In action items, the board unanimously approved the annual tax levy, with the ordinance stating that the corporate and special purpose property taxes extended or abated for 2023 were $6,019,906, and the proposed corporate and special purpose property taxes to be levied for 2024 were $6,620,882. The nealry 10% increase over the previous year is due to the Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) going up, which the district has no control over. The levy needs to be turned into the county by the last Tuesday of December.
The board also approved hiring an evening custodian at the 6-12 Campus, and approved 6-12 Principal Janet Barnhart’s contract extension as presented, with the end date going from June 30, 2029, to Sept. 1, 2029. December bills and payroll in the amount of $639,623.80, plus additional bills from November 19-30 in the amount of $374,499.18 were also approved.
Reports and Correspondence
In administrative reports, Superintendent Heidi Lensing said she’s working on hard numbers for renovation of the school buildings and pulling all the variables together. The Personnel & Finance Committee will be meeting on Wednesday. The district and the PLT teacher’s union have set the rules and dates for negotiations, which will start after the first of the year. Lensing expressed “many thanks to staff and students” for their work at the recent holiday programs.
Informational Items
Blake Geuns next addressed the board about a Class of 2025 request to move their graduation date a week later so it’s not on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. He recently asked Mrs. Barnhart about changing it, and she suggested going before the board with the request. He also started a petition with classmates, which received a lot of support. He said the class feels that the Memorial Day holiday impacts travel plans, and the girls state track final is also that weekend. Even if it’s “the way it’s always been done,” they want to consider another day.
Barnhart agreed that there’s no downside to moving it a week later, though the PLT middle school promotion is also the same day as graduation. Erie High School’s graduation is typically held on Sunday in mid-May so they wouldn’t want to move it a week earlier.
Lensing said she “appreciates that they brought it before the board” as they want students to be advocates. It was an informational item this month and will be on the agenda for a vote next month.
Board president and vice president Chad Abell and Whitney Mitchell-DeWitte both attended the annual statewide school board conference three weeks ago. It was enjoyable, informative, and organized, said Mitchell-DeWitte, who provided a brief update on a session she attended with an SRO who houses the school’s therapy dog. Lensing attended some informative sessions and connected with other Superintendents in the state.
Mitchell-DeWitte updated the board on the Attendance Center Ad Hoc Committee, which recently met with Facilities Manager Kevin Everly to “get a timeline down.” She said he was helpful and brought an outside perspective and a different outlook to the process. They also drafted a letter to explain the changes and what’s going on, which was sent to the teachers and the community. The committee is now at a stopping point until the transportation issues get worked out.
Lensing reported that the 6-12 Facilities Ad Hoc Committee met last week with Veregy representatives and they just “scraped the tip of the iceberg” of what needs to be done. She said they’re working through feedback pieces, balancing current needs vs. priorities, completing a thorough examination of all the buildings, and working on scenarios using capital funds, HLS funds, and other accounts.
Designs for the middle school gym flooring have been completed, with plans to remove the IHSA logo and change Erie-Prophetstown to Panthers on the sidelines. The district is collaborating with the WACC on the project, and they just need to complete the vectoring and send a file to Specialty Floors. Lensing said they’re already locked in with the company for work next summer, they just need to vote on a final design and price in January.
In the PLTTA report, Laura Crisp reported that it’s the season for projects, trips, parties, and learning and growing.” She commended students for recent work such as: holiday concerts; a visual project about the journey of products; students hosting veterans; students taking a field trip to the Peoples National Bank to learn about finances; the 1st graders sending friendly letters to Santa and placing them in the Post Office mailbox; and the next theater production has started, with 30 students involved and performances in March.
A group of 21 students studied hard for the middle school Spelling Bee on Tuesday, December 10th. After five rounds, only two remained and it became a “battle of the Jacksons” for 32 rounds, with Jackson Streenz placing 1st and Jackson Melton placing 2nd. Crisp said they’re proud of how hard the students worked, and she also thanked the PLT Foundation for supporting the Spelling Bee with shirts and prizes.
The next regular meeting of the PLT #3 Board of Education will be on Monday, January 27, 2025 at the District Office.
Attached are the administrative reports:
