Community News
Tieman responds to Goldasich’s school culture presentation
School eyes mine subsidence insurance
Joe Tieman stands next to all the current curriculum in place in the district.
Assistant Superintendent Joe Tieman addressed high school teacher Mark Goldasich’s concern with school culture during the regular school board meeting on Monday, December 17. “Whether it was an opinion or an issue, it was specifically focused on curriculum and curriculum guides,” Tieman explained. He went on to say the district has spent over a decade developing curriculum guides, curriculum maps, and school improvement plans linked to assessment while walking around the room displaying curriculums from kindergarten through 12th grade.
“There was an issue about sequence in Mr. Goldasich’s presentation,” Tieman continued. He went on to explain curriculums are “indeed” sequenced throughout middle school language arts, as he used as an example. In addition to the language arts curriculum, he wanted to explain the sequence throughout and how buildings are back planning to standardized testing.
Effective local control, Tieman stated as he referred to Goldasich’s presentation. “Look around, this is pretty local control,” he explained. “Our performance levels are driven by the ISAT and PSAE tests, teachers are provided results and have access to cut scores and data is discussed, and we do have an inline and sequenced based curriculum.”
Tieman went on to explain how the high school uses data to improve grades. He referred to RTI and how the system can provide graphs that break down student improvement. Tieman went on to explain that teachers are provided interventions to put into place based on RTI testing. “So, I will argue that data has brought us together and certainly not divided us.”
Assistant Superintendent Tieman went on to allude to Goldasich’s ACT High School to College Success Report. Last month, Goldasich noted less than 12% of GHS students go to college. Tieman explained Goldasich left out private and technical colleges and 83% of respondents from the class of 2012 are attending college according to a guidance department phone contact.
Tieman also noted there is no way to determine “loss in college” based on information in the ACT High School to College Success Report. Goldasich explained last month that students at GHS have the highest GPA leaving high school, but suffer the largest loss in college. Tieman argued data collected shoes very little correlation between high GPA in high school and a low GPA in college. “I am not saying the data is the same,” Tieman closed.
In rebuttal, Goldasich was disturbed at the way Tieman overreacted to ideas opposing his own. “He has simply made a straw man argument,” Goldasich said after the meeting. “Of course we have curriculum maps. I correctly stated that we do not have them in an enhanced form with embedded testing to check for mastery of skills early and often.”
Goldasich went on to explain the ACT High School to College Success Report showed less than 12% of GHS students as defined by the study. “The study is not about the percentage of students going to college, it is more about the 27 students’ success in college their freshman year. The report was about the success in school, not the percentage of the students that go to school. That is a straw man argument.” He explained college is defined as 2 year or 4 year public colleges, as defined in the study.
Finally, Mark Goldasich said he is not afraid to challenge ideas that have placed CUSD #7 in the bottom 20% of all schools in Illinois. “I certainly hope we have better ideas than blaming parents and poverty rates. Who will ever bring new ideas to the table if this how one is treated? After all, we are fighting for our children’s education and I believe we are better than [the bottom 20%].”
Mine Subsidence Insurance
Tieman addressed mine subsidence insurance to cover undermined area of CUSD #7. It is to Tom Hyde’s knowledge parts of the middle school are undermined. “At around $130,000 a year, the district could get $50 million worth of mine subsidence coverage,”Tieman explained. After questions from board members that Tieman did not have answers for, he explained he would contact the insurance company and get back to the board.
Jill Rosentreter explains how much RTI has helped students at the middle school level.
Personnel Action
The school board accepted the resignation of Superintendent Paul Skeans. Skeans has been the superintendent of CUSD #7 since June of 2000. Skeans noted in his letter addressed to the board he will retire “no later than” the end of the school year of 2014. “It is my intent to retire of Superintendent of schools,” Mark Hayes read from Skeans’s letter, “As I look back over the thirteen years, if there is anything I would like to known as in far it is empowering people and encouraging people to work together while accomplishing goals that cannot have been accomplished alone.”
The board also accepted the resignation of elementary teacher Barbara Schmidt and high school guidance counselor Joni Paine effective at the end of the 2013-2014 school year. In addition, the board accepted resignation from Patricia Fields as cafeteria head cook effective December 31, 2012.
The school board approved maternity leaves for Catherine Plovich, elementary teacher, from January 17 through May 12, 2013 and also Christina Blevins, middle school teacher, from January 24 through February 28, 2013.
