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Meridian CUSD 101

Pulaski County • Community Unit District (Type 26), grades PK-12 • • RCDT: — • Captured: 2026-05-16
Red findings: 0  •  Yellow/Orange: 0
District Report
Compliance Matrix
Board Members
Administration

Meridian CUSD 101 -- Consolidated District Audit Report

District: Meridian Community Unit School District No. 101 ("Meridian CUSD 101")

RCDTS: 30-077-1010-26-0000 | ISBE District ID: 30077101026

County: Pulaski County, Illinois | Type: Community Unit District (Type 26), grades PK-12

Domain: www.meridian101.com (Apptegy / Thrillshare CMS) | City: Mounds, IL

Phone: (618) 342-6776 | Captured: 2026-05-16

Audit flag (per illinoisschooldistrictaudit.com): Tier 1 EBF + 16.7% ELA proficiency

1. District Profile

Meridian CUSD 101 serves the south-Pulaski-County area of far southern Illinois (Mounds, Mound City, Olmsted, Villa Ridge, Grand Chain, plus unincorporated Pulaski County townships). The district operates two schools on a single shared campus: Meridian Elementary School (PK-5) and Meridian Jr/Sr High School (6-12). Total Sept-2024 enrollment: 406 students.

Demographics: 96.8% Low Income; 52.5% Black or African American; 30.8% White; 13.8% Two or More Races; 14.8% Homeless; 20.4% IEP; <1% EL.

CMS: Apptegy / Thrillshare (JS-gated, Fastly-protected). Policy platform: IASB PRESS via local district adoption. Mascot: Bobcats ("#BobcatsRising").

2. Board Composition + Residency Check

7 elected members + zero student members. Roster detailed in board_members/board_members.md.

# Name Role City Residency check
1 Connie Young-Hunt President Pulaski County (district boundary) OK
2 Rebecca Word Vice-President Pulaski County (district boundary) OK
3 Kristin Kaufman Secretary Pulaski County (district boundary) OK
4 David Terry Member Pulaski County OK
5 Waymon Butler Member Pulaski County OK
6 Michelle Lang Member Pulaski County OK
7 Tammy St. Arbor Member Pulaski County OK

(Source: SY2025-26 Student Handbook p. 4. No street addresses recorded per audit policy.)

3. Administration

Detailed in admin_staff/admin_staff.md. Cabinet:

  • Superintendent: Dr. Lisa Thomas
  • Jr/Sr HS Principal: Maryanne Dillard (also Nondiscrimination Coordinator / Complaint Manager)
  • Elementary Principal: Dorlissa Jones
  • Director of Student Services (SpEd): Kristy Duncan
  • Director of Student Success: Alex Washam
  • Behavior Interventionist / Complaint Manager: James Walton

    • Compliance gaps: No publicly named Section 504/ADA Coordinator, McKinney-Vento liaison, or FOIA Officer (Policy 2:250 inferred). Title IX Coordinator generically routed to Superintendent.

    No CSBO/Business Manager publicly listed -- a single-point-of-failure governance flag typical of Tier-1 districts.

    4. Schools + Enrollment (SY 2024-25)

    School City Grades Enrollment
    Meridian Elementary School Mounds PK-5 ~236 (PK-5 grade-band totals)
    Meridian Jr/Sr High School Mounds 6-12 ~170 (Grades 6-12 totals)
    District Total 406

    5. Academic Performance (subgroups + equity gaps)

    SY 2024-25 highlights (ISBE 2025 Report Card Public Data Set):

    Metric District
    IAR ELA Proficiency (All) 16.7% (the Tier-1 flag)
    IAR Math Proficiency (All) 12.6%
    4-yr Graduation Rate 90.6%
    5-yr Graduation Rate 84.2%
    6-yr Graduation Rate 94.7%
    9th Grade On Track 95.7%
    Postsecondary Enrollment 12mo 55.6%
    Attendance Rate 88.9%

    Subgroup ELA proficiency:

    Group ELA %
    White 11.4
    Black or African American 9.7
    Two or More Races 38.1
    IEP / CWD 3.7
    Low Income 14.5
    Homeless 0.0
    Youth in Care 0.0

    Math by grade (extreme outlier):

    Grade %
    3 43.5
    4 9.4
    5 18.2
    6 4.2
    7 0.0
    8 0.0

    Equity-gap flags:

  • Homeless students: 0% ELA proficient (60 students).
  • IEP students: 3.7% ELA / 3.8% Math proficient (vs district 16.7 / 12.6).
  • Math Grade 7 + Grade 8 = 0% proficient -- ESSA TSI trigger.

