Carbondale Reporter

Carbondale Elementary School District #95 Board of Education met Sept. 30.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

A regular meeting of the Carbondale Elementary School District No. 95 was held on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at 6:00 PM at The John Major Learning Center, 1150 E. Grand Avenue, Carbondale, IL 62901.

1. Roll Call:

Upon roll call, the following members were present:

Mr. Corey Cawthon, President

Ms. Catherine Field, Vice President

Ms. Imani McHenry, Secretary

Dr. Renada Greer

Mr. Marshall Hunt

Mr. John Major

Administrators present:

Ms. Janice Pavelonis, Superintendent

Ms. Janiece Blake, Chief School Business Official

Ms. Brooke Kensler, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Ms. Michelle Martin, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructions

2. EXECUTIVE SESSION 6:04 PM

Roll Call:

Mr. Corey Cawthon, President

Ms. Catherine Field, Vice President

Ms. Imani McHenry, Secretary

Dr. Renada Greer

Mr. Marshall Hunt

Mr. John Major

Greer moved, seconded by Field to enter Executive Session at 6:01 PM for the purpose of discussing performance, evaluation and compensation of specific personnel matters, matters relating to student discipline, matters relating to collective bargaining, matters relating to pending litigation, and lease of property. No decisions were made, and no votes were taken.

Roll Call Vote:

Yes votes: Field, Cawthon, Greer, McHenry, Major, Hunt

No votes: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

Executive Session adjourned at 7:12 PM.

Voice Vote:

Yes votes: Field, Greer, McHenry, Cawthon, Major, Hunt

No: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

Public Hearing to Adopt FY26 Budget

Hearing started at 7:18pm. Janiece Blake, Chief School Business Official reported the total revenues for the year are projected at just over 41 million dollars. Expenditures come in slightly lower, around 40 million. That means we are maintaining strong reserves and expect to finish the year with balances across all funds of about 22.8 million dollars.

Ms. Blake highlighted the following:

Operating Funds

Revenues

• The largest share is local revenue, which account for about 17 million dollars or 54% of operating revenues.

• The State of Illinois provides about 9.4 million, including nearly 6 million in Evidence-Based Funding for our schools and over 1.3 million in transportation reimbursements. Our state funding is roughly 29% of the revenue budget.

• Federal funds add another 5.3 million, with significant support from Title I programs, nutrition programs, and IDEA special education funding. Those amounts represent 17% of the budget.

Expenditures

• On the spending side, salaries and benefits are our largest category, with 19.4 million earmarked across the operating funds which accounts for 65% of those expenditures.

• Purchased services are the next highest proportion of spending with about 17% of expenditures in the operating funds. Those costs come in at just north of 5 million with 3.5 million going towards transportation costs.

• Supplies and other expenses collectively make up 18% of the budgeted expenditures at $5.4 million.

This Fiscal year 2026 budget reflects careful planning and a continued commitment to supporting diverse student instructional needs, maintaining facilities, and preparing for long-term needs.

Discussion: None

Motion by Greer, seconded by Field to adjourn the hearing at 7:27pm.

Voice Vote

Yes votes: Field, Greer, McHenry, Cawthon, Major, Hunt

No: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

3. Public Comments - None

4. Approval of Agenda

Field moved, seconded by Greer, Recommend approving the Agenda.

Roll Call Vote:

Yes votes: Field, Greer, McHenry, Cawthon, Major, Hunt

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

5. Consent Agenda Items

Greer moved, seconded by Major, Recommend approving Consent Agenda Items, 5.1 Minutes, 5.2-Financial Reports and 5.3-Communications

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Hunt, Greer, Cawthon, McHenry, Major

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

5.1 Minutes

5.11 Regular – August 28, 2025

5.12 Executive – August 28, 2025

5.2 Financial Reports

5.21 Approval of Bills

5.22 Treasurer’s Report

5.23 Revenue Report

5.24 Expenditure Report

5.25 Activity Fund Reports

5.3 Communications

5.31 FOIA – 9/3/25: Janie Jordan from Data Research Partners LLC request access to and a copy of a listing of all Carbondale Elementary School District 95’s employees’ first and last names, e-mail address, title/position, and primary campus/department location.

