Community News
School board recognizes MPACT’D, puts proposed budget on public view
Luke Hatlee, Levi Hatlee, Alissa McDaniel and Klarissa Mul are wearing the t-shirt design that won first place at the national conference this summer.
The Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Monday night recognized the recent accomplishments of MPACT’D, a group of high school students devoted to promoting safe driving habits, voted to place this year’s proposed budget on public view and briefly discussed results of a state-mandated “Five Essentials” survey to measure individual school’s readiness to implement school improvement strategies.
MPACT’D faculty sponsor Jennifer Brown accompanied for of the groups members to report on national awards the group won during a July conference in Vermont, recent activities and future plans. The group received three national awards during the annual American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association held July 19-24 in Burlington, Vermont. Alissa McDaniel, Chance Reiniesch and Brianne Mull joined more than 150 high school students from throughout the nation for the event, Brown said. Upward of 400 driver’s education teachers also attended the conference.
Brown said MPACT’D (Miners Preparing and Caring for Teen Driving) was award first place in the nation for a Community Service Project, in recognition of “The Road to Reality,” a program centered around a mock crash scenario held last year at the Gillespie Civic Center. In addition to reaching local students, students from area schools also were invited to participate.
The group also won first place for Best T-Shirt Design for a t-shirt created by Klarissa Mull. MPACT’D was recognized with a third-place award for Outstanding Youth Group.
Brown said the group has been invited to present portions of the Road to Recovery presentation during the Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD) national conference next June. During the current school year, the group has been challenged to work on establishing a statewide association of Student Safety Programs. Illinois currently has no statewide association of student safety organizations.
“I didn’t expect to have an opportunity like this,” McDaniel told the board. “It was such a great experience to get to know other groups.” She thanked the board and administration for providing funding for the students to make the trip. Other students attending the board meeting were Mull, who designed the first-place t-shirt, Luke Hatlee and Levi Hatlee.
“I’m super proud of them,” said Brown. “I hope you continue to support us as we go forward.”
Supt. Joe Tieman told the students they are getting invaluable experience in community service and public speaking. “You are great representatives of our school,” he said. “National recognition of your efforts says a lot about you.
PROPOSED BUDGET
On a motion by Becky Hatlee, seconded by Weye Schmidt, the board voted to place a proposed budget for the current fiscal year on file for public review for a minimum of 30 days. Tieman said he would make a more detailed presentation about the budget during the September meeting of the board at which time to board will be asked to approve the final budget.
The $14.6 million tentative budget is deemed “balanced” and includes no provisions for a deficit spending reduction plan. Based on current projections, Tieman said he expects the district to end the fiscal year with an aggregate balance of about $8 million among all funds.
He emphasized that the budget is a “plan” that could be impacted by any emergencies that occur during the the fiscal year. An anticipated increase in state funding, he said, will be “pretty well gobbled up by salary increases.”
Revenue and expenditures are balanced in some funds by shifting funds from line items that are flush with cash to funds that lack enough revenue to cover expenses. “An example would be Operations and Maintenance,” he said. “I can only levy for $300,000, but we spend half a million. That additional $200,000 has to come from elsewhere.”
The proposed budget will be available for review by members of the public until the next regular meeting of the board.
FIVE ESSENTIALS SURVEY
The board listened to several minutes of discussion by building principals regarding a “Five Essentials” Survey to assess each school’s readiness to plan and implement strategies to improve educational opportunities for students. Created by researchers at the University of Chicago, the survey requires administrators to collect data from teachers, students and parents. The survey assigns scores from 1 to 100 for “five essentials” believed to facilitate school improvement—Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Ambitious Instruction, Involved Families and Supportive Environment. Participation in the program is required by the Illinois State Board of Education.
“Schools that are at or above benchmark on three or more essentials are 10 times more likely to improve their schools than schools that are below the benchmarks,” according to the ISBE website.
Survey results discussed Monday night were from 2018. According to the survey Gillespie High School was “organized for improvement.” That rating is the second highest possible and is a step up from survey results in 2017, according to High School Principal Shane Owsley. The school earned an above average ratings of 66 for Collaborative Teachers and 65 for Effective Leaders. The school was assigned average scores of 54 for Ambitious Instruction, 48 for Involved Families and 40 for Supportive Environment.
Owsley said results of the survey will be used as a “guideline for the leadership team” in planning and implementing school improvement plans.
