Live Blog: District 113A Board Meeting

11:58 p.m.

The school board has reconvened. No action was taken as a result of closed session.

10:35 p.m.

The District 113A Board of Education has adjourned for closed session.

10:25 p.m.

2011 Financial Audit

Board President Mike Aurelio and Board Member Al Malley raise concerns over interfund loans reflected in the district's audit for fiscal year 2011.

According to Malley, the audit reflects interfund loans above and beyond the amount approved by the board earlier this year. The loans were made without board approval, he said.

Aurelio asked if approving the audit would set a precedent for the administration and business office approving interfund loans without the board's approval.

Business Manager Barbara Germany stated that the loans were made by the auditor, not the administration, in order to reconcile the district's accounts.

9:40 p.m.

Consent Agenda

The Board of Education unanimously approved their consent agenda, which included the retirement of Superintendent Tim Ricker in the monthly personnel report. His retirement will be effective June 30, 2012.

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9:20 p.m.

Special Presentations: School Improvement Plans (continued)

The board meeting has reconvened. The Oakwood School Improvement Team is now presenting information to the board on their School Improvement Plan.

Next up will be the board's consent agenda, which includes monthly reports on enrollment, discipline, food service, transportation, personnel and the Freedom of Information Act.

The possible early retirement of Superintendent Tim Ricker is included in the personnel report.

9:15 p.m.

Special Presentations: School Improvement Plans (continued)

River Valley's School Improvement Team has just finished their presentation to the board. Again, Patch will provide a full report on these plans later this week.

The board has called a five-minute recess. When it reconvenes, they will hear a presentation from Oakwood School on its School Improvement Plan before moving on to the consent agenda, which includes the retirement of Superintendent Tim Ricker under "Personnel."

8:30 p.m.

Special Presentations: School Improvement Plans

Principals Bill Caron (), Debra Lynch () and Cathy Slee () present their respective School Improvement Plans, which establish goals for the current school year with regards to student achievement.

Check back with Patch later this week for a full report on School Improvement Plans.

8:10 p.m.

Special Presentations: 2011 Illinois School Report Cards

Ricker presents information on the 2011 Illinois School Report Cards, which include information about the school's academic performance, demographics and financial profile.

Patch will prepare a full story on the content of the district's report cards — both as a whole and school by school — later this week.

However, Ricker said during the presentation that he is proud of the district for improving test scores and making adequate yearly progress in a year that class sizes increased and funding decreased.

"This is a reflection of the hard work done by staff and students with help from parents," he said. "I believe during the 2010-2011 school year, to make the major changes in our program and changes in our classroom sizes, the teachers really pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and helped their students make AYP.

"When I tell people (in the field of education) what we did financially and academically, they are astounded."

7:50 p.m.

Special Presentations: Report on Title I for FY12

Dr. Mary Gricus presents information on the district's Title I money, which the district receives for the number of students in the community ages 5-17 that fall below the poverty line. Last year, the district received about $78,000, but this year the district will receive more than $170,000.

Gricus says she has already met with principals from Old Quarry, River Valley and Oakwood schools to plan programming for the 2011-2012 school year. The preliminary plan is to continue with summer school, but open the program up to all three schools and expand the curriculum to include math (it covered reading before).

The program would serve approximately 120 students, which is double the amount of students served in the previous two years. Grant money would also be used to provide after-school tutoring to Title I students.

If funding stays the same next year, the district would consider hiring a Title I teacher, Gricus said.

"Unfortunately the increase in funding means the community is suffering more, but is also means we are able to provide more assistance (to those students)," she said.

7:40 p.m.

Special Presentations: Transportation Committee

Board Vice President Dave Molitor, the board's liasion to the district's Transportation Committee, informs the board that the committee would like to do an analysis of crossing guards within the district.

He tells the board that the Village of Lemont is currently looking to update their bicycle and pedestrian paths, and that the district would like to work closely with the village through that process.

7:30 p.m.

Treasurer's Report: Reimbursement to Superintendent

Board Member Al Malley wishes to discuss the approval of a $28 reimbursement to Ricker for parking, which is brought up in the Treasurer's Report. He makes a motion to approve accounts payable and payroll without the reimbursement, in order for the board to discuss the district's policy.

According to Ricker and Business Manager Barbara Germany, the board has reimbursed Ricker for parking before.

When a motion was made to withhold the item from the report, it failed to pass by a 4-3 vote (Board President Mike Aurelio, Board Member Karen Siston and Malley voting yes; Board Secretary Cindy Kelly, Vice President Dave Molitor, and Board Members Lisa Wright and Kevin Doherty voting no.)

7:10 p.m.

Public Comment

Several Lemont residents call for the early resignation of District 113A Superintendent Tim Ricker, who is expected to officially announce his retirement during Tuesday's meeting.

One resident expresses discontent over the government pension system, and the fact that Lemont taxpayers will be funding Ricker's pension once he leaves.

6:15 p.m.

Welcome back to Lemont Patch where we're live blogging from the Board of Education meeting at River Valley School, 15425 E. 127th St.

Please be advised that this blog will contain brief notes and sound bites from the forum. I will do my best to provide the most complete, accurate blog possible.