OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT NO. 148 DOLTON, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS

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1 OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT NO. 148 DOLTON, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS The MINUTES of the Regular Meeting of the Board of Education, District No. 148, Dolton, Cook County, Illinois held at the Administrative Office in said School District at 7:00 p.m., on the 24 th of November ROLL CALL After the Pledge of Allegiance President Kim Adkins, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. and directed that the roll be called. Upon the roll being called, the following members answered present: Pam Gibson, Larry Lawrence, Lisa Davis-Smith, Ernesto Mickens, Joyce Jackson, and Kim Adkins. Absent was: Faith Gunter. Also present were, Keri-Lyn Krafthefer, Attorney, Ancel, Glink, Diamond, Bush, DiCianni & Krafthefer P.C., Interim Superintendent Dr. Mickles, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Moore, Chief School Business Official Mr. La Bella, Director of Technology Ms. Marshall, Director of RtI/PBIS & Bully Prevention Mrs. Navarre, Principals Mr. Chambers, Mr. James, Mr. King, Dr. McFarlane, and Ms. Montgomery, Assistant Principals Mrs. Marks, Mr. Palicki, and Mrs. Williams and Board Secretary, Mrs. Sevier. VISITORS Michael Griffin, Sandra Kwasa (IASB), Serita Whitehorn, LaToya Winton, Abraham and Toni Bolden, Milton Jones, Lisa Wallace, Evelyn Smith-Atangana, Monique Dawson, Vaniscia Easter-Adams, Jennifer Bennett-Collins, Leland Collins III, Laniya Garner, Tenisha Mallory, Joan Carreon, Lora and Paul Walker, Henry Johnson, Indu Wilson, Antonio Smith, Beverly Jackson, Marie Hensley, Patrick Onaghama, Gail Jilek, Kenneth Adkins, and S. Randle. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Member Mickens moved and Member Gibson seconded the motion that the minutes of the Regular Meeting held on Tuesday, October 20, 2015, beginning at 7:07 p.m. be approved as written and directed the secretary to place them on file as a part of the official Board Minutes. 1

2 DISTRICT ITEMS OF INTEREST Member Adkins moved and Member Gibson seconded the motion to move Agenda Item E, District Items of Interest, up in the meeting to follow Agenda Item B, Approval of Minutes. November 15 th marked the seventh official statewide observance of School Board Members Day in Illinois. This year s theme is Everyday Heroes. District 148 s School Board Members were honored for their dedicated service to the District and the Community. Principals introduced their students who presented their thank you to the Board of Education. Tri-M Music Honor Society students also presented and performed the song Hot Chocolate for the Board. President Adkins announced that we would take a 5 minute recess at 7:50 p.m. The Meeting was called back to order at 7:55 p.m. ADMINISTRATION-INFORMATION REPORTS Dr. Moore reported on Parent Conferences. There were 75% of our students represented this year at our parent conferences. Dr. Moore updated us on the ReadyGen program. The ReadyGen program is enjoyed by the students. The principals met with their instructional coaches to gather information about the pros and cons of the ReadyGen program. A booklet was complied with all of the information and given to the Board members. The booklet summarizes an overview of the program. Dr. Moore showed a video presentation by a Pearson representative of the learning environment of a school day of Washington School. Dr. Mickles summarized Dr. Dunleavy s report of the Crisis Prevention Intervention. District 148 had a renewal training that focused on the safe management of disruptive and assaultive behaviors called CPI (Crisis Prevention Intervention) which is a nonviolent crisis intervention. The staff was trained to help them gain the skills and the confidence necessary to handle crisis situations with minimal anxiety and maximum security. Mr. La Bella presented a 2015 Estimated Tax Levy PowerPoint explantion. Property tax is the 2 nd largest revenue for the District. Property values decreased but the tax bills remained the same. 2

3 Dr. Mickles reported that District 133 had a Walk-a-Thon and that District 148 contributed bottles of water. She also reported on SWIS data reports. Referrals have decreased. A literacy report was given to the Board also. Students are achieving considerable strides in Reading and Math skills. Ms. Marshall reported that our Enrollment stands at 2,220 students, which is an increase of 32 students over last month. Ms. Sandra Kwasa, a representative with Illinois Association of School Boards presented the program called TAG (Targeting Achievement Through Governance). This is a State funded free program for Board members. The comprehensive program includes in-district workshops for months. It focuses on student achievements and the responsibilities of the Board of Education members. PRESIDENT'S REPORT Three Committees met since the last regular Board Meeting. The District Leadership Team meeting was held on Thursday, October 29, The Building & Grounds Committee and Finance Committee were held on Tuesday, November 10, Summaries of these meetings will be enclosed in the Board Packet following approval by each committee. The summaries of District Leadership Team meeting held on Thursday, April 23, 2015, the Building & Grounds Committee meeting and Finance Committee meeting held on Tuesday, October 6, 2015 were presented. WINTER CONCERTS The District Bands and Vocal Ensembles will again this year be presenting their Winter Concerts. Performances are as follows: Wednesday, December 16, :00 p.m. - Washington School - Concert Band, Concert Choir, Symphonic Band, Chorale, and Tri- M Musicians Band. Thursday, December 17, :00 p.m. - Washington School - Beginning Band, Beginning Vocal Ensemble, and Tri-M Musicians. BOARD POLICY COMMITTEE MEETING The Board Building and Grounds meeting will be Tuesday, December 8, 2015 at 5:00 p.m. Immediately following will be the Finance Committee meeting and immediately following the Finance Committee will be The Board Policy Committee meeting. 3

