February 20, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Regular Board Meeting

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. Note: Public Comments will be limited to three (3) minutes per person for the February 20, 2025, meeting.
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 Upon the request of any Board member, an item will be withdrawn from the consent agenda and placed on the regular agenda for independent consideration.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:  $1,000 to Magdalena Estoque, Second Grade at Eastlawn, IEA Foundation's Schools and Community Outreach by Educators (SCORE). "Stuffed Animal Hospital Kit" in partnership with Christian Life Church and Carle Hospital.

Description: 

• Regarding district credit card, Visa: close Shannon Clark and Jayme Bajer. Add Melissa Wiegel with $5,000 limit.
• Regarding SBAA Signature: add Allison Didier and remove Jennifer Frehrichs.

Description: 

As required by the Illinois State Board of Education, Rantoul City School District 137 has conducted a comprehensive Health Life Safety (HLS) review to ensure all school facilities comply with state-mandated safety and structural standards. The 10-Year HLS Plan outlines identified deficiencies across district buildings and provides a framework for corrective actions, prioritization, and estimated costs for necessary improvements.

The assessment includes Broadmeadow, Northview, Eastlawn, Pleasant Acres, and JW Eater, and the plan categorizes deficiencies based on their urgency and compliance with Illinois Administrative Code Part 185, which governs school construction and facility safety.

Key findings from the assessment include:

• Ceiling Repairs: Multiple locations in various buildings require ceiling repairs due to damage.
• Door Hardware Replacement: Some locations require new door handles or hardware to meet accessibility and safety standards.
• Electrical and Mechanical Updates: Specific areas require upgrades to ensure compliance with electrical safety codes.
• Fire Safety and Emergency Egress: Certain areas need improvements related to fire safety, including exits, signage, and alarms.

Estimated costs for repairs and upgrades is $15,000.

Description: 

The District's Improvement Plan, Area 5 Programs / Services, in year one calls for Focusing on Needs Assessment and Resource Allocation. To do this, the District will Identify the Needs of Students, Staff, and the Community through conducting surveys to gather feedback from students, teachers, parents, and community members as well as analyzing current program effectiveness and identify areas for improvement based on feedback and data. 

 

Administration is recommending working with RSP consulting to assist with completing this portion of the District Improvement Plan with a total cost of approximately $13,000.

Description: 

After carefully reviewing feedback from families and staff, district administration is revising its December 2024  K-5 school reorganization recommendation for the 2025-2026 school year. The updated recommendation to the Board of Education proposes adopting a new organizational model for K-5 schools called Companion Schools. Companion Schools offer many of the same benefits of the previously recommended Grade Level Schools while addressing concerns from families and staff about transportation and other challenges. This plan helps us create a better learning environment while addressing concerns about past proposals.

The recommendation to organize the schools as follows:

• Students currently assigned by boundary or program to Eastlawn and Pleasant Acres will be grouped into Companion Schools with all students in grades K-2 attending at Pleasant Acres and all students in grades 3-5 attending at Eastlawn.

• Students currently assigned by boundary to Broadmeadow and Northview will be grouped into Companion Schools with all students in grades K-2 attending at Northview and all students in grades 3-5 attending at Broadmeadow.

• Administration will bring forward a proposal for the March Board Meeting to shift currently assigned boundaries for some students. It is anticipated that approximately 50 families currently assigned by boundary to Eastlawn or Pleasant Acres will be reassigned to the Broadmeadow and Northview area.

• All students living 1.5 miles or further from their assigned school will be offered transportation services.

Description: 

01-29-25, Owen Wang, Chambana Sun, foia@chambanasun.com: “Copy or all emails and memos from the past 12 months that contain the following keywords: ‘Lucy Calkins’ ‘Units of Study’”

Description: 

• 01-28-25 New Pre-K school in Rantoul has date set https://www.wcia.com/news/champaign-county/new-pre-k-school-in-rantoul-has-date-set/
• 01-28-25 Late March completion date projected for $5.9 million Rantoul pre-K addition https://www.news-gazette.com/news/late-march-completion-date-projected-for-5-9-million-rantoul-pre-k-addition/article_98419a9c-d843-11ef-80a3-6f18ae86f1b2.html
• 02-06-25 Teacher of the Week: Delores Lloyd, third grade, Pleasant Acres Elementary, Rantoul. https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/education/teacher-of-the-week-delores-lloyd-third-grade-pleasant-acres-elementary-rantoul/article_14644fbe-e41c-11ef-8c3d-1f3f6153118d.html
• 02-20-2025 Rantoul City Schools come up with compromise on grade-level centers. https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/education/rantoul-city-schools-come-up-with-compromise-on-grade-level-centers/article_237b071a-ee56-11ef-b68b-17fc813fa42d.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:  The FY25 Tentative Revised Budget will be posted for public review with notice in the News Gazette on February 10. A public hearing will be held at the regular March Board Meeting to consider the FY25 Revised Budget, and the Board will be asked to approve the FY25 Revised Budget.

Description: 

The Board will move to closed session for the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees, specific individuals who serve as independent contractors in a park, recreational, or educational setting, or specific volunteers of the public body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee, a specific individual who serves as an independent contractor in a park, recreational, or educational setting, or a volunteer of the public body or against legal counsel for the public body to determine its validity. However, a meeting to consider an increase in compensation to a specific employee of a public body that is subject to the Local Government Wage Increase Transparency Act may not be closed and shall be open to the public and posted and held in accordance with this Act. 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1).