The April meeting of the Coal City Community Unit School District 1 Board of Education opened at Coal City Middle School where members of the Coal City High School and Coal City Middle School wrestling teams and Coalers Speech Team were recognized for achievement during their respective seasons.
Speech Coach Ben Baer spoke on the team’s successful season and the three state qualifiers—Madison Wilson, Jordan Olson and Jacob Cimino.
Wrestling Coach Mark Masters introduced the members of the 20205 State Championship Team and the individual wrestlers that were in attendance for the recognition. He spoke to the overall success of the program and noted post-season recognitions for assistant coach Zach Berman and athletic director Brad Boresi who are being honored by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association with assistant coach of the year and administrator of the year.
Middle School wrestling coach Joey Rivera introduced the state qualifying members of his team and spoke to the overall success of each of the wrestlers and the team who went 31-0 for the season and finished in second place at the state tournament as a team with two state champions—Maxx Christensen and Dominic Zucarello.
Morgan Caracci, chief of staff for Senator Chris Balkema, was at the meeting to present the two wrestling teams with certificates of recognition highlighting their team accomplishments.
Following the recognition, the Board of Education moved to the District Administration Center to conduct the remainder of the meeting. Items on the agenda for discussion, approval or information included:
- Luke Krippel, director of student services, reported the district is required to annually submit and report its special education “child count” numbers as of December 1 to the Illinois State Board of Education. According to Kripple, this information is used to determine the amount of special education funding received from the state. According to the report, the district’s number of students receiving special education services increased by five from 2022/2023 to 2023/2024. The number of students receiving special education services increased by 23 from 2023/2024 to 2024/2025 when the number of students was reported at 396.
- In her report to the Board, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jennifer Kenney shared that spring testing is underway with the elementary and intermediate schools having completed the Illinois Assessment of Readiness [IAR] exam prior to spring break. During the week of April 7, the middle school will take the IAR and the Pre-ACT and ACT will be administered at the high school. Additionally, the Illinois Science Assessment [ISA] will be given at the elementary and intermediate schools during that time. The ISA was administered at the middle school prior to the break.
- Superintendent Spencer shared with the Board that the current before and after school care agreement with Step by Step is set to expire at the close of the school year, therefore the district will seek proposals for the continuation of this service.
- The superintendent provided the Board with an update on staffing for the 2025-2026 school year. During the meeting, board members authorized the superintendent to offer employment contracts for open positions after consultations with the board president and vice president. The authority is valid until July 1.
- An update on the intermediate school repair project was presented. Design plans and a construction timeline remain tentative, however the district does plan to return to the space for the 2026-2027 school year.
- Board members approved entering into an amended intergovernmental agreement with the local taxing districts that make up the Dresden Nuclear Generating Station Taxing Bodies Consortium. The group comprised of the School District, Coal City Fire Protection and Coal City Public Library Districts, Grundy County, Joliet Junior College and Goose Lake Township and Goose Lake Road District, jointly engage attorneys, appraisers and other professional advisors, when necessary, on the property assessment and property tax negotiations with Constellation regarding the Dresden Nuclear Generating Station. The amended agreement ensures the districts are paying the proper percentages of the total costs associated with the services.
- The Hazardous Bus Route Declaration has been presented for submission to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Routes designated as hazardous remain unchanged for the upcoming school year.
- Summer camp dates were presented and approved. Registration is scheduled to open in mid-April for the various camps.
- As required, the quarterly drop out report for the quarter ending March 13 was approved for submission to the Regional Office of Education.
- At the recommendation of Brad Boresi, high school athletic director, the board approved renewing the schools membership in the Illinois High School Association [IHSA] for the 2025-2026 school year. And, at the recommendation of the middle school athletic director the school’s membership in the Illinois Elementary School Association [IESA] was renewed for the coming school year at a cost of $1,275.
- Approval was granted to renew the district’s agreement with Image Group Photography for one year.
- The Board entered into a joint school agreement to finance Life Safety Project and Renovations at Grundy Area Vocational Center [GAVC]. The cost of the improvements will be shared by the center’s feeder schools.
- On a recommendation from Jason Smith, the chief school business official, the Board approved an agreement with Riverside Technologies, Inc., pending e-rate funding. The district will use the federal dollars through e-rate to upgrade switches, stacking cables, stacking modules and related components.
- Approval was given for student attendance at the FBLA National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA from June 29-July 2, and to contribute $250 per national qualifier to offset the cost of participation.
- Board members approved the nurses’ salary for the 2025-2026 school year.
- The Board accepted the resignations of Paula Barla, head secretary at the middle school, effective June 6 and Sonja Minnick, fourth and fifth grade special education cross categorical teacher at the intermediate school, effective at the close of the current school year.
- The retirement of Terese Bruzzino, physical education teacher at the elementary school, was accepted effective at the close of the current school year.
- Employment was granted to Kyra Benson, fourth grade teacher: Ashlyn Fisk, fifth grade teacher, and Kallista Helberg, fifth grade teacher effective with the 2025-2-26 school year. The Board also approved the employment of Kathryn Davis as a one-on-one special education aide at the early childhood center.
- The transfer of Jennifer Kavanaugh from health aide to student services/assistant secretary at the high school was approved effective March 31. In turn, Holly Stellano moves from the secretary position to the health aide position.
- Employee transfers effective with the 2025-2026 school year include Kristina Davy from parent educator to head secretary at the early childhood center; Justin Kinder from self-contained special education teacher at the early childhood center to special education/PATH teacher at the high school; Jennifer Martino from third grade teacher to second grade teacher at the elementary school, and Emily Vandergrif from part-time to full-time social studies teacher at the high school.
- The Board approved a 60 day leave request for Emily Trafton from Aug. 11 to Nov. 5.
- Volunteer coaching assignments were approved for Colin Dames, high school assistant track coach, and Jon and Juli Micetich, middle school track coaches.
- A series of extracurricular transfers were accepted including the move of Keegan Clampit from seventh grade girls basketball coach to seventh grade boys basketball coach; Brittany LeFevre from frosh-soph to freshman girls basketball coach; Nick Peters from seventh grade boys basketball coach to eighth grade boys basketball coach, and Andy Vignocchi from JV boys soccer coach to assistant varsity boys soccer coach at the high school.
- Board members approved honorable dismissals of one-on-one special education aides Emily Cloe, Kathryn Davis, and Sheryl Strle at the close of the school year.
- The superintendent reported Robert Terrel, a student at Governor’s State University, is completing his student teaching assignment in Mrs. Watson’s third grade classroom.
- The Board approved facility use requests submitted by Coaler Youth Baseball League, Coal City Soccer Club and Grundy Area FFA Alumni.
- Student enrollment at the end of March was 2,175.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Education is scheduled for Wednesday, May 7. A study session is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30. Both meetings will be held at the District Administration Center beginning at 6 p.m.