001like to call this meeting to order. Can you please join me in the pledge of allegiance? Flag hung in the room. I guess my respons 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. >> David, would you do roll call, please? >> Anthony, yes. >> Andrea, >> yes. >> Rick Sarah Chony, >> yes. >> Myself, yes. Corey, >> yes. >> Moving on. Truth and taxation presentation. Bill, can you please? No truth and taxation presentation because we did not go to truth and taxation. That means that we have a less than but we are our ask from the county is less than 5%. Fair enough. All right, moving on. Number four, public comment. No public comment. Any
002correspondence or scheduled visitors? >> None. >> Any additions or deletions to the agenda? >> No. No. Can I get a motion to approve the agenda? >> I will second. >> David. >> Anthony. >> Yeah. >> Sarah, >> yes. >> Chanty, >> yes. >> Myself, yes. Andrea, >> yes. >> Lori, >> yes. Motion carries. Do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? >> I will. >> Second. >> Yeah. >> Dick. >> Sarah. >> Yes. >> Chanty. >> Yes. >> Myself. Yes. Andrea. >> Yes. >> Anthony. >> Yes. >> Corey. >> Yes. Motion carries. Principal reports. Mrs. Anderson. Uh, congratulations to our athletes of the week for the past month. Tegan Hunter for soccer, Garrett Mason for soccer. They were actually nominated together, which never happens to get two of them. That was pretty awesome.
003Um, Trey Keenan for basketball, Dreer Darst for basketball, and Lissa Barry for bowling. On November 13th, we held our fall sports award night celebrating our fall athletes. The very next night, we had our meet the tornadoes for the winter sports seasons. All those um teams are fully going at this point. So, please come to a wrestling match or a basketball game or a bowling meet to watch all these kids do what they love. Um, we had a signature pathway night in conjunction with our family um grant on November 18th. We started that evening by introducing the signature pathways that I presented to you guys. To our families um that attended, they were then invited to explore a college career fair that was set up in the cafeteria and then um the FCS provided a meal
004and crafts for younger kids. December 2nd and 3rd were our holiday concerts for the high school and the middle school. Thank you to our music department for those showcase of our student talents. Tomorrow night, we will be having our big mascot reveal. We're able to obtain a new Tommy Tornado mascot suit through the grant. Um, and Stephanie McMillan has coordinated a mascot reveal evening where Tommy will be presented to the community for the first time between the JB and Varsity Games. Um, come join us. Uh, I put some upcoming dates like the end of her semester, the great western shootouts this weekend, um, teacher institute. Um, and each one of you has a gift in front of you from the art department that made you all Christmas gifts. So, any questions? >> Thank you. >>
005All right, Mrs. Sherpy. >> All right. Um, a lot has been happening over at heading the month of December, November and December. Um, our enrollment is up. That's on my uh, board report that I submitted. We are doing uh a poptap challenge. Steuart Powell uh through the Legion. He's been collecting pop tabs for uh St. Jude's and Ronald McDonald's House and he's asked to partner with us to do that. So, the kids are going to be uh doing a collection as well. And he is providing pizza uh for each grade. Each grade level will receive a pizza earned party for that class. So, like kindergarten will get a pizza party, first grade will get a pizza. So, that's great. Um, so we're excited about that. Miss Ber had top attendance this, uh, this month. Uh,
006our student of the months were Gabriella Roberts, Aubrey Parr, Oliver, uh, Oliver Lashbrook, Carson Scott Miller, Tyrus Anderson, and Justice Reed. Mrs. Gladfelter was our neighbor public school teacher of the month. Um, you can see we've had lots of activities on my report. We are doing the holiday countdown where kids can choose to participate or not participate, but there's each something each day for them. Today was Grinch day. Um, very wild and crazy in our building with a lot of who's in the building. Uh, we also did our reading night last night for our family night and it was well attended. So, I was very excited about that. Um, and Mrs. Mouse's class did a service project for the Amaran IP folks. They collected items to put in a warm like a basket for like
007a warming basket for the linemen that are out there uh in the winter time and you know keeping our electricity on. >> So that was nice and that's all I have really. >> Thank you Mrs. Krager. >> Um first I'd like to congratulate Coach Batson and the seventh and eighth grade girls on a great season. They wrapped up um seventh grade lost in the regional championship to a very close game with Washington. Um and then the eighth grade girls lost in the first round. They had a good season looking forward to next year. Um staff and students used sore time over the past week to collaborate and do a door decorating project. Pictures of the doors were submitted to me and Mrs. Eert who runs the door decorating contest. And students are going to be
