September 21, 2023 at 6:00 PM - Budget Hearing Immediately Followed by Regular Board Meeting

Description:  Call to Order. Secretary to the Board will take attendance.

Description:  During the public forum, comments from the public should be limited to only the 2023-2024 (FY24) Budget. 

The Board may address public forum comments and discuss the 2023-2024 (FY24) Budget during that action item during the regular meeting of the board.

Description:  Call to Order. Secretary to the Board will take attendance.

Description: 

Individuals wishing to speak during public comment must complete the Public Comment Form and submit it to the Board Secretary prior to the start of the meeting.

Board Policy 2:230. At each regular and special open meeting, members of the public and District employees may comment to or ask questions of the School Board, subject to reasonable constraints. The individuals appearing before the Board are expected to follow these guidelines:

1. Address the Board only at the appropriate time as indicated on the agenda and when recognized by the Board President.
2. Identify oneself and be brief. Ordinarily, comments shall be limited to 5 minutes. In unusual circumstances, and when an individual has made a request in advance to speak for a longer period of time, the individual may be allowed to speak for more than 5 minutes.
3. Observe the Board President's decision to shorten public comment to conserve time and give the maximum number of individuals an opportunity to speak.
4. Observe the Board President's decision to determine procedural matters regarding public participation not otherwise covered in Board policy.
5. Conduct oneself with respect and civility toward others and otherwise abide by Board Policy, 8:30, Visitors to and Conduct on School Property.

Members of the public may speak during this portion of the meeting. Comments are limited to five minutes. Board members will not respond to public comments or questions during "Public Comments". Should total Public Comments approach or exceed a cumulative time of 30 minutes, the Board may suspend additional Public Comments until immediately prior to the Board and Superintendent Comments portion of the agenda.

Description: 

Board Policy 2:220 The President shall designate a portion of the agenda as a consent agenda for those items that usually do not require extensive discussion before Board action. Upon the request of any Board member, an item will be withdrawn from the consent agenda and placed on the regular agenda for independent consideration. 

There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a Board Member so requests, in which event the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered as the first item after approval of the Consent Agenda.

Description: 

• Regular personnel items.
• Increase hourly rate for cafeteria employees as follows: Elementary Cook  $0.50; Junior High Cook $0.50; Elementary Lead Cook $0.75, Junior High Lead Cook $1.25. This increase is retroactive to the start of the 2023-2024 school year. (New wage rates are reflected in the Board's Non-CBA Compensation Matrix 09-21-2023.)
• Approve revised job description for Director of Finance to include Record's Management Designee.
• Approve salary increase for Director of Finance and Director of Technology.
• Approve job description and salary for Cafeteria Warehouse Manager. (Wage rate is reflected in the Board's Non-CBA Compensation Matrix 09-21-2023.)
• Approve job description for Board Certified Behavior Analysist-Non PEL.

Description:  From PRESS Issue 112. Approve PRESS policy updates to 2:80, 2:170, 4:45, 4:100, 6:10, 6:190, 6:240, 7:275, 7:305, 8:25, 8:95. There are no substantive changes to policies.

From PRESS Issue 111. 4:40, 5:285, 6:210, 8:70. No Changes. Part of five year review.

From PRESS Issue 110. 2:150, 4:55, 5:170. No Changes. Part of five year review.

Description:  Increase the credit card limit for Patricia Valente from $500 to $2,000.
Issue a credit card for the finance department in the name of Christine Johnson with a limit of $10,000.
Remove Tierra Norwood as a signatory from the SBAA-Activity Account.

Description: 

