Summary of the Homer School District 33C
Board of Education Meeting
September 26, 2017
___________________________________________________________________________
    Deb Martin, President      Elizabeth Hitzeman, Vice President      Karen DeFilippis, Secretary
Adam Briner, Member  Kevin DeSchaaf, Member  Christine Marcinkewicz, Member  Russ Petrizzo, Member                                                                                     
 
 
Prior to the regular Board meeting:

  • The Board held a public hearing at 6:45 p.m. on the Fiscal Year 2018 budget. The audience asked no questions

 
At the regular Board meeting:

  • Andrew Skoog from Indiana, Illinois and Iowa Foundation for Fair Contracting (IIIFFC) asked the Board to consider other bids for the new bus drop-off sidewalk project at Schilling School, claiming Hacienda Landscaping is a non-responsible bidder

 

  • Jake Gage introduced the District’s golf superstars who placed at the State golf tournament earlier this month in Peoria. Eighth-grader Lizzie Anderson shot a 76 at the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) state golf tournament, making her the District’s first-ever State Champion! Brody McCarthy medaled at 8th place with a score of 78. He and fellow Homer Junior High School student Joseph Sluzas are headed to the PGA Junior League All Star National Tournament in Arizona on Nov. 15-19. The event will be televised on the Golf Channel

  • Retired Superintendent Bill Smith encouraged those 8 years of age and older to participate in the 39th Orland “Open” Spelling on Sunday, October 15, 2017 at the Presbyterian Church in Orland Park. Registration is now underway. Click here for more information.

 

  • Superintendent Kara Coglianese reported the District’s Book Fair at Barnes & Noble on September 10, 2017 was successful. More than $6,000 in books were sold that day and the District will receive $925 in gift cards, which will be used to purchase items for the school libraries. She thanked staff members for greeting families that day and volunteering at the four-hour event

 

  • Teachers Union representative Cathy Clayton reported mid-term has come and gone for the first quarter and that the Union and District are building a strong, trusting relationship

 

  • Support Staff Union representative Susan Koziarski thanked the Board for attending the Back-to-School Institute on August 21, 2017 and said that it set a nice tone for the year

 

  • Board members Elizabeth Hitzeman and Karen DeFilippis reported they have been attending the District Leadership Team (DLT) meetings and are impressed with the work being done. The Team is currently reviewing data from the 5Essentials Survey and continues to work on implementing and communicating the District’s strategic goals

 

  • The Board approved the following personnel recommendations:

Termination

  1. Kim Bonomo – bus driver, Transportation, effective September 15, 2017

 
 
Resignations

  1. Racquel Ungaro – lunchroom monitor, Schilling School, effective August 23, 2017
  2. Christopher Sigel – custodian, Hadley Middle School, effective August 28, 2017
  3. Victoria R. Jackson – paraprofessional, Hadley Middle School, effective August 17, 2017
  4. Jessica Suerth – paraprofessional, Hadley Middle School, effective August 20, 2017
  5. Holly Hall – paraprofessional, Butler School, effective August 20, 2017
  6. Kari Panarici-Oprondek – lunchroom monitor, Young School, effective October 24, 2017
  7. Andrea Bhattacharyya – newspaper club sponsor, Hadley Middle School, effective for the

2017-2018 school year
 
Position Recommendation

  1. Paraprofessional at Hadley Middle School

 
Employment Recommendations

  1. Jared McCarthy – Special Education Resource teacher, Homer Junior High School,

effective September 27, 2017

  1. Andrea McCarthy – 1st grade teacher, Goodings Grove School, effective for the remainder

of the 2017-2018 school year to cover an FMLA leave

  1. 2017-2019 Differentiation Facilitators:
  • Ellen Buckley, Young School
  • Stephanie Wierenga, Young School
  • Jeff Jonaitis, district-wide Physical Education
  • Jon Grill, Hadley Middle School
  • Jerilyn Brumfield, Hadley Middle School
  • Lisa Davis, Hadley Middle School
  • Laura Gray, Hadley Middle School
  • Tracy Novak, Schilling School
  • Kim Hetfleisch, Schilling School
  • Chantal Whitmire, Schilling School
  • Holly Odom, Butler School
  • Sandy Parus, Butler School
  • Lara Detloff, Homer Junior High School
  • Eileen Garrison, Homer Junior High School
  • Tricia Krzebiot, Homer Junior High School
  • Nichole Boyce, Homer Junior High School
  • Elizabeth Creek, Goodings Grove School
  • Kim Littman, Homer Junior High School
  • Maxine Pavlovich, Homer Junior High School
  • Janet Peters, Goodings Grove School
  • Kaleen Defilippis-Holba, Hadley Middle School
  • Kristen Rekruciak, Schilling School
  1. Head mentors for the 2017-2018 school year:
  • Kim Littmann, Homer Junior High School
  • Wendy Pangrazio, Hadley Middle School
  • Sandy Parus, Butler School
  • Stephanie Piper, Goodings Grove School
  • Chrissy Murphy, Schilling School
  • Ellen Buckley, Young School

