West Central Reporter

Brown County Community Unit School District 1 Board met March 13.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

A special meeting of the Brown County School District Board of Education was held on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Education Office, 503 NW Cross Street, Mt. Sterling, Illinois. The meeting was called to order by Krupps. The minutes were recorded by Casey Perry.

On roll call, Blaesing, yea; Blakeley, yea; Fry, yea; Fullerton, yea; Hughes, yea; Krupps, yea; McCaskill, yea.

In attendance: Jess Gilsdorf, Courtney Pryor, Jacque Reynolds, Pollee Craven, Karen Jirjis, Shelly Sheffler, James McKay, Kris Gallaher, Tracy Conley.

Committee Reports and Discussion: Superintendent Vicki Phillips noted that she had received numerous comments regarding the fate of the HS Gym should the upcoming April 2 referendum question have a majority of votes for “Yes.” She noted that the community at large has shown and verbalized a significant aversion to the idea of Brown County losing its High School

gym. Because of these comments and the sincere desire for the gym to be kept, Jacques Reynolds of Architechnics was invited to the Board Meeting to address the topic. He shared a “sample” or “draft” “footprint of how a possible addition could be built on the south side of the current BCHS Auditorium for new BCHS Classrooms including band/chorus rooms and a new Elementary School could be built on the west side of the current BC Middle School. In order to be able to salvage the BCHS Gym for the purposes of athletic events and/or daily PE use with this layout as a possibility, it would require that the structure of the square around the gym, including the exterior and interior (hall) walls and roof, be maintained and repurposed. The classrooms that are not within the “square” around the gym would be demolished. The classrooms that are around the “square” of the gym would be gutted and renovated for new handicapped accessible bathrooms, locker rooms and athletic needs. He also shared that bids would be sought to determine a final cost for salvaging the current gym, but a rough estimate would be that it would be about the same cost of building the new gym or possibly less depending on the level of renovation necessary. He also shared that there would be no renovations performed on the inside of the current HS Gym including no air conditioning due to the necessary funds used to renovate the infrastructure around the “square” of the gym. Also due to the State requirement that all new schools have a “safe” space that can withstand tornado winds, that space would have to be incorporated into the other aspects of the new school buildings instead of using a new gym for this purpose as had been suggested originally.

The Board of Education and Administration took all of this information under advisement and are willing to continue discussing this newest information as a possibility for the future--no official action was taken by the BC Board of Education regarding this topic at this meeting.

Motion by Fry, seconded by Fullerton, to go into closed session to discuss personnel employment, release, and other personnel items that may require action at 6:27 pm.

Roll call: Blaesing, yea; Blakeley, yea; Fry, yea; Fullerton, yea; Hughes, yea; Krupps, yea; McCaskill, yea.

Motion carried.

Motion by Blaesing, seconded by Fullerton, to return to open session at 6:30 pm.

Roll call: Blaesing, yea; Blakeley, yea; Fry, yea; Fullerton, yea; Hughes, yea; Krupps, yea; McCaskill, yea.

Motion carried.

Motion by McCaskill, seconded by Fry, to approve the minutes of closed session.

Roll call: Blaesing, yea; Blakeley, yea; Fry, yea; Fullerton, yea; Hughes, yea; Krupps, yea; McCaskill, yea.

Motion carried.

Motion by Blaesing, seconded by Hughes, Employment (Resignations, Hiring’s, Dismissals, Release, Reduction)

Approval

Trenton Harrelson – Volunteer JH Assistant Track Coach Kitty Mountain – Retirement at the end of this school year.

Roll call: Blaesing, yea; Blakeley, yea; Fry, yea; Fullerton, yea; Hughes, yea; Krupps, yea; McCaskill, yea.

Motion carried.

Motion by Blakeley, seconded by Krupps, to adjourn at 6:33 pm. Motion carried by acclamation.

http://www.bchornets.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/SPEC-MEETING-DRAFT-MAR19.pdf