Cairo School District has been notified by the Governor's office that it has been awarded a capital development construction grant. WSIL TV News Story The project would be in the amount of $4,882,378...with the state providing 75% ($3,661,784). To get that amount, Cairo School District must come up with 25% ($1,220,594). If the local contribution is less, then the state's portion would be reduced accordingly. The major portion of the grant would be the construction of an 8 classroom addition to Cairo Elementary.

At the end of the Architect's report, there was some discussion/concern by some BOE members about approving the resolution to "commit" to the grant...as recommended by Superintendent Swopes. Objection was raised that they had only received word of the award today...and were being asked to vote on it tonight. There was also concern about dipping into the "General Fund" for up to $300,000, with the remainder of the local share being provided by $900,000 of life-safety bonds. Architect Mevert interjected at this point that under the law, the District could possibly get a one-time waiver to finance the entire $1.2 million local share through the sale of bonds...allowing the BOE to leave its $$2,653,918.23 that it has in an account at the First National Bank in Cairo untouched. THAT brought a sigh of relief... and a motion to approve the Superintendent's recommendation to commit local dollars to the construction grant (which was listed as Item #9 under Section X in the Agenda. The motion was passed.

Two things:

• CAT President O'Shea asked to be recognized toward the end of the BOE's discussion. She urged the BOE members to support the Superintendent's recommendation to move forward with the construction grant. President O'Shea said that if they had any doubts, they should visit Cairo Elementary...see for themselves the crowded conditions. She suggested that the project would be fiscally prudent in that it might stem the tide of students who are leaving the District in search of better, less crowded facilities...that it might even attract new students to the District.

• While President O'Shea was being, well "presidential", this ornery old CAT was squirming and steaming...biting deeply into my catty tongue. I wanted to stand up and SCREAM...WTF! You are the same people who sat on your hands these past five effing years...repeatedly authorizing lawyers to fight the employment of one teacher...spending at least $250,000 to keep one person from working??? Bears repeating...$250,000 TO KEEP ONE PERSON FROM WORKING!!! And that outrageous figure does NOT include the thousands and thousands of dollars that you spent fighting over who should be the head of the CSD Maintenance Department. What was it...just last month, that you voted to give an employee $75,000 to simply walk away!!! Yet...you sit here tonight and sweat bullets about spending $300,000 out of the $2.5 million that you have squirreled away in the First National Bank - that would benefit thousands of children in Cairo for years to come??? Well, give me an effing break!!! I restrained myself...

The BOE voted (once again) to enter closed session at 7:02 p.m. The BOE vote to exit closed session at 8:45 p.m. (BOE Member Brown left the meeting/building at this time.)

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

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

   a. Recall Vonda Williams, Teacher Aide - Cairo Elem.- Retroactive to Oct. 1, 2010 - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   b. Recall Robbin Pyles, Teacher Aide - Cairo Elem. - Retroactive to Oct. 1, 2010 - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   c. Recall Alvin Bellamy, Night Custodian, Cairo Jr/Sr High School - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   d. Recall Nicholas Davis, Night Custodian, Cairo Jr/Sr High School - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   e. Employ Ron Woods - Scholar Bowl Sponsor - Jr.High - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   f. Employ Michael Moore, Scholar Bowl Sponsor - High School - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

   g. Employ James Colyer, Asst. Coach-Boys Basketball - High School - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

2. Approve Graduation Date For Cairo Jr/Sr High School (May 28, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.) - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

3. Place on Reading - Board Policy Manual Updates - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

4. Approve The Elimination of 2 Part-Time Custodial Positions - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

5. Possible Action Re: Expulsion of a Student - Originally skipped, but later the Superintendent came back to this item, recommending that the expulsion be held in abeyance for one year (whatever that means. I mean...I thought you either expelled or you didn't. Maybe it's one of those "Hold it over her/his head, give 'em a second chance" things. Anyway - Motion made and seconded to approve the Superintendent's recommendation.

6. Approve Administrator's Contract - Skipped without comment.

7. Adopt Administrator's Evaluation Instrument - Skipped without comment.

8. Approve Contract With Security Alarm Corp. For Cairo Community Center - Motion made, seconded, and approved.

9. Approve Board Resolution to CDC For Designation of Funds For Construction Project - Motion made, seconded, and approved (at approximately 6:45 before entering closed session the second time.)

XII. Other

• The BOE voted to change the date of their regular November meeting from Thursday, November 18th to Monday, November 15th (so that they could attend conventions.)

• Superintendent reminded the BOE that they had to evaluate him prior to February 1, 2011...or his contract would automatically renew.

XIII. Old Business