VI. Approval of Agendas - Superintendent Swopes indicated that he wanted to add an item under "Informational"...namely, the proposed school calendar for the 2010-2011 School Year. A motion was made, seconded, and passed to approved the agendas as amended.

• Regular Meeting
• Closed Meeting

VII. Approval of Treasurer's Report - Superintendent Swopes read the highlights for the minutes. A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

VIII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - There were a few questions and a brief discussion. A motion was made, seconded, and passed.

IX. Informational

1. Superintendent Swopes distributed copies of the proposed school calendar for 2010-11. It is basically like the current school year...the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, two weeks at Christmas, a week and a day at Easter, etc. The school year would begin on Thursday, August 19th with back-to-back teacher institute days...one District-wide, one by building. There will be two full weeks of student attendance prior to Labor Day. (Note: Other area schools will begin their school year on August 16th and are scheduled to get out three days earlier.) Our Spring break with begin on the Friday before Good Friday and extend through the entire following week. (The other districts will go to school on that Friday before Good Friday and, instead, take off the Monday following Easter. Superintendent Swopes rationale for doing this was that PSAE testing is evidently schedule to take place on the Wednesday after Easter and he felt it better to have two days rather than one to prepare.) Once again, Superintendent Swopes will set a "last day of student attendance" that does NOT take emergency days into consideration...any days used being ADDED to the "last day of student attendance". Another similarity with this year's school calendar...it provides for 181 days instead of the actual 180 days required. (Don't ask me...I'm just the messenger...) Finally, Superintendent Swopes informed the BOE members that he would not be seeking approval of the calendar at tonight's meeting...that he had to wait for union input/approval.

2. Thank You Card - Mary Herndon - Duly noted.

3. Checks Deposited - District Account

   $23,152.22 - Federal Lunch
   12,857.14 - Federal Breakfast
   190,314.92 - State Aid - March - 2nd Payment
   1,043.06 - Fresh Fruit & Veg. Grant
   576.18 - Student Lunches - ROE
   75,993.00 - JAMP - Reimbursement
   31,294.50 - Personal Property Replacement Tax
   50.00 - First Student Transit - Rent

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 6:25 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 7:36 p.m.

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

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

   a. Accept Resignation of Annie Ramsey - Teacher Aide - Bennett School - Effective end of 2009/2010 school year - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   b. Accept Resignation of Willie Mae Watkins (for the purposes of retirement) - Teacher - Emerson School - Effective end of 2010/2011 school year - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   c. Recall Michael Moore - Position - Alternative Teacher - Cairo Jr/Sr High School - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   d. Recall Jim Drew - Position - P.E. Teacher (Original agenda included "Athletic Director", but motion did not.) - Cairo Jr/Sr High School - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   e. Recall Tena Harrell - Third Grade Teacher - Cairo Elementary School - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   f. Recall Keith Campbell - Fourth Grade Teacher - Cairo Elementary School - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   g. Hire Jared Newman - Art - District Wide - Motion made, seconded, and approved. (Mr. Newman attended the meeting, but due to a misunderstanding did not get the opportunity to meet with the BOE.)

   h. Extension of Contract - Social Worker - Cara Lacy - Six (6) Extra Days - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

2. Approve Contract - Para-Professionals - (Teacher Aides) - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

3. Approve Contract - Custodians - Skipped without comment.

4. Approve Board Policy Manual Updates - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

5. Approve Appointment of Auditors for District - Beussink, Hey, Roe, Seabaugh & Stroder - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

6. Approval of Admin./Director Salaries - Skipped without comment.

7. Hold in abeyance the expulsion of an unnamed student with the assistance of the Delta Center (and I think somebody else. The AC kicked on rendering hearing "iffy".) The period of the "abeyance" was one year.

8. Motion made, seconded, and approved to uphold action on a "504 Plan" concerning an unnamed student.

XII. Other - The Superintendent gave a "heads up" to BOE members to "consider" a "goal setting" retreat of BOE members and District Administrators for August 6th and 7th at a location to be determined at a later date. The purpose of the retreat would be sure that all involved would be "on the same page" as to what the District was going to try to accomplish in the coming year. Superintendent Swopes indicated that he was giving them the advance notice because he wanted everyone to attend...1000%. One BOE member expressed a concern about "tough economic times" and, therefore, the advisability of hold the retreat "locally". In response, the Superintendent indicated that that the IL State Board of Education was stressing professional development for BOE members and was making grants available for same. (Grapevine has it that the site has already been selected and it's in the Chicago area. Hey...that's better than Hotlanta, San Francisco, etc.)

XIII. Old Business