[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6376558,"mediaKeyId","2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa","parentId",2140070,"title","Board approves consent agenda and personnel; farm lease and auditorium use pass with split votes","audioSeconds",563,"startMs",6198000,"endMs",6761000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa&start=6198&end=6761","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa/thumbnail_6198000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6376558/Illinois/Board-approves-consent-agenda-and-personnel-farm-lease-and-auditorium-use-pass-with-split-votes","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376558-61ecbe9e947427748f0e7c3922bbc5f1/orig.mp4?Expires=1773707415&Signature=YPbNo0qtvcmSV8v1NSZb6e4T5Pee2Sh9bgWSJ44K9fOj15BvaCDVYMpoO9DOy6bOwP3Zra9KYkpa42fbDxpLI1HcVgYw~aD3PTwKBsocgt7T7ijyHlmxR0H8890ug-1hboROgZA9i4TckEoe6-n9WjUGWula-Gz069TdWLliGgEOF16Mnsfr0JFq8V9W2CrXx9koSwcB7~TfGAay5DGMLW1m8lpBU~5x~eNxzHXKpitSL3tRA1i0bY2vqbF14TE8qT5dPwu46vkRpApl6k21-hMjgm6L804jXaUgv2I5FMQ9m-xK3ilj0zNgAU-TSMF3tPqSxApnHhbJ1rhyFuGBPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Springfield SD 186","date","2025-01-22T14:27:49Z","article","The Springfield School District 186 Board of Education approved several routine items and personnel actions at its Jan. 27 meeting and recorded roll‑call votes on a farm lease and a building‑use request.

Votes at a glance:
- Consent agenda items 11.2 through 11.7 (details in board packet) — adopted 6–0. The packet included routine contracts and the district calendar for 2025–26. The board chair called the roll and the meeting record shows six aye votes.

- Personnel recommendations (roll call) — adopted 6–0. The personnel actions included acceptances, hires and separations and the superintendent noted the resignation of Dr. Thurman, who has accepted a position as state director of Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Illinois; Dr. Thurman will remain with the district for a transitional period.

- Farm lease for unimproved property on Cookie Mill Road — approved 5–1. The resolution authorizes a one‑year lease (March 1, 2025–Feb. 28, 2026) with Kane Family Farms at $300 per acre for approximately 40 acres (total $12,000). One board member voted no and said the district should consider an exit strategy for the property rather than continuing to lease it.

- Use of Landfair Auditorium for a board member candidate forum (Jan. 28, 2025) — approved 5–1. The event is being organized by the Springfield Education Association and candidates were invited to attend; one board member recorded a no vote.

The meeting record shows the board conducted the roll calls and recorded the vote tallies as described. No financial action on the facilities bond plan was taken at the meeting; that discussion was informational and next steps were scheduled for February and March.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting | January 21, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At the Jan. 27 meeting the Springfield SD 186 board approved consent items and personnel recommendations, accepted a resignation, and approved a one‑year farm lease; the Landfair auditorium was approved for an upcoming candidate forum.","taxTitle","Springfield SD 186, School Boards, Illinois","taxId",14971,"location","Illinois","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376563,"District hears plan to issue sales‑tax bonds to finish $270M capital program; public hearing, sale dates set",676,5289000,5965000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa&start=5289&end=5965","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa/thumbnail_5289000.jpg","/articles/6376563/Illinois/District-hears-plan-to-issue-salestax-bonds-to-finish-270M-capital-program-public-hearing-sale-dates-set","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376563-a461c1b9f88497a246bfcd3c3633f08d/orig.mp4?Expires=1773707415&Signature=MDYhbpnRbWSWgemcHG75M8VVGwcErl4nfyT5aQAMPefp3aOqoGAha98fICAL~6Vk-9OwDB8fW62KZJRFzT2tDzQIkQQr4LMqOQwj0wuZSomHIvX-nR1wGc~W0gB1S8LTJm5H-x50T0l4zYWMyqaNlE7ZXs3e6NVcRe22VBuun~k6s5Ra04shfMiFbAOk3gSZDHU6rZtSVJnlgN-OWAl5HyMJAEKJ2tE1h2f6zZnLbnZp8hbJIPPYom71cdUx8NI76f-5IoiK0L4hRzGxHMMMiRZ1xiheiD0HyPu4Ti1PCxuq2yijc8A-N4Yq7NaPebl~tD3cilPvoFVqaneybb6ePg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Anne Noble of Stifel Public Finance presented the district’s plan to fund remaining facilities projects and outlined a two‑step bond program spanning this year and 2026.

