Macon Reporter

Maroa Forsyth Community Unit School District 2 Board of Education met Nov. 25.

Here is the minutes provided by the Board:

Agenda

1. Call to Order

A. Meeting called to order at 6:31 pm.

2. Roll Call

A. Present: Wissam Hasnain, Matt Crawford, Brad Wilkey, Brandi Binkley Absent: Lori Willoughby, Darin Duzan, Lindsey Wise. Lindsey arrived at 6:38 pm. Lori arrived at 6:47 pm.

3. Pledge of Allegiance

Presentations

4. Grade School Lego League

A. John—Carrie is here tonight to present the Lego League at the Grade School.

B. Carrie—The Lego League is a great program started at the Grade School. Nikki (Eagler) is here tonight along with some of the students participating. Nikki wrote a Grant to help fund getting this started. They will soon be competing with other leagues soon.

C. Nikki —Foundation helped fund our getting started. The students design a robot and then use the robot to help solve real world problems. Examples given included traffic jams, wheelchair/handicap accessibility. The designs also include multiple attachments they have made for the robots. The student team provided a demonstration of the robot. Their first competition is in Champaign on December 7th. There will be between 30-40 teams there. The competition starts at community level and progressed to State, National and Globally. There are teams in Africa which compete. They are judged on robot design, missions, research and presentation/skit. Our team's presentation is game show style.

D. Brandi—How do you get into the Lego League? E. Nikki-Apply to get a team. Each team is sent a box of Legos and basically figure it out (there is a theme requirement to meet). We meet with our mentor team out of Decatur once each week. Each year the theme is changed and every team starts the same.

5. Recognition of Visitors and Delegations/Citizens Wishing to Address the Board

A. None present.

Learning and Discussion

6. HS Extended Class Credit Recovery Program and Transfer Academy

A. Brice—Extended Class Credit Recovery Program

i. If the students fail, a half credit or semester class, the student is able to retake the class the following year or retake online currently through Illinois Virtual School. We are not seeing great success. It is offered over the summer and costs $95/class. We have about 48 percent who are successful. Most of the students enrolled are there because they don't turn in work on time or at all, don't do an assignment/project, have failed the assignment or a test, etc. They don't tend to succeed in this program because their current habits don't change. With those being existing habits, this program isn't successful as the program is online and self-paced. They fall behind early and are a drop out risk. Mr. Holthaus and I have discussed options and come up with an alternative solution for a MFHS First Semester Class Extension Program and an MFHS Second Semester Class Extension Program. Handouts with details providing how this would be carried out provided.

ii. Wissam Are there situations where it's more than one class?

iii. Brice-Focus will be on the classes they have to have to graduate, such as English 1. We have six students at Futures Unlimited now because they are failing 5-6 classes. We have two more who need to transition.

iv. Brandi—In second semester, are our teachers available to help? Additional workload on our teachers; do we see the benefit of it?

v. Brice— Yes, we do. If we move this option here we can monitor student's progress and determine whether they move on from English 1 to English 2, tools and comprehension learned in English 1 first, setting the student up to succeed in English 2.

B. Brice—Transfer Academy

i. Currently there are opportunities other schools offer which we don't. Dual credit with Richland

Community College (RCC) is one of those options. They can go to Heartland Tech Academy for trades dual credit. Students would go to RCC for a half day for all dual credit options. The students would also be considered part time college students. Eight to ten students currently go to Heartland. The cost is $1500/year. Starting out, we would have to put a cap on the number of students who could enroll. My suggestion is to open up to students but pay no more than what we pay for Tech Academy and the parents/family would be responsible for paying the rest.

7. Cromwell Group Inc. Broadcast Agreement

A. John—We received an application from Cromwell Radio Group for an agreement to review and sign. The Board has to approve this opportunity. Cromwell would like to broadcast all of our Football games, some of our Basketball and Volleyball games.