The board went on to appoint Ross Shots as volunteer basketball coach for the 7th grade boys’ basketball team and rehire middle school and high school fall coaches for the 2013-2014 fiscal school year. Coaches rehired include: Jeremy Smith (head coach) and Tim Wargo (assistant coach) for middle school baseball; Kevin Gray (head coach) and Andy Easton (assistant coach) for girls’ middle school basketball; Casey Niehaus for high school cross countr; Lana Odorizzi (head coach) and Celia Jubelt (assistant coach) as high school volleyball; Mark Hayes (head coach), Brett Allen (assistant coach), and Todd Libbra (volunteer) for high school boys’ soccer; and Don Borgini (head coach), Jack Burns (assistant coach), George Link (assistant coach), Rusty Billburck (assistant coach), Don Dobrino (volunteer), Jordan Donaldson (volunteer), Larry Caldieraro (volunteer), and Andy Easton (volunteer) for high school football.
New Business
The school board awarded bid by S. Schaffer Excavating of Pontoon Beach to demolish the old Benld Elementary school located in Benld. The board approved the bid at the amount of $171,175, which is subject to approval by the Department of Natural Resources. The company expects to recycle over $200,000 worth of material from the school.
Middle School RTI Presentation
Jill Rosentreter, 8th grade science teacher, spoke on behalf of the middle school and how RTI is used to improve test scores and overall student success. She explained RTI is a response to intervention which is a research based practice reporting literacy and math skills. “We have implemented reading a few years ago and this year we implemented math,” she explained.
At the beginning of the year, all students are tested to see which students need intervention. Throughout the year, students are screened and progress monitored to make sure RTI is helping them expand on their skills. Upon deciding who needs RTI intervention, parent letters are sent home.
Currently, 31 sixth grades are receiving reading intervention while 16 are receiving math. 28 seventh graders are receiving reading intervention while 22 students are receiving math and 22 students in the eighth grade are receiving reading intervention while 24 students are receiving math intervention. Groups of 3-8 students meet about 3 times a week for 20 minutes giving them about 60-80 additional minutes of intervention.
“So far, we are seeing an 85% improvement in reading while a 56% improvement in math at the sixth grade level. In the seventh grade level, 82% improvement in reading and 95% improvement in math and 77% improvement in reading and 95% improvement in math at the eighth grade level.”
Paperless Board Meetings
Joe Tieman brought up more information on paperless board meetings per request by school board members. Board members requested Tieman gather more information concerning paperless board meetings as introduced by Paul Skeans months ago. Tieman compared paper costs, mileage reimbursement, hourly wages, and also true paperless routes.
“To go truly paperless,” Tieman explained, “We would have to purchase a laptop at approximately $450 each for 7 board members.” Members of the audience questioned what is wrong with the laptop carts the district already has available. Since everything is on an online portal, there would be no need to purchase laptops. Tieman explained it is something the district can look at and will pursue information on that.
Administrator Updates
High school principal Dennis Tiburzi informed the board of the happening at the high school level. Tiburzi noted PSAE/ACT questions are continued to be presented in all classes while he attended an ACT conference and placed GHS on a list to potentially try out the new ACT assessment system. He went on to note that the FCA is collecting shoes and boots for the needy. Finally, Tiburzi noted the IHSA randomly selected athletes from GHS to participate in the Performance Enhancing Substance program. He added he will report back with the results when he receives them.
Lori Emmons, middle school principal, reported the seventh and eighth grade students will be taking semester exams this week in their core classes. She also added report cards will go out January 10, 2013. Emmons closed with her compliments to both Zach Simon and Angie Brink who put on “an outstanding” holiday concert.
Benld Elementary principal Angela Turcol updated the board on the daily 5 committee. She explained the book study to review the process of the Daily 5 and discuss the implementation in the elementary. She noted she has been shadowing the Daily 5 in Carrollton to learn how to better implement it. Turcol also explained the math curriculum committee is transition to common core and researching new math textbook series. School improvement committees are focused on Rising Star and creating a plan for BES as they are reviewing indicators and choosing which ones are most important.
Payment of December Bills
Transportation Fund: $44,411.93
Education Fund: $239,245.38
Building Fund: $8,087.24
Site and Construction Fund: $1,604,864.70
Grand Total: $1,896,609.25
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Gillespie will host a Community Blood Drive with ImpactLife, the provider of blood components for local hospitals. The blood drive will be from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Monday, May 11 at 900 Broadway, inside Gillespie Methodist Church Gym.
