001That's okay. Okay. Roll call. Wilms here. Cook here. Kenogal here. Curran here. None here. McMasters here. Jones here. Kaylee McKenzie here. We have a quorum. Very good. Will you all please rise for the pledge of allegiance followed by the invocation uh given tonight by pastor Chris Savaris with Second Baptist Church. Um if you would all please also remain standing uh for a moment of silence in memory of Christy Dawson the social worker at Grant City High School that would be much appreciated. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the opportunity to be here. Lord, we uh thank you for the opportunity to serve. I thank
002you for my wife and her time here with the school board and Matt as well. And I pray that you would be with them as they prepared to take the next steps ahead of them. Lord, I pray for the incoming members that you would be with them and bless them. And Lord, I pray that you would watch over and guide this meeting in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Thank you all. Please remain standing. All right. Thank you all very much. All right. That takes us to public comment. Yes. Public comment. We would like to recognize our wonderful school board members, Mr. Matt. Jones and M. Honey. I think Mr. is going to be the first presentation. Well, it is with really heartfelt thanks to Matt for the job. Eight years pretty dang [Applause] incredible. But I
003just want to say thanks on behalf of the school board and and those are coming on. Um Matt, great job and what you've done for us. Great job. Just in leading us. Um been very uh fond of the job that you've done up here and sitting in this in this seat and so we just uh school board cannot thank you enough and school district cannot thank you enough. You had a few challenges. Oh yeah. Um there was one or two I think along the way just a couple. Yep. And I think you just just got us through that with your leadership style ability just got us together so much. So we got a plaque for you. Granite City Community Unit School District number nine would like to recognize Mr. Jones for his eight years of
004service as a board member serving the students and community presented this 13th day of April. Awesome. Thank you [Applause] very smiling. Smile with your eyes. My eyes kind of close when I smile. Well, thank you very much. I'll go ahead and shake your hand. Thank you. Um well I'll just take my last second although we we still have one more meeting technically but uh wanted to thank my family my wife um you know it's a lot of time dedicated on the phone coming to meetings spending like three hours at a time with all you fine folks but it's been a good it's been a good eight years it's been a lot of lot of challenges um I would say any words of wisdom if you guys care but I mean just look out for one
005another look out for the district. I mean, we have good teachers, we have good parents, good kids, a lot of good support that we have. Um, and you know, to the public who may be watching, just remember that the seven people that are sitting here are your neighbors. Um, you know, they care about you. They care about your kids. And so, while it's easy to criticize and potentially sometimes be harsh towards these people who are making decisions, uh, just remember that they're they're really for you and for the community. So, um, thank you all for serving. Thank you to Erica and Eric who will be serving. Uh, hope you know what you got yourself into. But, uh, yeah. So, thank you to everybody. Much appreciated. I only think it's fair if you let us go
006around a little bit and each have a chance to say little. I I just cannot. uh you have been tireless and you've been a real unifier of this board that sometimes it's very lively discussions and we're grateful that the whole community doesn't has to see how hamburger's made. Uh they get a nice product at the end, but you have worked tirelessly and you just had great leadership and and I think you've been a really unifying force on this board. I couldn't appreciate any more. Thanks. And all I have to say is that any time I needed some information and explanation, I always found you accessible. You always called me back and I really appreciated that. Plus, I think you're an amazing leader. Thank you. Thank you. I don't think there's enough time for me to
007express my gratefulness uh for saying to be able to for giving me the opportunity to serve this district and having the faith in me to do so. I really appreciate that. You have always been communic communicative and helpful to me at every turn and cared and gone the extra mile. So, I really appreciate the service. We'll get the link fix. Okay. I already told him a park. I think it's fair to say that I've never met a person I intended not to like as much as you turn around and find I like you as much as I do. It has been an absolute pleasure and an honor to serve with you here. Here you've already heard from me a little bit, but I will say a few more words. I met Matt a couple probably
