Murphysboro Community Unit School District 186 Board of Education Met Feb. 23

By Kristine Gonzales-Abella

Apr 2, 2021

Murphysboro Community Unit School District 186 Board of Education Met Feb. 23.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

The regular meeting of the Board of Education was called to order by President Rick Runge at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Room at McElvain School, 593 Ava Road, Murphysboro, Illinois.

Board Members present: Mr. Bame, Mr. Beavers, Dr. Doerr, Mr. Green, Mrs. Jaynes, Mrs. Eovaldi, Mr. Runge

Board Members absent: None

Administrators Present: Dr. Evers, Mrs. Bush, Mr. Ellermeyer, Mr. Todd, Mrs. Finke, Mr. Keener

Administrators Absent: Mrs. Sunny

Others present: Steve Carrington, Michelle Asa, Darl Young

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mr. Runge

Mrs. Eovaldi made the motion and Mrs. Green gave the second to approve the agenda as presented.

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye – All; Nay – None; Absent – None

The president declared the motion carried.

Mr. Green made the motion and Mr. Bame gave the second to approve the consent agenda consisting of the following items:

District #186 regular board meeting minutes dated January 19, 2021

Tri-County regular board meeting minutes dated January 13, 2021

Tri-County Bills for February 2021

Applications

Reports

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye – All; Nay – None; Absent – None

The president declared the motion carried.

Mrs. Bush states that due to the board meeting being postponed a week, checks will be dated the 17th, but won’t be mailed out until board approved at the February 23, 2021 meeting. Mrs. Eovaldi made a motion and Mr. Beavers gave the second to approve the bills for February 2021 as presented.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

Dr. Doerr – Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye

Mr. Beavers – Aye

Mr. Green - Aye

Mr. Bame – Aye

Mrs. Jaynes - Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Under Communications, Mrs. Jaynes made a motion and Dr. Doerr gave the second to approve the course work from Sharon Fry be added to her salary scale upon completion.

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye – All; Nay – None; Absent - None

The president declared the motion carried.

Mrs. Eovaldi made a motion and Dr. Doerr gave the second to approve the intent to retire from Brian Tripp at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year.

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye- All; Nay – None; Absent - None

The president declared the motion carried.

Mr. Beavers made a motion and Mr. Bame gave the second to approve the resignation of Alyssa Sturgeon, MMS Social Worker, at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year.

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye – All; Nay – None; Absent - None

The president declared the motion carried.

Mrs. Eovaldi made a motion and Mr. Green gave the second to approve the resignation of Charlie Brasel, Custodian, effective February 19, 2021.

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye – All; Nay – None; Absent – None

The president declared the motion carried.

Mrs. Eovaldi made a motion and Mr. Beavers gave the second to approve the intent to retire from Len Novara at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year.

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye – All; Nay – None; Absent – None

The president declared the motion carried.

Mr. Green made a motion and Mrs. Jaynes gave the second to approve the resignation of Rebecca Mifflin, Lunch Monitor, effective immediately.

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye – All; Nay – None; Absent – None

The president declared the motion carried.

Fish bowl items were read

There were no Freedom of Information requests.

There were no comments made under recognition of audience

Under Employee concerns, Darl Young thanked the Unit Office and Administration for their work in scheduling everyone for their Covid vaccination and the Administration for being flexible if they experienced side effects that caused them to be absent.

Under Old Business Dr. Evers shared that due to the snow storm the second Covid vaccine was postponed until February 20th. There was a hand full of employees that didn’t feel well on that Monday the 22nd, but by Tuesday there was only one or two that had to have a substitute. We had our first positive on a sports team we are working with Jackson County Health Department source tracers to quarantine anyone that was in close contact.

Mrs. Bush gave the financial update and shared that next week her, Dr. Evers and Mr. Carrington will be attending a webinar on Cares II money that we will be receiving to determine what we can and cannot write for. She states that they will be gathering a wish list to see what our needs are, and which items could be bought with the Cares money. We will have some of the same expenses such as PPE and the disinfecting supplies.

