The union contract for teachers at Manhattan School District 114 has been approved, Union President Susan Kubik reported at the August 14 meeting.
Kubik spoke during public comment to let the board know the teacher’s contract negotiations were successful, telling the board that of the 191 members in the teachers’ union, 152 voted. Of the 152 teachers who voted, Kubik said 119 voted in favor, 33 voted against, and none abstained.
“I know it was a lot longer than anyone would dream, but in the process of catching up and trying to fix some things, we’re setting it up for easier negotiations in the future,” Kubik said after expressing gratitude.
The board unanimously approved the contract after a closed session meeting.
“Thank you to everyone on that one. That one was a long time coming, and we’re happy to have it put to bed,” Board President John Burke said.
The meeting was held for the first time in its new multipurpose board room in the addition recently constructed at the new junior high school, a welcome change for the board that previously held its meetings on a stage.
The new space, Supt. Dr. Damien Aherne said, will not only host the meetings but also can serve as a space for professional development and for students.
The school district’s 2026 fiscal year budget has been put on display and is available for review for the next 30 days. The final budget will be approved at a budget hearing on September 17.
Also with regard to finances, the board approved a new capital asset management policy that will establish a set procedure for managing capital assets.
“The auditors have fairly insisted that we have this as part of our board policy,” board member Chris Boswell stated.
He added they had reviewed it against policies other districts have in the area that are posted online. The MSD 114 capital asset policy is more specific than others, but Boswell advised the board the committee felt extra guidance was a benefit.
Boswell also reported the district is in the process of reviewing and updating its board policy, which is a 1,400-page document. The policy committee is researching the potential of engaging PRESS Plus, the Illinois Association of School Boards’ policy maintenance and update service.
Additionally, the board approved a policy that allowed the superintendent to hire and employ personnel needed in the next month before the next board meeting. This allows the district to hire teachers, for example, to begin the school year before being formally approved by the board.
The board also approved the updated student handbook, though no discussion occurred.
The district continues to grow, and Aherne reported enrollment is currently at 1,969 students, with the potential for late additions in the coming weeks before school officially begins.
Director of Curriculum Cheryl Donovan reviewed a change in curriculum regarding the Post-Secondary Career Exploration framework, which now will be incorporated beginning at sixth grade.
“Certainly, our sixth graders are not ready to decide exactly where they want to go to college and what they want to do for a career, but there are things we can be doing in sixth through eighth grade that help kids be prepared to interact with that framework when they get to the high school,” Donovan shared.
Donovan also provided a detailed explanation and presentation reviewing how the state is assessing students and the schools, plus the changes they’ve made, as well as the goals they’re working toward.
Part of that work resulted in the decision to change the IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) from a five-point scale to a four-point scale to match the other types of assessments better, such as the SAT and ACT.
Although they are not changing the learning standards, Donovan said, the state is making changes to ensure scoring is clearer and parents and schools have a better understanding of a child’s performance, moving from a rankings-based system to a criterion-based structure.
Verbiage like meets or exceeds will change to things like proficient or highly proficient, Donovan said.
In addition to the scoring, Donovan shared, the state is expected to provide better guidance as to what comes next. She added that because this will be the first year of changes, there will be somewhat of a “moving goal post” concerning expectations until the changes are fully implemented.
Donovan concluded her presentation, noting she anticipates and welcomes questions as she is excited to help the board and parents learn more.
In other business, the board approved a gift exceeding $500 from the Manhattan PTO, which donated $20,000 to the district.
Board member Erica Aultz reported the Lincoln-Way Special Education District 843 will see an 8 percent increase in its budget due to a variety of reasons.
Before concluding, Burke posed the possibility of changing to a committee of the whole structure. In essence, the committees would all be discussed in the committee of the whole instead of separate meetings.
Board Vice President Emily Wesel said she wanted to know the time commitment and when, adding, “I kind of say if it’s not quite, not broke, let’s not fix it.”
“My only concern with going to a committee as a whole, at least in the immediate, is there are some areas that need further attention and might need a little more time,” Boswell said, though he did suggest it could be beneficial as a long-term solution.
Erica Aultz expressed a desire to learn about all the committees and favored a committee of the whole structure, but explained that, for example, the safety meeting is often held during the day to include public safety partners, like the police department and fire district.
Aultz stated it might be beneficial to hold a committee of the whole annually.
No decision was made on making a change to the board structure, but the board decided to take some time to review and re-evaluate in November.
Stephanie Irvine is a freelance reporter.