Grundy Reporter

Coal City Community Unit School District #1 Board of Education met Oct. 30.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Special Meeting Minutes

CALL TO ORDER

President Miller called the special meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. with the board members answering roll call present: Dan Engelhardt, Shawn Hamilton, Quint Harmon, Cindy Klein, Steve Rogers, and Ken Miller. Also, in attendance were Superintendent Christopher Spencer, CSBO Jason Smith, Director of Curriculum & Instruction Jennifer Kenney, Director of Student Services Luke Krippel, Community Relations Specialist Ann Gill, and Administrative Assistant to Finance Leah Hajdu. Secretary to the Board of Education LaWanda Gagliardo was absent.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

President Miller led the Board, and others present in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

CLOSED SESSION

Mr. Harmon moved, and Mr. Rogers seconded to go to closed session at 6:01 p.m. to consider an appointment to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Education, and to discuss student disciplinary matters and/or educational matters relating to individual students.

Roll Call:

Ayes: Quint Harmon, Steve Rogers, Dan Engelhardt, Shawn Hamilton, Cindy Klein, Ken Miller

Nays:

Motion: Carried.

Mr. Engelhardt moved, and Mr. Harmon seconded to return to open session at 6:36 p.m.

Roll Call:

Ayes: Dan Engelhardt, Quint Harmon, Shawn Hamilton, Cindy Klein, Steve Rogers, Ken Miller

Nays:

Motion: Carried.

ACTION AS A RESULT OF CLOSED SESSION

A SUGGESTED MOTION:

Mr. Harmon moved, and Mr. Engelhardt seconded to approve the appointment of Jeff Emerson to fill the vacancy on the Board of Education until the next school board election scheduled to be held in April 2025.

Roll Call:

Ayes: Quint Harmon, Dan Engelhardt, Shawn Hamilton, Cindy Klein, Steve Rogers, Ken Miller

Nays:

Motion: Carried.

A SUGGESTED MOTION:

Mr. Hamilton moved, and Mr. Engelhardt seconded to approve the administration’s recommendation to expel student # 2026156.

Roll Call:

Ayes: Shawn Hamilton, Dan Engelhardt, Quint Harmon, Cindy Klein, Steve Rogers, Ken Miller

Nays:

Motion: Carried.

A SUGGESTED MOTION:

Mrs. Klein moved, and Mr. Engelhardt seconded to approve the administration’s recommendation to expel student # 2026364.

Roll Call:

Ayes: Cindy Klein, Dan Engelhardt, Shawn Hamilton, Quint Harmon, Steve Rogers, Ken Miller

Nays:

Motion: Carried.

COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE FLOOR

1. In regard to agenda items – none.

2. In general (Limited to 5 minutes per person.) – none.

NEW BUSINESS

A. DISCUSSION/ACTION ON RETAINMENT OF A DESIGN BUILD CONSULTANT TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR THE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL RELATED TO THE NORTH GYM WALL

Superintendent Christopher Spencer and CSBO Jason Smith discussed possibly retaining a design build consulting firm for the cracked wall in the north gym at the intermediate school. Mr. Smith provided the Board with a summary of how the crack in the wall was originally identified. Mr. Wickiser inspected the crack and determined the crack was new, and the architects were contacted. Mr. Wickiser inspected the crack again and determined that it had expanded. The district’s maintenance crew added metal braces to provide support to the wall, and a week later Mr. Wickiser determined that the wall shifted again, as the bolts had come loose.

The Board was shown a map of the affected area as a visual. Lite Construction cut a hole in the drywall/ceiling and determined that portion of the building was free of asbestos. The administration obtained legal advice, and a recommended was made to acquire a second opinion. Superintendent Christopher Spencer, CSBO Jason Smith and Head of Buildings & Grounds Denny Wickiser met with the architects, ISBE and the ROE and a recommendation to abandon that area of the building was made. Again, structural engineers were obtained, and it was determined that there was a 60% break in the trusses. Currently there are temporary measures in place to stabilize the structure to give the Board time to decide on the best course of action. Tonight, the Board will approve an Emergency Health Life Safety Resolution to obtain and utilize funds to make the necessary structural repairs to stabilize the intermediate school. The elementary school has the space to house all the 4th and 5th students and teachers. Once the building is stabilized, structural engineers will provide the Board and the administration with options on how to best move forward in the future. The Board’s concern is/was for the safety of the staff and students who are housed in that building and abandoning that building and moving everyone to the elementary school is the only option at this time. The Board asked if the repairs can/will be covered by insurance, that is something the administration will have to investigate. Mr. Spencer will send a letter out to staff and district parents providing them an update. The administration would like to make the school year as normal as possible for the students affected with the least amount of disruption as possible. The timeline is unknown at this point, there will be more discussions at future Board meetings.

A SUGGESTED MOTION:

Mr. Rogers moved, and Mr. Engelhardt seconded to hire PSI as a consultant for the wall in the north gym at the intermediate school in the amount of $25,000.

Roll Call:

Ayes: Steve Rogers, Dan Engelhardt, Shawn Hamilton, Quint Harmon, Cindy Klein, Ken Miller

Nays:

Motion: Carried.

B. DISCUSSION/ACTION ON HEALTH LIFE SAFETY EMERGENCY BOARD RESOLUTION REGARDING COAL CITY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL NORTH GYMNASIUM ROOF AND WALL

CSBO Jason Smith discussed the Health Life Safety Emergency Board Resolution regarding the north wall in the gym at the Intermediate School. This emergency resolution would allow the Board to bypass the bidding process and hire architects on a retainer to shore up the system so that the structure is safe. Administration met with the Regional Office of Education (ROE), architects and all agree it’s best to abandon the building as a whole, as there is room available at the elementary school to house the 4th and 5th grade students and staff. The safety of the staff and students is the Board’s priority at this time. This is not an ideal situation, but as a district this is what must be done for everyone’s safety.

A SUGGESTED MOTION:

Mr. Hamilton moved, and Mr. Engelhardt seconded to approve the Health Life Safety Emergency Board Resolution, as presented, and to waive the reading of the resolution.

Roll Call:

Ayes: Shawn Hamilton, Dan Engelhardt, Quint Harmon, Cindy Klein, Steve Rogers Ken Miller

Nays:

Motion: Carried.

ADJOURNMENT

Mr. Engelhardt moved, and Mrs. Klein seconded to adjourn the meeting at 7:21 p.m. President Miller asked if there was any opposition to the motion, hearing none considers the motion approved.

https://4.files.edl.io/69d4/11/07/24/134654-2c3f5681-107c-49f3-9368-1208ae97af46.pdf