The Fieldcrest CUSD 6 Board of Education held its regular Board meeting on November 22, 2017. Members present were Mykin Bernardi, Scott Hillenburg, Joe Kirkpatrick, Charles Lohr, Kimberly McKay, Tim McNamara and Beth Palm. Also present were Superintendent Dr. Daniel L. Oakley, and Primary School Principal Jason Chaplin.
The Board begin the evening with closed session to discuss "the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of a specific employee or legal counsel for the public body." (5 ILCS 120/2c)
In Board action during regular session, the Board: adopted the Truth in Taxation Hearing resolution which sets the tentative tax levy and the Truth in Taxation Hearing date for December 20, 2017 at 6:30 pm; approved the FY19 school bus lease contract with Central States; approved the renewal of the Intergovernmental Agreement with Lostant in regard to the deactivation of Lostant High School and the tuition of Lostant students to Fieldcrest High School; approved classroom occupancy and amendment completion paperwork for HLS amendment 15, the high school north wall project, with a total cost over $435,000; waived the first reading of updated Board policy 7:100 and referred it to the Policy Committee; tabled the copier systems bids until the December 20 regular Board meeting; adopted a resolution declaring the intention to sell $300,000 in Working Cash Bonds; and tabled a decision on the unit office secretary/receptionist until the December 6 Board Building Committee of the Whole meeting.
In personnel action, the Board: assigned Abby Budke as 7th grade volleyball coach; and recognized Larry Blevins for his service to the district during the first semester of this school year.
Mr. Chaplin spoke to the Board regarding the Primary building's Veteran's Day celebration, and delivered a letter from a veteran who was very complimentary of the program and the efforts in Fieldcrest schools to recognize veterans. Mr. Chaplin also noted the move to attendance centers is going very well.
Dr. Oakley introduced the Board to the School Report Card, an annual event. The Illinois School Report Card is located at www.illinoisreportcard.com, and contains data related to the school district and all schools' performance, as measured by the state on a number of variables. Dr. Oakley noted the site is a bit hard to use right now for our schools, as some names and locations have been changed to meet the current attendance center arrangement, and others haven't, so comparisons or tracking of grade levels may be difficult. The discussion of the Report Card and information in it continued with discussions of demographic trends in our district and how they affect student achievement, needs of students, and how the district addresses those concerns. The larger issues the Board addressed in the discussion were the effects of generational poverty and student transiency on student achievement and growth, and how the district can more effectively work with these and other populations in order to address the district's primary goal of quality education of all students.
The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 20, 2017, at 6:30 pm at Fieldcrest High School band room, with closed session starting at 6:00 pm. The Board Building Committee of the Whole will also meet December 6 at 6:30 pm, and December 13 at 6:30 pm, in the Fieldcrest High School gymnasium..