Resolution authorizing the issuance of General Obligation School Bonds (Alternate Revenue Source) of School District Number 137, Champaign County, Illinois, in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $6,000,000 pursuant to the Local Government Debt Reform Act of the State of Illinois, as amended, for the purpose of building and equipping an early childhood learning center.
                                    *                *                *
Whereas, School District Number 137, Champaign County, Illinois (the "District"), is a duly organized and existing school district created under the provisions of the laws of the State of Illinois, and is now operating under the provisions of the School Code of the State of Illinois, as amended; and
Whereas, the Board of Education of the District (the "Board"), has considered the existing school facilities and the improvements and extensions necessary to be made thereto in order that the same will adequately serve the educational needs of the District; and
Whereas, the Board has determined that it is advisable, necessary and in the best interests of the District to pay the costs of building and equipping an early childhood learning center (the "Project"), all in accordance with the preliminary estimate of cost heretofore approved by the Board and now on file in the office of the Secretary of the Board; and
Whereas, the Board has further determined that the Project is a "school facility purpose" within the meaning of the County School Facility Occupation Tax Law of the State of Illinois, as amended (the "Sales Tax Law"); and
Whereas, the Board has further determined the estimated cost of the Project, including legal, financial, bond discount, capitalized interest, printing and publication costs and other expenses, to be not less than $6,000,000, and there are insufficient funds on hand and lawfully available to pay such costs; and
Whereas, the Board has further determined that it is advisable and necessary that the Project be undertaken and, in order to raise the funds required to pay such costs, that the District borrow the sum of $6,000,000 and, in evidence thereof, issue General Obligation School Bonds (Alternate Revenue Source) in an aggregate principal amount of $6,000,000 (the "Bonds"), in accordance with the provisions of Section 15 of the Local Government Debt Reform Act of the State of Illinois, as amended; and
Whereas, the principal of and interest on the Bonds will be payable from (i) collections distributed to the District from those taxes imposed by The County of Champaign, Illinois, pursuant to the Sales Tax Law, and (ii) corporate personal property replacement taxes paid to the District by the State of Illinois and lawfully available for such purpose (together, the "Pledged Revenues"); and
Whereas, if the Pledged Revenues are insufficient to pay the Bonds, ad valorem property taxes upon all taxable property in the District without limitation as to rate or amount are authorized to be extended to pay the principal of and interest on the Bonds:
Now, Therefore, Be It and It Is Hereby Resolved by the Board of Education of School District Number 137, Champaign County, Illinois, as follows:
             Section 1.     Incorporation of Preambles.  The Board hereby finds that all of the recitals contained in the preambles to this Resolution are full, true and correct and does incorporate them into this Resolution by this reference.
             Section 2.     Determination to Issue Bonds.  It is advisable, necessary and in the best interests of the District to undertake the Project and the Bonds are hereby authorized to be issued and sold for that purpose.
             Section 3.     Publication.  This Resolution, together with a notice in the statutory form, shall be published in The News-Gazette, the same being a newspaper of general circulation in the District, and if no petition, signed by 500 electors, the same being equal to the greater of (i) 7.5% of the number of registered voters in the District or (ii) 200 of those registered voters or 15% of those registered voters, whichever is less, asking that the issuance of the Bonds be submitted to referendum, is filed with the Secretary of the Board within thirty (30) days after the date of the publication of this Resolution and said notice, then the Bonds shall be authorized to be issued.
             Section 4.     Additional Resolutions.  If no petition meeting the requirements of applicable law is filed during the petition period hereinabove referred to, then the Board may adopt additional resolutions or proceedings supplementing or amending this Resolution providing for the issuance and sale of the Bonds and prescribing all the details of the Bonds, so long as the maximum amount of the Bonds as set forth in this Resolution is not exceeded and there is no material change in the Project described herein.  Such additional resolutions or proceedings shall in all instances become effective immediately without publication or posting or any further act or requirement.  This Resolution, together with such additional resolutions or proceedings, shall constitute complete authority for the issuance of the Bonds under applicable law.
             Section 5.     Severability.  If any section, paragraph, clause or provision of this Resolution shall be held invalid or unenforceable, the invalidity or unenforceability of such section, paragraph, clause or provision shall not affect any of the other provisions of this Resolution.

             Section 6.     Repealer.  All resolutions or orders, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith be and the same are hereby repealed, and that this Resolution be in full force and effect forthwith upon its adoption.
Adopted September 21, 2023.
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President, Board of Education
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Secretary, Board of Education
 

Description:  The budget document for fiscal year 2024 (2023-2024) is attached for review. Notice of publication and public availability of the tentative budget was completed on August 17. The tentative budget was presented to the Board on August 17.

Description:  09/01/23 SmartProcure. Recurring.
09/15/23 Janine Asmus. Name and email of district librarian.

Description:  The Board is provided a monthly report detailing student in-school suspension, out-of-school suspensions, and placements in CARE. Due to the student record data contained in this report, this report remains confidential.