CUSD 7 News
CUSD 7 teachers reject contract offer
Members of the Community Unit School District 7 teachers union have rejected the school board’s initial contract offer as the current contract ticks down to its final days.
About 50 district school teachers, many wearing union t-shirts, attended Monday night’s regular monthly meeting of the board in a show of solidarity in support of the union’s demand for a more lucrative contract offer.
Reading from a prepared statement, Michelle Smith, president of Illinois Federation of Teachers Local 528 told the board that union members “overwhelmingly” voted to reject the board’s initial financial offer.
“As you can see, teachers are here tonight in support of a fair contract–one that shows appreciation for the work done during a pandemic,” Smith announced. “We ask that the board reconsider their financial offer and offer an increase to the salary schedule that provides for a cost of living increase to the Gillespie teachers that show up every day for their students.”
Citing ongoing negotiations, Board President Mark Hayes declined to disclose details of the contract offer to the BenGil Post. The previous four-year contract will expire at the end of August. The last contract was negotiated over a period of about two months.
The current contract was ratified by the union and approved by the board in October 2017. It raised base salaries and called for raises of one percent for each of the first three years and 1.25 percent in the final year. Coupled with the increase in base salaries, the raises amounted to about three percent per year—substantially less than the five percent annual raises teachers enjoyed under terms of the previous four-year contract.
Supt, Shane Owsley said he felt union representatives and representatives of the board “left off on good terms” and that he looked forward to resuming negotiations in July. The board’s negotiating committee includes Hayes, Jenni Alepra and Bill Carter, with Owsley and the board’s attorney serving in advisory capacities.
In other action Monday night, the board approved an amended budget for the current fiscal year, heard details about a proposed new TIF district in the city of Gillespie, and approved the purchase of a $50,000 intercom system.
AMENDED BUDGET APPROVED
With board members Becky Hatlee and Don Dobrino absent, the board unanimously approved an amended budget for the current fiscal year. The action was preceded by a brief public hearing during which Supt. Owsley outlined changes to the budget.
The most significant change reflects an increase in revenue and expenditures in the Education Fund resulting from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) federal funds the district received as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. State law requires all revenues and expenditures to be accounted for in the budget, which necessitated amending the budget prior to the end of the current fiscal year on June 30.
The amended budget reflects and increase in Education Fund revenue from $12,201,529 to $12,397,448, and an increase in expenditures from $12,391,146 to $12,557,065.
Additionally, due to an oversight, budgeted expenditures from the Debt Service Fund was increased from $1,181,858 to $1,188,608 to cover the cost of a lease payment that was inadvertently committed from the original budget.
Budgeted amounts for all other funds are unaffected.
In related measures, the board adopted a resolution authorizing Owsley to begin work on a new budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 and end June 30, 2022. The tentative new budget will be delivered to the board and is expected to be approved in September following a 30-day public review period and public hearing.
Additionally, the board approved a resolution authorizing “necessary expenditures” between July 1 and the budget adoption. Those expenditures will include payroll, operations, maintenance, debit service and other expenditures essential to the district’s operation.
TIF DISTRICT DISCUSSION
Gillespie City Treasurer Dan Fisher and Peace Corps Fellow Ethan Fogg briefly addressed the board regarding a proposed new Tax Increment Finance district that would encompass an area on the city’s southwest side in the area of the water treatment plant and SuperBowl bowling alley. Included in the area are a number of vacant residential lots owned by the school district and vacant nuisance properties owned by the city.
School districts typically oppose TIF districts because they capture increases in property tax assessments that otherwise would go to the school district. TIF districts essentially freeze property tax revenues at the level they are at when the district is formed. As improvements are made to TIF district properties or property assessments increase, the TIF district “captures” those increases. The resulting funds can then be reinvested in infrastructure improvements or incentives within the district. The funds cannot be used for salaries.
According to Fisher, the city plans to promote the construction of energy-efficient residential homes for sale to young families, retirees and other purchases interested in high efficiency, “green” homes. New homes will be equipped with solar panels, high-efficiency windows, high-efficiency insulation and other features to reduce energy consumption.
“We think we can make these homes very attractive to buyers,” Fisher said.
He said his own home has been updated with solar panels, insulation and other amenities to increase energy efficiency. “My energy bills are almost nothing,” Fisher said. “Ameren basically charges me for having a meter.”
