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School board amends budget by $300,000, accepts athletic director’s retirement

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Mike Bertagnolli

Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education members on Monday night approved a $300,000 adjustment to the fiscal 2024 district budget, accepted the retirement of long-serving Athletic Director Mike Bertagnolli, and decided, after lengthy debate, to commit nearly $90,000 in grant funds to adding solar panels on the roof of BenGil Elementary School.

Action to adopt the amended budget followed a 10-minute public hearing at the beginning of the meeting during which Supt. Shane Owsley explained the need for adjusting the budget numbers. State law limits district expenditures to whatever is budgeted for specific line items. The budgeting process, however, is complicated by the fact that school districts may not know what revenue will be forthcoming from state and federal sources when the budget is passed in August or September each year. This year, for example, the state has approved about $600,000 in state aid to the district but those funds have not yet been released by the comptroller. Since there is doubt about whether those funds will be released before June 30, Owsley said there is uncertainty about whether that $600,000 should be considered revenue for fiscal 2024, which ends June 30, or for fiscal 2025, which starts July 1.

Additionally, the district’s expenditures exceeded the budget in three specific funds—Transportation, Site and Construction, and Tort—for fiscal 2024. The amended budget increases both expenditures and revenue in those funds to not only cover expenses but provide a slight buffer. The newly amended budget also includes additional revenue in  Education, Debt Service, and Building Operations and Maintenance to provide more of a buffer than originally slated to cover any late bills that could come in after June 30

“Trying to predict revenue and expenditures in August and September is much more difficult than in June,” Owsley quipped. “An amended budget is required anytime you spend more than you expected to spend in August.”

Under the amended budget, revenue for the Transportation Fund is adjusted upward from $924,329 to $933,060. Nearly 95 percent of the budgeted revenue—$884,322—has been received and deposited as of Monday’s meeting. Expenditures for Transportation were upped from 861,359 originally budgeted to $901,359, $872,006 of which has been spent.

Owsley said the increases were necessitated by unexpected personnel costs for additional bus aides and special bus aides, plus the acquisition of new routing software that allows the Transportation Director to efficiently map the most effective routes for drivers to run on their daily routes. Owsley said the software is especially useful now that the district is going to consolidated bus routes to deliver and pick up students and the same time rather than staggered times.

The cost of retaining architectural services for projects resulting from a federal safety grant and from approval of an alternate revenue bond issue precipitated increasing both revenue and expenditures for the Site and Construction budget.  On the revenue side, the budget was increased from $2,054,870 to $2,351,669, reflecting unanticipated revenue from the safety grant and bond issue. Expenditures were increased from $780,000 budgeted last September to $986,229, of which $929,598 has been spent.

Increases in the cost of mine subsidence insurance required the board to boost Tort Fund expenditures from the originally budgeted $453,750 to $509,539, of which $476,366 has been spent. The revenue side of the budget was increased from $282,206 to $286,910.

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The board voted unanimously to adopt the amended budget on a motion by Peyton Bernot, seconded by Amanda Ross.

PERSONNEL

On a motion by Kellie Vesper, seconded by Dennis Tiburzi, the board accepted “with regret” Mike Bertagnolli’s resignation for retirement as Gillespie High School instructor and Athletic Director. The resignation is effective June 30. Board members noted

Bertagnolli was a part of the district’s staff for 19 years. He served the last 13 years as Athletic Director, according to board member Tiburzi, who held that position before Bertagnolli was named. In addition to accepting Bertagnolli’s retirement, the board voted to post the position as vacant.

In other personnel action, all of which followed a one-hour executive session, the board appointed Korben Clark as a high school freshman football coach and hired Jordan Bartok as the head high school women’s volleyball coach, pending a background check and verification of certification.

In separate actions, the board hired Lexie Bussman as the head middle school cheerleading coach, accepted Bussman’s resignations from her position as a BenGil Elementary School one-on-one aid and as a high school assistant volleyball coach, and posted vacancies for both spots.

