Rock Island Milan School District #41 Board of Education met Oct. 24.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
The regular meeting of the Board of Education of the Rock Island-Milan School District was held Tuesday, October 24, 2017 in the library at Rock Island High School. The meeting began with the pledge of allegiance and was called to order at 6:00 p.m. by President Linda Dothard.
Roll Call
Members: Ms. Marji Boeye, Ms. Linda Dothard, Mr. Kevin Nolan, Mr. David Rockwell, Mr. Gary Rowe, Dr. Tiffany Stoner-Harris and Mr. Terell Williams
Others Present: Dr. Michael Oberhaus, Mr. Robert Beckwith, Mr. Troy Bevans, Mr. Egan Colbrese, Ms. Ramona Dixon, Dr. Kathryn Ruggeberg and Ms. Alicia Sanders
Approval of Minutes
A motion was made by Mr. Dave Rockwell and seconded by Dr. Tiffany Stoner-Harris to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of September 26, 2017 including executive session minutes to remain confidential. All members voting “Aye”, the President declared motion carried.
Reports
Voting Members
Board members reported on the following events and activities: Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) Blackhawk Division meeting in Galva, that included a session with speaker Donna McCaw about social and emotional issues as well as a referendum session that focused on getting people involved in the schools; crisis text line has t-shirts still available to order; RIHS boys soccer team won first place in the WB6 conference, which was their first-ever championship; still tickets available for the annual booster raffle; YarnBombQC through Augustana College is taking place this week at Longfellow Liberal Arts; presentation to Linda Dothard for Master Board Member Status with the IASB; Head Start Policy Council meeting with seating of new members; Showcase of Bands event where RIHS had the best band; Mr. Rowe’s appointments with Cabinet members on October 3rd where he learned many aspects of each position; Liquid Asset Fund meeting in Naperville; and a shout out to the technology team for the new website (www.rimsd41.org).
Superintendent
Dr. Oberhaus also gave a shout out to Holly Sparkman for designing the new website.
Frances Willard Principal Lance Clark announced that next Wednesday the school is hosting a job fair for Rock Island families and businesses to connect to jobs in the community. They will also provide a class for English Learners. The event will be held Wednesday, November 1st from 3:30 to 6:00 p.m. for all people in our district.
Rock Island-Milan Board of Education Regular Meeting
Dr. Oberhaus encouraged all to visit the schools. He shared a handout of the percentage of our education budget spent on salaries and fringe benefits, and how it compares to other area school districts.
Dr. Oberhaus heard a presentation from the American Association of School Administrators regarding the future of federal funding for education; there is a big push to remove Title II funds. He encouraged everyone to contact our local legislators. Last Wednesday the district received its first distribution of $273,000 from sales tax revenue. The district survey concludes at the end of this week and staff has been really pushing all parents to take this. He thanked Alicia Sanders and her team who will share this information soon. The survey included a question on the calendar preferences. Our district Erate grant approval is here. Shout out to Michelle Lillis who will be placed into the Track Coaches Hall of Fame.
Rock Island Education Association Representative
Andrew Hains reported that over the two-week break teachers and administrators met and reviewed the teacher evaluation process. The district will implement a new evaluation with changes in the law that can be refined. Mr. Gray feels it was a good meeting and accomplished some good things. There is still work to be done and he believes trust is an important piece that is needed in the district.
Action on Routine Matters
Approve Agenda
A motion was made by Mr. Dave Rockwell and seconded by Dr. Tiffany Stoner-Harris to approve the agenda as presented. All members voting “Aye”, the President declared the motion carried.
Nomination of Future Agenda Items
Ms. Dothard would like the Board to start looking at the process of hiring a search firm to look for the next superintendent as Dr. Oberhaus will retire at the end of the 2018-2019 school year.
Blanket Motion
It was moved by Mr. Dave Rockwell, seconded by Dr. Tiffany Stoner-Harris and unanimously carried by a roll call vote that the following items be approved as a blanket motion:
V. C. That the Board of Education approve the following executive session minutes to remain confidential: October 25, 2016, November 22, 2016, January 24, 2017, February 14, 2017, March 28, 2017, April 11, 2017, April 25, 2017, May 9, 2017, May 23, 2017, June 13, 2017 (I), June 13, 2017 (II), June 22, 2017, August 8, 2017, August 8, 2017, and September 12, 2017.
