Board Accepts Tentative Budget, School Resource Officer Contracts
At Monday's monthly meeting of the Macomb Community Unit School District (MCUSD) No. 185, the Board of Education voted unanimously to terminate its contract with the St. Charles, MO-based company, Journey12. The August issue, which featured Macomb High alumni, was the final publication.
At last month's meeting, the district's contract with Journey12 was discussed at length, with Board members split on the continuation of the contract. The Community News Brief owner and publisher Lynne Campbell had also submitted a proposal for consideration; however, no action was taken on continuing a districtwide magazine with a local publisher.
'Flight Path' was sent to 8,900 households around Macomb to showcase students, faculty, staff and programs in Macomb Community Unit School District No. 185 based on interviews done by Journey12 staff. The Macomb School Board voted in August 2024 to enter into a two-year contract with Journey12 and its owner/publisher Craig Williams. The Journey12 renewal was originally set for four issues a year at a discounted cost of $85,000, which was $5,000 less than the previous contract of $90,000/year; however, Williams provided a new quote Monday prior to the meeting, dropping the cost to $63,000 annually for four issues, which was slightly under the quote provided by The Community News Brief. When asked why Journey12 submitted a revised proposal the day of the meeting, Twomey explained the contract stated if another vendor were to bid on the project, Journey12 would be notified.
Board Member Justice Keene and other members of the board shared that for every positive comment they received about continuing the contract, they heard three against. Keene, who said he was not voting to push the renewal through, made the motion to terminate the contract with Williams' company, with Kristin Terry seconding the motion.
Following the meeting, Superintendent Mark Twomey said the magazine was a board-driven initiative, and that he wasn't necessarily tied to Journey12 continuing.
'We gave the community an opportunity to provide feedback to the board, and that was reflected in the vote,' he added. 'Still in my heart of hearts I think the retirement community enjoyed receiving it and that was the population we were trying to reach. It provided a good service to our community.'
In other business, the Board, with the exception of member Justice Keene, accepted the tentative 2026-2027 budget; okayed an agreement between the district and City of Macomb for two school resource officers, and approved a homeless liaison for the academic year.
District Budget
The district's tentative 2026-2027 budget will be on display at each district building and the Macomb Public Library from Aug. 20-Sept. 21. A public hearing on the final budget will be held at 6 p.m., Monday, Sept. 21 at the C.T. Vivian Library at Macomb High School prior to the September Board meeting. The final budget will be presented and acted upon at the Sept. 21 meeting following the public comment.
The tentative 2026-2027 budget currently shows a $3.1 million deficit; however, the superintendent noted that that number will continue to decrease and the budget is changing daily as additional revenue comes in. Twomey anticipates the deficit to be closer to $2 million, which the board projected. A sticking point is the continued decrease of state and federal funds, particularly state funds, in regard to Evidence Based Funding (EBF). The superintendent pointed out that the Alternative Learning Opportunities Program (ALOP) receives significant funds from the EBF formula, which was intended to close the funding gap for Tier 1 schools like Macomb. See discussion items below for additional ALOP information, and watch an upcoming issue of the Community News Brief for a comprehensive story on EBF and how it impacts the Macomb School District.
Expenditures that are increasing for the district include unfunded safety and security mandates, which could cost the district an additional $60,000-$70,000 per year; capital projects and employee salaries and benefits, with revenues decreasing for the education fund and transportation, Twomey explained.
'The numbers are changing every day and what you will see next month will be much different than what you see tonight,' he told the board. 'We have a healthy fund balance and I anticipate that the EBF will increase; however, not as quickly as the state anticipated.
School Resource Officer Agreement The Board approved two contracts totaling $114,760.89 for Macomb Police Officers Denise Cremer and Caitlin Lovell, School Resource Officers for Macomb High School and Macomb Middle School, respectively.
The Board unanimously voted to appoint Kelly Carpenter, the district's special education director, to serve as the district's homeless liaison for the 2026-2027 school year.
Students who lack fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime housing are eligible for services through the McKinney- Vento Homeless Act. In general, children or youth living in motels, transitional housing, shelters, the street, cars, abandoned buildings and other inadequate accommodations may be considered eligible for services, which are coordinated by the district's liaison.
Discussion Items & Strategic Plan Presentation Public Comments
Natalie Goc, a parent, teacher and junior high softball coach, along with parent Stephanie Wayne, shared the inadequate conditions of the middle school girls softball field, including lack of a covered dugout, which is a safety hazard, and lack of an outfield fence, which impacts play. In addition, the team cannot practice on its home field due to having to borrow equipment from the varsity field for practices, and there is an accessibility issue reaching the field for fans with mobility issues.
ALOP Program
Twomey told the Board at Monday's meeting that the ALOP program has contributed to the budget deficit as the state has distributed more than 25 percent of the new Evidence Based Funding dollars directly to the ROEs to fund this program. The Rural Education Advisory Council (REAC), which the superintendent is a member of, has asked the Illinois State Board of Education to speak at their upcoming September meeting to discuss the impact ALOP funding has had on K-12 schools throughout the state.
'The ROE sold us on this program as a pilot program three years ago and that it would not cost the district anything, so we joined. I had been inquiring about the cost to the district for nearly two years, and then at the end of the second year the State disclosed that we had paid $235,000 per year through the EBF formula which was sent to the ROE,' Twomey said. 'Currently the program is receiving nearly $90 million, which negatively impacts adequacy funding for all Tier I and Tier II schools throughout the state.'
Safety & Security
Security consultant Paul Timm will visit the district Sept. 2-3 to assess facilities and make recommendations. There has been no forward movement on grant funding to help Illinois school districts pay for the mandated Alyssa's Law. Originally, the safety program was to be in place for the 2026-2027 school year. The state had paused the program so guidance could be provided to districts, as well as to locate possible federal grant funding to help school districts pay for the implementation.
Alyssa's Law is a state-by-state life-saving safety legislation that mandates or strongly encourages public K-12 schools to install silent panic alarms/mobile panic alert systems directly linked to local law enforcement. Named in honor of Alyssa Alhadeff, a victim of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, it aims to eliminate emergency routing delays and drastically reduce police response times.
School-Based Mental Health Services
Cornerstone of Quincy is set to begin offering free mental health services to approximately 57 students in the district with the start of the new school year. The organization is funded through Medicaid and insurance services, and will provide two licensed therapists to serve close to three percent of the district's students who are identified as needing mental health assistance. The sole responsibility for the district will be to have a designated office space for the therapists, as well as space within each school building for their sessions with students.
Strategic Plan Presentation: MHS Goals & Priorities
Macomb High School Principal Jimmy Heuer and the new assistant principal, Brittany DeWeese, outlined the high school's priorities for the upcoming school year, which began Wednesday. Heuer told the board their number one goal is to create a safe, connected and engaged learning environment.
The three areas of focus for the 2026-2027 academic year include:
Safety and Security:
- Strengthening building procedures and student accountability, including the newly-implemented closed lunch period.
- Reducing unnecessary movement throughout the building.
- Protecting instructional time.
Culture, Climate & Attendance:
- Building a culture of belonging and accountability. - Improving attendance. - Recognizing and celebrating positive choices.
Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum:
- Making literacy a schoolwide responsibility.
- Strengthening reading and writing skills in every content area.
- Preparing students for success beyond high school. 'We want to reinforce the message that every day matters and every student matters,' the administrative team shared.
Heuer stressed that one of the hills he lives and dies on is a positive school culture for teachers, students, staff.
'Everyone should feel as if they belong and are part of the Bomber Nation,' he added.