To donate, please contact Brenda Lowe at (217) 7101336 or visit www.bloodcenter.org and use code 60020 to locate the drive. Appointments are requested. You may also call ImpactLife at 800-747-5401 to schedule.
Potential donors must be at least 17 years of age (16 with parental permission form available
through www.bloodcenter.org) and weigh more than 110 pounds. A photo I.D. is required to donate.
For questions about eligibility, please call ImpactLife at (800) 7475401. Donors who last gave blood on or before March 16, 2026, are eligible to give at this drive.
Blood donation is a safe, simple procedure that takes about 45 minutes to one hour. Individuals with diabetes or controlled high blood pressure may be accepted as eligible donors.
ImpactLife is a nonprofit community organization providing blood products and services to more than 100 hospitals and emergency medical service providers in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin, as well as researchers and resource sharing partners across the country.
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Members of the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education on Wednesday night approved a package of four capital improvement projects totaling more than $160,000 in value. Work will start on the projects after the end of the current school year and is expected to be completed before the start of the 2026-27 academic year in August.
The board met on Wednesday night after Monday’s inclement weather forced the district to reschedule the board’s regular monthly meeting.
The board approved entering into a contract with Fisher Tracks, Boone, Iowa, to resurface the district’s all-weather track at a cost of $105,209. Supt. Shane Owsley told the board the district will use about $50,000 from an all-weather track activity fund, with the remainder to be paid with proceeds from an alternate revenue bond issue approved last year for capital improvements.
Great Western Abatement, Jerseyville, was retained to remove flooring containing asbestos from the choir room floor and middle school gymnasium school at a cost of $40,700. Great Western’s bid was the lowest of seven bids, ranging up to $65,000, submitted for the work. Additionally, the district is paying $8,900 to Reliable Environmental Services, Springfield, for engineering and design work associated with the asbestos removal.
All-purpose rubberized flooring material will be installed on the middle school gym floor by Dynamic Sports Construction, Leander, Texas, at a cost of $51,424.
For the first time in a number of years, the high school gymnasium floor will be sanded and refinished with new artwork. Blast Technologies, St. Louis, was hired to sand the 4,200-square-foot floor at a cost of $5,250. Designs Unlimited, Pinckneyville, will paint game lines and logos on the floor before sealing it with a clear stain at a cost not to exceed $18,738.
The board also accepted a bid of $33,890 from DeLaurent Construction, Wilsonville, to resurface the 118,700-square-foot parking lot at Benld Elementary School.
Though no action was taken, Board President Mark Hayes reported that the Building and Grounds Committee had directed Owsley to investigate the cost of replacing the CUSD 7 administrative building.
“This building is very much in need of replacement,” Hayes said. “It’s beyond its time.” During Monday’s torrential rainfall, Hayes said water came in through windows and water seeped in under the sill plate, bringing displaced nightcrawlers into the building. Staff members ran fans after the storm in an effort to dry out the interior.
According to Hayes, the school has been in contact with the local Baptist Church to investigate the possibility of acquiring the former Trinity Baptist Church for use as an administrative building. Church officials, however, have not yet made a decision about the fate of the former sanctuary after Gillespie’s two Baptist churches merged.
Owsley said the current administrative building comprises about 6,000 square feet. Current estimates are $400 per square foot for new construction which would translate into about $2.5 million to replace the administrative facility. The district might be able to shave some dollars off that estimate by reducing the size of the building.
“There’s a lot of unusable space in this building,” Owsley said, suggesting a more efficient floorpan could reduce cost. He also mentioned the possibility of a basement to provide storage space for outdated documents.
In addition to construction costs, Owsley noted, the district would be responsible for tearing down the existing building.
“I have no idea what’s in this building,” Owsley said, raising abatement concerns. “I’m guessing disposal of this building is going to be expensive.”
Hayes said Kevin Wills, the district’s bond issue advisor, will attend the June board meeting to discuss the possibility of refinancing some existing bonds to free up enough revenue to build a new administrative building. The administration currently is housed in a “temporary” structure that has served as the administration building for several decades.
