Carlinville School Board elects new officers, discusses upcoming projects

 

By ERIN SANSON
Enquirer~Democrat Reporter

The first order of business for the Carlinville School Board meeting was to re-organize the board and elect new officers into position April 13. Board member Bobbi Bates immediately suggested a slate of candidates to fulfill the positions. Bates nominated Sam Harding to fill the position of President, Dan Kallal as Vice President, and Dale Reels to remain as Secretary of the Board. The nominations were accepted unanimously.

Harding replaced Craig Frankford as President. Kallal replaced Harding as Vice President and Reels kept his position as Secretary of the Board.

A new committee was created, following a request by board member Molly Rosentreter for a Building and Grounds Committee. Harding, Rosentreter and Kallal will sit on that committee. The only other change to board committees was that Rosentreter was taken off of the Collective Bargaining Committee, a position that was filled by board member Martha Armour.

The Activities Committee consists of Reels and Bates. The Board Policy Committee includes Rosentreter and Kallal. The Collective Bargaining committee consists of Armour, Frankford, and Harding. Armour is one the Mid-State Committee.

Action Items

The board read for the second time and adopted the Policy 108 changes. Under Superintendent Becky Schuchman’s recommendation, the policy changes were adopted without adopting the National Sex Education Standards. According to Schuchman the information covered by the sex education standards is also mostly covered through the health standards and adopting the national sex education standards would be repetitive information.

The board approved a contract with the City of Carlinville to renew the contract for a school resource officer. The contract is for three years and was approved unanimously.

The bid by Henson Robinson to upgrade the HVAC system in the Vocational Building for $199,686 was approved.

The bid from Gould Flooring to replace flooring in the Middle School, High School and Primary School for $162,520 was approved.

The tentative fiscal year 2022 amended budget was presented to and approved by board members. It will be on display for 30 days and then a public hearing will be held June 13 at 6:45 p.m.

The amended calendar for 2021-2022 was presented to the board. The last day of school for Carlinville students, pending further emergency day use, is set for May 26. May 27 is to be a Teacher Institute Day. The board approved the tentative calendar.

In matters of employment, the Carlinville School Board approved the motion to accept the retirement of Kathi Rhodus at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.

Projects

Several projects will be going on throughout the school district over the summer. The windows of the entire High School-Middle School complex will be replaced. The entire building is to be tuckpointed, lintels repaired, the brick is to be cleaned and sealed, and any broken stone sills will be replaced.

The lowest bid for flooring replacement and abatement was made by Gould Flooring. The business will be abating as needed and replacing tiles in the Middle School and High School. They will also be re-flooring the Primary School library. Abatement is scheduled to begin June 1 to June 30 in the high school and middle school. Replacement floors should go in on July 1 to Aug. 1. The Primary School floors likely do not need any abatement and they may be able to begin replacement in June.

Kreher Brothers is planning to begin the roofing project at the Intermediate School the last week of May or first week of June and plans to have the project completed prior to July 1.

The fire panel in the High School-Middle School is being replaced as are several devices.

Henson Robinson gave the lowest bid for adding HVAC systems to the vocational building. They will be installing nine units. The vocational building has only ever been outfitted for heat and has no air conditioning. The AC units will hopefully help control humidity and prevent the deterioration of the machines and tools.

A door is set to be cut between two rooms at the Middle School over spring break to create easier access between the rooms.

Plans are in the works for a driveway at the Intermediate School, bid packages will be sent out next week.

Other projects the district is getting quotes on are for sealing, painting, and coating the vocational and bus garage buildings and roofs. A component of the fire panel at the Primary School needs replaced. The gym floors of the High School and Middle School need sealing. Updates to the playgrounds at the Intermediate School and Primary School are needed as well as parking lot maintenance and repair.

Other business

High School Principal Patrick Drew announced that dual credit classes could once again contain both students who were participating in the dual credit and those who were not.

Around 2015, the Illinois Community College Board updated their rules saying high school students that were not seeking college credit could not be in dual credit classes with dual credit seekers. That rule led to Carlinville changing what classes would be available to some students. An amendment to the Dual Credit Quality Act, passed April 7, once again allows students into dual credit classes for high school credit only, if they do not otherwise meet the community college eligibility requirements. Dual credit courses will be offered to all students again beginning next school year.

Building projects that are being considered for 2022-2023 include the construction of an outdoor classroom at CHS. Replacing the windows at the Primary School and replacing the roof at the High School-Middle School. Work will continue at the playgrounds and with parking lot repairs and maintenance.