008voting um if they have missed voting earlier this week, they'll vote tomorrow and then we'll announce winners Friday. Um on Friday before the activity day starts, we are going to do a miniature version of the Tommy reveal here. Um so we're having a assembly. We'll have our mascot come out, do the reveal. He's going to be working with the cheerleaders and doing some dances, doing some cheers. Um, and then we'll go into the activity day. So, students can choose to watch a movie or they can do different activities. They've got minute to win a games they can do. Um, board games. There's a room for eating and socializing and just a bunch of different ideas that the kids can do. Um, I did not have a teacher of the month this month. They told me
009they were not having one. So, I didn't have one. Upcoming events, the Tommy the tornado reveal tomorrow and the end of the quarter semester is Friday. >> Thank you very much, Mrs. Andrews. >> Okay. Okay, for the November 19th school improvement afternoon, we began the first training of several that we'll have of co-eing through Illinois elevating special educators with the expectation that all students, including students with IEPs, are not only exposed to but learn and are assessed on grade level skills and standards. We must include students with IEPs in the regular education classroom with support, accommodations, and modifications to the curriculum that can best be provided by a co-eing model. This training will continue with our into uh February SIP day and into next year. So we'll continue on through next year so that hopefully
010we can fully implement co-eing. Um January 5th teachers institute that will be right when teachers come back after break. Um Regina Johnson from the ROE will start training with the purpose to improve relationships amongst teachers, students and parents of our district. This training is to address information gathered from the ANA survey which students, staff, and parents completed as part of the community schools grant. This training will also continue during our SIP day in April and throughout next school year. Also, ULC consultants will be here January 5th through 7th to work with our elementary and middle school teachers on math instructional strategies and writing strategies in all content areas. These were areas that were identified through our AR and ACT investment data. Any questions about you? To >> refresh my memory. The ULC how many people
011come for that still? >> Well, um, at various times they may, you know, one or two may come out at various times throughout the year, but on the 5th on that day, um, there will be five. >> Well, that's coming out. And again, all of this is paid through grant funding. >> Excellent. >> Any questions? Is that a federal grant trail? >> Well, essentially, yes, essentially it's federal grant money um that is filtered down through the states, but um the good thing about it like school improvement money is title one money and a lot of this title one money that wasn't touched. >> So far, so good. >> Okay. Item 10, superintendence report. Yeah, I sent you guys out my report and then just to follow up on everything that we have as far as
012uh staff development through that grant will be paid for. That's all covered then that we'll have by submitted by December 31st and we'll be reimbursed for that. So, we're covered for the year. Um the problem becomes next year. So, we'll have to change our thinking a little bit next year about what we're going to do and where that money is going to come from. The hope is that they don't start digging in further to some of these costs. I'm afraid that that's it's going to be um this is the beginning. This is a federal grant. Um Katie uh from the ROE t I Chad her and I chatted a long time and it was money that they were told we would at least have it through this year and she was told that by now
013and they just up and said nope, we're done. So >> fortunately they paid for everything for that we have planned for this year and next year was paid up front. So >> the good news is we had with with some of the personnel situation we had contingency plans. So um I just it with them threatening with it in August it was in our best interest to make sure that we were prepared if that if that had happened. And I'll share that with you and the finance committee when we structure it all out because I have everything. There's obviously some things that starting in next month that the board wants to do and that that cost money as well and you know I'll structure all that out so you know where that money's coming from and
014what those costs look like and try to project it out a couple of years as well. Very difficult to do in the landscape we live in right now. Um but yeah, so that's you know, merry Christmas to us, right? We just lost a three and a half million dollars. But uh over the next few years that we could have used, but the good news is we were able to do a lot with the money we had and um there's some things that and we we were fortunate to have that. Most schools didn't. So we were happy to have that back. Now the group that's going to there is litigation. that's the the next step when we lose grant money. Uh these organizations go to litigation and then who knows we don't know what happens next.
