VI. Approval of Agendas - Superintendent Swopes indicated that additions needed to be made to agenda...the hiring of an architect to conduct life-safety review at CJSHS, to discuss/approve an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) negotiated last week with the CAESP (secretarial union), a job description change of title, and to accept two gifts made to the District (from the Oris B. Hastings Foundation.) A motion was made, seconded, and passed to approve the agenda as amended.

• Regular Meeting
• Closed Meeting

VII. Approval of Treasurer's Report - The Superintendent read the totals. A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

VIII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - No questions or comments by BOE members. A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

IX. Informational

1. Beta Club - Letter From The Mayor...in appreciation for their St. Mary's Park Clean-Up Project.
2. Contribution To Beta Club - This item was corrected...it was NOT a contribution to Beta Club. Instead, it was grant in the amount of $2,256.20 obtained by CJSHS Teacher Ryan O'Shea from the Oris B. Hastings Foundation to be used to purchase mounting kits for classroom projectors. Superintendent Swopes expressed his thanks to Mr. O'Shea for his efforts in obtaining the grant.
3. Directive Number 10-01 - (Well, I guess the BOE can't say they didn't get the message sent by the FOP. It's just that with their hiring of the Reading Teacher later in this meeting, they will simply ignore the message...officially increasing the number of administrative positions in the 2009-10 school year by TWO over the 2008-09 school year. Conflicting messages and contempt have never fazed the Cairo Board of Education!)

   I left the above "catty comment" because "the jury is still out".

   Superintendent Swopes (from his remarks) was obviously disgruntled over "Directive Number 10-01". He remarked that the BOE did not have to vote to accept "Directive Number 10-01...that it was "an EDICT". Superintendent Swopes did say to the BOE..."If you haven't read it, look it over." By way of explanation, Superintendent Swopes referred to financial projections that the District would run a $600,000 deficit this year, which would grow to $900,000 next year. (Personally, this skeptical ex-CAT would say "the jury is still out" on that message of "WOLF". Stay tuned...)

   Superintendent Swopes again indicated that the Financial Oversight Panel had the authority of the state...that their "edict" was something the BOE would have to abide by.

   Superintendent Swopes indicated that the Superintendent and/or BOE would have to adjust its procedure in light of this "edict", especially as it related to the hiring of personnel, due to the fact that the FOP meets AFTER the BOE...that either the Superintendent would have to call the FOP prior to BOE meetings to seek an advanced indication of approval for hirings OR the BOE would have to clearly indicate in their hiring motions that their action was "contingent upon" the approval of the FOP.

   If you will excuse a catty comment...

   Well, DUH! The FOP has been in place since 2003...six effing years! Superintendent Leotis D. Swopes has been in place for a year-and-a-half! It took an uproar over creating two new administrative positions "in a broke school district" and "EDICT 10-01" by the FOP to get your attention!? Talk about needing a 2X4 to get the attention of a mule!

   Finally...

   Guess the Superintendent and the BOE were frozen in the headlights on the hiring thing. After closed session, they skipped the agenda items on hiring a teacher's aide and a teacher...without comment. This means that the FOP will not be able to approve the hirings on Monday at their meeting...meaning that the two employees in question will have to wait until the November meeting!

   Shoulda made that call to the FOP OR done the "contingent" hiring thing...

4. Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) Feedback Regarding Waiver of Penalty - Evidently, TRS slapped the District with a penalty for lateness in certain required filings...lateness caused by the transition from "financial administrator" Shavonna Shipley to Justin Miller. Superintendent Swopes indicated that he had written a letter to TRS trying to explain the situation, seeking a waiver of the penalty...feeling it "unfair" because of the circumstances.

   From his remarks, Superintendent Swopes was initially unsuccessful in gaining a waiver, but that following the intervention of Justin Miller, TRS waived the penalty (which had grown to $8,000). There is a now a new deadline which the District expects to meet.

   (I could be "catty" and speculate on the TRS rejection of the Superintendent's "missive", but I did not see the letter. I guess it's possible that the "missive" was written in English this time...)

