MINUTES - REGULAR MEETING OF
THE BOARD OF EDUCATION
February 8, 2006 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, Mrs. Millicent Roth, Mr. John Hanson and Mr. John Dirks, Board
President. Mr. Uvaldo Herrera and Mr.
Keith Davis were absent.
Present from the administrative staff were Mrs.
Sally Tucker, Mr. David Wood, Mr. Barry Reilly and Dr. Robert Nielsen.
Ms. Linda Aschenbrener, Public Relations Facilitator, was also in attendance.
Present from the news media was Ms. Sharon Wolfe, The Pantagraph, Mr. Erik Stock, WJBC Radio and Ms. Nora Cushing, TV10. WHOI TV was also represented.
Mr. Dirks presented the Minutes for approval. It was moved by Mrs. Jackson, seconded Mr. Hanson, that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Education held on January 25, 2006 and the Minutes of the Closed Meeting of the Board of Education held on January 25, 2006 be approved. Upon a roll call Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Roth and Mr. Dirks voted “Aye”. Mr. Hanson abstained as he was not in attendance at these meetings. Motion carried.
Mrs. Cindy
Helmers introduced
Mr. Dirks
congratulated Monica on her successes and asked her and her father to come
forward and receive personal congratulations from the Board.
Mrs. Helmers introduced Mrs. Karen Monhardt, Director
of the District 87 String Program, who was awarded the 2005 Outstanding School
Teacher award from the Illinois American String Teachers Association (ASTA) along
with the National School Orchestra Association (NSOA). She conducts the
Bloomington High School Orchestra, the 5th and 6th grade "Junior
Strings" and teaches 5th grade string lessons in the district's six
elementary schools. Karen also coaches chamber music in the high school and
directs the District 87 Summer String program.
Mrs.
Monhardt has been both conductor and cello coach at the Illinois Summer Youth
Music (ISYM) camps at the
Board Meeting
February 8, 2006
Page 2
1998, she was the guest
conductor of the Junior High Orchestra for the Illinois Music Educators Association
District 6 Festival. Mrs. Monhardt has served two terms as secretary for the
Illinois ASTA and has been the Orchestra Representative for Illinois Music
Educators Association (IMEA) District 3 since 1996.
Mrs. Monhardt, Mr. Max Chernick, District
87 Band Director, and Mr. Dennis Morrisey, District 87 Choral Director,
introduced the five District 87 IMEA All State Students. They are: Heather DeLong, violin, Phil
Garrett, viola, Amy Vasel, french horn, Emily Williams, alto II, (not in
attendance) and Melanie Royalty, alto.
The three instructors stated that all
students worked very hard to achieve their accomplishments and are all very
talented.
Mr. Dirks stated that he is very proud
of the District’s Fine Arts Program. He
thanked the instructors and the students for making the program what it
is. It’s a real tribute to our school
and our District.
Mr. Dirks asked everyone to come
forward, as well as parents, and receive personal congratulations from the
Board.
Mr. Hanson stated that he attended the
McLean County Regional Planning Meeting. He stated that the
Mrs. Jackson stated that as Cornbelt
representative, she is also on the Illinois Association of School Board’s
(IASB) Board of Directors. As a member
of the Board of Directors this year she is going to be the Board of Directors’
Chairman of the Chicago Conference in November.
Mr. Hanson stated that he attended the
Illinois State Scholars Banquet this week along with several other Board
Members. It was a very nice event. Everyone involved did a great job with all of
the arrangements. It gets better each
year.
Mrs. Roth stated she contacted the
District principals and asked that they let the Board know what they are doing
for African American Heritage month. She
stated that she will share the entire list of events with the Board when she
gets the responses back from all the schools.
Mrs. Tucker made a presentation on Full
Day Kindergarten in the District. The
presentation included the following:
2000-2002
·
2000-2001 Full Day Kindergarten Study
All
Sheridan and Irving Kindergarten Students
---Full
Day (Schoolwide Title I Programs)
·
2001-2002 All Sheridan,
Stevenson---2
Sections Full Day, 2 Sections of 1/2 Day
2002-2004
·
All Sheridan,
·
Stevenson---2 Sections Full Day, 2 Sections of 1/2 Day
Board Meeting
February 8, 2006
Page 3
·
2004-Present
·
All Bent, Irving, Sheridan and Stevenson Students---Full Day
·
All students at
2006 and Beyond
·
Based on the current budget and projections for the next several
years, we recommend that full day kindergarten be offered at each of our
elementary schools beginning in August 2006.
