The Litchfield Community Unit School District #12 Board of Education met on Tuesday, December 17, 2024, in the Kilton Fine Arts Center at the Unit Office for its monthly board meeting.

These are not the official meeting minutes and do not include every detail from the meeting; instead, they are a summary to assist the Purple Panther community. Once the board approves them, the official minutes can be found on the LCUSD #12 Board of Education Minutes page on the website.

Illinois State Scholars

Congratulations to these outstanding seniors named 2025-26 Illinois State Scholars for their academic excellence! The honor, conferred by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), goes each year to those students who rank in the top 10 percent of the state's graduating seniors. "The State Scholar Program publicly and personally identifies graduating high school seniors who possess superior academic potential," according to ISAC's program description. The selection of Illinois State Scholars is based on a combination of ACT/SAT scores, class rank (if the school ranks) or unweighted GPA (if the school does not rank), and class size. Detailed information about how Illinois State Scholars are selected is available on the ISAC website. While the program does not provide a monetary award, the designation as an Illinois State Scholar can be listed on college admission and scholarship applications.

Kayden Bergman

Emma Bone

Claudia Deren

Avarey Fetter

Clayton Logsdon

Cassandra Loveless

Keaton Morgan

Olivia Reid

Caitlyn Travis

Jessie Zhang

Sports/Activities Update

LHS: The wrestling team competed in the PORTA Invite on December 14th. We had several athletes place. The team will compete at Hillsboro on December 17th, at the Cumberland Varsity Tournament on December 21st, the Jacksonville JV tournament on December 21st, and at Abe's Rumble in Springfield over Christmas break. Both boys and girls basketball teams were victorious on Saturday, December 14th, against Lincolnwood at the T. Todt Shootout in Carlinville. Girls basketball will play at home on December 19th against Waverly and compete in the Riverton Holiday Tournament over Christmas break. Boys basketball is playing at Highland tonight, at home against Jerseyville tomorrow, and at home against North Mac on Friday. They will compete at the Carlinville Holiday Tournament over Christmas break.

LMS: The LMS Wrestling team has started their season competing on back-to-back nights. They competed @ Jerseyville on Wednesday, December 11th, then followed it up on December 12th, competing against Vandalia & Roxana. They have two more matches before Christmas break. They are hosting Rochester and Alton tonight. Thursday, they travel to take on Auburn, Lincoln, and Warrensburg.

The LMS Boys 6th & 7th grade basketball teams are off to a hot start. The 6th grade is currently undefeated at 8-0 while the 7th grade is 14-3 with a first-place finish at the Gillespie Tournament and a 2nd-place finish at the Staunton Tournament. The 8th grade continues to show improvement, with a record of 4-10.

The LMS Volleyball team has started practice. There are 41 total athletes between 6th, 7th and 8th grades. They will begin competing in early January.

Band and choir performances were outstanding this past Sunday. We had performances from our 6th-grade musicians through our high school chamber choir. The students and teachers are putting in a lot of effort to perform some of the pieces they did so brilliantly! A big thank you to our music teachers, Mr. Henley (choir), Mrs. McKorkle (band), and Mrs. Henley (elementary music). Also, Mr. Mark York for his excellent njob as the accompanist for the day. Also, to Mrs. DeDe Irvin for greeting our families and students for the concerts with the program. It was a fantastic afternoon of performances, and we appreciate everyone in attendance.

Joint Annual Conference Share Out

Dr. McClain thanked the board members who joined her at the Illinois Joint Annual Conference. Many of the Board members were able to make it, and the rest would have, but schedules can sometimes interfere with that. Their dedication to continuous learning and growth is a testament to their commitment to our district's success. Together, we attended various sessions that provided insights and actionable strategies. Dr. McClain participated in sessions on cyber security, public relations, strategic planning, negotiation updates, legal FAQs, and school safety. These discussions gave us practical tools and ideas to adapt and implement in our district. The Board is excited to collaborate on integrating what they learned into our practices to enhance outcomes for our students, staff, and community.