And that the following be open to the public: November 8, 2016, December 13, 2016, and August 29, 2017.
V. D. That the Board of Education approve the overnight field trip requests for the Rock Island High School wrestling team to travel to Sycamore, Illinois January 5-6, 2018 and Palos Hills, Illinois January 19-20, 2018.
V. E. That the Board of Education approve the October Fund Raiser requests.
VI. B.1. That the Board of Education approve the contract for services with Rock Island Parks and Recreation, Rock Island, IL for the Lights on for Learning program at Earl Hanson School at a cost not to exceed $20,000.00.
VI. B.2. That the Board of Education approve the contract for services with Johannes Bus Service, Rock Island, IL transportation services for the Lights on for Learning program at Earl Hanson School at a cost not to exceed $8,500.00.
VI. C. That the Board of Education acknowledge the following donations:
Michael & Sara Thoms - $580.00 for lighting fixtures at Thurgood Marshall Learning Center
Royal Ball Run for Autism Inc. - $1,500.00 for community skills programming and field trips at Rock Island High School
VI. D. That the Board of Education authorize Bills for Payment dated September 29, 2017 in the amount of $3,352,518.84 and October 13, 2017 in the amount of $2,529,566.64.
VII. A. That the Board of Education approve the following certified appointments:
Fernand Avegnon – Substitute Teacher/District/Salary $90-$110/day (varies)
Elizabeth Fonteyne – Substitute Teacher/District/Salary $90-$110/day (varies)
Benjamin McKay – Substitute Teacher/District/Salary $90-$110/day (varies)
Katie Szopinski – Substitute Teacher/District/Salary $90-$110/day (varies)
Margaret Ng Dung – Substitute Teacher/District/Salary $90-$110/day (varies)
Larry Hall – Substitute Teacher/District/Salary $90-$110/day (varies)
Rebekah Clark – Substitute Teacher/District/Salary $90-$110/day (varies)
Whitney Gaylord – Substitute Teacher/District/Salary $90-$110/day (varies)
VII. B. That the Board of Education approve the following non-certified appointments:
Cassie Bernal – Special Education Paraprofessional/Denkmann/Salary $15.85/hour
Denise Hileman – Food Service/Longfellow/Salary $11.10/hour
Wilson Vincent – Interpreter/District/Salary $17.50/hour
Kabura Furaha – Interpreter/District/Salary $17.50/hour
Cishahayo Christopher – Interpreter/District/Salary $17.50/hour
Furaha Veronique – Interpreter/District/Salary $17.50/hour
Barbara Braun – AVID Tutor/WJHS/Salary $13.00/hour
Amy Schauland – Food Service/Denkmann/Salary $11.10/hour
Anthony Reese – AVID Tutor/WJHS/Salary $13.00/hour
Keith Pender – Substitute Custodian/District/Salary $9.00/hour
Tathaynaw Laweh – Interpreter/District/Salary $17.50/hour
Amalia Ortega – Interpreter/District/Salary $17.50/hour
Seth Hankins – AVID Tutor/WJHS/Salary $13.00/hour
Jacqueline Allison – Hall Monitor/RIHS/Salary $14.65/hour
Judy Hipskind – LOFL Coordinator/Earl Hanson/Salary $29.00/hour
Personnel – Non-Certified Resignations
It was recommended that the Board of Education accept the following non-certified resignations:
Staff Member Current Position Number of Years of Continuous Years of Service
Patrick Noya ELL Paraprofessional / RIHS 3
Victor Martinez Food Service / District 1
Nicholas Wenthe Food Truck Driver/Custodian / RIHS <1
Karen Madison Food Service / Longfellow <1
A motion was made by Mr. Kevin Nolan and seconded by Mr. Dave Rockwell to accept the non-certified resignations of Patrick Noya, Victor Martinez, Nicholas Wenthe, and Karen Madison as presented. A voice vote was called showing all members voting “Aye”> No “Nay” votes being cast, the President declared the motion carried.
Operations – Update on Rock Island High School Scoreboards
Bob Beckwith and Michelle Lillis provided an update on the scoreboards for Rock Island High School’s stadium, softball and baseball fields. All three projects will go out for bid and specifications will be put together that mirror what was presented by Dectronics at a past meeting.
