Canton School Board Jan. 13-2025

The Canton R-V Board of Education met on January 13 in the Canton R-V Library Media Center Conference Room.
The following items were discussed in the consent agenda: meeting minutes, transfers, amendments, building principal reports, attendance, lunch, and safety reports. 
The Board of Directors was notified that all faculty and staff would be receiving training on a new emergency notification app called Emergent 3 (E3). The Board was also informed that the District has recently teamed up with Apptegy to provide a new website and mobile app for better communication with parents and patrons. The new website and mobile app is currently in development.
Following the consent agenda, the Board authorized the payment of the monthly bills.
Superintendent Uhlmeyer presented the monthly financial report to the Board of Education. The Board of Education was informed that there had been a error in the monthly financial reports. The balance in Funds 10-60 as of 12/31/2024 was $4,222,226.75. This was a $3,948,568.92 decrease from the previous fiscal year that was anticipated due to bond repayments and ELC construction expenses. The total balance Funds 10-20 as of 12/31/2024 was $1,825,542.64. This was a $271,190.54 increase over the previous fiscal year. We will continue to do in-depth analysis on Funds 10-20 over the course of the next several months as we move into the budget preparation process for Fiscal Year 2026.
The unrestricted balance in Fund 10 – General on 12/31/2024 was $1,737,607.69, which was an increase of $263,502.79 from the previous fiscal year.
Following the financial report, the Board of Education heard from citizens who wanted to address the Board of Education and have followed the proper progression through the chain of command.
There were no citizen communication this month. The Board of Education was given a tour of the current Early Learning Center and updated on the project status. In reports, the Board was provided updates on the following:
Board Filing Update – Six individuals file for the April 8, 2025 municipal election. The candidates will appear on the ballot in this order that they filed: Thomas E. Sallay, Jr., Howard Grunewald, Taylor Fahser, Chad DeWaard, Les Eaton, and Tiffany Brewer.
Mr. Uhlmeyer briefed the Board of Education on the search for a new high school principal.
There were six applicants for the high school principal position. The search committee will evaluate the applicants and finalists will be contacted the week of January 20-25. Interviews will be scheduled for January 28.
Mr. Uhlmeyer addressed the Board of Directors about potential implications of SB 727, specifically regarding certified salaries increases. Mr. Uhlmeyer provided the Board with some very preliminary information regarding how mandated salary increases under SB 727 will affect the overall budget. This information will be shared with the certified staff over the next few weeks.
Mr. Uhlmeyer discussed short-term building renovation needs of the District. Mr. Uhlmeyer presented the Board with three projects that would need approval once estimates are gathered. These projects include updating the current playground, repair the building envelope of the VoAg shop, and updating the Elementary Office and Elementary Conference Room.
In current business, the Board approved following items: MCE Policy 4560 – Post-Retirement Option - This update reflects a PSRS rule change increasing the maximum salary for retired certificated employees who are post-retirement hired for non-certificated positions. The change increases the maximum salary from $15,000 to $29,685.60.
During executive session, the Board discussed the following: Personnel-The Board of Education accepted the resignation of Mr. Joseph Stark at the end of the 2024-2025 and accepted the resignation of Miss Ellie Urbanski at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. The Board of Education conducted the Superintendent Evaluation process. The Board offered a contract extension to Mr. Uhlmeyer as superintendent through the 2026-2027 school year.