MINUTES - REGULAR MEETING OF
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
October 12, 2005 6:30 P.M. Educational
The Board of Education of the
Ms. Marianne Clancy, Board Secretary, established a
quorum and the following Members were present: Mrs. Janet Smith, Mrs. Cheryl
Jackson, Mr. John Hanson and Mr. John Dirks, Board President. Mrs. Millicent
Roth, Mr. Uvaldo Herrera and Mr. Keith Davis were absent.
Present from the administrative staff were Mrs.
Sally Tucker, Mr. David Wood and Dr. Robert Nielsen.
Ms. Linda Aschenbrener, Public Relations Facilitator, was also in attendance.
Present from the news media was Mr. Erik Stock, WJBC Radio Station.
Mr. Dirks presented the Minutes for
approval. It was moved by Mrs. Jackson,
seconded by Mrs. Smith, that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Education held on
September 28, 2005 and the Minutes of the Closed Meeting of the Board of
Education held on September 28, 2005 be approved. Upon a roll call vote Mr. Dirks, Mrs. Smith and Mrs.
Jackson voted “Aye”. Mr. Hanson
abstained from voting as he was not in attendance at those meetings. Motion carried.
Dr. Sue Silvey, Bloomington Junior High
School (BJHS) Principal, introduced the BJHS Head Softball Coach, Ms. Kristen
Throm, and volunteer parent assistant coach, Mr. Jed Hainlen. Team members present were: Maggie Bee, 8th
Grade, Shaneice Bell, 8th Grade, Bailey Bottorff 8th
Grade, Ariel Frantz, 8th Grade, Amanda Hainlen, 8th
Grade, Alina Agamy, 7th Grade, Jessie Alvis, 7th Grade,
Morgan Dodson, 7th Grade, Tycie Justice, 7th Grade, Kelly Pyne, 7th
Grade, Laura Stocks, 7th Grade, Lindsey Yuhas, 7th Grade
and Julie Herek, 6th Grade. Ms. Throm stated the team had a
great season. The team went into every
game of the post-season as the underdog. The team won Regionals and Sectionals
and came in second at State, losing to the defending champions. She stated that Mr. Hainlen did a phenomenal
job with the team.
Mr. Dirks
congratulated the team and the coaches and asked them, along with any parents
present, to come forward and receive congratulations from the Board.
Mrs. Roth
entered the meeting at 6:40 p.m.
Mrs. Jackson reminded everyone that the Illinois
Association of School Boards (IASB) Cornbelt Division will be having their fall
dinner meeting on October 19, 2005 at
Mr. Hanson reported that he attended the
McLean County Regional Planning Commission meeting. They originally had
recommended the City of Bloomington to go forward with the plan for the
eastside bypass, but now the City is going to re-look that plan.
Mrs. Smith reported that
she and Mrs. Roth participated in the
Mrs. Smith
reported that she attended the Regional Office of Education Advisory Board
Meeting last night. It was an
interesting meeting and she will let everyone know how it progresses in the
future.
Mr. Dirks
stated that tomorrow Dr. Nielsen, Dr. Alan Chapman, Unit 5 Superintendent, Mr.
Scott Lay, Unit 5 Board President, Mr. Tim Welsh, McKinsie Group, will meet with
Mr. Willie Brown, State Farm Insurance, on the Achievement Gap Taskforce. He stated they are looking forward to getting
this taskforce off the ground.
Mr. Wood introduced Ms. Stephanie Ramsey, Gorenz and
Associates, who reported on the District 87 2004-05 Annual Audit.
