VI. Approval of Agendas - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

1. Regular Meeting
2. Closed Meeting

VII. Approval of Treasurer's Report - Interim Superintendent Justin Miller read the highlights. Motion made, seconded, and passed.

VIII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - There were a few questions...answered by Mr. Miller to the satisfaction of the BOE. Motion made, seconded, and passed.

IX. Informational

1. Maintenance Grant Program - Interim Superintendent Miller told the BOE that the District would be applying for a $50,000 "matching grant". (If awarded, the state would match every dollar spent on approved maintenance up to $50,000. The plan is to use the money toward remodeling the "Green Hallway" area.)

2. Ten Year Health/Life/Safety Report - This report was actually completed in 2010, but it lacked the required seal. Before that was accomplished, the District architect, Dave Mevert, passed away. This necessitated starting from scratch with the District new architect. It is now completed.

3. Illinois Central School Bus Policy on Student Drop-Offs - This refers to a concern over dropping off students who are 11-years-old or younger...that the driver wants to see a parent a the drop-off site (especially if it is a single, rather than a group drop-off situation...especially if something appears unusual.) Mr. Miller indicated that it was basically a "common sense" approach, with the safety of the child in mind. The company is in the process of training the drivers in the proper procedure to be followed.

4. Athletic Uniforms for Jr/Sr High School (and Schedules) - Looking ahead to next year, Mr. Miller asked CJSHS Principal Madison to report to the BOE, since the purchase of uniforms is a budgetary items and the BOE needed to know what to anticipate. Ms. Madison reported on each sport, citing one difficulty that some teams share uniforms. Another concern was that in track, even though there were enough uniforms - like 25 - that there were 5 of one kind, 6 of another, and so on. The high school girls' basketball team has no complete uniforms. Ms. Madison also indicated that the high school cheerleaders uniforms were 10 years old and had NOT been purchased by the District, rather by fund-raisers when she was sponsor. There was a brief indication that schedules were still being worked on.

5. Primary Election Sites - Cairo Community Education Center & Cairo Jr/Sr High School - CES ("Emerson") will NOT be used as a polling place in the March 20th primary...that with the combined buildings, it was simply too much. Ward 4 voters will instead us the CCEC building (the old Cairo Junior High).

6. Other - Mr. Miller indicated that he had talked to Shawnee Community College representatives and that they WERE interested in taking over the CCEC next year when the District Central Office is relocated to CJSHS.

7. Checks Deposited - District Account

   $811.00 - State Breakfast/Lunch
   150.00 - Rent - Nov. 2011 - Jan. 2012 - Illinois Central School Bus
   545.92 - Fresh Fruit & Veggie Grant
   170,243.22 - State Aid
   11,885.10 - Federal School Breakfast
   22,588.75 - Federal School Lunch
   170,243.22 - State Aid
   61,359.00 - Title I Low Income
   10,734.00 - Title II Teacher Quality
   3,157.55 - Alexander County Mobile Home Tax
   3,792.89 - TAMES - Healthcare & Family Services
   7,172.87 - TAMES - Healthcare & Family Services
   75,416.53 - Real Estate Taxes - Alexander County
   2,015.51 - Driver Education
   1,906.93 - Property Insurance Payment - Water Damage on 10-13-2011 at Cairo Jr/Sr High School
   2,123.96 - TAMES - Healthcare & Family Services
   9,739.96 - Personal Property Replacement Tax
   2,618.75 - CCEC Lease Payment - March - Shawnee College

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 6:44 p.m. The BOE voted to exit closed session at 8:20 p.m.

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

According to those who sit in the hallway right outside the Board Room, things got loud at one point. In fact, according to said spectators, they thought that two of the BOE members were going to come to actual blows...but did NOT.

Madam President and I were down by the front steps as usual and did not hear the altercation. (If we had been, I could quote her since she has cat-like hearing. Me? I would have had to have been on the inside...without the AC running. That's why I don't bother with sitting right outside the door...eavesdropping is not in my skill set.)

