001All right, 6:45. We'll go ahead and call the meeting to order. Greg Meyer here. Lisa >> here. Adam >> here. >> Friedrich is Kelly Moyer >> here. >> All right, that gives us a quorum. If everybody would stand with me and replace this recite the pledge of allegiance. >> 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. >> Awesome. Thank you very much. A warm welcome to our two visitors here tonight. Thank you for joining us. >> It's always good to have >> Oh, I'm sorry. You guys were over this side. Thank you all four for joining us. We doubled my expectations tonight, so thank you. >> All right, we'll start with any
002public comments. Anybody have anything they'd like to say this evening? No public comments. All right, perfect. Uh correspondence is in your packet. We're going to move right on to our consent agenda. Dr. Curt, if you'd walk us through that, please. You've got your regular minutes um and your financial reports. Uh we've got three resignations. Patricia Litkin, bus monitor. Leticia Linamman, custodian. Kimberly Johnson, administrative assistant. Um we've got some employments. Katherine Downin, library parapro. Matthew Lawrence Thomas, custodian, and Nathan Karen, a social worker at the high school. Uh we also have a leave of absent. Marla Fischer is expecting and she will be out between November and February depending on the date that the baby comes. Uh we'd also like to declare three vacancies. We are going to be posting for uh Dr. Gayy's replacement as
003Dr. Gayy will be my replacement um in the 2627 school year. So we're posting for an assistant superintendent. We're also posting for an administrative assistant for the superintendent and a CHS assistant track coach. Given all of those items, um, the administration recommends the board approve the consent agenda as presented. >> All right. Any questions, concerns, comments regarding the consent agenda? >> Hearing none, would you like to make a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented? >> But not all at once. >> I'll make a motion. >> Thank you, Tyson. Second. >> I'll second. >> Thank call, please. >> Lisa Schumacher. >> Yes. >> Tyson search. Yes. Adam Hen. >> Yes. >> Andrea Corey. >> Yes. >> Kelly Moyer. >> Yes. >> Norin Friedri. >> Yes. >> Greg Meyer. >> Yes. >> All right. >>
004That passes. Move on to our communications reports and presentations. Enrollment report is in your packet. We'll start with our administrative reports and with our assistant superintendent, Dr. Gayy. >> I just want to share that opening day was absolutely amazing. We had an amazing keynote speaker. um in addition to the coffee pot came and did a beverage bar for all of the staff members coming back. It has been truly amazing having students in the halls and all the the staff members back as well. I also wanted to share that Dr. Grody and I did attend the chamber meeting yesterday and I was able to share our vocational pathways that we are working really hard on at the high school and the chamber was really excited to hear of those um pathways we're working on and I
005had some great conversations with business members. off to a great start. >> Absolutely. Thank you. Onto our superintendent report. Dr. Grody. >> Yeah, school has started and it is always an exciting time of year. Um we hope to be in the um the the transportation is always the the big discussion point here in Colombia on Route 3. And I think it's going well again with the construction. Uh we will be getting into the front of the building in a few months. We didn't get it by the start of the school year. So, I'm sure once we get everybody used to the pattern, we're going to change the pattern and get used to it again. But >> weeks. Yes, weeks. Well, next month. So, um right now we had the auditors here. They were here the
006last three days. They've done an very deep dive into a lot of our our files and systems. So, that's good. Um action item C on the cell tower. We're taking that off of the agenda today. I will uh we just need to have more information regarding um where we stand and where uh whether or not this is what we need. There's no executive session today. Um and that's pretty much it. >> Perfect. We'll move on to our items for action. The first one is the approval of the 2025 2026 budget display. >> Yeah. And the budget has been on display since August 19th, 2025. We posted that and we're just asking the board to acknowledge that that so that it'll satisfy the 30-day posting requirement. So, administration uh requests that the board approve the budget
007to be on display August 19th, 2025 for next month's approval. >> Oh, perfect. Any questions regarding the budget display like to make a motion to approve the budget display for 2025 26? >> I'll make the motion. >> I'll second. Thank you, Lisa. Second roll call, please. >> Tyson Search, yes. Adam Himkin, >> yes. >> Andrea Corey, >> yes. >> Kelly Moyer, >> yes. >> Norin Friedrich, >> yes. >> Greg Meyer, >> yes. >> Lisa Schumacher, >> yes. >> All right. Unanimous. Item B is the established the date and time for the 2025 2026 budget hearing. Historically, we've done it at 7 o'clock before the regular meeting and that would be on um I believe it is September 19th. I did not write that down. The September 18th. So, the uh recommendation is that we set
008at 700 p.m. a budget hearing on September 18th, which is our regularly scheduled meeting. Any questions regarding the date? Hearing none. Would anybody like to make a motion to approve the date and time for our 202526 budget hearing? >> I'll make a motion. >> Thank you, Andrea. Second. >> I'll second it. >> All in favor? >> Any opposed? Any obstensions? Perfect. Carries. Dr. Gishi, we're going to table item C, which is the approval of the ground lease, and move on to item D, which is the second reading and approval for the board polic press policy number 119. Yes. And um press policies were mainly largely updates. It did have one question on the first one and that was whether or not our board policy um picks a uh different statement for the dismissal of board