B. Brice-Cromwell reached out to me a couple of months ago. They currently air items for Decatur, LSA. They would like to build their sports radio stations and would like to use Maroa-Forsyth as a vehicle to build those stations. They initially expressed interest in all Football and Basketball. It would be which game makes the most sense. For example, if we have a Football game in Porta, we'd rather air the Girls' Basketball or Volleyball game that is at home. Once every two weeks, we'd be able to go on the radio to promote our sports. No money is exchanged. If we do something, like a shootout, they would help us get sponsors and we'd split that with them 50/50. We would have the ability to promote events at all schools. This would be a great benefit for our district as we get a lot of calls from people looking for where to watch or listen to the games. When speaking with the teachers and asking for input, they are 100 percent on board with giving students this opportunity. Argenta-Oreana and Cerro Gordo currently offer this opportunity and have 27 kids, Juniors and Seniors, enrolled.

C. Lori—Would/do we bus the kids?

D. Brice—No, we don't. They drive.

E. Lori-Do other schools bus?

F. Brice—Some do. I know for Argenta-Oreana, they run a bus for students to the Tech Academy, but for dual credit at RCC, they drive.

G. Lori—I don't want to limit. I don't think we should fund an Associate's Degree.

H. Wissam-Do the students have to go towards an Associates?

I. Brice—No

J. Wissam—Can they go their Junior year and then decide not to go their Senior year?

K. Brice—Yes

L. Wissam—Do the dual credit courses affect their GPA?

M. Brice—Yes. They would have to pass an entry exam. Their SAT/ACT would have to be a certain score. A lot of the students like to do it to get the college pre-requisites out of the way.

8. Transportation Proposal Bus Lease Agreement 2020-2023

A. John—Jody is here tonight to discuss two different items. One you will be voting on tonight and one you will not be voting on tonight but we want to inform and have discussion. The one you will be san mheave us lusofo metine ontoright and one voting on tonight is with regard to leasing versus owning our own buses - new safe buses, latest technology. The company we use we like. There are twenty buses to turn in. The item we will not vote on tonight is with regard to looking into getting a second activity bus.

B. Jody—I've talked to two companies for comparison- Midwest Transit and Central State. Central States specs weren't as good. It was a lot more money and the warranty wasn't as good. If a bus needs serviced, they don't have a dedicated person to come out and perform the service work. Midwest Transit does and there is not cost, it is free. When we leased the current buses, they were a year old. They are now four years old. When comparing purchasing two-year-old buses versus ones that are new now, the cost for the two-year-old buses is better. When we turn them in they will be five-year-old buses. When a bus gets to year four or five, you start seeing the major issues happening. They start breaking down. The wear and tear, we pay to replace parts/items times 25 buses. To replace all tires on the buses is $8000.The state reimbursement is 85 percent right now. The district cost for new buses is $67,163 and $54,303 for the two-year-old buses. The difference in cost is easily eaten up when you start replacing items on the two-year-old ones. The cameras we have now are on the front and back side. They are able to record the license plates of cars passing buses illegally. The new cameras can detect bus speed, real time and we would be able to know where the bus is this second; all brand new technology. The picture would increase from 780 dpi to 1080 dpi. The cost is $4900. Everything is recorded from the time the bus is turned on to the time it is turned off. The current cameras only do basic recording and don't have the capability to track anything.

C. Wissam-Are we able to do anything with the old system?

D. Jody—Yes, they'll buy them back. E. Lindsey—Is the $4900 a yearly subscription?

F. Jody—It is a one-time fee we pay at lease. 80 percent of the cost is kicked back from State reimbursement.

G. John-Leo and I met with Jody. All numbers are within the budget.

H. Wissam—Are the tires covered regardless of whether the bus is new or the two-year-old one?

I. Jody—No.

J. Jody—Charter bus. When we purchased the first activity bus, we were in unchartered waters. We used it more than we ever thought we would. It has not been limited to just a sporting event. The Lego League and FFA, for example, are using it as well. There is room for fourteen plus the driver. It has paid for itself. When choir and band need transportation for an event, they have 58 kids so we have to take two buses. With a charter bus, we can put them all on one bus and save the cost of driving two full size buses. A large size activity vehicle will hold 74 passengers. Since August, we've spent $11,851, to run two buses. Fourteen passenger $61,460 less the 80% we'd get back from the State nets to $15,292. We could get a used 2018, 74 passengers for $18,400. It would pay for itself in the first year once the savings are factored in with not using a second bus.

