Board Meeting Highlights
June 2008
Summarized
below are actions by the Board of Education at
its regular meeting on June 9 and special
meeting on June 23, 2008.
Student
Disciplinary Rules On Electronic Communication
Devices, Staging Fake Activities
Student conduct
rules regarding the misuse of electronic
communication devices and staging fake
activities will change for the upcoming school
year.
Philip M. Ehrhardt, Ed.D. superintendent,
shared the new disciplinary rules with the
School Board.
Using any type of
cellular/wireless phone, pager, hand-held game,
CD/MP3/IPOD/video player, camera, recording
device, personal digital assistant (PDA),
laptop, or similar device in any manner that
disrupts the educational environment or violates
the rights of others, including using the device
to take photographs in locker rooms or
bathrooms, cheat, or otherwise violate student
conduct rules at any time during the school day
is
prohibited unless the use has been expressly
permitted by the principal, or is necessary
because of an IEP or similar plan.
Any devices present due to an
after-school activity must be turned off and
left in a locker.
First-time
offense results in the confiscation of the
device and parent/guardian is called to pick it
up.
For a second offense, the device is confiscated
and parent/guardian may pick it up on the last
day of school.
Staging or faking
activities or simulating actions or incidents
which, if actually occurring, would constitute
violations of the district’s student conduct
rules and would be subject to disciplinary
measures.
The new rules are
intended to ensure students use technology
appropriately.
Substitute Teacher 2008-09 Pay Rates Approved
District 25
substitute teachers will receive an increase in
pay rates for the 2008-09 school year.
The School Board approved the following
rates for subs:
·New
subs with 1-10 accumulative days - $92.
·Eleven
or more accumulative days - $108.
·Returning
subs from previous year with 10 or more
accumulative days - $108.
·Long-term
subs working 30 consecutive days in the district
but not in the same classroom - $146.
·Permanent
subs assigned to a minimum of 20 consecutive
days in the same classroom due to extended
absence of a teacher - daily pay is the same as
the pay for a first year teacher at Step One,
Lane A, excluding benefits.
These new rates
will allow the district to remain competitive with surrounding school districts.
Roof
Bid Approved
Benjamin Middle
School will
undergo $40,000 in repairs on a section of the
school’s roof over the summer.
The board of education awarded the roof
repair contract to the Glenbrook Group from
Northbrook, Illinois.
Repairs include fixing the leaks and
replacing the wet insulation over the fifth
grade classrooms and are slated to be completed
by the opening of schools on August 26.
Cellular
Tower Coming To Benjamin
T-Mobile will
soon begin constructing a cell tower at a site
behind the Administration Service Center.
The board of education entered into a
five-year
lease agreement with T-Mobile for space
to place the cellular tower on district property
and in return, will receive $1,500 per month
rent plus a one-time option fee of $1,000,
$2,500 reimbursement for any attorney fees
incurred by the district, and a one-time signing
bonus of $18,495.
The agreement also calls for a fence with
a visual screen and evergreens surrounding the
tower, equipment rights for T-Mobile to install
microbridge for wireless network to have a
wireless link from Benjamin Middle School to
Evergreen Elementary School (replacing a T-1
line), trenching and cable from the tower to the
Administration Service Center, and space for an
environmentally controlled box.
Studies have
shown that the frequency waves emitted from the
tower are less than those from a baby monitor or
microwave oven.
Other
Board Actions
Tim Doncoes and
Brian Schauer will be returning as varsity and
junior varsity basketball coaches next year.
The School Board
also approved contracts for the employment of
Alexander Anderson-LD resource teacher/inclusion
facilitator and Danielle Mugnolo-6th
grade ILAR/social science teacher at Benjamin
School and Tina Quealy-early childhood teacher
at Evergreen School.
A familiar face
in a new position--Joseph Salmieri will assume
the Principalship at Benjamin Middle School,
replacing Andrea Paterala who resigned to accept
a position with another district.
Mr. Salmieri held the position of
assistant principal at Benjamin School for the
past two years.
His new duties will begin July 1, 2008.
The search for an interim assistant
principal has begun.
Finally, Dr.
Philip Ehrhardt, superintendent, has accepted
the challenge of leading the district for
another five years, thanks to a multi-year (2008
to 2013) contract approved by the board or
education.
