Mt Zion Community Unit School District 3 Board of Education Met Feb. 16.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
President Jeffrey Sams called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Board members present were: Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, and Matt Beavers. John Flora was absent.
Administration present consisted of: Dr. Travis R. Roundcount, Superintendent of Schools; Brian Rhoades, Associate Superintendent; Billy Rockey, District Technology Director; Justin Johnson, Mt. Zion High School Principal; Julie Marquardt, Mt. Zion Jr. High School Principal; Randy Thacker, Mt. Zion Intermediate School Principal, Gary Gruen, Mt. Zion Grade School Principal, and Heather Ethell, McGaughey Elementary School Principal.
CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL
ADMINISTRATION PRESENT
The Pledge of Allegiance was cited by those present and led by Jeffrey Sams.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Nathan Brock introduced a motion to approve the Regular Meeting minutes of January 19, 2021. Seconded: Kristi Niles. Roll Call: Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, yea. Motion carried 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Matt Beavers presented a motion to approve the Executive Meeting minutes of January 19, 2021. Seconded: Michelle Shumaker. Roll Call: Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, Kristi Niles, yea. Motion carried 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Board President Sams introduced: 1) Jill Driscoll, McGaughey’s Kindergarten through 3rd Grade Aspire teacher, who requested to speak regarding special education concerns in the District, and 2) James Bond who requested to speak about the school board.
1) Superintendent Roundcount introduced: Justin Johnson (Mt. Zion High School Principal), who in turn introduced Julie Marquardt (Mt. Zion Jr. High Principal) and Adriane Moody (Mt. Zion High School Counselor), who provided a collaborative update on remote learning academic and mental health support methods being implemented for Jr. High and High School students. 2) Dr. Roundcount commended Justin Johnson on his first year as Mt. Zion High School Principal, stating that Mr. Johnson has stepped into the role of principal and ran with it like he has always done it. 3) Dr. Roundcount recognized Julie Marquardt’s hard work in creating the Jr. High curriculum booklet which will benefit staff, families, and students in the District. 4) President Sams acknowledged Jill Driscoll’s presentation, and thanked her for asking such great questions regarding Mt. Zion’s special education program. He stated that, while he did not have answers to her questions, the Board and administration would do their best to address her concerns.
Nathan Brock presented a motion to approve keeping Executive Session Minutes prior to February 2021 closed. Seconded: Kristi Niles. Roll Call: Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, yea. Motion carried 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Kristi Niles introduced a motion to authorize the destruction of the verbatim audio recordings from the closed session meetings of the Mt. Zion Board of Education prior to August 2019. Seconded: Matt Beavers. Roll Call: Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, yea. Motion carried 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Nathan Brock presented a motion to approve the first reading of Policy 2:50 related to board members’ term of office. Seconded: Michelle Shumaker. Roll Call: Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, yea. Motion carried 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Michelle Shumaker introduced a motion to approve payment of the enclosed list of Fund Warrant Check Numbers: 28986-29100 as presented. Seconded: Kristi Niles. Roll Call: Matt Beavers, Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, yea. Motion carried 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Kristi Niles presented a motion that the attached Financial Treasurer’s Report be accepted and filed for audit. Seconded: Matt Beavers. Roll Call: Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, yea. Motion carried 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Kristi Niles introduced a motion to authorize the Administration to solicit paper and custodial supply bid quotations for the 2021-2022 school year according to the attached specification sheets. Seconded: Michelle Shumaker. Roll Call: Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, Kristi Niles, yea. Motion carried: 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Nathan Brock introduced a motion to go into Executive Session at 7:43 p.m. for the purpose of discussing the appointment/ employment/ compensation/ discipline/ performance and/or dismissal of specific employee or office of the public body; discussions regarding self evaluation, practices, and procedures or professional ethics with representatives of statewide associations; and discussions regarding negotiating matters with the union. Seconded: Kristi Niles. Roll Call: Nathan Brock, Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, yea. Motion carried 6-0. (See Book of Attachments.)
