I. Call To Order - 6:00 p.m.

II. Roll Call - Coleman, Brown, Mayberry, Stubblefield, Gooden, and Burris.

The meeting then went straight to the "Board of Education Reorganization". (See separate agenda below.)

BOE Vice President Vernon Stubblefield read the vote totals from last week's BOE election...first the vote count by individual wards, then by total, confirming what was reported in last week's edition of The Cairo Citizen. A motion was made, seconded, and passed to accept the vote totals and the results of the election...naming Danny Brown, Brenda Gooden, Artie McBride, and Charlene Vaughn as the newly elected members.

The "old" BOE the voted to adjourn "Sine Die".

The two new BOE members were then invited to take seats at the table. (BOE Member Danny Brown vacated his usual seat and took the seat previously occupied by Carlandus Mallory. Along with the seat previously occupied by Bobby Mayberry, this left two vacant seats on the "left side" of the table (next to Mary Coleman) to be occupied by Artie McBride and Charlene Vaughn.

The four newly elected/re-elected BOE members were then asked to come forward to be sworn in...the oath read/administered by Mary Coleman. (Fortunately, they evidently rediscovered the "short version" of the oath. Last time, they used an oath that took forever to read.)

Roll Call - Coleman, Vaughn, McBride, Brown, Stubblefield, Gooden, and Burris.

Next up...Superintendent Swopes was chosen as President Pro Tem and Valerie Hall was chosen as Secretary Pro Tem for purposes of electing the new BOE officers.

The first office to be selected was that of BOE President. Danny Brown nominated Vernon Stubblefield for the office. Vernon Stubblefield nominated Arnold Burris for the office. Arnold Burris was re-elected as President of the BOE. (This vote did not sit well with BOE member Danny Brown. Mr. Brown proceeded to vote "No" on every other office and measure during this portion of the meeting. Mr. Brown was visibly seething...)

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Editor's Note: An "addendum" was posted on April 18th after Mr. Brown contacted CAT with ooncerns about how the above actions/report might be interpreted by members of the audience and/or by readers of CAT Tracks.

***

The other officers were elected without opposition...Brenda Gooden as Secretary, Vernon Stubblefield as Vice President, and Mary Coleman as Treasurer.

President Burris then declared the Board as "officially organized and ready to consider matters that may come before it."

A motion was made, seconded, and passed to adopt "all existing policies of the Cairo School District No. 1 Board of Education." (All ayes, except for Danny Brown who voted a forceful "NO!"

And then it got ugly...

The final item on the "BOE Reorganization" agenda was to establish a Regular Board Meeting date, time, and place.

When President Burris asked the members if anyone had any problem with the current "3rd Thursday of the month at 6 p.m.", new BOE Member Charlene Vaughn indicated that she had a conflict with Thursdays...that Thursdays were bad for her.

Well, in the opening exchange, BOE Member Brown indicated that the 3rd Thursday of the month was fine with him and that he had a conflict with any other night of the week/month.

BOE Member Stubblefield tried to play the diplomat...the peacekeeper...to no avail. The atmosphere in the room was getting tense.

Finally, BOE Member Vaughn said "I'll be the bigger person...I'll go along with the 3rd Thursday."

Not to let the comment pass, BOE Member Brown said "You ain't that big."

As BOE Member Brown continued to glare at BOE Member Vaughn, he evidently felt that he heard BOE Member Vaughn say something negative about him...something allegedly whispered to another BOE member.

Well, the "F-word" did fly...repeated several times by BOE Member Brown...first directed at BOE Member Vaughn and then supposedly "quoting" what he felt he heard her whisper about him.

Finally, a motion was made, seconded, and passed to establish the 3rd Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. in the Central Office as the Regular Board Meeting date, time, and place.

The BOE then voted at 6:25 p.m. to adjourn the "Reorganization Meeting" and to continue with the regular meeting...

WHEW...if this is a preview of coming attractions, seats at future BOE meetings may become a hot ticket!!!

The regular meeting resumed at 6:27 p.m.

III. Examples of Excellence - Two CJSHS teachers - Tommy Ellis & Ryan O'Shea - were recognized as having received honors.

IV. Recognition of Guests/Comments From Public And Employees - None.

V. Approval of Previous Minutes - Motion made, seconded, and passed to approve the Regular and Special minutes and to table the two Closed session minutes.