009members and we are the answer is no. I um included a copy of that policy for you and you can see they read different. So uh administration recommends that the board approve the second reading of press policies 119 as presented. with the question being no. Any questions on the press issue 119 comments? All right, hearing none. Would anybody like to make a motion to approve the second reading of the for the approval of the board policy press issue 119? >> I'll make the motion. >> Thank you, Andrea. Second. >> I'll second. >> Thank you. Noring. Sorry. Roll call, please. >> Adam Himkin, >> yes. >> Andrea Corey, >> yes. Kelly Moyer, >> yes. >> Narin Frie, >> yes. >> Greg Meyer, >> yes. >> Lisa Schumacher, >> yes. >> Tyson Serge, yes. >> Perfect. That
010concludes our items for action for this evening. The last thing is our discussion items. We'll start with our facility study. >> Well, we walked through it today. They are extremely close on that um office. It's really starting to look like a a a school on the inside. And so, we plan on having that open the first week of September. That's going to be exciting. and they've been moving along. Um we expect the outside to be completely closed in in a couple of months. They're still leaving the one um by the uh by the auditorium open so that they can bring things in and out of it, but uh construction is going well. Do you guys have anything of note? >> Um we've been doing weekly meetings now since we're getting close to the openings and
011and walking the property every week and uh they're this week they made just tremendous progress. um a lot more so than than we've seen in in usually months actually. So um a couple things we've we've noticed like the uh an area in the floor where we had some gaps where it wasn't installed square and uh they we identified that last week and this week it was all taken up, replaced and fixed and turned the right way. So they are very um accommodating with our requests and making sure things are right. So anything else you observed there? >> Uh not on the current construction but just a note that uh September 8th I believe is when they plan to start working on the gym. So there will be a change in some of that some of
012the logistics u behind the school and then in October I believe is when our bids will go out for phase three for the renovations. So, you'll see a a little bit more change like Dr. Grody said as far as the logistics changing things up because that back space will be >> new parking and new driving. >> It'll be used for construction, but the front of the building will be open. So, which was, you know, kind of we had planned on it. It just didn't know exactly when that second logistical change would happen. So just kind of an FYI to the public, but we are waiting till after Songs for Soldiers to start that. It was a matter of starting a day or two before or a day or two after. And we chose the day
013or two after. >> Yeah. >> Because the timing worked out great between the two projects where we're kind of moving. It gives them a >> Yeah, it was a few days. >> Literally would have been one or two days different, but the construction team said, >> "Let's wait." >> So >> that was gonna be my question. Did you have a meeting with Dustin? >> Yeah. And are we as a school board going to get to go through it before it's opened for a final like walk through for us? >> We can schedule that. >> I mean, I know it won't be our meeting night, but if we could just have a special meeting for us to go through it before >> I can uh coordinate something. It would be the week of the It'd be
014like the 28th, maybe the night of August 28th. I'll send out an email and see what works on that. >> The board is welcome anytime. So, it's this is your project. So, anytime anybody wants to see it, >> just let me know. I can bring it through, but I'll send out an email and see if we can coordinate. >> We can definitely do as a group or individually or whatever >> you guys want. So, >> okay. Thank you. >> Anything else regarding facilities? All right. Move on to individual board member comments. Anybody have anything this evening? Nothing. All right. Board President's prerogative. I don't have anything as well. Dr. Groy mentioned in his report, we do not have an executive session. Only thing remaining on our meeting this evening is adjournment. Maybe like to make
015a motion to adjurnn. >> I'll make the motion. >> Thank you, Kevin. Second. >> I'll second. >> Thank you, Andrea. All in favor? >> Any opposed? Perfect. includes our meeting time is 6:56 p.m. Thank you all for joining us. Uh we do have a bina hearing at 7 p.m. So four more minutes we'll do this all over again. So, not all over, but Time is 7 p.m. We're going to call the meeting to order. This is a Bina public hearing. Kais can start with a roll call, please. >> Sure. Greg Meyer >> here. >> Lisa Schumacher >> here. >> Tyson Serge here. Adam Hemp >> here. >> Andrea Cory >> here. >> Naren Friedrich >> here. >> Kelly Moyer >> here. All >> right. And with every meeting we do the pledge of allegiance even
