District 201 board meeting - January 9, 2008

[Ted]

   This is a summary of the District 201 board meeting that occurred on January 9, 2008.  The meeting started at 8:10 PM (70 minutes late) and ended at 8:35 PM. Board members Derek Dominick and Joe Keating were absent from the meeting.

1. Berwyn Centenial - The board approved a request for use of Morton West facilities in June for the Berwyn Centenial. Carl Reina spoke in the open forum about the Berwyn Centenial. Mr. Reina thanked the district for allowing use of District 201 facilities for the centential. He explained that there would be a parade on June 1 that would go down Cermak Road and end at Morton West.  Mr. Reina then made 3 more requests to the board:

   a. Morton West Band - Mr. Reina requested that the Morton West band be allowed to lead the parade. Dr. Nowakowski stated that they had received the request and were working on it.

   b. Banners on stadium - Mr. Reina requested that two large banners for the Berwyn Centential be allowed to be hanged on the west side of the stadium facing Harlem avenue.  Dr. Nowakowski requested a picture or layout of the banner before the board could give approval. Mr. Reina stated he would get the administration a picture of the banner

   c. Student participation - Mr. Reina requested that the school get students involved in the Berwyn Centenial. Dr. Nowakowski suggested that the school could engage in projects in history or social studies classes about the Berwyn centenial.  Mr. Reina suggested that the administration contact the Berwyn Historical Society for material.


2. Scholarship - An employee who worked at the Alternative School named Cathleen McCauley passed away and several of her colleagues are starting up a scholarship fund in her name for students at the Alternative School. The board approved the creation of the scholarship fund in memory of Cathleen McCauley.


3. Let there be light - The board approved a request to solicit bids to replace existing lighting with florescent light bulbs. A grant from the Illinois Environmental Foundation will partially fund the purchase of florescent light bulbs. The total cost is expected to be around $64,000 with the Illinois Environmental Foundation paying $24,000.  The board also approved solicitation of bids for copier machine leases.


4. Homecoming - The board approved the Homecoming for 2008 to be on Saturday, September 27. The Homecoming parade will occur on this date followed by the homecoming football game. This is a change from previous years, when the homecoming football game was on Friday night before homecoming. The administration wanted to try something new because most people went home after the parade and the administration wanted to try having the football game right after the parade. 


5. Application to insurance cooperative - The board approved its annual application to an insurance cooperative that provides reduced cost for compensation, casualty and liability insurance.


6. Approval of minutes tabled - The approval of the minutes from the December board meetings was tabled.  No minutes for the December board meetings were on the table where they normally are placed.  Given all the commotion that happened at those meetings (football coach fired, superintendent resigns and then rescinds resignation), my guess is that the board wants to straighten out exactly what happened?  This is the first time I have ever attended a public meeting where the approval of the minutes of the previous meeting was completely tabled.


7. New board meeting agenda structure - At the next board meeting, the board will change the type of agenda to a "consent agenda".   


8. Polling place - The board approved the use of the Freshman Center as a polling place for 3 precincts in the February election.  The Cook County clerk originally requested the use of the Alternative School as the polling place. The administration recommended against using the Alternative School as a polling place because of the type of students who were in the Alternative School. The adminstration recommended that the polling places be moved to the Freshman Center. The board approved this request to use the Freshman Center.


9. Usual business - The usual business of approving payment of bills and payroll; approval of expulsions and clemency (13 explusions to Alternative School, 1 permanent expulsion, 6 return to home school from alternative school); approval of hirings, resignations and retirements; approval of travel (special ed kids going to special education olympics in Wisconsin, Adventure club ski trip to Michigan); approval of bids for automotive supplies and equipment; approval of facility requests (Michael Iniquez abstained on facility request by South Cicero Baseball).


10. Next board meeting - It was announced that the next board meeting would be on February 13, 2008 with regular meeting starting at 5 PM, then going immediately into Executive Session and that the regular meeting would begin when the Executive Session ended.  I guess BerwynPatsy has complained too much about not starting the regular board meeting on time at 7 PM so tonight the board essentially said that the 7PM starting time is legally and officially fluid.

[Shelley]

Ted,

What exactly does the type of agenda change mean? 

Also, were the names of the "leaves, resignations, releases and retirements" listed? 

Shelley

[mustang54]

Ted,

What exactly does the type of agenda change mean? 

Also, were the names of the "leaves, resignations, releases and retirements" listed? 

Shelley

Shelley here is what I found on consent agendas. Also only I think one resignation and one retirement. Not much tonight at all concerning employees.
http://www.ncte.org/about/gov/cgrams/119381.htm

[Ted]

Ted,

What exactly does the type of agenda change mean? 

Also, were the names of the "leaves, resignations, releases and retirements" listed? 

Shelley

  Shelley,

  There were 5 hirings (Softball Intramural Director, two clerical staff and two teacher aides), one retirement and one resignation.  The hiring of the two clerical staff and two teacher aides are replacements.  The Softball Intramural Director appears to be a new position, since the agenda did not list it as a replacement.

