New DVR System Being Installed in Buses to Preserve Video
Following an almost 40-minute discussion on the termination of the district's contract with the Regional Office of Education #26 for its ALOP program, a motion to stop participating in the mentorship initiative failed in a 6-1 vote at Monday evening's Macomb Community Unit School District (MCUSD) No. 185 Board of Education meeting. Larry Adams cast the lone "yes" vote to stop the program after this school year.
Superintendent Mark Twomey advocated to terminate the district's participation in the program because of the cost. He explained that the $250,000 a year to take part impacts the school's Evidence-Based Funding (EBF) from the state. If the program was no longer part of the district, that $250,000 would be restored, Twomey stated. ALOP (Alternative Learning Opportunities Program), which is funded through the Illinois State Board of Education EBF program, has provided two student advocates at Macomb Middle School and Macomb High School since 2024. Each advocate has a case load of up to 32 students who have been identified as needing a boost in order to be academically successful. Students are referred to the program, and with parent/ guardian consent, the student advocates will meet with their students on a weekly basis to check in (and more as needed) and review the student's success plans and goals set at the beginning of the year, provide academic assistance when concerns arise and serve as a resource. According to Mandy Kreps of ROE26, the program addresses the most common concerns that most school districts face, and as such, it provides more intensive support to at-risk students as the advocates are dedicated to this mission.
Board Member Kristin Terry kicked off the discussion, sharing that she has been contacted by parents who are concerned about the district discontinuing the program. Board Member Emily Sutton said before the motion to terminate the program, which was later made by Adams, she'd like to see more data on the impact the program is having – or not having – on students.
Board Member Robin Severs also asked if the motion could be tabled so more information could be provided for the Board to further evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Board Member Justice Keene added that he doesn't want to see students left behind.
During the discussion, Twomey told the Board that when the Regional Office of Education asked Macomb and Canton to pilot ALOP because they are the two largest districts in the ROE, they were told it would be "almost free."
Because of the district's participation, he said Macomb received about $250,000 less in EBF because that money went to the ROE instead, along with the ROE's additional EBF funding.
"A 2020 change gave ROEs a code that treats them like school districts in the funding formula. ALOP now draws more than $100 million a year from EBF statewide," he stated. "About 100 districts dropped from Tier 2 schools back to Tier 1 last year, which I attribute to the funding of ALOP.
"I don't have anything bad to say about ALOP as a program, I just object to how it is funded," Twomey added.
"Continued support is unconscionable for me as a superintendent. But in the end, it's up to the Board."
Sutton also noted that the safety research she had done points to more adults working one-on-one with students who have needs, which is what the advocates do.
"What if this is a super successful program and we don't know it?," she asked. "If it is, it is worth a quarter of a million dollars."
Currently, ALOP will remain in place until the end of the 2026-2027 school year. If the district decides to no longer participate, the contract will be terminated in May 2027.
Twomey urged an early decision so staff and families can plan. The matter will be brought up again at the November Board of Education meeting.
District Transportation Video Update: Investigation Leads to Discovery of Issue with Current Video Monitoring System on School Buses In other business, the superintendent shared that following a discipline issue last month on a bus carrying the football team, the district uncovered an issue with the video recording system on the bus. Parent Karen May had filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the transportation video from the bus on Sept. 4 and Sept. 11; however, when the video was pulled for another behavior incident unrelated to the football team, the video stream started over, which deleted video from Sept. 4 and 11, he explained.
Three football players were disciplined after allegations that some team members possessed alcohol on a bus following an out-of-town game. This led the administration to pull the video, only to find a glitch in the system. As a result, the district is purchasing a new wireless video system that will allow video to be stored for at least 45 days, and have the availability to be downloaded directly to the transportation manager's computer.
"I want to start by saying the incident on the bus was thoroughly investigated and the case is closed.
It was during that investigation, officials found what the official called a material weakness in our transportation camera system," Twomey explained during the meeting.
"Each bus has its own DVR, and under the current setup, when staff pull a DVR to download video and then put it back, it starts recording over again so anything other than what you downloaded is lost."
The new system is expected to be put into place within the next two weeks.
Board Action
The Board accepted the audit for FY26, which ended June 30, and approved Title 1 improvement plans for Lincoln, Edison and Macomb Middle schools.
The school safety recommendations were set to be acted upon; however, the superintendent explained he is waiting on a few more pieces of information to present to the Board from Paul Timm, a nationally-known school safety expert who visited the district last month, along with a few other security-related professionals. The school safety recommendations will be brought forward for action at next month's Board of Education meeting.
Discussion Items & Strategic Plan Presentation Student of the Month
Marc Simmons, the son of Michelle and Robert Simmons, was selected as the September Senior of the Month.
Simmons is a four-year member, including two years as captain, of the MHS cross-country team; is a two-year member of the swim team; and a four-year member of the tennis team, serving as captain for three years. He is a member of the MHS Marching Band, and an active member of the Spanish Club, the Ping Pong Club and Student Council. He is a volunteer tennis and cross country coach for local youth camps, and has volunteered for numerous school activities. Simmons has earned numerous honors, including Tennis MVP Award and First Chair Award, among many others.
2027 School Board Election
Petitions to run for the MCUSD 185 Board of Education are now available at the Macomb School District Office, 325 W. Washington St., or from the Office of the McDonough County Clerk at the McDonough County Courthouse. The filing period is from Nov. 16-Nov. 23, with petitions due to the Clerk's Office by 4 p.m., Nov. 23.
School-Based Mental Health Services Update
Centerstone of Quincy has hired a therapist, and is currently conducting interviews for a second therapist, to provide mental health services to approximately 57 students in the district. The organization is funded through Medicaid and private insurance services, and is set to 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 is to provide designated office space for the therapists, as well as space within each school building for their sessions with students.
Strategic Plan Presentation: Kaitlyn Bagley, Edison Reading Coach, and Sarah Nelson, Lincoln & Edison Math Coach Bagley and Nelson, through their work with students and teachers to improve reading and math literacy, told the school board Monday evening that Lincoln students in kindergarten, first and second grade showed growth in the first quarter. The pair also described how they work with teachers to build on what is taught in the classroom, and provide guidance and assistance to the teachers.
The pair attend grade-level team meetings at Lincoln, where the teachers go through test results to find skills students missed and plan how to reteach them, they explained. The coaches also sit in on intervention meetings, which are used to determine whether a student getting extra reading or math help should continue with the extra help, if they're improving or if a different approach is necessary. If students aren't showing growth after six weeks, the coaches develop a new plan.
The district is in its second year with its K-5 math curriculum and is adopting a new reading curriculum this year. Bagley said the goal is a common pathway and common language for students moving from MacArthur to Lincoln to Edison.
To measure the students' progress, Bagley and Nelson combine test scores with teachers' classroom observations to determine if there is improvement. During the first quarter, kindergarten students are showing a 23 point improvement in reading skills and a 14 point improvement in math skills and first graders have bumped their reading skills up 14 percent and math 12 percent, while second grade students have had an eight percent jump in reading improvement and a 10 percent increase in math.
The pair will present on the Edison coaching program at a future Board meeting.
