Citing financial uncertainty in the near future, the Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education declined to take action Monday night on a proposal to make cross-country a school-funded sport, leaving financial support for the program in the hands of parents at least for the time being.

“Taking on cross-country as a school-sponsored sport is not a huge financial commitment, and I’m not saying it’s not a good idea,” Supt. Shane Owsley told the board in making his recommendation to take no action on the issue. “What I’m saying is it’s not a good idea to take it on now.”

Owsley said school districts are being told to “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst” regarding federal funding in the immediate future.

“It’s something we’re constantly hearing about in regard to the possible elimination of the Department of Education,” he said. “We don’t know what exactly that’s going to look like—whether there will be substantial cuts  or whether there will be zero cuts.”

Owsley said funding for so-called Title programs reportedly are risk, as are funds to support free lunches for schools with a high percentage of students from families living below the poverty line. Currently, schools are eligible for free lunch and breakfast programs if at least 25 percent of the student body comes from families with incomes below the poverty level. Proposals for the coming year would raise that threshold to 65 percent.

School districts are being told to anticipate 20 percent less in federal funding next year.

Federal funds comprise about 20 percent of CUSD 7’s total budget, Owsley said.

At the state level, Owsley said there is a strong possibility of Chicago Public Schools become Tier I schools under the state’s evidence based funding formula. In essence, other Tier I schools like CUSD 7 would have to share Tier I funding with the behemoth Chicago school system, meaning fewer dollars for downstate schools.

Though not yet approved by the legislature and subject to change, Gov. JB Pritzger’s proposed state budget anticipates no new money for education. To rein in school funding, the budget calls for reducing funding for several “categorical,” including transportation, special education transportation and special placements. Funding levels for those categories would fall, respectively, from 78 to 70 percent; 77 to 70 percent; and 69 to 51 percent.

“Those are all historic lows,” Owsley said.

Pending state legislation, if approved and signed into law, would ban cell phones from classrooms. To accomplish that, CUSD 7 would be required to purchase security bags to secure individual devices at a cost of about $22,000.

Other pending legislation would require school districts to eliminate names and images of Native American mascots, meaning Gillespie Middle School would have to choose a new mascot, buy new uniforms and eliminate references to the GMS Indians on buildings and signage.

Owsley said there also is proposed legislation to increase the minimum wage for non-certificated employees to $20 in the first year, $21 in the second and $22 in the third year. Statewide, that change could cost lost school districts another $120 million.

Given all the budgetary uncertainties the district is facing, Owsley said he recommended leaving cross-country a parent-funded sports.

Parents of cross-country athletes attended the board’s meeting in January to lobby for making cross-country and school-funded sport. Speaking for about 20 parents at the meeting, Dustin Fletcher estimated the district would have to cover about $13,375 in expenses to make cross-country a school-sponsored sport.

Board President Mark Hayes told parents Monday night the issue was one the board could revisit at a later date as budget concerns come into clearer focus.

PERSONNEL

Following a 45-minute executive session, the board voted unanimously to accept the resignations of Aubrey Morgan as BenGil Elementary School music teacher and GMS/GHS choir teacher Ben McCollough, both effective at the end of the current school year, and to post both positions as vacant.

In preparation for summer school offerings, the board also voted to post vacancies for summer school English, math and drivers’ education teachers, and two summer school food service workers.

In separate actions, the board accepted the resignation of Jake Kellebrew as assistant GHS men’s basketball coach, and hired Kellebrew as the head GHS mens basketball coach.

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DISTRICT FOCUS

During a District Focus segment, seven Gillespie Middle School sixth grade students presented first person biography presentations for the board. The students—Mackenna Hendriex, Harper Thackrey, Sydney James, Eli Blevins, Levi Katava, Jaxsyn Raynor and Carter Plovich—were participants in a Language Arts unit that encouraged them to learn how to research, write a third-person essay, write a first-person presentation, and develop a public speaking presentation. An eighth student, Stephanie Timmermeier, was unable to attend.

“This is my walking wax museum,” said GMS Language Arts teacher Kim Henderson.

She said students were assigned to select a famous or notable person to research and write about. Students were encouraged to speculate about positive personality traits associated with the person they selected. Finally, the students presented story boards about the person they selected and prepared a first-person presentation about their celebrity. Presentations ranged from Barack Obama and Donald Trump to Princess Dianna, Grace Kelly and sports figures.

“A lot of my students came out of their shells for this,” Henderson told the board. “Some of them said they didn’t want to do it, but when they did it, they loved it.”

GMS Principal Patrick McGinthy said he encourages students developing public speaking skills.

“This was a great way to introduce public speaking early in the sixth grade,” he said.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

The board unanimously approved a school calendar for the 2024-25 academic year that was tentatively presented last month.

The calendar calls for teacher institute days on Aug. 11 and 12, with the first day of student attendance on Aug. 13. The last day of student attendance would be May 26, but could be as early as May 18 if no emergency days are required.

School holidays include Labor Day on Sept. 1, Columbus Day on Oct. 13, Veterans Day on Nov. 11, Thanksgiving, Nov. 26-30, Martin Luther King Day on Jan 19, Presidents Day on Feb. 16, and Memorial Day on May 26. Winter Break would run Dec. 20-Jan. 4, and Spring Break would run April 2-6. Teacher Institute days are scheduled Oct. 24, Feb. 13, March 20 and the day after the last day of student attendance.

Classes will dismiss at 1:45 p.m. on Oct. 17, Oct. 22, Oct. 23, Dec. 19, March 13 and for the last day of student attendance.

Commencement is set for May 17.

EARLY GRADUATION REQUESTS

On a motion by Amanda Ross, seconded by Bill Carter, the board approved early graduation requests for Xzavier Burch, Andrew Grossman, Keegan Jett, Aiden Manley, David McCario, Myles McKee, David Noville, Lukas Parish, Mitchel Chalk, Sierra Steelman, Claire Wallace and Owen Boyles. All 12 seniors will be eligible to graduate at the end of the first semester of the 2025-26 school year, provided all graduation requirements have been completed.

OTHER ACTION

In other action, the board:

• Accepted a fuel bid from M & M Service Co. to provided gasoline at a fixed price of $2.962 per gallon and bio-diesel at a fixed price of $3.177 per gallon. The bid is a cooperative bid secured by several area school districts.

• Voted to renew the district’s IHSA membership for the coming year.

• Approved a certified employment list for the 2025-26 school year.

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