9/8/25: Allison Hester from The Data Branch request purchase orders issued by any and all departments, schools, divisions, or offices under your school district, including (but not limited to) general administration, curriculum and instruction, facilities and operations, food services, transportation, information technology, and finance/business office issued between March 1, 2025 through the present.

9/10/25: Justin Wenig request a report (such as a check register, expenditure report, or purchase order history) reflecting all transactions from January 1, 2022 to present date, including but not limited to: purchase date, vendor name, description of goods/services purchased, line item quantity, and line item price/amount.

9/10/25: Kimia Hamidi from The Data Branch request for purchasing data on all purchase orders issued between January 1, 2021, and the present. We are seeking all purchase orders issued by any and all departments, divisions, or teams under your city/town/municipality, including (but not limited to) general administration, public works, parks and recreation, public safety, finance, IT, and education (if applicable).

5.32 Donations – None

6. Committee Reports COMMITTEE REPORTS 6.1 6.11 Communication Report

President’s Remarks – Corey Cawthon

No Report

6.2 Committee Reports

6.21 Behavioral Interventions Committee – No Report

6.22 Building and Transportation Committee – No Report

6.23 Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee – No Report

6.24 Policy Committee – John Major

• The Committee met on September 15, 2025 at 5:30pm

• Reviewed Press Policies 119 for recommendation to the board for a 1st reading.

6. Administrative Staff Reports

6.31 Assistant Superintendent of Student Services – Brooke Kensler Overview of Community Schools Work

Both resource centers are currently under construction and are expected to be completed in the coming months. The Parrish site requires a more extensive renovation, while CMS already has some resources available for families.

At CMS, several services are already active. The Shawnee Health Clinic is staffed every Monday and Thursday from 8–12, and the mental health office is also operating out of the resource center. Our coordinators are primarily working from offices there until the Parrish space is complete.

The Birth-to-3 programming has moved to the CMS Family Resource Center, creating a dedicated space for family activities and closer connection to other supports. This alignment has been valuable families seeking help at the resource center often have children under age three who can then be referred to programming that provides diapers, formula, developmentally appropriate toys, and family activities, alongside other needed supports.

We have received the first shipment of food from the STL food pantry. The coordinators partnered with the nutrition department at SIU and they came to help assemble the supplemental meal kits, provide nutritious meal suggestions for ways to use the food and will continue to partner as we expand the food pantry. So far, they have distributed to 50 families.

Another major step forward is the rollout of our referral system. Building administrators and social workers can now make direct referrals online to the coordinators. In just the first few weeks, 20 referrals have been submitted, covering needs such as food insecurity, medical care, housing, parenting support, and vision. Referrals from other sources are also accepted and supported. As the centers grow and construction is completed, we will look to expand referral access further while ensuring we can continue to provide strong follow-up.

One critical need identified during our assessment is the lack of follow through on vision referrals. Last year, 623 students were screened; 124 did not pass and were referred for follow-up. Only 4 of those students completed the process—and all 4 required corrective eyewear—leaving 120 children with unknown vision status. The biggest barrier is access, as only one local provider accepts Medicaid and wait times average six months. To address this, we are finalizing an MOU with Complete Family Eyecare through the Community Schools Collaborative. This partnership will help families schedule appointments quickly and provide glasses when needed.

At the Summer Community Schools meeting, we introduced our literacy initiative, Communities that Read Together, Rise Together. The purpose of this work is to build a collective community focus on literacy and reinforce the idea that everyone has a role in supporting learners. We invited community partners to show their support by signing proclamations or statements, and to date, about 20 organizations—including SIU, CCHS, Carbondale Parks, the Children’s Cabinet, the library, and our PTO—have signed on. Next steps include one-on-one conversations with partners to identify how they can contribute. Examples include adding book access in their spaces, hosting family literacy events, or volunteering at school activities. Overall, this initiative is about creating energy and excitement around literacy across our community.

Finally, the following is a brief update on special education across the district. This year we welcomed a new Tri-County Special Education Administrator who oversees IEP coordination, compliance, and documentation. This added support has been a great benefit to our department. Student mobility continues to be a factor: last year, 95 students with IEPs either entered or left the district (53 in, 42 out). This year, we are already at 80 (50 in, 30 out). Many of the new students have higher levels of need, requiring more intensive support.

Our school teams have been flexible and proactive in adapting to these changing needs. We are also working to expand professional development opportunities for staff. At Parrish, for example, Dr. Kilquist and her team provided PEAK training to special education staff, which was well-received and added another tool for supporting students. I want to recognize the commitment of all staff involved in this work—from secretaries who track down and organize documentation, to the school teams who quickly welcome new students and problem-solve support models. Their ongoing dedication ensures that our students with IEPs are supported and set up for success.

6.32 Chief School Business Official – Janiece Blake

In addition to the FY26 budget, for your approval on tonight’s agenda is the Administrator and Teacher Salary and Benefits Report, Administrator Compensation Report, and IMRF Compensation Report. These reports are statutorily required to be board approved by October 1st and posted on the district’s website. Those items were provided to the board in their packet for review.

The Parrish and CMS resource center construction has gotten underway. If you recall, the board approved a bid from J&L Robinson to complete the necessary renovations to establish resource centers as part of our community school’s work. We have structured the work to the best of our ability to be less inconvenient as possible with super loud work occurring in the mornings before staff and students arrive.

The Lewis modular installation is complete, and staff are in the process of unboxing and getting their space organized. Not only did the initial setup include setting the modular in place, it also included plumbing hookups and electrical connections to tie the modular into the building fire alarm system.

Thomas playground equipment is mostly installed. We have run into a few issues with installing equipment. There is one pole that was missing from the top of the swing set and the seats for the swings arrived damaged. Those items have been requested to be replaced by the manufacturer. The other issue is that 2 basketball goals and the shade structure were installed in the wrong location. For whatever reason, the installation deviated from the specified plan, and it wasn’t identified until they were fully set in concrete. I had a meeting last Friday with the team, and they are coming back to relocate those items to the correct areas. The turf underlayment installation began today, and once that is complete the final turf surface will be installed. I just want to acknowledge the Thomas crew for being understanding during all of this work, and although I know everyone is eager to see the playground complete, I am continuing to press for this work to be done correctly.

I will be meeting with Dr. Kilquist to develop a school level team to work through the Parrish playground renovation. We are also still progressing toward off-street parking at Parrish. The architect and engineer are still developing final plans and running those plans through city officials to make sure they are up to code. Replacing the Thomas modular is also still part of our facilities plan, and now that we have an idea on manufacturing timelines, we can continue to press forward with that work as well. All of the current work was designed to prioritize the highest needs first, then continue to work through projects as we proceed through the school year.

6.33 Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instructions - Michelle Martin

Enrollment:

You have the August enrollment report in your packet. You will receive this report at each board meeting for the previous month. One page shows classroom, grade level, and building totals. The other shows an enrollment comparison for the past 5 years. These enrollment numbers were pulled after Labor Day once new enrollments and student drops were processed.