 

  1. Year one and year two mentors for the 2017-2018 school year:
  • Kelly Zurek, Homer Junior High School
  • Stephanie Moore, Homer Junior High School
  • Mallory Bazant, Homer Junior High School
  • Lora Kocanda, Homer Junior High School
  • Alesa Geraghty, Homer Junior High School and Hadley Middle School
  • Mary Muenchow, Homer Junior High School
  • Nina Giantomasso, Homer Junior High School
  • Katie Coopman, Hadley Middle School
  • Kelly Klosak, Hadley Middle School
  • Alison Pikus, Hadley Middle School
  • Diana Pullara, Hadley Middle School
  • Danielle Evans, Hadley Middle School
  • Carol Dicksen, Hadley Middle School
  • Gail Mickelson, Hadley Middle School
  • Katie Hansen, Butler School
  • Sandy Parus, Butler School
  • Stephanie Piper, Goodings Grove School
  • Dorota Stasik, Goodings Grove School
  • Jodi Bordenaro, Goodings Grove School and Schilling School
  • Mary Ellen Ferguson, Goodings Grove School
  • Chrissy Murphy, Schilling School
  • Terri Pellizzari, Schilling School
  • Carrie Jermolowicz, Schilling School
  • Ted Tellor, Schilling School
  • Laura Nice, Schilling School
  • Katie Poteracki, Schilling School
  • Megan Ondreja, Schilling School
  • Megan Fitzgerald, Schilling School
  • Jen Dragisic, Schilling School
  • Annette Jung, Schilling School
  • Nicki Stark, Schilling School
  • Megan Heintz, Schilling School
  • Lisa Haglund, Schilling School
  • Ellen Buckley, Young School
  • Elyse Maloney, Young School
  • Stephanie Wierenga, Young School
  • Nicole Fazio, Young School
  • Juli Reiniche, Young School
  • Karen Kraynak, Young School
  • Lisa Estes, Young School
  • Kristin Kay, Young School

 

  1. District Leadership Teams for the 2017-2018 school year:

Homer Junior High School                      Hadley Middle School
Jackie Clarke-Siegel                                   Kaleen Defilippis-Holba
Sawsan Jaber                                             Amy Schlueter
 
           
            Butler                 Goodings Grove            Schilling                      Young     
Brian Barnes       Stephanie Piper              Jen Dragisic                 Wendy Bruin
Beth Russell        Nate Keasler                   Mary Schury                Angelica Lara
Carrie Jermolowicz
Brittany Tews
 

  1. School Leadership Teams for the 2017-2018 school year:

Homer Junior High School                                       Hadley Middle School
Diane Blaskey                                                             Brooke Binder
Laura Collins                                                               Katie Bevering
Lara Detloff                                                                 Jerilyn Brumfield
Sara Devenney                                                           Jamie Cabral
Kim Littmann                                                               Jon Grill
Maxine Pavlovich                                                        Britney Johnson
Shannon Schroeder                                                    Kaleen Defilippis-Holba
Jeff Weathers                                                              Deb Khuny
Amy Marzano/Brittany Konsoer                                  Veronica Lozano
Jackie Clarke-Sigel                                                     Amy Schlueter
Sawsan Jaber                                                             Kate Walsh
Cortny Yanowsky
 
Butler                                       Goodings Grove                    Schilling
Brian Barnes                             Janet Blackburn                      Chrissy Murphy
Jarid Dyal                                  Kelly Mitchell                           Sandra O’Callaghan
Val Farmer                                Jacob Gage                             Jen Dragisic
Amy Lowman                            Daniel Gilbert                          Meghan Fitzgerald
Karen McNabb                          Elizabeth Creek                      Kim Hetfleisch
Shannon Moore                         Mary Ellen Ferguson              Katie Poteracki
Shawnae Rimsnider                  Janet Peters                           Stephanie Pearson
Beth Russell                              Jaime Callan                           Kristen Rekruciak
Shelly Strahanoski                    Angelica Lara                          Brittany Tews
Deb Brouman (outside contract)    Alisha Neil
Young                                       Russel Tracy (outside contract)      Carrie Jermolowicz
Juli Reiniche                             Stephanie Piper                       Melody Johnson/Eric Tengstrand
Stephanie Wierenga                 Nate Keasler
Karen Kraynak
Lisa Estes
Jordana Letizia
Angelica Lara
Wendy Bruin
Jeff Jonaitis
Nicole Fazio
 