Mr. Beckwith presented different options for what the boards will look like, and Board members had a lengthy discussion on the options and will only consider approval if full funding is provided through local commitments.
A copy of the presentation is kept on file with the official minutes at the Administration Center.
Operations – Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) Voting Delegate
A motion was made by Mr. Dave Rockwell and seconded by Mr. Gary Rowe to appoint Mr. Terell Williams as the voting delegate at the IASB delegate assembly. A voice vote was called showing all members voting “Aye”> No “Nay” votes being cast, the President declared the motion carried.
Operations – Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Requests
The Administration received the following FOIA requests and responded within the five-day time limit: 1) Kirk Allen (American Watchdogs Inc.) for all debt currently held by the district, all compensation provided to the superintendent, copy of the superintendent’s employment contract, and minutes and agenda where the contract was approved; 2) Hannah Okerberg (Athletico Physical Therapy) for the current contract for athletic training services; 3) Kathy Robinson (AFSCME 31) for a current list of all RIMSD #41 employees which includes the employees’ full name, job title, department, date of hire, annual salary, and an indication of which union the employee’s job title is represented by or if it is not represented by a union; and 4) Michael Timothy (NAEES Illinois) for the contact information for the district facilities director.
Business/Finance – Sidewalk Improvements
It was recommended that the Board of Education approve the Sidewalk Agreement with the City of Rock Island to complete sidewalk improvements in front of the Rock Island Center for Math & Science at a cost not to exceed $7,000.00. Funding for this project is included in the 2017-18 capital improvements budget.
Ms. Boeye would like to see an additional sidewalk on the East side to connect to the main entrance, as there is currently no walkway to the school. Mr. Beckwith stated that we can look into this but there is a drop-off in this area that would make it unsafe to provide a walkway.
A motion was made by Mr. Kevin Nolan and seconded by Mr. Gary Rowe to approve the Sidewalk Agreement with the City of Rock Island to complete sidewalk improvements in front of the Rock Island Center for Math & Science at a cost not to exceed $7,000.00. Funding for this project is included in the 2017-18 capital improvements budget. A roll call vote was called showing all members voting “Aye”,
Personnel – Administrative Compensation
It was recommended that the Board of Education approve the compensation increase of 1.5% for administrative personnel for the 2017-18 school year. Board members debated the merits and drawbacks of implementing a merit-based compensation system for administrators. The Board will revisit the compensation issue in the future.
A motion was made by Mr. Dave Rockwell and seconded by Dr. Tiffany Stoner-Harris to approve the 1.5% increase for administrative personnel for the 2017-18 school year. A roll call vote was called showing the following members voting “Aye”: Mr. Dave Rockwell, Mr. Gary Rowe, Dr. Tiffany Stoner-Harris, Mr. Terell Williams and Ms. Linda Dothard. The following members voted “Nay”: Ms. Marji Boeye and Mr. Kevin Nolan. The President declared the motion carried.
Board Recess
The Board took a ten-minute recess at 8:15 p.m.
Personnel – Superintendent Evaluation Process
The Board reviewed processes for evaluating the superintendent. Mr. Rowe provided a draft document and members are to provide feedback to him prior to the next meeting.
Copies are kept on file with the official minutes at the Administration Center.
Work Session
Capital Projects
Bob Beckwith provided the capital projects to be completed through summer 2019. Dr. Oberhaus stated that the district could lose out on $1.1 million next school year if a federal sequester takes place in December. He said the district could also lose out on Title II funding, which is federal funds that allow for class-size reduction grants. The district received its first 1 percent sales tax revenue check in the amount of $273,000. The district should get about this amount monthly going forward. He thanked all those who worked hard to secure that revenue stream.
A copy of the presentation is kept on file with the official minutes at the Administration Center.
Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) Resolutions
Board members reviewed and determined the IASB Resolutions to be considered at the Triple I Conference November 17-19, 2017. Dr. Oberhaus stated that he agrees with the recommendations
made by the Illinois Association of School Boards.
Adjourn
A motion was made by Mr. Dave Rockwell and seconded by Mr. Gary Rowe to adjourn the meeting. All members voting “Aye”, the President declared the meeting adjourned at 9:18 p.m.
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