Summary of the Homer School District 33C Board of Education Meeting May 30, 2017

Summary of the Homer School District 33C
Board of Education Meeting
May 30, 2017
___________________________________________________________________________
Deb Martin, President      Elizabeth Hitzeman, Vice President      Karen DeFilippis, Secretary
Adam Briner, Member  Kevin DeSchaaf, Member  Christine Marcinkewicz, Member        Russ
Petrizzo, Member
At the May 30    th  Board of Education meeting:

• Goodings Grove PTO Treasurer Jenny Reichardt thanked the Board and District for partnering

with the PTO to install a new playground at the school. The PTO has raised $60,000 for the
project

• Superintendent Dr. Kara Coglianese introduced Countryside Bank Branch Manager Barbara

Iovinelli and recognized the bank for supporting the Future Ready Student Foundation’s efforts
to raise money to send 18 Homer Junior High School choir students to New York this summer
to perform at Carnegie Hall. The bank donated $500, which was split between two students
who won a blind drawing

• Dr. Coglianese recognized Will County Deputy Bob Parker who is retiring from the force this

year.  Deputy Bob Parker has been looking after Homer 33C students and staff for years,
providing law enforcement services when necessary and assisting administrators with matters
of safety, security and emergency planning. Dr. Coglianese thanked Parker for his years of
service and presented him with a clock

• Teachers Union representative Cathy Clayton reported the 2016-2017 school year is in its final

week and wished everyone a happy summer

• Support Staff Union representative Susan Koziarski thanked the Board and Administration for

successfully completing contract negotiations with the Union. The agreement was unanimously
approved by the Union on May 20           th

• The Board approved the following personnel recommendations:

Resignations

1. Jennifer VanHeest – kindergarten teacher, Schilling School, effective at the end of the

2016-2017 school year

2. Jeanine Arundel – Hadley Middle School Dean and Discovery Program Coordinator,

effective June 30, 2017

3. Virginia Wessling – lunchroom monitor, Butler School, effective May 15, 2017
4. Craig Schoppe – Director of Support Personnel Services, effective June 30, 2017
5. Melody Johnson – 8 th grade girls basketball coach, effective at the end of the 2016-2017

school year​

6. Nichole Boyce – 8 th grade class sponsor, Homer Junior High School, effective at the end

of the 2016-2017 school year
Letters of Intent to Retire

1. Jane Petschow – school psychologist, Goodings Grove and Young Schools, subject to

compliance with the applicable requirements of TRS and the District’s collective
bargaining agreement; effective at the end of the 2016-2017 school year

2. Carol Ziegler – special education teacher, Schilling School, subject to compliance with

the applicable requirements of TRS and the District’s collective bargaining agreement;
effective at the end of the 2017-2018 school year

3. Marytherese Sajdak – school nurse, Homer Junior High School, effective at the end of

the 2016-2017 school year
Leaves of Absence          (Beginning and end dates open to modification)

1. Gina McInerney – 4 th grade teacher, Goodings Grove School, effective from September

18, 2017 through December 8, 2017 and through the end of the 2017-2018 school year

2. Shannon Moore – 4 th grade teacher, Butler School, effective September 27, 2017

through November 24, 2017

3. Laura Walsh – speech-language pathologist, Butler School, effective October 5, 2017

through January 5, 2018

4. Sharon Pearson – bus driver, Transportation, effective April 20, 2017 through June 30,

2017

5. Antoinette Eaton – bus driver, Transportation, effective August 23, 2017 through October

24, 2017

6. Donna Grasser – custodian, Administration and Goodings Grove School, effective June

7, 2017 through July 19, 2017

7. Janina Kornas – custodian, Homer Junior High School, effective April 18, 2017 through

June 30, 2017
Position Recommendations

1. Provisional approval for additional Kindergarten FTE teachers at Schilling School as

enrollment increases

2. Reading Specialist at Schilling School
3. 1.0 FTE and 0.5 FTE TPI (Transitional Program of Instruction) teachers
4. Nurse aide

Employment Recommendations

1. David Mekhiel – Assistant Director of Special Education, Administration, effective July 1,

2017

2. Sandra O’Callaghan – social worker, Schilling School, effective August 21, 2017
3. Karissa Pecci – early childhood teacher, Young School, effective August 21, 2017
4. Michelle McDougall – social worker, Butler School, effective August 21, 2017
5. Megan Kibbons – psychologist, Goodings Grove School, effective August 21, 2017
6. Amy Miller – general music teacher, Goodings Grove and Schilling schools, effective

August 21, 2017

7. Gail Malvestuto – psychologist, Homer Junior High School, effective August 21, 2017
8. Sarah Beglen – general music teacher, Schilling School, effective August 21, 2017​

