There should be no additions to the agenda from Board members per Board Agreements. 

Recommendation:  I recommend you approve the agenda as presented.

We will need a motion to approve these reports which are attached.  If you have specific questions relating to any of these items, please call me or email me and get clarifications before noon Monday.

Bills will be attached on Monday.  Questions on bills need to be addressed to Mr. Buresh before noon on Tuesday.

Recommendation:  I recommend you approve these as presented.

Nobody has formally requested to address the Board. 
I did invite candidates running for the Board to the meeting.

Nothing new since last meeting.   Again, until some or any of this is acted on, there is no reason to play the "What if" game. 

An Annawan CUSD 226 Better Together Meeting was held on Thursday, February 9, 2017 in Mr. Buresh's office.  Jerad Heitzler, Nancy Goodman, Mr. Buresh, and Mr. Brau will give updates.

Mr. Brau's Report is attached.  In an efficiency of time, we will not verbally go over reports item by item, but just mention a couple as we all can read.

Mr. Buresh's and Mrs. Wolf's report is attached.    Mr. Buresh's and Mrs. Wolf's Report is attached.  In an efficiency of time, we will not verbally go over reports item by item, but just mention a couple as we all can read.

Mr. Huber's report is attached.  In an efficiency of time, we will not verbally go over reports item by item, but just mention a couple as we all can read.

 

The Building Committee met on February 1, 2017.  Jerad and Al did not see the need to meet, as all items presented and discussed are common sense and have been treated as such in the past.  Please refer to the Building Committee minutes for details of the meeting.

Summer of 2017 Projects will be presented for approval in New Business.

Another bus driver has completed her training!  Beth Davis now is licensed to drive for us. 

The Transportation Committee met on February 1, 2017 to discuss transportation needs for Fiscal Year 2018.  You have the handout and considerations from the Transportation Committee Meeting in Boardbook.  My recommendation is in the Transportation Committee Minutes and it is supported by the Transportation Committee.  We will vote on it in New Business.

The Finance Committee met on February 2, 2017.  Finance questions were answered and updates on Fiscal Year 2018 budget considerations were vaguely discussed.  Finance Committee minutes are in the Consent Agenda for your review.

Next Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 6, 2017 from 8:30-9:30 AM.

Board members were going to think on this and make a decision this month on this topic. A short discussion to get additional input and thoughts, and then a formal decision should take place to leave the current documents in place through Fiscal Year 2018 or to develop new ones.  Documents are in January 2017 Board meeting in Boardbooks.

A 15 minute time limit is put on this topic for this month.

 
Recommendation:  I have no recommendation at this time as this is your topic.  I provided you with a great startup document (along with a mission and vision from many years ago) working with the IASB that met our needs.  This is your document, and if you want it modified, modify it.  If it works and you don't want it modified as a group, don't modify it.

I would highly recommend that you internally post the position in February 2017, and if a candidate applies that is a worthy candidate, interview that person at the March Board meeting.  Should that candidate be somebody the Board sees as a long term great choice for the position, I would suggest offering the position, working out a contract, and officially employing that person at the April 19, 2017 Board meeting to begin on July 1, 2018.  Mr. Buresh will be highly involved with the selection of the new Superintendent and will organize all aspects of the process in consultation with the Board.

If after interviewing, the Board does not think this is a great long-term choice for the District, I would recommend externally posting the position in late September, interview in early November, and employ the new Superintendent at the December Board meeting to start on July 1, 2018. 

Administratively we feel that administrators are currently all doing more than what most full time administrators are required to do.  I recommend that the person who replaces me as Superintendent also has the same duties as I do as High School Principal for his/her first year.  Mrs. Wolf would stay with her current duties.  Mr. Brau would be in his last year of his contract, and I would recommend hiring Mrs. Dawn Heitzler as the next PreK-8 Principal.  Administration, would in effect stay the same.  Mrs. Heitzler would have a working relationship with Mr. Brau for that year, The Superintendent would have a year to evaluate his/her thoughts and make a recommendation of a different administration plan at that time.  Mrs. Wolf is NOT interested in being a K-12 Principal, and will just go back to the classroom teaching high school math if that is asked of her.

RECOMMENDATION:  Internally post the Superintendent position vacancy in February, interview qualified internal candidates during March Board Meeting, and employ internal candidate at April 2017 Board meeting should candidate meet the needs of the District. If internal candidate does not meet needs of the District, advertise in September and hire a Superintendent in December of 2017. 

This is the recommendation from Mr. Buresh and the Transportation Committee. Mr. Buresh did have quotes from the 3 bus lease companies in Il and once again worked very successfully in getting the best deal on these leases.  $9,600 per year saved again ($28,800 total in 3 years) by him working for the District. 

RECOMMENDATION:  Lease 5 buses from Midwest Transit Equipment at a lease cost not to exceed $50,000 per year for a 3 year lease beginning July 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2020.

Approve Summer of 2017 Buildings and Grounds Projects as outlined in Building Committee Report.

RECOMMENDATION:  Approve Projects 1-8 to be completed during the Summer of 2017 from the Building Committee Meeting not to exceed $103,000 total.

Cooperative agreements remain the same in all activities.  Dates have been changed.  Agreements have been attached into one big attachment.

Wethersfield approved these Thursday night.

I also attached a very generic cost per student in coop athletics as that was a discussion point last month.

Recommendation:  I recommend that you approve all Annawan Wethersfield athletic cooperatives as presented for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019.

This was discussed at the Coop meeting and it is recommended that we try this on a trial basis to see if this helps with participation. It also could help with the new pitch counts in baseball.   Coaches and administration will determine procedures to comply and students will be required to provide their own transportation if multiple locations for practice/contests are needed on the same day.

Wethersfield passed this Thursday night.

5 minute discussion and then vote.

Recommendation:  I recommend that you approve high school student athletes participate in 2 spring athletic teams if they choose on a one year trial basis for the spring sports of 2017.

The Board needs to conduct a reorganizational meeting 21-28 days after the election.  This will strictly be to reorganize the Board with no other business to be conducted. 

RECOMMENDATION:  Set Annawan CUSD 226 Board Reorganizational Meeting on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 at 5:00 PM. 

*****Anytime school personnel or individual student issues are discussed, the discussion needs to take place in Closed Session, with action only coming in Open Session.

At this time we have no reason to go into Closed Session.  If we need to we will. 

Once again, in my professional opinion, Matt Nordstrom would be a great choice as the next Superintendent of the Annawan CUSD 226.  He has the support of the current administration and AEA leadership already.  

Dawn Heitzler, would also be an excellent choice for the next PreK-8 Principal when Mr. Brau retires.

Matt Nordstrom is going to be a great Superintendent  in our area and Dawn Heitzler will be a great Principal in our area when she completes her coursework.  Neither of them are going to be teachers in our District for very much longer.  If you want to keep them, you will need to put them in administrative roles in my opinion. 
 

Recommendation:  I recommend that you approve these as recommended.

The next Board of Education meeting will be held on March 15, 2017 at 5:00 PM.