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February Meeting Recap

Posted Date: 02/12/26 (01:01 PM)
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Monthly Meeting Recap

The Board of Education met on Monday, February 9 for its Regular Monthly Meeting at Fulton School in Tinley Park.

The meeting began with Margae Schmidt being sworn-in as the newest Board Member. Mrs. Schmidt was administered the Oath of Office by her husband and two children. The Board selected Mrs. Schmidt to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of Darcy Nendza.

The Board also recognized two groups of students for their recent achievements. Two band students, Mercy Adegunle and Teanna Nash-Jackson, were recognized for being chosen to take part in the Illinois Music Educators Association State Competition. They were selected for the state ensemble following an audition process, becoming the first CMS musicians to receive the honor.

Seven students who participated in the 15th Annual District 146 Spelling Bee were also acknowledged. The school finalists included Elliott Allphin, Ben Cyscon, Sabrina Hammad, Monica Jiang, Charlotte Ly, Olivia Rudnick, and Isabella Sierak. In the end, Monica Jiang (6th Grade) became the District champion with Elliott Allphin (4th Grade) taking the runner-up position.
Seven board members stand in front of a blue table, with two girls holding certificates.
A group of board members and children stand together, with the children holding certificates for a district spelling bee.
Following the recognition, the Board heard the following from Assistant Superintendent Kelly Voliva on behalf of Superintendent Dr. Jeff Stawick:
  • The District’s annual 5Essentials Survey is now open. This year, the District is using Panorama to facilitate the survey. Families were sent information on participating in the survey on Monday.
  • Parent Teacher Conferences are taking place Thursday. Elementary families were able to schedule conferences using ParentSquare, while the Middle School will be holding open-format conferences.
  • Preparations for the Educational Support Personnel (ESP) negotiations have started. Bargaining will begin in March.
  • Central Middle School and the Tinley Park Police Department are hosting a family-focused internet safety session on Monday, February 17 at 6 p.m. All District 146 families are encouraged to attend the event. It will also be livestreamed on the District’s YouTube page.

The Board also heard the following:
  • Lorie Kaiser, Vice President of the Teachers’ Union, gave an update on the happenings at each of the schools and the District-wide Math Challenge and Spelling Bee.
  • Director of Buildings and Grounds Matt Shanahan provided a list of surplus equipment to be sold, donated, or disposed of. The Board will be asked to approve the list at the March meeting.
  • Jeff Charleston, Director of Business Services and CSBO, provided the Board with the resolution to approve the second year of the Property Tax Relief Grant abatement. The Board will be asked to approve the resolution in March.

The Board took the following action at the meeting:
  • Approved the 2026-2027 Academic Calendar. The Calendar will be submitted to the Illinois State Board of Education for approval prior to being distributed to families and staff.
  • Approved the Ten Year Safety Survey Reports for Central Middle School, Fulton School and Kruse Education Center.
  • Approved the Central Middle School 2026 Renovation Project that includes restroom and front office work, which will take place this summer.
  • Approved upgrades to Central Middle School HVAC Building Automation System.
  • Approved roof restoration projects for Fierke Education Center and Kruse Education Center that will take place this summer.

The minutes of the February meeting will be available on Diligent once approved by the Board of Education at the next meeting.
 

Next Board Meeting

The next regular Board of Education meeting will be held on Monday, March 9, 2025 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Robert Procunier Administration Center, 6611 West 171st Street in Tinley Park.
 

Did you know?

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According to Illinois State Law and School Board Policy, when a school board seat becomes vacant, the local Board appoints someone to fill the vacancy. In most cases, the appointee serves until the next regular school board election.

However, the number of days left in the term and the number of days until the next election determines how long the Board-appointed member fills the seat before an election is held.

In this case, Margae Schmidt will serve until the 2027 election, at which point she will have the opportunity to run for a full four-year term.
 

Meet Margae Schmidt

Margae Schmidt was appointed to the Board of Education at the Board’s regular February meeting.

Mrs. Schmidt has a Master of Library in Information Science (MLIS) and works as the Consulting and Continuing Education Specialist at Reaching Across Illinois Library System (RAILS). She is also the current President of the Library Administrators Council of Northern Illinois (LACONI) Technology Section and the Secretary of the LACONI Governing Board.

“Being on the Board offers the opportunity to listen to families, staff, and the community; collaborate with fellow Board members; and help shape policies that support strong, inclusive schools,” said Mrs. Schmidt. “I’m especially excited to contribute to long-term planning that keeps students at the center of every conversation and ensures our district continues to grow and thrive.”

In her free time, Mrs. Schmidt is a certified yoga instructor. She lives in Tinley Park with her husband Justin and two children, Ena and Emmett.
 

Watch the Meetings

You can stream all of our monthly Board of Education meetings live on YouTube. Past meetings are also available to watch at the same link.




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Meeting Information

Board Meeting dates, agendas, and minutes are available here.

Minutes from the most recent meeting will be posted to BoardDocs after the Board of Education approves them at the following month's meeting.
 

Questions or Comments?

Please complete the form below if you have any questions or comments about this month's Board of Education Meeting, or Board business.
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The Board of Education members are pictured with their names and titles.
 

District 146 Administration

  • Dr. Jeff Stawick, Superintendent
  • Kelly Voliva, Assistant Superintendent
  • Carey Radke, Director of Curriculum and Instruction
  • Jeff Charleston, Director of Business Services/CSBO
  • Vern Bettis, Director of Technology
  • Matt Shanahan, Director of Buildings and Grounds
  • Brooke Dundas, Coordinator of Bilingual Education
  • Brianne Oliver, Special Education Coordinator
 
Community Consolidated School District 146
Robert Procunier Administration Center
6611 W. 171st Street
Tinley Park, IL 60477
708.614.4500
 
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