Board members voted unanimously to hire Emilie Campbell as a district paraprofessional, pending verification of certification and a background check, and hired Olivia VanDoren as a district one-on-one paraprofessional aide, pending verification of certification and a background check.

With separate actions, the board voted unanimously to post as vacant a student services coordinator position, and a high school social science instructor position.

Board members voted unanimously to reappoint the following spring coaches for the upcoming school year: Chase Peterson, middle school boys track; Jacob West, middle school girls track; Casey Fellin, high school women’s soccer; Michael Rodriguez, assistant high school women’s soccer; Lindsay Bearden, volunteer assistant women’s soccer; Jeremy Smith, high school head men’s baseball; Tim Wargo, assistant high school baseball; Adam Tallman, Dan Smith and Tate Wargo, volunteer assistant baseball; Michelle Smith, head women’s softball; Jim Matesa, assistant women’s softball; Joe Kelly, volunteer assistant women’s softball; Alex Ottersburg, assistant men’s track; Korben Clark, head women’s track; Jacob Kellebrew, bass fishing; and Ryan Bussman and J.O. Halterman, volunteer assistant bass fishing.

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CEJA GRANT PROJECT

Board members spent several minutes discussing how to spend nearly $90,000 in grant funds the district is expected to receive as a result of a Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) grant application for which the city of Gillespie applied. CUSD 7 was one of 16 participating taxing bodies to receive grant funds under the city’s joint application. The city will be responsible for disbursing $1.1 million in grant funds to the participating agencies under terms of the grant, which is designed to mitigate against revenue loss resulting from the closure of Shay Mine No. 1.

Owsley said the school district is expected to receive about $98,167, three percent of which will be earmarked for grant adminstration. Spendable revenue from the grant will amount to about $87,000. To get its share of the grant money, the district must complete a project authorized under terms of the grant and apply to the city for reimbursement after the project is completed.

Owsley said he met with City Treasurer Dan Fisher about the grant and learned that Fisher wants documentation about how the district intends to spend its share of the grant by July 1, so he can submit it to the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity by July 15.

“There’s a wide range of things we can do,” Owsley said, but he cautioned some projects could come with “strings attached.” Any project that might require earth moving, such as building a parking lot, would require an environmental student, which could cut into the grant funds. Likewise, altering an existing building would trigger a historical asset study.

While not taking a formal vote, the board authorized Owsley by consensus to indicate to Fisher the district would use its share of the grant to buy solar panels for installation at BenGil Elementary School. The district can circumvent the grant’s requirements for environmental or historical asset studies by earmarking the funds for the acquisition of materials and using the district’s own funds for installation.

“It sounds kind of foolish to eat up funds for environmental testing,” Bill Carter commented.

Bernot indicated the board should opt to buy materials only with grant funds, and use local funds for labor to install them. Additionally, because of the national push to install more solar, the district would be eligible for a 70 percent reimbursement from Ameren in addition to reductions in power usage.

“I think solar is the path of least resistance,” Bernot said.

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Board President Mark Hayes agreed saying the district could avoid unnecessary restrictions on how the money is used, and get 70 percent of the investment back. Recapturing 70 percent of the grant money, plus reducing the school’s power consumption, he said, would provide the greatest benefit to the community.

BenGil Elementary was designed to potentially be energy self-sufficient. The number of solar panels on the roof now currently provides about 10 percent of the energy needed to run the building. Owsley said additional solar power would reduce the building’s reliance on the power grid but would not make the building totally self-sufficient. While self-sufficiency is a goal, Owsley said it would require three acres of solar panels to accomplish that objective.

ASHBY SCHOLARSHIP FUND

The board voted unanimously to authorize Owsley to invest funds from the Ashby Family Trust in nine-month certificates of deposit earning five percent interest. The funds currently are in a money market account earning only 1.25 percent. Owsley said the goal is to maximize the return on the memorial funds, which are used to fund three annual scholarships named for members of the Ashby family.

