Oswego Community Unit School District 308 Board of Education met Oct. 24.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
The Board of Education of Community Unit School District 308, Kendall, Kane and Will Counties, Illinois, met in a regular session in the Community Room at Oswego East High School.
Note for file: All roll call votes are shown in alphabetical order in these minutes; however, during the Board Meeting votes are called out in accordance with Board Policy 2:220
1. Call to Order – Executive Session (6:15 p.m.)
The meeting was called to order at 6:17 p.m. by President LaTonya Simelton
1.1 Roll Call:
Upon Roll Call the following members answered present:
Dominick Cirone, Lauri Doyle, Eugene Gatewood, Jennifer Johnson, Jared Ploger, LaTonya Simelton, Alison Swanson
Members Absent (at roll call):
None
2. Closed Session
2.1 Enter Closed Session under statute(s): 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of certain employees and individuals; 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2) Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees; 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(21) Discussion of minutes of meetings lawfully closed under the Open Meetings Act, whether for purposes of approval by the body of the minutes or semi-annual review of the minutes as mandated by Section 2.06.
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Eugene Gatewood, to enter Closed Session under statute(s): 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of certain employees and individuals; 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(2) Collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees; 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(21) Discussion of minutes of meetings lawfully closed under the Open Meetings Act, whether for purposes of approval by the body of the minutes or semi-annual review of the minutes as mandated by Section 2.06.
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 7-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Ms. Lauri Doyle, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
The Board of Education entered closed session at 6:19 p.m.
Ms. Lauri Doyle left the meeting at 7:04 p.m.
2.2 Return to Open Session
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Eugene Gatewood, to return to Open Session.
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 6-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson,
Mr. Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
The Board of Education returned to open session at 7:22 p.m.
3. Call to Order – Public Session (7:15 pm)
The meeting was called to order at 7:26 p.m. by President LaTonya Simelton
3.1 Roll Call:
Upon Roll Call the following members answered present:
Dominick Cirone, Eugene Gatewood, Jennifer Johnson, Jared Ploger, LaTonya Simelton, Alison Swanson
Members Absent (at roll call):
Lauri Doyle
Administration Present:
Superintendent of Schools, Dr. John Sparlin
Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, Faith Dahlquist
Assistant Superintendent for Student & Staff Services, Dr. Heather Kincaid
Assistant Superintendent for Operations/CSBO, Dr. John Petzke
Others Present:
Board Attorney, Maureen Lemon, Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg and Castaldo, as well as employees of the District and members of the community
Recording Secretary:
Ursula Studer
3.2 Pledge of Allegiance
Pledge of Allegiance was led by Board President LaTonya Simelton
4. Recognitions
4.1 October PRIDE Winners
The Board of Education recognized the following October PRIDE Winners:
Teachers of the Month
• Dave Johnson - Math Teacher at Oswego High School
• Katie Landers - Reading Specialist at Southbury Elementary School
• Heather Kraus - Language Arts Teacher at Bednarcik Junior High School
• Caitlin Wilson - First Grade Teacher at Long Beach Elementary School
Employees of the Month
• Katie Jones - Assistant Principal at Plank Junior High School
• Pete Meismer – Assistant Principal at Hunt Club Elementary School
5. Public Comment
5.1 Opportunity for the Public to address the Board of Education
There was no public comment this evening.
6. Comments/Reports
6.1 Board Member Comments
Dominick Cirone - shared that he appreciated all the support from the community when Brokaw EC experienced a fire last week. The Police and Fired Department did a fabulous job with their emergency response.
Jennifer Johnson – shared that October is Downs Syndrome Awareness Month and acknowledged October being Principal Month and thanked all of ours, stating that they are a huge part of the climate & culture in our buildings.
6.2 Board Committee Reports
Policy & Legislative Committee – Ms. Johnson reported from their last meeting on October 17th. There were some changes made to the policies that are brought to the Board for First Read today. Policy 4:60 changed the threshold dollar amount from $25,000 to $20,000 in order to gain more transparency on the district finances. The policy about student fees had parts about outstanding fees removed. There will be more discussion as to how outstanding fees will be handled going forward. It will also be added to the student handbook for this coming school year.
