CAT Tracks for September 19, 2006

CAT Tracks for September 21, 2006

REGULAR BOE MEETING

The Cairo Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, September 21, 2006. Below is an annotated agenda to serve as minutes...

Cairo School District No. One
"MAKING A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE!"
Cairo Community Educational Center, Board Room
2403 Walnut Street
Cairo, Illinois 62914
Telephone 1-618-734-4102
Fax 1-618-734-4047
CAIRO BOARD OF EDUCATION
CAIRO SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER ONE
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2006
6:00 P.M.
AGENDA

I. Call To Order - 6:01 p.m.
II. Roll Call - Griggs, Brown, Posey, Mallory, Huff, and Gooden were present.
III. Recognition of Guests/Comments From Public And Employees - Visitors galore! Actually, most of the visitors were members of the Cairo High School Senior Class, representatives of which asked that the BOE approve a trip to California. President Griggs thanked them for coming to the meeting and directed them to have their sponsor(s) approach Mr. Maltbia and Mr. Whitledge with details. Then...if finalized...the matter would appropriately be brought to the BOE for its action. Another gentleman made a request to use the Junior High Gym for activities for the foundation he represented. President Griggs, again, thanked the gentleman for coming, but informed him that rental of the Junior High Gym was in the hands of the Regional Office of Education...and that he should contact their representative on the second floor of CCEC during business hours.
**************************************************
President Griggs asked for a motion to conduct a public hearing for the 2006-2007 budget. Motion made, seconded, and approved.
Superintendent Whitledge distributed copies of the proposed budget to members of the BOE and the audience. He then led the audience through a review of the budget. The biggest bad news was the continuing decline in student enrollment...57 students, which is 8% of last year's enrollment. (The loss in 2002-03 was 71 students; 03-04 was 23 students; 04-05 was 66 students; 05-06 was 30 students.) This loss more than offset this year's increase of $250 per student of state aid. Additional bad news was that Cairo and Alexander County are scheduled to undergo a reassessment of property values this year. Word is that Cairo property is greatly over-assessed, will fall with the new assessment, and greatly impact local tax revenues for CSD #1. The good news (as you can see in the "attached" budget summary below) is that the proposed 2006-2007 budget calls for a "surplus" of approximately $133,000 (tempered by the fact that we still owe the State of Illinois $616,000 for bailing us out several years ago.) Another half hour was spent discussing Cairo's "general problems" - e.g. no jobs, no business/industry, high utilities, bad reputation, etc. Superintendent Whitledge and President Griggs indicated a two-fold need...to acquire hard data on Cairo's problems, especially the reason that families are moving out of Cairo...and to avoid "laying blame". The only way that Cairo's problems could possibly be solved is by everyone coming together...working together to find solutions.
The budget hearing ended at 6:51 p.m.
**************************************************
After returning to the regular meeting, a motion was made, seconded, and approved to adopt the proposed budget for the 2006-2007 School Year.
**************************************************
Next up...President Griggs asked for a motion to conduct a debarrment hearing. Motion made, seconded, and approved.
(Out of respect for the individuals involved, no names will be used in this report. Most of you already know...and the rest of you can easily find out.)
President Griggs began the hearing by reading a copy of a letter to the "accused", notifying him of the date and time of the hearing and his right to appear. The "accused" acknowledged receipt of the letter. Superintendent Whitledge then read a detailed account of the incident...which involved alleged harassment, threats, intimidation, and vulgar language. The "accused" was then allowed the opportunity for rebuttal...during which he denied the general description of how the alleged events transpired. The "accused" did admit threatening physical action, but justified his words as prompted by the defense of wrongs involving his daughter. One of the BOE members asked that the school official who was allegedly threatened by the "accused" stand and give his version of events...which he did. The BOE member then asked that a written report by a specific witness to the incident be read by the Superintendent...which he proceeded to do. The Superintendent also read two other written reports...and indicated that there were three others. The BOE member indicated that he had a concern over the conflicting stories told by the witnesses. Just prior to the conclusion of the hearing, the father of the "accused" indicated his displeasure with the proposed action against his son...indicating that if the BOE voted to bar his son from school property for a year, that his next step was to contact his lawyer.
The debarrment hearing ended at 7:17 p.m.
**************************************************
IV. Approval of Previous Minutes

Regular Minutes of August 17, 2006 - Motion made, seconded, and approved.
Closed Minutes of August 17, 2006 - Tabled...not available for review.
V. Approval of Agendas - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

Regular Meeting
Closed Meeting

VI. Approval of Treasurer's Report - Motion made, seconded, and approved.
VII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - Motion made, seconded, and approved.
VIII. Informational

