CHSD 155 board approves contracts, policies, IGA renewal and personnel actions; expels student 2025-01

The CHSD 155 Board of Education took multiple formal actions during its meeting, approving budget items, contract renewals, policy revisions and personnel matters and taking disciplinary action in a closed-session case.

Treasurer Treasure McCord reported the district's March ending fund balance rose to $77,300,000, largely reflecting an alternative bond sale of $13,400,000. McCord told the board the overall coverage ratio remained "materially unchanged at 50%" because the bond proceeds are highly restricted under board fund-balance policy.

On the consent agenda and formal motions, the board approved $10,600,000 in board bills covering March 12 through April 8, 2025 — including $6,800,000 in payroll-related items and roughly $3,800,000 in vendor payments — by voice/roll-call vote. The board received a quarterly investment report and heard that the general fund portfolio posted a fifteenth consecutive quarterly yield increase; staff said the district implemented an alternative bond portfolio to support stadium renovation projects while addressing applicable arbitrage rules.

The board voted to renew the district’s one-year food service management contract with Organic Life LLC for the 2025–26 school year. Under state contractual guidelines referenced in the presentation, the district may renew the one‑year agreement for up to four additional annual renewals before rebidding. Staff said any annual meal-rate increase under the contract cannot exceed the Consumer Price Index (food away from home), which was 3.6% for the 12 months ended Dec. 24.

The board approved a second reading and adoption of multiple policy revisions listed in the meeting packet (including policies listed in the agenda as 6-60 curriculum content, 6-135 accelerated placement program and 8-10 connection with the community) and approved multiple consent‑agenda personnel hires for the coming year. Assistant superintendent for human resources Josh Nabilio told the board that principals and hiring teams completed recruitment this season and that certified positions were filled.

Superintendent Neil Lesinski recommended and the board approved renewal of the regional safe-school intergovernmental agreement. The proposed IGA extends the existing agreement from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, with all terms unchanged, including a per‑diem rate of $45 per student per day for the alternative program the district uses for students who need education outside the traditional setting.

After an executive‑session review of a disciplinary matter, the board returned to open session and approved a resolution upholding disciplinary action for student 2025‑01. The board found the student's conduct constituted gross disobedience or misconduct under board policy 7:190 (student behavior), upheld a 10‑day out‑of‑school suspension and expelled the student for the remainder of the 2024–25 school year and the 2025–26 school year, effective immediately. The motion was moved and seconded in open session and approved by roll call.

The board also approved the superintendent contract for Dr. Neil Lesinski by roll call following a motion and second. The meeting record shows the board completed its semi‑annual review of executive session minutes and voted to keep executive session minutes through February 2025 closed, and separately approved destruction of verbatim executive-session recordings dated April 18, 2023 through Sept. 19, 2023, as permitted by board policy and state record-retention practice.

On facilities and operations, the board heard an update from FGM and Pepper Construction on strategic planning and proposed stadium renovations and approved the operations committee recommendation to proceed with planning activities. The board adjourned after completing the agenda and announced it had taken the actions summarized above.

Votes at a glance - Approval of meeting minutes (regular 03/18/2025; executive 03/18/2025; special meeting 04/03/2025 and related executive session): motion carried (roll call approval). - Approval of board bills: motion carried (roll call approval); amount: $10,600,000 (payroll ~$6,800,000; vendor ~$3,800,000). - Approval of 2025–26 Food Service Management contract with Organic Life LLC: motion carried (roll call approval); outcome: approved; noted annual meal-rate increases limited by CPI (food away from home). - Adoption of listed policy revisions (second reading): motion carried (roll call approval); policies referenced on agenda. - Approval of consent-agenda hires: motion carried (roll call approval). - Approval to renew regional safe-school IGA (07/01/2025–06/30/2026) at $45 per student per day: motion carried (roll call approval). - Student disciplinary resolution (student 2025-01): motion carried (roll call approval); outcome: 10‑day out‑of‑school suspension upheld and expulsion for remainder of 2024–25 and 2025–26. - Approval of superintendent contract for Dr. Neil Lesinski: motion carried (roll call approval). - Semiannual review: motion carried to keep executive-session minutes through Feb. 2025 closed. - Destruction of verbatim executive-session recordings from 04/18/2023–09/19/2023: motion carried.

The district’s finance staff and committee chairs presented background for each item during the meeting; where the transcript contained only roll‑call "yes" votes without a written roll‑call tally in the packet, the minutes show the motions passed by roll‑call approval.