South Central Reporter

Mt. Olive Community Unit School District 5 Board of Education met Nov. 20.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The Board of Education met in regular session on November 20, 2024 in the library. The meeting was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by President David Brunnwoth. Present at roll call were Brunnworth, Essington, Knes, Osmoe, Remer, Rimar, and Skertich. Also present were Superintendent Kelly, Secretary Durbin, Nikki Garrels, Toby Osmoe, Matt Warren, Jamie England, Jen Stockstill, Christina Essington, Camden Essington, Eva Essington, Brian Vazzi, Mel Vazzi, Danielle Cox, Binney Bertles, Cole Cox, Otto Mantor, Hayleigh Marsh, Carsyn McNealey, Gabby Essington, Chloe Cox, Fiona O’Neal, Jacob Shaw, Kimberly Van Loo Shaw, Amanda Pomatto, Julie Cox, Chuck Cox, Lisa O’Neal, Emma Cox, Shelby Bertels and Blake Bertels.

Motion by Osmoe, seconded by Essington to adopt the agenda and approve the minutes of the  regular board meeting minutes of October 16th, 2024. All ayes. Motion carried.

Recognition, comments, and correspondence from employees and public:

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

Board Values: Integrity, mutual respect, and excellence.

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

FOIA request dated 11/14/24

5th Grade Presentation:

November 15 was National Board Appreciation Day, and Mrs. Hutchin’s 5th grade students presented each board member with a thank you card for their service. Then, the students shared their debate on why cell phones should or should not be allowed in schools. The students made important points for consideration and did a great job!

Matt Warren & Jamie England- Tech Presentation:

Matt Warren from Kane Consulting and Jamie England provided a presentation to the board on the status of our technology infrastructure, hardware and software at Mt. Olive CUSD #5. They highlighted the importance of cyber security and planning for necessary upgrades in the future.

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

Financial Report for October 2024:

Mrs. Kelly reported the Education Fund is sitting at $ 2,536,611. The Building Fund is at $776,723. The Transportation Fund balance is $ 401,374. The Working Cash Fund is at $230,788. The total of all funds is $3,945,497.

Budget Report: Revenues vs. Expenditures for October 2024:

Education Fund: 46% vs. 29%

Building Fund: 66% vs. 13%

Bond & Interest: 21% & 52%

Transportation Fund: 42% vs. 50%

IMRF: 75% vs. 26%

Site & Construction: 39% & 17%

Working Cash: 73% & 0%

Tort Immunity: 77% vs. 28%

Life Safety: 104% & 56%

Motion by Remer, seconded by Knes to approve the financial report and the budget report for October 2024. All ayes. Motion carried.

Unfinished Business:

Motion by Brunnworth, seconded by Skertich to approve the following policies:

2:270 Discrimination and Harassment on the Basis of Race, Color, and National Origin Prohibited-New

2:265 Title IX Grievance Procedure-Draft Update, Rewritten

2:70 Vacancies on the School Board - Filling Vacancies-Review and Monitoring

2:125 Board Member Compensation; Expenses-Review and Monitoring

2:160 Board Attorney-Review and Monitoring

2:260 Uniform Grievance Procedure-Draft Update

4:15 Identity Protection-Review and Monitoring

4:70 Resource Conservation-Draft Update

4:80 Accounting and Audits-Review and Monitoring

5:100 Staff Development Program-Draft Update, Rewritten

5:130 Responsibilities Concerning Internal Information-Draft Update

5:180 Temporary Illness or Temporary Incapacity-Review and Monitoring

5:200 Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal-Draft Update

5:290 Employment Termination and Suspensions-Review and Monitoring

5:310 Compensatory Time-Off-Review and Monitoring

6:110 Programs for Students At Risk of Academic Failure and/or Dropping Out of School and Graduation Incentives Program-Review and Monitoring

6:140 Education of Homeless Children-Draft Update

6:150 Home and Hospital Instruction-Review and Monitoring

7:20 Harassment of Students Prohibited-Draft Update

7:170 Vandalism-Review and Monitoring

7:185 Teen Dating Violence Prohibited-Draft Update

 Roll call: All ayes. Motion carried

Motion made by Essington, seconded by Rimar to approve the Amendment to the Intergovernmental Agreement with Litchfield CUSD #12. Roll call: All ayes.  Motion carried

New Business:

Motion by Rimar, seconded by Skertich to approve the tentative levy for 2024 as presented and hold a Truth in Taxation hearing on December 18,2024.. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Osmoe, seconded by Rimar to accept the resignation of Kaleigh Ziglar as the Assistant Junior High Volleyball Coach. All ayes. Motion carried.

Principals’ Reports

Mr. Martin reported the following:

The school year continues to move along quickly, but overall smoothly. 

The front office is still learning quite a lot along the way. It is safe to say we are treading water well and pushing forward as we gain understanding.

The teachers are in good spirits as we finish up the second quarter.

We have an Attitude of Gratitude and Relationship Focused day coming up Nov. 26th.

Students will have choices during 3 segments of the day to engage in acts of service, gratitude, and activities that enhance relationships.

Examples of activities are

Volunteering at the MO Food pantry

Chalking the Christmas Decorations in the windows at the MO Library.

Writing Christmas cards for area senior citizens homes.

Volunteering in the elementary classrooms. 

We recently completed our required shelter in place drill (Tornado) and things went smoothly. We plan to debrief as a staff and then the admin team to discuss any needed improvements.

Sports - Football and Volleyball are wrapped up.

David Schoen received 3rd team punter honors

Matthew Bywater received 3rd theme defensive back honors

Lauren Bailey, Ellie Borrowman, Lili Anne Readenour, and Charli Bono received Honorable mention in the MSM conference.

