[{"_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",6267879,"mediaKeyId","3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f","parentId",3061496,"title","Votes at a glance: key board decisions from Richland County CUSD 1 regular meeting","audioSeconds",4069,"startMs",169000,"endMs",4238000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f&start=169&end=4238","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f/thumbnail_169000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6267879/Illinois/Votes-at-a-glance-key-board-decisions-from-Richland-County-CUSD-1-regular-meeting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267879-f49344199913677540e0e96c5ef6522b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984825&Signature=hTqzeeR2EpN2dkjzHUWbm8d4w1ZiSDf2UVJ0V-vlQqnqohw8fHdR8270kkg8UKBAknuJijhhZrJY1LRm3Df0~uJtTd0GSKIudK5GNQR1rPWeUdsn26oSs~7UTTu4M6x0qxj8zVei7vpsvjvusUH70rBlgyJ5ZH0kw76kZwgDQcEE5bu7IIig9D3RGW2vle4YyTh5xX9Mr9wIaJOqYnu-EfRlX1UG3NSEajIPa05~ii4jg41xnL1SefCCZ-rprezHb5R1uboDZpErFJlddRK93da~F9YT716BEf7k9h67AlD8I-gvVrCIjUx7YHeFgUHzNK5UE8bZ7L2OtYnS7mTRZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Richland County CUSD 1","date","2025-04-19T16:29:36.81Z","article","At its regular meeting the Richland County Community School District 1 Board of Education recorded several roll-call votes. Key outcomes:

- Consent agenda (items 4a–4f): Approved. Motion by Missus Bailey, seconded by Mister Wilson. Roll-call recorded yes votes from Mister Henderson, Mister Wilson, Mister Anderson, Mister Snyder, Mister Leist and Missus Bailey.

- Financial reports (treasurer’s report including cash balances and CD interest): Approved. Motion by Mister Wilson, seconded by Mister Henderson. Roll call recorded yes votes from those present.

- Summer 2025 maintenance project list: Approved. Motion by Mister Henderson, seconded by Mister Wilson. Roll call: Anderson, Leist, Snyder, Henderson, Wilson and Bailey — all yes. The district presented an estimated total of $742,000 to be funded primarily from Fund 20 across two fiscal years; several items still require contractor quotes.

- Letter of intent and lease agreement with Keystone Power Holdings for community solar: Approved. Motion by Mister Henderson, seconded by Mister Anderson. Roll call: Wilson, Anderson, Henderson, Snyder, Leist and Bailey — all yes. (See full article on the Keystone LOI for project details.)

- Motion to enter executive session to consider personnel, property negotiations, possible litigation and related closed-session matters: Approved on roll call. Motion moved by Mister Anderson and seconded by Mister Wilson.

- Motion to exit executive session and reconvene in open session: Approved. Motion by Mister Henderson and seconded by Missus Bailey.

- Personnel actions (teacher and staff hires and changes, with one item removed for separate vote): Approved by roll call with the exception noted. The board removed the high-school boys basketball coach item for separate consideration.

- High-school boys basketball head coach hire (separate vote): The board approved hiring Andy Toman. Motion to hire moved by Mister Wilson and seconded by Mister Anderson. Roll-call votes recorded: Mister Snyder — yes; Mister Leist — no; Mister Anderson — yes; Mister Henderson — no; Mister Wilson — yes; Missus Bailey — yes. Outcome: motion approved (yes votes outnumbered no votes).

All roll-call tallies and individual votes recorded in the meeting minutes reflect the motions above.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 17, 2025 Regular School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The board recorded roll-call approvals on the consent agenda, financial reports, the summer maintenance list, a letter of intent/lease option with Keystone Power, motions to enter and exit executive session, and personnel actions including the hiring of the high-school boys basketball coach.","taxTitle","Richland County CUSD 1, School Boards, Illinois","taxId",72980,"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},6267884,"District outlines new middle-school advanced math and language-arts pathway beginning next year",236,1020000,1256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f&start=1020&end=1256","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f/thumbnail_1020000.jpg","/articles/6267884/Illinois/District-outlines-new-middle-school-advanced-math-and-language-arts-pathway-beginning-next-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267884-a3b63944fbed4b0c2c4ae504063d8be0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984825&Signature=Pmy3Av9xt8c~R4qKEiQRtX5nrwRBOVM2AOBnOwI~yxNj0Y9aUCWVwOM6fOFz7mO5eit~1SGeOuq4jcpFNv8BjwssCI7sM52Pl~IT7ytr2Nc29d~67cqUdR1yOiYDGB95d1OvKWKytiobXQh-gdelxISON5TCGICDiI2~0m2RnIRGcR49CGE5fRfXIkZPVYUrvqYoWrx9arnKZl6ttCMqo-mt4S60dLGlnl7~jbeHH08koi21aM30CEHOrvEdrAGVnTd9-LmLzGXIzmCPLfEHo-Nmwt0QnEUSzhlR~ki2kXi~6Kx6QrZpabziaeGWeZDjh8EkhJHSrWijEHosYk1etg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District administrators told the board they will begin an advanced pathway at the middle school next year intended to accelerate students into higher math sooner and provide more rigorous writing opportunities in language arts.