According to the survey, Gillespie Middle School is “partially organized for improvement” with an above average score of 61 for Ambitious Instruction, scores of 59 for Effective Leaders and 44 for Collaborative Teachers, and below average ratings of 34 for both Involved Families and Supportive Environment.
GMS Principal Jill Rosentreter said the survey documented improvement in the area of Collaborative Teaching from 2017 to 2018. She said the school now has a faculty leadership team that has been working all summer and will continue to work this year to focus improvement efforts on areas such as math where GMS students have scored relatively low on assessment tests.
“We’re celebrating the good stuff,” Rosentreter said of the survey, “and we’re targeting those lower scores.”
BenGil Elementary School received above average scores of 77 for Supportive Environment and 65 for Ambitious Instruction, an average score of 47 for Effective Leaders, and below average scores of 36 for Involved Families and 26 for Collaborative Teachers.
Elementary Principal Angela Sandretto said the lackluster score for Collaborative Teachers may have been due to vague or ambiguous questions on the survey questionnaire.
Tieman said the ISBE has approved two other alternative surveys that he wants to review to see if they might be more applicable to schools in the local school district.
Interested persons can read the survey results, including supplemental data, by visiting the ISBE website.
MINE SUBSIDENCE INSURANCE
Upon Tieman’s recommendation, the board voted to buy earthquake insurance for school properties at a cost of $59,823 for the year and mine subsidence insurance at a cost of $21,284. The two premiums total $12,000 more than what the district paid last year and provides $22 million in property damage coverage.
Tieman said the premium increase is not unexpected since only three or four companies in the United States offer mine subsidence insurance of any kind. Several years ago, there were no companies offering such insurance. He said former Supt. Paul Skeans tried to buy subsidence insurance for the Benld Elementary School and could find no domestic insurers that would write a policy. At the time the Benld School was damaged by mine subsidence, the only insurance payments the school was entitled to collect was $35,000 from the Illinois Mine Subsidence Insurance Fund. That limit has since been raised to $70,000.
“I don’t want to pay a $12,000 increase but if we don’t we would have a high school and middle school with no insurance coverage at all,” Tieman said.
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Tieman reported to the board that the project to revamp that “hairpin” turn-around in front of the middle school and improve drainage is nearing completion.
“The city has been fantastic,” Tieman said, noting that city crews have replaced culverts and cleaned ditches in conjunction with the project. He said he went to the site following a recent weekend rain and was pleased to see water draining efficiently. “If you come out after a three-inch rain, you’ll see water in the ditch but in three or four hours it’s gone. I’ve been very happy with that.”
In view of the city’s cooperation, he said he would like to have a ribbon cutting ceremony sometime after the project is complete.
Tieman also reported that the Mount Olive School District is considering terminating its cooperative agreement with CUSD 7 for high school wrestling. Part of the issue is that the enrollments of the two schools together elevate the program from A competition to AA. If local students show interest in joining a wrestling program in the future, Tieman said the agreement could be restarted.
Tieman asked individual board members to consider whether they would like to attend an Illinois Association of School Boards conference in November in Chicago. He said the school used to routinely send interested board members to the conference but eliminated the practice during lean budget years.
“From a budgetary standpoint I think we are in a position to send board members again if they choose to do so,” Tieman said. He said the cost would range from 1,800 to 2,000 to pay for registration, travel expenses and lodging. He called the conference a “learning experience” during which board members can choose from hundreds of seminars and presentations to attend. “I think we should send any board member who wants to go.”
Both Schmidt and Dennis Tiburzi immediately declined the offer.
BOYS SOCCER GAME
Without taking formal action, the board informally gave High School Principal Owsley permission to approach the Litchfield School District, with which CUSD 7 cooperates for boys soccer, with an offer for Litchfield to host a home game if it would like to do so. Owsley said he was approached by the local soccer coach who wanted to give Litchfield an opportunity to host a game as “sort of an olive branch” to recognize the district’s cooperation with Gillespie.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
- Agreed to hire Jason Menendez as a volunteer golf coach.
- Hired Mike Smith as a full-route bus driver.
- Posted a vacant position for a four-hour playground/cafeteria paraprofessional.
- Approved a transportation agreement with the Jerseyville School District to transport a local student who is deaf to the Illinois School for the Deaf in Jacksonville for classes.
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Ye Olde Christmas is the theme of the Macoupin County Historical Society’s annual Christmas Show, which will be held Friday through Sunday, December 5–7, at the John C. Anderson Home and Museum, 920 West Breckenridge in Carlinville.
