Carbondale Reporter

Galena Unit School District #120 Board of Education met Dec. 1.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

1. Welcome

1.1 Call to Order – The Board of Education of Galena Unit School District #120 held their Virtual Business Meeting via Google Meet on December 1, 2020. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m.

1.2 Roll Call – Roll call was taken, and a quorum was established. The following members were present: Member Frank, Member Hyland, President Long, Member McIntyre, and Member Stodden. Members Einsweiler and Rosenthal were absent.

1.3 Approval of Agenda – Member Frank moved and Member McIntyre seconded the motion to approve the Agenda, as presented. Voice vote, all present voted aye. Motion carried 5-0.

1.4 Public Comments – None.

NOTE: Members Einsweiler and Rosenthal arrived at 6:04 p.m.

2. Business

2.1 First Reading of PRESS Policies - Below are the policies that were presented to the Board for a first reading. Superintendent Vincent stated the Policy Committee met on November 30th to review the November 2020 PRESS policies. Most of the policies have minor updates due to the emergency declaration (COVID) and 5-year review. He pointed out a few of the specific changes and said that a lot of times when one policy changes, it’s a domino effect for changes to other policies.

These policies will be presented to the Board at their December 15th regular meeting for a second and final reading.

3:40, Superintendent

The Legal References and footnotes are updated in response to the repeal of 23 Ill. Admin.Code §29.130 (cleanup changes to superintendent endorsement requirements, which were moved to 23 Ill.Admin.Code §25.355). Other continuous improvements are also made to the footnotes.

4:10, Fiscal and Business Management

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to: 1. 105 ILCS 5/17-2A, amended by P.A. 101-643 (one-year extension of authority to permanently transfer money from specified funds for any purpose through June 30, 2021); and 2. Continuous improvement and minor style updates.

4:55, Use of Credit and Procurement Cards

The policy is unchanged. The Cross References are updated to reflect the title change for 4:90, Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds, which is changed for the reason discussed in 4:90, Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds, below.

4:80, Accounting and Audits

The policy, Cross References, and footnotes are updated for the reason discussed in 4:90, Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds, below.

4:90, Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds

RENAMED. The policy, Legal References, Cross References, and footnotes are updated to incorporate 23 Ill.Admin.Code §§100.20, 100.80 and 100.85 (establishing fiduciary funds as a category of funds separate from student activity funds, for which a district has custodial responsibilities).

4:150, Facility Management and Building Programs

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to: 1. 105 ILCS 5/17-2.11(j), amended by P.A. 101-643 (extension of authority to transfer excess life safety funds to the Operations and Maintenance Fund for building repair work to June 20, 2021); 2. The activation of the Ill. Dept. of Labor’s online portal for contractors to submit certified payroll and other employment records, alleviating district recordkeeping responsibilities, as authorized by 820 ILCS 130/4(e), amended by P.A. 100-1177; and 3. Continuous improvement update to optional policy language contained in Footnote 7 (building naming criteria).

4:175, Convicted Child Sex Offender; Screening; Notifications

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to 105 ILCS 5/10- 21.9(e), amended by P.A. 101-643, requiring the superintendent, regional office of education, or an entity providing fingerprint-based criminal history records checks to notify the ISBE Superintendent within 10 days when a check returns a pending charge of a crime set forth in 105 ILCS 5/21B-80. Footnote 8 is updated for continuous improvement.

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to 105 ILCS

5/10- 21.9, amended by P.A. 101-643, for the reason discussed in 4:175, 5:30, Hiring Process and Criteria Convicted Child Sex Offender; Screening; Notifications, above and for continuous improvement.

5:190, Teacher Qualifications

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to 105 ILCS 5/21B20, amended by P.A. 101-643, and to amended driver education rules at 23 Ill. Admin.Code Part 252.

5:270, Employment At-Will, Compensation, and Assignment

The Cross References and footnotes are updated in response to a five-year review

6:15, School Accountability

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5(c), amended by P.A. 101-643, which does not require annual State assessments if ISBE receives a waiver from the administration of assessments from the U.S. Dept. of Education.

6:20, School Year Calendar and Day

The Legal References, Cross References, and footnotes are updated in response to the following pandemic preparedness legislation: 1. 10 ILCS 5/2B-10 and 105 ILCS 5/24-2, amended by P.A. 101-642 (2020 General Election Day); 2. 105 ILCS 5/10-19, amended by P.A. 101-643 (actual pupil attendance may include remote learning days, blended remote learning days, and up to five remote and blended remote learning planning days); 3. 105 ILCS 5/10-19.05, amended by P.A. 101-643 (minimum clock-hour requirements to align with the circumstances of public health emergency declarations); 4. 105 ILCS 5/10-20.56, amended by P.A. 101-643 (e-learning); and 5. 105 ILCS 5/10-30, added by P.A. 101-643 (see the reason in number two, above).

6:40, Curriculum Development

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to: 1. 105 ILCS 5/10-20.56, amended by P.A. 101-643 (experimental educational programs may include e-learning days as allowed under 105 ILCS 5/10- 20.56); 2. Title IX’s application to transgender or gender non-conforming students; and 3. Continuous improvement updates.

6:280, Grading and Promotion

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5(e), amended by P.A. 101-643 (State assessments not required when waived by U.S. Dept. of Education).

6:300, Graduation Requirements

The policy is updated for continuous improvement. The footnotes are updated in response to: 1. 105 ILCS 5/27-22(i), added by P.A. 101-643, allowing ISBE to adopt rules modifying graduation requirements high school students if the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency; 2. 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5(c), amended by P.A. 101-643, to not require annual State assessments if ISBE receives a waiver from the administration of assessments from the U.S. Dept. of Education; 3. Updated ISBE rules at 23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 680 (State Seal of Biliteracy Program); and 4. ISBE’s FAFSA Nonparticipation Form.

