May 4, 2026/

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Casey-Westfield Board of Education for April 20, 2026

Spread the love

Casey-Westfield Board of Education Meeting | April 20, 2026

The Casey-Westfield Board of Education met for a regular session on Monday, April 20, 2026. The board accelerated major HVAC replacements at the high school to address failing boilers, navigated state transportation funding shortfalls, and approved nearly $100,000 in new Chromebooks and Promethean boards for Monroe Elementary. Following the regular business agenda, the board adjourned into a closed executive session at 7:27 p.m. to discuss specific employment and litigation matters under the Open Meetings Act before reconvening in open session at 8:10 p.m. to vote on personnel changes.

Personnel Changes Approved: Following executive session, the board voted unanimously to accept the immediate resignations of Color Guard Instructor Rebecca Geffs and HS/JH Volleyball Coach Jessica Daugherty. Daugherty also resigned as an HS Supervisory Aide, effective May 26. The board formally employed Cassie Brewer as a Title I Interventionist at Monroe, Laney Gowin as a Cross Categorical Special Education teacher, Julia Kerchief as an HS Spanish teacher, and Aaron Justice as the Head HS Boys Basketball coach for the 2026-2027 school year.

Board Policy Updates: The board unanimously approved the first reading of several upcoming board policy updates. The updates are being implemented as presented in the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) PRESS issue #121.

Upcoming Academic Events: Building principals announced several upcoming end-of-year dates for families. Monroe Elementary will host a 1st and 2nd Grade program featuring special music by the 4th grade on April 23 at 9:00 a.m. The Monroe 5th and 6th-grade awards program will be held on May 8 at 9:00 a.m. At the high school, Awards Night is scheduled for May 12, with Graduation slated for May 17 at 2:00 p.m.

Records Destruction: As part of the consent agenda, the board authorized the destruction of the verbatim audio records of closed board meetings that are 18 months and older, as permitted by Board Policy 220 and 220-E1. The board also approved the scheduled disposal of regular district records for Fiscal Year 2026.

Crete-Monee Students Don Hard Hats for VIP Construction Tour: During the Crete-Monee Board of Education meeting on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, board members praised Bear Construction for their community outreach at the district’s active building sites. According to Board Member William J. Sawallisch Jr., the construction company recently provided students with hard hats and safety vests, allowing them to take a guided walking tour of the ongoing facility upgrades. The students were given a behind-the-scenes explanation of how large-scale construction projects operate. District officials confirmed that despite the ongoing daytime work, the construction has caused no interruptions to daily school operations.

Casey-Westfield First Graders Receive Donated Books: During the Casey-Westfield Board of Education meeting on Monday, April 20, 2026, the Monroe Elementary building report highlighted a generous community donation. The local “Casey In Action” organization, alongside retired teachers Janet Squires and Dianna Hickox, visited the school to ensure every Kindergarten and First Grade student received a free book of their choosing to take home and keep.

‘Monroe Madness’ Sweeps Casey-Westfield Elementary: The Casey-Westfield Board of Education on Monday, April 20, 2026, learned about a highly engaging school-wide activity at Monroe Elementary dubbed “Monroe Madness.” Embracing the spirit of spring college basketball tournaments, students participated in a structured, bracket-style voting competition. Classrooms voted on various categories, including favorite foods, shoes, and school subjects. The advancing brackets and final results were prominently displayed on a school-wide bulletin board to foster a sense of community connection among the young students.

Latest News Stories

FBI: Illinois’ cyber crime losses reached $535M in 2025

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The FBI Internet Crime Report for 2025 ranks Illinois fifth in the U.S. for cyber crime complaints...

Minnesota, Illinois AGs challenge federal orders to keep coal plants running

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is challenging the Trump administration over orders requiring coal-fired power plants in Indiana to remain open past their planned retirement...

FBI finds Americans lose billions to cryptocurrency scams

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Americans lost more than $20 billion to cryptocurrency and other online scams in 2025, a 26% increase over the year before, according to the latest...

Illinois lawmakers seek to regulate, tax prediction markets amid federal lawsuit

By Sean ReedThe Center Square Illinois may soon allow prediction markets to operate in the state, but lawmakers and the federal government are at odds with how they want it...

Report: Teacher’s union gives nearly 2M to org that trains for May Day protests

By Tate MillerThe Center Square An education group has uncovered that teacher’s union the National Education Association has given nearly two million dollars in donations since 2020 to an organization...

Illinois Quick Hits: Downtown Chicago office vacancies hit another record high

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Downtown Chicago’s office vacancy rate has risen to a record high for the 15th consecutive quarter. Crain’s...

Trump issues dire warning to Iran as deadline looms

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” President Donald Trump warned the Iranian regime as the clock ticks toward the...

Report: Iran, inflation concern small businesses

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square U.S. small businesses reported reduced spending and hiring amid concerns over military strikes against Iran and looming inflation data, according to a new report. The...

Meeting Summary and Briefs: City of Casey City Council for March 16, 2026

City of Casey City Council Meeting | March 16, 2026 The Regular Meeting of the City of Casey City Council was held on Monday, March 16, 2026. Mayor Mike Nichols...

U.S.-Israel-Iranian conflict escalating global energy, supply chain crisis

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The U.S.-Israel led attack against Iran continues to impact the global oil supply by cutting off Persian Gulf crude production and distribution. It’s not only...

Casey-Westfield Completes Wild Walk-Off Comeback to Edge Teutopolis 16-15

The Casey-Westfield varsity softball team secured a dramatic 16-15 victory over Teutopolis in a non-conference home shootout on Monday afternoon. Trailing late in the game, the hosts exploded for six...

Trump endorses Hilton in California gubernatorial primary

By Dave MasonThe Center Square President Donald Trump has endorsed former Fox News anchor Steve Hilton in California’s Republican gubernatorial primary. Trump picked Hilton over the other prominent GOP candidate...

Feds award $1M for Rose Bowl upgrade ahead of Olympics

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square The Rose Bowl is getting infrastructure upgrades ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics. Just over $1 million in federal funds will go toward water and...

Trump defends Section 122 in latest tariff legal challenge

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump's administration defended his newest 10% global entry tariffs against a legal challenge in a trade court. The administration said that Trump acted...

Education department rescinds Title IX resolution agreements

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on Monday rescinded portions of multiple resolution agreements, alleging that previous administrations expanded the interpretation of...

« Previous
1
…
39
40
41
42
43
…
203
Next »