“The Christmas Show is one of the most magical times to visit the Anderson Home,” said MCHS Board Member and House Manager Brandy England. “Some families make it an annual Christmas tradition to visit the Anderson Home when it is decorated for Christmas. It’s a great opportunity to get into the Christmas spirit and pick up some ideas for decorating your own home for the holidays.”
MCHS member Kendra Mize, of Bunker Hill, who has coordinated the decorating effort for more than two decades, has again marshalled a small army of volunteers to decorate all 13 rooms of the home. Each room features a themed Christmas tree, along with mantle pieces, centerpieces, tabletop decor, garlands and florals, and other special touches.
The home will be open for self-guided tours from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, December 5; from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 6; and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 7.
“We’re very excited to offer for the first time candlelight tours from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday,” said Shawna Ashby, who serves as a co-manager with England. “Viewing the decorated home by candlelight promises to be a magical experience.”
The final candlelight tours on Friday and Saturday start at 7:30 p.m. Admission to the home is five dollars for adults and one dollar for children ages five to 12, with four-year-olds and younger admitted free of charge.
The Anderson Home Gift Shop will be open during tour hours, offering one-of-a-kind gift items and stocking stuffers. Santa Claus will be on hand in the downstairs parlor to greet children and listen to their Christmas wishes from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 6.
While the decorated home is the centerpiece of the Christmas Show, several other features on the Historical Society’s grounds will be open. The Red Barn will be open and serving hearty beef stew, chili, homemade pies, and warming holiday beverages such as wassail and hot chocolate on Friday and Saturday.
The General Store and Print Shop will be decorated and open to the public, with the Print Shop offering its popular handmade Christmas cards and other items produced in the shop; kids can print their own blank “Santa List” to keep track of their Christmas wishes.
“The General Store offers unique gift items, including some small antiques, for shoppers to peruse,” England noted.
Local blacksmiths will demonstrate their craft in the MCHS Blacksmith Shop located on the north side of the Historical Society Grounds, with wrought iron gift items, including stocking hooks and decorative pieces, available for purchase.
The Macoupin County Historical Society’s Christmas Show runs concurrently with the Carlinville Christmas Market and Downtown Christmas events, and a free trolley and shuttle buses include the Anderson Home as a regular stop during the festivals, enabling visitors to ride from the square or the Macoupin County Fairgrounds to the Historical Society grounds.
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Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Monday night voted to approve a property tax levy request totaling $3,920,295 for 2025 property taxes payable in 2026. Because of tax caps and other factors, however, the district expects to collect only an estimated $3,786,607 of the requested amount.
In addition to acting on the tax levy, the board also held a lengthy discussion regarding annual district “report cards” issued by the Illinois State Board of Education to assess school performance from last year, approved a high school band/choir performance trip to Chicago in March, and agreed to apply for a school maintenance grant of up to $50,000 in matching funds.
The new proposed levy exceeds last year’s tax extension of $3,599,569 by more than $320,726—an increase of about nine percent if the levy were to be approved at the county level. The more realistic anticipation of $3,786,607 exceeds last year’s extension by $187,038, or an increase of about three percent. A Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), approved by Macoupin County voters in 1995, restricts increases in the levy to five percent or the federal Consumer Price Index (CPI), whichever is less. This year’s CPI is estimated at 2.9 percent.
The approved levy seeks $1,650,000 for the Education Fund while expecting to realize $1,653,831; $450,229 for Operations & Maintenance, while anticipating $438,041; $200,000 for Transportation while expecting $180,434; $35,000 for Working Cash while expecting $42,602; $174,700 for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund while anticipating $117,788; $154,101 for Social Security while expecting $105, 248; $247,264 for Tort while anticipating $240,570; and $33,501 for Special Education while expecting $32,593. For Bond and Interest, which is not subject to PTELL, the district is levying $975,500 while anticipating the same amount.
Local property tax revenue accounts for about 20 percent of the district’s overall annual budget.
Because the levy request exceeds 105 percent of the previous year’s extension, a public hearing is required. That hearing is scheduled at the start of the board’s regular December meeting at 6 p.m., Monday, Dec. 15. In the meantime, the proposed levy is available for public inspection on the district’s website and in the district office.
Using a PowerPoint presentation, Owsley emphasized the levy request is essentially a wish list for what the district would like to raise through property taxes.
“The levy is the ‘Christmas list’ I talk about every year,” Owsley said. “If you don’t put it on the list, you’re not going to get it.”
