The Carmi White County Unit 5 School Board met Monday night with two new board members sworn in. Scott Mareing was there and has this report…
First, the board met for five minutes to approve the minutes of the two previous April board meetings and Superintendent Jarrod Newell gave a review of the election results from April.
The board adjourned, and was then called back to order, and the board members that were elected last month simultaneously recited the oath of office. They were new members Brent Edwards and Kenneth Hargrave and returning members Brent Hammell, Barbara Mitchell and Nathan Whetstone. President Pete Fulkerson praised outgoing board members Sheila Westfall and Tom Scates for their service and presented with them with plaques. Fulkerson noted that Scates had been on the board since 1987.
Then came the election of Permanent Officers. Without opposition, Nathan Whetstone was named Board President with Brent Hammell named Vice-President and Barbara Mitchell as Secretary.
Policies of the previous board of education were adopted as required by the state board.
The preliminary Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Amendment was adopted. There is a positive receipt vs. expenditures for the year of $807,085. It will be on display for the next 30 days, and a public hearing with final adoption of the budget will take place at the June 26th board meeting.
The board accepted the low bid for replacement of the High School FFA barn that was destroyed by a storm in the spring of 2022 from Dahlgren Building Center for $60,719, contingent on approval of the architect.
Also, the board approved renewing the agreement of the current School Resource Officer, Officer David Agee of the Carmi Police Department, and to pursue the possibility of an agreement for a second SRO. The district’s share of the costs will increase $7.75 per day or $1,391.40 for the term of the contract, which is for the 2023-2024 school year.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the Carmi-White County School District and the Stress and Trauma Center was approved. Its purpose is to establish the terms and conditions under which the parties will collaborate to support the mental health services within the school district. It’s good for one academic year and any future years must be agreed upon by both parties involved.
In the Superintendent’s Report, Jerrod Newell ran down the end-of-the-year events for the various students and thanked everyone involved in putting them together. The last day for students is May 23rd and the last day for staff is May 24th.
Newell congratulated Special Education Coordinator Amy Rice for being awarded the 2023 Kiwanis Educator of the Year and Pre-K Parent Coordinator June Acord for being awarded the Kiwanis Support Staff of the Year.
Awards Day at CWCHS was held on May 11th and this year’s senior class of 80 students received $1,585,750 in awards and scholarships.
Also, White County Government was selected to receive an Energy Transition Community Grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which must be used to plan for or address the economic and social impact on the community or region of plant or mine retirement or transition. The district was awarded $65,000 and they should know in a couple of days when the money will be received.
Finally the various buildings gave their Good News reports.
The Consent Agenda was approved. It included final action of changes to ten board policies; acceptance of the lowest bids for consumable supplies, cafeteria food, milk, fuel, trash hauling, pest control, fire extinguisher, and fire suppression; the board accepted the resignations of Teresa Melton as Crossville Crossing Guard and Emily Driscoll as Junior High School Assistant Volleyball Coach, both effective immediately, as well as Cammie Pollard as Carmi-White County Head Volleyball Coach, Kurt Simon as Junior High School Athletic Director, and Corey Ackerman as a Fifth Grade Teacher from Washington School, all effective at the end of the 2022-2023 school year; and accepted $2,000 in donations towards the district’s Summer Reading Program and $900 in donations to the Brownsville School.
The board went into Closed Session at 8:00 PM to discuss Personnel/Security Procedures, School Building Safety and Security, and the Use of Personnel.