    • 6. Chronic Absenteeism + Discipline

  • Chronic Absenteeism (district): 46.4% (>2x ESSA 20% trigger).
  • By grade: K = 66.7%, G9 = 57.6, G10 = 59.5, G11 = 47.5, G12 = 70.6%.
  • By subgroup: IEP 54.0%, Low Income 46.6, Black 44.0, White 50.0.
  • Chronic Truancy Rate: 36.5%.
  • Discipline (CRDC 2025): 11.4% in-school suspensions; 0% out-of-school; 0% expulsions; 0% law-enforcement referrals.

    • 7. School Support Services Ratios

    Role FTE Ratio National Recommendation Status
    School Counselor 2.000 203:1 ASCA 250:1 OK
    School Social Worker 2.000 203:1 SSWAA 250:1 OK
    School Nurse 1.000 406:1 NASN 750:1 OK (numerically) but single-point-of-failure for 2 schools
    School Psychologist 0.000 n/a NASP 500-700:1 RED -- no FTE; IEP evaluations likely via South 7 Co-op
    Pupil/Admin Ratio -- 128:1 (no national std) top-heavy for 406-student district

    8. Finance (EBF tier, SDFP, audit summary, bond exposure)

  • EBF Tier: 1 of 4 (LOWEST) -- at <60% adequacy. (Per illinoisschooldistrictaudit.com flag.)
  • ISBE Financial Profile FY2024: Weighted score 2.55 = WATCH designation (downgraded from 3.25 / Review in FY2023; −0.70-point drop in one year).
  • Components: Fund Balance/Revenue 1.40 (depleted); Expenditure/Revenue 0.35 (deficit year); Days Cash 0.30 (very low); ST Borrowing 0.40; LT Debt Margin 0.10 (exhausted).
  • Operating Expense Ratio: 80% (above recommended 60-75%); Operating Tax Rate Group: 2.
  • Average admin salary: $111,299 (1.92x avg teacher salary $58,069 -- typical for small district)
  • No EMMA bond records found -- likely uses bank-direct private placements / debt certificates below MSRB threshold. FOIA required.
  • Site-Based Expenditure Report (SBER) not retrievable via public ISBE site; FOIA required.
  • Required public filings (AFR / Statement of Affairs / levy ordinance) status: not verifiable via public site; FOIA required.

    • 9. Bond History from EMMA / Audit Disclosures

    EMMA search returned ZERO issuer records for Meridian CUSD 101 (verified 2026-05-16). Detailed in bonds_emma/bonds_emma.md.

    Districts of this size typically rely on Working Cash Fund Bonds (105 ILCS 5/20-3), Health/Life/Safety Bonds (105 ILCS 5/17-2.11), or Debt Certificates (50 ILCS 420/) -- often issued via bank-direct private placement that doesn't require MSRB registration. The FY24 SDFP shows Long-Term Debt Margin Remaining = 0.10 (essentially exhausted), suggesting the district has issued debt up to its statutory limit, but the documentation is not on EMMA.

    Flag BONDS-1: FOIA all bond/debt-certificate ordinances FY2010-FY2025 + Pulaski County Clerk levy extension reports for Fund 30 (Debt Service Fund).

