Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District
Regular Board Meeting and Work Session Minutes
October 20, 2025
The Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Community School District Board of Directors met at the District Office in Eddyville on Monday, October 20, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. for a regular board meeting followed by a board work session. Visitors in attendance: Jessica Nollen, Paige Ver Steegh, and others who did not sign in.
Call to Order: President Houk called the meeting of the EBF Board of Directors to order at 5:00 p.m. Roll call: Ed Glenn – present; Eric Klyn – present; Brianne Batterson – present; Micah Van Mersbergen – present; Tom Judy – present; Tyrone Lobberecht – present; Curt Houk – present. Quorum established.
Public Forum:
Correspondence: None.
Approve Agenda: Lobberecht moved, Glenn seconded, to approve the agenda. Motion carried unanimously.
Reports & Presentations: Superintendent Williamson, Jr/Sr High Principal, Jordan Buell, and Blakesburg Elementary Principal, Kayeleigh Rook, presented their reports to the board. Reports from the Curriculum Director and the Director of Special Services were submitted but not read aloud.
Consent Items: Van Mersbergen moved, and Glenn seconded, to approve consent items 6a through 6c(v): minutes from September 3, 2025, and September 15, 2025; account balances as of September 30, 2025; October bills list; and the following board policies: 221 – Legal Counsel; 222 – Board Committees; 223 – Ad Hoc Committees; 224 – Board Responsibility for Policy Development, Revision and Dissemination; and 225 – Suspension of Policy. Motion carried unanimously. Van Mersbergen moved, and Klyn seconded, to approve the first reading of revised 411 – Abuse of Students by District Employee. Motion carried unanimously.
Personnel: Glenn moved, and Batterson seconded, to approve the following hires: Shannon Rabotski – Behavior Interventionist; Brian McDanel – Night Custodian at the Jr/Sr High; Mike Haywood – Assistant Girls Basketball; Carson Genskow – Assistant Boys Basketball; Curt Johnston – Jr High Boys Basketball; Damion Dover – Jr High Boys Basketball; Chelsea Smith – Assistant Girls Wrestling; Holly Bogatzke – Wrestling Cheer; Rick Scott – Head Baseball; Tony Fenton – Head Softball; Madysen Wade – Assistant Softball; Kylie Batterson – 9th Grade Softball; Megan Lehman – Jr High Softball; Angie Koebke – Home Work Help; Kristen Birchard – Homework Help; Amie Adams – Rocket Boost; Tammy Walker – Rocket Boost; Patricia Ver Ellen – Rocket Boost; Samual Bahler – Rocket Boost; Traci Scott – Director of Spring Play; and volunteers approved: Ashlyn Sheets – Softball and Brad Fisher – Baseball. Motion carried unanimously. Judy moved, and Lobberecht seconded, to approve the following resignations: Vicki Gardner, 3rd Grade Teacher at Blakesburg Elementary at the conclusion of the 2025-26 school year and Paul Wilson, Custodian at Blakesburg Elementary as of January 13, 2026. Motion carried unanimously.
Action Items:
- Van Mersbergen moved, and Klyn seconded, to approve the tuition reimbursement contract for Damion Dover to get his Strat II Endorsement. Motion carried unanimously.
- Judy moved, and Batterson seconded, to approve the payment for services rendered to KDTI Productions in the amount of $7,200.00. Details are still being worked out on a contract for future media plans. Motion carried unanimously.
- Van Mersbergen moved, and Glenn seconded, to approve the Exhibits for SBRC Review. Roll call vote: Glenn – yes; Klyn – yes; Batterson – yes; Van Mersbergen – yes; Judy – yes; Lobberecht – yes; and Houk – yes. Motion carried unanimously.
- Glenn moved, and Lobberecht seconded, to authorize the District Administration making the request to the SBRC for the reduction of unauthorized spending authority in the amount of $909,490.58. Roll call vote: Glenn – yes; Klyn – yes; Batterson – yes; Van Mersbergen – yes; Judy – yes; Lobberecht – yes; and Houk – yes. Motion carried unanimously.
- Van Mersbergen moved, and Lobberecht seconded, the SBRC Request for Supplemental Allowable Growth for the Special Education deficit in the amount of $249,129.42. Roll call vote: Glenn – yes; Klyn – yes; Batterson – yes; Van Mersbergen – yes; Judy – yes; Lobberecht – yes; and Houk – yes. Motion carried unanimously.