Okay...

Back to the meeting...

All members of the BOE were present after closed session, including Mr. Brown.

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

1. Personnel employment, resignation, release, discipline, or compensation
   a. Approve Employment - High School Baseball Coach - Motion made, seconded, and passed to hire Allen Pearman.

   b. Approve Employment - Jr. High Volleyball Coach - Motion made, seconded, and passed to hire Charlotte Lovelace.

   c. Approve Employment - Jr. High Volleyball Assistant Coach - Motion made, seconded, and passed to hire Diann Thomas.

   d. Re-Classify Administrator Position to a Teaching Position - Motion made, seconded, and passed. (In keeping with past practice, I will not post the name of the individual. If you don't already know, ask around.)

   e. Non-Renewal - Certified Teaching Position - Motion made, seconded, and passed. (Ditto the parenthetical expression above.)

   f. Reduction In Force - Certified Teaching Position(s) - Tabled at this time.

2. Approve Ten Year Health/Life/Safety Report - Cairo Jr/Sr High School - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

3. Adopt IHSA Requirements for Membership in the Association - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

4. Board Policy Manual Updates - Place on Reading - Informational...no vote.

5. Other - When BOE President Artie McBride asked if there was any other business, BOE Member Danny Brown asked for recognition. Mr. Brown proceeded to read his letter of resignation from the Cairo Board of Education...immediately. Mr. Brown cited his reasons:
   • That contrary to himself, "the current Board of Education puts their personal agenda ahead of serving our community and the students of our district."

   • That "controversy at the meetings has made decision making impossible" and was something in which he did not wish to participate.

   • That in order to maintain his "dignity and personal integrity" he needed to resign.

   After completing the reading of his letter of resignation, Mr. Brown offered an off-the-cuff assessment of the BOE's action/inactions:

   • "You've got teachers hanging out there without a contract, yet you paid $50,000 for an Interim Superintendent." (CAT Tracks Editor's Note: Meaning "he who shall remain nameless".)

   • "And, you're planning on bringing him back." (CAT Tracks Editor's Note: Meaning "he who shall remain nameless".)

   Mr. Brown then left the meeting.

A motion was made by BOE Member Burris to accept Mr. Brown's resignation (I missed the second). The motion passed unanimously.

Mr. Miller then reminded the BOE members of some upcoming dates:

• A Special BOE Meeting on March 27th at 6 p.m.

• Upcoming ISBE Training didn't catch the date(s).

• Invitation by Ryan O'Shea to the National Honor Society induction ceremony - Thursday, March 29th at 7 p.m. in the CJSHS Library.

XII. Old Business - None

CAT Tracks Editor's Note:

Just prior to calling for a motion to adjourn the meeting, President Artie McBride said that she wanted to set the record straight...

...that what Mr. Brown stated following his letter of resignation - about "he who shall remain nameless" coming back - was "totally false". President McBride stated that "I don't want that to get out there."

So there you have it, CATs and kittehs...sleep well tonight! The President of the Cairo Board of Education assures your peaceful slumber that the nightmare that was "he who shall remain nameless" will NOT reoccur!!!

Me?

I'm safe! If you don't sleep, you don't have nightmares. More importantly, I'm retired..."he who shall remain nameless" ain't gonna be my boss no matter what.

What's that?

Oh...

You wanted to know my opinion of whether to believe...that "he who" will not be baaack?

I stand by my original bet:

Give me two to one odds, my money is on his unhappy return.

XIII. Adjourn...Motion made, seconded, and passed at 8:29 p.m.

CLOSED SESSION IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING INFORMATION RELATIVE TO THE APPOINTMENT, EMPLOYMENT, PERFORMANCE OR DISMISSAL OF INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEES WHICH MAY BE OF A TEMPORARY CONFIDENTIAL NATURE, STUDENT DISCIPLINE, PLACEMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, DISCUSSION OF LITIGATION PROBABLE, IMMINENT, FILED OR PENDING AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING OR RELATED ISSUES.