Administrative Updates

Mrs. Jasiek discussed the school's focus on attendance and progress with the new Chronic Absenteeism plan. The average daily attendance for April showed a 6% increase over rates in March and she praised families for making attendance a priority.

Ms Carver informed the Board on the progress of the School Improvement Committee and their next steps in analyzing student data. Board members who attended the IASB Starved Rock Region meeting shared information from the State Superintendent, Tony Sanders.

Quarterly Updates

Ms. Carver presented the Board with the 3rd quarter updates regarding the district budget and strategic plan. The district remains on track with the current year budget, having received 85% of the budgeted revenue to date and expended 71% of the projected expenditures. Ms. Carver reminded the Board that this year's budget will need to be amended to account for the receipt of the Preschool For All grant this year as well as additional Title I funds. The tentative amended budget will be presented to the Board at the May meeting.

HVAC System

The Board continued discussing the current HVAC issues, primarily the inoperable chiller. A discussion was had regarding the options for replacement and the recommendations from the architect. The district could purchase a stock chiller which would have a shorter lead time, however, it would not be available before the summer months and would likely come with higher installation charges due to the timeline. Since the stock chiller will not benefit the district by ensuring the chiller is operable this summer, the Board determined going through a traditional bidding process would be the more fiscally responsible decision. The Board anticipates installation of the chiller by the spring of 2025.

Key Action Items:

• The Board hired summer maintenance staff, Trina Schmollinger and Olivia Pearson

• The Board approved the rehiring of non-certified staff: Lisa Kasperski, Paula Burkman, Dee Biagi, Jen Raef, Maggie Morales, Grace Schmolliner, and Kam Gambiani

• The Board approved opening the bidding process for the purchase and installation of a new chiller