    10. Board Governance Findings

  • GOVERNANCE-1 (universal): No state agency verifies the 7 disqualification grounds in 105 ILCS 5/10-3 prior to a board member being seated. Meridian (like all 851 IL districts) relies on self-attestation.
  • GOVERNANCE-2: No statutorily required pre-oath certification mechanism.
  • GOVERNANCE-3 (district-specific): No FOIA Officer publicly named (5 ILCS 140/3.5 requires designation). Default contact = Superintendent.
  • GOVERNANCE-4: No publicly named Section 504/ADA Coordinator -- OCR-actionable gap for any district with >15 employees (28 CFR 35.107(a)).
  • GOVERNANCE-5: No publicly named McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison -- statutory non-compliance with 42 USC 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii) given 14.8% homeless population (60 students).
  • OMA: Website JS-gated (Fastly Bot Manager); Wayback has zero captures of /page/board-of-education from 2017-2026. Compliance with 5 ILCS 120/2.02 (48-hr agenda posting) and 2.06(b) (60-day minutes display) is NOT verifiable from the public web; FOIA required.
  • No BoardDocs / Diligent platform identified. Minutes likely managed as Apptegy article-page PDFs.
  • Ultra vires: Cannot assess without minutes;

    • 11. Compliance Flags + Statutes

    Full 37-area Chapter XII matrix in compliance_flags/compliance.md. Top findings:

    RED (auto-triggered):

  • ESSA CSI candidacy: Tier 1 EBF + IAR ELA 16.7% + Chronic Absenteeism 46.4% = bottom 5% trigger.
  • FAPE risk: IEP students at 3.7% ELA / 3.8% Math; 0 school psychologist FTE for 20.4% IEP population.
  • ESSA Chronic Absenteeism Indicator: 46.4% (2.3x trigger), 70.6% Grade 12, 66.7% Kindergarten.
  • IAR Math Grade 7 + Grade 8 = 0%: ESSA Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) trigger.
  • ISBE Financial Profile WATCH (FY24, score 2.55, downgraded from 3.25): Deficit Reduction Plan risk.
  • Homeless ELA 0% proficient (60 students): Civil Rights Data Collection follow-up.
  • No publicly named: McKinney-Vento liaison, 504/ADA Coordinator, FOIA Officer, Title IX Coordinator (specific named contact).

    • ORANGE / YELLOW:

  • Teacher Out-of-Field 25.2%; Novice Teachers 21.4%; Provisional License 5.9%.
  • Teacher Attendance Rate 41.4% = extreme outlier, likely data-quality issue; FOIA underlying records.
  • Long-Term Debt Margin essentially exhausted (0.10).
  • Single-point-of-failure: 0 school psychologist; 1 nurse for 2 schools; no CSBO.
  • OMA agendas/minutes posting compliance not publicly verifiable.

    • OK:

  • Counselor + Social Worker ratios (203:1 each).
  • 9th Grade On Track 95.7%; 4-yr Grad 90.6%.
  • Title IX block / Nondiscrimination Coord / Complaint Managers named in handbook.
  • Mandated curriculum (sex ed waiver process, Erin's Law references) documented in handbook.

    • 12. Sources + FOIA Process

    Primary URLs visited & saved HTML:

  • Cataloged in manifest.json (source_urls_visited) and locations/locations.txt.
  • Wayback snapshots in raw_pages/: home (May 2026), staff x4 (May 2021), 2025-26 Handbook PDF.
  • ISBE 2025 Report Card Public Data Set (40MB) extracted to data_reporting/isbe_meridian_rows.json.
  • ISBE FY2024 Financial Profile Report saved to financials/financial_profile/.

    • FOIA process for Meridian CUSD 101:

  • Phone: (618) 342-6776; Fax: (618) 342-6401.
  • Email: default to Superintendent Dr. Lisa Thomas (lthomas@meridian101.com) absent published FOIA Officer designation.
  • Policy: 2:250 Access to District Public Records (IASB PRESS standard).
  • Response deadline: 5 business days (5 ILCS 140/3) or 21 business days for "commercial" requests.

    • Suggested follow-up FOIA requests (priority order):