FOOD AND MILK BIDS

In separate actions, the board voted unanimously to accept Prairie Farms Dairy’s bid to supply milk products for the 2024-25 school year, and Kohl’s Wholesale, Quincy, to provide bread products. Kohl’s Wholesale also was the successful bidder to provide food commodities for the school lunch program. Kohl’s bid reportedly includes options for fresh fruits and vegetables, and Owsley said district cooks are expected to meet with Kohl’s representatives soon to discuss offering more options of food choices to students.

INSURANCE BID

The board voted to renew health care coverage with Blue Cross-Blue Shield, with a premium increase of about five percent for the same coverage.

CONSOLIDATED PLAN AND HANDBOOKS

The board unanimously approved a Consolidated District Plan. Owsley said the plan basically is a formality the district must have in place to maintain eligibility for certain grant funds.

In separate actions, the board also approved teachers’ handbook and a coaches’ handbook for the 2024-25 school year.

BOARD MEETING CHANGE

The board voted unanimously to move the regular July meeting of the board from July 22 to Monday, July 15, presumably to facilitate filling vacancies prior to the upcoming school year.

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CUSD 7 News

Miners girls basketball clinch SCC championship

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In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.

The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.

From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.

Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.

Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.

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Gillespie teen wins drive safe Chicago video contest

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Wins $2,000 Prize and Video She Created will Air on 160 TV Stations Nationwide

CHICAGO – Emily Bergen, 16, a student at Gillespie High School in Gillespie, has won the annual Drive Safe Chicago public service announcement contest.  Antonio Knott, 15, of Merrillville High School in Merrillville IN, placed second in the voting, and Noelani Elizalde, 17, also from Merrillville High School, was third. 

Sponsored by the National Road Safety Foundation in partnership with the Chicago Auto Show, teens from Illinois and surrounding states were invited to submit ideas for a 30-second PSA about sharing the road with other passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles and pedestrians.

Three finalists were selected and each worked with an Emmy Award-winning producer to transform their PSA submissions into 30-second TV public service announcements.  The public was then able to vote for their favorite online.  More than 1,400 online votes were cast.

The winner received $2,000 and will be featured on nationally-syndicated Teen Kids News, reaching more than 160 TV stations across the country. The first runner-up got $1,000 and the second runner-up won $500.  All three finalists’ teachers received $100 gift cards.

Bergen’s winning PSA shows a young driver starting her car and pressing a “share the road” button.  As she drives, an AI voice warns her of a bicyclist, a pedestrian and children in a school zone. The voice then reminds her, “Cars don’t come with devices like me, which is why you need to know how to share the road.”

“The carnage on our roads can be reduced if drivers remain aware of others who share the road,” said Michelle Anderson of The National Road Safety Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes safe driving. “We think the creative ideas about sharing the road from our Drive Safe Chicago winner and runners-up convey that message effectively.”

“Although today’s new cars are safer than ever, with technological advances that are proven to help avoid crashes,” said Chicago Auto Show Chairwoman Kelly Webb Roberts, “drivers must still be aware of others they are sharing the road with, whether it’s a car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle or pedestrians.”

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The National Road Safety Foundation says driver error accounts for 94 percent of all fatal crashes, with speeding and driver distraction among the leading factors.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 40,990 people died on U.S. roads and highways in 2023, with hundreds of thousands of injuries and an estimated annual cost of more than $340 billion.

View Bergen’s winning video below:

Bergen’s video is also featured center on the National Road Safety Foundation’s website with the runners-up videos to the right and to the left: https://m.shortstack.page/NLxMqT

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School board bans local man from school property, parents make case for school-funded cross country

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Speaking on behalf of about 20 parents who attended the meeting, Dustin Fletcher, Benld, asked the board to consider converting the cross-county program from a parent-funded program to a school-funded one.

Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Monday night heard a plea from cross-county parents to make the program school-funded, rather than parent-funded, and voted unanimously to ban a local man from school property, meetings and events following an incident on the CUSD 7 from earlier in January.

Speaking on behalf of about 20 parents who attended the meeting, Dustin Fletcher, Benld, asked the board to consider converting the cross-county program from a parent-funded program to a school-funded one. Board President Mark Hayes said the board would refer the issue to Supt. Shane Owsley for a recommendation, but he cautioned that the district has “a couple of parent-funded sports that have been parent-funded a lot longer than cross-country.”

Fletcher said the high school cross-country program started in 2021, followed by a middle school program a year later. Both programs have grown from a handful of participants to a robust and successful program this past year. For 2024, the high school program began with eight girls and 10 boys. The middle school program fielded eight girls and eight boys.

According to Fletcher, the athletes compete as a team as well as individuals.

“There’s more than one way for a kid to experience growth,” he said. “They can compete as a team but also challenge themselves.”

In addition, Fletcher said cross-country participants can pursue their sport long after graduation.

“Some kids don’t get to play their sport after high school, if they don’t make the team in college,” he noted. “Cross-country kids can run the rest of their lives.” Running as adults has multiple benefits, he said, including physical fitness and improved mental health.

Fletcher reported the 2024 season was the teams’ most successful. The middle school girls were Southwestern Invitational champions, and Harper Thackery qualified for state. At the high school level, the girls team produced two all-conference designees. The girls team also placed sixth at Regionals and advanced to Sectionals. The boys team was Conference Champions, placed third at Regionals and advanced to Sectionals. The boys produced five All-Conference runners. Despite losing one of the team’s strongest runners for medical reasons, the boys placed sixth at Sectionals and advanced to State, where they placed 27th. Chaz Oberkfell had an outstanding season, with eight meet victories, and championships at the Conference, Sectional and State levels. Oberkfell posted the fastest time in Gillespie High School history, and was the first two-time All State in the school’s history. He was the first State Champion in GHS, Macoupin County, and Conference history.

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With the teams’ success this past season, Fletcher said the school should be able to start charging admission to meets to help defray the costs. “It’s the most interactive sport for parents and spectators,” he said.

Ceanna Bearden with a photo of her art entry, “Infinite Rust,” which earned a Silver Key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program.

Fletcher estimated the annual basic costs associated with the middle school and high school programs at about $13,375, including entry fees for 14 meets, coaching stipends and transportation. Additionally, the programs could incur incidental or variable expenses of $5,300 for uniforms, hosting costs, coaching clinics and a tent the team occasionally uses. The variable expenses also include $1,000 for lodging and food to participate in the State meet.

“That’s an expense I hope you have every year,” Fletcher joked.

He said parents would continue their role as sports boosters, raising money for all school-funded sports programs. Those fundraising activities include a run-a-thon, bake sales, concession revenues, t-shirt sales, and donations. 

Dean Plovich, one of the parents attending in support of the proposal, noted that the program does not have a field to maintain, making it less expensive than most other sport programs.

Hayes told the group the board would refer the issue to Owsley for a recommendation at a later date.

LOCAL MAN BANNED FROM PROPERTY

On a motion by Weye Schmidt, seconded by Peyton Bernot, the board voted unanimously to ban Steve Laurent from school property, meetings and events for the remainder of the calendar year in connection with a Jan. 9 incident at BenGil Elementary School. 

Laurent is accused of “exhibiting improper conduct and behavior, including yelling, use of profanity, and eventually threatening the District’s superintendent,” according to a statement prepared by the School District and made available to the public in compliance with state law. Gillespie Police Chief Jared DePoppe confirmed a police report was filed in connection with the incident but declined to release details pending a decision from the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s office regarding whether or not to file criminal charges.

A Gillespie police officer attended Monday night’s meeting, presumably as a precaution.

