CAT Tracks for August 18, 2011
REGULAR BOE MEETING...MINUTES

The Cairo Board of Education held its regular meeting on Thursday, August 18, 2011, at 6:00 p.m. Below is an annotated agenda to served as minutes...

Cairo School District No. One
"MAKING A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE!"
2403 Dr. M. L. King Jr. Avenue
Cairo, Illinois 62914
Telephone 1-618-734-4102
Fax 1-618-734-4047

CAIRO BOARD OF EDUCATION
CAIRO SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER ONE
REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011
6:00 P.M.

AGENDA

I. Call to Order - 6 p.m.

II. Roll Call - Coleman, Harris, Moore, Burris, Gooden, and McBride answer roll call. (Brown arrived at 6:16 p.m.)

III. Examples of Excellence - CES Principal Allene Houston-Jones reported that approximately 20 students from last year had moved away, but that approximately the same number had moved to Cairo and enrolled. She reported that some students had to be sent home pending physicals. Houston-Jones had hopes that after Labor Day, more students would enroll. Pre-Kindergarten will start on Monday. Houston-Jones reported a new addition to CES this year...a security guard. (CAT Tracks Editor's Note: CJSHS has had security aides and more recently security guards for quite some time.)

Following her "opening of school" remarks, CES Principal Allene Houston-Jones introduced CES Teacher Janet Rose who showed a video which she produced at the end of last year that featured her 6th Grade class. The students performed original songs about Cairo. Ms. Rose also reported on an ongoing project...a mural that is being painted on the side of the building at the corner of 34th and Sycamore, north of the VFW building. The background is in place, which will be gradually added to as money and labor allow. Janet also reported plans for a "River Wall" and a replica of the USS Cairo to be placed in one of the city's vacant lots.

IV. Recognition of Guests/Comments From Public And Employees - CJSHS Principal Zena Madison used this opportunity to make her "opening of school" remarks. CJSHS has just over 150 students enrolled, of which 49 are junior high students. Principal Madison presented a poster prepared by CJSHS Teacher Charlotte Lovelace..."Junior High Kickoff".

V. Approval of Previous Minutes - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  1. Regular Minutes of July 21, 2011
  2. Closed Minutes of July 21, 2011
  3. Special Minutes of July 26, 2011
  4. Closed Minutes of July 26, 2011

VI. Approval of Agendas - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  1. Regular Meeting
  2. Closed Meeting

VII. Approval of Treasurer's Report - Interim Superintendent Swopes read the highlights. Motion made, seconded, and passed.

VIII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - There were no questions or comments. Motion made, seconded, and passed.

IX. Informational

  1. Interim Superintendent Swopes reported that the enrollment of the District has been steadily dropping by approximately 40 students each year. He indicated that this year's count was down by 45 students.

  2. Interim Superintendent Swopes reported that the District had received an "Early Childhood 0-3 Prevention" grant in the amount of $89,000 (and change.) I didn't catch the explanation given by Interim Superintendent Swopes at the request of BOE President McBride, but the "Family Teacher" funded under the grant will make visits into a set number of homes.

  3. Checks Deposited - District Account

    $734.58 - Fresh Fruits & Veggie Grant
    4,744.00 - TAOEP Grant Payment
    4,744.00 - TAOEP Grant Payment
    4,744.00 - TAOEP Grant Payment
    4,744.00 - TAOEP Grant Payment
    1,433.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
    33,061.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
    33,892.50 - Personal Property Replacement Tax
    6,467.04 - Federal Lunch
    3,089.30 - Federal Breakfast
    33,061.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
    1,433.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
    4,744.00 - TAOEP Grant Payment
    28,959.00 - Title II Teacher Quality
    4,744.00 - TAOEP Grant Payment
    1,262.60 - State Free LunchlBreakfast
    1,433.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
    71,754.00 - Title I Low Income
    4,744.00 - TAOEP Grant Payment
    1,107.00 - State Free LunchlBreakfast
    50.00 - First Student- Rent
    43,253.50 - Special Ed. Personnel
    2,618.75 - CCEC Lease Payment- Shawnee College
    35,102.27 - Regular Transportation
    24,333.21 - Special Ed. Extraordinary
    8,095.57 - Special Ed. Orphanage

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 6:25 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 7:34 p.m.

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

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

      a. Employ Ryan O'Shea, High School Scholar Bowl Sponsor - Cairo Jr/Sr High School - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

      b. Employ Larry Woods, Assistant High School Boys Basketball Coach - Cairo Jr/Sr High School - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

      c. Employ Alvin Wiggins, Assistant High School Girls Basketball Coach - Cairo Jr/Sr High School - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  2. Approve Inter-fund Loan Request - (Between the AC and some mumbling, I think it was a) transfer of $100,000 from the Ed Fund to the Tort Fund. Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  3. Place On Reading - Board Policy Manual Updates - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  4. Approve Title I School Wide Plans - Cairo Jr/Sr High School & Cairo Elementary School - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  5. Employ Keeshia Carr as CHS Cheerleader Coach - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  6. Employ Dianne Thomas as CJHS Cheerleader Coach - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

  7. And there was one more recommendation by Interim Superintendent Swopes that deserves a separate posting.

XII. Other - BOE Member Gabriel Harris reported on a conference that he and several District teachers (elementary and secondary) recently attended in Bloomington, IL. The conference was on bullying and how to reduce such incidents. Mr. Harris reported that the 7th- and 8th-Graders had been working during the summer on an anti-bullying skit that they will present to the 5th- and 6th-Graders. Mr. Harris reported that there are plans to conduct surveys of the staff and parents at a later date.

XIII. Old Business

XIV. Adjourn...A motion for adjournment was requested, but aborted. Instead, the BOE voted to recess until Monday, August 22nd, at 6 p.m. They will then reconvene to meet in conjunction with the Cairo FOP. The meeting ended at 7:42 p.m.

CLOSED SESSION IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, PERFORMANCE OR DISMISSAL OF INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES WHICH MAY BE OF A TEMPORARY CONFIDENTIAL NATURE, STUDENT DISCIPLINE, PLACEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, DISCUSSION OF LITIGATION PROBABLE, IMMINENT, FILED OR PENDING AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OR RELATED ISSUES.