MINE SUBSIDENCE STUDY
After several minutes of discussion, the board took no action in relation to entering into a contract with Marino Engineering and Associates to assess the district’s risk for incurring damage from a mine subsidence event. Owsley said existing maps show that portions of Gillespie Middle School are undermined. While the high school is not undermined, a major subsidence would likely damage the high school as well as the middle school. In recent months, more than one residential home on Elm Street near the school property has experienced damage from mine subsidence.
Marino’s $94,000 Phase I proposal would “determine the likelihood of something happening to one of our buildings,” Owsley said. The problem is that too much information could negatively impact the district’s ability to purchase subsidence insurance. “Information is great until it’s not.”
The district currently pays about $300,000 for mine subsidence insurance on the middle school, high school and vocational arts building. The school carries no subsidence insurance on BenGil Elementary because mine shafts under the building were grouted before the school was built.
“If we find out there’s not a major concern,” Owsley noted, it could reduce the district’s subsidence insurance costs.
On the other hand, if the study reveals a high risk of experiencing mine subsidence, the insurer could drop the district at the end of the current policy’s term. With only two companies in the country offering subsidence insurance, the district could end up with no insurance at all to cover damage from mine subsidence.
The only way to avoid that scenario would be to implement whatever options Marino might recommend to reduce risk. Those recommendations would likely include grouting (backfilling) mine shafts under the middle school. Grouting for the elementary school cost $4 million. To grout under the middle school would likely run as much as $6 million or more.
The only way the study would make sense, Owsley suggested, would be if the district was “comfortable making the corrections the study is going to make.”
Moreover, $94,000 would cover only a preliminary assessment.
“To get a full understanding of what’s going on underground, we’d be looking at a half million dollars,” said Owsley.
The issue was allowed to die when no board member moved to consider the contract.
COMMUNITY SOLAR PARTICIPATION
On a motion by Bill Carter, seconded by Weye Schmidt, the board voted unanimously to enter into a contract with Summit Ridge Solar to participate in a community solar project. Under terms of the 15-year contract, the district will realize a 13 percent savings on electrical power bills. The contract is automatically renewable for five years unless the district chooses to withdraw.
“Illinois provides a number of incentives for using solar,” Owsley said. “However, not everyone likes the look of having solar panels on their property. This will get us the benefits without putting up solar panels on our property.”
Summit Ridge’s proposal was the most lucrative of the proposals the district received. Other companies offered shorter terms with savings of five percent.
After 20 years, it’s likely the savings would drop to five percent. Owsley said he was told the district was better off going with the longer contract to get 13 percent in savings for as long as possible.
The school district was able to secure such favorable rates, according to Owsley is because there is an issue with solar fields storing the power they generate. “Our main usage time is during their maximum production time.”
DISTRICT FOCUS
During a District Focus segment, the board recognized sophomore Matrix Wright, whose art was the only entry from the United States included in the 2026 TOLI International Student Art Exhibition. The exhibition is a project of The Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies in New York. The exhibit includes student art relating to themes associated with the Holocaust.
Wright’s work, entitled “An Immortal Continuum,” attempts to portray “the constant entrapment a Holocaust survivor might feel.”
Exhibition organizers received more than 250 entries from around the globe.
BUDGET PROCESS
On a motion by Peyton Bernot, seconded by Board President Hayes, board members voted unanimously to begin work on developing a district budget for fiscal 2027. Board members also approved a routine measure to permit expenditure of fiscal 2027 funds after July 1, pending approval of a new budget.
The school district’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30 but new budgets typically are approved two to four months after the start of the fiscal year.
The current fiscal year’s $19 million budget was approved in September last year.
PERSONNEL
Following a one-hour executive session to discuss personnel and other issues, the board voted unanimously to approve the request of long-time middle school English and language arts teacher Kim Henderson, effective at the end of the 2028-29 school year.
Board members also voted unanimously to hire Andrew Crook as a first-year, non-tenured high school English teacher for the 2026-27 school year, pending documentation of certification and a routine background check. A graduate of Gillespie High School, Crook earned his teaching certificate at Illinois College, Jacksonville and for the past two years, he taught English at North Mac High School.
In separate actions, the board made multiple assignments to staff the district’s summer school program. Those hired include: Jessica Kelly as a middle school teacher, Ashlee Gibbs as a high school math teacher, and Jennifer Brown and Rob Macias as high school drivers’ education instructors. Each of the positions are contingent upon adequate student enrollment to offer the classes. In addition to academic staff, the board hired Andy Hirstein as a summer school food service worker.
