North Egypt News

Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District 196 Board of Education met Nov. 13.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

CALL TO ORDER

A regular meeting of the Board of Education of Sesser-Valier Community Unit School District No. 196 was held in the High School Library at 6:00 PM on Monday, November 13, 2023. The meeting was called to order by President Sample.

ROLL CALL

Secretary Zimbro called the roll with the following result:

Members Present: Garner, Kirk, Lance, Menser, Packer, Sample, Spence

Members Absent: None

Staff Present: J. Henry, N. Page, K. Jones, L. Zimbro, K. Spotanski, T. Masters

Visitors Present: Liz Greenwood-Allen

OATH OF OFFICE

President Sample administered the Board's Oath of Office to new Board Member Dena Kirk. Kirk affirmed the oath. President Sample then appointed Board Member Kirk to the Board's Policy Committee.

PUBLIC COMMENT & CORRESPONDENCE

PUBLIC COMMENT: Liz Greenwood-Allen, a local resident and grant consultant, presented handouts to the board showing her tracking of local school districts on various topics including proficiency, truancy, graduation rates and operating expenses per pupil. Mrs. Allen shared her recent conversation with High School Principal Natalie Page and their discussion of the District's success.

REPORTS

SVEA: K. Spotanski shared activities the teachers have participated in including the Halloween parade and Veterans Day breakfast. She shared the success of the parent/teacher conferences and highlighted each teacher's individual projects and accomplishments. She noted there is still concern within the Association's Executive Committee and feels there may be a higher turnover rate in the future.

LABORERS' LOCAL 773: No report.

CUSTODIAL & MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR: No report.

K-8 PRINCIPAL: Mr. Jones, Elementary/JH Principal, presented information regarding the following to the board: Trust fund, recent events/activities, and upcoming activities. Recent activities included Fire Safety Presentation with the Sesser Fire Department, Red Ribbon week, Halloween parade and Parent Teacher Conferences.

H.S. PRINCIPAL: Mrs. Page, High School Principal, presented information regarding the following to the board: Trust fund, upcoming calendar entries, recent activities, and congratulations for student achievements. Mrs. Page shared the success and conclusion of this year's football season.

SUPERINTENDENT: Mr. Henry, Superintendent, presented the following information to the board:

1. The consent agenda for this month's meeting includes the following additional item(s):

a. Approval of a Field Placement Affiliation Agreement with Grand Canyon University

2. Information regarding the 2023 tax levy, including the adoption of the tentative tax levy resolution for 2023, was included in the board packet. As the board considers the tax levy for 2023, Superintendent Henry strongly encouraged to utilize the following five (5) guiding principles (as the board has discussed in detail in the last 16 years):

• Realization that the levy is based on unknown (projected) property values;
• Realization that this year's levy represents next (fiscal) year's local revenue;
• Realization that each year's levy impacts all future years' levies;
• The need of the board to determine the appropriate balance between the fiscal responsibility (Are we levying enough to meet budgetary needs?) and fiscal excess (Are we levying too much to meet budgetary needs?); and
• An understanding of the impact of the board's property tax levy on the district's property tax rate (a part of the overall rate for property tax payers in the district; downward trend in rate over the past 10 years).

Please refer to two (2) property tax levy handouts (chart packet & presentation packet) as needed.

3. As of October 31, 2023, the District has received one property tax payment from the Franklin County Treasurer's Office, and that payment is included on the District's October, 2023, Treasurer's Report revenue column.

4. On Tuesday of this week, Superintendent Henry is scheduled to meet with District Architect Paul Lunsford to update the District's health/life/safety survey (amendment) to update the cost estimates for door/window replacement and to address a minor site drainage problem behind the building (near the 5th-grade wing). After he has the H/L/S amendment completed, Mr. Henry will submit the District's FY24 School Maintenance Program Grant.

5. Security Alarm, the District's security system vendor, has recommended an update to our surveillance video software that should eliminate any annual licensing/update costs (at a higher, but one-time, cost). Mr. Gunter and Mr. Henry are planning to authorize the switch, and (hopefully) it can be completed during a time when school is not in session.

6. In February, 2023, the Board authorized the purchase of up to two (2) new school vans to replace aging fleet vehicles using the state master contract. Since that time, District officials have learned that the state master contract does not currently include 10-passenger vans, and, as a result, no manufacturers are making those vehicles.

