractors for remodeling work at the new Gillespie Police Station at 124 N. Macoupin St., the former location of Gillespie Chiropractic directly across the street from City Hall.
Rauzi reported the city had paid Watson $9,000 to start the remodeling project. The additional money will be used to pay various vendors such as Glass Cutters, Carlinville, and Carpani Computers for installing computer networking and internet systems.
The council also approved a $1,998.85 change order request for the project to cover the cost of reopening exterior stairs that the previous owner had enclosed. The additional money will cover the cost of siding, framing, lighting and replacing stairs that were removed when the entry was enclosed.
In a related matter, the council formally declared as surplus property a desk that the previous owner left behind and to transfer the desk to Watson. Rauzi said the desk had little value and that no other city office had a use for it. She said the options for disposing of it were to either give it to Watson or store it at the Civic Center.
With the same action, the council declared as surplus unused roof trusses which will be offered for sale via sealed bids.
GRANT MANAGER BILL
On Fisher’s recommendation, the council agreed to pay Fuel Growth Group’s bill of $137,550 for billing and consulting services associated with grant management services related to $3 million in federal grants and $1 million in state grants awarded to the city for its downtown streetscape project. Fisher said the agency’s bill is based on an hourly rate totaling 7.5 percent of the $4 million in grant awards.
Verticchio said he plans to contact the vendor regarding its new contract due to concerns he has about some of the contract’s wording. He said the contract calls for an hourly rate up to $257,000 after the first installment of 50 percent is paid.
“I don’t have any great problem with the contract,” Verticchio said, adding that he wants to revise the contract so the city does not owe the balance if the billable hours do not reach $257,000. “In all probability, we will get to that amount, but I want to make sure that if we don’t reach $257,000, we won’t owe them the full amount.”
EXECUTIVE SESSION
No action followed a brief executive session requested by Ald. Frank Barrett, Lake Chairman, to discuss personnel. While the nature of the discussion was not specified, it is likely the closed-door session focussed on replacing Gary Thornhill, long-time Lake Manager who recently resigned to take another job.
In a related matter, Barrett told the council he is getting pricing from Carpani Computers for a new point-of-sale computer and printer for the Lake Store.
“When Gary left, we were using his computer and printer at the store,” Barrett said, explaining the need for new equipment.
COMMUNICATIONS TOWER
Council members briefly discussed the status of a new communications tower, construction of which is likely to start this year. The council previously entered into a franchise agreement to lease property for the tower, which will provide services for AT&T cell phone transmissions and other providers. Ald. Wendy Ottersburg said the company revised its plan to add 20 feet to the tower’s height to expand its range.
Water Plant Operator Dave Pickett said he is eager for the tower to be completed as it will allow the Water Department to implement a computer program enabling the Department to control water flow from the pumping station to the Water Plant without having to physically travel to the pumping station.
“It will be a huge savings for us,” Pickett said.
AUDIT ACCEPTANCE
Upon Fisher’s recommendation, the council voted unanimously to accept the city’s official audit. In a departure from past practice, no representative of the auditing firm appeared before the council to present the audit findings. Fisher said the audit showed the city to “be in the black” but did not mention whether or not the auditor made any other findings.
COUNCIL RADIOS
Mayor John Hicks reported that two-way radios previously issued to city council members are unaccounted for and asked aldermen who might still have a radio to return them to City Hall. He said the radios were issued to aid with communications in the event of an emergency.
“Somewhere along the line, some of them disappeared,” he said.
SNOW REMOVAL
Ald. Bob Fritz, answering criticisms voiced on social media, clarified that the city does not have responsibility for removing snow on sidewalks. He said people were upset because city workers did not remove snow on sidewalks in the area of CUSD 7 schools.
“Those are not our responsibility,” Ald. Rauzi noted.
Ald. Landon Pettit said that when he worked for the city, city workers were advised by the city’s insurance provider to leave sidewalks alone.
“The insurance company told us not to do that,” he said. “Once we clean them off, any liability for them is on us.”
CEJA MEETING
Fisher told the council he plans to meet with CEJA grant partners at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall to discuss CEJA expenditures and closing out the grant. The federal Climate and Equitable Jobs Act grant of $1.1 million was awarded last summer. The City of Gillespie retained $70,248.57 with the remainder allotted to various local units of government, including: Village of East Gillespie, $51,654.72; City of Benld, $58,721.50; Village of Eagarville, $50,684.28; City of Staunton, $80,929.61; Gillespie Public Library, $70,248.57; Benld Public Library, $58,721.50; Gillespie Township, $73,458.48; Cahokia Township, $69,004.42; Community Unit School District 7, $98,167.33; North Mac CUSD 34, $98,584.12; Gillespie-Benld Ambulance Service, $133,202.60; Village of Royal Lakes, $51,038.87; City of Bunker Hill, $60,102.51; Village of Mount Clare, $51,878.67; and Brushy Mound Township, $53,919.08.
The Climate and Equitable Jobs Act is a federal program to mitigate against economic conditions that result as the nation moves away from fossil fuels to embrace renewable, “green” energy sources. The local grant award is related to job losses resulting from the idling of Shay Mine No. 1, formerly Monterey Mine No., 1. Each entity was awarded $50,000 plus additional funds based on “job loss” and “revenue loss” factors.
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