June 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting
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I. Call to Order
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II. Pledge of Allegiance
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III. Roll Call
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IV. Consent Agenda **
Description:
Minutes of regular meeting held May 15, 2025
Minutes of closed meeting held May 15, 2025 June Bills Payable May Treasurer's Report Destruction of closed meeting audio recording from December 21, 2023 |
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V. Superintendent’s Report – Recognition and Informational Items
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V.A. Educator of the Year Award
Description:
Paige Gruber will be in attendance to be recognized for her receipt of the 2024-25 Educator of the Year Award.
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V.B. Co-Curricular Update – 2nd Semester
Description:
Dr. Nate Miller, Assistant Principal, will be in attendance to present second semester co-curricular participation and accomplishments.
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V.C. Principal's Report
Description:
Dr. Schmidt will give his monthly Principal's Report.
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V.D. Student Representative’s Report
Description:
Casey McCleery will provide her monthly report.
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VI. Transitional Superintendent's Report - Recognition and Informational Items
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VI.A. ACT Testing Site
Description:
On the March 8 statewide ACT test administration, some students experienced irregularities during testing. As a result, ACT offered vouchers for students to retake the assessment. However, with limited test administration dates, the vouchers were difficult to utilize. Dr. Noisey applied and was approved for Grant to be an Unlisted National Testing Site for two additional days: June 14 and July 12. Currently, 39 students have registered, and Dr. Noisey has secured workers for the testing administration. ACT is paying the cost for workers; so, there will be no direct cost to the district.
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VI.B. School Safety: Reunification Training
Description:
Grant Community High School participated in reunification training on June 4, 2025. The training was coordinated through Brian Mullen, Director of Safety and Security, and hosted by Big Hollow. Grant sent 30 participants to the training that included multiple other school districts, first responders, and law enforcement agencies.
Reunification training is designed to prepare individuals and organizations for the process of safely and efficiently reuniting students with their families after a crisis or emergency. The training was a walk-through format, where participants were assigned roles to practice a reunification. Our safety plan has recently been updated to use the same terminology and strategies provided by the I Love You Guys Foundation. This is important because most of our feeder schools, and a large number of other schools in Illinois, have adopted this nationally recognized process. As a result, it is very likely we will be able to rely on staff from other school districts to assist us in future reunifications if we need them. Likewise, we will be trained and can assist other school districts. Complete details of the District’s updated safety plan will be shared with stakeholders at the annual safety meeting scheduled for late July 2025. |
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VII. Public Comment
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VIII. Superintendent’s Report – Action Items
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VIII.A. School Board Policy Modifications – Second Reading **
Description:
I am recommending changes to the following School Board Policies based on direction from the Illinois Association of School Boards and legal counsel:
Section 200 Board of Education 2:260 Uniform Grievance Procedure 2:265 Title IX Grievance Procedure Section 400 Operational Services 4:15 Identity Protection 4:80 Accounting and Audits Section 500 Personnel 5:10 Equal Employment Opportunity and Minority Recruitment 5:20 Workplace Harassment Prohibited 5:100 Staff Development Program Section 600 Instruction 6:150 Home and Hospital Instruction Section 700 Students 7:10 Equal Educational Opportunities 7:20 Harassment of Students Prohibited 7:70 Attendance and Truancy 7:180 Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment 7:185 Teen Dating Violence Prohibited 7:190 Student Behavior 7:200 Suspension Procedures 7:210 Expulsion Procedures 7:250 Student Support Services 7:255 Students Who are Parents, Expectant Parents, or Victims of Domestic or Sexual Violence 7:270 Administering Medicine to Students 7:315 Restrictions on Publications; High Schools The PRESS Update Memo is included to provide supporting information for all proposed changes. Recommend approval of the policies as presented. |
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VIII.B. Personnel **
Description:
2024/25 Personnel Recommend accepting the resignation letters from the following individual(s):
Recommend the employment of the following individual(s):
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IX. Transitional Superintendent's Report - Action Items
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IX.A. Consolidated District Plan **
Description:
As a district that receives federal funds, we are required to have the Board of Education approve our annual Consolidated District Plan. The plan provided permits districts to answer one set of planning questions to meet the requirements of all 12 of the federal grants that may be available. Recommend approval of the Consolidated District Plan as presented.
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IX.B. November Board of Education Meeting Date Change **
Description:
The November 20, 2025 meeting date conflicts with the pre-conference sessions for the IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Conference. To allow for Board members and administrators to take advantage of attending those early professional development sessions, if they choose, the administration is recommending we change the November meeting to November 13, 2025.