Wrestling and Basketball have all begun.

The Lady Wildcats won their first game of the season by one point in OT!

Academically we still have not had a student athlete ineligible for the school year.

We had 48 High Honor students and 38 Honor students.

This information has been reported to the newspaper, but it was not run at the same time as the JH.

On Dec. 4th we will be inducting 9 students into National Honors Society.

I have been able to get into all of the classes and been able to witness some interesting teaching moments.

Mr. Simmons class is making their own fermented root beer.

Mr. Spudich’s class dissected chicken wings.

Mr. Close’s class is working on clay sculptures.

Mr. Nix created a math lesson involving the game clue. Students solved the crime by completing various math problems.

On Nov 15th I attended a School Safety Professional Development and it was very informative. I was able to make some good connections with other area schools and will be able to share their information with the group as we update our own Crisis Plans. 

Mrs. Scheller reported the following:

I’m thrilled to announce that our school has moved from a Comprehensive state designation to a Commendable state designation. This significant milestone reflects the hard work and dedication of our students, teachers, staff, and families. Over the past year, we have seen marked improvement in our math and reading scores. While celebrating this achievement, we recognize that our journey is not over. We remain committed to ensuring every student succeeds and will continue to work toward an Exemplary designation. We have been working hard with Sharone Nepote, our learning partner from the Thoughtful Classroom. Her training includes introducing tools and strategies for teachers to implement in their instruction. Some are new, and others enhance what our teachers are already doing. Our teachers are taking this process seriously and putting forth much effort to keep us moving forward. I believe that through this work, we will continue to grow in ways that enhance the education of our students.  This commendable designation reflects the strength and potential of our school community. I look forward to continuing to work together to make our school a place where every student can thrive. I am very proud to be part of this amazing school community.

The Veterans' Day Program took place on November 8th this year. The second-grade students invited family members who have served or are still serving for a reading of a Veteran’s Day book by our librarian, Beth Schneider, followed by cookies and a drink. Students could ask questions, and their military guests had the chance to share their military stories. We will work on making this a whole school and community program for the next year. We have a lot of military members in our community, and we feel they deserve to be recognized.

Midterms will be sent home on November 26th.

Upcoming Sporting Events

11/20- JH Boys Basketball at Ben-Gil @ 7:15 pm

11/21- JH Boys Basketball at Lincolnwood Jr/Sr High School @ 6 pm

11/23- JH Girls Basketball 8th grade Regional at home in the HS gym

11/25- JH Boys Basketball at Carlinville @ 6:30 pm

11/26- JH Boys Basketball at St. Francis Holy Ghost @ 5:15 pm

I want to finish by wishing all of you a happy Thanksgiving!

Superintendent’s Report:

Dr. Kelly reported the following:

Dr. Kelly and the board had a discussion about the district’s cell phone policy and the concerns surrounding student mental health. We believe it is essential to open a dialogue focused on generating collaborative ideas and solutions to foster a stronger sense of belonging in our schools while reducing the excessive time students spend on their devices outside of school. Research points to a clear correlation between increased screen time and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Interestingly, in conversations, many of our high school students acknowledge this link but admit they are not motivated to change their behavior without guidance or support.  We invite your input and collaboration to explore practical strategies for addressing this challenge together.

The district health life safety project, roof and HVAC, is expected to be completed by the end of December. The contractor is currently troubleshooting with our maintenance supervisor, Toby Osmoe, to finalize the roofing project. This will put the majority of our roof under a 20-30 year warranty. ENTEC, the HVAC automation contractor, is expecting to be completed by the end of January 2025.

Congratulations to Roger Kratochvil who will be receiving the Horace Mann Building Bridges Award on December 5, 2024. He was nominated by Dr. Kelly for his outstanding work with the Academic Foundation! The collaboration between the Academic Foundation and Mt. Olive CUSD #5 is greatly appreciated!

Finally, we have started collecting stories for our upcoming magazine. Students, staff, and community members have been interviewed for the first edition of this magazine. The photographer will return to our school on December 2 to take photographs. If you do not wish for your child to take part in this project, please let your child’s building principal know. We are looking forward to highlighting the great work of our students, staff, and community members! Thank you!

Motion by Rimar, seconded by Osmoe to enter into closed session at 8:02 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. Discussion of pending and probable litigation against, affecting, or on behalf of the Board of Education and the District. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Skertich, seconded by Remer to return to open session at 8:54 p.m. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Rimar, seconded by Skertich to accept the resignation of Mt. Olive Junior High Assistant Cheer Coach, Averie Schmelzle, effective immediately. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Osmoe seconded by Remer to approve the resignation of, Mt. Olive CUSD #5 Special Education Bus Monitor, Jenna Shelton. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Knes seconded by Skertich accept the resignation of MaryAnn Brackman effective on November 22, 2024. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Rimar seconded by Remer to approve James Bryant as paid HS Assistant Boys Basketball Coach.  Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Remer seconded by Knes to hire Cara Pence as the paid Mt. Olive JH Assistant Volleyball Coach. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

Motion by Remer seconded by Rimar to approve Scott Mathis as a Substitute Bus Driver pending appropriate licensure and successful background check. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried

Motion by Osmoe seconded by Knes to approve Mark Smith as a Substitute Bus Driver pending appropriate licensure and successful background check. Roll call: 7 ayes. Motion carried.

The next regular board meeting and A Truth in Taxation Hearing will be held at 7:00 pm. will be at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, in the school library at 804 West Main St., Mt. Olive, IL.

Motion by Skertich, seconded by Rimar to adjourn at 9:02 p.m. All ayes. Motion carried.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1j6Ukos-QvRSmEfhb-q2QS97Kk-AhTRYn/edit