Mr. Gunter and Mr. Henry will go back into "research mode" to try to find the best possible option for updating the District's fleet and report back to the Board when they've found something that will work best for our situation.

7. Mr. Jones, Mrs. Page, and Mr. Henry will present the 2022-2023 student performance

reports/ISBE School Report Cards during the December board meeting.

8. Superintendent Henry attached a copy of an ISBE letter dated November 9, 2023, that outlines ISBE's data review of the District's special education program. The District “Meets Requirements" for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

9. Mr. Henry attached a copy of a recent Freedom of Information Act request and the District's response to that request for your review.

CONSENT AGENDA

A motion was made by Spence and seconded by Menser approving the minutes of the previous meeting: October 10, 2023 (Regular Board Meeting); Treasurer's report; bills in the amount of $204,292.42 and salaries in the amount of $412,967.16; approval of Field Placement Affiliation Agreement (Grand Canyon University).

Roll call voting was as follows:

Yeas: Garner, Kirk, Lance, Menser, Packer, Sample, Spence

Nays: None

There being seven (7) yeas and zero (0) nays, the president declared that the motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS

None

NEW BUSINESS

In order to utilize presentation equipment, meeting participants and guests moved to the High School Conference Room. Superintendent Henry presented detailed information and recommendations regarding the 2023 tax levy. He reviewed historical tax levy/extension data, rate data, and the formulas that drive the final tax extension. He described the tax levy process (including how to capture new property growth in the District), filing requirements, and the property tax revenue timeline. He recommended that the Board adopt the tentative tax levy, as presented.

ADOPTION OF TENTATIVE TAX LEVY RESOLUTION: A motion was made by Menser and seconded by Garner to approve a Resolution Regarding Estimated Amounts Necessary to be Levied for the Year 2023 (Tentative Tax Levy), as presented.

Roll call voting was as follows:

Yeas: Garner, Kirk, Lance, Menser, Packer, Sample, Spence

Nays: None

There being seven (7) yeas and zero (0) nays, the president declared that the motion carried.

Board Member Packer and Superintendent Henry reported on a recent meeting with Franklin County Sheriff Kyle Bacon regarding emergency access to school surveillance video for school resource officers and first responders. Discussion followed. Superintendent Henry indicated that he would work directly with the Sheriff's Office, the District's technology vendor, and the District's surveillance video vendor to address a first-responder safety concern and remain compliant with the Illinois School Student Records Act. He further indicated that he and Sheriff Bacon were planning to meet with local legislators to seek a possible legislative revision to the records act to increase safety for first responders.

CLOSED SESSION: At 8:03 PM, a motion was made by Menser and seconded by Spence to enter into closed session for the purpose of discussing the following exceptions to the Open Meetings Act:

a. The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1), as amended by P.A. 93- 57)

b. Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning the salary schedule for one or more classes of employees (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2)

c. The selection of a person to fill a public office, including a vacancy in a public office, when the District is given power to appoint under law or ordinance, or the discipline, performance or removal of the occupant of a public office, when the District is given power to remove the occupant under law or ordinance (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(3))

d. Security procedures and the use of personnel and equipment to respond to an actual, a threatened, or a reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public, or public property (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(8), as amended by P.A. 93-79 and P.A. 93-422)

e. The placement of individual students in special education and other matters relating to individual students (5 ILCS 120/2(c)(10))

Roll call voting was as follows:

Yeas: Menser, Packer, Sample, Spence, Garner, Kirk, Lance

Nays: None

There being seven (7) yeas and zero (0) nays, the president declared that the motion carried.

RECONVENE FROM CLOSED SESSION: At 9:12 PM, a motion was made by Packer and seconded by Garner to reconvene from closed session.

Voting was as follows: All voted yea. There being seven (7) yeas and zero (0) nays, the president declared the motion carried.

PERSONNEL (NEW BUSINESS)

None

OTHER BUSINESS

None

ADJOURNMENT: A motion was made by Spence and seconded by Lance to adjourn.

Voting was as follows: All voted yea. There being seven (7) yeas and zero (0) nays, the president declared the motion carried.

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 PM.

https://cdnsm5-ss2.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_5786889/File/Henry/FY24%20Board%20Meetings/Nov%2013,%202023,%20BdMtgMin.pdf