Quincy Reporter

Mendon Community Unit School District 4 Board of Education met Wednesday, Oct. 18.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

1. Call To Order - Pledge of Allegiance

BOE members Arnsman - Fleer - Garmer - Janssen (absent) - McClelland (arrived 6:06 pm) - Rolando - Shaffer Supt. Riddle Admins Amsman-Sheffler Bus. Mngr. Whelan

C.A.T. Coordinator - Klusmeyer

2. Approval of Agenda Motion: Rolando 2nd: Fleer Vote: 6-0 approved

3. Public Participation - Visitor and Comments (3 min. limit)}

3.1 Special Recognition

3.1.1 Josh Arnsman and Shelly Sheffler - National

Principal's Week Principal Appreciation Day Oct 20

We would like to thank them for their leadership and caring as well as their time, effort, and work they give to the students, staff and district. We thank them for all they do and are very glad they are part of our Unity Team.

3.2 Visitors

3.2.1 one visitor

3.3 Correspondence

Closed Session The Board will enter Closed Session to discuss: A) the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, o dismissal of specific employees, specific individuals who serve as independent contractors, or specific volunteers of the School District or legal counsel fo the District, including hearing testimony on complaint lodged against an employee, a specific individual who serves, as an independent contractor, or i volunteer of the District; B) collective negotiating matters between the School District and its employees or their representatives, or deliberation: concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees; C) the purchase or lease of real property for the use of the District; D) the setting of price for sale or lease of property owned by the District; E) the sale or purchase of securities, investments, or investment contracts; F) emergency securit procedures; G) student disciplinary cases; H) the placement of individual students in special education programs and other matters relating to individua students; }) pending, probable, or imminent litigation; Jattorney/client privilege; evaluation of attorney: K) approval of certain closed session minutes fo distribution to the public; or other matters appropriate for a closed meeting pursuant to the Open Meetings Act. An additional Closed Session may b necessary if all discussions are not concluded prior to returning to open session

4. Consent Agenda Motion: Fleer 2nd: Rolando Vote: 6-0 approved

4.1 Approve Sept 20, 2023 Board Meeting Minutes

4.2 Approve Bills and Activity Fund Reports

4.3 Approve Bills Payable

4.4 Approve Fund Balances

4.5 Approve End of Month Report for Previous Month

5. Administrative and Committee Reports

5.1 Principal Reports

Mr. Arnsman shared with the board the Homecoming activities were very successful. We had a mishap with a student who got caught under a tire from one of the floats. The student is fine, just shaken up. October is a challenging month typically with student behaviors increasing. Mr. Voth and Mr. Arnsman have been handling it. HS Student Council went to a Leadership Conference and have come back with some great ideas to help promote the positive culture here at Unity. Some of the ideas they are moving forward with are Senior Blocks and decorating the student bathrooms. Students will be going to the Maker Space conference in Quincy this week. Mr. Arnsman and the Homecoming committee beginning next year will have the parade on Thursday, game on Friday, and dance on Saturday.

Mrs. Sheffler echoed the good times during Homecoming week for all the students and staff. The Book Blast the elementary did garnered $21,000 which will provide at least 3 books per student and multiple classrooms will have shopping sprees for their class libraries as well. The playground project has had all the tile and drain work completed. The equipment is being partially assembled by the village and we should be getting ready for an install day soon.

5.2 Business Manager Report

We are at the end of the first quarter and we have received 96% of our revenue and have expended 20%.

5.3 Superintendent Report

As part of our Focus on the Positive theme this year Mr. Arnsman, Mrs. Sheffler and Supt. Riddle attended a conference for the Happiness Advantage/Orange Frog conference which is based upon the work of Shawn Achor. We have begun sharing some of the information we were given and are excited about some of the different projects we are starting. One of the first is a book study on the Achor book, the Happiness Advantage. We will be providing CPDUs for those that participate. We also are meeting with staff on both our Mentor Program and a Wellness Program as part of making Unity a great place to be. Supt. Riddle has been working with Jordan Z on the installation of a sink in the MS concessions. We were told originally that certain requirements were needed for the placement of a sink in that area. It would require extensive remodeling and the cost would be very pricey. After further meetings it has been determined that we would not require as much remodeling and the cost would be in the $5-6K range. After speaking with the insurance company and the gym floor installer the soonest they could get on his calendar would be May. It will require at least a month to complete the repair and refinishing of the floor. We are scheduling it so it will have the least impact on our students and athletes.

