001President Albert here. Please rise and join me in 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. And Miss R, would you please recite our mission statement? Sure. Our mission is to empower each student to positively impact the world for a bright new future. Thank you. Um, next up is public comment and we have one tonight. Uh, the topic is Dr. Vaughn's resignation and uh, description is a a description of Mooney Elementary's reaction to this uh, with Gretchen Cork. So, Gretchen Good evening. Uh my name is Gretchen Quirk and I am a kindergarten teacher at Mon Elementary. I am here tonight to express the sadness that the vast majority
002of our staff is feeling at the news that we received last Wednesday morning that our principal Dr. Amas Vaughn was resigning. I wish you could have been in our building to see the tears, frustration, and confusion. Dr. Von is a trusted administrator and the one that the majority of our staff goes to with any variety of issues or concerns. He is present with the students on a daily basis and they know that his favorite thing is to see their bright smiles. He has had he has our backs and supports us. I personally had a very challenging student in my class this year and he was abruptly removed. Dr. Vaugh came down to check on me after this. I know this sounds like a very simple and easy thing to do, but after 20 years in
003education, this was the first time that an administrator had ever come to check on me like that, and I will always be grateful to him for this incredible act of kindness. Dr. Vaughn is genuinely here for the students and staff of Mon Elementary. He has been working to improve the morale and unity of our staff, which has suffered for many years, even before his time as our assistant principal. He developed a principal's advisory committee and that committee was doing the work to make change happen. Recently during an early early release day, our staff engaged in peace circles which were led by various members of the central office staff. Two of these two of these three circles were very positive and many of us truly felt like we were moving in a positive direction towards becoming
004a more cohesive staff. To say that we were blindsided last Wednesday is an understatement. We have seen the work that he has put in over the past three years serving as our principal and we have seen his growth. Does everyone on our staff feel this way? Of course not. Does he have faults? We all do. But were there faults that warrant this? Not that the majority of our staff is aware of. When Dr. Cara came to talk with us last Thursday afternoon, we shared many feelings with her and asked many questions. Because of the confidentiality of evaluations, there wasn't much that she could share. She wanted to talk about helping us move forward and being there for us next year. Someone was brave enough to say, "We feel that's too little too late." If there
005were such concerns about his principalship abilities, we think we would have seen a much greater central office presence in our building before Thursday. I want you all to know that I joined the Cremon family in 1984 as a first grader at Creek Elementary. I graduated in the dome in 1995 with Mr. Brown son. I completed my student teaching in this very room in 2001 and very immediately after joined Mon Elementary. I taught both of Mr. Swallish's daughters. I also taught uh Jennifer Gasparrow's daughter as well. To say that Creep Monife and Mon Elementary is my second family and home is an understatement. Dr. Dr. Cara spoke on Thursday about what families need to do at times like these. I don't know about you, but I fight for my family. I am here tonight to ask
006you not to approve Dr. Vaughn's resignation. Please take the time to look into this situation. We feel that it is unjust, unfair, and just plain wrong. Thank you for your time. Thank you, Cheryl. Do we have any other public comment tonight? Okay. Uh, next up, board updates. Do any board members have any updates? Oh boy. Yeah, I think I have an update. Okay. I did get the opportunity to meet [clears throat] with our assistant superintendent of curriculum, Dentiel, and our superintendent and the director of ELC the other day as regards to early learning opportunities for the district for three year olds and even beyond. So, it was a very, very uplifting, favorable, as I see it, meeting. Really appreciate it. It's kind of in the last second. You made it happen. In spite of all
007the things you had on your plate, Dr. Care, I really appreciate it. I got some very informative data from our assistant superintendent, Miss Perkins. Thank you. And I see this not only being favorable for ALC opportunities [clears throat] for University Park, but for all seven districts, all four five villages. So board members, I'm going to ask you because it's coming your way as well to roll up your sleeves and let's make some things happen as regarding to getting our kids engaged in opportunities and parents engaged and let them know what's going on with ELC. Okay, so more to follow on that. More to follow and that's about it. Okay. I wait for old business and new business. Okay. And Dr. Car said, "Mr. Brown, you're only allowed to speak one time. Either board updates or
008old business and new business." Okay. Well, so I have to I have to spread the wealth here. Yeah. Your box is checked. [laughter] So, thank you. Okay. Uh, any other board updates? Um, I think I know we normally don't and this may not be the time to speak on uh what happened or Dr. Van's resignation, but I definitely appreciate that people are fighting for him um and that they believe in him. I definitely know that our administration [clears throat] um when I say administration, I mean all from the top to the bottom or if there's a bottom, I I don't like to use that. Um are here to do what's best for students. I really believe that. Um I have not always had the greatest moments in my life with Creep Mon 2011U, but I
009can say that I've grown from those moments. Um, I can say that I've learned a lot from those moments. Um, I've had to forgive people as they've had to forgive me. And I I hope that um that we are not pulling him prematurely from the position of of of leader um in a place that I mean it takes time. I know he started in the co year and up to now um I I trust our [snorts] leaders but I definitely think that sometimes that we could pull somebody too soon. I I use the football analogy. If Bill Bich never got a coaching job again based off of what he did when he was with um I think it was the Giants or Jets or whatever, the Giants, then he doesn't go get a chance to
010go on to win Super Bowls and learn because people thought he was a failure. He wasn't. This guy the Browns, this guy can't coach. That's what it was. And it the team was bad and why is he making those decisions? but he was able to learn and win several Super Bowls after that. So, um, that's all I have to say about that. Well, I guess we'll get another get to it later on. Okay. Any other board updates? Okay. If not, uh, we'll move [clears throat] on to administrative updates and I'll turn it over to, uh, Dr. Cara. Uh, thank you. Um, this evening we have a special treat. Uh we have an opportunity to recognize one of our students, Ben Deutsch. He's a a student over at our high school and he is here to
011receive some special recognition from the Will County Farm Bureau um regarding some of the work that he's been doing with our ag um agricultural program. And so with us this evening, we have um Steven Warick. He's the president of the Will County Farm Bureau and he's here to say a few words and present a presentation to our our young man here. Come on up. Good evening everyone. Good evening. Ben has Ben is continuing the legacy of agricultural education and leadership to his community here at Creek High School. Ben is promoting the importance of agriculture to the local region and the state economies. By Ben promoting agriculture in the high school, he is also helping promote jobs in agriculture as agriculture is the largest employer in the state of Illinois. Ben comes from a long line
012of 100 plus years of Deutsch family farms. The Deutsch family has made tremendous strides in the conservation area of land as well as the raising and breeding of shortorthhorn cattle. The FAA here at Creek High [clears throat] School is fortunate to have a person of Ben's caliber to lead by example in agriculture and its educational status. I will leave with these words too. I'm sure that somewhere somehow there's a gentleman upstairs who is tremendously proud of his grandson and that would be W Deutsch and he is definitely following in his grandfather's footsteps. I would like to take time to thank the Cremon School District, its board, the president, superintendent, high school principal, the staff, district staff for their continued commitment to agriculture, education in district 2011. Ben, would you please come up and meet with
013us for a second? On behalf of the Will County Farm Bureau, Ben, here's a recognition for your hard work with the FFA, Future Farmers of America, and thank you. [applause] Thank you so much. And Ben, congratulations. Yeah, great job. Great job. I I just want to say that, [clears throat] you know, I have the honor of knowing se several I mean that's the Deutsches name is a legacy. That's that's an icon here in [clears throat] this part and section of Will County. And I just have had the pleasure to have worked with a few of the Deutsches family members. And we had Katrina who was a great a great student here in this district and a political figure out there. So, and the young the I never met you young man. Wow. Keep that Deutsch
014legacy going. Okay. I would like to eat some food that you plant on your farm. So, thank you. Anyone else? I just want to say shame on me. I just realized this year that we had an agriculture program. Um I think it's inc I I not tonight but before this um at one of the fairs we had recently. I just want to say I think it's spectacular that we do and thank you um for what you're doing to keep it up and congratulations and I learned something new that agriculture is the biggest employer in the state. I always like to learn. So thank you. Thanks Cheryl. I I just want to say congratulations and thank you. Uh so many times young people don't want to follow in the footsteps of those before them. They want