015So yeah anyway um other than that I just want to congratulate our first year teachers here that are coming to the end of their first semester. Congratulations to them. Um that first semester can be a bear when you're coming right out of college. We got a couple of them that just started and they've really done a good job. We've seen them all through when we've gone to walkthroughs. you couldn't help but be impressed with the things that they're doing and learning and and uh our kids are really enjoying being in the classroom with them. You can see that that's that's very important. And um you know the thing that I've been impressed with is they haven't been afraid to make parent phone calls and do some of the things that can be difficult at times
016and and I really I think Ariel Gladfelter I think our principles and Michelle have been so supportive of them that it's been uh uh been a good transition for them. So that's gone very well. Uh I'll just go into uh what would be the levy is the new business. Um our ask if you can see our ask this year from the county will be about $6,500,000. So what that is is that's an increase of 4.9% uh of our ass that we ask from the county. The biggest thing I can just tell you is that we are not raising taxes 4.9% in the district. This is the money we are asking from all the property taxes within the counties that we serve. A lot of times people say, "Oh my god, you're going to raise our
017that's not what it is. Our taxes will be around what they've been the last at least the last four years since I've been here and and they'll remain under $5, probably in that 480 type range where we've been between 475 and 491 all that time. So that's if we would get that. The big mystery here is is is in Illinois, you don't know what you get until the springtime when the county comes back and says, "Here's the money you're going to get. So that makes for interesting budgeting. So that's part of the reason I don't think that in every state I've been in, we budgeted in the spring. You always budget for the next year for the spring. You had you have your budget paid before you left for the summer. Here, you don't do
018your budget till fall where we started school. Largely, I think the way that that's set up with the county, you don't know how much money you're going to get to be able to do that until late spring. So, it's kind of an interesting way of going about it, but but that nonetheless sets the rules of the game. Um, it just the biggest changes we made is we made adjustments to uh we put a little more money into tort or tort ask. Let me just say that you can't ask more than the 4.9%. Okay? So either way, we're going to ask for $6,59 and 66 $6,59,487. So that's what we're going to ask. Last year we asked for $6,199,000. So, and we received more than we asked for. Interesting concept. I hope that it works that
019way for us this year again. Um and we received last year $6,372,000. So that's roughly 55% of our budgeted costs. Um the rest comes from state aid where we which is a little that's also different than places I've been in. But our ask, our change is we put more funding within our tort ask, which is um risk management, which is the plan that I set you guys up that we're updating that you guys will approve tonight. Um there's jobs within that risk management plan that qualify for you to be able to tax to help pay for part of them. None of them exceed more than 10, 15, 20%. So that's where it comes down to. Um nothing earth shaddling that's for sure. We're staying kind of in that same ballpark. Um our our biggest issues
020we've been able to cut some costs. We chose to go that direction as opposed to try to ask for more from the taxpayers. If we had gone beyond the 5% and say that we went to truth taxation probably we're leaving about 300 grand on the table. But is that worth going after? We have a pretty decent uh uh amount of money within the bank. Uh and we we're pretty good there. So, do you ask your taxpayers for that? Uh didn't really necessarily mean to do that. Need to do that this year. So, we stayed out of truth and taxation. And uh this will be our ask. Uh Kim and I will go to all the county clerks. Kim goes to the Warren Warren County and Knox. I take the long haul down to Lewon for
021uh Bulton County. So, we have to get those signed and presented before December 30th, which this was our board meeting. You do that. Uh we get those signed, we take them down, the clerk sign them for you. Have to get verification and then you're golden. At least you get your ask in, but you're not guaranteed what you're going to get. The biggest issue that you could have is if there was a big slip in property tax for some reason. Obviously, everybody's going to share the share the pain. Doesn't look like that's going to happen. Doesn't you don't see that. Usually, property values around here have gone up pretty steadily. I'll ask the realer. Uh and >> our assessment sheets haven't looked down anyway. >> No, she said not. >> No, that's I mean that's your