016if we do it twice in 15 minutes. >> 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. >> All right. Like to welcome our visitors for rejoining and another one joining us tonight. We'll start with public comments. Does anybody have anything they would like to say this evening? If you would just state your name, please, and we give you three minutes. Okay. >> Okay. My name is Dana Mlan. I am a pretty much a lifetime resident of Columbia, Illinois. Um, I have two students in the district, a senior and a freshman. And so, um, what I'd like to address this evening are concerns regarding the music program in our district. Um the first
017point I would like to make is about safety and the second about maintaining this the program the music program. So this fall the marching band is consisted of 94 band members and 17 color guard. So that is 111 students. There is one director Mr. Christian Avis Rouse and there is one paraprofessional. Next year we won't even have the paraprofessional because the student that she aids will be graduating. So that means there is one person for all 111 students and they are meeting during the eighth hour of the day when it's hot and we have construction happening and then they also are we're going to the football games again walking through the construction around the construction sites. So Mr. Avis Rouse or Mr. are is is limited in in what he can do um in that
018respect. So um I did talk with Mr. Grody about this ahead of time and his suggestion was to pull Mr. Hoke from the middle school and have him help in that eth hasn't been feasible with scheduling. So as of right now there is still no solution in sight and that is putting the safety of our children in the district at risk. Um the next point that Mr. Grody um had provided at another meeting was that the city of Columbia estimates that there will be 800 additional families entering the entering Colombia over the next 10 years. And so we are already starting to address that with the construction of the high school and the auditorium which we've been sadly lacking for musical performances including theater, band, and choir. So the maintenance brings me to the second
019point maintenance. So basically the music program is being cut down and not nurtured at the foundational levels. Um really there is a great need for another full-time a fifth full-time faculty member for the district as a whole. And what this would do is allow you to have a full-time faculty member just at Parkview allowing Mr. Hoke and Mr. are to be able to co-e um or team teach and work together to address bands of between 70 to 100 students. Um that is a lot of students and the focus with individual attention and being able to hear where a student might be struggling just cannot be met when it is one person working with that large number of students. Um there's I know we are making an initiative to have more steam and I I don't
020want that to be at the detriment to our music program because really music and math and anything you know they go hand in hand. Whenever you're teaching math concepts and music concepts, um, you are using cognitive skills like problem solving, spatial reasoning, you're recognizing patterns, symmetry, it's helping with fractions, ratios, and frequencies. Um, so it's not a matter of one should be replacing the other. We really need both. And if we are to be the school district that I believe we should be, then then they both need to exist together. um the encore classes that are offered at the middle school um have been reduced from 13 weeks to now 9 weeks. So already a month of curriculum teaching has been eliminated um and shortened. And so that's really causing the students to not learn
021where they need to be learning and getting that foundational material and then they're not therefore not moving up. Um, and so we're essentially cutting those students off at at the elementary school where they're not get going to be able to get into high school and perform at a level that they should be. Um, so schoolboard members in conclusion, I know I'm probably close on my time. Um, especially those those of you who have students in the district, Moren, I know you do. Um, you're long-standing members of the Colombia community just as I am. Um, and so please consider the legacy that you'll leave behind. Do you want to be the cause of our music program dwindling and being an embarrassment compared to other local districts? Or do you want to be known as not only
022creating a state-of-the-art auditorium at the high school, but also filling it with students who perform at high quality and even state levels and compete and win against our other larger schools around us. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> I have a question. >> Yes. >> Do you guys ever get student teacher assistance in the music department? Like the other teachers have like student teachers. Do you get >> We have in the past. Not a lot, but >> Sarah had one um two years ago. >> Student teachers are really dependent on SIU or another college sending them to us. >> So, it's it's just not a recurring year we just don't get them. did not like the classroom. >> Okay. >> Any other public comments, we'll >> go ahead and commence our public hearing. Um
023the intent for the board to issue not to exceed $33 million worth of funding bonds. >> Yeah. And this is the final wave of funding for the um construction that you see going on at the high school. Um we've talked about it a lot. Is there any questions, concerns, or comments? and then we'll open it up for the public to talk about >> board have any com comments, questions, concerns hearing. None. >> Anyone in the public have any comments, questions, or concerns? Hearing none, I will entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> I'll make >> Thank you. Adam second. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> Motion carries. Mean is adjourned at 7:07 p.m. Thank you all for joining Was that Miss Moyer who seconded? >> I did. >> You did? Thank you.