Under New Business Dr. Evers shared information about summer school. She states that we are looking at the first Tuesday in June to begin an eight-week summer school program. We are planning to have one section of each grade level, K-12, and we will be posting to fill these teaching positions. Students at risk for retention will be the first group that’s identified and then the students that are in the lowest quadrant will be next. The teachers will identify the students that will benefit from attending this summer, we would like to touch as many students as possible, not only those that are on the retention list.

After a short discussion regarding going out to bid Mr. Bame made a motion and Mr. Beavers gave the second to approve a 2.5% increase to Special Ed and Regular Ed transportation, resulting in an increase of $32,321.25.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mr. Bame – Aye

Mr. Green – Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye

Mr. Beavers – Aye

Mrs. Jaynes - Aye

Dr. Doerr – Nay

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Mr. Beavers made a motion and Mrs. Eovaldi gave the second to move into closed session pursuant to Section 2 of the Open Meetings Act, 5 Illinois Compiled Statutes 120/2(C), to review:

1. Discussion of minutes lawfully closed.

2. The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the district including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee to determine its validity.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mr. Beavers – Aye

Mrs. Jaynes – Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

Mr. Bame - Aye

Mr. Green – Aye

Dr. Doerr- Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

The board moved into closed session at 7:13 p.m. The board returned to open session at 7:58 p.m.

Mr. Beavers made a motion and Mrs. Eovaldi gave the second to approve the closed session minutes from the regular meeting dated January 19, 2021.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mr. Green – Aye

Mr. Bame – Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye Mr.

Beavers – Aye

Dr. Doerr - Aye

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

Mrs. Jaynes - Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Mrs. Eovaldi made a motion and Mr. Bame gave the second to keep said closed minutes confidential.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

Dr. Doerr – Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye

Mr. Bame – Aye

Mr. Green - Aye

Mr. Beavers – Aye

Mrs. Jaynes – Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Mr. Green made a motion and Mrs. Eovaldi gave the second to employ Elliot Hernan as the Murphysboro Middle School Principal.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

Dr. Doerr – Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye

Mr. Green – Aye

Mrs. Jaynes - Aye

Mr. Beavers - Aye

Mr. Bame - Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Mrs. Jaynes made a motion and Dr. Doerr gave the second to voluntarily transfer the following: Certified: Josh Williams MHS Sp. Ed to MHS Construction, Catlin Langellier MMS Art to MHS Art and Non-Certified: Fred Beck, McElvain custodian to maintenance.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mrs. Jaynes – Aye

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye

Dr. Doerr – Aye

Mr. Bame- Aye

Mr. Green – Aye

Mr. Beavers – Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Mr. Beavers made a motion and Mrs. Eovaldi gave the second to involuntarily transfer Tamara Bodkin PARA at GJAL to cook at MHS.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mr. Beavers – Aye

Mrs. Jaynes – Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

Mr. Bame - Aye

Mr. Green– Aye

Dr. Doerr – Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Mr. Green made a motion and Mrs. Eovaldi gave the second to employ Sian Person as a MHS volunteer soccer coach and Taylor Cavanaugh as MMS 7th grade girls basketball coach.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Mr. Green – Aye

Mr. Bame - Aye

Mr. Runge - Aye

Mrs. Eovaldi – Aye

Mr. Beavers - Aye

Mrs. Jaynes – Aye

Dr. Doerr– Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Dr. Doerr made a motion and Mr. Green gave the second to post for:

Certified: MMS Art; MHS Sp. Ed; MMS Social Worker; Part-Time Tech; Summer School Teachers. Non-Certified: PARA (4 for summer school); Custodian GJAL/MMS; Custodian McElvain; GJAL Lunch Monitor.

A roll call vote was recorded as follows:

Dr. Doerr – Aye

Mr. Bame – Aye

Mr. Runge – Aye

Mr. Green – Aye

Mr. Beavers - Aye

Mrs. Eolvaldi – Aye

Mrs. Jaynes – Aye

The president declared the motion carried.

Mrs. Eovaldi made a motion and Mrs. Jaynes gave the second to adjourn the meeting at 8:05 p.m.

A voiced vote was recorded as follows: Aye – All; Nay – None; Absent – None

The president declared the motion carried.