1. Regular Minutes of March 19, 2009
2. Closed Minutes of March 19, 2009
3. Special Minutes of April 2, 2009
4. Closed Minutes of April 2, 2009

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

• Regular Meeting
• Closed Meeting

VII. Approval of Treasurer's Report - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

VIII. Approval of Payment of Bills/Payroll - Several questions, but nothing worthy of reporting...mostly clarifications. Motion made, seconded, and passed.

IX. Informational

1. School Board Training (ROE-02/Kim Malone) - Superintendent Swopes indicated that he had been contacted at to which Cairo BOE members would attend a training session that is in the planning stages. Coleman, McBride, and Vaughn indicated that they would attend if the training were held at night.

2. Filed Report for Recovery Money - Jan. 27-30, 2009 (Ice Storm) - Superintendent Swopes stated that approximately $5,000 was spent, but only $2,500 would be reimbursed through FEMA.

3. "Sporting A Winning Attitude": Tommy Ellis, Cairo Jr/Sr High School Head Boys Basketball Coach and Health Teacher - Skipped since it was reported under "Examples of Excellence".

4. Vacation Days for Supt. - April 13 and 17, 2009 - Superintendent Swopes reported that a family matter had caused him not to attend a workshop on April 14th and to instead take an additional vacation day.

5. School calendar has been revised so that the final SIP Day will be moved to June 2nd (to enable the annual retirement luncheon) and that the final day of school will be June 3rd. (The Association received a copy of the official calendar that is filled with various symbols - XHI, XHPT, XID, XDS, ED, AOG, NIZ...you name it. Instead of boring you the alphabet soup, below is a memo from Superintendent Swopes that outlines the essentials.)

6. Superintendent Swopes reported that he (and CJSHS Principal Byrd) had met with the newly elected BOE members to provide them with information. Superintendent Swopes gave each BOE member a list of the topics covered.

7. In response to a question asked by BOE Member Stubblefield, Superintendent Swopes responded in the affirmative that there would be both elementary and secondary summer school this year, but that the start dates had not been set.

8. Checks Deposited - District Account

   $200,052.61 - State Aid - 1st Payment Feb.
   19,524.21 - Federal Lunch
   10,542.88 - Federal Breakfast
   6,127.00 - TAP Grant Payment
   30,612.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
   1,695.00 - Title VI - Rural Ed. In.
   82,848.00 - Title I Low Income
   19,606.91 - Impact Aid
   500.00 - Safe & Drug Free Schools
   15,902.00 - Title II Teacher Quality
   808.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
   200,052.61 - State Aide - 2nd Payment Feb.
   456.46 - Library Grant
   1,401.43 - State Lunch
   1,249.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
   1,200.00 - Early Childhood Block Grant
   23,245.89 - Federal Lunch
   12,286.32 - Federal Breakfast
   76,363.24 - Real Estate Taxes - Alexander County
   5,616.66 - Trustee Redemption Fund- Alexander County
   35,519.64 - TAMES
   50.00 - First Student Transit - Rent

X. Closed Session - The BOE voted to enter closed session at 6:45 p.m. (As we filed out of the Board Room, who should be waiting in the hall to enter? Why I'm glad you asked! The BOE's attorney for negotiations and his assistant. They spent a good hour-and-a-half in closed session. CHA-CHING!) The BOE voted to exit closed session at 8:42 p.m.

XI. Requiring Action/Decisions By Board of Education

1. Personnel employment, resignation, release, discipline, or compensation.
   a. Employ Coaches - Per Attached List (See below.) - Motion made, seconded, and passed.
2. Approve Re-Organization of Board of Education - Skipped...already done.
3. Approve Amended School Calendar - Motion made, seconded, and passed.
4. Approve School Treasurer's Bond - 2009-2010 - (As discussed in closed session.) - Bond is $2.5 million. Motion made, seconded, and passed.
5. Approve Food Service Contract - Chartwells - (As discussed in closed session.) - Motion made, seconded, and passed.
6. Approve Renewal of Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Membership - Cairo Jr/Sr High School - 2009-2010 - Motion made, seconded, and passed.
7. Approve Linkage Agreement Between Cairo Jr/Sr High School and Community Health & Emergency Services, Inc. - Motion made, seconded, and passed.

XII. Other - None.

XIII. Old Business - None.