Members of the Community Unit School District 7 voted on Monday night to approve a resolution formalizing terms of an agreement under which the school district will commit about $160,000 in grant funds to the City of Gillespie to complete improvements on Plum Street.

The street became an issue for the both the school district and the city soon after CUSD 7 synchronized class start and end times at all three attendance centers. Previously, start and end times were staggered among the three buildings. The change necessitated routing 10 buses onto Plum Street each morning and afternoon.

City officials said the additional weight and traffic caused damage to Plum Street, causing them to consider prohibiting bus traffic on the street. School officials said rerouting buses off Plum Street would be less safe for students since it would require buses to cross traffic entering onto Illinois Route 16.

The improvement project includes milling repaving, drainage and reinforcement of the road base to support bus traffic. After the city secured an estimate of $200,000 for the work, the school district agreed to commit about $89,000 from the first round of Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) grant funds to the project—essentially subsidizing about half the costs of the project. A more recent estimate put the cost at $350,000.

With the increased cost, city officials said the city would be unable to undertake the project without additional funds, prompting the school board to vote last month to commit about $70,000 from a second round of CEJA grant money to the project.

The resolution approved Monday night outlines and documents “the terms under which the School District intends to provide funds . . . to assist in the Plum Street renovation project.” The resolution further states that the contribution of CEJA funds for Plum Street “does not create an expectation or an obligation for the School District to continuously contribute to or assist in the maintenance of Plum Street or any other City roadway.”

Additionally, the resolution affirms the city will not restrict the school district from using Plum Street after the project’s completion, and obligates the city to maintain the ditch on LJ Avenue on the west side of the school district’s property as well as a ditch between the football field and baseball complex.

DISTRICT FOCUS

During a District Focus segment, the school board was recognized as part of the district’s National School Board Month observance. Supt. Shane Owsley lauded the board members’ service and noted the current board has more than 70 years of experience in serving the school district.

The presentation included a PowerPoint presentation and a poem written by a CUSD 7 student.

In addition to setting school policy and making financial decisions, Owsley noted the board’s responses to emergency situations in the past—including the loss of Benld Elementary School to mine subsidence, repairing tornado damage to the high school, and continuing educational opportunities during the COVID pandemic and reopening classrooms in the aftermath.

ANNUAL FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

The board voted unanimously to approve the 2025 Annual Financial Disclosure. The document is required by the Securities Exchange Commission to document the district has or expects adequate revenue to service its bond debt. 

The disclosure references $8,810,000 in outstanding general obligation bonded debt, plus $1,320,000 remaining in alternate revenue bond debt. The total debt represents about 56 percent of the district’s debt limit, which is set at 13.8 percent of the district’s total equalized assessed valuation.

The disclosure, available for public inspection, also includes five years of data on total equalized assessed valuation, tax rates, tax revenue and fund balances.

SPECIAL EDUCATION PROCEDURES

Board members unanimously approved the Illinois Council of School Attorneys Special Education Procedures Assuring Implementation of Comprehensive Programming for Children with Disabilities. Supt. Shane Owsley said the policies in the document already are in place but the new procedures bring those policies together in a format recognized by the state.

The South Macoupin Association for Special Education, a cooperative that includes CUSD 7, Mount Olive and Staunton, is undergoing a routine state audit. The new procedures document is a technical requirement that ensures the cooperative is in compliance with state rules.

PERSONNEL

Following a brief executive session, the board voted unanimously to extend Supt. Owsley’s contract by one year. Owsley is employed on a five-year contract, meaning his employment is secured through June 30, 2030. 

The board also voted unanimously in separate actions to accept the upcoming retirements of two long-serving faculty members. Gillespie High School physical education teacher Rob Macias and science teacher Jeff Nehls will both retire at the end of the 2029-30 school year. Macias has been employed by the district for 32 years, while Nehls has chalked up 30 years in the district.

In other action, the board voted unanimously to appoint Mary Schuette as the high school prom sponsor, and hired Blake Middleton as a high school assistant boys baseball coach, pending a routine background check and documentation of certification.

Later in the meeting, the board approved a seniority list for both certificated and non-certificated employees. Senority listing is a routine item approved by the board on an annual basis.

