Summary of the Homer School District 33C
Board of Education Meeting
January 31, 2017
_____________________________________________________________________
            Barb Wilson, President      Angela Adolf, Vice President      Amy Blank, Secretary
    Deb Martin, Member    Ed Campins, Member    Elizabeth Hitzeman, Member    Russ Petrizzo, Member                                                                                       
 
 
At the January 31st Board of Education meeting:
 

  • Member Hitzeman presented an overview of the January 24th Finance & Operations Committee Meeting, which led to a discussion about whether the District should sell its 54.6 acres of undeveloped land at Bruce and Cedar roads and invest the earnings. The Board agreed to revisit the matter after researching various investment opportunities.

 

  • Teachers Union representative Cathy Clayton reported January has been a busy month for teachers. She thanked the Board and administration for providing additional informational meetings to teachers and staff regarding insurance changes.

 

  • Support Staff Union representative Susan Koziarski welcomed Member Hitzeman to the negotiating team and reported their talks are running smoothly.

 

  • The Board approved the following personnel recommendations:

 
Letter of Intent to Retire

  1. Audrey Pilz – clerical aide, Young School, effective March 31, 2017

 
Leaves of Absence

  1. Jennifer Van Heest – kindergarten teacher, Schilling School, extension of current Child Care Leave effective for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year
  2. Amanda Ducharme – 4th grade teacher, Butler School, effective March 8, 2017 through May 3, 2017
  3. Jacob Gage – 2nd grade teacher, Young School, effective February 8, 2017 through March 13, 2017
  4. Katherine Hansen – Social Worker, Butler School, effective May 8, 2017 through the end of the 2016-2017 school year and will return at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year
  5. Frank Esposito – Grounds Maintenance Service, effective January 26, 2017 through March 9, 2017
  6. Jo Anne Decaire – instructional aide, Homer Junior High School, effective January 9, 2017 through March 3, 2017

 
            Employment Recommendations

  1. Jennifer Vondra – kindergarten teacher, Schilling School, effective for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year to cover a child care leave
  2. Curtis Ringwald – 1.0 FTE substitute bus driver, Transportation, effective February 13, 2017
  3. Patricia Martin – position change from clerical aide at Hadley Middle School to secretary at Homer Junior High School, effective March 1, 2017
  4. Michael Meadows – custodian, Schilling School, effective February 7, 2017
  5. Zachary Schmidt – 0.5 FTE custodian, Young School, effective February 7, 2017
  6. Penny Sierros – Constitution Class sponsor, effective for the 2016-2017 school year

 

  • The Board reviewed and approved a salary adjustment stipend for the Board of Education recording secretary.

 

  • The Board reviewed and approved a job description for the District Data Secretary.

 

  • Kara Coglianese, Superintendent, reported the District’s enrollment numbers continue to rise and that building space is getting tight — especially at Goodings Grove, Butler and Hadley Middle schools. Administrators are in the process of reassessing space at each school and compiling enrollment projections for next school year. A report will be presented at the next Board meeting.

 

  • Superintendent Coglianese presented a land ownership report. The District owns:
    • Six school sites (Butler, Goodings Grove, Hadley, Homer Junior High, Schilling and Young)
    • A Transportation Center on Cedar Road
    • Two vacant sites
      • 12 acres on Parker Road
      • 6 acres at Bruce and Cedar roads

 

  • Jim Petrakos from TRIA Architecture reviewed how his company will perform a facility assessment of the District, identifying projects and repairs that need to be addressed at each school/building in the next five to 10 years. The goal is to provide a roadmap for the District so that it can budget for repairs (such as HVAC repairs and replacement) and secure the best pricing possible. The last assessment was conducted in 2002.

 

  • The Board awarded a bid to A Beep, a telecommunications products provider headquartered in Joliet, to purchase portable radios for the District’s 63 buses.

 

  • The Board reviewed and approved a policy resolution for travel, meal and lodging. They set the maximum reimbursable rates at $10 for breakfast, $12 for lunch and $25 for dinner.

 

  • The Board agreed to set registration fees for the 2017-2018 school year as follows:
    • Grades K-4, $155
    • Grades 5-7, $185
    • Grade 8, $215
    • Little Learners, $275 per month

 

  • The Board awarded a printer/copier maintenance RFQ (Request for Quote) to Martin Whalen at a cost of $.0042/click for black & white and $.045 for color. The agreement is expected to save the District $14,000 a year and includes the replacement of four existing copiers at a cost of $39,500.

 

  • The Board agreed to replace a 2004 F2350 truck with over 120,000 miles on it with a 2017 model. The old truck was in need of $6,000 in repairs.

 

  • The Board approved an administrative retirement for Goodings Grove Principal Ann Christie who plans to retire at the end of the 2018-2019 school year.

 
 
 
The Next Regular School Board Meeting is February 28, 2017 at 7:30 p.m.
 
 

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