Winchester Community Unit School District #1 Board of Education met April 12.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
The Board of Education, Community Unit School District No. 1, 149 South Elm Street, Winchester, Illinois counties of Scott, Morgan and Greene, met in regular session at 6:30 PM in the Winchester Elementary School Gymnasium.
President Steve Moore called the meeting to order with the following members answering roll call: Ron Coultas, Bill Jacquot, Shanna Eddinger, Trista Freeman, Molly Traw, Aaron Littig and Steve Moore. Also attending were Superintendent Kevin Blankenship, WGS Principal Andy Stumpf, WHS Principal Denny Vortman and Administrative Assistant Becky Lashmett.
MINUTES / FINANCIALS
Jacquot motioned, with a second from Littig, to approve the minutes of the March 15th regular meeting. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
Coultas motioned, with a second from Freeman, to approve the financial reports and bills to be paid. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
ADMINISTRATORS REPORTS
Recognition was given to the Students of The Month from both schools, as well as a report on student activities and upcoming events. Superintendent Blankenship acknowledged the on-going efforts of the district staff, provided a legislative update, noted the impending receipt of EBF monies shorted over the past two years, and suggested the results of the Winchester and Bluffs community surveys be presented at a joint meeting.
TUITION WAIVER
Jacquot motioned to approve the application for renewal of the 2017 ISBE waiver of tuition for children of full-time district employees. Littig seconded the motion and roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
IESA / IHSA RENEWAL
Jacquot motioned, with a second from Coultas, to approve the renewal of IESA and IHSA membership for the 2022-2023 school term. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT PLAN
Coultas motioned, with a second from Freeman, to approve the updated Consolidated District Plan required for federal grant funding. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
CLOSED MINUTES
Freeman motioned to make public the closed session minutes from June through December 2021. Littig seconded the motion and roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
CO-OP COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Freeman motioned, with a second from Coultas, to approve the recommendations to increase pay for officials, decrease the student athletic participation fee, issue printed staff passes to those who qualify and to establish uniform gate fees between Winchester and Bluffs for both junior high and high school events. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
USE OF FACILITIES
Freman motioned, with a second from Coultas, to approve the use of the WGS drive on June 4th for a Civic Group 5K fundraiser. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
PAVING
Freeman motioned to accept the $45,880 low bid of VICC for paving at the bus garage and the west student parking areas. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
SCIENCE CURRICULUM
Eddinger motioned to approve the purchase of a new K-8 science curriculum at a cost of $22,454.48. Freeman seconded the motion and roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUESTS / QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
President Moore asked the status of Freedom of Information requests, and Superintendent Blankenship reported there were none. President Moore then asked for questions or comments from the audience, and there were none.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Freeman motioned at 7:21 PM to enter into closed session. Coultas seconded the motion and roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
Freeman motioned, with a second from Littig, to return to open session at 8:04 PM. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed. President Moore announced the purpose of the executive session was for personnel matters and collective bargaining.
PERSONNEL ACTION
Freeman motioned, with a second from Littig, to accept the resignation of Lesley Fearneyhough as cook effective April 8th. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
Freeman motioned to approve volunteers for Bass Fishing – Charlie Shelts, Dan Welsh and Clint Coats and Spring Musical – Tom Welch, Hannah Maberry Pate and Delaney Fearneyhough. Eddinger provided a second and roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
Freeman motioned, with a second from Eddinger to approve the employment of Vicky Winningham as cook effective April 11th, and for FY23 - Jason Likes as HS girls basketball head coach, Kendra Bass as HS PE and Adeline Slayback as permanent sub. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING
Freeman motioned, with a second from Coultas, to approve the FY23-24 collective bargaining agreement with the bus drivers union. Roll call vote resulted: Coultas, yea; Jacquot, yea; Eddinger, yea; Freeman, yea; Traw, yea; Littig, yea; and Moore, yea; there being seven yeas and no nays, the motion passed.
ANNOUNCEMENTS / ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:07 PM.