To mitigate against property tax losses to the school district, Fisher said the city is committed to using 50 percent of tax increment funds within the TIF district with the remaining 50 percent to divided between the city and the school district.
“With a TIF district, we’re not able to build just one house but 10 houses, 15 houses or 25 houses,” Fisher said, Those new houses will result in property tax revenue increases. “You will get 25 percent of that right off the bat.”
Additionally, the development will enable the school district to sell off vacant residential lots it currently owns within the TIF district. Fisher noted that the school district’s building trades program built a handful of new houses in past years that will be located within the TIF district when it is formed. “I’m not saying you’d have to do that on your other lots, but it’s a possibility,” he said.
According to Fisher, a Gillespie developer owns 16 lots in the proposed TIF district and is expected to develop those lots with energy-efficient homes. For lots owned by the city, the city will issue a request for proposals to choose a developer.
While the TIF district ostensibly is a city project, Fisher said the city wants to partner with the school district. “Otherwise, it won’t work,” he said.
Fisher said the city’s goal is to establish the new TIF district by the end of this year with new home construction to begin in 2022.
As part of the project, Fogg said the city is seeking a $70,000 grant from the Illinois Housing Development Authority to demolish derelict houses in the proposed district area. To that end, he and Fisher asked those attending the meeting to complete an anonymous survey assessing housing needs in the community and other factors that will play a role in successfully applying for the grant.
Others can complete the survey by visiting growgillespie.org.
Later in the meeting, the board approved a resolution finalizing the sale of two vacant lots in the 800 block of Frances Street to Shannon Johnson and Lance Hammann. The lots, located within the proposed TIF district area, were sold to the high bidders for a total of $6,500.
INTERCOM SYSTEM PURCHASE
The board unanimously approved the purchase of a new intercom system from Hart Technologies, based in East Peoria, for $50,700.56. The new system will replace the 30-year-old intercom system that was installed at the High School/Middle School complex 30 years ago when the building was constructed. The older system failed last year and could not be repaired. Owsley said Hart Technologies submitted the lowest of three bids for the system. The new system also will have the capability to extend internal communication to BenGil Elementary School.
PERSONNEL
In the area of personnel, the board voted to hire Elizabeth Logsdon as a birth-to-three-year-old parent educator. Board members also voted unanimously to hire Jane Weber and Alexandria Plovich as first-year, non-tenured elementary school teachers.
Darian Gill was hired unanimously as a paraprofessional (classroom aide) tentatively assigned to the high school, and Kristin Bertolis was hired as a one-on-one student aide at BenGil Elementary School.
The board voted unanimously to post vacancies for two full-time substitute teachers for the coming school year, but Dennis Tiburzi cast the sole vote against a measure to hire two additional elementary teachers for the 2021-22 school year.
The board voted unanimously to appoint Joe Kelly and Mackenzie Kasarda as volunteer assistant middle school softball coaches.
Board members voted to accept the resignation of Victoria Spencer as Gillespie Middle School cheer coach and posted the position as vacant. The board also accepted the resignation of seventh-grade basketball coach Tim Wargo and posted the position as vacant.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
- Voted unanimously to accept the bid of Blue Cross/Blue Shield to continue providing health care insurance for district employees. Owsley said Blue Cross/Blue Shield was one of only two bidders and the second bid had significantly higher premiums. Under the new contract, the premium will increase by 2.52 percent. Under union contracts, the district pays the first $605 of monthly premiums and evenly splits the remaining costs between the district and the employee.
- Accepted bids from Prairie Farms Dairy to provide milk for the 2021-22 school year, Aunt Millie’s Bakeries to supply bread and Kohl’s Wholesale to provide food products. All three vendors have supplied their respective commodities for the district’s food program for the past several years.
- Accepted a Consolidated District Plan newly required by law to maintain eligibility for state and federal funds. The plan basically is a survey to ensure school districts are non-discriminatory in the expenditure of state and federal funds.
- Approved an annually mandated prevailing wage statement committing the district to use only contractors and vendors who pay their employees prevailing wages as determined by the Department of Labor.