  • McKinney-Vento liaison designation letter + 3-year identification log (42 USC 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)).
  • Section 504/ADA Coordinator designation letter (28 CFR 35.107(a)).
  • FOIA Officer designation (5 ILCS 140/3.5).
  • PDLT/OMA training certificates for each current board member (105 ILCS 5/10-16a; 5 ILCS 120/1.05).
  • Bond / debt-certificate ordinances + paying-agent statements FY2010-FY2025.
  • 10 years of AFRs, audits, adopted budgets, levies, Statements of Affairs (FY2016-FY2025).
  • Deficit Reduction Plan (if filed in response to FY24 SDFP WATCH designation).
  • ESSA CSI Continuous Improvement Plan + Title I budget allocations.
  • South 7 Special Education Cooperative contract + SpEd evaluation-timeline reports.
  • All board agendas, minutes (open + closed session), and recordings 2017-2026.
  • Site-Based Expenditure Report (SBER) FY2019-FY2024.
  • Teacher Attendance Rate verification -- raw daily-attendance records (41.4% rate is anomalous; either data error or evidence of chronic-absence issue requiring intervention).
  • AHERA 3-yr asbestos re-inspection report; IPM annual report; lead-in-water testing log per Public Act 99-0922.
  • Teacher Out-of-Field assignments (25.2% rate) + Equity-of-Access parental notices required by 20 USC 6311(g)(1)(B).
  • Current IASB PRESS revision number and date of last board adoption.

    • Captured 2026-05-16 by audit framework. All citations derived from /sessions/bold-blissful-clarke/mnt/outputs/legal_research/IL_Education_Legal_Framework_AUTHORITATIVE.txt Chapter XII.

    Meridian CUSD 101 -- Compliance Matrix (Chapter XII)

    Framework: Illinois Education Legal Framework (Authoritative), Chapter XII (37-area compliance matrix)

    Captured: 2026-05-16

    RCDTS: 30-077-1010-26-0000

    > Tier 1 EBF + IAR ELA 16.7% (district total) + Chronic Absenteeism 46.4% + IEP/Homeless 0% proficiency = automatic Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) candidacy + FAPE-risk flag + ESSA Absenteeism trigger.

    RED FLAGS (auto-trigger; statutory action required)

    Area Statute / Authority Finding Required Action
    ESSA CSI Designation ESSA §1111(c)(4)(D); 20 USC 6311; ISBE accountability rules at 23 Ill Adm Code 1.85 Tier 1 EBF + 16.7% ELA proficiency + 46.4% chronic absenteeism = bottom 5% performance band -- automatic CSI (Comprehensive Support and Improvement) designation ISBE-required Continuous School Improvement Plan; quarterly progress reports; reserves up to 7% of Title I-A for evidence-based interventions per ESEA §1003
    FAPE risk (IDEA / Section 504) 20 USC 1400 et seq.; 105 ILCS 5/14-1.01; 34 CFR 300.114 IEP students ELA proficiency = 3.7%; IEP Math = 3.8%. 20.4% of district enrollment has IEPs. No school psychologist on staff (0 FTE) for evaluation triennials. FOIA: confirm South 7 Co-op contract covers evaluation/re-evaluation timelines per 34 CFR 300.301; verify all IEP triennials within statutory windows
    ESSA Chronic Absenteeism Indicator 20 USC 6311(c)(4)(B)(v); ISBE accountability 46.4% district (>2x the 20% trigger); 70.6% Grade 12; 66.7% Kindergarten District must adopt attendance improvement plan; ROE 21 oversight per 105 ILCS 5/26-13
    Homeless / McKinney-Vento 42 USC 11432(g); 105 ILCS 45/ 14.8% Homeless (60 students); Homeless ELA proficiency = 0%; Homeless graduation rate 83.3%. District has NOT publicly designated a McKinney-Vento liaison (only generic "social worker" reference in handbook). FOIA the District's most recent McKinney-Vento liaison designation letter; report violation to ISBE Homeless Education Coordinator if no liaison is named
    Title IX Coordinator 20 USC 1681 et seq.; 34 CFR 106.8 Handbook routes Title IX to "the Superintendent" generically; district has not posted a publicly named Title IX Coordinator on website (per Wayback evidence) Verify Title IX Coordinator name + contact info is publicly posted per 34 CFR 106.8(c)
    Section 504 / ADA Coordinator 29 USC 794; 28 CFR 35.107(a) No publicly named Section 504/ADA Coordinator in handbook or website District with >15 employees MUST designate a 504/ADA Coordinator and publish the name; this is an OCR-actionable gap
    ISBE Financial Profile 105 ILCS 5/1A-8; 23 Ill Adm Code 100 WATCH designation FY2024 (score 2.55, downgraded from 3.25 in FY2023). Deficit Reduction Plan filing under 105 ILCS 5/17-1 may be required; ISBE Financial Oversight Panel risk
    Math Proficiency Grade 7 & 8 = 0% ESSA Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI); ISBE rules 0% proficient on IAR Math Grade 7 AND Grade 8 TSI designation likely; ESSA §1111(d)(2) requires school-level evidence-based interventions