Projecting what the district can legally seek under tax caps can be challenging because the district’s total equalized assessed valuation will not be confirmed until after Jan. 1 while state law requires the district to file its levy request before the end of December. For that reason, local school districts routinely file requests that exceed what they actually expect to receive in property tax revenue, and rely on the County Clerk to adjust the request to the maximum amount the district can receive.
“Because of tax caps, we have one shot to capture increases in the EAV and new construction,” Owsley said. “If we don’t do that, we lose it in perpetuity.”
To calculate the new levy, Owsley projected a 15.12 percent increase in the EAV—nearly double the previous year’s rate of increase. By overestimating the EAV growth, the district expects to capture the entire increase in assessed valuation when that number is finally determined.
“Even though we know the EAV will likely be around the historical average, we base our levy on a much higher amount so as not to lose revenue from new growth,” Owsley told the board. “We can do this without running the risk of overtaxing taxpayers because the district will receive no more than what we are entitled to by law.”
Owsley said relatively stable increases in EAV have resulted in a steadily declining tax rate. Since 2014 when the rate was $4.24 per $100 in EAV, the rate has fallen to $3.20 for 2024. In other words, the county can use a lower rate to generate the extension to which the district is entitled because the value of taxable property has increased.
“As long as the EAV goes up by more than the Consumer Price Index, our tax rates are going to go down,” Owsley noted.
SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT CARDS
The board spent several minutes discussing recently released school report cards issued by the Illinois State Board of Education. Interested persons can view local report cards by visiting https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
All three attendance centers received a “Commendable” designation, meaning there are no student groups that are underperforming academically, and the high school graduation rate exceeds 67 percent. Last year, BenGil Elementary School achieved an “Exemplary” designation—the top designation a school can achieve.
Elementary Principal Angela Sandretto said administrators knew the school would not earn an Exemplary rating, even though students are state average in English/language arts, math and science. The Report Card designations are based on growth rather than academic performance. With students already exceeding state standards last year, the opportunity for growth was limited.
Assistant Principal Tara Cooper agreed, noting BenGil Elementary’s student performance is in the upper half of schools statewide that are meeting academic standards. “So, while we are not ‘Exemplary,’ we’re very happy with where we are.”
Supt. Owsley told the board the State Board of Education is working on revamping the assessment system because of the growth vs. performance issue. “That’s why they’re redoing all of this because they are penalizing schools for meeting goals,” he said.
For Gillespie Middle School, the report card shows students meeting or exceeding state averages in math and science but significantly lagging in English/language arts.
“ELA is our most concerning area,” Principal Patrick McGinthy told the board, “along with absenteeism.” The report card shows a chronic absenteeism rate of 25 percent, but Owsley and other administrators said the rate is exacerbated by the State Board of Education including nearly all absences whether or not they are excused.
Rosentreter noted the State Board will allow a student to be absent five days for illness without a doctor’s excuse. On the sixth day, however, the absence is unexcused unless the parent or guardian provides a doctor’s slip. Many parents, however, are reluctant to pay for a doctor’s visit for a child that is suffering from a minor illness.
McGinthy said Middle School teachers are attempting to address the deficiency in English/language arts by increasing writing exercises and requiring students to write in conjunction with other curriculum areas.
Rosentreter noted that the assessment standards for high schools differ from the standards for elementary and middle schools in that the State Board emphasizes graduation rates. For Gillespie, the graduation rate is an impressive 86 percent, though chronic absenteeism checks in at 31 percent.
“Math is definitely our shining star,” Rosentreter said, noting the school scored 17.8 points compared with the state average of 18. The school performed less well in the areas of English/language arts and science, scoring 16 points on ELA compared with the state score of 18 and 17.2 points compared with the state average of 19.
The report cards are based on results for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) test for elementary and middle school students, and ACT scores for high school students.
Administrators said it’s difficult to motivate students to do well on state-mandated tests since the tests do not affect the student’s grade point average. To incentivize testing, Rosentreter said the high school is offering to let students skip final exams if they hit state standards on the mandated tests.
Owsley noted that the district report card documents the continuing decline in school enrollment—dropping from 1,325 seven years ago to 1,082 for the 2024-25 academic year.
“We don’t see that turning around anytime soon,” Owsley said. “It’s not just a Gillespie thing; it’s a trend for schools throughout Macoupin County.
BAND/CHOIR TRIP TO CHICAGO
Following a presentation by band/choir instructor Brad Taulbee, the board approved a high school band and choir performance tour to Chicago set for March 19-21. Taulbee said the tour company retained for the trip places emphasis on security and safety for traveling students. The company supplements hotel security with its own security personnel to monitor student rooms during the trip.