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Community News
School board approves elementary school principal’s retirement, accepts resignation of high school teacher/coach
Long-serving BenGil Elementary School principal will retire in two years following the Community Unit School District 7’s Board of Education’s approval during Tuesday night’s regular monthly meeting of the board. On a motion by Kellie Vesper, seconded by Amanda Ross, the board voted unanimously to accept “with regret” the retirement of Elementary Principal Angela Sandretto, effective at the end of the 2026-27 school year.
At the time of her retirement, Sandretto will have been a district employee for 31 years, including 21 years as an administrator. Sandretto’s tenure predates the construction and collapse due to mine subsidence of the former Benld Elementary School. She started her career when the old Benld High School served as the district’s elementary school. She was principal when the new Benld school was built and when the seven-year-old building was destroyed by mine subsidence in 2009. She continued to serve as principal during the transition from the damaged school to the new BenGil Elementary School in Gillespie.
In other action, the board accepted without comment the resignation of Dalton Barnes as a physical education/social studies teacher, and as Gillespie High School head football coach. The resignation, accepted unanimously, appears to be related to recent controversy over alleged abusive behavior toward students.
Gillespie Police Chief Jared DePoppe and School Resource Officer Wayne Hendricks both attended the meeting, and left soon after the board completed actions related to personnel. Supt. Shane Owsley told the BenGil Post the police presence was a precaution due to concerns that “accusations and rumors on social media could spill over” into Tuesday’s meeting. An attorney from the law firm representing the school district accompanied the board into a one-hour executive session early in the evening to discuss personnel issues and other items.
Accusations on social media in recent weeks alleged Barnes and an assistant coach engaged in verbal and physical abuse of students. With a goal of 1,000 signers, an online petition urging the termination of employment for Barnes and the assistant coach has garnered 639 electronic signatures. The petition accuses the two men of “child abuse,” citing alleged “verbal abuse, physical abuse, influencing and coercing student athletes to act against other student athletes that have spoken out against the abuse, and attempting to limit the First Amendment rights of student athletes with threats and manipulation.” The petition alleges there have been numerous instances of abuse and that the abuse has been allowed to continue despite “multiple red flags and complaints.”
No members of the public appeared before the board to address the complaints. Several teachers and teachers union officials attended the meeting but, likewise, made no public comments.
ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL ISSUES
In other personnel action, the board:
- Voted unanimously to accept “with regret” the resignation for purposes of retirement of GHS/GMS guidance counselor Jill Strole at the conclusion of the current school year, and to post the position as vacant.
- Hired Aubrey Morgan as a first-year, non-tenured teacher tentatively assigned as the BenGil Elementary School music teacher for the 2024-25 school year, pending verification of certification requirements and a background check. Morgan is expected to receive her bachelor’s degree in music education this spring from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville.
- Voted to appoint Nikki Brawner as the GHS head women’s basketball coach for the 2024-25 school year. Additionally, the board accepted Brawner’s resignation as an assistant GHS women’s basketball coach and posted that position as vacant.
- Voted, in separate actions, to hire Alex Jasper and James Bryant as GMS paraprofessionals, pending verification of certification requirements and a background check. Additionally, the board voted to appoint Bryant as the GMS eighth-grade boys basketball coach for the 2024-25 school year.
- Voted to employ Alexis Lupkey as GHS head cheerleading coach for the 2024-25 school year.
- Voted, in separate actions, to hire Nikki Hunter and Rebecca Leitschuh-Birdsell as full-route bus drivers for the 2024-25 school year, pending verification of certification and background checks.
On a motion by Ross, seconded by Peyton Bernot, the board voted to employ Jennifer Parker, Nancy Schmidt, Amy Price, Marci Johnson, Karissa Smith and Vanessa Barrett as teachers for the 2024 elementary school summer school program.
In separate actions, the board hired Shanna Connor as a math teacher, Casey Edgerton as a science teacher, and Jessica Kelly as an English/language arts teacher for the Gillespie Middle School summer school program.
The board hired Ashlee Gibbs as a high school summer school math teacher, contingent upon student enrollment, and hired Jennifer Brown as the high school summer school driver’s education teacher. Penny Feeley and Janice Hammann were hired unanimously as summer school food service workers.
SAFETY GRANT PROJECTS
The board authorized Supt. Owsley to seek bids for several capital improvement projects related to student safety for which plans are still being developed. In January, Owsley reported to the board the district was successful in its application for a $466,365 state-funded Safety Grant. Matching the grant money with $155,000 in local funds, gave the district more than $600,000 in funding for capital improvements related to safety.