008about three years ago now, something like that, before the the school board thing. And uh I just got to tell you, um your vision for this city, your vision for what you want to see this community to be is just second to none. So thank you so much again from here and and you think he'd retire after eight years but no picks up another one and goes on the on the park district board now. So again thank you for your service to the community. It's another high salary one. Another Well, I think we first met maybe 15 years ago or so back when a lot of the people in my family thought we looked like we were brothers. And u anyway, I do appreciate over the past eight or nine months the uh several essay
009length emails that I sent you kind of get my feet wet and clear what is going on. He generally I don't think he wanted to that much in response. So, I got phone calls saying, "Hey, you know, we got a minute." Um, but anyway, yeah, thank you very much and good luck at this park. Matt, you've been a great leader for this district and a good example to me, especially um as another younger person on this board. I mean, when I when I first decided to run, I came to you and talked to you and you asked first thought I was crazy, but you gave me good advice and you've been a good example for me. Um, and I'll I'm definitely going to keep calling you about things and I'll park district issues to stress
010you out about. And I think the bottom line is that the district is better off from the day that you joined it. So, well, thank you. I appreciate that. Okay. And we'll have Linda's gonna I'm going to now present uh Tanya with her recognition and our appreciation. Well, you know how much I like you and I always have. Tanya and I met across from her legal desk years ago and she helped my sister and I with this situation, a problem that we had and we wanted a little explanation. So, we go all the way back there. So, every time I hear her name, I'm always saying, "Oh, she's great. She is great. She lies. I pay for that." Yes. The money is in my pocket right here. So anytime that I have the opportunity to
011share with the community and the public the wonderful things that Tanya does for this for this town and certainly for the children. Uh I'm always there to say she is a she's a wonderful warm person and I'm so glad that I've known her and will continue to have our relationship together. And so in in that respect, I will read this beautiful beautiful uh plaque. Granite City Community District 9 would like to recognize Mrs. Tanya Cook Sedabas for her four years of service as a board member serving the students and community presented this 13th day of April, 2021. Thank you. [Applause] Thank you. That was the nicest, sweetest thing. Lyn and I ran together, so like we have the the flames of fire bonding. We we had a few breakfasts about that. We did. We did.
012So, thank you. Thank you very much. It has been, like Matt had said, just to kind of reiterate everything Matt said, it has truly been an honor to serve on the board. It's been an honor to work with each of you guys and Bev and Kathy and Carolyn that I started with and Jim. Can't leave out Mr. green wall and Tom and it's just been an honor to work with everybody. We have a great school district. We have a great board. The two new members that are coming on are going to make it even better. I'm really excited for the things that you guys are going to get to do in the future. Um I'm a little bit excited that I'm not part of that. That's a lot. It has been It's only Matt Matt
013made it eight years. I'm pretty sure I've got about 30 new gray hairs from every day that I was on this board over the last four. I think we deserve eight years worth of credit. I was teasing about that earlier just because it's been an interesting four years ride, but it has been the experience of a lifetime and getting to know Stephanie and your vision for this district just excites me absolutely beyond measure and I just think the public has no idea about the exciting things that are getting ready to happen in this district and the way that it's moving forward and you guys are in good hands and I truly from the bottom of my heart thank each and every one of you for for uh putting up with me. I know you know
014argumentative at times. I know that's shocking. Um, but but just indulging me and and making me feel like a part of it and family and Matt I met it. I truly have enjoyed working with you so much value the friendship that we have formed. I and my husband and my daughter are here because nobody knows what you deal with more than your family does because they get to hear the crabby wonderful side of it. So, thank you guys so much and thank you guys for this. It's [Applause] been so emotional. Do you want to say goodbye to them? You guys want to go around? I I do want to I I cannot tell you. So sometimes, you know, being from a Baptist background, you're always going to have someone that yells, "I want to testify."