Teaching & Learning Committee – Mr. Cirone reported from their last meeting on October 18th. Junior High and High School Math was discussed and the committee touched on the Reading curriculum and the walk-through process at the schools. There was an overview of the District Improvement plan and the process. Ms. Johnson added that gender data was discussed as well and how it affects instruction. Mr. Ploger asked if the District could look into reducing the time for lunch at the JHS. According to Ms. Dahlquist, her team has been looking into that, but it’s complicated.
6.3 Superintendent Report
Dr. Sparlin thanked all of our bus drivers in celebration of School Bus Driver Appreciation Day.
Community Advisory Committee – Dr. Sparlin reported on the first meeting of this committee. There was a get to know you activity and a presentation from Dr. Petzke on school finance. This committee is made up of members of all four previous advisory committees. The members had an opportunity to turn in their
questions regarding the finances and they will be used to create the agenda for the next meeting. It was a very positive and informative meeting.
The Board of Education Public Forum will take place on Monday, November 7 and 7:00 pm in the cafeteria at Traughber Junior High School. The theme for the evening is improving academic achievement. The format of this forum will be different, in order to promote discussion and dialogue with Board members, District level leaders and the Community.
6.4 Student Ambassador Reports
Kaitlyn Jobes reported that at the last advisory committee meeting, the power point slide was finalized. It describes the committee and their goals and it mentions that they are looking for new members. A google form for applicants has been created, with some visual resources being added as well to guide students through the application process. They are also preparing for the Triple I conference where they will have a chance to share how our district is amplifying student voice through our Student Advisory Committee and our Board Ambassadors.
Aanya Roy stated how grateful many students are on the work that’s being done on the policies involving bullying and sexual harassment. We are all invested, along with the District, to making progress in this area. The data from the survey that was administered last year was reviewed again as well.
7. Approval of Consent Agenda
7.1 Approval of Minutes from previous Meetings
7.2 Acknowledgement of Freedom of Information (FOIA) Requests
Ms. Johnson stated that the FOIA policy was last reviewed in 2019 and will be added to the next Policy Committee meeting for review.
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Eugene Gatewood, to approve all items under consent, including 7.1 Minutes from the Board of Education meeting on October 11, 2022, open and closed session and 7.2 to acknowledge the FOIA request received by the District.
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 6-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
8. Information
8.1 Transportation Fuel Bid
The term of the current fuel diesel/unleaded gasoline contract with Petroleum Traders Corporation is coming to an end. The District released a public bid on September 16, 2022 for a three-year diesel fuel/unleaded gasoline bid. The public bid was held on October 5, 2022 at the District Transportation Center. Three bid proposals were received and read aloud. Fuel is purchased based on the Chicago Opis Low Rack Rate on the date of delivery plus a margin. The District’s current provider margin for diesel fuel is 0.0402 and for unleaded gasoline is 0.0337. The new bid’s lowest margins are 0.0416 for diesel fuel and 0.0361 for unleaded gasoline. Administration recommends a three year diesel fuel/ unleaded gasoline contract be awarded to Petroleum Traders Corporation, Fort Wayne, IN as their proposal meets all requirements of the bid specifications and is the lowest bidder.
8.2 Policies for First Read: Section 2: School Board (2:260, 2:265) Section 4: Operational Services (4:60, 4:140) Section 5: General Personnel (5:10, 5:20) Section 7: Students (7:20)
Mr. Gatewood proposed that with Policy 4:60 we also include any vendor with that new threshold of $ 20,000, so the same level of reporting is received for contracts and vendors. This will be for information only, not approval. It could be included as a report in the consent agenda instead.
8.3 5-Year Projection Scenarios and Variance Report
Dr. Petzke presented the district's 5-year projection scenarios. To better understand these projections, is to recognize our district's financial history and a variety of financial assumptions built into our projection model. In addition, there are three other projections included at the Boards request - (A) No New EBF, (B) No New LEVY, and (C) No New EBF or LEVY.
In addition to the 5-Year Projections, the requested variance report - or the Year-Over-Year financial comparison. Note that the 5 Year projections include 5 funds (Education, Operations & Maintenance, Transportation, IMRF/SS, and Working Cash). The Year-over-year comparisons include these same 5 funds in addition to Debt Service and Capital Projects. The funds are listed at the top of each scenario.