Owsley said architects are continuing to develop plans and bidding specifications for several projects, including installation of a new fire alarm system, installation of a new intercom system, installation of bullet-proof glass in the office area, and application of a bullet-resistant film on exterior windows. The Superintendent said he would advertise for bids as specifications become available.
FISCAL 2025 BUDGET
On a motion by Weye Schmidt, seconded by Bill Carter, the board voted to direct Supt. Owsley to prepare a tentative budget for fiscal year 2025, which will run from July 1 this year through June 30, 2025. The new budget typically is presented to the board in August with final approval coming in September.
In a related action, the board approved expenditures from fiscal 2025 funds to cover operating costs from July 1, when the new fiscal year begins, until the new budget is adopted.
Though not a given, the board could amend the fiscal 2024 budget in June in the event actual revenue and expenditures for the current fiscal year differ significantly from projections made in the budget approved last summer.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT
Board members approved an intergovernmental agreement between CUSD 7 and Lewis and Clark Community College to offer dual credit courses at Gillespie High School. Under the agreement, Gillespie students can take college-level courses that will count as credit toward an LCCC associate’s degree. Teachers offering dual credit courses at GHS must hold a master’s degree and offer a curriculum approved by the college.
DISTRICT FOCUS
In a District Focus segment, the board was introduced to several High School FFA members who have excelled this year in competitions.
“These kids are doing some amazing things,” said High School Principal Jill Rosentreter. “They are going to competitions and bringing home trophies right and left.”
FFA sponsor Kayla Wills said she has led the program for six years. “This is the most outstanding group we’ve had since I’ve been here,” she said.
Wills introduced two teams––the Parliamentary Procedure team and the Ag Mechanics team––that have ascended to state competition set for May 2. Team member Emily Hauser explained the areas of expertise on which the Parliamentary Procedure team will be judged. Caleb Oberfall spoke about the Ag Mechanics team.
The Ag Mechanics team includes a carpenter, a welder, a surveyor, an electrician and a mechanic, according to Wills.
“These kids have worked really hard and put in a lot of time,” Wills said. “I am very proud of them.”
FOOD SERVICES ISSUE
A former district cook and current substitute cook, who identified herself as Mandy, addressed the board on behalf of district cooks regarding the possibility of contracting with Opaa! Food Management, Inc. to provide meals in the local district. Opaa! representatives offered a detailed sales presentation to the board last month.
“I worked for Opaa! at Staunton,” she said. “You need to look into them. They’re not what they say they are.”
She alleged the “homemade meals” are not homemade, and are, in fact, the same quality as any other food provider.
“I’ve been in food services for a long time and I know what food should look like,” she said. “It shouldn’t look like dogfood.”
The fact the company offers choices, she said, is a good thing but is a double-edged sword. If a child doesn’t care for the main selection on a particular day, they can have a peanut butter sandwich or salad instead.
“But if little Johnny doesn’t like peanut butter or salad, he doesn’t eat that day,” she said.
Having worked in the local district, she said she could attest that the food services staff cares about students.
In a related matter, Union Secretary Jennifer Parker read a statement from the food services staff thanking the board and Supt. Owsley “for the opportunity to continue to pursue options to bring more choices to the food program.”
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
- Voted to renew membership in the Illinois Elementary Schools Association (IESA).
- Approved a finalized calendar for the 2024-25 school year. Owsley said the calendar is unchanged from a tentative calendar presented to the board earlier, except “snow days” have been designated as “emergency days.”
- Approved a fee schedule for the 2024-25 school day. Owsley said the new fee schedule is nearly identical to the fee schedule used this year except that the cost for adult breakfasts and lunches is increased by 10 cents. In addition, the district will now offer free breakfast and lunch to students in all grade levels thanks to a federal reimbursement grant for districts with high numbers of students from low income households. In the past, free breakfast and lunch was available only to kindergarten, elementary, and middle school students. This year, Owsley said, the high school also qualified for reimbursement. According to Owsley, the reimbursement program is locked in for four years, after which the district may again apply. “Hopefully, this will help our parents and students,” Owsley said.