4 2016 NSBA ANNUAL CONFERENCE The National School Board Association s Annual Conference will be held April 9th to April 11th, 2016 in Boston. Reservations have been completed for Kim Adkins, Lisa Davis-Smith, Joyce Jackson, and Larry Lawrence. COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORTS Member Adkins reported on the District Leadership Team meeting. Discussions were lively and engaging. They discussed student achievement, collaboration, and the District s Strategic Plan. Student attendance affects the learning ability and therefore committees are being established to help improve attendance. Member Adkins reported that the Building and Grounds committee meeting was routine. Member Adkins reported that during the Finance Committee meeting, they were giving an in-depth overview of the tax levy report by Mr. La Bella. Mr. Jake, a representative from Prudential Security Inc. gave a presentation. They provide school security and safety services. Their security officers come highly trained. They are a partner with school districts in Detroit, Michigan. Prudential Security provides safe passage programs and mentoring programs. They hire officers from within the community. Their hope is to partner with School District 148. APPROVE RENEWAL OF SCHOOL BOARD POLICIES ONLINE Member Davis-Smith moved and Member Gibson seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 approve the renewal of School Board Policy Online from the Illinois Association of School Boards in the amount of $2,

5 APPROVE RENEWAL OF POLICY REFERENCE EDUCATION SUBSCRIPTION (PRESS) Member Mickens moved and Member Jackson seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 approve the renewal of the Policy Reference Education Subscription Service (PRESS) from the Illinois Association of School Boards in the amount of $ APPROVE RENEWAL OF SCOPE MEMBERSHIP FOR Member Adkins moved and Member Mickens seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148, approve renewal fee for Scope Membership for the school year in the amount of $1, SET TRUTH IN TAXATION HEARING Member Lawrence moved and Member Mickens seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 set the time, date, and location for the Truth in Taxation Hearing for 7:00 p.m. December 15, 2015 at the District 148 Administrative Office, 114 West 144th Street, Riverdale, Illinois. APPROVE USTA ACE PROJECT AT WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN SCHOOLS Member Mickens moved and Member Gibson seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 approve the project at Washington and Lincoln Schools to allow USTA (United States Tennis Association) to provide striping, portable nets, rackets or balls for the tennis courts on the playgrounds and also to provide fencing of Washington School at no cost to the District. 5

6 APPROVE SIMPLEX GRINNELL SERVICE MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT Member Lawrence moved and Member Adkins seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 approve the Simplex Grinnell Service Maintenance Agreement renewal for 12/1/15 to 11/30/16, in the amount of $12, APPROVE PROPOSAL TO REPLACE AEDS Member Adkins moved and Member Mickens seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 approve the proposal to replace all eleven of the District s AED s (Automated External Defibrillator) and to purchase the pediatric electrode pads from School Health. Total proposal for the service agreement and all devices is $27, PURCHASE HP ELITEBOOK COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER CARTS Member Gibson moved and Member Adkins seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 approve the purchase from Trinity 3 LLC for (500) HP Elitebook computers in the amount of $199, and (19) 30 unit Charging Carts 15 screens in the amount of $28, Total cost will be $227, Funds will be taken from Title I grant funds. 6

7 APPROVE BILLS AND ACCOMPANYING FINANCIAL REPORTS Member Adkins moved and Member Gibson seconded the motion that the Board of Education Dolton West School District 148 approve the bills presented for payment from the month of November 2015, as printed under the Action Items/New Business, Agenda Items F-9-a - F-9-p totaling $873, and the accompanying Financial Reports, directing the secretary to place all reports on file for audit. DESCRIPTION AMOUNT SUB-TOTAL GRAND TOTAL a. Regular Bills $654, b. AFHK PE Grant 1, c. District Band d. Donation Fund e. IDEA Grant 5, f. PFA Grant 21, g. PS EXP Grant 91, h. Safety Grant i. Supp GSA 1, j. Supp GSA-Police Liaison 8, k. Supp GSA-Referees 2, l. Title I Grant 18, m. Title II Grant 11, SUBTOTAL 817, n. District Custodian OT o. Total Secretaries Overtime p. Total Teacher Substitute 55, SUBTOTAL 56, GRAND TOTAL $873, Ayes: Gibson, Lawrence, Davis-Smith, Mickens, Adkins Abstain: Jackson 7

