East Central Reporter

Palestine Community Unit School District 3 Board Met March 15.

Here is the minutes provided by the board:

The regular meeting of the Board of Education of Palestine Community Unit School District #3 was held at Palestine Grade School, 205 S. Washington St., Palestine, Illinois. The meeting was called to order by President Biggs at 6:01 p.m.

Secretary Hawkins called the roll with the following members answering present: Jeff Besing, Lloyd (J.R.) Dunlap, Shari Eckert, Susan Hawkins, Tara Vennard, Donald Wagoner, and Corie Biggs. Absent: None. Administration present was Tangi Waldrop and Jessica Sisil. Others present were: Jana Bayne, Travis Blank, Autumn Burkett, Marcia Schmidlin, Brandon Sisil, Stuart Smith, Caleb Will, Michael, Candace, and Henry Kincaid, Kim Weck and Kaelynn Keith, Erin and Liam Reinbold, and Sarah and Jackson McCullough.

It was moved by Shari Eckert and seconded by J.R. Dunlap to approve the agenda. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Shari Eckert and seconded by Tara Vennard to approve the consent agenda. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Susan Hawkins and seconded by Jeff Besing to approve IHSA and IESA memberships for Fiscal Year 2021. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Susan Hawkins and seconded by Donald Wagoner to approve the 2021- 2022 School Year Calendar as presented. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Jeff Besing and seconded by Donald Wagoner to approve to amend the 2020-2021 School Year Calendar. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by J.R. Dunlap and seconded by Susan Hawkins to approve the renewal of the football co-op with Hutsonville and Oblong. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Shari Eckert and seconded by Susan Hawkins to accept the bid from Seward Masonry, Inc. as presented for the School Maintenance Projects Grant work at the High School. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Susan Hawkins and seconded by Jeff Besing to accept the firm bid for gasoline and diesel from Wabash Valley FS as presented for the 2021-2022 School Year. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by J.R. Dunlap and seconded by Tara Vennard to accept the bid for trash disposal from Republic Services as presented for the 2021-2022 School Year. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Shari Eckert and seconded by Tara Vennard to approve to post a Junior High Girls’ Head Basketball position. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Susan Hawkins and seconded by Tara Vennard to approve to let bids for the Palestine CUSD #3 Unit office building. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Abstain: Besing and Dunlap. Motion carried.

It was moved by Shari Eckert and seconded by J.R. Dunlap to approve to move the April Board meeting to April 26, 2021. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Shari Eckert and seconded by J.R. Dunlap to enter into Closed Session at 6:54 p.m. for the purpose of employment, appointment, resignation, and evaluation of personnel, matters relating to an individual student, and negotiations. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

Returned to Open Session at 8:47 p.m.

It was moved by Shari Eckert and seconded Jeff Besing to regretfully accept the resignation of Susan Hyde effective June 30, 2025. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by J.R. Dunlap and seconded by Jeff Besing to employ the following personnel for the 2021-2022 School Year: Shonda Wade as a K-8 Physical Education Teacher; Kyle Ochs as a High School Math Teacher; Amy Stovall as an LBS1 Teacher; Kaycee Washburn as a Personal Professional; Holly Inboden as a High School Student Senate Sponsor; Jamie Cutright as a High School Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach. The following personnel were employed as Volunteer Bass Fishing Assistant Coaches for the 2020-2021 School Year: Darrel Ault, Travis Utterback, Josey Ault, Ritchie Griffin, Todd Monti, Nicholas Wampler, Kenny Nelson, and Gary Bickers. Devin Turner was employed as a Volunteer High School Assistant Track Coach for the 2020-2021 School Year. All personnel were hired pending meeting all necessary requirements. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by J.R. Dunlap and seconded by Tara Vennard to approve a maternity leave request for Kelsie Adams, effective immediately to May 27, 2021. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

It was moved by Shari Eckert and seconded by J.R. Dunlap to adjourn the meeting at 8:53 p.m. Roll call voting on the motion was as follows: Aye: Besing, Dunlap, Eckert, Hawkins, Vennard, Wagoner, and Biggs. Nay: None. Motion carried.

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