We received our Special Education Early Childhood grant and were approved. We were approved for $156,000 which was about half of what was requested. Though we are pleased with receiving the grant, we were disappointed that it was not fully funded. In speaking with the state, they indicated a set amount per student was given to all those that received the grant. Part of the issue for our district, as well as many other districts, is the limited space we have available for housing prek students. We expanded our program over the last few years and are now serving 40 prek students. We were told we received the maximum amount of funding we qualified for. Thanks to Mrs. Sheffler for all her work on helping to secure the PFA grant.

We are working with Adams Fiber on our intercom system upgrade and replacement. We have rooms that are not working properly and some dead areas that need intercoms.

Our PERA committee met and reviewed the legislative changes to the tenure process and approved the process going forward.

The district enrollment has remained steady this year with approximately 670 students. We have seen a slight decrease in the last couple of years, but this number is more in line with the average we have seen in previous years.

Supt. Riddle is in the process of securing a surveyor to provide a formal map of the property lines for the district. This has been an area of concern over the past few years with a couple of projects the district has wanted to complete.

Supt. Riddle met with some members of the Adams County Historical Society about the Adams County 2025 Bicentennial and discussed doing a tour of one-room school houses in our county. Unity's district has the distinction of having the most one-room school houses still in existence. Details of the tour will be coming soon, but save the date of July 19, 2025.

5.4 Finance Committee

The committee met and discussed rising lunch costs, negotiations, use of personal accounts for tax free purchases, the bus rotation, mowing and snow removal, and the Teacher Vacancy grant.

The committee decided that based on the auditors directives staff can no longer use personal accounts to make tax exempt school purchases. All purchases must be done with district credit cards or district checks. Purchases will not be reimbursed if proper procedures are not followed. This protects both the employee and the district. The committee at this point also decided to review the lunch costs at the end of the semester to see the amount of loss the district sustains before making any recommendations for changes. We are also waiting to see the impact of the federal government's change to reimbursement percentages.

6. Action Items

6.1 Approve any matter discussed in Executive Session as necessary, and limited to those matters authorized for discussion in Executive Session by motion of the Board and/or Personnel List Motion: Fleer 2nd: Garmer Vote: 6-0 approved

Johanna Voss - 7th grade boys basketball coach

Deena Schulz - Class of 2025 Sponsor

Kraig Hiland - resignation 2025 class sponsor

Alex Mowen - resignation paraprofessional

6.2 Consider and take action on the wrestling coop pilot

Motion: Rolando 2nd: McClelland Vote: 6-0 approved

The board previously discussed a pilot year and agreed to allowing Unity students the opportunity to participate. The athletes will be responsible for their own transportation and cost of uniform.

6.3 Consider and take action on lawn maintenance bid

Motion: Fleer 2nd: Garmer Vote: 6-0 approved

The board approved the bid for the lawn maintenance which was from Jeff Duesterhaus for $13,500. He has done a terrific job for us when we were without a mower with many compliments from staff and community members. The board approved his bid for the maintenance of the grounds to include: moving, edging, weed eating, cleanup, and general grounds maintenance for the district school grounds.

6.4 Consider and take action on HVAC bid

Motion: Rolando 2nd: Shaffer Vote: 6-0 approved

The board approved the bid by Keck Heating & Air Conditioning $74, 230 for the new HVAC unit(s) for the MS cafeteria and adjacent hallways and entry way. The board also directed the purchase of additional units to have as replacements for the units that are continually having issues.

7. Information Items

8. Adjournment

8.1 Adjournment 6:57 pm

8.2 Next Meeting - The next Regular Meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Wednesday, November 15, 2023, in the Unity High School Band Room at 6:00 p.m.

http://www.cusd4.com/uploads/4/1/9/5/41958557/october_18_2023_board_report.pdf