Student Progress:

Midterm was September 12th and an email was sent to 2-8 grade families reminding them to check progress in Infinite Campus. Progress reports for Kindergarten and 1st grade were sent home. 1st Quarter ends on October

10th with report cards scheduled to go home on October 17th. Fall p/t conferences will be held on

Parrish & Lewis - October 20 & 28

Thomas & CMS - October 21 & 27

Star Benchmark Data:

I have a new format for Star Data to share with you tonight. Mr. Clark Stokes worked on organizing the data so it could be used to plan for improvement by building principals. It is also used by district administrators for strategic planning goals. I explained how the data was organized for both reading and math. We have students' scores from the end of last year and have added the scores from the fall benchmark. Scores will be added when each benchmark is completed. This document also shows the breakdown of scores for each grade level, the average for each school and an overall district average. This data is used to set goals for each school’s school improvement plans.

6.34 Superintendent – Janice Pavelonis

• AfterCats Enrollment – Reviewed the enrollment numbers of each building. Totaling 207 students in the after school program.

• Suspension Report – Reviewed the suspension data for the district that was included in the board packet and asked for feedback from the board members regarding the format.

• PTO – Fall Festival will be held at CMS on October 9th from 5:30- 8:00pm.

6.4 Faculty Council Report – Jennifer Burke, President

Michelle and I did NOT meet briefly this month to review any concerns. I was out-of-town for my son’s wedding and had forgotten that I would not be back in time for the date on which we were originally scheduled to meet. Michelle was very gracious about the date confusion. The only comment I have about curriculum is that I believe all of the additional curricula that needed to be ordered have arrived and been delivered to the appropriate staff.

On a different note, I know that the transition from one insurance company has not been quite as smooth as any of us would like. We appreciate that we have people who continue to work to resolve the issues that are happening not just to people in our district but also probably to people in other districts in the consortium as well.

A big concern that many staff have is the challenging behaviors that we are continuing to see increase. This is happening at all grade levels. As stated in a 2023 online article by Kara Arundel on K-12 Drive, “Schools are experiencing increasingly disruptive behaviors despite having various evidence-based practices to prevent and mitigate unruly student behaviors.” “For example, in 2018, 11% of educators observed verbal abuse against teachers. In 2022, the rated doubled to 22% according to EAB data.”

The article has some interesting ideas presented by Ben Court who is a senior director of K-12 research at EAB. He gave a presentation that was cohosted by the AASA which is the American Association of School Administrators, and The School Superintendents Associated.

One of the suggestions is to include all district and school administrators as well as all staff need to be on the same page for the district behavior management plan. Having administrators and teachers work together to create that plan so that there is a common understanding as well as common practices means that there will be more buy-in for those practices. This is something our district worked on several years ago when we switched from PBIS phrases to using PAWS: Positive Attitude,

Accountability, Work Hard, Self-Control.

Another suggestion is to preserve and protect SEL time instead of prioritizing academics. And another suggestion is to increase training for SEL which would include the de-escalation training that our teachers will be receiving on October 10th. That additional training is especially helpful for new-to-our district teacher. Retention is so important for students, staff, and district health. When teachers constantly feel overwhelmed by the many behavior disruptions in class, it can be a challenge to want to stay. And still another suggestion is to maximize the reach of support staff which, for this article, is not just the paraprofessionals but also “alliances with colleges or local, state and national organizations which can start small and grow.”

And continuing to analyze the data, as we are, is essential.

As stated by Daniel Buck in the article “How administrators can support classroom discipline,” it is important that there is communication between admin and staff about what happened when a student is sent to leadership for discipline support. It is also important that leadership will support consequences for challenging behaviors even it is only a call to parents about what is happening at school. It is equally important that teachers are trained and supported in administering consequences.

I quoted Charles Achilles at the previous meeting talking about the benefits of smaller class sizes. Some of those benefits include improved behavior and increased participation in school. I believe, as we are seeing that the number of students increase every year and even throughout the year, we need to look at changing class size sooner rather than later as one of the tools in our toolbox to support our students, families, staff, and administrators.

Our students are amazing. It is a huge challenge for them to be amazing as they move through our district, move on to CCHS, and out into our world when there are a number of students in the classroom who are disrupting their learning.