Ms. Ramsey recapped the audit as follows:
June 30, 03 June 30,04 June
30,05
Total Fund
Equity (All Funds) 71,063.141 91,290,628
102,299,919
Less: Fixed Assets (53,930,810) (54,654,029) (63,920,898)
Bond and Interest Fund (863,794)
(830,348) (1,023,213)
IMRF/Social Security Fund (738,016) (822,230) (794,371)
Site & Contruction Fund (196,116) (87,284) (8,330,462)
Fire Prev. & Safety Fund
(149,272) (19,675,546) (10,711,261)
Group Medical Plan (1,637,078) (1,710,985) (1,498,628)
John M. Scott Educ. Trust (1,237,378) (1,402,629) (1,471,064)
Net Equity in
Oper. Funds 12,310,677 12,107,577 14,550,022
Less: Unpaid Teachers Contracts and Salary
Commitments
(455,576) (474,368) (486,575)
Construction Commitments (other than Life Safety)
(662,582) (54,150) -
Funds Reserved for Special] Purposes:
(87,156) (52,086) (506,490)
Unencumbered
Equity - Operating Funds Only
11,105,363 11,526,973 13,556,957
Educational
Fund Actual Budget— Percent
Total Revenues and Other
Financing Sources*
39,659,629 39,151,105 101.30%
Total Expenditures and Other
Financing Uses*
37,850,705 38.836.523 97.46%
Operation
& Maint. Fund Actual Budget Percent
Total Revenues and Other
Financing Sources
4,378,465 4,324,684 101.24%
Total Expenditures and Other
Financing Uses
4,292,922 4,299,753 99.84%
Transportation
Fund Actual Budget Percent
Total Revenues and Other
Financing Sources
1,966,275 1,917,000 102.57%
Total Expenditures and Other
Financing Uses
1,870,665 1,915,146 97.68%
June 30. 2003 June 30, 2004 June 30,
2005
Average Daily Attendance 5,185 5,137 5,009
Operating Cost Per Pupil 8,187 8,263 8,464
Financial Profile Score 3.55 3.65 3.90
Financial Profile
Designation Financial Financial Financial
Recognition Recognition Recognition
Joint
Agreements Administered by
Area Reg.
Voc.
Center System
Total Revenues and Other
Financing Sources
895,388 856,724
Total Expenditures and Other
Financing Uses
892,249 878,130
Excess Revenue Received Over
(Under)
Expenditures Disbursed
3,139 (21,406)
Fund Balance, July 1, 2004 307,773 18,321
Fund Balance, June 30, 2005 310,912 (3,085)
· Schedule of Cash Revenue
Received and Cash Expenditures Disbursed Educational, Operations and
Maintenance, Transportation, and Working Cash Funds For The Fiscal Years Ended
June 30, 2003, 2004, and 2005 – See attachment page A1
2005 Operating Revenues came
from the following sources:
Real Estate Taxes 63%
Other Local Sources 12%
Other State Sources 8%
General State Aid 7%
Federal & Flow Through 10%
· Operational Funds
(Educational, Operations and Maintenance, and Transportation)Disbursement
Analysis By Object For The Fiscal Years Ended June 30, 2004, and 2005 – See
attachment page A4
2005 Operating Expenses went
toward the following:
Salaries & Benefits
76%
Purchased Services
10%
Supplies & Materials
9%
Capital Outlay
2%
Other Objects/Tuition
3%
· Average Daily Attendance
Comparison and Comparative Cost Per Pupil Compared to State Average – See
attachment page A7
· Assessment Value Comparison
and Tax Rate Comparison – See attachment page A8
· Operating Fund Balances
Comparison – See attachment page A9
Ms. Ramsey stated that the opinion on the Audit Report is an
“adverse” opinion due to it not being under GASB (Governmental Accounting
Standards Board) 34, however the basis of accounting that District 87 maintains
you have an unqualified opinion. Ms. Ramsey stated that she would not suggest
that the District switch over to GASB 34 because the cost benefit does not
warrant it.
Mrs. Ramsey stated that everyone in the District is great to
work with and do a great job.
Dr. Nielsen and the
Board commended Mr. Wood and Mrs. Keller for the great job they do with the
District finances.
Dr. Nielsen and Mr. Dirks commended the Board on the tough
decisions made to put the District in this positive financial position.
Mrs. Tucker reported on the document Linking for Learning which is the Illinois School Library Media
Program Guidelines, 2nd Edition.
She stated this is the annual report that is required as part of the
process to receive a Secretary of State For Capitol Library Grant. This grant provides approximately $.75 per
student per year which amounts to between $4,500 and $5,000 per year.
The first guideline is in the area of learning and
teaching. This is the second year that
the media specialists at the elementary level have been providing school
improvement plan services to each class.