  The person who was hired as "Softball Intramural Director" is named Tom Eukovich.  Since this is apparently a new position and not a replacement for someone in an existing position, I assumed it was another political hire of someone into the athletic and coaching department.

  Mirian Gonzalez was hired to replace Olivia Meraz as assistant to the secretary of the principal of Morton East;
  Christine Kozak was hired to replace Lucille RIzzo as the Guidance/Homebound secretary at Morton West;
  Adalberto Abrego was hired to replace Fidel Alcauter as the ESL/Bilungual/SPED teachers aide at the Freshman Center;
  Hayley Smorczeski was hired to replace Shabana Raza as the SPED teachers aide at Morton West;
  Suzanne Tramaine submitted her retirement as a Math Teacher at Morton East, effective June, 2012;
  Amy DeCraene submitted her resignation as an English Teacher at Morton West.

  The Berwyn City Council uses a consent agenda for items that are routinely approved (e.g. payroll and payables, handicapped parking, permits, block parties, etc.)

  What I hope does not happen is that the consent agenda does not become the entire agenda and that all business becomes discussed in the executive session rather than the public sessiion.

  For example, tonight the board approved a bid for automotive supplies and equipment.  In the past, all the names of the companies bidding and the amount of the bids were usually announced and the lowest bid was awarded.

  Tonight, however, that did not happen.  In fact, it was the one agenda item that Nowakowski was silent on.  It was eerily similar to when the publicist contract was awarded to Dan Proft.  the companies bidding were not announced, the amounts of the bids were not announced, the company awarded the bid was not announced.  Usually, when Nowakowski discusses the bids, he announces all the companies bidding and the amounts of the bids and who was awarded the bid.

  The fact that Nowakowski was slient on this agenda item and that Jeff Pesek is the one who drove the agenda item makes me suspicous that the bid was not given to the lowest bidder but, instead, was awarded to some company with connections to Larry Dominick.

  So, I worry that a consent agenda will be used to hide who bid on items and the fact that a contract was not awarded on the lowest bid and that, with a consent agenda, the board will simply blow off the public with a 5 minute meeting.

  Ted

[jimbuc]

a softball itramural director, what a waste of money, you mean one of the gym instructors cant do that, i know tom eukovich is already a teacher there, and as far as these bids that is odd, especially that peseks brother is being investigated for bids in the town of cicero

[Mortonvet]

While I don't know anything about a softball intermural director position, I can tell you that Tom Eukovich has coached for many years at Morton. He teaches PE and Drivers' Ed in the special education department.

[mustang54]

  The softball intramural position is not new. I believe Coach Eukovich has done it for the last three or four years now. Morton has quite a few intramurals after school and I believe in the last couple of years they made it mandatory to get board aprroval for each of those every year.
  What I like about the intramurals is it keeps kids off the streets. It also keeps the athetes in shape. They have intramural weight training also after school. The weight rooms at both east and west get great turnouts.And its not just all athletes. What you also get is a lot of coaches showing up to help out on their own time. It also allows coaches to keep and eye on their kids to make sure they are staying academically eligable during the off season.. A couple weeks before the Christmas break I was at west and there had to be 6 coaches in the weight room. With only one getting paid. The others were helping out and two were actually tutoring students in math and history.The kids get a lot out of this and it costs very little money.

[Berwyn Patsy]

"So, I worry that a consent agenda will be used to hide who bid on items and the fact that a contract was not awarded on the lowest bid and that, with a consent agenda, the board will simply blow off the public with a 5 minute meeting."

I think your right on the right Track Ted.

[Ted]

"So, I worry that a consent agenda will be used to hide who bid on items and the fact that a contract was not awarded on the lowest bid and that, with a consent agenda, the board will simply blow off the public with a 5 minute meeting."

I think your right on the right Track Ted.

  Pat, I think the rule should be no items involving money shoiuld be on the consent agenda - bids, contracts, payment of money should be voted on and discussed outside the consent agenda.

a softball itramural director, what a waste of money, you mean one of the gym instructors cant do that, i know tom eukovich is already a teacher there,.... 

  I tend to agree with this...  Why would District 201 pay someone extra money for a softball intramural director rather than just have it be part of the job description for one of the gym teachers?  This doesn't make sense to me.

  Ted

[mustang54]

  Ted it doesn't make sense because you are not around there to see how it works and why. Its not a mandatory gym class. They do these intramurals for alot of sports. In my post above i told you why I like them. Esecially for what little money it costs. Intramurals are usually run by the coach of that boys or girls sport. They get a small stipend for doing it. And I mean small. For a 4 week program i was told the coach gets a flat 300 dollars.
With the after school hours they put in they could make more at White Castle.
  In the conference our student athletes are in we mostly face kids who are from Hinsdale,Darien,Downers,and other well to do burbs. Their mommys and daddys get them memberships at private health clubs and hire personal trainers. They get private instruction in their sport. They go to clinics and camps. The vast majority of our kids familys cannot afford such things. Therefore Morton and its athletic department do what they fiscally can to get our kids to improve in the off season. Like i said earlier it also helps the coaches to keep an eye on the kids.
  Another benefit is it keeps the kids together. No one on the outside really understands how hard it is to build a team with kids coming from different campuses. Other schools that did the merging of athletics as Morton did have seen poor results. Take Niles and Joliet for examples.
  Ted the intramural stuff might be the best deal going thanks to the commitment of many great people on the staff who actually care about the students. The guy they named the other night is the girls softball coach so he should run it. Hes been doing it for years. I think hes been at Morton for like 25 years. And Ted to make ya feel even better hes a long long long time resident of Berwyn. LOL!!

