Following is a summary of minutes of a regular meeting of the Board of Education of Jasper County Community Unit School District No. 1 held on Monday, January 20th, 2026 in the office of the Board of Education. Board members present were Mr. David Blecha, Mrs. Jackie Schackmann, Mrs. Mandy Rieman, Mr. Evan Semple, Mrs. Nichole Mulvey and Mrs. Mandi Utley. Board members absent were Mr. Brady Shull.
All votes are considered unanimous unless otherwise noted.
Mandy Rieman called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
Approval to Adopt the Agenda.
Mandy asked for Recognition of Guests and Public Comments. There were none.
The District received three FOIA Requests. FOIA request #1 is for aide collective bargaining agreements or contracts. JCCU#1 provided the Classified Handbook to fulfill FOIA request #1. FOIA request #2 is for vendor contracts over $1,000.00. FOIA request #3 is from Illinois Retired Teachers requesting contact information for retiring teachers.
Approval of Consent Agenda as presented.
Regular and Closed Session Minutes from December 15, 2025,
Bills and Payroll,
Presentment of monthly financial reports,
Lenny Frichtl, Jerry Huddlestun, Danny Coombes, Alvin Emmerich, Mike Dasenbrock, Jake Johnson, Kyson Bradley, Lain Burgener, Gunner James, Lyle Gentry and Landon Kirts as volunteer Boat Captains for the Bass Fishing Team,
Nick Diel as a volunteer coach for NCHS Boys Track,
Corrine Wilson as a volunteer coach for NCHS Softball,
Sydney Dobbins, Erika Brooks, and Carol Kepley as volunteer mentors for the JCCU#1 Mentoring Program,
$500 from Newton Junior Women’s Club to Newton FFA,
$500 from Peoples State Bank to NCHS Boys Basketball,
$500 from Peoples State Bank to NCHS Girls Basketball,
$250 free popcorn from Peoples State Bank to NCHS Girls Softball,
$300 free popcorn from Peoples State Bank to the NCHS Chorus Trip,
$500 from Valerie Clark to the NCHS Chorus for the upcoming musical,
$500 from Athletic Boosters Club to Boys Track pole vault pole rental,
$582.59 from Athletic Boosters Club for the girl’s locker room update/renovation for girls’ basketball and volleyball,
$450 from Band Aids to the Jasper County Junior High Band,
$300 from Thomas Carr for future Veterans Day Programs,
$500 from Shiloh Christian Church for student lunch balances,
$671.60 from Knights of Columbus for Special Education programs and students,
Declare various technology items as surplus.
Under the Superintendent’s Report, Mr. Sornberger presented digital drawings of the Newton Elementary Addition. The Newton Elementary Building Addition is scheduled to begin on March 1, 2026. The Winter Edition of the Fly Together will be released in two weeks with an article about the new addition with building renderings.
Second Reading of PRESS Policy Updates – Unchanged:
3:10 Goals and Objectives
3:50 Administrative Personnel Other Than the Superintendent
3:60 Administrative Responsibility of the Building Principal
4:110 Transportation
4:150 Facility Management and Building
4:160 Environmental Quality of Building and Grounds
4:170 Safety
5:20 Workplace Harassment
5:120 Employee Ethics; Code of Professional Conduct; and Conflict of Interest
5:185 Family and Medical Leave
5:190 Teacher Qualifications
6:135 Accelerated Placement Program
6:140 Education of Homeless Children
6:210 Instructional Materials
6:235 Access to Electronic Networks
6:240 Field Trips
6:280 Grading and Promotion
7:130 Student Rights and Responsibilities
7:250 Student Support Students
8:100 Relations with Other Organizations and Agencies
Second Reading of PRESS Policy Updates-Changed:
2:120 Board Member Development
2:150 Committees
2:270 Discrimination and Harassment on the Basis of Race, Color, and National Origin Prohibited
4:10 Fiscal and Business Management
4:30 Revenue and Investments
4:80 Accounting and Audits
4:140 Waiver of Student Fees
4:190 Targeted School Violence Prevention Program
5:10 Equal Employment and Opportunity and Minority Recruitment
5:90 Abused and Neglected Child Reporting
5:100 Staff Development Program
5:200 Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal
5:220 Substitute Teachers
5:280 Duties and Qualifications
5:300 Schedules and Employment Year
6:20 School Year Calendar and Day
6:40 Curriculum Development
6:60 Curriculum Content
6:130 Program for the Gifted
6:160 English Learners
6:220 Bring Your Own Technology Program; Responsible Use and Conduct
6:260 Complaints About Curriculum, Instructional Materials, and Programs
6:270 Guidance and Counseling Program
6:300 Graduation Requirements
6:310 High School Credit for Non-District Experiences; Course Substitutions; Re-Entering Students
6:315 High School Credit for Students in Grades 7 or 8
6:320 High School Credit for Proficiency
7:10 Equal Educational Opportunities
7:70 Attendance and Truancy
7:140 Search and Seizure
7:150 Agency and Law Enforcement Requests
7:180 Prevention of and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment
7:190 Student Behavior
7:290 Suicide and Depression Awareness
7:310 Restrictions on Publications; Elementary Schools
7:315 Restrictions on Publications; High Schools
7:340 Student Records
8:30 Visitors and Conduct on School Property
Approval of the second reading of PRESS policy updates – unchanged.
Approval to accept the Fuel Bids from Wabash Valley Service Company for 2026-2027.
Approval to establish Newton Community High School Graduation Date for Saturday May 16th, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.
Approval to Amend the School Year 2025-2026 Calendar.
Approval to enter executive session at 6:45 p.m. for 1.5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (1) – To Consider Information Regarding Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Performance or Dismissal of Individual Employees; 1.5 ILCS 120/2(c) (21) – To discuss minutes of meetings lawfully closed under the open meetings act. (January 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025); 1.5ILCS 120/2(c) (2) – Collective Bargaining matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees.
Approval to return to open session at 7:30 p.m.
Approval to keep closed the Closed Session Minutes from January 1st, 2025 to June 30, 2025.
Approval to hire Kelsey Deadmond as a part-time counselor at JCJH to start immediately.
Approval to hire Walter Lambird as a District Bus Driver to start immediately.
Approval to hire Joni Elliott as a NE Paraprofessional to start immediately.
Approval to accept the letter of retirement from Gina Correll as a Newton Elementary Cook effective April 1st, 2026.
Approval to accept the resignation from David Murphy as a District Groundskeeper effective January 30th, 2026.
Approval to post for a NCHS Special Education Teacher, NES Special Education Teacher, District Speech Pathologist, a NCHS Mathematics Teacher and two NES Elementary Teacher positions for the 2026-2027 school year; a District Groundskeeper and a NES Cook position for the 2025-2026 school year.
Meeting adjourned at 7:34 p.m. Next regular board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 17th, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. at the Board of Education Office located at 1401 Clayton Avenue.
