Mercer County School District #404 Board of Education met June 21.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
The Board of Education of Mercer County School District #404, Mercer, Henderson, & Rock Island Counties, Illinois, convened at a regular meeting in the Mercer County Junior High School Music Room, 1002 SW 6th Street, Aledo, IL on Wednesday, June 21, 2023 at 6:48 PM.
Prior to Roll Call, President Bill Smock led the group in the pledge of allegiance.
ATTENDANCE
Board members present upon roll call: Lower, Nelson, Smock and Yates.
A quorum was present. Balmer arrived via zoom at 6:55PM.
Absent: Monson and Wagner
Administrators present: Superintendent Scott Petrie and ELC Supervisor Becky McPeek. Also in Attendance: Teresa Ibouhouten and Secretary Angie Dillie
Reporters: none
RECORD OF MOTIONS & VOTES
| No. 01 | No. 02 | No. 03 | No. 04 | No. 05 | No. 06 | No. 07 | No. 08 | No. 09 | No. 10 | No. 11 | No. 12 | No. 13 | |
| Balmer | - | - | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | V
O I C E | - |
| Lower | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | |
| Monson | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Nelson | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | |
| Smock | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | |
| Wagner | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | |
| Yates | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE |
| No. 14 | No. 15 | No. 16 | No. 17 | No. 18 | No. 19 | No. 20 | No. 21 | |
| Balmer | - | V O I C E | - | - | - | - | - | V
O I C E |
| Lower | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | ||
| Monson | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Nelson | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | Abstain | ||
| Smock | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | ||
| Wagner | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| Yates | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE | AYE |
CONSENT AGENDA
1. There was a motion by Lower, seconded by Yates, to approve the following items on the consent agenda.
1.1 Meeting Minutes – May 17, 2023
1.2 Bill List
1.3 Treasurer’s Report
1.4 Financial Report
1.5 BCBS Health Insurance Account Statement
1.6 Resignation of NBE/JH Music Band Teacher Ariane Call
1.7 Resignation of New Boston Elementary Principal Marcus Bush
1.8 Retirement of District Office Accounts Payable/SIS Coordinator Sherie Thorndike
1.9 Retirement of Apollo Elementary Secretary Tracy Rentfro
1.10 Resignation of Junior High Softball Coach Morgan Weeks
1.11 Resignation of Junior High Math Teacher Ann Danner
Roll Call: 4 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
AMENDED BUDGET FY23
2. There was a motion by Yates, seconded by Lower, to approve the Amended Budget for FY23 as presented.
Roll Call: 4 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
ACCEPT BID
3. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Balmer, to accept the bid of $3,500 from Keith Lincoln for lots 7 & 8 in Block 13 in the Village of Joyas presented.
Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
LIMITATION OF ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS
4. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Nelson, to approve the Limitation of Administrative Costs Waiver as presented. Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
PROPERTY CASUALTY LIABILITY RENEWAL
5. There was a motion by Nelson, seconded by Lower, to approve the Property Casualty Liability Renewal as presented. Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
WORKERS COMP RENEWAL
6. There was a motion by Lower, seconded by Yates, to approve the Workers Comp Renewal as presented.
Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
2023-2024 BOARD MEETING DATES
7. There was a motion by Yates, seconded by Nelson, to approve the 2023-2024 Board Meeting dates as presented.
Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
PREVAILING WAGE RESOLUTION
8. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Lower, to adopt the Prevailing Wage Resolution as presented.
Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT PLAN
9. There was a motion by Nelson, seconded by Yates, to approve the Consolidated District Plan as presented.
Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
IASB - RESOLUTION
10. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Nelson, to approve the IASB Resolution regarding Transportation as presented.
Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
CLOSED SESSION
11. There was a motion by Yates, seconded by Lower, at 7:25PM to go into Closed Session after a short recess for Personnel and Negotiations discussion.
11.1 Personnel
The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee of the public body or against legal counsel for the public body to determine its validity. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1)
11.2 Negotiations
Collective negotiating matters between the District and its employees or their representatives or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2).
Roll Call: 5 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
Balmer left 7:30 PM.
OPEN SESSION 12. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Nelson, to come out of Closed Session at 8:29PM.