8 ACCEPT STUDENT ACTIVITY ACCOUNT REPORT Member Gibson moved and Member Mickens seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148, accept the Student Activity Account Report as submitted. BUILDING & GROUNDS AND RENTAL REPORTS Member Mickens moved and Member Adkins seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148, accept the Buildings and Grounds and the Rental Reports as submitted. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION Officer John Brosius is a Police Liaison in our schools. He spoke on behalf of the officers in our school buildings. He shared that these officers are either retired or active officers of the police force. The officers have had a relationship with District 148 Administrators for 21 years. They have attended training from the number one school in the country. Training that the officers have received is far and above training that a Prudential Security guard has received. All the police that work in the district schools are armed and trained for circumstances of active shooters. They coordinate with first responders and they have good relationships with the principals of the schools. He is asking that if there is a problem with the officers, that the Board address it with the officers before looking for a security firm to replace them. There is a big difference between a police officer and a security guard. Officer Tony spoke about caring for the students of District 148. He has been an officer for over 23 years. They build relationships with the students they protect. To replace them with security guards in the schools would be a very serious decision. They have 8

9 worked with students and parents. They go into the classrooms so that the students know them and that the students get to know them on a friendly basis, other than when something bad happens. They are a family with the students of District 148. Member Jackson is a 23 year resident of the community. She has done research on Prudential Security Inc. It is noted that they do not encourage overtime pay. She questioned who would be watching our students after 5:00 p.m. The local police that we have in our schools are watching our community at all times. The officers in our schools have built relationships with our students and they have gotten to know them personally. Security officers do not have the legal latitude over our legally sworn police officers. Ms. Randle spoke about safety after hours. She does not feel that Riverdale School receives support and safety from the Dolton Police officers after hours. Dolton Police officers do not help like the Riverdale Police officers. The Riverdale officers help with racial tensions and cultural sensitivity of our students and community. She does not receive that same level of support from the Dolton Police officers. The Riverdale officers are a great resource of support and protection. She has tried to work with the Dolton officers and that has proven to be unsuccessful. Member Lawrence mentioned that although it is admirable that Prudential Security give back to the community by giving college scholarships, Riverdale officers give coats that our students can benefit from right now. They help support our community and students without wanting recognition and rewards. Retired Deputy Chief Ryan spoke about serving this community for over 33 years. He has received training on a national level and also receives information from students because they know and trust the officers. He is a certified instructor for emergency planning for school safety. He would like to make sure that all the schools have emergency planning. He thanked the Board for allowing Riverdale officers to speak and share their concerns. Mr. King, Principal of Lincoln Schools, spoke on behalf of Lincoln and Dolton Police. The Dolton Police officers have a very good relationship with the students and staff of Lincoln. The officers are very active with his students during and after school. The mayor, community, village, and trustees have come to the Lincoln schools and they have served them well. He wanted to give a fair representation of what the Dolton officers do in the district. President Adkins shared that she has met with the Dolton Police chief. There are some awesome things the Dolton officers want to do with the district. Her concern was having a crossing guard by the railroad tracks to help our students across. Mr. King shared that the Dolton Police have increased the number of crossing guards and that they have given Lincoln a Police Liaison to help with the traffic flow. 9

10 Dr. McFarlane, Principal of Park Elementary, has always felt nothing but support from the officers in her building. They have always given Park School support and they are always willing to help. Member Gibson feels that the Dolton Police should give the same level of support to all of our schools. Our students should feel the same level of protection regardless of the school that they attend. Officer John Brosius shared that the number one threat in schools is an active shooter. He pointed out that whomever the Board decides to have securing the schools, those individuals need to be equipped to return on an active shooter when lives are being taken in those critical moments. CLOSED SESSION Member Adkins moved and Member Mickens seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 move into Closed Session at 9:25 p.m. for: Discussion of hiring a new superintendent, employee performance and employee Compensation pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1): (a) The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body or legal counsel for the public body Discussion of pending litigation pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/2(c)(11): (a) Litigation, when an action against, affecting or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal Review of closed session minutes pursuant to 5 ILCS 120/(c)(21). RETURN TO OPEN SESSION Member Adkins moved and Member Mickens seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 return to Open Session at 11:08 p.m. 10

11 None. ACTION FOLLOWING CLOSED SESSION MOTION TO ACCEPT CORRESPONDENCE Member Adkins moved and Member Mickens seconded the motion that the Board of Education, Dolton West School District 148 be accepted as written and placed on file as part of the official Board Minutes. This month s correspondence contains one thank you card from the Gunter Family. ADJOURNMENT Member Adkins moved and Member Gibson seconded the motion that the Board of Education Dolton West School District 148 adjourn the meeting held on November 24, 2015, at 11:21 p.m. On roll call, the following vote was taken: Kim Adkins, President Joyce Jackson, Secretary 11