[Ted]

  Ted it doesn't make sense because you are not around there to see how it works and why. Its not a mandatory gym class. They do these intramurals for alot of sports. In my post above i told you why I like them. Esecially for what little money it costs. Intramurals are usually run by the coach of that boys or girls sport. They get a small stipend for doing it. And I mean small. For a 4 week program i was told the coach gets a flat 300 dollars.
With the after school hours they put in they could make more at White Castle.
  In the conference our student athletes are in we mostly face kids who are from Hinsdale,Darien,Downers,and other well to do burbs. Their mommys and daddys get them memberships at private health clubs and hire personal trainers. They get private instruction in their sport. They go to clinics and camps. The vast majority of our kids familys cannot afford such things. Therefore Morton and its athletic department do what they fiscally can to get our kids to improve in the off season. Like i said earlier it also helps the coaches to keep an eye on the kids.
  Another benefit is it keeps the kids together. No one on the outside really understands how hard it is to build a team with kids coming from different campuses. Other schools that did the merging of athletics as Morton did have seen poor results. Take Niles and Joliet for examples.
  Ted the intramural stuff might be the best deal going thanks to the commitment of many great people on the staff who actually care about the students. The guy they named the other night is the girls softball coach so he should run it. Hes been doing it for years. I think hes been at Morton for like 25 years. And Ted to make ya feel even better hes a long long long time resident of Berwyn. LOL!!

  Mustang54,  the program may be a good program but why can't it be part of the job description of what a gym teacher does.  Why does it need to be an extra hire at extra money?  that was my question.

  I guess a better question might be this - Why is this something the school district creates and does rather than the park districts?  Don't the park distrricts have their own softball leagues?  There seems to be some overlap.

  If it is something within the pervue of education, then why isn't it part of the job description of what gym teachers do?

Ted

[mustang54]

  Because its an after school program. I'm sure all the gym teachers know something about softball but these are for students who already play or are trying to make a team in a month ot two. Its totally different than gym class. Its done for a specific sport for improvement like i explained earlier. Its been done for years. Its done everywhere. For years no one knew about it. A couple of years ago Dr. No made them a board approved postion. I think it was done this way to keep it under control and the administrators and the board know what is going on at all times. Which was a smart move.
  Also this isnt 16 inch like the park districts. Its girls fast pitch. The kind they give scholaships to college for. Park districts do not do this stuff. Plus they dont have the facilitys for it like Morton. Ted forget about high school athletics my freind, stick too numbers!! LMAO!!

[Ted]

...  especially that peseks brother is being investigated for bids in the town of cicero

Jimbuc,

What evidence or facts do you have that Jeff Pesek's brother is being investigated for bids in the Town of Cicero?  That's a pretty serious charge to make.

Ted

[jimbuc]

actually i read it on one of the berwyn forum subjects, i cant remember which one, cause when i joined i read alot of different topics, and mustang, arent you stereotyping these other towns, not all these towns are all rich, i have friends in darien who arent to well off, there kids work and are in sports and clubs, so cut the bullshit everytime you talk about the kids from this district that they all have to work

[mustang54]

actually i read it on one of the berwyn forum subjects, i cant remember which one, cause when i joined i read alot of different topics, and mustang, arent you stereotyping these other towns, not all these towns are all rich, i have friends in darien who arent to well off, there kids work and are in sports and clubs, so cut the bullshit everytime you talk about the kids from this district that they all have to work

Where did i say they all have to work? And i'm not stereotyping. The fact is the schools in our conference have a lot more kids with parents that can afford things for them to help them improve where most of ours can't thats all.

[frankie]

mustang, it does seem like your saying all the kids involved in sports in these other towns all have health club memberships and private trainers, and ted, i think jimbuc is right, i seem to remember reading about pesek in forum also

[jimbuc]

mustang,alot has to do with parent invovlement, and im not talking material things, not enough parents in dist 201 go to see there own kids games, go to some of these other schools, the gyms and fields are packed

[mustang54]

mustang,alot has to do with parent invovlement, and im not talking material things, not enough parents in dist 201 go to see there own kids games, go to some of these other schools, the gyms and fields are packed

Great point. Jimbuc you are so right on that one!! Parent involvement is really sad. I do go to other schools, alot and they are packed. I have been to 2 Morton boys basketball games and i could not believe the amount of empty seats. With over 8,000 students,a good team,and a very large number of people living in our district the turnout is nothing like it should be.
  With the price of entertainment today to me high school sports is a great inexpensive night out.
What i really have a hard time with is kids who play sports all four years and their parents never come to watch them Especially on senior night.