015to I want to do my own thing and not just commend you for following in the footsteps of [clears throat] your family members and continuing that legacy and building continue to build something great and continue to keep your name your family name and legacy great. Thank you. I would also like to say congratulations. I know many of your family members. Um, and you couldn't set a better example for this town. So proud of you. And again, many people don't know that we have that program. So I hope that you and everybody that's in it can spread the word because it's very, very important, not only to this area, but to the world. So thank you for what you're doing as a young person, and I'm sure you're going to do a lot more. We're going
016to hear a lot more about you. So congratulations, Ben. Okay. I know I'd also like to say congratulations. I too know the Deutsch family, the Warig family, and I knew your grandpa, and so I know he would be really proud of you today, too. So, very happy. Um, congratulations on following in his footsteps. Yes. And congratulations and excellent for continuing the family tradition, which I think Mr. uh Dr. Hall said, "It's far and few between now that kids go into something their family does." Good luck. Okay. [applause] Okay. It's going to be hard to go up from from there. So, uh, we'll try. Um, okay. Uh, next up is the consent agenda. So, Dr. Car, if you would read off the items on the consent agenda. I will. Uh item one under superintendent is approve
017regular meeting minutes of February 21st, 2023. Item two, approve committee of the whole meeting minutes of February 14, 2023. Item three, approve committee of the whole close session minutes of February 14, 2023 and approve 2023 24 IHsa application. Under business, I item one, approve board of education financial report. Item two, approve payment of $17,1416 to RL Soho for the work completed at ELC and Tala Elementary for 2022. Item three, approved payment of uh $456,49042 for CCC Holdings, Inc. for work completed at the high school. Item four, approved payment of uh 216,82787 cents to RL Soho for the work completed at Creek Elementary. Item five, buildings and ground work order report. Um under three uh personnel it would be approved uh personnel report which includes approved certified staff employment, leave of absence, return from leave of
018absence, reassignment, resignation, attempt to retire and educational support staff employment, leave of absence, return from leave of absence and reassignment and resignation. Under teaching and learning, we have approving the Creek High School junior um what is that? Men's pro men program. overnight field trip application. Um for under two is approved creek money high school student government overnight field trip application for May 4 through 6 of 2023. And that is it. Okay. Uh before I get a motion, are there any items on the consent agenda a board member would like to take off and vote on separately? Yes. Okay. Um the resignation of Dr. Vaughn. So, do you want to can you do that individually or [clears throat] you take the whole report off? Not the whole report. You can take that out. Then we can
019keep the rest of it on the consent agenda. Correct. So, it be approval of the consent agenda with the exception of the approved. Okay. Okay. Okay. Can I get a motion to approve motion to approve the consent agenda uh as stated without the resignation of Dr. Vaughn? So move second. Are there any questions or comments on the rest of the consent agenda? Ken are for the uh ELC and Talala work and and u Creed Elementary are those final payments yet or those are not final payments. Those are just regular payments. So there still is a contingency being held. Okay. Okay. Any other questions or comments? The only other question I have is do you have any do you or Keith have a punch list yet of when the 2022 projects will be done? We do
020have a punch list. I did talk to uh Joe who is the Fioro who is the uh on-site supervisor hoping to have that done uh by the week after spring break. So by the first week of April all the functional items will be done. Okay. The other thing I will share to Mr. Swallish too that we talked about is the new the chiller here has been installed. So that is installed now. Uh they're looking to turn those systems on the first week of May. Um so [clears throat] weather depending so first week of May both Tala and ELC will have air conditioning for the committee of the whole in April. Will you be able to have a meeting beforehand with CC holdings and see where we're at on a possibility? Yeah, we have weekly meetings
021so I can update the board, give you an update uh in April. Yes. Okay, thanks. Hold on one second, Nelson. Get an update. Okay, take hold on one second, Nelson. [clears throat] I do have a question. Do we have in here the bid for the lawn service approval? No, that's not the consent agenda. That comes the next Sunday. That's under action report. Got it. Okay. Okay. Any other questions or comments? Okay. Roll call. Brown is an I. Dr. Hall. I. Mrs. Galbert. I. Mr. Swallish. I. Mrs. Walters. I. Vice President RP. I. President Albert. I motion carries. Okay, then let me just make sure I've got this in here. You spelled Dr. Bond's name. Yeah. Last name. V. Va. Okay. G. Gh. G. Can I can I get a motion to accept the certified staff
022resignation of Amas Vaughn, principal at Mooney Elementary? Um, so I'm just trying to get clarity as to how that works. Do we talk about it after we get the motion or Yeah, we can have we'll get the motion then have any discussion. So I move. I'll second. any questions or comments on the motion? Um, I think I I kind of made my statement in regards to Dr. Barn and I don't know how much we want to discuss regarding this. We can't and open. Huh? We can't. You really can't. Um, so with that being said, what is what is our option with talking about this? Yeah, because technically you could talk about anything in open session. Well, so I think you're correct in the context. Well, depending on what it is that you intend to talk
023about, right? But generally most things are appropriate for open session. However, if you want to talk about an employee, a specific employee, the employment, you can table this action, talk about it in close session, and come back out and take action if that's what that's what I would like to prefer. So then to do that, then someone has to make a motion to table that get seconded. If that passes, You guys can table it until later this meeting or whatever you know time you feel appropriate and if it fails then you guys will just debate it and vote. Do we have to remove a vote on it table? Okay. Are we able to add it to our close session so we can discuss it because we can't discuss anything it that's correct we can. Yeah.
024Mhm. Okay. [clears throat] So I would like to make a motion to table Dr. Bond's resignation and talk discuss it in close session. I second. Okay. Any any questions or comments on the table? Motion to table. Hold on. Hold on. [clears throat] We just we just had a motion to talk about the resation and that motion was moved [clears throat] was moved and seconded. Now there's been an interceding motion to table the discussion until after close session. That's got a motion in a second. So, I believe the president's going to call that motion to table for a vote. So, that next So, the motion that was that was moved, there is no vote on that. No, not at this time. And so, we have another motion and a second and waiting and we are awaiting
025a vote on the table. Correct. Okay. So, can I get a roll call on the motion to table? Let me just clarify who who who um who moved the motion. You that who second? [snorts] Okay, Dr. Hall. I Mrs. Galbreth I Mr. Swallish. Hi Mrs. Walters. I Mr. Brown abstain. Vice President RP I. President Albert present. So the motion carries as a point of order when we come back and at what time we decide to do the vote whether that's tonight or at some other later date. Do we need to get a new motion? Yeah. Okay. through that motion under the category or the line item that we had seven point Charlie.1 point alpha can that motion be under that specific line item under the under the consent item that's within the personel report right
026yeah we'll just do it there okay the wording of the motion we can figure out however you want to do it but that's the item that you're addressing because you've approved every other part of the personel report at this Got it. Okay. Thank you, Bill. Glad you're here. So, okay. Uh next up then, u action reports under Venice. Um, one, uh, can I get a motion to accept a proposal and approve a contract in the amount of 154,000 per year to provide lawn care and landscape services for 2023 and 2024 with a district option for 2025? Moved. Second. Questions or comments? Yeah, I just have a comment and I had asked [clears throat] Ken for the specs for this particular bid and he did send it out and I think he sent it to all
027of the board members I believe. And I want to say, Ken, that was probably the best specification that I've seen on a services such as this. Very detailed. I saw some things that I never and I've been around the block a couple times on this. That was very good. Well, I will I'm going to be honest with you. Keith is the one that put this together. Uh, I have a template, but actually put this together, so I will let you know that. I did not even know there was a Capile statue regarding that. There's one couple things I like to talk to you offline just to uh add a little bit, you know, when it comes to using some herbicides with the amount of nitrogen per pound per acre thousand acres. Okay. Okay. I like
028he'll be knowledgeable. Yeah. Yes. I appreciate that. Thank you. But that was very good cuz one thing that I I've never seen a performance fund the way you put that in there. You capture some things that I've never seen before. So good. I just hope other districts could use this as a model. And that's all he gave it. He gave me the specs. I looked at the specs and I can tell you you guys could be proud of how they did that spec. Good job. I have one question. Do Do I not see a company name in here though? We're approving a contract, but with whom care. They have the existing contract. It's not in here. Correct. Do we Okay. Right. But does it need to be in what we're approving? Okay. Just double checking.