Proposed TIF Residential District

Dr. McClain shared a statement regarding the proposed TIF Residential District. The City is proposing a TIF Residential District north of downtown Litchfield. It generally extends along E Chapin St, N. Jackson St, and E Parish Avenue, reaching N. State Street. As the superintendent, I support the growth and development of our community. New residential developments, like the one proposed in this TIF district, can bring positive changes, attract families, and strengthen the city.

That being said, I want to share some concerns to ensure this project benefits everyone, including our schools. TIFs directly impact our district, and while we’ve worked with the City on three business TIFs, the reality is that these agreements reduce our Equalized Assessed Value, which affects our funding. While surplus funds from one of those TIFs have been helpful, they don’t fully offset what we are losing in EAV. We must find a balance that allows the district to continue operating effectively without shifting the burden onto other revenue sources.

In this case, if residential units in the TIF district receive assistance or the City uses TIF funds to install infrastructure that serves those homes, the district is entitled by statute to receive a percentage of the TIF increment. Additionally, as houses are built, we would like an agreement that provides the district with a portion of the surplus. This would allow us to plan for the growth of our community without jeopardizing our ability to serve our students and staff. The City is open to engaging in and creating this agreement.

I also want to acknowledge and appreciate the City’s intent to conclude this TIF early, once the investments are repaid, rather than extending it for 23 years. This is a responsible approach, and we asked that it be documented in writing so that everyone involved has clarity and confidence moving forward. The city has shared that this is a year-to-year discussion with the Joint Review Board. The District will serve on that board now and in the future and will continue to advocate for this.

The district will lose EAV on the current homes and land over the life of this TIF and, even with an agreement, will not see the full EAV afforded to us on new homes. But, the argument is that the new homes would only have occurred with a TIF district being put in place first. The district has seen declining enrollment, and more families and students help our district in a variety of ways. As with any situation, there are pros and cons; this is no different. Again, we look forward to continuing talks with the City about the TIF.

Tax Levy

The Board approved the final tax levy, one of the major functions of the Board of Education. One of the priorities for this levy was to ensure we are capturing all possible funds due to potential increases in EAV (Equalized Assessed Value). The average increase in EAV for the past three years has been 7.66%. It is important to point out that we can request this money but will only be given what the county’s office sets as the EAV. We will not automatically receive this extension. Please know that the School Board takes the responsibility of being the steward of public funds very seriously. As a result, they are always looking for ways to maximize the use of funds while simultaneously trying to minimize the impact on the taxpayer. The School Board works diligently to balance the ongoing operational needs of the district with the yearly request it makes of its local property taxpayers. Without this valuable source of revenue, the district could not function effectively. The board and staff appreciate local taxpayers' commitment to supporting the school district and the children we serve. We will continue to use those funds conservatively while providing our students with the best possible education experience.

See the links below for additional information.

• FAQ Document Regarding Tax Levy

• Truth in Taxation Presentation

Abate taxes to pay debt service on the General Obligation School Bonds

This is the payment on the Alternate Revenue Bonds. These bonds were used to help fund the construction of LES. This year's payment is $785,100, up from $778,900 last year. This

payment is made using the 1% county facilities sales tax proceeds. We recommend approval.

Adopt a resolution in support of Illinois Vision 2030

As you can see from the three-page overview, Vision 2030:

• Provides a roadmap to enhance K-12 public education through future-focused learning, shared accountability, and predictable funding.

• Articulates a shared commitment to putting systems and processes in place that support all school districts throughout the state in sharing what works for our kids and our communities.

• Details plans to advance policy, legislative, and fiscal solutions, leverage public resources, and preserve local flexibility and leadership so that the important decisions about curriculum and finances are made closest to home.

School districts across Illinois are being asked to express support for the goals and priorities of Vision 2030 by passing a resolution at a public meeting.

It is important to note that the ability to demonstrate statewide support for Vision 2020, with more than 90% of Illinois school boards passing a similar resolution, was critical to generating legislative support for the passage of the Evidence-Based Funding formula.