Noble said the district has about $270 million of projects yet to complete, approximately $88 million on hand, and a remaining need of about $184 million. The proposal calls for approximately $83.4 million of sales‑tax‑secured alternate revenue bonds this spring (no voter referendum required) and a second issuance in 2026 that would include about $16 million more in sales‑tax bonds plus roughly $85 million of general obligation‑style bonds secured by the district’s debt service extension base (property tax capacity tied to the district’s DEEB of about $9.7 million a year).

Noble explained that the sales tax bonds are secured by the 1% sales tax revenue approved by voters earlier and are not subject to the district’s statutory debt limit. She noted the plan assumes no growth in sales tax receipts and modest CPI‑based growth in the debt service extension base; district finance staff said actual sales tax collections have shown growth but the plan does not count on it.

The presentation included an explanation of the legal process and schedule: the board is expected to approve a resolution of intent on Feb. 3, hold a public hearing on Feb. 18, and consider approving the bond sale on March 10. Noble said bonds would effectively commit most of the sales tax revenue for about 20 years under the proposed structure if sales tax collections do not grow; any future growth would free revenue for additional projects.

Board members and staff discussed contingencies and cost escalation: officials said guaranteed maximum prices and contingencies have been included in project estimates and that some past change orders were driven by unforeseen conditions in older buildings. District construction managers and advisers said they had adjusted project estimates to reflect cost escalation through projected construction dates.","Financial advisers outlined a two‑year bond plan that would use sales tax (alternate revenue) bonds and future debt‑service extension base bonds to fund roughly $184 million of remaining capital needs; board will take procedural steps in February and March.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376567,"Teaching assistants urge equal raises; union and district say talks are ongoing",1359,3696000,5055000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa&start=3696&end=5055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa/thumbnail_3696000.jpg","/articles/6376567/Illinois/Teaching-assistants-urge-equal-raises-union-and-district-say-talks-are-ongoing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376567-a5a78eef9579988623d4fc365203e90f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773707415&Signature=jO1WHtjDDQ95ZgeQSKdA~1LjgjK4fgu1MYatBotkE4MyRI006Adp57o5G5~Fy4dkZEgxDPlBx8qjW8ep7dLGqNcwftEQk0kbuFiWZDOeoIH9tweitPExnBsIvnwIok994qaDunEjlgLPeEZqL2~82FdBtwrqnHdn~ZfgyLXGdAk2xdFlQ1uFoUNUhUxr0ryCMIAbdvzHHKbfgiVUXJgmB-MCOCKdo2P68NcS4JdPC2qMzvVlX-d9CNRp5Lhtx1Lq8lGLNYqCvUnRbHCKZ1gKYz27t7mvng3~PKDyKL8XO1Y3c3ce4amaM1Tt2zIhNEOD7HbtwEOLK5V3cY53j9JokA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","More than a half‑dozen teaching assistants told the Springfield School District 186 board during public comment that current pay levels are not livable and urged the board to extend pay increases given to other paraprofessionals.

“A teaching assistant after 10 years ... My check clears $909.77. My mortgage escrow is $911.43, a difference of a dollar 66,” said Amy Harris Long, a teaching assistant, describing tight household finances. Multiple speakers described long service, college coursework and additional classroom responsibilities and asked the board to equalize raises with paraprofessionals who received larger increases in October.

Other commenters said the district’s earlier raises for some paraprofessionals created new internal disparities. Neha Maskar, a teaching assistant, said the current schedule would leave some TAs making less than paras with similar years of service; Patricia Landers and Stacy Lawrence described personal and financial hardships tied to long service in the district. Jared Lamke read remarks about the needs of Early Learning Center students and the role of assistants in classrooms with complex needs.

Aaron Graves, president of the Springfield Education Association, told the board the association considers pay equity for teaching assistants part of improving teaching and learning conditions and said the union looks forward to a timely resolution.

In response Director Miller said the district opened the paraprofessional contract in January and presented a proposal the board could afford; she said the district received a counterproposal from the union at 1:45 p.m. on the day of the meeting and that staff have not yet had time to review it. “We did that out of crisis, for our paraprofessionals. We understand everything you're saying,” Miller said, adding the district will review the union’s counter and return to the table.