029Okay. Thank you. Okay. Roll call. Brown is an I. Mrs. Galbreth. I. Dr. Hall. I. Mr. Swallish. Hi. Mrs. Walters. Hi. Vice President R. I. President Albert. I. Motion carries. Okay. [clears throat] Next up. Can I get a motion to accept a proposal and approve a contract to provide auditing services for the 2022 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 fiscal years by Sikitch LLP moved second go ahead give it to Sandy Mr. Alrech if I could just jump in on this please real quick. Yeah, since this is, you know, we just found out last week that our auditor was resigning. So, [laughter] how did you get from there to maybe the process of of putting out the RFP? Who else? Right. We put out the RFP using uh a lot of the same template that I have that
030Mr. Brown. So, it is pretty detailed. Uh Sikach was the low bid on this at 42,000. Um, I I let the board know in the past we have paid Miller Cooper approximately 70 to75,000 a year. Um, I had a concern uh when that number comes in that low of seeing that. Uh, both Brian and I, Brian Johnson, our assistant business manager, him and I made some phone calls. Actually, one of their references was a person that worked for me actually at a previous district. So, I called her. she was uh exemplary in her comments of Sikage and what they could do and uh and everything. So uh I was very satisfied with the reference. So was Brian on his uh checking the references and that and and talking to his people. So uh we uh
031respectfully, you know, we we recommend them uh what they did. Where are they out of? Uh west side. I I I'm not sure for sure. I can West suburbs. Yeah, western suburbs. Okay. And do they focus solely on school districts or uh they actually they they focus on a wide r wide range but they do have a specific educational component uh that they have their special team uh that only concentrates on and it's a team of about when I looked at their portfolio of about 10 to 15 people that concentrate on educational uh entities. They do a lot of public entities. Yeah. So different types public government and municipalities and is there a partner assigned to our there is Anthony is is our partner in fact uh we've tenatively scheduled based on the board's action
032we've scheduled a meeting tomorrow already with them uh to have a kickoff meeting uh they're looking to start their work uh in April right away. Okay. How many other firms? Uh there were two other firms. One was Baker Chile and one was I think Lauderman and Amen. And what was the range of um theirs were up? Both of those were up there. Both of those were at about 70 to $80,000. Okay. So, this was significantly uh less. Um there also is some rates in case they have to do special services that may take place. Those are also uh very comparable to the others. Um so that's what it was just when I when I get that big difference, you know, it's just kind of raised some place, but uh everything checked out. So I'm happy
033with that. Okay, good. Any other questions or comments? No, just thanks for clarifying that because I actually noticed that and yeah, usually when something's that much lower it is. So, thanks. I was concerned about their services, but we went through the services. They're providing the same services that we had on all the audits and and and reports, right? Yeah. Great. Okay. Roll call. Brown. [clears throat] Brown is an I. Mrs. Galbbert. Hi. Mr. Sales. Hi. Dr. Hall. I. Mrs. Walters. I. Vice President RP. Hi. President Albert. I. Motion carries. Um, Ken, I think item number 300, the um item here to approve the purchase agreement to buy the property at 690 West Exchange Street. The contract's not ready. So, you want to remove that from the agenda? I would recommend to the board that we
034just table it right now. The contract's not ready. There's a couple minor things we still have to work out uh that our legal council is working out. So, I would recommend that. Okay. Do we vote to table? I think we can just just we can just skip it. There's no action. No action. Yeah, just remove it from the Can I make a comment on it? Even though I think in the minutes, Cheryl, you can just note that it was removed from consideration of this meeting. Am I allowed to make a comment on that? Sure. Thank you. She she she keep me honest over here. I just uh I and I was going to speak on that, but this could give you information or ammunition for making the contract more robust. Just one item I had
