North Egypt News

Collinsville Community Unit School District 10 Board of Education Budget Committee met May 13.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

Call to Order

A meeting of the Budget Committee of the Board of Education of Collinsville Community Unit School District No. 10 was held on Monday, May 13, 2019, at 5:00 p.m. at the Administrative Annex, 123 W. Clay, Collinsville, Illinois.

Roll Call

Members present were: Dennis Craft, Chairman; Gary Kusmierczak (present after 5:09 p.m.); and Tim Hasamear. Also in attendance were administrators Bob Green, Brad Hyre, Uta Robison, Mike Hollingshead, Derek Turner, Ali Underwood, and Kevin Robinson; and recording secretary, Debbie Peccola.

Pledge of Allegiance

Dr. Craft led those in attendance in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Public Input

Dr. Craft provided an opportunity for public input and no one sought to be recognized.

Moment of Silence for Mr. Jerry Soehlke

Dr. Craft asked for a moment of silence in remembrance of Mr. Jerry Soehlke, who passed away. He was the husband of board member, Jane Soehlke, as well as the father of Sara Soehlke and Stacey Lauenstein. Dr. Craft said thoughts and prayers are with the family during this difficult time.

Minutes

A motion was made by Hasamear and seconded by Craft to approve the minutes of the April 8, 2019 meeting. Motion passed unanimously on voice vote (Kusmierczak, absent).

Discussion Items

1. Teacher’s Retirement System – Mrs. Robison said changes are going to be required in the way TRS reports are filed and the way funds are paid from the district. In the past, reports were filed annually, but will now need to be filed at least monthly or even with every payroll period. Changes to the disbursement schedule may have an impact on the Education Fund ending fund balance. She will continue to talk with the accounting software representatives and the district auditors to research what the district’s options are and will report back to the committee.

2. Sodexo Contract – The district is coming up on the second 1-year extension to the 3-year contract with Sodexo. State law requires that the food service contract be rebid at least every five years. That will need to be done for the 2020-2021 school year, and Mrs. Robison will begin the process early in 2020. For the current extension, Sodexo is proposing a 2.8% increase over the past year’s contract. The Budget Committee recommends approval of the proposed extension, and it will be on the agenda for the full board to consider at the May regular meeting.

3. Lunch Prices – Mrs. Robison discussed the federal requirements under the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 that requires lunch prices in the district to be “equitable” in order for the district to continue to receive federal reimbursement. The formula establishes a $3.00 threshold lunch price, and Unit 10 must show good will towards moving closer to that price point. Breakfast prices do not require adjustment. Pre-K and elementary lunches are currently at $2.75, with Middle School and High School lunches at $2.85. Mr. Kusmierczak supports raising the prices to an even $3.00. Dr. Craft and Mr. Hasamear support raising each of the prices by 10 cents for the coming year. The proposal will be taken to the full board for consideration at the May regular meeting.

4. Building and Grounds Update – Mr. Hollingshead reported that the HVAC units in the gym at Dorris Intermediate School are in need of replacement. The units were installed in 2002-2003, and it is not feasible to make additional repairs to those units. The total cost of replacing both units is $46,000. Also, Sodexo has requested that the district purchase a new steamer for the main kitchen at CHS, at a cost of $22,000. After discussion, the Budget Committee approved moving forward with those purchases. Mr. Hollingshead also reported that they are ready to get started on the summer project list as soon as the school year is over.

5. Personnel Update – Mr. Robinson and Mrs. Underwood gave an update on the current special education enrollment numbers. Mrs. Underwood said most of the schools are sitting steady, but the numbers are tight. She may need to request an additional position at Maryville, and there are also needs in Speech and Language Pathology. She will keep the committee updated on the numbers.

Mr. Robinson said Dr. Blackard is requesting additional hours for the CNA instructors at the Vocational Center. More schools are participating and the increased student enrollment numbers support the request. The Budget Committee concurred with the recommendation which will be presented to the full board at the May regular meeting.

Mr. Robinson said the new minimum wage law requires a $10 per hour rate beginning January 1, 2020. He would like to go ahead and start the next school year at that rate for employees who are currently under the $10 per hour level. He also recommends increasing the rate for substitute teachers to $100 per day with TRS. He discussed rates paid by neighboring districts and the need to keep a qualified pool of substitutes available for Unit 10. The Budget Committee concurred with the recommendations which will be taken to the full board for consideration.

Mr. Robinson said there are currently 3 non-certified positions to be filled and there are 2 special education teaching positions posted. He and Mrs. Underwood discussed concerns about the number of quality candidates for the special ed positions. They will keep the committee updated on the openings.

6. Budget Update – Mrs. Robison gave a brief summary on the budget and said expenditures in the Transportation Fund are now forecast to be over budget between $50,000 and $100,000. She discussed the areas that were coming in over budget, primarily due to increased fuel costs and increased travel expenses for the band and athletics. If the budget is not amended, it will result in a write-up in the district’s audit. A 30-day notice will need to be published and a public hearing held as part of the amendment process. It was the consensus of the committee to direct Mrs. Robison to move forward with plans to amend the budget.

Another item that will impact the budget for next year is the district’s health insurance premiums will be increasing 4.8%. The plan administrators also approved increases in prescriptions co-pays for the coming year. The deductible amount will remain the same. Mr. Kusmierczak said the district has a “Cadillac” plan and that employees need to pick up more of the cost. Mr. Hasamear inquired about options for finding more affordable coverage. Mrs. Robison shared information on other options that are available. She noted that one or two neighboring districts have joined the current plan because of poor experiences with other companies.

7. The next meeting of the Board Budget Committee is scheduled for Monday, June 10, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

8. There being no further business, Dr. Craft declared the meeting adjourned at 5:47 p.m.

https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?mk=50331754&fn=minutes.pdf