015But I have to be honest, these weren't second place ribbons tonight to just say, "Thanks for participating." These were first place plaques because you've left something for us, this new board, continuing to build on. and your love for the kids, your dedication to the district and the community. You've really left big shoes to fill and u it's been obvious the tireless hours you put into this district and it only came back to how much you care for our kids and care for our community. And so we could not love you or respect you anymore. I really appreciate you. And Tanya, again, it's it's going to be very difficult to have to look around and see where you are, but I app appreciated all the things that you brought to this board and made me think
016a lot about what other thoughts I I would have not had. Uh but you are you are an inspiration. Thank you. Well, thank you once again being my first year and these this group giving me this opportunity to serve and to look forward to our growth and what we're going to be doing and there is some really exciting things coming. Challenges, yes, but they we're going to turn them into a positive spin. But Tanya, her support and mentorship um has been invaluable to me. She talked about her great hairs. Each one of them though represents all those decisions, those hard hard decisions that she held steadfastly to her to her heart and helping those kids. So, I just really appreciate all your support. if phone bills could talk. And I I think it's funny because
017people don't believe whenever you say like, "Yeah, we didn't really start out liking each other or at least not anticipating even though we didn't do anything wrong." It's just like it was just Yeah. But then suddenly, you know, you've grown on me like a lawyer. Yeah. And like, you know, now you're a friend and a colleague and you know you just it's just crazy and and you've done a great job. You having kids in the district was invaluable. Um you your legal mind of course with Tom's two lawyers together. I mean like we got go the answer you know you always thought about the kids and and programs that were important to kids and so I think you brought a really fresh perspective and it will be missed. Um so but now you can run
018for something different later and we can we'll do it again. [Laughter] Well, Tanya, I'm going to miss you. We've known each other a long time and and well before well before the school board and in a lot of different aspects of of business and and that sort of thing. But I will tell you when I joined the school board, I honestly thought you were here and I was here on a lot of the decisions. Um and and I'm really happy to say that in the end you saw it my way. No, absolutely not. I know we feel like in the last four or five months we've become very close in terms of of the way we've been thinking about hey we need to move this we need to do those sort of things. So I
019think uh if if you walk away with one thing today know that you've changed me in the last two years and that I've come closer to what your your way of thinking. So I appreciate that the way that you handled yourself. I appreciate that. Well I know we've kind of run kind of in the same circles for a few years but didn't really know each other very well. And um I know we've had multiple one-on-one conversations in the past eight or nine months, but what I most appreciate is that you were the first person to after my first or second board meeting, we spent like 30 or 35 minutes out in the parking lot, she's like, "Hey, here's some stuff you need to know." And uh and I did. Yeah. Some of it was like,
020"Oh, wow." And some of it was like, "Oh, no." But um I needed that. uh you know it helped out tremendously over the next few months up to even now. So um best of luck with your new business and uh and we'll probably see you around. Well, I echo what I said to Matt that the district's better off because of you. I truly believe that. And Tanya was one of those people that if there was a a contentious thing or something I wasn't sure about, we're debating, I was always kind of looking to her to see what see what she was going to say, what she thought about it. And it was like a good signpost about where I could be and you know, it's very helpful to me. You've been helpful to all of
021us. I know the board will miss you. And like I told Matt, you'll you'll still be hearing from me as a current board member and as a law student. So, thank you. I think I speak for that. You guys know our numbers call if you have questions. Kayie, do you have anything you'd like to say? Honestly, like as of the past few months, I've gotten to know you guys and I've seen you guys in the meetings and outside of the meetings. You guys really do value your students. you take the time, you take the extra measures, take the extra, you know, sessions and minutes and you you try to actually not only create an environment for our students um in a traditional year, but you've also combat all the challenges in CO 19 that is
022faced with actually having the safety provided for students while not exactly knowing what students necessarily need and you really come out to me each and every one of you um but especially you guys talking about uh what we can do to help our students not only with safety but also with progressing forward in our education, what extra opportunities we can have for our students. So, I just thank you guys so much and uh it's kind of tearfelt seeing you guys leave tonight and I'm also going to be meeting here soon in the next couple of months, but um it's been exciting to be here. I'm very grateful for you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Enough with the cushy stuff. I'm gonna say bye to them. You want to say bye to them or you
023just want to kick them out? Byebye. All right. See you. Byebye. Bye guys. Bye. It was good to see you guys. You too. I know. I knew she was ready for it. I know. Mine did that too. I just wanted to say that you might have noticed that we did have people in uh the meeting tonight. We are opening back up with limited numbers um based on current COVID numbers. So, we keep that in mind. So, we do have open meetings now with a limit of about I think about 20 people. So, um, we'll put some more information about that out prior to the next meeting, which that is really exciting, too. I know. I'm like really excited. That is really exciting. Breaking normal. We're even better. I know. It's much more fun. Yeah, it's
024much more fun. I remember to do a quorum and everything on my last. You did. I know. You're do it one more time, though. I just jinxed myself. I know. I jinxed it totally. All right. Well, thank you all. Appreciate you guys. Uh so moving on to the minutes. I need a motion for the approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of the board of education held on March 23rd, 2021. So moved. Second. So first by Linda and second by Mary has a hard time hearing so. Okay. Any any questions on the minutes? All right. Roll call. Cook I Kobo. I Curran. Hi. None. Hi McMasters. Hi Glfspire. Hi Jones. I motion carried. Moving on to the consent agenda. Consent agenda. Mr. President, the board. Any member may make a motion to approve the
025consent agenda or request that any of the items be moved to section seven for individual discussion and consideration. Do we have a motion? First by Dennis. back to current and then I do want to speak to the granite park district use of facilities for the fourth of July event. I talked to Mr. Brinkfire today that as the code regulations go we will be making accommodations and those those events will may be altered depending on concerts and who would be in the park. So, we have established that. I mean, Billy went into also the gifts to help create their school with some issues and some sinks there was very appreciated. I just wanted to thank you. All right. Uh, roll call. Kenobi. Currin. Hi. None. Hi. McMasters. Hi. Wire. Hi. Cook. I Jones. Hi. Motion carried.