○ Carol Dicksen, boys 6  th /7 th  grade volleyball
○ Kelly Klosak, cheerleading
○ John Fencl, boys cross country
○ Kristen Bard, 5               th /6 th  grade cross country
○ Jeff Weathers, girls 8  th  grade volleyball
○ Ken Zeimetz, girls 7     th  grade volleyball
○ Annmarie Corcoran, girls 6       th  grade volleyball
○ Amy Marzano, A Team softball
○ Brittany Konsoer, 7      th  grade softball
○ Kristen Guska, 7            th  grade softball
○ William Keasler, boys and girls 7             th /8 th  grade track
○ Mike Poremba, boys 7               th /8 th  grade track
○ Kristen Bard, girls 7      th /8 th  grade track
○ David Rush, 5 th -8 th  wrestling
○ Kenton Brace, 5            th -8 th  wrestling
○ Jake Gage, 5   th  grade basketball clinic
○ John Fencl, 5  th  grade cross country clinic
○ Jeff Weathers, 5           th  grade volleyball clinic
○ Linda Curry, 5 th /6 th  grade speech
○ Nichole Boyce, 7           th /8 th  grade speech
○ Leighann Cannon, 5     th /6 th  grade Scholastic Bowl
○ Nichole Boyce, 7           th /8 th  grade Scholastic Bowl

• External coaches for sports, effective for the 2017-2018 school year

○ Paul Oster, wrestling
○ Christopher Myers, wrestling
○ William Pavlich, boys track
○ Della LoPresti, cross country

• The Board tabled a recommendation to hire a full-time clerical aide to enter student

assessment data into the OnHand Instructional Management System. The data is needed to
identify at-risk students, review assessment scores and manage interventions. The Board has
asked to investigate other options

• Homer Junior High School Assistant Principal Greg Zurales presented an overview of the

Homer Junior High School graduation ceremony, which will take place at 7 p.m. Friday, June
2 nd  at Lockport Township High School East Campus

• District Leadership Team (DLT) co-chairs Tammie Ebel, Cathy Clayton, Kathleen Robinson and

Kara Coglianese presented an update on the group’s work this year. The team of 20-plus
teachers, administrators and staff members meet once a month from 4 to 6 p.m. to review
student assessment data, track progress, set goals and complete strategic plan priorities.
Students are tested in the fall, winter (if they fall below the 25 percent quartile) and spring. The
District Leadership Team and School Leadership Teams (SLT) then pour over the data, looking
for patterns and trends to see if adjustments are needed in the curriculum, rigor or pacing.
Looking ahead, the District Leadership Team will focus on curriculum mapping and pacing
(concentrating on grades K, 1 and 2) this summer. In the fall, School Leadership Teams will
review the DLT’s recommendations, new student assessment data and adjust their percentile
growth targets. Building principals and grade level teams will meet throughout the year to ​
review progress toward targets and develop instructional strategies to meet their goals. In
addition, the School Leadership Teams will plan and implement site-based professional
development in goal areas and report monthly to DLT on student achievement progress and
strategy development

• The Board approved the City of Lockport School Facility and Land/Cash Fees for property

located within the Homer 33C District boundaries

• The Board approved the Butler baseball field improvement project. Work will begin this

summer

• The Board approved the Municipal Lease Agreement with Santander Leasing, LLC and the

Leased Vehicle Assignment Agreement with Midwest Transit Equipment, Inc.

• The Board approved the release of a Multipurpose Xerographic Paper Bid
• The Board reviewed and confirmed the Budget Hearing date and time for September 26, 2017

at 6:45 p.m. and set the Regular Board meeting date for the month of December 2017 as
December 19, 2017

• The Board approved the Honorable Dismissal of the following full-time Educational Support

Personnel: Jeanette Bobak, paraprofessional; Mary Ann Pratt, paraprofessional; Lisa Oneil,
paraprofessional; Susan Shea, paraprofessional; Mary Kay Oldendorf, paraprofessional;
Annette Pahl, paraprofessional and Jessica Suerth, paraprofessional

• The Board approved a resolution authorizing the reduction of the District’s Media Center

Classroom Volunteer Coordinator position for Scott Masen from full-time to part-time, effective
at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year

• The Board approved a three-year contract with the Support Staff Union and a Memorandum of

Understanding regarding a one-time retirement incentive for eligible employees. Union
members will receive a 4.2 percent increase in pay the first year, a 3.7 percent increase the
second year and 3.7 percent increase the third year

• The Board agreed to partner with the Goodings Grove PTO and commit funding to the

Goodings Grove Playground Project, including any needed site work and contribution for
playground equipment

• The Board approved merit pay for Administrators as presented
• The Board approved raises for non-certified support staff not included in the Support Staff

Union. The non-union employees will receive a 4.2 percent raise in 2017-2018; a 3.7 percent
raise in 2018-2019 and a 3.7 percent raise in 2019-2020 — just like members of the Support
Staff Union​