- Lobberecht moved, and Judy seconded, to approve the SBRC Request for Supplemental Allowable Growth for the EL Excess Cost in the amount of $10,000.00. Roll call vote: Glenn – yes; Klyn – yes; Batterson – yes; Van Mersbergen – yes; Judy – yes; Lobberecht – yes; and Houk – yes. Motion carried unanimously.
- Judy moved, and Klyn seconded, to approve the Hard Surface Plan for 2025-2026. Motion carried unanimously.
- Glenn moved, and Lobberecht seconded, to approve the EBF Lau Plan for 2025-26. Motion carried unanimously.
- Judy moved, and Van Mersbergen seconded, to approve the Kettle Purchase for the Jr/Sr High Kitchen in the amount of $28,960.00. Motion carried unanimously.
- Judy moved, and Batterson seconded, to approve the out of state travel request for Agri-Power FFA to attend meat judging contests in Illinois on January 24, 2026, January 31, 2026, February 7, 2026 and February 14, 2026 if any students choose to attend. Motion carried unanimously.
- Glenn moved, and Batterson seconded, to approve the addition of a junior high girl wrestling coach position. Motion carried unanimously.
- Glenn moved, and Klyn seconded, to approve the waiver request of the 90-day eligibility for Brett Johnson when he returns to his home district of Moravia. Motion carried unanimously.
Discussion Items:
Superintendent Williamson updated the board on construction projects stating that walls are now going up. He also discussed plans to create a sidewalk to the football gate. The handicap ramp was also moved from the grass to the cement pad to make it more easily accessible. Due to the election results requiring a second canvassing, the November board meeting will be Monday, November 24, 2025. Board members were informed that the Open Meetings & Public Records Training requirement is for newly elected or appointed board members that current board members are not required to take the training. Incumbent board members, if elected, are also not required to take this training. Open enrollments were reviewed. Current open positions: Mental Health Counselor for Blakesburg/Fremont Elementaries, an anticipated Para Educator at Eddyville Elementary, Regular Route Driver; Daycare Associate; and Substitutes for all positions. Coaching/supplemental positions: 9th Grade Baseball Coach; Assistant Baseball Coach; Boys & Girls Golf Coach; Junior High Softball Coach and 2-Junior High Baseball Coaches.
Adjournment:
Van Mersbergen moved, and Lobberecht seconded, to adjourn the board meeting. Motion carried unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 5:58 p.m.
Board took a small break before the Board Work Session.
Call to Order: President Houk called the work session of the EBF Board of Directors to order at 6:04 p.m. Roll call: Ed Glenn – present; Eric Klyn – present; Brianne Batterson – present; Micah Van Mersbergen – present; Tom Judy – present; Tyrone Lobberecht – present; Curt Houk – present. Quorum established.
Approve Agenda: Glenn moved, and Lobberecht seconded, to approve the agenda. Motion carried unanimously
Daycare 28E Agreement: Superintendent Williamson gave an update on where the daycare parent advisory board was on the steps to becoming a privatized daycare under a 501(c)(3). Mr. Bunch, one of the parents on the advisory board, was in attendance and was able to answer any questions that board members might have had. The basic plan for the 28E Agreement would be for the school to charge rent to the group, but that maintenance and upkeep to the building would still be the responsibility of the school district. Mr. Bunch stated that the daycare was currently on track to meet the December 31st end date for school’s responsibility for the daycare.
Open Enrollment Management Guidelines: Board reviewed the current OE Management Guidelines and discussed updates and changes that might need to be made. What is the number of students in each grade before we decide to close a grade to open enrollments. At the Jr/Sr High, it would be better to cap per section vs grades (7th & 8th totals combined, 9th, 10th, 11th, & 12th totals combined). Board would like to see conversations begin on multiple solutions to multiple factors, how we are financially, what our facilities are like, etc. Board member Glenn left the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Board also noted that these will be tough decisions because the board would like to make everyone happy, but we know that we won’t be able to make everyone happy. The board also recognized that any decision would be a significant emotional event and would like to make sure that decisions made would not need to be changed in a year or two. The board also would like to make sure we address issues such as someone moving mid-year and how the district handles that.
Survey Results: (Resident Students, Open Enrolled Students & Early Childhood Census) From the survey results, the board felt that it was nice to see that with most of the responses, families are happy where the building their students are attending. Future enrollment is hard to predict, but for the district, enrollment projections are typically within 5 students of estimates from preschool class size to kindergarten class size the following year.
Adjournment:
Van Mersbergen moved, and Lobberecht seconded, to adjourn the work session. Motion carried unanimously. The work session adjourned at 6:47 p.m.
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Curt Houk
Board President
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Mary McCrea
Board Secretary