K. Lindsey_Would be able to use the same bus drivers?

L. Jody—Yes, same bus drivers, requires the same license classification.

M. Lindsey—Would it cost more to maintain? More to insure?

N. Jody—It would be the same cost as for our regular buses. The charter bus would have the undercarriage for the band equipment, wouldn't need the van and trailer to go also. This is the same frame as a yellow school bus.

O. Lori—Where would it be stored?

P. Jody—With the buses in Maroa. It would fit in the old Ag shop at the Middle School.

9. Strategic Planning Updates

A. John—I'd like to table this to the December or January meeting; just know lots is happening.

10. MS Facility Update and Timelines

A. John-December 4th is the last time the community meets. The meeting is being held at the Middle School Library. We'll bring to the Board the option decided upon. We need to make it a Special Board Meeting as we need to meet before our meeting on the 16th. The Special Board meeting will be December 9th. Stifel has an agency helping draft the three recommendations. On December 16th, there will be a vote for what goes on the ballot. The School Board cannot fundraise or promote any option.

11. Bond Abatement and Transfer November Agenda Action Items

A. John—On the November agenda, we always have our resolutions.

B. Leo-- We have three different resolutions up for abatement. 2017B. 2017C which pay off the Grade School and the third is a partial abatement for capital project funds. The High School Bonds have different sales tax. $200,000 was transferred this year.

12. 2020 Tentative Levy

A. Leo—This is very tentative. Asset valuation for Macon and Dewitt County down. It went up less than 1 percent this year. We levy to max dollars. The residential part is lower than last year. The sales are lower than asset value. Commercial assets are down this year. I should have a final proposal to you next month; have to vote on next month. We are proposing $4.38. but $4.15-$4.16, more likely.

Action

13. Approval, Consent Agenda (Any item may be removed from the consent agenda by any board member.)

a. Approval of the Open Minutes for the Board Meeting on 10-28-19

b. Board Bills of November 2019

c. Financial Reports

d. Treasurer's Report of October 2019

Motion to approve: Matt Crawford

Second: Brad Wilkey

All yes votes.

14. Approval, Transportation Bus Lease Agreement 2020-23 as Presented

Motion to approve: Matt Crawford

Second: Lindsey Wise

All yes votes

15. Approval, Resolution abating the taxes heretofore levied for the year 2019 to pay debt service on the Taxable General Obligation School Bonds (Alternative Revenue Source), Series 2017B, of the District

Motion to approve: Brad Wilkey

Second: Lindsey Wise

All yes votes

16. Approval, Resolution abating the taxes heretofore levied for the year 2019 to pay debt service on the Taxable General Obligation School Bonds (Alternative Revenue Source), Series 2017C, of the District.

Motion to approve: Lori Willoughby

Second: Wissam Hasnain

All yes votes

17. Approval, Resolution (i) transferring funds from the school facility occupation tax fund of the District to the bond and interest fund of the District (ii) abating a portion of the taxes heretofore levied to pay debt service on the General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2010, of the District

Motion to approve: Wissam Hasnain

Second: Matt Crawford

All yes votes

18. Approval, Cromwell Group Inc. Broadcast Agreement as Presented

Motion to approve: Brad Wilkey

Second: Matt Crawford

All yes votes

19. Adjournment

Motion to adjourn: Matt Crawford

Second: Brad Wilkey All yes votes

Meeting adjourned at 8:12 pm

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