The Fieldcrest CUSD 6 Board of Education held its regular Board meeting on Wednesday, July 27, 2016. Members present were Tom Barth, Tammi Coons, Scott Hillenburg, Joe Kirkpatrick, Greg Kroeschen, Tim McNamara, and Danielle Reichman. Also present were Superintendent Dr. Daniel L. Oakley, high school Principal William Lapp, district architect John Bishop, construction management representative Eric Bursott, and a few teachers and community members.
The Board held closed session prior to the open meeting for the purposes of: discussing the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific of the public body; collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or representatives; discussion of minutes of meetings lawfully closed under the Open Meetings Act; and the purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body.
There were no public comments made.
The Board reviewed Section 7 of the Board Policy Manual.
In Board action during regular session, the Board: approved the consent agenda; approved recommended openings of previously closed session minutes; adopted an annual FOIA resolution; adopted the FY17 parent/student handbook; adopted the FY17 faculty guide; approved the 2016-2017 Administrative Compensation Report; accepted a bid for milk service for the 2016-2017 school year from North Central Illinois Milk Distributors; accepted a bid for refuse service for the 2016-2017 school year from Tomlinson Disposal; approved substitute rates for 2016-2017; approved the purchase of a new van; and approved new/updated principals' contracts for all principals.
Mr. Lapp talked about the upcoming school year and building preparations. He also talked about the changes in state standardized testing and the need for a more consistent approach for tracking student growth and achievement.
Dr. Oakley reported to the Board that the selected configuration for the attendance centers to be put in place during the 2017-2018 school year would be as originally discussed: PK-2 at South, 3-5 at West, and 6-8 at East. Transportation issues are currently being addressed so that the bus lease arrangement can be adapted to fulfill any new needs. The administration also intends to have very tentative assignments for all staff ready to go shortly after Christmas break so that they may begin planning for the upcoming year's changes.
Dr. Oakley also noted to the Board that the timeline for the building project has been changed, as more time was needed to adequately review and address plans. The referendum for the building project is now set for April of 2017. Architect Bishop also addressed the Board, noting that the HLS survey has been finalized so that the full scope of concerns in the current buildings is known. He did stress that once walls are opened, there is no knowing what other issues might arise. He then addressed the basics of the proposed designs for East and the high school, indicating that the building projects can be done on the current sites, but space constriction is an issue, and the constriction would ensure that there would be some noise interruption of classes in each location due to the closeness of construction. The Building Committee will continue to work on the plan design.
Finally, the Board addressed concerns regarding the reported issues between the Woodford County Board and the wind farm company that owns the wind farm in the Fieldcrest district. Two concerns were addressed: will this cause difficulties for the district in terms of reduced revenues now, and what will the future effect be on industries interested in entering the county and especially our district located in Woodford County? More information is needed on what the Board should do in regard to this concern.
The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 31, 2016, at 6:30 pm at Fieldcrest High School band room, with closed session starting at 6:00 pm. The Board will also hold its annual retreat and planning session on August 13, 2016 from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm.