Additional Discussions on School Safety, AI in the Classroom
At Monday's monthly meeting of the Macomb Community Unit School District (MCUSD) No. 185, the Board of Education unanimously approved the bid for a new roof at the Macomb High School and a transportation handbook for the district.
The Board accepted the lowest responsible bid of $1.7 million from Kreiling Roofing Company in Peoria for replacement of the roof at the high school, as well as an additional $252,567 to replace copper flashing with prefinished aluminum flashing during the roof replacement. Work is expected to begin this summer. Over $5 million was budgeted for the work; however, it was determined that the underlayment remained in good condition and did not need to be replaced, which significantly reduced the cost of the project, Superintendent Mark Twomey told the Board.
The Board also approved the district's new transportation handbook. In response to the fatal bus accident in the Rushville School District that occurred March 11, 2024, the Rushville Superintendent came and spoke with other area superintendents about that tragic event. Twomey said at last month's Board meeting that one of the takeaways from that discussion was the need for a transportation handbook for all bus drivers to sign off on. District transportation managers put together the handbook, which combined the new handbook in place at Rushville and criteria that Macomb managers determined to be necessary. Now that the 18-page handbook, which covers attendance, accident and injury procedures, crisis events, distracted driving, training and other topics and requirements, has been approved, the new criteria will be implemented immediately, according to Twomey.
'We will be getting this in front of the drivers as soon as tomorrow. They must read the handbook and sign off that they understand the contents and agree to follow the criteria we have set,' Twomey told the media following Monday night's meeting. 'It is most essential that we have written guidelines and expectations in place for our drivers so they can get our students to and from school safely. This is our first year having our transportation in-house, so this was a good 'a-ha' moment for us to learn from and what we needed to do to protect our students, as well as the district.'
Recognitions & Discussion Items Students of the Month Two Macomb High School students were recognized as the MidAmerica National Bank Senior of Month: Sophie Wilson, daughter of Beate and Ryan Wilson, as the January recipient, and Daksh Patel, son of Sejal and Ketankumar Patel, as the February recipient.
Wilson's school activities include basketball, volleyball, golf, soccer, National Honor Society, Student Council and Macomb Youth Leadership Organization.
She has been awarded High Honor Roll, been inducted into National Honor Society and was elected vice president of the Class of 2026.
Patel is the captain of the MHS Scholastic Bowl team, secretary of the Interact Club, and is a member of the Ecology Club, Spanish Club, Science Olympiad, Math Team, National Honor Society and Thespians.
Transportation & Behavior
Twomey reported that during the month of January there were zero infractions on nine of the district’s buses. While there remain some issues, he noted, the additional training for bus drivers, plus the incentives for students, have made a positive impact. Students on one bus each were awarded a $10 gift certificate for their good behavior, and the superintendent noted that this is 'catching on' with other students.
AI in the Classroom
Twomey reported on sessions he recently attended at a national conference, including speaking with individuals involved with AI and its use in the classroom.
After learning more about AI, he told the Board that the district must get a policy in place and start 'dipping our toes in' as the district will need to move into AI in some form, but 'slowly and with intentionality.'
At the conference, Twomey met with the founder of a company that, by using AI, improves student math scores. Twomey mentioned reading comprehension and skills improvement with the help of AI, and as a result, the two will be discussing a possible pilot project with the district, Twomey shared with the Board.
'Whether schools use AI or not, it's here and data centers are going up. I don't think this is going away and yes, we will be a part of that footprint, but how is what we need to determine,' he said after the meeting when asked about AI and its carbon footprint.
Building Safety Enhancements
Twomey also attended several sessions related to school safety to learn more about camera systems, metal detectors in schools and other safety-related measures. He noted that the Evolve weapons detector system, which also detects fights and other emergencies, could cost the district at least $120,000/year. Twomey explained that a specialized camera system that detects weapons and open doors could run as much as $600,000-700,000 for the installation and hardware.
'We could easily spend $1 million a year on safety measures,' he pointed out.
'We must be selective so I'm continuing to gather information and will bring more details forward at the March meeting.'
A safety expert is still planning to come into the district to do a thorough assessment, and will also meet with the Board, he added.
The next meeting of the MCUSD 185 Board of Education will be held Monday, March 23.
