Richland County CUSD 1 board approves personnel moves, financial reports and student expulsion

The Richland County CUSD 1 Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the consent agenda, accept the district financial reports, authorize staff to begin work on the fiscal 2025-26 budget, approve multiple personnel transfers and hires for the 2025-26 school year, and expel a student to alternative school with conditions for possible return.

The decisions were taken at the district’s regular monthly board meeting. Board members who voted yes on the roll calls were Mister Anderson, Missus Lockley, Mister Snyder, Mister Wilson, Mister Leist and Mister Henderson.

Board members approved the consent agenda and moved on to the treasurer’s report, which showed a cash balance of $14,509,820 and $21,000,000 in certificates of deposit. When cash, CDs and other assets were combined, the superintendent reported total month-end assets of $36,212,087.73 and noted the district was roughly $3,000,000 ahead of the same point last year. The district’s 1% sales tax receipts trended down about $13,000 compared with the same month last year; year-to-date the tax was about $11,000 behind last year’s total.

On personnel and staffing, trustees approved a slate of motions that included: - Transfer of Jeff Thompson from RCMS principal to RCHS principal, effective the 2025–26 school year. - Transfer of Monica Grove from RCES fifth-grade teacher to RCHS assistant principal, effective the 2025–26 school year. - Transfer of Jennifer Tedford from RC ELC director to RCMS principal, effective the 2025–26 school year. - Approval of Jennifer Weidner as the new RCELC director, effective the 2025–26 school year. - Transfer of Christina Vanmeter from RCHS English teacher to alternative education director, effective the 2025–26 school year. Trustees also approved the annual performance ranking file for certified staff, and the finalized educational support staff seniority list.

The board unanimously authorized Superintendent Fox to begin preparing the district’s FY2026 budget and to start the budgeting process with building principals and department heads. The superintendent said the work must begin in March to meet the district’s timeline for tentative and final budgets later in the summer.

In executive session the board considered student-discipline matters and later reconvened in open session to act on one case. The board moved to expel “Student A” for the remainder of the 2024–25 school year and the 2025–26 school year and to refer the student to an alternative school. The board’s motion allows the student to return on principal-imposed probation in the second semester of the 2025–26 school year if the student completes 20 hours of approved counseling and follows all school rules while attending the alternative program; the counseling will be at the student’s expense.

Other routine motions that passed unanimously included approval of the district’s resolution supporting Vision 2030 (as presented by the Illinois Association of School Administrators and the Illinois Association of School Boards), and approval of the process to begin developing next year’s budget.

Less formal business included an update from the superintendent about the annual 5Essentials survey (open Feb. 18–March 31) for students in grades 4–12, staff and parents, and discussion of possible graduation dates (the superintendent said May 25 is the current recommendation, with June 1 as an alternate). The superintendent reported the district has paused additional meetings of the site facts committee pending delivery of a topographic survey from Vernon Jones. Maintenance staff also reported the district purchased a 2023 Ford F-350 (dually) with about 15,000 miles for $60,000 and has ordered snowplow equipment and garage cameras; a single $250 part was required to enable a fifth-wheel trailer connection on the truck.

The meeting closed after motions to adjourn passed unanimously.