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Representatives of a food management company pitched their vision for reshaping school lunch and breakfast offerings at Community Unit School District 7 schools during Monday night’s regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education. Later, however, the head cook at BenGil Elementary School expressed doubts about what the company promised to deliver. “They make it sound like it’s all a gravy train,” said Jackie McKinney. “It’s not.”
No action followed a 20-minute presentation by Bill Fritcher, Business Development Associate, and Angie Eden, a food service worker, from Opaa! Food Management, Inc., Chesterfield, Mo. There was no clear indication whether the board or district administration is leaning toward contracting with the company.
Founded in 1978, Opaa! Provides food management services to more than 800 schools in 250 school districts spread out over seven states. The company serves 21 schools in Illinois, including the nearby Staunton, Litchfield, Jersey and Nokomis school districts. The company claims a 97 percent retention rate among its client schools.
Fritcher, a former administrator in the Neoga school district, said the company emphasizes home-cooked foods made from scratch. Opaa! provides both hot and cold entrees, and schools can tailor offerings to meet their needs and budgets. Hot entrees include items such as roast turkey, meatloaf, cheeseburgers, pizzas and spaghetti. The company also serves a variety of cold sub sandwiches. Again, depending upon the details of its contract with a school district, the company can provide a salad bar, along with fresh fruit.
Breakfast offerings can include hot or cold cereal, waffles, biscuits and gravy, and breakfast burritos. Some client schools offer a “breakfast on the go” option where students can grab a breakfast item during the mid-morning hours of the school day. As part of its service, Opaa! would provide an all-day “Gulp Station” with dispensers of lemonade, iced tea and water.
“There’s a lot of local control over menu items,” Fritcher said. “If a school doesn’t want us serving coffee to students, we don’t serve coffee.”
Fritcher said the school district would continue to set pricing for school lunches and breakfasts, collect payments and control the revenue stream. The district also would continue to own food service equipment and facilities. At a minimum, Opaa! would place it’s own employee as a food service manager, but other food service workers can be either Opaa! employees or employees of the school district. In either case, the school district would have final say over who is allowed to work in the school district.
“You’d have control of who is working in the school and is around your kids,” Fritcher said.
According to Fritcher, the company emphasizes presentation.
“We want the food to look good so kids will eat it,” he said. “We strive to make it enjoyable for the kids.”
Client schools submit photos of daily offerings to the home office for approval, Eden said. As an example, she cited an instance when she submitted a photo from Neoga that included broccoli as a side item. The home office said the broccoli looked too brown and demanded it be replaced with fresher produce.
Fritcher said the company employees an executive chef to create recipes and standards for food served to students. The chef has created a number of streaming videos used to train on site staff.
Key to the operation is a computer program for food management. Eden said the program monitors what food the district has in the freezer and pantry, and adjust menus to best utilize resources on hand. The program also provides a portal parents and students can access to see weekly menus.
A food management contract would be subject to state bidding requirements, according to Fritcher. To start the process, the district would create a Request for Proposals to solicit bids. If Opaa! Is the successful bidder, the company would offer a five-year fixed price agreement, renewable on an annual basis. Either party would be able to end the contract upon a 90-day notice.
During a public comment period, McKinney alleged Opaa!’s promises have not matched reality in nearby school districts. The head cook at Litchfield, she pointed out, quit soon after Opaa! took over. Pizzas and some other food items, she said, do not match the company’s claims.
“We were told this is not about the money, it’s about the choices,” she said. “If you want more options, someone needs to tell us.”
McKinney said she has been employed by the district in food services since 2002. The proposal to hire an outside food management company, she said, comes as “a slap in the face.”
McKinney predicted problems if the district contracts with Opaa!, particularly in the elementary school.
“I don’t see how our kindergarteners are going to be able to carry their own tray and serve themselves,” she said. “They’re going to drop their trays. We get our kids through the serving line in five minutes so they have time to sit down and eat. When they have to make their own tray, how long do you think that’s going to take?”
McKinney also predicted issues with food sanitation when young children with runny noses and/or dirty hands are expected to serve themselves from the food line.
McKinney said an outside company cannot be expected to know local students like local food service workers know them.
“I watch for a little boy who comes through my line every day because I know he doesn’t get food at home like he does here,” she said. “We’re here for the kids and I don’t think these people are.”