Ms. Rogers (curriculum lead) said the plan is to start the advanced track in seventh grade, condense some seventh-grade content, add selected eighth-grade material, and allow students to take Algebra 1 in eighth grade so they can move to Math 2 in high school. Rogers said teachers have been consulted and will receive weekly work days during the rest of the school year, with additional planning time possible in the summer. She said the district will look for a cohesive 6–12 math program to improve vertical alignment and will keep the current middle-school language-arts curriculum while adding more writing-intensive work.

Board members asked whether elementary alignment sets students up for the new middle-school tracks; Rogers said the elementary language-arts program (Amplify / CKLA K–8 family) should help prepare students and that teachers have reported visible growth this year.

No formal action was required; administrators said they will continue to plan and return with curriculum selections and scheduling details.","Administrators presented plans to start an advanced math pathway in seventh grade and additional writing emphasis in language arts at the middle school; the program is scheduled to start next academic year and will include work days for teachers and possible curriculum adoption.",{"_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},6267888,"Board approves summer 2025 maintenance projects; district details sports-complex challenges",4027,1429000,5456000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f&start=1429&end=5456","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f/thumbnail_1429000.jpg","/articles/6267888/Illinois/Board-approves-summer-2025-maintenance-projects-district-details-sports-complex-challenges","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267888-46b4fec4d243701dbd2ef74c2f38e868/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984825&Signature=Uj2FqW9C3w-dl6PCug2jip~PHZTyJJQBeNhDBlwNqWhVU5y-~hOoy8gv48bCe489OY5fUN6oh-8kM~s2DrRxtvB1OkiaS8QB3WrNNoQRciZLfJRB0tipPQGv6-8PLxaXbS~DMallnm2HX34lZki8dYmSC--XCfS2lDtZlXoanFSejrZhsMtZaOKgeu3aKwAjJ5OkrszbGy2LLECDU8Y7q2J8hzyF09VEwf7XVofHa-dqeVY5DbTwg9u4fmUQRFhH2Vh47LLLqT~3MJAyTFAoc-X-KJVNmKCCet7X9U9rtc9lUmjL~ryJnMtgHazKj~GzK3q1gpgdYzBc5sMbfWXZPw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richland County Community School District 1 Board of Education approved the district’s summer 2025 maintenance-project list and budget during its regular meeting.

The projects — presented by district administration and approved by roll call — totalled about $742,000 in the presenter’s estimate and will be funded primarily from Fund 20 across two fiscal years, the administration said. The list covers a range of work across district buildings including replacement doors, boiler-room concrete, manufacturing-lab electrical upgrades, tuckpointing, gym-floor refinishing, lighting replacement (phase two), bus-lane sealing, canopy procurement for an elementary pickup area, playground demo and installation, and security camera installation at the bus garage and alternative-education building.

In the presentation, administrators also reviewed the sports complex site tours held for the community and engineers’ findings. The administration reported a 12-foot elevation difference across the field that drives water-flow and drainage problems; presenters said partial fixes to isolated areas would not resolve systemic grading and ADA issues. Staff described a million-dollar-plus estimate to replace the main grandstand and costs to rework restroom plumbing: the bathrooms currently have six stalls served by a 1.5-inch water line and a 4-inch sewer line, but code would require far more stalls for the facility’s seating capacity and a much larger water supply if a partial remodel were attempted, leading administrators to recommend comprehensive site work instead of piecemeal repairs.

Board members asked for clarifications about expansion joints and tuckpointing progress; administration said expansion-joint work is about two-thirds complete and some brick areas still need tuckpointing. For the middle and high school gyms, administration said the high-school gym floor is near the end of its usable life and will require replacement bids (estimated at $250,000–$300,000) next summer.

During the meeting’s later segments, administrators reported an emergent issue at the sports complex: the district’s water usage spike revealed three leaks in the 1.5-inch line that serves the concessions and restroom area. The district turned off that line; staff said repairing the remaining two-thirds of the run may require directional boring or excavation and estimated a likely cost near $20,000. The line currently prevents use of the bathroom building; porta-potties are in place for events while repairs are scheduled.