I’d like to add a thank you for caring about all of us: the students, staff, and administration. It takes a village to be able to lift all of us up to the next level.

This concludes my report and I am happy to answer any questions that you have.

4 ways administrators can mitigate disruptive student behaviors retrieved on 9/30/25 from: https://www.k12dive.com/news/4-ways-to-lessen-disruptive behaviors/693218/

How administrators can support classroom discipline retrieved on 9/30/25 from: https://fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/how-administrators can-support-classroom-discipline

Retrieved on 8/28/25/ from:

https://www.aasa.org/resources/resource/small-classes-big-possibilities

7. Old Business OLD BUSINESS 7.1 Action to Adopt Budget for the Fiscal Year 2026

Major moved, seconded by Greer, Recommend adopting the budget as presented with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026 that contains an estimate of the amounts in both revenue and expenditures for each fund.

Roll Call and Signature Vote (2 copies)

Yes votes: Field, Hunt, Greer, Cawthon, McHenry, Major

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8. New Business

8.1 First Reading of Press Policies 119: Review and Monitoring

1:10 School District Legal Status

1:20 District Organization, Operations, and Cooperative Agreements

1:30 School District Philosophy

2:10 School District Governance

2:240 Board Policy Development

3:30 Chain of Command

4:50 Payment Procedures

4:90 Student Activity and Fiduciary Funds

4:180 Pandemic Preparedness; Management and Recovery

5.270 Employment At-Will, Compensation, and Assignment

7:40 Nonpublic School Student, Including Parochial and Home-Schooled Students

7:90 Release During School Hours

7:130 Student Rights and Responsibilities

7:325 Student Fundraising Activities

8:110 Public Suggestions and Concerns

No Action Taken

8.2 First Reading of Press Policies 119: Draft Updates

2:80 Board Member Oath and Conduct (Answer a Question)

2:130 Board-Superintendent Relationship

7:140 Search and Seizure

7:300 Extracurricular Athletics

8:80 Gifts to the District

No Action Taken

8.3 Action on Classified Personnel

8.31 Action on Resignations

Greer moved, seconded by Field, Recommend approving the resignation of Jasmine Slater, Instructional Aide at Parrish School effective September 21, 2025 and LaShonda McCoy, Instructional Aide at Parrish School effective September 29, 2025.

Voice Vote

Yes votes: Field, Greer, Hunt, Major, McHenry, Cawthon

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.32 Employment of Paraprofessionals

Field moved, seconded by Greer, Recommend approving the employment of the following paraprofessionals for the 2025-2026 school year, pending a clear CBI.

Brandy Reinschmidt – Instructional Aide at Carbondale Middle School retroactive effective September 22, 2025.

Laura Calel Herrera – EOC Aide at Parrish School retroactive effective September 24, 2025.

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Greer, Hunt, Major, McHenry, Cawthon

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.33 Employment of Cook’s Helper

Greer moved, seconded by Field, Recommend the employment of Breanna Morgan as a Cook’s Helper at Carbondale Middle School retroactive effective September 29, 2025.

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Greer, Hunt, Major, McHenry, Cawthon

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.34 Employment of After School Paraprofessionals

Field moved, seconded by Major, Recommend approving the employment of the following paraprofessionals/classified staff to work the after school program for the 2025-2026 school year.

Parrish School

Nicole Cowan – retroactive effective September 2, 2025

Thomas School

Jeannie Ravenscraft – retroactive effective September 16, 2025

Tagwa Almnan – retroactive effective September 22, 2025

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Greer, Hunt, Major, McHenry, Cawthon

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.35 Employment of Part-Time Technology Paraprofessionals

Greer moved, seconded by Field, Recommend approving the employment of the following part-time Technology

Paraprofessionals effective the 2025-2026 school year.

Nolan Deaton – Thomas School

Reese Conkle – Thomas School

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Greer, Hunt, Major, McHenry, Cawthon

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.36 Employment of Classified Substitute

Field moved, seconded by Greer, Recommend approving the employment of the following to be added to the classified substitute list and used on an as needed bases effective the 2025-2026 school year, pending a clear CBI.

