The Crescent-Iroquois Community Unit School District #249 Board of Education met Monday, March 13, at Crescent City Grade School. Board president Steve Massey called the meeting to order at 7:01 p.m. Those present recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
Secretary Jody Niebuhr took roll call. Present were board members Massey, Tim Kollmann, Niebuhr, Candi Butzow and Becky Dirks. Also present were interim superintendent Rod Grimsley and principal Lucas Schroeder.
Discussion items included an update to the high school demolition. Asbestos removal was on the agenda for approval with work set to begin mid-April. The demolition pre-bid meeting is March 28 and bid opening will take place April 11 at CCGS. The awarding of the bid for demolition will be on the April 17 agenda, with the project completion date of mid-June. It was noted all three receiving districts (Watseka, Cissna Park and Iroquois-West) had approved their calendars and shared them – that allowed the tentative calendar for District #249 to remain as discussed at the last meeting.
Grimsley again discussed the ISEA changes for the upcoming school year. One of the big changes is for ISEA employees to become employees of the school district where they work – thus, the compensation of pay would be each school district’s responsibility. Since the beginning meetings on this topic, a couple of schools have changed their stance on this item, due to the change being a cost they had not anticipated. Grimsley noted the Finance Committee would need to meet in order to discuss funding of the high school demolition project. Talk took place on contents at the high school and the need to get things removed.
There were no comments from the public or board correspondence to share so the board moved on to the superintendent’s report. There wasn’t anything to report regarding building and grounds, or transportation. Financials will be in the last quarter of the fiscal year next month and a decision will need to be made about an amended budget in April. End of the year state and federal reporting will take place the next three months.
Schroeder’s report included the announcement of the three students of the month for February: Jackson Mohler, kindergarten; Eli Stanley, third grade; and Brehna Berry, sixth grade. Enrollment for the grade school is 68 and high school students number 34 for a total enrollment of 102. IAR testing will take place at the end of the month, after spring break. Third and fourth graders are taking a theater trip on March 16, and the junior high students will go skating on March 17. A Scholastic Book Fair is taking place this week at CCGS and it was noted Spirit Week was changed to April 24-28.
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Board members had no items to present so they moved on to items which needed to be voted upon. The board approved minutes of the Feb. 13 regular meeting, the Feb. 28 treasurer’s report, the payment of bills dated March 13, the Imprest Fund and petty cash reports of Feb. 28; leaving closed minutes closed, the destruction of audio tapes older than 18 months, and approval of the 2023-24 school calendar.
The board then heard of bids received for asbestos removal at Crescent-Iroquois High School. The highest bid came in at $420,000 and the lowest bid was $169,600. The board accepted the bid of $169,600 from M&O Environmental as the base bid and the unit rates as presented for the removal of asbestos at CIHS. The board then approved the rehiring of fourth-year teacher Angela Rayman for the 2023-24 school year, as well as rehiring second-year teachers Tonia Wengert and Heather Gerth. The board’s last approval was the resolution for ISEA for the next school year.
The board then adjourned to executive session to discuss the employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the district or legal counsel for the district, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee or against legal counsel for the district to determine its validity. However, a meeting to consider an increase in compensation to a specific employee of a public body that is subject to the local Government Wage Increase Transparency Act may not be closed and shall be open to the public and posted and held in accordance with this Act. 5ILCS 120/2©, amended by PA 99-646. Also to be discussed was the placement of individual students in special education programs and other matters relating to individual students. 5ILCS 120/2©(10).
After the executive session, the board re-entered the regular session and adjourned.
The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Monday, April 17, in the CCGS board room.