5. Other - Superintendent Swopes recognized three SIU students in the audience, indicating that they had prepared a questionnaire for the BOE members concerning their project for renovation of the CCEC. The Superintendent encouraged the BOE members to cooperate.

6. Checks Deposited - District Account

   $9,256.31 - Medicaid Cost Reimbursement
   11,908.51 - Federal Lunch
   6,655.52 - Federal Breakfast
   190,069.65 - State Aid - Aug. - 2nd payment
   529.00 - Fresh Fruits & Vegetables Grant
   2,095.64 - Mobile Home Tax- Alexander County
   1,127.42 - Driver Education
   50.00 - First Student Transit - Rent
   

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 6:26 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 8:05 p.m.

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

1. Personnel employment, resignation, release, discipline, or compensation.

   a. Hire Perdita Woodson - Paraprofessional - Emerson School - For Special Needs Student - Skipped without comment.
   b. Hire Francesca Land - Reading Teacher (Grades 4-6)- Bennett School - Skipped without comment.
   c. Approve Justin Miller as the authorized representative for IMRF and TRS. Motion made, seconded, and passed.
   d. Hire Vichai (Joe) Jangjirawat - Jr. High Asst. Girl's Basketball Coach. Motion made, seconded, and passed.
   e. Hire Jim Drew - Athletic Director. Motion made, seconded, and passed.
   f. Hire Lorenzo Duncan - High School Boys Asst. Basketball Coach. Motion made, seconded, and passed.
   g. Hire Bernard Brown - High School Girls Asst. Softball Coach. Motion made, seconded, and passed.
   h. Board Policy Manual Update - Place On First Reading. Motion made, seconded, and passed.
   i. Hire District architect for life-study survey at CJSHS. Motion made, seconded, and passed. (Have since found out..."Accepted a proposal in the amount of $2,900.00 from Mevert Professional Associates to perform the Life Safety Ten Year Survey for the Cairo JR/SR High School.")

2. Securitas Solutions - Security Firm - Enter Into Three Year Contract - Skipped without comment. (Third time???)
3. Remittance to ISBE - $1,482.00 - Truants Alternative/Optional Education Grant - Skipped without comment.
4. Accept gift from Hastings Foundation - Motion made, seconded, and passed. (I assume this to be the grant obtained by Ryan O'Shea.) (Have since found out..."Accepted a donation in the amount of $2,141.96 from the Oris B. Hastings Charitable Foundation for the purchase of ceiling mounting kits for projectors at the Cairo JR/SR High School.")
5. Accept gift from Hastings Foundation obtained by Paula McKinnis - Motion made, seconded, and passed. (Have since found out..."Accepted a donation in the amount of $2,256.20 from the Oris B. Hastings Charitable Foundation for the JR/SR High School library.")
6. Approve Superintendent's recommendation "per list" - Superintendent Swopes stumbled over this recommendation...starting with "discard", switching to "recycle". I would "assume" some District equipment is being disposed of...equipment that was on a list not provided to the public. (Have since found out..."Authorized the band instructor to identify unusable band instruments as surplus property, and to accept a proposal to dispose of them.") Motion made, seconded, and passed.
7. Approve the suspension without pay of a custodian for 5 days. Motion made, seconded, and passed.

XII. Other:

• Superintendent Swopes indicated that he had an item for "discussion"...wanted the BOE to think about it, but NOT to take any action tonight. That "item" was to charge individuals or organization for use of District buildings...that the District needed to make up some of the overtime that was being paid to custodians to clean up after said individuals or organizations...maybe $100. The Superintendent noted that the $100 would not pay all of the overtime, but it would help defray costs to a financially troubled District. President Burris commented that a Board policy already existed concerning the matter...that the solution would be to simply enforce the policy. No action was taken...as indicated, it was a matter for "discussion".

• BOE Member Stubblefield requested "permission" to attend the National School Board Association Conference to be held in April in Chicago. Mr. Stubblefield indicated that someone from Cairo needed to go. He indicated that although it was "early", this was the time that registrations are usually made. Mr. Stubblefield further indicated that his reason from bringing the matter to the attention of the BOE was that registration fees alone would be in the $700 range. No action was taken upon the request.

XIII. Old Business - None.