022tell, right? That's how you know. So, if you're lucky, sometimes they do, but most of the time they're going to say your property is worth more, which is really a good thing unless you have a lot of it, I suppose, than farm it. >> Yeah. >> So, that's kind of the deal. Any questions for me on that? >> Did the state going to cut back on anything with schools? >> There's no sign of that happening. Um, I was in a superintendent meeting yesterday. We all keep talking about a cliff possibly that we hit from the state. State revenues are kind of staying steady. I would say at a minimum they're going to stay about even from what they've been. They haven't dropped. People are still buying things. People are still working. All that contributes contributes
023to your tax numbers. And you know, uh when you hit a economic recession, what happens? People get laid off. So that's less income tax, less everything. Right now we're we're holding steady and that's a good thing. Our one cent had our 1 cent sales for Fulton and both Fulton and uh for Knox have have been been really good. I you know they're they're about the same but people keep saying oh people are going to stop buying stuff that you know they stop purchase they have it and that's a good thing for us because we're tied to that directly. So those are all good things. So, we we'll probably be around that 675 700,000 1 cent sales money this year. That's a good that's a good chunk of change. >> What was it last year? >>
024658. >> So, it's staying steady then. >> Yeah. Yeah, it's staying really steady. People are buying stuff. I mean, it's that's really what it comes down to, you know? Just are people still shopping and and and doing those things? So, that's good for us. I mean, it's good for us. That's what what's good about the one set. So you get to do that. So we get to pay for things like our, you know, fixing our baseball field, lights on our soccer field, all those things come into play. So right now, that's our economic picture. And uh if it changes any, I'll let you know. But it's a good ask. It's it's um you know, it doesn't, like I said, it doesn't it doesn't impair anybody. It doesn't get us over into some new tax bracket
025for people. It's I think it's fair. That's what you try to remain. be fair with your your uh stakeholders. >> All right. I know you kind of touched on anything you want to add about the risk management plan. >> No, it's uh I'm doing I'm doing uh I'm doing the positions that you see on that risk management plan that were percentaging within their wages. They're all directly tied to things that they do with their job that involve risk management every day. I'm doing some time studies. um that we'll do a share of. We'll probably do those every year and you want to have those on file because if you get audit, it's there's taxdogs out there that'll look at that and say, "Well, my goodness, you you know, you raised your tort. You you're telling
026me these people all work, you know, the percentage of them fall under risk management, under, you know, safety and everything else, which how do you know that?" And if you don't have those time sheets, they can say, "Well, guess what? You got to pay that back." you know, every dime and they'll go back. I don't know if you guys remember, Quincy's the big one that got hit around here. Quincy got hit. They put tons of people on their risk management ask. Somebody said they called that into question. They had no verification and they ended up having to pay millions back in taxpayer dollars. And that set that still has set them back. And I want to say that was in the mid like 2015 maybe. Do you remember that Anthony at all? That was a
027you see that they're they'll try to put a lot of things under risk management. But Quincy has been trying to fight back from that for several years now. That's the school around here that really got hit with it. And there are obviously they're much larger than we are. But anymore you never know what people's going to walk in and say, "Oh, how do you know? How do you know this is how much people do? How do you know that? You know, we know it. You know, we know it from seeing it, but you got to have it on paper. >> Okay. >> Item number 12, new business. Any current openings? >> I have special ed and a band position. >> I have band and an assistant girls basketball coach. >> Oh, yeah. I got coaching.