• Projected Assumptions for Revenue (EAV, CPI, CPPRT, Fees, EBF, Mandated Categoricals and Federal Grants
• Projected Assumptions for Expenses (Collective Bargaining Agreements, Medical Plan Increases, Department Budgets, Purchased Services, Transportation, Food Service, SpEd Private Placement, Curriculum Renewals)
Mr. Ploger stated that we need to do more to educate the community on our Finances. Dr. Petzke invited community members to bring their tax bills to the next Community Advisory Committee meeting in order to answer all questions. Many community members are not aware of our Debt Service and the cost of it. In order to not have to borrow money short term for cashflow, a 20% fund balance ($50M) is needed. At this time, we are at 11%.
Base Scenario:
Projected Fund Balance in 2027 - $46.5M
Base Scenario – No New EBF 2024-27
Projected Fund Balance in 2027 - $9.5M
Base Scenario – No New Levy 2024-27
Projected Fund Balance in 2027 - $21M
Base Scenario – No New EBF or Levy 2024-27
Projected Fund Balance in 2027 – Deficit of $16M
Dr. Petzke explained that last year, we received $80M in Evidence Based Funding. This year we were projected to receive a 4% increase. But since some districts moved from Tier I to Tier II, it left more dollars to be divided between the Tier I districts. Therefore, we received $5M more then expected. In our future projections, a 4% increase is included. Next year we are guaranteed $89M, but if the State adds the extra funding as promised, it might be an extra 4% or more if less districts stay in Tier I. Of course, this is contingent on EBF being funded by the State.
Ms. Johnson requested a monthly variance report, showing what was spent a year ago in the same month.
The complete presentation on the 5-year projection scenarios, including audio, can be found at the following link: https://go.boarddocs.com/il/oswego308/Board.nsf/Public
9. Action Items
9.1 Approval of Maintenance Project Grant
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Eugene Gatewood, to approve the Application for the Maintenance Project Grant to be submitted to ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education)
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 6-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
9.2 Approval of New High School Courses – 2023-24 School Year
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Eugene Gatewood, to approve the proposed new High School Courses for the 2023-24 school year as presented
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 6-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
9.3 Approval of Destruction of the Audio Recordings of the Closed Session Meetings from October 26, 2020 through April 12, 2021
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Ms. Alison Swanson, to approve the destruction of the Audio Recordings of the closed session meetings from October 26, 2020 through April 12, 2021
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 4-2
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
Nay: Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger
9.4 Approval of the Release of those Closed Session Minutes which no longer require confidential treatment and will be made available for public inspection, and retain as confidential those Closed Session minutes for which the need for confidentiality still exists
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Jared Ploger, to make available no closed session minutes at this time due to a determination that it continues to be necessary to protect the public interest or the privacy of an individual by keeping them confidential
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 6-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Ms. Lauri Doyle, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
10. Closed Session
10.1 Enter Closed Session under statute(s): 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of certain employees and individuals
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Eugene Gatewood, to enter Closed Session under statute(s): 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of certain employees and individuals
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 6-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Ms. Lauri Doyle, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
The Board of Education entered closed session for the second time at 9:31 p.m.
10.2 Return to Open Session
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Eugene Gatewood, to return to open session
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 6-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Ms. Lauri Doyle, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
The Board of Education returned to open session at 10:18 p.m.
11. Action Items
The Board members now voted on previous action items 9.5 and 9.6 that required to be discussed further in the second closed session.
9.5 Approval of District Administrator Contract
Mr. Ploger stated that in the future there needs to be more information, outlining the process for the Board members.
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Dominick Cirone, to approve the District Administrator contract as presented
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 4-1-1
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton Nay: Ms. Alison Swanson
Abstain: Ms. Jennifer Johnson
9.6 Approval of Personnel Report
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Dominick Cirone, to approve the Personnel report as presented
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 4-1-1
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Nay: Ms. Alison Swanson
Abstain: Ms. Jennifer Johnson
12. Adjournment
12.1 Adjourn
A motion was made by Ms. Jennifer Johnson, second by Mr. Eugene Gatewood, to adjourn All were in favor unanimously to adjourn.
Final Resolution: Motion Carried 6-0
Aye: Mr. Dominick Cirone, Mr. Eugene Gatewood, Ms. Jennifer Johnson, Mr. Jared Ploger, Ms. LaTonya Simelton, Ms. Alison Swanson
Meeting Adjourned at 10:21 p.m.
https://www.sd308.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=9932&dataid=77198&FileName=10.24.22%20Board%20Meeting%20Minutes.pdf
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