Quincy Reporter

Quincy Public School District 172 Board of Education met July 22.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

Meeting Convened

The Board of Education of School District No. 172, Adams County, Illinois, met in regular session at 6:00 p.m. in the Board of Education Office, Room 214, 1416 Maine Street, Quincy, Illinois, in said school district.

Roll Call

The meeting was called to order by President Ali, who directed the secretary to call the roll. On the call of the roll, the following members were present and answered to their names: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following member was absent: None. Whereupon the President declared a quorum was present. Member McNay was present telephonically.

Moment of Silence

President Ali declared a moment of silence and reflection. He commented on several former educators and a community leader who recently passed away.

Pledge of Allegiance

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by President Ali.

Questions and Comments

President Ali opened the meeting to questions and comments to members of the Board, by members of the public.

Jeff Kerkhoff commented that there is a need for diversity of ideas, not just skin color. He quoted from a speech by Calvin Coolidge about honoring our founding fathers. He also commented on his review of the textbook World Cultures and Geography for 6th graders to be adopted by the Board at this meeting. He pointed out some discrepancies with historical dates.

Consent Agenda

It was moved by Member Troup and seconded by Member Whitfield to approve the following items on the Consent Agenda:

a. Treasurer’s Report June 2020 

b. Minutes – June 24 and July 1, 2020 

c. Check Register and JH/SH Activity Fund Reports 

d. Acknowledge receipt of the Freedom of Information Log: June 20, 2020 – July 17, 2020 (Information Only) None

On the call of the roll, the following members voted Aye: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following members voted Nay: None. Whereupon the President declared the motion carried.

Reports of the Superintendent

Flinn Athletic Facility. Superintendent Webb reminded the Board that the grand opening for the new Flinn Athletic Facility will be Thursday, July 23 at 9:00 a.m. The facility was made possible entirely through private donations of over $1.6 million through the Five Man Sled Company. The keys will be turned over to Coach Rick Little and the QHS football team. Many thanks to Jim Hansen who spearheaded the effort, and to Todd Moore, Quincy Public Schools Foundation, Coach Little and all the amazing donors. President Ali said Quincy Public Schools is blessed to have this incredible community support.

Board Committees

There were no committee reports.

Elimination of the QHS Proficiency Requirement for Graduation

Quincy High School Principal Jody Steinke explained the recommendation to eliminate the QHS proficiency requirement for graduation. He said the requirement is outdated and inconsistent and has not prevented a student from graduating in over ten years. All math and English classes are closely aligned with state standards and college readiness standards and are constantly monitored, assessed and adapted to the curriculum. There is a lack of consistency in all the various methods to assess proficiency. While all are rigorous and valid, the SAT, ACT, AP Exams, in-class assessments, and after school assessments are all constructed in different ways and measure different skills and content. Current coursework and related assessments in math and English give an accurate and complete picture of students’ proficiency levels.

It was moved by Member Bailey and seconded by Member Troup to approve the elimination of the QHS proficiency requirement for graduation. On the call of the roll, the following members voted Aye: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following members voted Nay: None. Whereupon the President declared the motion carried.

Bids for Food/Non-Food, Bread and Milk

It was moved by Member Troup and seconded by Member Arns to approve the following bids for food service for the 2020-2021 school year: Food/Non-Food—$781,001.70 Kohl’s Wholesale (Fall Only). Bread—$46,198.98 Kohl’s Wholesale. Produce Full Case $1.25. Broken Case $0.85 from Central Illinois Produce. Milk—$218,027.50 escalator from Prairie Farms Dairy (Doc. Reg. No. 3150). On the call of the roll, the following members voted Aye: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following members voted Nay: None. Whereupon the President declared the motion carried.

Adoption of Textbook/Instructional Materials

It was moved by Member Bailey and seconded by Member Arns to approve adopting the textbook/instructional materials World Cultures and Geography for 6th grade level. On the call of the roll, the following members voted Aye: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following members voted Nay: None. Whereupon the President declared the motion carried.

MOU #9 – Revised Schedule G - Music Co-Curricular Activities Index Table

Dr. Todd Pettit, Director of K-12 Music, presented the revised Schedule G – Music Co-Curricular Activities Index Table. He explained that a team of veteran music teachers worked on the index for co-curriculars to reallocate the funds more fairly based on workloads. There is no change in the total amount allocated.

It was moved by Member Troup and seconded by Member Arns to approve Memorandum of Understanding #9 with Quincy Federation, Local 809 – Revised Schedule G – Music Co- Curricular Activities Index Table (Doc. Reg. No. 3151). On the call of the roll, the following members voted Aye: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following members voted Nay: None. Whereupon the President declared the motion carried.

Termination of Lease and Indemnification Regarding Flinn Athletic Facility

It was moved by Member Troup and seconded by Member Ali to approve the Termination of Lease and Indemnification Agreement regarding Flinn Athletic Facility (Doc. Reg. No. 3152). On the call of the roll, the following members voted Aye: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following members voted Nay: None. Whereupon the President declared the motion carried.

Personnel Addendum

It was moved by Member Nichols and seconded by Member McNay to approve the Revised Personnel Addendum as presented. On the call of the roll, the following members voted Aye: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following members voted Nay: None. Whereupon the President declared the motion carried.

Adjournment

It was moved by Member Nichols and seconded by Member Bailey that the regular meeting adjourn. On the call of the roll, the following members voted Aye: Members Ali, Arns, Bailey, McNay, Nichols, Troup, and Whitfield; and the following members voted Nay: None. Whereupon the President declared the motion carried and the regular meeting was duly adjourned.

https://www.qps.org/wp-content/uploads/072220regmnt.pdf