Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter



CAT Tracks for December 20, 2007
REGULAR BOE MEETING - MINUTES

The Cairo Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, December 20, 2007, at 6:00 p.m. Below is an annotated agenda to serve as minutes...

Cairo School District No. One
"MAKING A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE!"
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, DECEMBER 20, 2007
6:00 P.M.

AGENDA

I. Call To Order - 6:01 p.m.

II. Roll Call - Burris, Coleman, Mayberry, Stubblefield, Gooden. (Mallory entered at 6:02 p.m.)

III. Examples of Excellence - Superintendent Bill Rogers introduced CJSHS Librarian Paula McKinnis and Library Aide Fred Jones to report on grants received and plans for the library. Reportedly, two grants of $1,800 and $5,000 have been received, with hopes of an even larger grant. The $1,800 grant is for the purchase of equipment that will take the picture of a student with a book and transpose that image onto a poster that will recognize the student's reading accomplishment and hopefully encourage other students to increase their reading. The $5,000 grant (from Lowes) is to be used to paint and remodel the room to the right as you enter the library as an "Abraham Lincoln Reading Room", in preparation of Abe's 200th birthday coming up in 2009. Ms. McKinnis and Mr. Jones also touted a series of paperback books that are particularly popular with the students and VERY inexpensive - $1 per book. They indicated that they had purchased some of the books out of their own pockets and were giving them away to the students and that this had been very well received. (It was emphasized that the books were NOT simply being handed out, but that the students were "earning" the books by reading them and passing a test over the material.) They indicated that as a result of the program, reading scores that had been in the 50-60 range had risen to the 90-100 range. Ms. McKinnis appealed to the BOE for funding ($1,300) to increase the program. After thanking them for their presentation, Superintendent Rogers encouraged Ms. McKinnis and Mr. Jones to put the proposal in writing and submit it for consideration...that the BOE was currently in the process of reviewing its budget and would determine if there were funds available.

IV. Recognition of Guests/Comments From Public And Employees - None.

V. Approval of Previous Minutes - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

  1. Regular Minutes of November 20, 2007
  2. Closed Minutes of November 20, 2007
  3. Special Minutes of November 28, 2007
  4. Closed Minutes of November 28, 2007
VI. Approval of Agendas - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.
  1. Regular Meeting
  2. Closed Meeting

VII. Approval of Treasurer's Report - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

VIII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

IX. Informational

  1. Enrollment Update - Superintendent Rogers referenced a handout that was apparently in the BOE packets. He indicated that the District's enrollment was "holding steady", but was NOT where it needed to be. Mr. Rogers stated further that it was his opinion that enrollment was the District's biggest challenge...that the District MUST stop the decline if it was to remain viable.
  2. Discussion Regarding Interim Supt. - None.
  3. Other
  4. Checks Deposited - District Account

    $191,328.68 - State Aid – 2nd Payment – Oct.
    29,318.54 - Spec. Ed. Extraordinary
    37,134.45 - Regular Transportation
    29,138.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
    1,915.00 - Title VI Rural Education
    1,330.00 - Tech. Enhancing Education
    1,334.00 - Safe & Drug Free Schools
    158.00 - Title V - Innovative
    9,376.00 - TAP Grant Payment
    25,841.22 - Federal Lunch
    14,820.05 - Federal Breakfast
    200,160.00 - Title I Low Income
    1,184.73 - State Lunch
    191,328.68 - State Aid - 1st Payment- Nov.
    19,301.94 - Personal Property Replacement Tax
    50.00 - Rent - First Student Transit

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 6:24 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 8:17 p.m.

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

  1. Approve Tax Levy - 2007 - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.
  2. Approve Settlement Agreement - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.
  3. Personnel employment, resignation, release, discipline, or compensation.
    a. Accept Retirement Letter From Dolores Bossaller - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.
    b. Hire After School Tutors - Bennett School - "As Listed" - A motion was made, seconded, and passed.
  4. Approve Copier Contract Extension - Superintendent Rogers changed the recommendation to one of advertising for bids. A motion was made, seconded, and passed.
  5. Approve High School Graduation Date (May 25,2007) - A motion was made, seconded, and passed, noting that the date was 2008, not 2007.
  6. Approve/Adopt Board Policy Manual Updates - Pursuant to a request by BOE Member Vernon Stubblefield, this item was tabled.
  7. Other - None.
Some "closing comments"...
  • Superintendent Rogers expressed his pleasure at the Christmas program held at CJSHS.
  • Superintendent Rogers congratulated the CHS cheerleaders and wished them well at the next level in February.
  • Superintendent Rogers expressed that he was impressed with what was going on in the CJSHS library.
  • Superintendent Rogers announced a joint retreat to be held on February 16, 2008, at the Giant City Lodge. The participants will be the members of the Financial Oversight Panel (FOP), members of the Cairo Board of Education (BOE), and District administrators.
  • BOE Member Stubblefield indicated that he had accompanied a group of 30 students from Bennett Elementary who had taken a field trip to the Science Center in Carbondale and had been impressed with their knowledge of science, particularly in the area of DNA. The group also visited the African American Museum in the Carbondale mall.

XII. Old Business

XIII. Adjourn - A motion was made, seconded, and passed to adjourn at 8:26 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.

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