035that I saw as maybe being a potential issue and that's with snow. If we ever get snow, who's responsible, maybe Keith can answer that. Since we're in the bag, who's responsible to clear that entry way up front coming off the street of exchange for the district to get back there? If the bank is not open, how do we correlate that or coordinated? So the proposal is going to be that there's an agreement that they're responsible for. Okay. But at what time? See, they can be responsible. So, how is they going to rece? See, but our district, you know, again, they may need to get in there at I'm just throwing a time frame at 10:00 a.m. We may need to get in there at 7:00. So, that's that's my case and point. So, that's my
036case at point. if they're responsible for the easement. We Keith deployed his people out there to clear that. What liability do we have for encroachment on the easement if any? We have the free and right of the use of access and they cannot interfere with our ability to and and that can be on a stormtom basis. So, can we get some language to make that clear to say, hey, if you guys are responsible, what time do you do you look to get your people out there, your contractors? Can you do that? Keith, are you okay with that? Because I've seen issues like that, you know, when you had some coingling here and I thought you was going to be here this. No, we can't get in. Well, it's not my responsibility. Okay. Sure. That's Sure.
037Thank you. Okay. Okay. Uh, next up under personnel and culture, can I get a motion to approve resignation agreement? Second. Any questions or comments? What does that mean? Resonation agreement. It's for a specific individual. It's in your package. Okay. Did we get a Did we get a first and second? No. Yeah, we did. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Roll call. [clears throat] Brown is an I. Mrs. Galpert. I. Mrs. Walters. I. Dr. Hall. I Mr. Swalish. Hi, Vice President RP. I President Albert I. Motion carries. Next up, can I get a motion to approve a contract for interim assistant superintendent of personnel and culture? Moved. Second. Any questions or discussion on this? Okay. Roll call when you're ready. Dr. I Mr. Swallish I Brown is an I Mrs. Walters I Mrs. Galbreth. Hi, Vice President Ruth. Hi,
038President Albert. Hi. Um, okay. Next up, old business. Anybody have any old business? I think I checked. I think I snuck it in along the way. Yeah, you did. [laughter] I snuck it in along the way. So, okay. Then any new business? Okay, we do have a need for close session tonight. Um, and we have three purposes for going into close session. Can I get a motion uh to go into close session for A, the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees? B. Litigation when an action against, defecting or on behalf of a particular body has been filed or has been uh pending before a court or administrative tribunal. And C uh collective uh collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or the representatives. Moved. Second. Roll call. Brown
039is an I. Mrs. Galbbert. Hi, Dr. Hall. I Mrs. Walters. Hi. My pen just ran out of ink. [gasps] Okay. Thank you, Mr. Swalish. Hi, Vice President Ru. Hi, President Albert I. So we are in close session at 710. Uh we may or may not after we h have a vote after close session. So Don uh this is one evening where we're going to have to keep the camera rolling. So if uh we do decide to table it to another meeting, I'll come out and let you know. We can inform the public that there'd be no other action items tonight. Is that worker room? Okay. Okay. We are back in open session. Can I get a motion to accept the res? Well, we all did. So, just give it to somebody. Yeah, you can tell
040by I make a motion to all say I return.