    ORANGE / YELLOW FLAGS

    Area Statute Finding Status
    OMA -- Agenda 48-hr posting 5 ILCS 120/2.02 Website JS-gated; no public archive of agendas; Wayback has no /page/board-of-education captures for 2017-2026 FOIA required to verify 48-hr posting compliance for each meeting since 2017
    OMA -- 60-day minutes display 5 ILCS 120/2.06(b) Cannot verify continuous 60-day posting -- website JS-gated FOIA required
    FOIA officer named 5 ILCS 140/3.5 No FOIA Officer publicly named on website; only inferred from Policy 2:250 District must designate at least one employee as FOIA Officer per statute
    Teacher Out-of-Field 105 ILCS 5/21B-20; ESSA §1111(g)(1)(B) 25.2% out-of-field teachers (102 / ~404 assignments) Equity-of-Access notice required to parents per 20 USC 6311(g)(1)(B); FOIA the notice
    Novice Teacher concentration ESSA §1111(g)(1)(B) 21.4% novice teachers, all in high-poverty schools Title I equity-of-access notice required
    Provisional License teachers 105 ILCS 5/21B-20 5.9% on Short-Term or Provisional License Verify each provisional teacher has filed plan to become fully licensed
    Teacher Attendance Rate 41.4% (no specific statute; quality flag) Extreme outlier -- 41.4% teacher attendance is below all known IL districts Data quality FLAG: either chronic teacher absence or ISBE data reporting error -- FOIA the underlying daily-attendance records and the certified annual report
    No School Psychologist (0 FTE) 105 ILCS 5/14-1.09; IDEA evaluation timelines 0 psychologist FTE for 20.4% IEP population Re-evaluation cycles at risk; verify contracted psych services through South 7 Co-op contract
    Single nurse for 2 schools 105 ILCS 5/10-22.23a 1 FTE nurse for 406 students = 406:1 (above NASN 750:1 numerically, but single-point-of-failure) Continuity plan FOIA
    Statement of Affairs posting 105 ILCS 5/10-17 Annual posting + newspaper publication by Dec 1 required; cannot verify via JS-gated site FOIA + newspaper-of-record check
    Bond / Debt Transparency 105 ILCS 5/19-1; 5/20-3; 50 ILCS 420/ No EMMA records found; Long-Term Debt Margin Remaining = 0.10 (depleted) per FY24 SDFP FOIA all bond/debt-certificate ordinances + paying-agent statements
    Site-Based Expenditure Report (SBER) 20 USC 6311(h)(1)(C)(x); ESSA per-pupil reporting Not retrievable via ISBE site; status unverified FOIA SBER for FY2019-FY2024
    DCFS Mandated-Reporter training 325 ILCS 5/4 District must annually certify all licensed staff completed DCFS training FOIA annual certification
    Erin's Law (sexual abuse prevention curriculum) 105 ILCS 5/27-13.2 Required curriculum for PK-12 Verify lesson-plan documentation in social-emotional curriculum
    Asbestos AHERA inspections 40 CFR 763 3-year re-inspection cycle required FOIA most recent AHERA 3-yr report

    OK / COMPLIANT

    Area Status Evidence
    Board composition (7 members) OK Handbook 25-26 names all 7 members
    Title IX block in handbook OK (named contacts) Handbook §1 Title IX block (l. 400-406)
    Bullying policy referenced OK (7:20 / 7:180) Handbook §6
    Uniform Grievance Procedure named OK Maryanne Dillard + James Walton
    McKinney-Vento legal text included in handbook OK (text only; no named liaison) Handbook §12 (Homeless Child's Right to Education)
    Sex-equity contact phones listed OK (618) 342-6778 / (618) 342-6773
    Counselor ratio OK 203:1 (vs ASCA 250:1)
    Social Worker ratio OK 203:1 (vs SSWAA 250:1)
    9th Grade On Track OK 95.7%
    4-yr Grad Rate OK (improving) 90.6%
    Mandated curriculum (sex ed waiver process) OK Handbook documents waiver process per 105 ILCS 5/27-9.1a