028I've got Sorry, I forgot about coaching positions. assistant golf, assistant volleyball, and assistant football. >> Um, I have a special education teacher that we need a part-time uh based off of our special education numbers. >> Okay. >> Item 122, quote for activity bus rep. >> That's one of those that you are light buses. They don't have anything on them. This is so we can get them could pass those around. Those are >> pass are thank you notes. >> Those are thank you notes as well. >> Um it's um for all of them. So it's seems a like a lot until you see the number of things. If you see what we've done to that trailer that we have the AT on the side of it's the same company doing that. Ronnie Ronnie Ronnie and Rusty
029would like to see that. That's kind of what they're asking get our buses so they're identifiable. Bus isn't worth much more than that, is it? >> What's that? >> I say the bus isn't worth much more than that, is it? >> Oh, you look >> Well, how many how many are we doing? >> We're doing three. >> Three. >> That's for three. Okay, >> that's for three. >> It's not one. No. >> Like, holy cow. >> It's 21,000 for three. >> Can I see that? >> Yeah. There's the I'll pass it on. >> Oh, they say on it. the light buses. >> No, not now. >> No, they don't say anything. >> They're blank. >> Most of the schools do it. I don't know if you see I'm not trying to, you know, go you
030into this, but Knoxville comes down. They got theirs. >> They look nice. >> They do. They look nice. >> Sneak into town. >> Yeah. Would you would you like to do that? >> All right. Any questions on that? >> Which one are we doing? We doing this. >> We'll pick one. Whatever you get. Yeah, we'll pick one. You guys are going to do always use I don't know. This one with a half always kind of catches your eye. Would match our kind of match our trailer. >> Same I guess. So each of those had a different price or just Yeah. Each has >> each has a different price. Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. >> This expired on November 5th. >> No, still good. >> Okay. >> So So that was for the 21,000. That was for
031>> all of them. >> Yeah. Not just one. No. So, if we picked the partial wrap, >> you could do that. >> I mean, it's different than >> Sure. If you wanted to go that direction, you could. >> Yeah. >> They're giving us They're giving us several looks. >> 21,000. >> The one is you could >> Yes, that's the height. >> Yeah. >> One of the ways, one of the things is you can It's identical. Our people, you've got this bus. It's got They'll They'll identify it that way. It's There's a method to the madness. But if we wanted them all the same, we can certainly do them all the same. And >> just know I have something. >> It's on camera. Just say no. >> Coming in. >> Well, I don't care about that.