The tour includes workshop sessions at Vandercook College in downtown Chicago, and performances by the choir at the John Hancock Center and by the band at one of the city’s museums.
Taulbee said he is attempting to keep the cost affordable for participating students. Depending upon the number of students who ultimately go on the trip, he said he expects the cost to be about $739 per person. Additionally, he is lining up sponsors who can help with expenses for students who could not otherwise afford to participate.
“Security is my main concern,” said Board President Mark Hayes. “We just came back from there and seven people were shot in the area we were in.”
Taulbee said he expects to recruit seven to 10 chaperones and will ensure that the ratio of students to chaperones does not exceed 1:10.
SCHOOL MAINTENANCE GRANT
The board concurred with Supt. Owsley’s recommendation to again apply for a state School Maintenance grant of up to $50,000. The grant is a “matching” grant requiring the district to match grant funds dollar for dollar. The district has successfully applied for the grant for the past several years.
If the application is successful, Owsley said the funds will likely be used to remove asbestos-containing floor tiles in the choir room and elsewhere in the Middle School.
PERSONNEL
Following an executive session of about 40 minutes to discuss personnel and other issues, the board voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Tim Wargo as an assistant high school baseball coach and post the position as vacant, and voted to appoint Wargo as the head high school baseball coach for the coming season.
In separate actions, the board approved maternity leaves for Alexis Lupkey, district paraprofessional, and Gear-Up Coordinator Jordan Bartok. Lupkey’s leave is tentatively scheduled from Dec. 8 through March 18. Bartok’s leave is expected from Dec. 12 through Jan.6.
Board members voted unanimously to hire Christopher Whaley as a substitute bus driver, pending a routine background check and documentation of certification.
The board also voted unanimously to terminate Makayla Huff as a three-hour cook and post the position as vacant.
On a motion by Bill Carter, seconded by Weye Schmidt, the board voted unanimously to rehire fall coaches as follows: Jordan Bartok as head high school girls volleyball coach with Shelsie Price, as an assistant coach; Cory Bonstead as head football coach with Nate Henrichs, Jarrod Herron, Korben Clark, Alex Jasper, J.O. Kelly, Billy Gill and Florian Seferi as assistant and volunteer assistant coaches; Jay Weber as head coach for the parent-funded high school cross-country program with Jack Burns as a volunteer assistant coach; Jake Kellebrew as head coach for the parent-funded high school golf program, with Michael Otten as a volunteer assistant coach; Tim Wargo as head middle school baseball coach with Trae Wargo as assistant coach; Michelle Smith as head middle school softball coach with Jim Matesa, Joe Kelly and Melissa Heigert as assistant coaches; and Liz Thackery as head coach for the parent-funded middle school cross-country program with Laura Peterson as a volunteer assistant coach.
DISTRICT FOCUS
During a District Focus segment, Supt. Owsley introduced newly hired School Resource Officer Jacob Linhart, and High School Principal provided a report with photos of a recent school-wide Veterans Day observance.
Linhart, who has served five years as a police officer on the Gillespie Police Department, replaces Wade Hendricks, who recently retired after serving three years as the CUSD 7 School Resource Officer.
Linhart said it is a “great privilege” to serve as a Resource Officer, protecting students and staff. “I’m honored that you guys are allowing me to do it,” he said.
High School Principal Rosentreter said the school served breakfast to about 200 veterans and their families Tuesday morning, Nov. 11. Later, the veterans were joined by nearly 700 high school and middle school students for a recognition ceremony in the high school gymnasium.
Since the event coincided with the 25th anniversary of CUSD 7’s Wall of Honor program, the annual event did double duty as an induction ceremony for five are individuals, all of whom happened to be U.S. Military veterans.
The inductees included the late Sergeant Major John Marion Malnar, Command Sergeant Major John “Jack” Burns, Colonel Mark Daley, Lieutenant Colonel William P. Falke and Captain Robert Leone. Rosentreter said Daley and Leone traveled with their families from Colorado and Texas, respectively, to attend the ceremonies.
Burns, a retired CUSD 7 teacher, later visited BenGil Elementary School to present a program and teach students how to properly fold an American flag.
Rosentreter recognized the City of Gillespie for a donation of $1,000 to help purchase food for the veterans.
