Latest news with #ChampaignSchoolDistrict
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
As the new Champaign school board wraps up their first week, questions about the superintendent continue
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The Champaign School District board held their third meeting in six days on Thursday, as well as their second special meeting. This time, the board appointed some positions within the district, while questions about the superintendent continue. The meeting wasn't as long, coming in under the two-hour mark. It also had about 50 community members in the crowd compared to nearly 100 at the last two. PREVIOUSLY: Agenda change causes disagreements at Champaign school board meeting The meeting itself brought a lot of the same concerns with a couple of long-awaited approvals finally coming from the board. 'The people's business was delayed for a while in April. And, you know, we are the government now, and we have a responsibility to do what the people elected us to do. So I'm trying to plow through as much as we can,' said Board President Tony Bruno. Four positions were filled, including two principals. Cynthia Watson will take over at Edison Middle School. 'I do not take lightly the responsibility and privilege of serving this incredible school,' Watson said. And Cessily Thomas will take on the role at Booker T. Washington. 'Thank you for trusting me with this responsibility. I am honored to lead, serve, and give back to the school that gave so much to me. Thank you,' Thomas said. Some concerns remained for those participating in public comment, with many still wanting an extension for Superintendent Sheila Boozer. 'You haven't given us one reason why the superintendent should not continue the work,' one speaker said. 'The reason that you could do this to her — and to mark the lives of a superintendent — is because you are dealing with a psychosis,' said another. Monday's meeting approved an RFP to begin the process of hiring a firm to look for the next superintendent. It also saw new Booker T. Washington principal Cessily Thomas show public support for Boozer. READ MORE: Champaign school board doesn't end superintendent's contract but approves search for the next one 'I wanted so badly to be the superintendent of my district. And now I know — because of what you have gone through — that I absolutely do not want to be a Black woman superintendent,' Thomas said. And with the meeting, the new board officially wraps up their first week on the job. 'I would just ask the public to give us a little bit of grace as we get our sea legs here and start learning how to work with each other and each other's personalities,' Bruno said. 'But I think we're going to make a good, strong team, and I'm hopeful for our district — and we're ready to move forward.' The other two additions within the district include the hiring of two Deans of Students at Franklin and Centennial. All four of the new hires will begin their positions this July. The next board meeting for Champaign is scheduled for June 9th. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Agenda change causes disagreements at Champaign school board meeting
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — A new board has been seated, but uncertainties remain for the Champaign School District. It was the first meeting in nearly a month, after two of April's planned sessions lacked the members to proceed. But now it's a new board, as the district swore in their newest five members at a special meeting Friday Night. State Senator initiates audit into Discovery Partners Institute after project objective change The meeting was supposed to be a formality with the new board taking their oaths and seats. However, certain questions and concerns from a pair of new board members along with the crowd about next week's agenda made the meeting quite rowdy. 'I know it sounds like it should be a complicated answer, but it's really a simple answer,' said newly elected Board President Tony Bruno. 'Yeah, it's just adults acting like adults for once.' Friday night's Champaign District special meeting began with five new members taking their seats. Christy Arnold, Tony Bruno and Grace Kang will serve four-year terms. 'I'm looking forward to getting the train back on the tracks, and I think we're going to do that pretty soon,' Bruno said. Fatima Ahmed and Justin Michael Hendrix will serve two-year terms. 'It's a privilege to have the trust of so many of the community,' Ahmed said. As the old board exited, the new board got to official business: Selecting Bruno as the Board President for a one-year term. High-speed rail survey could help bring trains through Central Illinois 'That's five for Mr. Bruno, and two for Justin Michael Hendrix,' said the board. Fatima Ahmed was tapped as the board's Vice President for a one-year term as well. 'We got six for member Ahmed, and one for Justin Michael Hendrix,' the board said. But the final hour and a half of the meeting was where things got interesting. The majority of the board decided to throw out the previously set agenda for next week and instead use a new one. The old agenda featured administrative appointments for several schools including Booker T. Washington STEM Academy and Centennial High School. Those appointments never happened with the old board thanks to a lack of attendance for the last month. 'I took them off this proposed agenda because if you vote no, if you feel like you don't have enough information to vote yes, and you vote no, then that person can't be brought back before the school board for six more months,' Bruno said. 'And I think that's wrong.' Concerns over the changed agenda resulted in a disruptive back-and-forth between the board and the crowd, with members Kang and Hendrix echoing the crowd's concerns. Most ramps at I-57, I-74 interchange will be open by year's end, IDOT says 'This agenda, are we approving that together today, or what is happening here?' Kang said. 'This agenda right here sounds like a set up for the new members,' Hendrix said. And next week could remain interesting. New business includes the 'issuance of an RFP for an executive search firm for superintendent.' 'To know that we are deciding to remove a superintendent without my conversation is dangerous,' Hendrix said. This means the new board could soon come with a new superintendent. 'This agenda has been created since April 14 and it is something our team does together, it is not one person, and so, for someone to come in and to bring the agenda to be done and then ask my staff to post it, that is not how things work,' said Superintendent Sheila Boozer. It's a quick turnaround for the next board meeting, which will be Monday, May 12. Among the items discussed will be deciding what happens next with Superintendent Sheila Boozer's job. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Champaign school board meeting canceled due to lack of quorum
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The Champaign School District was supposed to meet Monday night for their regularly scheduled meeting, but that meeting was canceled after three members called in absent. The three members who would've been absent include Mark Holm, Betsy Holder, and Amy Armstrong. The meeting's agenda could have seen the board confirm two principals at Edison Middle School and Booker T. Washington Academy, as well as SROs at Central and Centennial High Schools. Champaign woman killed in Monday night I-57 crash WCIA caught up with the school board president to weigh in on how she feels about the canceled meeting and the state of the current board. 'By not being able to meet tonight and not being able to find another date to meet at the time, we're holding people's careers up,' said Gianina Baker. 'And I don't think that's appropriate.' The Champaign School Board canceled its meeting due to a lack of a quorum, which means the board did not have the necessary four members in attendance to hold a meeting. 'We can't meet tonight because three individuals have decided they don't want to meet. This is not what's in the best interests of our students,' Baker said. 'And I would hope that our public would understand that.' Board member Amy Armstrong told WCIA that the district was well aware she would not be at tonight's meeting, saying in part: 'Prior to today, there was no effort made to reschedule,' Armstrong said. 'I've not heard any information on these important topics prior to being asked to vote on them.' 'There was a silence in the car'; Urbana family remembers, mourns baby after fatal crash She added: 'This petty toxic circus needs to end.' Betsy Holder said she told the district of her likely absence ahead of time. In a statement, she said in part: 'If the district was aware of a quorum issue, they had multiple opportunities to reschedule before posting the agenda on Friday and then canceling the meeting today.' And Mark Holm told WCIA over the phone he had a pre-arranged business also told WCIA about his desire to get the newly voted-in board members sworn in as soon as possible. 'Clear the deck and get out of the way,' Holm said. 'There's five new ones. Let's swear them in.' But Baker said the current sitting board has a responsibility to conclude business before the new members take their seats. 'The votes haven't been certified, so we can't even name the board members as we speak,' Baker said. 'And so this is absolutely a duty of this current board, and I'd like to finish that out.' The election certification for the five new board members is scheduled for Tuesday. Once certified, the board will have until May 11th to swear in the new members. The next scheduled board meeting is April 28th. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
