 Before the public was recognized as part of the actual meeting,
Brooks said he wished to congratulate Darla Rohrer and Greg Rader on
their retirements after this year.As part of the public
recognition, Heather Wolf spoke concerning her husband, Randy, and
his motives for running for the CEL school board. Wolf said her
husband's father and grandfather had both been on the board in the
past. The couple also have children who attend the school. Randy
Wolf had previously declined board membership before the election,
and his wife cited his father's encouragement as helping him to make
the decision to run for election.
"With Randy, this school is in good hands," she said.
As part of the financial report, Hamm elaborated to the new board
members on the various funds and expenses that the school uses in
finances. Hamm also explained a couple of the expenses that Brooks
was questioning, such as the $136,000 paid to CTS as a good-faith
payment, and the typical storage costs for documentation
($1,200-$1,500).
As part of her superintendent's report, Hamm presented the
exiting board members who were in attendance with a gift for their
service and time.
"Thank you very much, and we appreciate your services," said
Hamm.
She presented data on the MAP tests given to the students. The
tests are given three times a year to determine if they are meeting
Common Core Standards.
"Every single one of our grade levels met the target except for
one," said Hamm. She said that the one class contains some students
who are "a challenging group of personalities." Furthermore, that
one class was still very close in math and reading.
Hamm also commended the teaching staff for their efforts in
incorporating the Common Core Standards into their teaching with the
amount of success that has been shown.
Hamm said that graduation is on Friday, May 24, and asbestos
abatement on the flooring begins on May 29. For the summer, the
office staff will be working in the kindergarten classrooms if
anyone needs to contact them.
Hamm gave an update on the boiler room renovations. She said the
containment of the boiler room has begun, and the health department
has been working with CTS in the school to help make sure everything
is being done with the health of those in the building in mind.
Hamm also said that the board will have to make some difficult
decisions in the future concerning health insurance. The upcoming
Affordable Health Care Act will put strain on schools such as CEL
due to its wording. The act will require that any employee,
including coaches and substitute teachers, will have to be included
in the school's plan if they are found to be working more than 30
hours a week.
Furthermore, it is unknown if the government considers a school
year to function in the same way as a normal business year, because
of the shorter time frame.
Hamm said that there are school district agencies attempting to
work with the federal government to create exemptions in the act. In
the meantime, she said the school legal counsel has advised CEL to
proceed as if it is any other business.
In June, the qualification period will begin in order to
determine where the school falls in this act and if there is any
discrimination found in their benefits.
Later in the meeting, the board members expressed a desire to see
an updated budget for 2013 to reflect the actual expenses that have
accumulated. Hamm said she will present the amended budget at the
next meeting.
Hamm told the board that for the third year, CEL will be applying
for a $20,000 technology grant from the Woods Foundation. Hamm hopes
to use the potential dollars for purchasing laptops for the fifth-
and sixth-grade classes, which would mean every class would have
access to laptops.
Hamm gave a brief presentation on the equalized assessed
valuation of property, or EAV, and the school's expected revenue
losses from the state for the next year. Hamm's estimates were based
on past trends and what she has heard from state officials.
Hamm said the school district received its tax extension from the
county this week, and the district's EAV increased by $2 million,
which is a 4.2 percent increase, or $78,000 in money due to the
district. This is not an increase in the tax rate; the figure
represents an increase in property values as a whole.
[to top of second column] |
 As for the revenue losses, the projections would indicate tougher
times ahead for the district. According to Hamm's estimates, the
district could expect to see further cuts to the education fund of
up to $110,000. Furthermore, the state could be cutting
transportation down to 19 percent of the current payments, which
would be a loss of $202,000.
Hamm said that transportation is not required by law in the state
of Illinois, and that if the cuts are made, the school may have only
two years of bus service left. Hamm said that those who feel
strongly about this issue need to contact their representatives in
the state government to help keep transportation going for schools
in Illinois.
"We can survive the general state-aid hit; we cannot survive the
transportation cut," Hamm said.
On a last note for finances, Hamm said that the district can
expect to save $204,000 next year due to events such as retirements,
savings in the food budget and various other sources.
"As grim as this looks, trust me, we are in a far better position
than other districts in the state of Illinois, and I'm thankful for
that," said Hamm.
Action items approved by the board included:
-
The posting for a
full-time physical education teacher for next year.
-
The posting for a
special education instruction aide for grades five through
eight.
-
A memorandum of
understanding with the Chester-East Lincoln Education
Association that will allow Jason Toft to serve as a board
member and as a volunteer girls basketball coach. Whitney
Kessinger and Heather Wolf will be sharing the position of
assistant basketball coach. Jason Toft abstained from both
votes, and Randy Wolf abstained from the latter.
-
Contracts with Technology Electronics
and Access Locksmiths for the new security measures that will be
included in the school renovations. These contracts cover the
new security measures outside of the work of BLDD and CTS. This
will cover systems such as electronic locks with key cards,
system software and new doors that can be shut remotely in case
of an emergency.
Finally, as the last action item of the night, the board came to
a vote on whether or not they will pay Leslie Starasta for her
temporary role as board treasurer. Starasta acted as board-appointed
treasurer, and she has agreed to stay on until the end of June. She
would earn a small stipend of $433 for May and June. Hamm said the
board is looking for a new treasurer.
Initially, the board voted to disapprove, with Brooks, Birnbaum,
Podunajec and Wolf voting no. Hamm explained that there has to be a
board member functioning as treasurer, or an outside person, who has
to be paid. Brooks said Starasta could still be the treasurer for
now, but he did not approve paying the stipend.
The position cannot be taken by an officer of the board, and none
of the non-officers were willing to take the job. Brooks said he had
been contacted by someone who inquired about the position, and they
were waiting for the executive session to be interviewed. The person
was not named.
"I didn't know there was anybody being interviewed tonight," said
Hamm.
Roland said he had heard nothing as to any other interested
party, and he told Brooks that the vote may have been influenced by
knowledge possessed by one person (Brooks).
"If some board members have knowledge of some facts or
impressions or hopes of this position, that's really board
information we should all have before we make a vote on it," Roland
said. "As far as the idea of allowing Mrs. Starasta to do the job in
May and June, waiting for whoever it is that's in contact with you,
and not pay her, that's a crock, too."
Hamm said that if someone wants to fill a position at the school,
they should contact her and not the board president, as the
superintendent's responsibilities include interviewing and hiring
new workers.
Brooks said he was not sure what to do with this new information.
The board voted unanimously to rescind the vote due to the new
conversation.
[By DEREK HURLEY]
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