  1. Janet Michor – clerical aide for data entry at all buildings, effective September 27, 2017
  2. Lori Collesano – paraprofessional, Schilling School, effective September 27, 2017
  3. Kathleen Tucker – paraprofessional, Schilling School, effective September 27, 2017
  4. Joyce Cwik – lunchroom monitor, Schilling School, effective September 27, 2017
  5. Laura Giovannetti – lunchroom monitor, Schilling School, effective September 27, 2017

 

  1. Mariclair Fitzgerald – paraprofessional, Hadley Middle School, effective September 27,

2017

  1. Lauren Niemiec – paraprofessional, Butler School, effective September 27, 2017
  2. Hadley Clubs and ASAP sponsors, effective for the 2017-2018 school year
  • Katie Coopman, 5th grade Mustang Buddies
  • Katie Coopman, Homework Club/6 1 day a week
  • Cortny Yanowsky, Homework Club/6 1 day a week
  • Linda Curry, Drama Club
  • Linda Curry, Speech Squad
  • Laura Gray, 6th grade Mustang Buddies
  • Jen Mitchell, Homework Club/5
  • Abel Orelove, Video Club
  • Wendy Pangrazio, ASAP 6th Math (A)
  • Jon Grill, ASAP 6th Math (B)
  • Chris Love, ASAP 5th Math (A)
  • Alexandria Yahl, ASAP 5th Math (B)
  • Karen Toland, ASAP 6th ELA (A)
  • Jackie Niemeyer, ASAP 6th ELA (B)
  • Lorie Matriciano, ASAP 5th ELA (A)
  • Carmel Hoak, ASAP 5th ELA (B)
  1. Sharon Rachan – 8th grade sponsor at Homer Junior High School, effective for the

2017-2018 school year

  1. Jaime Callan – Club GG sponsor, effective for the 2017-2018 school year

 

  • The Board reviewed and approved the revised job title and job description for the Assistive Technology – Behavior Specialist/Physical Impaired Itinerant teacher

 

  • The Board authorized filing the Application for the Annual School District Library Grant

 

  • Thomas Kersten, author of Taking the Mystery Out of Illinois School Finance, explained the Property Tax Formula and key terms, such as Assessed Value, Multiplier and EAV. He also reviewed some of the Property Tax Exemptions residents can take advantage of, including Homestead Exemption, Senior Citizen Homestead Exemption and Senior Citizen Freeze

 

  • Human Resources Director Michael Portwood presented a report on Standardized Hiring Practices. The District is working to refine its recruitment process so that it attracts, develops and invests in the best candidates possible. It’s also tracking exit surveys to gather information about why employees decide to leave Homer 33C

 

  • The Board adopted the FY 2018 Budget

 

  • The Board accepted the retirement of the following individuals subject to compliance with the terms and conditions of the District’s one-time IMRF retirement incentive program and to approve separation agreements with said employees:
    • Walter Brown – Maintenance, effective March 27, 2019
    • Doris Daggett – Bus driver, effective June 30, 2020
    • Debra Mason – Bus driver, effective June 30, 2019
    • Tari Mitcheff – Bus driver, effective December 31, 2019
    • Pamela Piwowar – Secretary, effective June 30, 2019
    • Sherie Hauck – Bus driver, effective June 30, 2020
    • Deirdre Galvin – Paraprofessional, effective June 30, 2019
    • Katherine Anderson – Paraprofessional, effective June 30, 2020

 

  • The Board reviewed and approved the EIS Administrator and Teacher Salary and Benefits Report – School Year 2017

 

  • The Board awarded a bid for a New Bus Drop-Off Sidewalk Project for Schilling School to Hacienda Landscaping in the amount of $41,934.00 after reviewing the recommendation of the District’s attorney and Tria Architecture Inc., which investigated questions about the company. Both the attorney and Tria Architecture indicated they are comfortable moving forward with the company and project

 

  • The Board discussed selling 54.6 acres of land that the District owns on Bruce Road and directed administrators to begin the process. The purpose of selling the land is to help offset the costs of facility repairs over the next several years

 
The Next Regular School Board Meeting is October 24, 2017 at 7:00 p.m.