032>> So, whatever you guys decide there. >> Am I here by you, Bill? >> Yeah, absolutely. >> Are you sure you really want that? >> Yeah, sure. want to. >> All right. Everybody okay moving forward while you look at that? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Uh 12.3 press plus policy issue 121st reading. >> It's a 97 page or so. Uh little late read reading for you. >> What what's it about? >> You know what? I'm going to have to I'm have to look myself. Anthony uh Lisa had put that in there. Is this something the state's wanting to do again? I assume. >> Um, no. It's just it's trying to a lot of times this one is probably keeping up with the federal law change. >> I thought it was about board members >> and it's
033got that in it. It's got it's got also some open meeting stuff in it as well. Yeah. But some of that trickles down from the feds and then then press plus takes it and turns it into policy. >> This is first reading shows. What are we doing? There's the We can do a spot partial full different prices. >> What about I saw David Blank sneak into town and roll out? >> Yeah, no kidding. >> You can move on. >> All right. 12.4 uh 2627 annual school levy. >> Billy, you want to talk about that a little bit? >> We just >> Any questions or comments on that? Okay. All right. Moving on. Item 13, action items. 13.1. Consider for approval quote to wrap activity buses. Can I get a motion? >> I'll make it. >>
034What are you talking about then? >> Which one are we wanting to do? The part the >> It's up to you guys. >> The partial wrap. >> I like the partial. >> The partial. The half. Yeah. I think >> do the partial. I think that looks the best. Honestly, saves us money. Looks the best. >> It really is all we need. >> Let's get a second so we can discuss this. >> Yep. It's good to call. >> Are you second? >> Yeah, I'll No, I don't want to second it. No, >> I don't want to approve it. >> Okay, we have a second. Okay, discussion. So, we have spot graphics, partial wrap, full wrap. My my inclination is to go with the partial wrap. What was the now what would be the price for all
035three buses on the partial?4500 a piece. So 123 135 >> 135 >> cuts the bid in half. >> So my question is is this a necessary expense? >> Is it necessary? >> Depends on how if you want to promote your district in >> in that way. Well, >> depends on your >> aren't our uh the buses, don't they have our name? And >> the white ones these are for the white. >> These are for the white ones. The the yellow buses have our name. >> So, no, they do not >> The white ones don't have our bus. No, they don't have nothing. They're white. So, >> they come activity buses come blank. >> So, that's why we're specifically blue. >> You guys can do what you want for spending the money for doing that. What
036fund does this come out of to pay for this stuff? Bill, >> this comes inside of general fund. Which one? >> Just general fund. >> Okay. Yeah. >> Any additional discussion? >> Okay. Can I get a vote to vote on the partial wrap for the three activity buses? David >> Anthony. Uh, no. >> Andrea. >> Yeah. Sarah, >> yes. >> Chanty, >> yes. >> Myself, yes. Rick, >> no. >> Oy, >> yes. >> Motion carries. All right. 13.2. Consider for approval press plus policy issue 120. >> First reading. >> First read. >> Can I get a motion? I'll >> move. Second. >> Any additional discussion? if you could just send us some info on that bill before the second reading. >> Yeah, she had sent that out. I think I tried. It's 96 pages long.
037I tried to open it up. >> I could she was supposed to put I was going to give you guys a quiz. >> No, that wasn't going to happen. I would have stayed home. >> All right. Any additional discussion? No. David? >> Bouncy? >> Yes. >> Myself? Yes. Rick? >> No. >> Anthony? >> No. Andrea, >> yes. >> Sarah, >> yes. >> Cory, >> yes. Motion carries. 13.3. Consider for approval of the 2026 2027 annual school levy. >> I will make the first motion right now. >> Any additional discussion? I mean, uh, I know what we're doing and I understand the reasoning, the concept behind it and I do and that's where I'll leave it. You know how I am about. >> Yeah, I do. >> Yeah, I've made that well known. I feel like
038negative Nelly tonight. >> We're so glad. >> Shut up and just call her. >> Okay, any additional discussion? David. >> Andrea, >> yes. >> Sarah, >> yes. >> Chanty, >> yes. >> Myself, yes. Rick, >> no. >> Anthony, >> no. >> Cory, >> yes. >> Motion carries. >> Executive sessions. Anybody have a reason or desire to go to executive session? No. Okay. Item 15, action items. Possible action items. Consider for approval the December 2025 personnel report. Can I get a motion? >> You'll get a motion. >> Rick second. >> Second. >> Anthony second. Any discussion? >> David. >> Anthony. >> Yes. >> Andrea. >> Yes. >> Sarah. >> Yes. >> Johnson. >> Yes. >> Myself. Yes. Rick. >> Yes. >> Corey. >> Yes. Motion carries. Any additional discussion items? No. Item 17, adjournment. Do I
039have a motion to adjurnn? So moved. Second. >> All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. >> Motion carries.