No formal board action occurred during the meeting on teaching assistant wages. Speakers asked the board to treat the matter as a priority and to consider parity with the $25‑an‑hour base reported for some paraprofessionals working in specialized STRIVE/scribe classrooms.","Multiple Springfield SD 186 teaching assistants urged the board to extend the paras' October raises to teaching assistants; union president and a director said negotiations and a district counteroffer are active and will be reviewed.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6376573,"Springfield SD 186 plans American Sign Language classes; board set to vote on materials in March",385,2655000,3040000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa&start=2655&end=3040","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140070-c1067bdf3ab3917a2e1f97cf6926a6fa/thumbnail_2655000.jpg","/articles/6376573/Illinois/Springfield-SD-186-plans-American-Sign-Language-classes-board-set-to-vote-on-materials-in-March","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376573-70dd47d33f29295b98c2853c7efb8432/orig.mp4?Expires=1773707415&Signature=QwTMKRjEyrFTS3euXZ0CrMPGXDQt5xjlBIhj4PPOF-O1XrtT89PBNRUPW8XEq1rSFzRTR32gcU7TRLe~uuAzAFgUXUhRh4tKgr1RPDlaPaWmG7lGDv~ZvxSfiprjW7l3NNX1QPbuhpswI0KXDwdr~qf~kiGyD3t9nRKgCD5wvrw32XsNud0wZ75wjbGqvFfSxQ56XpDuu88iBehZ7CI5GyGFRVwsD4Ak89fLVMK5LMwTo-hyQRhazRNVGx4wAS8mf1xnaBBRQVeWdxaD3nBmKQzvY1sBs8TV5dFudL6qL3HTA3K4IlBrEABAFT0es4XdUTqLFNP6sQG8KcQh0J68~A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Springfield School District 186 Superintendent (name not specified) told the school board that the district has approved American Sign Language as a high‑school foreign language option and will bring a purchase order for curriculum materials to the March 10 board meeting.

The district’s curriculum council voted unanimously on Dec. 5, 2024, to approve the course and staff are preparing a job posting, course schedules and student registrations. The superintendent said course selection deadlines and hiring timelines will determine how many class sections the district must offer and how many instructor positions to post and fill.

The curriculum choice is Signing Naturally (digital and print options) with supplemental services (Way ASL). Superintendent (name not specified) said the district intends to wait until course selection closes to finalize quantities and then request board approval for purchasing. She summarized cost estimates discussed in the meeting: Signing Naturally is listed at $69.95 per student for online access, about $90 per student for workbooks and roughly $100 for a teacher guide; Way ASL is about $40 per student for online access.

Officials laid out a timeline: course selection forms are due Feb. 16; personnel processes for displacement and voluntary transfer under district contracts run through April; the district plans to post any remaining openings after internal transfer rules conclude and bring a purchase approval to the board on March 10. The superintendent said the district has a job description ready and will post to recruit qualified instructors.

Staff said student interest surveys showed substantial demand: roughly 48% of middle school students surveyed listed Spanish as their preferred language, with ASL second at about 19.2% interest. The superintendent noted that American Sign Language has state recognition and said, “ASL is actually the 3rd most studied foreign language in the United States.” She also thanked Dr. Thurman and members of student support services — Carrie Sluga, Carol Galusha and Heather Gibson — for helping design the program and make it accessible.

Board members were given details on curriculum features, digital grading and alignment with Canvas, and told the district will await final section counts before purchasing. No formal board vote occurred on the purchase or staffing at the meeting; the curriculum council’s Dec. 5 approval and the superintendent’s commitments were described as the current actions and next steps.

Officials said all four levels of ASL are planned so students can satisfy the two‑year foreign language graduation requirement with ASL if they choose.","Springfield School District 186 staff briefed the board on an approved ASL curriculum, timeline for hiring and course roll‑out, projected per‑student costs and next steps including a March 10 board approval to purchase materials.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves consent agenda and personnel; farm lease and auditorium use pass with split votes

District hears plan to issue sales‑tax bonds to finish $270M capital program; public hearing, sale dates set

Teaching assistants urge equal raises; union and district say talks are ongoing

Springfield SD 186 plans American Sign Language classes; board set to vote on materials in March