The board voted unanimously to accept the resignation of Foli Seferi as high school paraprofessional and as assisted football coach. Both resignations are effective immediately.
In other personnel action, the board appointed Cate Plovich as the BenGil Elementary School yearbook sponsor, and appointed Josh Ross as a volunteer assistant football coach, pending documentation of certification and a routine background check.
OTHER ACTION
In other action, the board:
• Approved a mens highs school soccer coop with the Carlinville School District, with the provision Carlinville will dissolve the agreement if it pushes its program into a higher competitive classification.
• Approved an intergovernmental agreement with Lewis and Clark Community College under which the college will recognize some high school courses as college level credits.
• Approved early graduation requests for an undisclosed number of students, provided all graduation requirements are met.
• Approved renewing the district’s membership in the Illinois Elementary Schools Association.
• Approved the final calendar for the 2025-26 school year pending no further emergency days. Barring the use of emergency days, Monday, May 18 will be the last day of student attendance, with graduation ceremonies set at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 17.
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One of the greatest annual events in American sports is the Saturday is the Kentucky Derby, which will be run for the 152nd time this Saturday. One past champion was bred in Macoupin County.
This week marks 137 years since the victory of Spokane, who captured the 1889 Kentucky Derby during the infancy of the event. The horse was bred at “The Meadows,” the farm of Gen. Richard Rowett one mile north of Carlinville.
Rowett horses, and their jockey colors of orange jacket and blue cap, were on tracks throughout the west and south. But Spokane was the greatest production of The Meadows, a nationally recognized breeding ground for thoroughbreds.
In 1885, a prized dark brown horse named Hyder Ali was standing at The Meadows when Rowett bred him to one of his top mares, Interpose. This pairing had produced favorable offspring in the past, including Grey Cloud, a fine racer owned by Noah Armstrong of the Doncaster Ranch near Twin Bridges in the Montana Territory.
Armstrong’s famous stable included such horses as Lord Raglan, the third-place finisher in the 1883 Kentucky Derby. When Rowett offered Interpose for sale late in 1885, Armstrong, familiar with the high quality of Rowett stock, purchased the pregnant mare and her suckling filly, Madelin, for the price of $1,000 and shipped the brood to Montana.
The Doncaster Ranch was known for its spectacular, three-story round barn that featured an indoor track. While in Spokane in the Washington Territory on business, Armstrong received word of the birth of Interpose’s colt. In honor of the city, he named the colt Spokane.
Spokane showed great promise as a two-year-old, winning two of five starts in 1888, and Armstrong entered him in the 1889 Kentucky Derby. Although a premier race, the Derby had not achieved the monumental status it enjoys today.
The race was run on May 9, 1889–a Thursday–in front of a crowd of 25,000, a fraction of the throngs that fill Churchill Downs today.
Home state favorite Proctor Knott was the overwhelming favorite at 1-to-2, while the relatively unknown Spokane was listed at 10-to-1 odds. That was enough for Frank James, brother of outlaw Jessie and a regular at countless tracks.
James, flush with a windfall of $2,400 from an earlier race that day, asked a bookmaker of the odds on Spokane. The reply was “Ten-to-one and the sky’s the limit.” James threw down $5,000 on Spokane, causing the bookmaker to reply, “As far as I’m concerned, that’s the sky!”
Under jockey Thomas Kiley, Spokane edged Proctor Knott by a head, setting a record at 2:34 ½ over the mile-and-a-half layout (it was changed to a mile and a quarter in 1896). He remains the only Kentucky Derby winner ever born in Montana.
Proving the win was no fluke, Spokane again beat Proctor Knott five days later at the Clark Stakes in Louisville. On June 22, Spokane won another key race of the era, the American Derby at Washington Park in Chicago, to become the first horse to win both races in the same season.
Back in Illinois, Rowett did not live to see the triumph of Spokane, as he died on July 13, 1887. His death was covered on page one of the New York Times the following day.
In addition to breeding, Rowett is also remembered as the first to introduce the true-bred beagle hound to this country from his native England. Prior to that, he was a Civil War officer and state politician.
The only horse actually born in Illinois to win the Kentucky Derby was the 1970 champion, Dust Commander.
Tom Emery of Carlinville, who wrote the award-winning biography Richard Rowett: Thoroughbreds, Beagles, and the Civil War, may be reached at 217-710-8392 or ilcivilwar@yahoo.com.
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