·
3 additional FTE’s will be added.
·
We will bring this to you for your approval at the February 22,
2006, Board Meeting.
Mrs. Smith asked how much will it cost
to add the three teachers?
Mrs. Tucker stated between
$40,000-$45,000 per teacher, but of course it depends on the exact teacher that
we hire and what level they are at on the salary schedule.
Mrs. Smith asked how much money for
supplies will be needed?
Mrs. Tucker stated that typically when
we add any new classroom in the District, we budget about $5,000 per classroom
and that would include everything, tables, chairs, easels, office supplies
etc.
Mrs. Jackson asked how many of these
classrooms will be new kindergarten classrooms?
Mrs. Tucker stated that in some cases we
have things in storage but some things we will have to purchase as new
classroom instructional materials.
Mrs. Jackson asked do we have the
classroom space available?
Mrs. Tucker stated that we double
checked on space needed yesterday and both Mr. Jeff Lockenvitz,
Washington School Principal, and Mr. Stempinski, Oakland School Principal, say
that they have room for the projected classes for the fall.
Mrs. Roth mentioned that she attended
the Oakland PTO Meeting the other night and there was a question whether this program
would be offered to every kindergartener that comes to that school.
Mrs. Tucker stated correct. Of course the State law says that we also
have to offer half day kindergarten, so if a parent opts for it they can always
have a half day program. The child would just go home at noon. The core of the program is delivered in the
morning and then there are a lot of enrichment activities and extensions in the
afternoon.
Mrs. Smith asked Mr. Reilly how many
students are expected at
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February 8, 2006
Page 4
Mr. Reilly stated that his best guess is
about 80 students at
Mr. Dirks stated that initially the
reason why we were able to offer full day kindergarten at Irving, Sheridan and
Bent schools was due to Title I funding.
He asked how has that issue been addressed?
Mrs. Tucker stated that we have met with
people from the State Board and what we are going to do is move the full day
kindergarten program out of the Title I funding process and then put our
bi-lingual services into Title I. It’s
exchanging one for the other.
Mr. Hanson asked if there will be any
bussing issues with these additional students?
Mrs. Tucker stated that we won’t have to
run mid-day busses except for those who ask for it. Our experience is that students are enrolled
for the full day when it is offered.
Mrs. Jackson asked that since this is
one of the programs being added back in after our years of cutting programs, is
the administration in agreement that this is the best place to put these funds
to help all of our students?
Dr. Nielsen said absolutely. This was a very painful cut for us when we
made it through the deficit reduction.
This is the best thing to do for kids and we are pleased to bring it
back to you.
Mr. Hanson stated that full day
kindergarten provides an opportunity to replace existing daycare that these
kids may be going to. What can you give
as background as far as the data that has been put together on the educational
value which helps these kids being in kindergarten all day?
Mrs. Tucker stated that it takes a great
deal for kids to know what it means to go to school and what it means to be a
learner. When they are in school a full
day it gives us more opportunities to affirm the social skills, the emotional
strength that children need to be a positive learner. That can be reinforced all day long. That’s a very positive thing about full day
kindergarten. Children struggle with
transitions. The fewer transitions that
young children make during a school day, the better. It allows them to maximize their
learning. When they come to school and
have one significant adult to relate to, rather than changing in the middle of
the day to go somewhere else to relate to another adult, another set of rules,
helps them as learners, helps them grow up, helps them develop their social
skills. The other thing that is
significant about full day kindergarten is that children get more opportunities
to repeat and reinforce what they experience.
It was
moved by Mrs. Jackson, seconded by Mrs. Roth, that the Consent Agenda (Human
Resources Report, Bills and Payroll) be approved. Upon a roll call vote, all Members present,
voted “Aye”. Motion carried. (See
with Original Minutes, Attachment 2-08-06/1)
It was moved by Mrs. Jackson,
seconded by Mrs. Roth that the Cancellation of the March 8, 2006 Board Meeting
be approved. Upon a roll call
Board Meeting
February 8, 2006
Page 5
vote, all Members present, voted “Aye”. Motion carried. (See with Original
Minutes, Attachment 2-08-06/2)
It was moved by Mr. Hanson, seconded by Mrs. Smith 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