Community News
School Board recognizes Middle School Volleyball team for raising money to help families in need at Christmas
Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Monday night recognized members of the Gillespie Middle School girls volleyball team for their efforts to raise money to aid needy local families during the Christmas holidays. The board applauded the girls for raising $700 in 2018 and $1,000 for 2019.
With three members absent, the board barely mustered a quorum for the relatively brief monthly meeting. Board President Mark Hayes and members Weye Schmidt, Jenni Alepra and Don Dobrino took action on routine matters, personnel issues and discussed a new program to accelerate certification training for high school teachers.
Supt. Joe Tieman lauded the volleyball team members for generating $1,000 to help struggling families at Christmas.
“Do you know what $1,000 can mean to a family living in a camper with no running water, a single mother with seven children, a family where both parents have been laid off in the past month, a single dad who says I can fix my car to get to work and feed my family or I can buy Christmas for my children, I can’t do both?” Tieman said. “I can’t thank you enough. The lesson you’ve learned from your coaches and parents is a lifelong lesson that you will never forget—that there are people out there who are less fortunate than you and a lot of the time, they are too proud to ask for help.”
Tieman said administrators and staff decided several years ago that buying gift cards to exchange with one another at Christmas was a “waste of money.”
“We decided to take our money and try to make a positive impact on as many families as possible,” he said.
In 2018, he said the school identified three or four families who were “good families and good parents” who had fallen on hard times and were struggling financially during the holidays. He said he distributed money to those families in time for them to use the cash to buy Christmas dinner or Christmas gifts. Many times, he said the families emotionally accepted the donation, saying they were surprised to know someone cared enough to seek them out.
Upon returning home, he said he received a call from one of the volleyball coaches who told him the team had raised $700 to add to the fund. “I called Mrs. (Jill) Rosentreter and told her ‘Hey, we’ve got another $700’,” he recalled, “‘We can do a couple more families’.”
Including the team’s $1,000 donation, the school district distributed $2,500.
“You raised about 40 percent of that total,” Tieman told the girls.
GOLDEN APPLE ACCELERATED TEACHING CERTIFICATION
Tieman asked the board to take under advisement the possibility of participating in a Golden Apple Foundation program designed to accelerate the educational process to certify new teachers. Formal action is expected in February.
Tieman said the Golden Apple Foundation is known for providing scholarships for college students pursuing teaching degrees. Part of the scholarship program requires students to teach four years in a school district in need of teachers in their chosen field of specialization. Many schools have trouble hiring teachers for math, science and Spanish classes, he said.
Under the Foundation’s new program, a paraprofessional interested in pursuing a teaching degree can apply for a $30,000 tuition stipend to participate in an accelerated teaching degree program. Participants will complete much of the coursework online but would need to be on campus one day a week. Both Blackburn College and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville are partnering with Golden Apple to implement the program.
To participate in the program, the school district would be required to release the person seeking a degree one day a week, which would require the district to hire a substitute paraprofessional for that day. Tieman said the cost to the district for one participant for one year would be about $4,000.
Additionally, if the district hired the newly certificated teacher, it would commit to spending about $5,000 for professional mentoring.
Tieman said at least one district paraprofessional has expressed an interest in participating in the program.
He said he will ask the board to vote on whether or not to participate during the board’s regular monthly meeting in February.
“It’s not a big financial investment and I think it’s a good investment,” Tieman said.
MACOUPIN CONSORTIUM GRANT
Tieman said he also will ask the board to vote on whether or not approve a project to improve vocational education facilities using matching grant money available to the district through a $399,000 state grant recently awarded to the Macoupin County Vocational Education Consortium. The consortium includes six county school districts. Tieman noted that State Sen. Andy Manar was instrumental in securing the grant.
Tieman said the existing vocational building needs a new roof with a preliminary estimated price tag of $100,000 to $125,000. For that project, if approved, the district would apply for a matching grant of $50,000. The Carlinville school district is the fiscal agent for administering the grant and would reimburse the Gillespie district the $50,000 after completion of the project.
Tieman said the board may also be asked to consider building an addition to the vocational building and/or reconfiguring the interior floor plan to make better use of the space.
Tieman also reported that the Schmidt Family Foundation recently donated $25,000 to the district’s technology needs for educational purposes, and the Mustang Football program donated $1,500 earmarked for updating the school’s weight training room.
PERSONNEL
On a motion by Schmidt, seconded by Alepra, the board voted unanimously to extend Tieman’s contract by one year.
The board also voted unanimously to hire Jessica Kelly as a high school volunteer track coach, and Jim Matesa as a middle school assistant softball coach.
Board members voted unanimously to post vacancies for a Title I teacher and a district custodian.