In a somewhat related matter which could facilitate transitioning to an outside food service, the board accepted with “regret” the retirements of head high school/middle school cook Penny Feeley and GHS/GMS cook Janice Hammann, both effective on June 30.
PERSONNEL
The board took action on a number of personnel issues following an executive session of about one hour.
In separate actions, the board voted unanimously to rehire the following fourth-year teachers and grant them tenure for the 2024-25 school year: Nikki Jenner, Katie Lievers, Alex Newton, Pete Visintin and Jacob West.
The following non-tenured staff were hired for the 2024-25 school year: school nurse Rachel Bouillon, fifth grade teacher Radeana Gentzyel, speech pathologist Kaylee Collins, special education teacher Jaiden Braundmeier, kindergarten teacher Jessica Yeager, fist grade teacher Sydney Owsley, band teacher Brad Taulbee, chorus teacher Ben McCullough, Tim Biggs, special education teacher Cory Bonstead, and Dalton Barnes.
On a motion by Peyton Bernot, seconded by Mark Hayes, the board rehired the following tenured teachers for 2024-25: Lorraine Strutner, Jody Dunn, Melissa Bussmann, Tracy Hostettler, Darrick Urban, Kara Saracco, Kelly Lyons, Holly Nejmanowski, Jennifer Parker, Anastasia Hobaugh, Cate Plovich, Amy Price, Nickie Barrett, Jessi Luketich, Mindy Savant, Karissa Smith, Beth Sees, Valerie Jubelt, Carrie Scott, Dana Tieman, Marcia Johns, Colleen Favre, Celia Jubelt, Jamie Schmidt, Nancy Schmidt, Lori Emmons, Vanessa Barrett, Amy Geddes, Lisa Ballinger, Amber Allan, Kim Henderson, Christina Blevins, Chase Peterson, Jessica Kelly, Tammy Garde, Nate Heinrich’s, Casey Edgerton, Kyle Lamar, Stephanie Wilson, Elizabeth Thackery, Shanna Conner, Matthew Browner, Jeremy Smith, Rachelle Prough, Jarrod Herron, Jill Stole, Korben Clark, Kayla Wills, Nikki Browner, Kevin McNichols, Katie Orange, Robert Macias, Casey Sholtis, Jennifer Brown, Jeff Nelhs, Mark Goldasich, Troy Barker, Michelle Smith, Holley McFarland, Michael Bertagnolli, Mary Schuette, Nichole Stoecker, Amy Goldasich, David Edgerton, Ashlee Gibbs, Stuart Ringer, Kelly Bully, Whitney Page and Stephanie Bray.
The board accepted “with regret” the retirement of BenGil Elementary teacher Dana Tieman, effective at the end of the 2027-28 school year. The board also accepted “with regret” the resignation for purposes of retirement of GMS paraprofessional Ella May Roemer, effective at the end of the 2024 fiscal year, and posted the position as vacant.
Board members accepted the resignation of high school paraprofessional Darian Gill, and posted the position as vacant. The board also accepted Gill’s resignation at the GHS/GMS cheerleading coach and posted that position as vacant.
Board members unanimously agreed to post vacancies for the following summer school positions: high school math, English and drivers’ education; middle school math, English and science; and six elementary positions. Additionally, the board posted two summer school food service positions.
The board accepted “with regret” the resignation of long-time GHS head women’s basketball coach Kevin Gray, and posted the position as vacant. The board also accepted the resignation of Korbin Clark as GMS seventh-grade basketball coach and posted the position as vacant.
The board voted unanimously to appoint Elizabeth Eaker as a volunteer assistant dance coach, pending verification of certification and a background check. In separate actions, the board agreed to appoint Foley Seferi and James Bryant a volunteer assistant high school football coaches, pending verification of certification and a background check.
By a unanimous vote, the board accepted the resignation of district custodian Owen Parker, and posted the position as vacant. The board also voted to post vacancies for two full-route bus drivers for the 2024-25 school year, and hired Billie Bowles as a substitute bus driver, pending verification of certification and a background check.
REPAVING
The board awarded a $62,524 contract to DeLaurent Construction Co., Inc., Wilsonville, to repave five district parking lots. DeLaurent was the low bidder for the project. The contract will be paid from proceeds of a $1.6 million alternate revenue bond sale for capital projects.