6:310, High School Credit for Non-District Experiences; Course Substitutions; Re-Entering Students

The policy, Legal References, and footnotes are updated in response to 23 Ill.Admin. Code Part 255 (course substitutions for registered apprenticeship programs). Other continuous improvement updates were also made to the footnotes.

6:315, High School Credit for Students in Grade 7 or 8

The policy is unchanged. The footnotes are updated in response to five-year review

6:320, High School Credit for Proficiency

The Legal References and footnotes are updated in response to 23 Ill.Admin.Code Part 680 (State Seal of Biliteracy Program). The footnotes are updated in response to 105 ILCS 5/27-22, amended by P.A. 101-643 (ISBE may adopt rules to modify graduation requirements during a public health emergency).

6:340, Student Testing and Assessment Program

The policy and footnotes are updated. The policy is updated to incorporate continuous improvement changes suggested by the PRESS Advisory Board. The footnotes are updated in response to 105 ILCS 5/2-3.64a-5, amended by P.A. 101-643 (State assessments not required when waived by U.S. Dept. of Education) and other continuous improvement changes.

7:100, Health, Eye, and Dental Examinations; Immunizations; and Exclusion of Students

The policy and footnotes are updated for continuous improvement and in response to 105 ILCS 5/27-8.1, amended by P.A. 101-643, prohibiting a school from withholding a child’s report card during a school year when the Governor has declared a disaster due to a public health emergency.

7:140, Search and Seizure

The policy is unchanged. The Legal References and footnotes are updated in response to a five-year review.

7:300, Extracurricular Athletics

The policy, footnotes, and Cross References are updated in response to a five-year review.

7:325, Student Fundraising Activities

The policy and Cross References are updated. The policy contains minor style changes. The Cross References reflect the title change for 4:90, Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds, which is changed for the reason discussed in 4:90, Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds, above.

2.2 Superintendent Evaluation Tool Discussion – Superintendent Vincent stated the typical timeline for the superintendent evaluation is as follows:

● December/January-If no standard district evaluation tool exists, the Board chooses an evaluation tool in open session discussion. After the meeting, the Board President sends out the tool to BOE to get individual input and the Board President collects results.

● January/February-BOE meets in closed session to discuss and synthesize evaluation from members and the superintendent either is invited to closed session with the results or meets with Board President afterward to discuss the evaluation. 

● February-BOE discusses and considers the superintendent goals for next year and gives consideration of a one-year contract extension to stay on a three-year contract.

● June/July-Discussion of board goals and superintendent goals for 21-22; possibly have an IASB field representative come to assist the Board with their goals. It’s a free service and nice to have an external person lead that process. 

The superintendent then stated he and Board President Long met and discussed what the process would look like. They looked at several versions of the evaluation tool; most of them were 15-20 pages long and included many different things; there was also a simpler version, which they shared with the Board. They felt it would be difficult to evaluate the superintendent after only five months in and felt perhaps the simpler version would be the better tool to use to evaluate the superintendent at this time. The directive for the Board at this meeting was to choose the tool they wished to use at this time; and eventually they could tweak the tool or use a more in-depth tool to use in future years. Board members expressed their thoughts on the various evaluation tools, as follows:

∙ With this being a very different year, and with having the superintendent in place for only 5 months many felt a simple tool at this time would be best.

∙ They don’t know exactly what the superintendent’s job entails and realizing that the items listed in the evaluation tool are boiler plate goals felt they should talk to the superintendent in closed session and go through the evaluation tool with him. Following that they could better do their evaluation.

∙ Talk with the Superintendent to see how he thinks things are going. They could then talk about potential goals and have guiding tools to guide them for a future evaluation instrument.

∙ They need to partner with the superintendent to come up with measurable goals. They Board only sees the superintendent a small percentage of time. They need to get feedback from the people that report to the superintendent as those are the people he works with every day, from teachers to the administrative level; make sure when choosing an instrument choose a good one that is measurable.

∙ The Board didn’t give the superintendent goals when he was hired. Even though it’s been only five months and a strange year, regardless of what tool they pick it should be valuable.

∙ Go through the six standards outlined on the simpler evaluation tool line by line and evaluate on what things are going well and what can be improved on, but eliminate those the Board is not comfortable giving a number on.

∙ Have the superintendent do a self-evaluation, listing things he’s done and things he’s looking to do; then the Board has something to go from and they can proceed with doing the evaluation. When the superintendent was hired he came in with a 100-day plan prior to the COVID pandemic. That may drive the standard for 1-6 on the evaluation tool.

Ultimately Board members agreed it would be best to have the superintendent self-evaluate himself by doing a summary outlining leadership goals on what he’s done, with reflections on his 100-day plan. He will get that to Board members in advance of them meeting in closed session at the end of the January 5, 2021 Business meeting; that way if they have questions they can ask for clarification prior to that time. The Board will then meet with him in Executive Session at the February, 2021 meeting for his review.

Following this process, they will work with an IASB rep over the summer on setting board goals and superintendent goals, and will also work on having a solid superintendent evaluation tool that can be used for all future boards and superintendents. Then, by January, 2022, the superintendent will provide the Board with a self-assessment of his performance against the leadership standards and progress toward district goals. The Board will then do a group evaluation at the end of the January, 2022 meeting and meet with the superintendent in February, 2022. This process will allow for a full year cycle starting with SMART goal setting in the summer and will repeat every year.

3. Adjournment

3.1 Adjourn Meeting – Member Rosenthal moved and Member McIntyre seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting at 6:43 p.m. Voice vote, all present voted aye. Motion carried 7-0.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/19aMAOtd24DvkzssiB5N1SoY7nkViSTon/preview?rm=minimal