July 25, 2024 at 6:00 PM - Regular Board Meeting

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

Description: 

The next agenda item for the Board of Education is the Hearing concerning modification of the school code requirements concerning Physical Education. All persons desiring to be heard will have an opportunity to present written or oral testimony with respect to the modification of the school code.

The intent of 105 ILCS 5/37-6 is to ensure that students in school have courses in physical education a minimum of three days per five-day week. In grades 6-8, students will continue to receive the minimum required PE instruction. For students in grade K-5, we are seeking the waiver in order to guarantee that all schools and all grades are in compliance with the mandate. We have embedded opportunities for physical activity throughout the school week as we are in the process of implementing an Action Based Learning (ABL) program in each elementary school. Granting this modification of the school code waiver will enable the district to continue to offer physical education instruction along with implementation of ABL. Additionally, two of our four elementary schools do have space limitations related to access to the gymnasium due to high enrollment. It is not more efficient or economical for our schools to add additional gym space and staffing, as well as potentially reduce instructional time in math and reading, to meet this mandate.

At this time, the Board President or designee will open the discussion. The purpose of the Hearing is to inform the public that the Board of Education intends to take action concerning modification of the school code requirements concerning Physical Education.

Are there any comments from the members of the Board of Education?
Allow for any discussion.

We will now move on to written testimony. Is there any written testimony regarding the waiver?

If there is written testimony, the Board Secretary or designee will read it out loud to enter it into the record. 

We will move on to oral testimony or any public comments concerning the waiver. Is there anyone present who wishes to provide oral testimony or public comment?

Public comment should only be related to the waiver. There will be a second public comment period during this meeting for other topics.

At this time, all persons desiring to be heard have been given an opportunity to present oral and written testimony with respect to the waiver. Is there a motion to adjourn the hearing?

Description:  The intent of 105 ILCS 5/37-6 is to ensure that students in school have courses in physical education a minimum of three days per five-day week. In grades 6-8, students will continue to receive the minimum required PE instruction. For students in grade K-5, we are seeking the waiver in order to guarantee that all schools and all grades are in compliance with the mandate. We have embedded opportunities for physical activity throughout the school week as we are in the process of implementing an Action Based Learning (ABL) program in each elementary school. Granting this modification of the school code waiver will enable the district to continue to offer physical education instruction along with implementation of ABL. Additionally, two of our four elementary schools do have space limitations related to access to the gymnasium due to high enrollment. It is not more efficient or economical for our schools to add additional gym space and staffing, as well as potentially reduce instructional time in math and reading, to meet this mandate.

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.

Description:  Each year, the Board is asked to approve updates to the employee handbook. This handbook is updated annually by administration in order to comply with changes in state and federal law as well as to address issues that may have arisen in the previous school year.

Description:  Each year, the Board is asked to approve updates to the family-student handbook. This handbook is updated annually by administration in order to comply with changes in state and federal law as well as to address issues that may have arisen in the previous school year.

Description:  Annually, the RCSEA and Administration meet to review evaluation procedures, tools, and practices. Attached is the 2024-2025 Professional evaluation plan.

Description:  Verbatim records, which constitute the audio recordings of closed sessions, are subject to destruction once those recordings are 18 months old. The minutes of these meetings remain on file.

Description:  A log of closed session meetings and topics is attached. The Board is approving that these closed session minutes, which have been approved previously, are maintained as confidential.

Description:  Add Michelle Frey, District Bilingual Coordinator with a $5,000 limit. Add Jaime Roundtree, Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Remove Patricia Valente. Increase the limit for Christine Johnson to $30,000.

Description: 

Approve policy and exhibit updates, rewrites, and reviews as indicated below. First reading on June 20, 2024.

Updates: 4:70 Resource Conservation; 4:80 Accounting and Audits; 5:130 Responsibilities Concerning Internal Information; 5:200 Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal; 6:140 Education of Homeless Children; 7:10-E Exhibit - Equal Educational Opportunities Within the School Community.
Rewritten: 2:70-E Exhibit - Checklist for Filling Board Vacancies by Appointment; 2:160-E Exhibit - Checklist for Selecting a Board Attorney.
Review and Monitoring: 2:50 Board Member Term of Office; 2:70 Vacancies on the School Board - Filling Vacancies; 2:125 Board Member Compensation; Expenses; 2:160 Board Attorney; 2:125-E1 Exhibit - Board Member Expense Reimbursement Form; 2:125-E2 Exhibit - Board Member Estimated Expense Approval Form; 2:140-E Exhibit - Guidance for Board Member Communications, Including Email Use; 4:15 Identity Protection; 4:110 Transportation; 5:35 Compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act; 5:40 Communicable and Chronic Infectious Disease; 5:180 Temporary Illness or Temporary Incapacity; 5:290 Employment Termination and Suspensions; 5:310 Compensatory Time-Off; 6:40 Curriculum Development; 6:110 Programs for Students At Risk of Academic Failure and/or Dropping Out of School and Graduation Incentives Program; 6:150 Home and Hospital Instruction; 7:170 Vandalism.

Description:  07/12/2024. zt@creativeenergy.co; Staff directory information.

Description: 

Beyond the Boardroom-6/29/24 https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/people/beyond-the-boardroom-rantoul-city-schools-scott-woods/article_f850e2d0-0d0c-5705-9e41-eb094a1043d4.html

Work Begins on New PreK Building-7/16/24 https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/education/new-digs-going-up-for-rantoul-city-schools-pre-k-students/article_26f831ca-42e3-11ef-8dc3-effaa8e7f165.html  

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. 

Description: 

When: Saturday, July 27 at 10:00 AM.
Where: JW Eater Junior High, Main Gym
What: Join the families of Hal Summers and Margurette Carter as we dedicate the JW Eater gym in recognition of their many years of service to Rantoul City Schools. Followed by an open house and light refreshments.
 

Description: 

Tentative Budget: The Fiscal Year 2025 Tentative Budget will be posted at least 30 days prior to the September Board Meeting in order to meet statutory posting requirements.  The budget hearing will occur at the September Board Meeting with anticipated Board approval at the same meeting.

Description: 

5:330 Sick Days, Vacation, Holidays, and Leaves

[Add begin] Annual vacation time is allocated on a quarterly quarterly basis in quarterly increments. [Add end]All twelve-month full-time employees that are hired prior to the beginning of a new fiscal year will receive a prorated number of days at the rate of 0.83333 days per month during the first partial year. Thereafter all vacation is available on the 1^st day of the fiscal year. For example: If an employee is hired January 1^st they would receive 5 vacation days (0.83333 x 6 months).


Vacation days earned in one fiscal year must be used by the end of the [add begin] first month of the following [add end] fiscal year; they do not accumulate.