The board also learned that non-certificated employees are ready to begin negotiations for a new contract.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Class of 2026 (Seniors)

High honor roll: Emily Bergen, Deshaunta Cooper Jackson, Marshall Garwood, Katherine Gerdes, Carson Hailstone, Jule Hansmann, Jersey Helvey, Lillianna Jones, Ava Parish, Kori Petersen, Ava Rakers, Sean Roach, Lucas Rosenthal, Luke Schuckenbrock, Brody Shaw, Carter Sies, Nevaeh Thomas, Hailey Young

Honor roll: Anthony Amoroso, Jacob Baglin, Ceanna Bearden, Mark Caselton, Edin Compton, Carson Cooper, Addison Cox, Jackson Crook, Brookelyn Crotchett, Brayden Enslow, Hank Fletcher, Collin Griffith, Madyson Grogg, Luna Gross, Hunter Hegel, Elin Herold, Roadie Jackson, Kayden Koelker, Kyle Kottman, Cedrick Krieder, Dawson Lancaster, Sophia Lewis, Aiden Manley, Jessalyn McElyea, Mylee Mckee, Dawson Morgan, Douglas Neverdowski, David Norville, Chaz Oberkfell, Tyler Palmer, Lukas Parish, Zachary Phillips, Makayla Price, Joseph Reid, Paxton Reid, Desiree Rife, Ava Segarra, Brock Sherman, Sadie Sholtis, Nathan Spencer, Carman Toprani, Brooklyn VanHuss, Kaia Vickery, Whelen Walker, Claire Wallace

Class of 2027 (Juniors)

High honor roll: Jack Bulla, Olivia Crumley, Emily Helvey, Cole Katich, Olivia Kelly, Tember Miller, Cheyenne Sarti

Honor roll: Zowe Badolato, Jaxon Ballinger, Logan Belcher, Clayton Bethard, Sloane Brawner, Wrigley Bruhn, Mitchell Clark, Keenin Compton, Lillian Conner, Riley Cox, Briley Flournoy, Margaret Heyen, Marli Johnson, Lucca Kapp, Zaden King, Isaac Kravanya, Michael Marcacci, Braxten Noll, Adam Peterson, Matthew Plovich, William Ranger Fleshman, Wesley Reiman, Cash Reynolds, Karlee Rhodes, Landon Ridenhour, Kolten Robbins Lasica, Alex Schoen, Laci Schuckenbrock, Emilia Segarra, Carter Segrest, Jasmine Smith, Cali Stagner, Emerson Striegel, Payten Taylor, Caleb Thompson, Amari Vickery, Aedan Watson, Macie Williams, Maxwell Young

Class of 2028 (Sophomores)

High honor roll: Cali Barkley, Scarlet Bruhn

Honor roll: Bryce Alpi, Gracelynn Balestri, Dallas Barker, Alexis Brown, Logan Buhs, Aleeyah Busch, Jasper Calcari, Ava Carr, Annabelle Daniels, Tegan Davis, Tess Dixon, Lyla Drewel, Madison Durston, Kylie Edge, Lainey Edwards, Floritza Garcia Santiago, Katie Hamann, Keegan Hartpence, Kullen Hartpence, Hadyn Hegel, Olivia Hitos Colino, Nolan Hostettler, Levi Hughes, Henry Knetzer, Sophie Knetzer, Cory Knotts, Paige Marcum, Noah Marks, Kyndall McElyea, Weston Melchert, Alexis Nalley, Preston Noe, Stephen Otten, Elijah Pabon, Urijah Pabon, Brianna Phillips, Benjamin Pruitt, Braden Reich, Caitlynn Rhodes, Nolan Ruyle, Alyssa Saathoff, Kendall Schweppe, Helaina Scott, Destini Smith, Gillian Smith, Aliana Snow, Xzavier Spencer, Rafe Stangle, Richetti Stewart, Bryce Stoecker, Addisyn Tallman, Madisyn Thomas, Ayden Vernish, Luke Walker, Matrix Wright, Carter Young

Class of 2029 (Freshmen)

High honor roll: Collins Hagan, Marlee Hebenstreit, Paige Swank

Honor roll: Alesana Adams, Ella Brawner, Audrina Burkel, Bryson Cox, Chyla Crainick, Rayne Crites, Joshua Crumley, Thodrick Dirks, Mariella Garrison, Rylee Geisler, Landyn Hagler, Owen Hammann, Kai Hampson, Regan Harbaugh, Isabella Harbour, Gavin Horner, Alexander Jacobs, Alex Johnson, Giana Kapp, Addeline Laflin, Izzabella Manus, Frank Montoro, Storm Moreland, Amaelie Patterson, Dominique Payne Jr., Benjamin Peterson, Lila Polach, Avianna Ranger Fleshman, Marxon Rolando, Dominic Savant, Jackson Schardan, Jacob Schuette, Kristina Schuette, Lyla Shaw, Holden Sies, Kelleigh Simmons, Hanley Stoecker, Addyson Strang, Graham Striegel, Jacob Walker, Payton Welch, Bryleigh Whaley, Cole Williamson, Sydney Wilson, Michael Yeager