Granite City CUSD 9 board approves hires, partnerships, removal of student fees and sale of Building Trades lot

The Granite City Community Unit School District 9 Board of Education on Aug. 26 approved a slate of routine personnel actions, several partnerships funded by grants, renewed school resource officer and drug-education agreements, and authorized sale of Building Trades Lot 195 for $265,000.

The moves, approved by successive motions and roll-call votes, included hiring classroom and support staff (special education paraprofessionals, an ESL bilingual paraprofessional, a safety/social-emotional behavior monitor and a 4‑hour café worker), appointing Lily Myenberg as the student school board member advisor for 2025–26, and approving a six-hour GCHS course funded by an education grant.

Why it matters: the votes put personnel on the payroll for the coming school year, preserved funding and partnerships used for instruction and improvement, and removed a fee that had required district students to pay to attend home athletic events. The board also approved a $265,000 highest bid for Building Trades Lot 195 at 4825 Bailey Drive, subject to lender conditions and standard closing requirements.

District administration told the board that private donations helped stock student supplies this fall. "We've had so many donations at the beginning of the year," an administration representative said, naming United States Steel and a Costco warehouse manager; the presentation noted 768 clear backpacks and a $500 Costco card among contributions.

On partnerships and grants, the board approved a continuing engagement with TNTP, an Illinois State Board of Education–approved learning partner, to support K–8 instructional improvement and leadership development; administration said those services will be fully funded through grants.

The board voted to remove the requirement that district students pay to attend home athletic events. Administration discussed practical verification steps for students (ID or Skyward confirmation) and said the district is working on improving student ID availability for the first day of school.

School safety and related agreements were renewed. The board approved renewal of the Granite City High School SRO agreement recommending Officer Elliot Brinkmeyer remain assigned, and the Coolidge Junior High School agreement recommending Officer Scott Penny remain assigned; administration said district expenses for those programs will be covered by the district. The board also renewed the SABRE elementary drug-education officer agreement and recommended Officer Preston Brown continue in that role.

The board temporarily adjourned to open a public hearing on the proposed 2025–26 Region 1 special education budget, heard a Region 1 presentation and reconvened to adopt the Region 1 special education budget resolution.

The board also authorized the district attorney to intervene in several Madison County property tax appeals before the Property Tax Appeal Board, with Madison County District Attorney Tom Schulich noting that some appealed properties pay over $1,000,000 annually in property tax while others pay roughly $400,000.

Votes at a glance: all routine personnel and contract/partnership approvals, the removal of student athletic-event fees, the sale authorization for Building Trades Lot 195 (highest bid $265,000), the Region 1 special education budget resolution, and renewals of the GCHS and CJHS SRO agreements were approved by roll call; motions passed with the members present voting "Aye." (Individual roll-call entries and motions are recorded in the official minutes.)

The board set its next meeting for Sept. 23, 2025, and adjourned.