Supt. Shane Owsley reported that he is starting to gather estimates for other upcoming projects to be underwritten with bond revenue, including a project to refinish the high school gym floor, a project to reline the all-weather track and a major HVAC project.
SURPLUS WEIGHT ROOM EQUIPMENT
On Owsley’s recommendation, the board accepted a list of surplus weight room equipment and agreed to offer the equipment for sale via sealed bids. The equipment, which includes stationary bikes, running machines, free weights, benches, dumbbells and racks, was replaced with new equipment as part of a recently completed project to renovate and re-equip the weight room.
EARLY GRADUATION REQUESTS
On a motion by Bill Carter, seconded by Weye Schmidt, the board unanimously approved early graduation requests for Maria Alger, Eliana Barrios-Madison, Owen Baugh, Gage Bonds, Abby Carter, John Q. Halterman, Eva Hidden, Felicia Lambert, Emma Luckshis, Ashley Markulakis, McKenna Montoro, Kaden Reiffer, Abigail Sharp, Jayden Stangle, Cooper Wentler, Ashton Whitlow and Avery Young. The students will be allowed to graduate at the end of their eleventh year of high school at the end of the current school year, provided all graduation requirements have been met.
DISTRICT FOCUS
During a District Focus segment, the board recognized high school women’s basketball coach Kevin Gray, who is retiring after a career of 16 seasons. High School Principal Jill Rosentreter noted that Gray led this year’s team to the Sectional Tournament in Beardstown after winning their first regional championship since 2012. The team also won its first County Tournament since 2002, and celebrated 26 wins—the most ever.
During the Carlinville Rotary’s All-Star Game, Gray was named Rotary’s Coach of the Year.
“On behalf of CUSD 7 and all you former players, we express much gratitude for your many years of service, dedication, leadership, wisdom and professional demeanor on and off the court,” Rosentreter told Gray.
Also during the District Focus, a group of fifth graders told the board about their recent field trip to Busch Stadium, where they learned about practical math applications and other subjects.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
- Gave final approval to the 2024-25 school calendar, calling for the first day of school attendance on Aug. 14 with the last day of school set for May 29, or earlier if no emergency days are used.
- Approved a schedule of board meeting dates for the coming year. The board will meet in executive session at 6 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month with the open session beginning at 7 p.m. The December meeting is set one week earlier on Dec. 16 to avoid conflict with the winter break.
- Awarded the annual bid to supply fuel to low bidder M & M Service Co., Carlinville.
- Voted to renew the district’s annual membership in the Illinois High School Association.
- Rescheduled the April board meeting from Monday, April 22, to Tuesday, April 23, to avoid a conflict.
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By a vote of 6-1, the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education approved a new three-year contract with the union representing the teaching staff during a special board meeting Monday night.
The action followed an hour-long executive session during which board members discussed contract provisions behind closed doors. Upon returning to open session, Peyton Bernot moved to ratify the contract with a second from Kelli Vesper. The measure passed with Dennis Tiburzi casting the sole negative vote.
Members of the teachers union ratified the contract a week earlier.
The new contract calls for a wage increase of 3.5 percent in addition to the step increase, which averages two percent. Wages will increase 3.25 percent in both the second and third years of the contract, for a total increase of 10 percent over three years. The district’s share of health insurance costs will go from $605 per month plus one-half of the balance to $615 plus one-half of the remaining cost for coverage. In year two, the district’s contribution increases to $625, plus one-half of the balance. The district’s share will increase in the third year to $635, plus one-half of the remaining cost for coverage.
Compensation for coaching and sponsorship duties was increased by $500 per activity. The hourly rate for instructional duties, such as summer school, homebound instruction, etc., is increasing from $30 to $35.
The tiered system of awarding 12 to 18 days of sick leave is now standardized across the board at 12 days. The contract also gives administrators the ability to deny personal day requests if more than seven persons district-wide have requested the same day off.
The new contract was negotiated over a period of several weeks using an innovative negotiating technique called Evidence-Based Negotiations. Both sides of the process were required to provide a rationale for each concession proposed. The less adversarial negotiating program was moderated by a representative from the Illinois Association of School Boards.
Union Secretary Jennifer Parker appeared at Monday night’s meeting to thank the negotiating committee and the board for their work on reaching an agreement.
The district now turns its attention to reaching a contract agreement with non-certificated staff. Action on that contract is likely later this month.
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