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X. Business Affairs
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X.A. 2024/2025 Final Amended Budget **
Description:
The 2024/2025 budget has been amended as presented in April. Per statute, the amended 2024/2025 budget has been on display for 30 days, and the hearing was held tonight. Recommend approval of the amended 2024/2025 budget as presented.
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X.B. Resolution Authorizing Accounting Transfer(s) to Capital Projects Fund **
Description:
As part of the 2024/2025 budget, a transfer from the Operations and Maintenance Fund to pay for one-time facility renovation and upgrade expenses is needed. This resolution explains the $1,310,885 accounting transfer from O&M to Capital Projects. These funds will be used to pay for the final bills for the construction of the weight room addition, as well as the beginning bills for the tennis court project. Recommend approval of Resolution for Fund Transfer from Operations and Maintenance to Capital Projects.
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X.C.
2025/2026 Budget
Description:
We’re continuing to update the 2025-2026 budget as it is on display. We are updating with the new hires as staffing is completed. Additionally, as insurance rates are finalized for medical as well as property/casualty and liability we have updated. We continue to watch the pricing of services, especially food for the cafeteria and we’re beginning to see additional charges on orders for next year related to tariff fees. All these things will go into the budget for the final presentation in July.
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X.D. National School Lunch Program – 2025/2026 School Lunch Price **
Description:
As part of the Healthy Hunger Free Act of 2010, Section 205, the district each year must analyze the price charged for the school lunches using a paid lunch equity calculator provided by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The purpose is to comply with the law which requires that schools charge students for paid meals at a price that is on average equal to the difference between free meal reimbursement and paid meal reimbursement. The paid lunch equity calculator determines the amount that the lunch price must be increased based on our lunch prices and number paid lunches served in October of 2024.
This year the U.S. Department of Agriculture is delayed in releasing the School Year 2025-26 Paid Lunch Equity Tool, so Illinois State Board of Education has recommended that we look at 2024-2025 PLE as a benchmark. We were still under the $3.85 recommended Target Rate from last year so I am recommending we raise the lunch price from $3.60 to $3.75, in order to comply with the paid lunch equity component of the National School Lunch Program, and the school breakfast price stay the same at $1.50 for all student breakfast meals. |
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X.E. Medical Rates for the 2025-2026 School Year **
Description:
The Lakes Region Benefit Cooperative has undergone some changes this year. We have a new benefits consultant, USI Insurance Services who is working to consolidate the plans across the cooperative. For this year, Grant is only consolidating with other districts on the HMO plans, but we expect that next year there will be a request to consolidate all the plans, including dental and vision. We are recommending a slight rate increase, 2.6%, this year on all our PPO plans and our High Deductible plan. Last year, we introduced the Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO Illinois. We are recommending a renewal on that plan at an average of 6.21%. We don’t have control over that one as it is a fully insured plan provided by BCBS. We would also like to offer the Blue Cross Blue Shield Blue Access HMO as another option for staff. Recently, Advocate providers left the HMO Illinois network, but are still part of the Blue Access HMO. By offering the additional HMO, we are able to continue to provide a cost effective insurance option with multiple networks available.
I am recommending the monthly rates for 2025-2026 as shown below: Plan B Current 24/25 Proposed 25/26 Employee $ 785.66 $ 806.09 Emplo $2,029.10 $2,081.86 Employee+Spouse $2,193.26 $2,250.28 Family $2,570.24 $2,637.07 Plan C Current 24/25 Proposed 25/26 Employee $ 701.02 $ 719.25 Employee+Child $1,826.87 $1,874.37 Employee+Spouse $1,973.38 $2,024.69 Family $2,118.42 $2,173.50 High Deductible Plan Current 24/25 Proposed 25/26 Employee $ 425.60 $ 436.67 Employee+Child $1,102.17 $1,130.83 Employee+Spouse $1,190.21 $1,221.16 Family $1,277.38 $1,310.59 HMO Illinois Current 24/25 Proposed 25/26 Employee $ 791.27 $ 828.54 Employee+Child $1,564.69 $1,606.71 Employee+Spouse $1,494.13 $1,674.27 Family $2,323.15 $2,485.86 Blue Access HMO Current 24/25 Proposed 25/26 Employee $ 768.14 Employee+Child $1,518.95 Employee+Spouse $1,450.45 Family $2,255.24 |
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XI. Other Business
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XI.A. FOIA
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XII. Closed Session
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XII.A. The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) **
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XII.B. Other matters relating to individual students 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(10) **
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XII.C. Student disciplinary cases 5 ILCS 120/2 (c)(9) **
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XIII. Action items from closed session discussion
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XIII.A. Potential Board action regarding personnel and compensation **
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XIII.B. Potential action regarding matters relating to individual students **
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XIII.C. Potential action regarding placement of students **
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XIV. Adjourn
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