OTHER ACTION
The board approved a packet of school policies recommended by the Illinois Association of School Boards, but upon Tieman’s recommendation excluded a section dealing with the administration of medical marijuana to students by parents or staff. Under current law, Tieman said, including that particular policy could jeopardize the district’s access to federal funds which account for a sizable percentage of the district’s budget.
The board also accepted the lower of two bids to supply motor vehicle fuel for the calendar year. The successful bidder, M & M Services, offered a fixed bid of $2.343 for gasoline and $2.677 for biodiesel.
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2:18 Missions, a nonprofit focused on home repair projects in the Gillespie area and humanitarian efforts at Henderson Settlement in Frakes, Kentucky, has launched a spring food drive to support families served by the Henderson Settlement Food Pantry. The pantry assists low-income families across five counties in the Appalachian region, where a steady supply of nourishing food is essential.
The organization emphasizes that no donation is too small or too large. Right now, all contributions received from now through the first week of April will directly fund food for families in need. It costs roughly $35 to provide food for a family of four for an entire month, a goal that this drive aims to meet for as many families as possible.
Donations can be made in several convenient ways. Checks or cash may be given to any 2:18 Missions team member. For those who prefer digital options, donations are accepted via Venmo or PayPal at 2:18 Missions Nfp. Community members are also encouraged to follow and engage with updates on the 2:18 Missions Facebook page.
2:18 Missions stresses that every contribution, regardless of size, makes a tangible difference in the lives of families working to make ends meet in the mountains of Kentucky and the residents of Gillespie who support their neighbors in need. The organization invites the public to join in this effort and to help spread the word through social media and word of mouth.
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The Gillespie Public Library invites the community to its 13th annual Night of Trivia and Games, a popular evening of competition, camaraderie, and cash prizes. The event is set for Saturday, March 28, 2025, with doors opening at 6:15 p.m. and play beginning at 7 p.m. at the Gillespie Civic Center.
Attendees can expect a safe, social night out as organizers have arranged tables to accommodate social distancing, ensuring guests can enjoy the fun in a comfortable setting. The evening features prizes for first, second, and third place, along with a 50-50 drawing and other assorted cash games and prizes.
In keeping with the event’s lighthearted spirit, there will be no silent auction. Organizers emphasize that the goal is “Only laughs and fun,” with a chance to win money while enjoying a friendly competition format.
Entry is a $100 team fee, with a maximum of 10 players per team. Participants are encouraged to pre-register by March 25 to guarantee a table. Registration options include mailing a form to Gillespie Public Library, 201 W Chestnut, Gillespie, IL 62033; calling the library at 217-839-3614; or contacting Steve Joyce at 217-839-2839.
For those interested in joining or learning more, team captains should designate a contact person and provide a reachable phone number during registration.
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The estate of the late Lindell and Jean Loveless, longtime Macoupin County pork producers, has made generous equal gifts to The Partnership for Educational Excellence in Gillespie CUSD #7 and to the Carlinville CUSD #1 Education Foundation. The gifts come from the remainder of a family trust established to ensure high-quality end-of-life care and were divided upon Jean Loveless’s passing, with equal shares allocated to the education foundations in each district.
Tim Loveless, local businessman and son of Lindell and Jean, emphasized the family’s enduring commitment to education and practical life skills. “It was my parents’ desire to use these remaining funds to support and enhance career and technical education programs in our schools,” Loveless said. He recalled his family’s deep roots in hard work and the value of life skills, noting that “the spirit of this gift is to prepare students for life in general, and to prepare them to earn a living by learning a trade.”
“The bottom half of the class,” Tim continued, “needs financial education and practical skills. A person can learn and earn their way to success.” He described his parents’, grandparents’, and great-grandparents’ diverse ventures—from farming and cattle to turkey production, nursing homes, meat processing, swine production, and subdivisions—and underscored that high formal education is not the sole path to success, but motivation and skill are crucial. He expressed hope that the gift will help school districts boost opportunities for students who may doubt their ability to succeed.
John Fassero, Jr., president of The Partnership for Educational Excellence in CUSD7, welcomed the gift as a strong alignment with the Partnership’s mission. “This Loveless family gift is a perfect fit for the established goals and policies of The Partnership,” Fassero said.
Since its founding in 1992, The Partnership has awarded nearly 600 scholarships based on goals and hard work rather than GPA or class rank. Fassero noted that the organization has several scholarships targeted to the trades, and that nearly 20 scholars have pursued trade school education in the past four years alone. “In addition, two-thirds of The Partnership’s giving is directed to curriculum enhancement across all three schools and in all specialties, including shop and FFA,” Fassero added.