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The incident apparently is related to Laurent’s concerns over elementary students waiting outside for buses or to be picked up during cold weather. A consent agenda accepted by the board indicated Laurent had filed Freedom of Information Act requests for video evidence recorded between 2:35 and 2:50 on Jan. 9 on the north side of BenGil Elementary School where first grade students are released, along with a copy of the district’s cold weather policy.

PERSONNEL

After a 45-minute executive session to discuss personnel and other issues, the board voted unanimously to approve the district’s seniority list for both certificated and non-certificated employees. 

On a motion by Weye Schmidt, seconded by Peyton Bernot, the board extended Supt. Owsley’s contract by one-year. The superintendent is subject to a three-year contract, meaning his new contract is extended to the 2027-28 school year. The board conducted a performance review in executive session during last month’s meeting.

In separate actions, the board approved maternity leaves for Radeano Gertzyel and Alexandria Newton, both of whom are teachers at BenGil Elementary School. Both leaves are set to start approximately May 5.

Jordan Bartok was employed by a unanimous vote as a coordinator for a grant-funded Gear-Up program designed to help prepare students for college, trade school or a career.

Sydney Wilson with her honorable mention entry, “Shoot for the Sky”, in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program.

Board members accepted the resignation of part-time cafeteria worker Brittany Harbison, effective Jan. 23, and voted to post a vacancy for a three-hour cafeteria position. 

Michael Otten was appointed as an assistant coach for the parent-funded women’s soccer program, pending a routine background check.

DISCLOSURE REPORT 

Supt. Owsley briefly discussed contents of a financial disclosure statement mandated by the Securities Exchange Act in connection with various bonds issued by the school district. 

Among the data included in the report are outstanding general obligation bonded debt in the amount of $9.36 million, and alternate revenue bonded debt totaling about $1.6 million. Owsley said the report suggests the district may wish to refinance general obligation bonded debt to extend the life of bonds by one year, meaning the bonds would be retired in 2036.

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The report shows ending balances for all funds at the end of the 2024 fiscal year totaling $15,313,418—nearly double the $8,191.723 the district had on hand at the end of the 2019 fiscal year.

Owsley noted a steady growth in the district’s total equalized assessed valuation from $74,961,151 in 2019 to $103,564,334 in 2023. Additionally, the total property tax rate has fallen from $4.17412 in 2019 to $3.34525 in 2023. The property tax rate for CUSD 7, Owsley said, is “one of the lowest in the county.”

State aid provides the lion’s share of funding for the local education system at 58.09 percent. Federal money covers 22.65 percent of the costs, while local sources (including property taxes) account for 19.26 percent.

DISTRICT FOCUS

During a District Focus segment early in the meeting, GHS Principal Jill Rosentreter and GMS Principal Patrick McGinty recognized art students who placed in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards program. The 100-year-old program recognizes students nationwide for artistic endeavors.

Local students competed in the Mid-Central Illinois region. A total of 728 entries were received from 28 school districts. Only 257 entries were accepted into the juried art show. Gold Keys were awarded the creators of 52 pieces; 66 pieces earned Silver Keys and 139 were recognized as honorable mentions.

CUSD 7 students who placed in the competition include:

  • Ceanna Bearden, Silver Key for a piece titled “Infinite Rust,” and honorable mention for a piece titled “Mowgli.”
  • Reanna Compton, honorable mention for a piece titled “Can’t I Do Something?”
  • Abigail Sharp, honorable mention for a piece titled “tic-tax-toe waffle.”
  • Lila Shuey, Silver Key, for a piece titled “Nature Vessel.”
  • Jayden Stangle, Silver Key, for a piece titled “By the Shore.”
  • Sydney Wilson, honorable mentions for photos titled “Bleacher Maze” and “Shoot for the Sky.”

Both Rosentreter and McGinty thanked art instructors Nikki Browner and Casey Edgerton for guiding and inspiring the student artists.

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