026Wouldn't be a meeting with I know I had to say that. I just had to do it. Yes. Uh, okay. Moving on to recommendations and communications, human resources. Item A, retirements and resignations. Mr. President, the board, it is recommended that the following retirements and resignations be accepted. Uh, Christina Gasset, Secretary Prather PreK, retirement effective 9126. So move. Second. Any discussion? Good for you, Christie. So that was first was McMaster. Second was none. Okay. Welcome. Okay. Uh Curran. Hi. None. Hi. McMasters. Hi. Wilms. Hi Cook. I Kenogal. I Jones. Hi. Carried. Item B leaves of absence. Mr. President of the board, it is recommended that the following leaves be approved. Thomas Becker, custodian of Briggsby High School, effective 4521 to 62821. Rose Evans, Cafe at Griggsby, effective 42621 to 5721. Rachel Bill, I hope I pronounced
027that correctly. This is the fair professional prek effective 32921 to 62121. So moved. Second. Any discussion? Roll call. None. I McMasters. Hi. WSME. Hi. Cook. I Kogal. Hi. Curran. Hi. Jones. I carried on item C. Mr. President, the board has recommended the following extensions of Louise be approved. Certified Mr. Darren Ter. Any McMasters and current. Any discussion? Roll call. McMasters. Hi. Wilms. Hi. Cook. I Kenogal. Hi. Curran. Hi. None. I and Jones. I. Motion carries. Item D, recommendation for category movement for high school cross country head coach for the 2122 school year. Mr. President, the board, you have received detailed information about this item below. The administration is prepared to make recommendations or hold for discussion in executive session. Upon review, the high school cross country head coach placement of the siphon schedule is to
028determine if the category needs to be adjusted. High school head cross country coach from column 3 assistant coach minor to column two head coach minor. These changes will be implemented for the 2122 school. So first is none. Second is current. Uh okay. Uh any questions? All right. Roll call. McMasters. Hi. Williamser. Hi. Cook. I Kenogal. I Curin. Hi. None. Hi. Jones. I. Motion carried. Um item E is employee discipline. Yes. Um Mr. President, the board received detailed information about this item below. The administration is prepared to make recommendations or hold the discussion in executive session. We requesting that the board uphold Jason Mark's suspension without pay based on the information received. So second any McMaster was first. Any discussion? WSM. Hi. Cook. I Kenogal. Iran. Hi. None. Hi. McMaster. Hi. And I motion carry. Um
029and then we do not have any old business or new business. So we'll move to reports and other communications. Item A is Freedom of Information Act requests. Mr. President of the board. We've received one request under the Freedom of Information Act during the period of March 19th, 2021 through April 9th, 2021. The first first request was received on March 29th, 2021 from Lana Turley, field service director from the Illinois Federation of Teachers. She requested the following information. The names of all secretarial staff, full-time, part-time, union, and exempt employed for the district. Please include the secretary to the superintendent. Two secretaries to the human resources department, bookkeeper and payroll processor for the last four school terms. Include the date of hire staff if applicable current pay and job title for exempt personnel for the last four
030school terms. Provide the salary and benefit packages for all administration staff included but not limited to superintendent all assistant principles and principles for the last four school terms. The second request was received on April 7th, 2021 from Monitor, field service director from the Illinois Federation of Teachers. She requested the following information. Provide percentage increases for administrators and executive assistance union exempt personnel and raise amount that aformentioned personnel with the board of education approved. These requests were all handled by the administration. Okay, very good. Thank you. We do have an executive session presentation. Correct. That is correct. Okay. So, we'll um we'll move on to executive session. Exceptions noted under five CS120-2 open meetings. The appointment, employment compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body 2C1. Due to disciplinary matters, 2C9, the
031purchase or release of real property for use by the public body or setting price thereof, 2C5 and six. Collective bargaining matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives. 2C2 litigation when an action affecting or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed is probable or eminent 2C11 to discuss school school building safety and security and security procedures 2C8 and student safety 2C8. Um tonight we have a presentation by the superintendent on the use of grant funding um specific grant funds with personnel and all that. Um do I have a motion to go into executive session? So second. All in favor?