MENDOTA – PE waivers will not be offered to Mendota High School freshmen and sophomores next year. In accordance with a recommendation from the high school’s Curriculum Committee, the District 280 Board of Education voted against extending PE waivers to the underclassmen.  

Principal Denise Aughenbaugh said the Curriculum Committee met three times in April to discuss the proposal, which was made during the March 19 board of education meeting. At the end of the committee meetings, a vote was taken resulting in 12 voting against the extension and only 2 voting in favor.

Based on the committee’s recommendation against the PE waiver, board members Jim Lauer, Jim Strouss, Dave May and Jim Sundberg voted yes (against the PE waiver) and Jason Stewart voted no. Board members Matt Hanaman and Jason Motter were absent.

Code of Conduct

The board approved a recommendation for hand book changes in the MHS Code of Conduct. Athletic director Steve Hanson, who presented the Athletic Committee’s proposed changes, explained that the high school’s current policy does not single out tobacco use but the new one does. The new code uses a numbering system similar to the current discipline system. “Everything is based off of numbers,” Hanson noted. “Offenses will be broken into two categories, Category A: Possession/consumption of drugs or alcohol and Category B: Possession/consumption of tobacco products or in the presence of drugs and/or alcohol. Category A offenses will be assigned 2 points per offense and Category B will be assigned 1 point per offense.”

Offenses

Category A: 2 Points per Offense - Possession/Consumption of Drugs or Alcohol

Category B: 7 Point per Offense - Possession/Consumption of Tobacco including e-cigarettes

Consequences

1 point: 1 game or event suspension - tobacco offense

2 points: 21-day suspension - 2 tobacco offenses or possession/consumption/in the presence of alcohol/drugs

3 points: 28-day suspension - 1 tobacco and 1 two-point offense or 3 tobacco offenses

4 points: Calendar year suspension - 2nd alcohol/drug offense, 1 alcohol/drug offense and 2 tobacco offenses, or 4 tobacco offenses

5 or 6 points: Lifetime ban for any combination of 5 or 6 points

Board member Jim Sundberg expressed concern that beer was classified the same as heroin and cocaine. “Is that what we want to be promoting out there to kids?” he questioned. “That’s the problem I’ve got. That’s what we’re saying.”

Superintendent Jeff Prusator said there is only so much the school can do. “For the first offense, we put the ball in the parents’ court,” he explained. “We have a consequence . . . for them to participate again, they have to go through a drug assessment and that information is given to the parents. We can’t force the parents what to do. As a school, we are addressing the concern and giving parents the information.”

Sundberg again questioned, “Are we saying an alcohol offense is the same as a drug offense?”

Board member Jason Stewart said all types of drug use by students should be the same. “Where do you want to stop . . . they’re all equally bad,” he said. “That’s what we’re trying to show. There are consequences for your actions whether it’s alcohol or drugs.”

Assistant Principal Joe Masini noted that in his 12 years at MHS, no student has ever been banned from participating for the rest of high school. “We’ve had calendar year suspensions but never lifetime,” he noted. “And we’ve never had a positive heroin or cocaine drug test in our random testing. That’s a good thing.”

After further discussion, Prusator recommended implementing the proposed code for next year. “If we want to make changes, we should reconvene the committee to discuss it,” he said, adding that students on the committee actually wanted more punitive penalties than the adults.

Voting to approve the recommendation were Stewart, Lauer and May; voting against were Strouss and Sundberg.

Dance Team

The addition of a dance team at MHS was approved by the board. After reviewing a request from Rachel Moore to bring back the dance team, the Athletic Committee recommended giving it a three-year trial run. Aughenbaugh said over time, the Trojanettes dance team was eliminated due to lack of interest but lately, there have been requests to revisit the program and see if there is enough interest. The dance team will need a minimum of eight dancers with a volunteer sponsor and then be reviewed in three years to see if it is stable.

Student Handbook

Changes in the student handbook were approved by the board. Masini presented the proposed changes, which included that threats or harassment through electronic communication is a misdemeanor offense. “We want kids to understand not only are they subject to school discipline but they could also have legal problems,” he noted.

In the dress code, shirts that have the shoulders cut out will be permitted but no halters, spaghetti straps or tank tops are allowed and no shirts that show violence or weapons are permitted.

The area where phones may be used will now include hallways and the cafeteria. Phones are not allowed in any instructional areas.

College & Career Readiness

The Illinois State Superintendent estimates that nearly half of all high school graduates who enter postsecondary education, are recommended for remedial math courses. Statistics indicate students who are placed in remedial math at the postsecondary level are less likely to be successful at completing college in their chosen path.

The PWR Act uses numerous strategies to benefit students in college and career transitions. One of those is the implementation of fourth-year high school transitional math courses, which have tremendous potential in reducing remediation and developmental education course work for high school students planning to attend Illinois colleges.

ISBE fully supports Illinois high school districts in transitional math course implementation, which by law high schools must implement or officially opt-out of by recommendation of local school board.

Aughenbaugh said that MHS and IVCC have been proactive in the PWR Act with implementation of the Transitional Math Course (College and Career Readiness) two years ago. Additionally, last fall the board approved a similar course in English. “We appreciate the ability to work ahead of the legislation and meet the needs of our students,” she noted.

DISTRICT & BUSINESS REPORT

Prusator said the high school is about $92,000 short on transportation money that they will not get this year but expenditures are right where they should be.

Prusator thanked OSF Saint Paul for providing sports physicals at the high school in May. Students were charged $25 for the physicals, which OSF donated back to the high school. “We had about 60 students get physicals and the hospital donated that $1,500 to us, which we appreciate,” he said.

The Athletic Committee’s recommended $10,872 fall athletic budget was approved.

PERSONNEL

The board accepted the resignation of Kate Guglielmetti as freshman class advisor, effective end of 2018 school year, and hired Mindy Martin as freshman class advisor.

They accepted the resignation of Jenna Edington as paraprofessional effective May 23, and the family leave of Adrianne Espinoza-Zamora next fall. They hired Kellie Hochstatter as Student Council substitute for Espinoza-Zamora while she is on leave.

Rachel Moore was approved as Dance Team volunteer and Jason Webber as a volunteer assistant football coach.

The board accepted the resignation of Jason Artman as head girls soccer coach and head boys soccer coach and of Jacob Guerrero as assistant football coach and they granted a leave of absence to Mindy Martin as freshman volleyball coach.

The following head coaches were also approved.

Fall

Keegan Hill-Football

John Holzman-Volleyball

Kevin Wohrley-Cross Country

Shawn LeRette-Girls Tennis

Brian Blumhorst-Golf

OPEN Boys-Soccer

Cady Schmitt-Cheerleading

Winter

John Hansen-Girls Basketball

Dale Meyers-Wrestling

Scott Vickery-Bowling

Steve Hanson-Basketball

Caitlen Schulze-Cheerleading

Spring

Aaron Sester-Baseball

Joel Perez-Softball

Heath Raley-Girls Track

OPEN-BoysTrack

OPEN-Girls Soccer

Shawn LeRette-Boys Tennis

The next regular board of education meeting will be held at the high school on Monday, June 25 at 6 p.m.