Award bid for boiler project at the high school/middle school

The Board approved the low bid for Baer heating and cooling with a base bid of $233,400. This does not include fees. FGM Architect’s fee is approximately $12,000, and RTM Engineering Consultant’s fee is approximately $32,000. The total approximate cost is $278,000. The district received a maintenance grant from the state for $50,000 to help offset the cost of this project. The remaining cost will come from Capital Projects and Health, Life, and Safety. The boilers were installed in 1997 as part of the new construction. Four of the modular boilers stopped working in 2020 and were taken offline. One of the supplementary boilers has also been taken out of service due to extreme leaking in the boiler walls. The other supplementary boiler leaks and has been patched several times, but those patches do not hold forever. This boiler works and is used along with the four modular boilers to heat the buildings.

The scope of work for this project is to replace the eight existing modular boilers and the two supplementary hot water boilers with three high-efficiency, modulating boilers. Numerous other updates, such as rerouting boiler flues and intakes, will be included. Boiler pumps will be replaced with connections to the existing hot water system. New boiler controls are also provided. This project will prove more efficient in the future, and we are excited to begin working with Baer on the next steps.

The first reading of Board Policy Press Plus Issue #117

The Board approved the first reading of these policies. Dr. McClain reviewed several of the policies. There are always at least two readings before BOE policy is fully updated.

• Schools are expected to have a Cardiac Response Plan in place. Dr. McClain met with the nurses, and they are creating the plan and will have it ready for BOE approval in February.

• One policy has changed the term guidance counselor to school counselor. Board policy is working to make this a consistent change in terminology as policies are reviewed/updated. The same policy also allows schools to pay for trips to visit colleges if their trip is work and school-related. This would not be considered a gift or ethics violation but a work trip.

• The social media policy has been updated to include new platforms that staff should be mindful of using. It is not an all-inclusive list. The updates this year were Threads and Discord.

• Several updates were made to the curriculum policy, with some being expanding the mandated instruction of the dangers of fentanyl to grades 6 (not 9)- 12 and a requirement on instruction in environmental education, including instruction on the current problems and needs in the conservation of natural resources and beginning in the fall of 2026, instruction on climate change and last, a requirement of districts to engage in career exploration and career development followed by college and career pathway endorsements being awarded to students who meet specific requirements. Mrs. Ellis is hard at work on these pathway endorsements.

• Dr. McClain recommends adding the optional paragraph that addresses staff responsibilities in the prevention of and response to bullying. Our staff does an excellent job reporting concerns, but this ensures it is also a part of the BOE policy.

• The student discipline policy has been updated, requiring schools to provide, if available to them, appropriate support services to students who are suspended from school from 5 or more days down to 4 or more days. This is a change in the state code.

• In Policy 8:10, Dr. McClain recommends using the modified subheading for connection with the community that indicates who is the spokesperson for the Board (the President) and the spokesperson for the district (the Superintendent) and then shares the public relations program for the district.

High School Course Handbook changes for 2025-2026

One of the responsibilities of the BOE is to review the course handbooks as it includes the curriculum our students will receive. Teachers at LHS were asked to offer changes to their course descriptions to define their class better or to add a new class offering. We had changes to Agriculture, English, Math, Music, PE, Driver's Ed, Family & Consumer Science, and Pathway courses. Teachers have this opportunity every year to review and edit their curriculum. Students will be given course wishlists when we return 2nd semester, and classes will be added to the master schedule based on student selection. Dr. McClain thanked the high school staff for their efforts in providing our students a wide selection of courses.

Resignations:

1. Lonnie Law, Assistant High School Boys Soccer coach, effective immediately.

2. Alex Patrick, activities custodian, effective December 3, 2024.

3. Stephanie Short, Middle School Girls Track coach, effective immediately.

4. Eddie Green, Middle School Special Education Aide, effective December 21, 2024.

Transfers:

1. Jeremy Heigert from Elementary Principal to classroom teacher for the 2025-2026 school year.

Intent to Retire

1. Paula Dal Canton, Middle School Counselor, at the end of the 2028-2029 school year.

2. Jill Wright, Special Education Teacher, at the end of the 2028-2029 school year.