Meeting Summary and Briefs: Manhattan School District 114 for May 13, 2026

Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | May 13, 2026

The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education met Tuesday, May 13, 2026, for a regular meeting that opened with extensive student recognitions and moved through a slate of action items before a closed session and adjournment at 8:36 p.m. The board’s most significant business included a review of the amended tentative budget for fiscal year 2026 (covered in a standalone article), approval of an administrator contract for a new director of operations following closed session (covered separately), and a discussion of expanding board attorney access as part of a transparency push (covered separately). The board also approved the 2026-2027 Consolidated District Plan for federal grants and a teacher evaluation memorandum of agreement (covered separately). Additional actions and reports are summarized below. The board’s next meetings are a committee-of-the-whole session on May 27 at 6 p.m. and a regular board meeting on June 10 at 6:30 p.m.

Student Groups Honored for State-Level Achievements

Manhattan Junior High School opened the meeting with recognitions of student groups led by building administration and staff. A violin duet from the school orchestra performed, and the Madrigal Singers — described as a Renaissance a cappella ensemble — were recognized for earning a “Superior with High Honors” rating at the state choir contest, reflecting perfect scores from all three judges for the second consecutive year. The district also honored an eighth-grade student as its Outstanding Language Learner, an award given on behalf of Lincoln-Way and recognized at Lincoln-Way Central. The MJHS bowling program was celebrated after the girls’ team placed third in state — a school record — and a seventh-grade boys’ bowler was recognized for rolling a perfect 300 game at a tournament earlier in the year.

Board Approves Personnel Report and Transfers

The board approved the personnel report as presented on a roll-call vote. The report included new hires such as a third-grade teacher at Anna McDonald and a first-grade teacher at Wilson Creek, both certified and effective for the 2026-2027 school year, along with several summer IT interns at $15 per hour. The report also documented resignations — including the Wilson Creek principal effective June 30 — and multiple leaves of absence. An accompanying superintendent’s memo listed two instructional-assistant transfers from Manhattan Intermediate School to Manhattan Junior High for the coming year as an informational item not requiring approval.

Consent Agenda and Financial Reports Approved

The board approved its consent agenda on a roll-call vote, including approval of minutes, destruction of closed session recordings from October 9, 2024, the treasurer’s report, acknowledgment of Lincoln-Way Special Education minutes, and approval of May disbursements and June payroll. The treasurer’s report and disbursement listing reflected total disbursements of $1,832,725.66 for the period. The board president initially moved past the personnel report during the action items sequence and returned to it after a board member flagged the omission.

PTO Grant Accepted for Manhattan Intermediate

The board voted to accept gifts to the district, including a Parent-Teacher Organization staff grant of $4,000 directed to Manhattan Intermediate School Principal Ryan McWilliams. During discussion, board members indicated the grant was related to basketball or recreational equipment. PTO grants are funded through PTO-hosted fundraisers and may support classroom supplies, equipment, books, activities or items benefiting classrooms, grade levels or an entire school. The board approved acceptance of the gift on a roll-call vote. (See Editorial Flags regarding the grant amount and the attached vendor quote.)

Energy-Saving Program Approved for Manhattan Intermediate

The board approved participation in a ComEd energy-saving program for Manhattan Intermediate School on a roll-call vote. Board members described the program as one the district has used at other schools, with reimbursements that allow it to pay for itself over time and generate significant energy savings, particularly for a large building. The supporting estimate from the lighting vendor totaled $7,903 and indicated that applicable ComEd Public Sector Small Facilities Program rebates and a 40% public-sector bonus incentive were built into the pricing.

Superintendent Reports on Strategic Planning and Survey

The superintendent updated the board on a joint taxing-body survey being pursued for strategic planning purposes, in which six taxing bodies have agreed to a customized survey at a cost not expected to exceed $5,000 per agency. The survey is targeted to reach the community from mid-August through the end of September, feeding into strategic planning in the fall. The superintendent also reported on the parent-teacher advisory committee’s work reviewing discipline practices, and announced a 10-minute shift in Manhattan Junior High’s start and end times for next year — to 8 a.m. start and 2:30 p.m. dismissal — to create a 40-minute transportation window for staging buses. The board also recognized the development of FY27 district goals with the Illinois Association of School Boards.

Recognitions and Celebrations Noted

The superintendent recognized a staff member who secured an Illinois Heart Rescue Community AED grant, which will provide the district with one AED and 10 CPR training mannequins — eight adult and two child — for CPR training. The board also congratulated an MJHS math teacher on the birth of her child. Building-level administrator reports highlighted Teacher Appreciation Week activities, spring assessments, and a Wilson Creek “Glow Run” fundraiser that raised $19,500, surpassing the school’s $15,000 goal.

Eighth-Grade Graduation Logistics Reviewed

The board discussed logistics for eighth-grade graduation, scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, at 5:30 p.m. at Manhattan Junior High. Members discussed the diploma rotation tradition, an inclement-weather plan that would move the ceremony to the gym, and the arrangement allowing a board member whose daughter is graduating to present her diploma. The district’s Saturday track sectional meet was cited as a useful trial run for the public-address system.