This is a 40 minute period each week that is considered a part of the
classroom teacher release time. Each
school determines how this time is to be used within the parameters, including
over the school year, a minimum of 50% of the time must be spent in support of
literacy. Both literacy and technical
integration in learning activities are part of the media specialists services
to students and teachers. The media
specialists at BJHS and Bloomington High School (BHS) continue in their
traditional roles in support of literacy and technology to the extent possible
in their facilities.
The K-5 media specialists are working with their students on the
Monarch, Reading Unites and Rebecca Caudill Awards Programs. The BHS
students are participating in the Abraham
Lincoln Award Program for high school students. These programs are based on students reading,
or being read to, several books from a nominated list. After reading a minimum number the students
are allowed to vote for their favorite book.
The author of the book receiving the most votes is awarded a prize. These programs stimulate students’ interest
in new authors and books.
Reading Unites is a
program for intermediate readers approximately third through fifth grade to
bridge between the Monarch Program
which is a K-3 program and contains many picture books and a few early readers,
and The Caudill Readers which have
more mature themes and are difficult for some students to handle. This program is a collaboration between
District 87 and Unit 5 media specialists.
Mrs. Tucker stated that the next library guideline I’d like to talk
about is the Information Access. The
time that is set aside for School Improvement Planning that is provided by the
media specialists, takes away from the flexibility for his/her time to work on
other projects with students and teachers on an as needed basis at the
elementary level. Students at BJHS and
BHS continue to experience a library media program that provides and promotes
flexible, equitable and efficient access to the information resources provided. All media specialists K-12 continue to update
their collections to reflect the needs of the students, the teachers and to
support the Illinois Learning Standards.
Mrs. Tucker stated that funds for this last year came from
school building budgets, PTOs, The Secretary of State’s For Capital Library
Grant, and at grades K-4, from the Illinois Textbook Loan Program.
Mrs. Tucker stated that she continues to supervise the media
specialists, meeting with them four times per year. She also works with the building principals
and the technology department to make sure that the learning centers are
working in support of teaching and learning in each school and in coordination
with technology.
Mrs. Tucker stated that she applauds the Board of Education for
its decisions in past years that have allowed us to continue to have a Media
Specialist in each building at a minimum of a half time Library Clerk in each building.
Mrs. Tucker stated that she enjoys her work with the Media
Specialists.
It was
moved by Mrs. Jackson, seconded by Mr. Hanson, that the Consent Agenda
(Personnel Report, Bills and Payroll) be approved. Upon a roll call vote, all
Members present, voted “Aye”. Motion
carried. (See with Original Minutes, Attachment 10-12-05/1
Dr. Nielsen stated that the construction at BJHS is ahead of
schedule. He also stated that the
baseball field is not seeded and irrigated.
All the construction projects are in great condition and going well.
Mr. DeWitt Beck, community member, asked that District 87 staff
encourage students’ creativity and provide less negative criticism.
Ms. Marsha Somler, community member, was concerned
that when a student is suspended that they will fall behind in their homework
and thus affect their grades. She also wanted to know if when a student is
suspended for 10 days, is there any flexibility in the length of that
suspension?
Dr. Nielsen stated that there is an appeals process where the
case is reviewed. The first appeal is to
the building principal who has the right to reduce the suspension; the next
step, if not satisfied, is to contact Mr. Reilly, the District Hearing Officer,
and request a formal hearing at which the parent and student presents their
case, the administration will present their information on the case, Mr. Reilly
will review all information presented and will make a decision on what should
be done. That decision will be brought
to the Board for formal action.
Dr. Nielsen assured Ms. Somler that the student will not lose
any academic credit due to the suspension and there will be no consequence
relative to his grades.
It was moved by Mrs. Jackson, seconded by Mrs. Roth that the
Board go into Closed Session for the purpose of considering the appointment,
employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees
of District 87, including hearing testimony on a complaint
lodged
against an employee to determine its validity.
Upon a roll call vote, all Members present voted “Aye”. Motion carried.
There being no further business to come before the Board, Mr. Dirks adjourned the meeting.
APPPROVED: ATTEST:
___________________________ ___________________________
President Secretary