South Central Reporter

Mt. Olive Community Unit School District 5 Board of Education met Jan. 16.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Board of Education met in regular session on January 17, 2024 in the library. The meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m. by President Brunnworth. Present at roll call were Brunnworth, Essington, Knes, Osmoe, Remer, Rimar, and Skertich. Also present were Superintendent Kelly,

Principal Scheller, Secretary Butler, Nikki Garrels, John Hanafin, Terry Swenson, Jennifer Stockstill, Rodney Hall, Heather Spudich, Nick Simmons, Paul Smith, Lane Harmon, Casey Davis, Dan Lesko, Trisha Monke, Julie Wargo, Connie Colley, Megan Skinner, Jennie Binney, Nicole Katich, and Kelly Titsworth.

Motion by Osmoe, seconded by Knes to adopt the agenda, approve the minutes of the regular board meeting of December 20, 2023, and approve the minutes of the truth in taxation hearing of December 20, 2023. All ayes. Motion carried.

Recognition, comments, and correspondence from employees and public:

A. Board Norms: Follow chain of command, assume positive intent, and mutual respect.

B. Board Values: Integrity, mutual respect, and excellence.

C. Board Priorities: Culture, academic performance, facilities (with a focus on safety), and finances.

D. Rodney Hall spoke to the board regarding transportation concerns.

E. Jennifer Stockstill and Nikki Garrels spoke to the board in closed session. Heather Close arrived at 7:06 p.m.

Motion by Skertich, seconded by Rimar to enter closed session at 7:11 p.m. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Osmoe, seconded by Skertich to return to open session at 7:28 p.m. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Skertich, seconded by Essington to approve the bills and activity accounts as presented. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Financial Report for December 2023:

Mrs. Kelly reported the Education Fund is sitting at $1,700,584.34. The Building Fund is at $589,734.41. The Bond and Interest Fund is at $58,201.86. The Transportation Fund balance is $434,508.81. The IMRF Fund is at $220,084.65. Site and Construction is at $207,849.55. The Working Cash Fund is at $205,569.63. Tort Immunity Fund is $490,519.92. Life Safety balance is $152,490.82. The total of all funds is $4,059,543.99 and the Operating Fund balance is at $2,930,397.19.

Budget Report: Revenues vs. Expenditures for December 2023:

Education Fund: 59% vs. 49%

Building Fund: 80% vs. 52%

Bond & Interest: 52% & 3%

Transportation Fund: 69% vs. 60%

IMRF: 90% vs. 42%

Site & Construction: 60% & 60%

Working Cash: 97% & 0%

Tort Immunity: 90% vs. 26%

Life Safety: 96% & 3%

Motion by Rimar, seconded by Knes to approve the financial report and the budget report for December 2023. All ayes. Motion carried.

Unfinished Business:

Motion by Essington, seconded by Rimar to amend the Superintendent’s contract with the addition of Interim Principal for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

New Business:

Motion by Skertich, seconded by Remer to approve the modification of Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 5/10-19.05. All ayes. Motion carried.

Principals’ Reports:

Mrs. Scheller reported the following:

•  Our first semester Student Success Celebration held on December 21st was a success. We celebrated high honors, honor roll, honorable mention, AR reading points, promoting kindness, good attendance, Shark Tank project winners, and other positive things that

have been happening. It was really heartwarming to see and hear the excitement from all students and staff in regard to other’s successes.

•  Mrs. Schneider wanted me to share with you that the visit with Santa was a huge success. Thank you to the NHS students for their role in this day. Thank you to Mrs. Schneider for all the work she put into getting everything set up. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Lesko for taking the time to print the student and Santa pictures.

•  Report cards went home on January 5th.

•  The third quarter midterm will be on February 2nd with progress reports going home on February 9th.

•  8th grade night for boys basketball and cheerleaders will be on January 18th. •  The 100th day of school is January 24th if we do not have any snow days. •  The Jr. High Valentine’s Day dance is February 9th from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. •  7th grade boys’ regionals starts on January 20th at Kinderhook Western. Game time is at 3:00 p.m.

•  8thgrade boys’ regionals starts on January 27th. The bracket is not yet completed so we do not know the location at this time.

•  Volleyball is in full swing with games on January 17 @ home, January 23 @ Saint Francis Holy Ghost, January 25 @ Litchfield, January 29 @ Gillespie, February 5 @ home, 6 @ home, and 8 @ home.

Mrs. Kelly reported the following:

•  We had some student discipline from December that has recently been taken care of. Mr. Martin has done a great job with student discipline, clear communication, and clear expectations that have been shared. I want to thank the high school staff for coming together and working as a team during this transition in the high school.

•  Many students made the high honor and honor roll list last semester.

Superintendent’s Report:

Mrs. Kelly reported the following:

A. Informational Items

a. Focus5 Award

Focus5 came to me this fall and explained that they would be applying for the Spirit of Silver Lining Award that would grant them money. They would like to donate funds to put towards paint and new flooring in the multipurpose room. We may also need to utilize CPG funds for this project. Thank you Focus5 for your help and support.

b. ISBE Mental Health Screening Practices Report

Mt. Olive CUSD #5 was highlighted as 1 out of 3 schools in the state of Illinois that are implementing the proper SEL benchmarks for our students. This recognition shows we are doing right by our students.

B. HVAC, Automation, and Roof

I received a roof report from our architect today. We have several areas that are in need of major repairs. I think we need to schedule a special meeting to go over the report and finalize a decision on handling these issues.

C. Sequence of Dismissal List and Non Certified Seniority List

I started working on these two lists. I will be handing them out to staff members soon. D. IASB Board Policy Manual Customization

I will have this manual available for first reading at our February meeting.

Motion by Rimar, seconded by Osmoe to enter into closed session at 7:47 p.m. for the following purposes as allowed under the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/1 et seq.): Discussion of the appointment, employment and dismissal of employees of the public body and collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Skertich, seconded by Rimar to return to open session at 9:31 p.m. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Josh Martin arrived at 9:31 p.m.

Motion by Skertich, seconded by Essington to approve the memorandum of understanding to hire an Interim Dean of Students at Mt. Olive High School for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year. All ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Rimar, seconded by Knes to hire Josh Martin as Interim Dean of Students. All ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Brunnworth, seconded by Essington to approve the memorandum of understanding as presented to the Mt. Olive Education Association. Roll call: 4 ayes, 3 nays. Motion carried.

Motion by Remer, seconded by Skertich to hire Paula Grider as part time cook for the Mt. Olive School District. All ayes. Motion carried.

The next special meeting will be at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 7, 2024 in the school library at 804 West Main St., Mt. Olive, IL to discuss the roof project and enter a closed session.

The next regular board meeting will be at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 in the school library at 804 West Main St., Mt. Olive, IL.

Motion by Skertich, seconded by Rimar to adjourn at 9:36 p.m. All ayes. Motion carried.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zAAWTNfEN_gQswZJYdMCb6R66uvJewK2/view