JAMP Meeting Update - New JAMP governance board (consisting of one BOE member from each participating district) held its first meeting. (Mr. Brown is the Cairo BOE member.)
Student Enrollment - Superintendent Whitledge distributed a handout of enrollment information based upon the annual Fall Housing Report. The report shows District total enrollment of 924 for the 2001-2002 School Year, with subsequent years of 853, 830, 764, 734, with 670 enrolled as of August 31, 2006.
Open Houses at Emerson & Bennett - Held this past Tuesday. According to the Superintendent...great.
Superintendent Whitledge announced that there would be a public meeting at CJSHS this coming Monday at 5 p.m. sponsored by AFA with a theme of working together for student success. A meal will be served.
Even though Bennett Elementary met AYP this year, they do not escape the "bad list". THAT takes two years in a row! So...a team of on-site experts will proceed with the development of a restructuring plan. (This is the "nuclear option" where they can remove the BOE, the Superintendent, the teachers, whoever. They can turn the school into a charter school. They can restructure the buildings and/or the curriculum. In short, they can do any nasty thing they want to do under the auspices of NCLB.) The good news is that there are a couple of familiar faces on this team. One of those is IEA Region 2 UniServ Director Jim Tammen; AND, it was announced this evening, another member of the team will be former Cairo teacher and CHS Principal Elmer McPherson! This bodes well for a thorough, informed discussion of Cairo's plight and its "extenuating circumstances". The first meeting of the team will be October 12th, with a tentative completion date of February 2007.
Superintendent Whitledge also took this occasion to tout the current mentoring program for nontenured CSD #1 certified staff, a joint venture by the Illinois Education Association and CSD #1 officials. A couple of ruffled CATs in the audience indicated that they agreed that this was an excellent idea/program, BUT that it was NOT the first such effort in Cairo School District Number One. Indeed, during the last century...okay the 1990s...De De O'Shea had the pleasure of mentoring Angela Nelson Coleman...and we would all testify to the success of that SIU sponsored program. A tip of the CAT's hat to both ventures!

Checks Deposited - District Account
$191,328.68 - State Aid - July - 1st Payment
2,960.00 - Title VI Rural Education
270.00 - Summer Bridges
191,328.68 - State Aid - July - 2nd Payment
213.70 - State Lunch
61,154.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
583,865.98 - Real Estate Taxes
606.86 - TAMES
50.00 - Rent - Laidlaw
191,328.68 - State Aid - Aug. - 1st Payment
69,238.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
1,550.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
7,199.00 - Title VI-Rural Education
40,996.00 - Summer Bridges
8,823.19 - Spec. Ed. Orphanage
98.92 - School Breakfast Incentive
4,260.00 - Tech. Enhancing Education
18,146.00 - Title I Comp School RE
16,472.00 - Title I Comp School RE
26,716.00 - Title II Teacher Quality
2,770.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant

IX. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

Conduct a Public Hearing for the 2006-2007 Budget - Done earlier.
Adopt the Proposed Budget for the 2006-2007 School Year - Done earlier.
Conduct a Debarrment Hearing - Done earlier.
Action on Debarrment Recommendation - Tabled until after closed session.
Amendment to Student Handbook - Motion made, seconded, and approved.
Submit the Annual Application for Recognition - Motion made, seconded, and approved to authorize the Superintendent to accomplish same.
Job Description for Finance and Accounting Supervisor - No action.
Personnel - Tabled until after closed session.

Extension of time for Health, Life, Safety of Buildings
a. Emerson
b. Bennett
c. Cairo Jr. High

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 7:25 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 8:25 p.m.

Superintendent Whitledge made the following recommendations:

That the "accused" in the debarrment hearing be barred from school property for a period of one calendar year...until September 21, 2007. Motion made, seconded, and approved.
That Tomeka Cornelius be granted a leave of absence for 12 weeks. Motion made, seconded, and approved.
That Tracy Bohde be employed as maintenance supervisor for the 2006-07 School Year. Motion made, seconded, and approved.
That Zack Shumacker be employed as Friday Detention monitor at a rate of $75 per day. Motion made, seconded, and approved.
That Tommy Ellis be employed as Junior High Head Boys' Basketball coach. Motion made, seconded, and approved.
That Mike Brown be employed as Junior High Assistant Boys' Basketball coach. Motion made, seconded, and approved.

XI. Old Business
XII. School Board Assn.

Superintendent Whitledge announced that the BOE members had been enrolled for an October 2nd IASB legislative workshop in Marion.
Superintendent Whitledge announced that there would be meeting of BOE members on October 4th at the CCEC at 6 p.m. with a representative of the IASB...for goal setting.
Superintendent Whitledge announced that all BOE members had been signed up to attend the annual School Board Convention in Chicago on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving.

XIII. Adjourn - A motion was made, seconded, and approved to adjourn at 8:25 p.m.
CLOSED SESSION IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, PERFORMANCE OR DISMISSAL OF INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES WHICH MAY BE OF A TEMPORARY CONFIDENTIAL NATURE, STUDENT DISCIPLINE, PLACEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, DISCUSSION OF LITIGATION PROBABLE, IMMINENT, FILED OR PENDING AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OR RELATED ISSUES.