Nathan Brock presented a motion to return to open session at 10:30 p.m. Seconded: Kristi Niles. Roll Call: Michelle Shumaker, Matt Beavers, Kristi Niles, Jeffrey Sams, Dave Brandon, Nathan Brock, present.
Dave Brandon introduced a motion to approve the outlined personnel-related items pending a drug test and background check for new employees.
EMPLOYMENT:
| Andrew Brown
Mt. Zion High School | Business Teacher
Effective August 16, 2021 |
| Chris Cochran
Mt. Zion High School | 2nd Shift Custodian
Effective February 16, 2021 |
| Brian Dennison
Mt. Zion School District Transportation | Bus Driver, 4 hours per day, $15.00 per hour Effective February 17, 2021 |
| Merrik Eddington
Mt. Zion High School | Group V - High School Assistant Baseball Effective February 1, 2021 |
| Shirley Johnson
Mt. Zion High School Complex | 2nd Shift Custodian
Effective February 16, 2021 |
| Bekki Moore
Mt. Zion High School | Spanish Teacher
Effective August 16, 2021 |
| Allyson Bragg Buffi Kaufman Mikaela Wattleworth Ronald Callow Isabella Newingham Matthew Wiese Lorrie Durbin Steve Nichols
Hannah Gruen Lynn Rufener |
| John Larrison
Mt. Zion High School | Group V - High School Assistant Baseball Effective February 1, 2021 |
| Lindsey Rotz
Mt. Zion Jr. High School | Group III - Jr. High Girls’ Basketball
Effective March 8, 2021 |
| Austin Jesse
Mt. Zion Jr. High School | From Group VII - Jr. High Assistant Boys Track to Group V - Jr. High Head Girls’ Track
Effective February 1, 2021 |
| Blake Bradley
Mt. Zion Jr. High School | Group VII - Junior High School Assistant Cross Country and Position - Junior High School Assistant Scholastic Bowl; Effective at the end of the 2020-21 school year |
| Julie Hott
Mt. Zion School District Transportation | Bus Driver, 4 hours per day
Effective February 2, 2021 |
| Lindsey Lacy
Mt. Zion School District Transportation | Bus Driver, 4 hours per day
Effective March 13, 2020 |
| Whitley Phillips
Mt. Zion Jr. High/High School | Assistant Cook, 3.5 hours per day
Effective January 13, 2021 |
| Natalie Stocks
Mt. Zion Intermediate School | 4th Grade Teacher
Effective June 30, 2020 |
| Pam Hilligoss
McGaughey/Mt. Zion Grade School | Nurse/LPN
Effective at the end of the 2020-21 school year |
The documented list of F.O.I.A. requests received and responses sent by the District between August 2020 and February 2021 was presented to the Board for informational purposes only.
1) Patrick Allen, Field Services Director with the Illinois Association of School Boards, shared that school board members all across Illinois are facing unforeseen hardships during the pandemic, and he understands the role of school board member may not look anything like what board members expected when they ran for office. He expressed hopes that our Board structures itself in a unified way to get through this crisis, and hopes the pandemic will soon end so that we can all return to normal. 2) Dave Brandon shared thank you cards received from: Rhonda, Jacob and Nick Garner for the sympathy planter received for the passing of Todd Garner (former Mt. Zion School Board President); Tom Rich (Intermediate School Custodian) for the sympathy planter received for the passing of his son-in-law, John Powell, Jr.; and Monica Stuart (Mt. Zion Grade School Food Service Assistant) for the sympathy planter received for the passing of her son, Brad Stuart.
President Sams announced Tuesday, March 16, 2021, 6:30 p.m. as the next regular meeting of the Board of Education, to be held at the Mt. Zion C.U.S.D. #3 District Office, 1595 W. Main St., Mt. Zion, IL 62549.
The Board of Education Meeting was adjourned by general consent at 10:36 p.m.
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