Majority of Ayes by Voice Vote. Motion Carried.
HIRE NEW BOSTON PRINCIPAL
13. There was a motion by Nelson, seconded by Yates, to hire Teresa Ibouhouten as New Boston Elementary Principal. Roll Call: 4 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
CLOSED SESSION
14. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Yates, to return to Closed Session for Personnel and Negotiations discussion.
14.1 Personnel
The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee of the public body or against legal counsel for the public body to determine its validity. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1)
14.2 Negotiations
Collective negotiating matters between the District and its employees or their representatives or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2).
Roll Call: 4 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
OPEN SESSION
15. There was a motion by Yates, seconded by Nelson, to come out of Closed Session at 8:59PM.
Majority of Ayes by Voice Vote. Motion Carried.
HIRE APOLLO SECRETARY
16. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Yates, to hire Tonya Finch as Apollo Elementary School Secretary.
Roll Call: 4 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
HIRE ELEMENTARY MUSIC/JH BAND TEACHER
17. There was motion by Smock, seconded by Yates, to hire Crispin Fornoff as Elementary Music/JH Band Teacher.
Roll Call: 4 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
HIRE HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR
18. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Yates, to hire Catherine Staker as High School Counselor.
Roll Call: 4 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
JH FALL COACH REHIRES
19. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Yates, to rehire MCJH Fall Sports Coaches as presented.
Roll Call: 4 Ayes, 0 Nays. Motion carried.
NON UNION SALARIES
20. There was a motion by Smock, seconded by Yates, to approve the Non Union Salaries as presented.
Roll Call: 3 Ayes, 0 Nays, 1 Abstain. Motion carried.
ADJOURN
21. There was a motion by Nelson, seconded by Lower, to adjourn the meeting at 9:10 PM.
Majority of Ayes by Voice Vote. Motion Carried.
OTHER REPORTS AND DISCUSSIONS:
ADDITIONS/ DELETIONS
1. None
PUBLIC COMMENT
2. None
CORRESPONDENCE
3. Thank you cards were received for memorials sent to the families of Helena Brockett and Mike Bertelsen. Mr. Fleuette also sent a thank you
card for the recognition of his retirement from MCSD#404.
BOARD COMMENTS
4. None
COMMITTEE REPORTS
5. Mr. Petrie added that the transportation committee discussed the need for smaller vehicles to transport students. He will be looking into the purchase of transit vans and possibly a newer maintenance truck.
ACCEPT SEALED BID
6. We received a bid from Keith Lincoln for the property known as Lots 7 & 8 in Block 13 of the Village of Joy in the amount of $3,500. The property consists of two lots and a small shed just south of the football field.
The district no longer uses this property.
PROPERTY CASUALTY LIABILITY RENEWAL
7. Mr. Petrie shared a cost comparison pricing sheet from PSIC. The largest increase to the coverage was for cyber liability ($6,217 to $15,419). The pricing sheet provided showed a 25% increase overall for renewal.
WORKERS COMP
8. Mr. Petrie provided a renewal comparison summary from Encova for Workers Compensation coverage showing a $6,000 increase from the prior
year. These numbers are calculated using experience and payroll totals.
CONSOLIDATED DISTRICT PLAN
9. The Consolidated District Plan is an annual requirement from ISBE that explains how we determine our district needs and combine a variety of different funding streams to meet them including our Title and IDEA programs.
IASB RESOLUTION
10. Julie Wagner and Lori Nelson presented a statement of resolution to the board for approval in regards to School Transportation Regulations. Mr. Petrie gave some additional information in regards to the change that took place in February 2023, requiring additional licensing requirements for new bus drivers. This resolution is in support of those changes to return licensing requirements back to pre-February 2023 levels etc.
FOIA REQUESTS
11. FOIA requests were received and responded to from Gold Star FS, Inc and Contractors Adjustment Company.
ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS
12. In addition to their written reports, the following was mentioned: Mrs. McPeek added that summer school was going very well. The ELC has 11 students participating in the Jump Start Kindergarten program.
https://www.mercerschools.org/_files/ugd/6b636f_4c36c571317b4651ae82179536200187.pdf
Alerts Sign-up