Born in Benld and a resident of Sawyerville, “Big John” Malnar earned a Silver Star during the Korean Conflict and a Gold Star, awarded posthumously after he was killed in action in 1968 in Vietnam. A Marine training center at Camp Geiger in North Carolina is named in his honor.
Though not a Wall of Honor inductee, Jacob Miller, a 100-year-old World War II veteran and recipient of two Purple Hearts, was recognized with a standing ovation.
The annual Veterans Day breakfast and ceremony provides students with an opportunity to meet and recognize local veterans as potential role models for their own futures.
Owsley said the event is a major event on the district’s calendar which grew out of a simple flagpole ceremony initiated 25 years ago.
CEJA GRANT FUNDS
Board members briefly discussed plans for about $74,000 in anticipated Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) grant funds. The federal program is intended to compensate communities that have experienced revenue loss as a result of coal mine closures.
Owsley said the district committed about $86,000 in last year’s CEJA grant funds to the City of Gillespie to help pay for improvements to Plum Street, which is heavily used by district school buses. He has not transferred those funds, however, pending the start of the project.
Owsley said he was seeking the board’s input on how the money should be used.
“We could continue to partner with the city on Plum Street,” he said. “But there are plenty of project areas within the school.” The money could be used, for example, for continuing asbestos abatement. He identified other upcoming needs, including a new roof for the high school/middle school and an HVAC project.
President Hayes pointed out the school district paid for improvements to Kelly Street when BenGil Elementary was built and subsidized a project to reconfigure drainage on Broadway Street, in addition to the dollars committed for Plum Street.
“The school district is not in the business of building roads,” he said. “I think we’ve been more than generous with the city.”
Board member Peyton Bernot agreed the money should be committed for use by the school district.
TRIPLE I CONFERENCE
Several board members who attended a conference for board members and administrators Friday-Saturday, Nov. 21-23, in Chicago, commented briefly about their take-aways from conference sessions. Popularly known as the Triple I Conference, the convention is sponsored by the Illinois Association of School Boards, Illinois Association of School Administrators and the Illinois Association of School Business Officials.
Owsley said more than 700 Illinois school districts were represented, making the Triple I the largest gathering of education professionals in North America.
Bernot briefly reported on a session he attended regarding upcoming legislation and financial outlooks for school districts. He described the session as “much less optimistic” than sessions he’s attended in the past.
Owsley was among the convention presenters, discussing social-emotional learning. He commented that several districts attending reported efforts to involve students in school administrators. Some districts, he said, appointed a non-voting student representative to the school board to take part in discussions directly affecting students.
“When you think about it, we hear from faculty members and we hear from parents,” Hayes commented. “The people we don’t hear from are the most important part of what we do.”
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The Holiday Sparkle Committee of Gillespie is preparing for the 4th Annual Holiday Sparkle Lighted Parade and Community Tree Lighting, set for Sunday, November 30, at 6:00 p.m. in downtown Gillespie. This beloved community tradition invites residents and visitors to kick off the holiday season with lights, music, and festive cheer.
Food trucks will line the parade route starting at 4:00 p.m., offering a variety of tasty options for families to enjoy before and during the celebration. The event will culminate in the illuminated parade and the ceremonial lighting of the community tree, signaling the official start of the season’s celebrations.
A highlight of this year’s festivities will be a special performance by Gillespie area students in grades 3 through 5. The group will join together to sing Christmas carols, lending their voices to the town’s joyous welcome to the holidays.
Parade participants are invited to bring extra sparkle to the evening—whether by entering a parade float, walking in the parade, or simply attending to enjoy the atmosphere. Participation helps make the event truly magical for the entire community. The only requirement for the parade is all entries have to incorporate holiday lighting.
To join the parade lineup, interested participants can sign up at https://forms.gle/L7Q4tEkgjj8Lt5E47. The Holiday Sparkle Committee expresses gratitude for the ongoing support of residents, businesses, and volunteers who help bring this festive occasion to life each year.
The second part of the holiday festivities will take place on Saturday, December 13 when the Sparkle will sponsor the vendor fair and food trucks in downtown Gillespie including a visit from Santa. Vendors will be located in the Gillespie Civic Center, Zion Lutheran Church, and Emma G’s Upscale Boutique while local businesses and eateries will also be open. An egg nog jog benefitting Gillespie Cross Country will also be held on December 13 and interested participants can join here.
The Holiday Sparkle Committee invites everyone to mark their calendars and join in the celebration. For more information, please contact the committee by email at gillespieholidaysparkle@gmail.com or visit Gillespie Holiday Sparkle on Facebook.