Sheryl Dietz -Secretary, Student Supervisory Aide, and EOC Aide Jewel Green - Custodian

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Greer, Hunt, Major, McHenry, Cawthon

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.4 Action on Certified Personnel

8.41 Action on Resignations - None

8.42 Employment of CES95 Faculty - None

8.43 Employment of Special Assignments

Greer moved, seconded by Field, Recommend approving the following special assignments for the 2025-2026 school year.

Carbondale Middle School

Caleb Cobb – Head Boys Track Coach

Tony Walls – Assistant Girls Basketball Coach

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Hunt, Greer, Major, McHenry, Cawthon

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.44 Employment of After School Tutors

Major moved, seconded by Field, Recommend approving the employment of the following certified staff to work as tutors in the after school program for the 2025-2026 school year.

Parrish School

Juanita Drue - retroactive effective August 25, 2025

Thomas School

Emily Lake - retroactive effective September 15, 2025

Lewis School

Mariam Atme – retroactive effective September 15, 2025

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Major, Greer, Cawthon, Hunt, McHenry

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.5 Action on Administrator and Teacher Salary and Benefit Report

Greer moved, seconded by Field, Recommend approving the Administrator and Teacher Salary and Benefit Report as presented.

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Hunt, Major, Greer, Cawthon, McHenry

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.6 Action on Administrative Compensation Report

Field moved, seconded by Greer, Recommend approving the current Administrative Compensation Report as presented.

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Major, Greer, Hunt, Cawthon, McHenry No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.7 Action on IMRF Compensation Report

Greer moved, seconded by Field, Recommend approving the IMRF Compensation Report as presented.

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Major, Greer, Hunt, Cawthon, McHenry

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.8 Action on Vision Evaluation Service Agreement

Field moved, seconded by Greer, Recommend approving the agreement between Carbondale Elementary School District No. 95 and Complete Family Eyecare of Carbondale identify and provide a vision evaluation for district students in need of additional eyecare services effective September 30, 2025 through June 30, 2026.

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Major, Greer, Hunt, Cawthon, McHenry

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

8.9 Action on Agreement between the Regional Office of Education Program SOAR and Carbondale Elementary School District 95

Field moved, seconded by Greer, Recommend approving the agreement between the Regional Office of Education Program SOAR and Carbondale Elementary School District 95 to provide daily breakfast and lunch meals to the SOAR Program for the 2025-2026 school year with full price reimbursement of meals from the Regional Office of Education 30.

Roll Call Vote

Yes votes: Field, Major, Greer, Hunt, Cawthon, McHenry

No votes: None

Abstain: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

9. Next Scheduled Meetings:

9.1 Thursday, October 23, 2025

Foundation Board Meeting

The John Major Learning Center

CES95 Administrative Center

1150 E. Grand Avenue, Suite 2

Carbondale, IL 62901

5:30 PM

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Regular Board Meeting (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)

The John Major Learning Center

CES95 Administrative Center

1150 E. Grand Avenue, Suite 2

Carbondale, IL 62901

6:00 PM

6:05 PM Motion and Roll Call Vote to go into Executive Session (CLOSED) for the purpose of discussing matters relating to the performance, evaluation and compensation of specific personnel, matters relating to student discipline, matters relating to collective bargaining, and matters relating to pending litigation.

7:00 PM Reconvene Regular Board Meeting Public Session (OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)

10. Public Comments - None

1. Adjournment

Greer moved, seconded by McHenry, Recommend Adjournment at 8:45 PM.

Voice Vote:

Yes votes: Cawthon, Field, Greer, McHenry, Hunt, Major

No votes: None

Absent: Oliver

Motion carried.

https://www.ces95.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=3839819&type=d&pREC_ID=2474377