Board members approved the summer maintenance work on a motion by Mister Henderson, seconded by Mister Wilson. The roll call vote was recorded as yes by Mister Anderson, Mister Leist, Mister Snyder, Mister Henderson, Mister Wilson and Missus Bailey.","The board approved a $742,000 summer maintenance package to address building repairs, gym floor refinishing, canopy bids, site concrete, and security camera work; administrators described the sports complex grading, ADA and utility constraints and reported new water-line leaks at the complex requiring repair.",{"_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},6267892,"Richland County CUSD 1 board approves letter of intent, lease option with Keystone Power for community solar",1738,2325000,4063000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f&start=2325&end=4063","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3061496-dd820322d5df9c35324ec2c081f8709f/thumbnail_2325000.jpg","/articles/6267892/Illinois/Richland-County-CUSD-1-board-approves-letter-of-intent-lease-option-with-Keystone-Power-for-community-solar","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6267892-45114497506c1be869cc08d885d84318/orig.mp4?Expires=1770984825&Signature=jGj-ht8UXO2kXqK0t5P0wo4S4qTOtq15RU73nBI4dOhIlFwEGaH3vg9jc4IUFPjanqjV7ums92AAbQGaRlkVPnwpEJZmPUcjIstEn-EzVSA4SkwIlRfNj3guB6hLDyUFc~dpTLr-t3pSTbPACtsg0MCJwWrm11PHgPOwxDCgqrqlcQ~eHwNL7sjAdApL-7eiSIsmkqhjAYzrAdeSMkyAY0U6pMYEdC59b5o9kaWa7eGqfc4pUAMClgZ0LWLvAI9D89cEHqg-5QLBdR8HzB1qG-CgQtMblGpIp40NBqA4RgoxmdlyjYTQql9tAaCKzGGr4pLJ36gSFXJiLBsCMS1pPA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Richland County Community School District 1 Board of Education voted unanimously to approve a letter of intent and lease-option agreement with Keystone Power Holdings to develop community solar arrays on district-owned land.

The board’s vote, moved by Mister Henderson and seconded by Mister Anderson, followed a presentation by Anthony Fotopoulos of Keystone Power Holdings outlining a two-site plan that would dedicate 20% of the arrays’ output to the district. Fotopoulos said that, under the current state credit values, the district could erase about 64% of its electricity bill in the first year and realize roughly $90,000 in net bill-credit savings in year one after paying the discounted subscription rate to Keystone.

Keystone described two conceptual sites east of town and near the bus depot, sized at roughly 2.5 megawatts and 3.5 megawatts in the company’s conceptual designs. Fotopoulos said Keystone would pay a lease that he described as “above market” for farmland — roughly $1,300 per acre initially — and projected about $19,000 annual lease revenue for roughly 15 acres in the example used in the presentation. He said lease payments increase in $300 steps every 10 years in the company’s proposed schedule.

The district’s approval is an agreement to a short letter of intent (LOI) and lease option while Keystone pursues detailed development work and utility approval. Fotopoulos stressed that the project requires state funding approval through the Illinois program known in the presentation as the public-school portion of the Illinois Shines program and utility interconnection approval from Ameren; he said the utility review can take one to two years.

Under the proposed structure, the district must own the land the arrays occupy and would receive 10–40% of the project's output (Keystone proposed a 20% allocation in this presentation). Keystone would build, own and operate the arrays and sell the remaining output to community subscribers at a modest discount; the school would receive its allocated credits as bill credits. Fotopoulos described additional incentives and federal/state supports that improve the project economics, and said Keystone would pay option payments during the development period (an initial $1,000 after 90 days and recurring option payments thereafter) and keep the site farmed until construction begins.

Board members asked about fencing, maintenance responsibility and the decommissioning bond; Fotopoulos said each field would be fenced, Keystone would maintain areas inside the fence and would work with the district on trimming around the parcel edge, and that decommissioning bonds are commonly required by counties. Legal counsel and the district’s lawyer, Luke Feeney, have already reviewed the draft documents, the superintendent said.

The motion passed on a roll call with Mister Wilson, Mister Anderson, Mister Henderson, Mister Snyder, Mister Leist, and Missus Bailey voting yes.

Keystone will now proceed under the LOI and option to seek final utility approvals and apply for state program credits; the board’s vote authorizes staff to sign the documents discussed.","The board voted unanimously to approve a letter of intent and lease option with Keystone Power Holdings to pursue two community solar arrays on district-owned land; Keystone estimates significant electricity-bill credits for the district and lease revenue for the district while development and utility approvals proceed.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: key board decisions from Richland County CUSD 1 regular meeting

District outlines new middle-school advanced math and language-arts pathway beginning next year

Board approves summer 2025 maintenance projects; district details sports-complex challenges

Richland County CUSD 1 board approves letter of intent, lease option with Keystone Power for community solar