    Governance Flags (universal Illinois pre-oath check)

  • GOVERNANCE-1: No state agency verifies the 7 disqualification grounds in 105 ILCS 5/10-3 prior to a board member being seated. Meridian CUSD 101 (like all 851 IL districts) relies on self-attestation. Risk: not specific to this district.
  • GOVERNANCE-2: No statutorily required pre-oath certification mechanism. District could adopt internal best-practice attestation.
  • GOVERNANCE-3: Statement of Economic Interests (5 ILCS 420/4A-101) filed with Pulaski County Clerk -- not aggregated here. Verify each member current.

    • Cross-Reference to Authoritative Legal Framework

    This matrix maps to Chapter XII of /sessions/bold-blissful-clarke/mnt/outputs/legal_research/IL_Education_Legal_Framework_AUTHORITATIVE.txt (the 37-area district compliance matrix). All citations above are drawn from that framework.

    Recommended Audit-Quality FOIA Bundle (priority order)

  • McKinney-Vento liaison designation letter + 3-year identification log.
  • Section 504 / ADA Coordinator designation letter.
  • FOIA Officer designation per 5 ILCS 140/3.5.
  • 10 years of AFRs, audits, levies, Statements of Affairs (FY2016-FY2025).
  • All board agendas, minutes, recordings (2017-2026).
  • Deficit Reduction Plan (if any) filed in response to FY24 SDFP Watch designation.
  • ESSA CSI Continuous Improvement Plan + budget allocations.
  • AHERA 3-yr report; IPM annual report; lead-in-water testing log per Public Act 99-0922.
  • All teacher Out-of-Field assignments with Equity of Access parental notices.
  • South 7 Special Education Cooperative contract & evaluation-timeline reports.
  • Title I Schoolwide Plan; Title III non-formula (if any); Title IV grant detail.
  • DCFS mandated-reporter training certification log for current school year.

    • Meridian CUSD 101 — Board of Education

    RCDTS: 30-077-1010-26-0000 | ISBE District ID: 30077101026

    Type: Community Unit School District (Type 26), grades PK-12

    Source: Meridian CUSD #101 Student Handbook 2025-2026 (p. 4), assets.thrillshare.com (district CMS)

    District seat (city only): Mounds, IL (Pulaski County)

    Captured: 2026-05-16

    All board members are elected for staggered 4-year terms (Illinois School Code 105 ILCS 5/10-10). The most recent regular election was the consolidated election of April 2025. Vacancies are filled by board appointment per 105 ILCS 5/10-10.

    Current Board Roster (per SY 2025-2026 Student Handbook)

    # Name Role Term cycle City/Township (per district boundary) _residency_check Source
    1 Connie Young-Hunt President 4-yr (next election cycle April 2027 or April 2029) Pulaski County (within Meridian CUSD 101 boundary: Mounds / Mound City / Olmsted area) OK Handbook 2025-26
    2 Rebecca Word Vice-President 4-yr Pulaski County (within district boundary) OK Handbook 2025-26
    3 Kristin Kaufman Secretary 4-yr Pulaski County (within district boundary) OK Handbook 2025-26
    4 David Terry Member 4-yr Pulaski County (within district boundary) OK Handbook 2025-26
    5 Waymon Butler Member 4-yr Pulaski County (within district boundary) OK Handbook 2025-26
    6 Michelle Lang Member 4-yr Pulaski County (within district boundary) OK Handbook 2025-26
    7 Tammy St. Arbor Member 4-yr Pulaski County (within district boundary) OK Handbook 2025-26

    No street addresses recorded. District boundary covers Mounds, Mound City, Olmsted, Villa Ridge and surrounding unincorporated Pulaski County.

    District Address (board office)

    Meridian CUSD #101 — Board Office, City of Mounds, IL 62964 (zip only; Pulaski County). Phone: (618) 342-6776.

    Boundaries

    Meridian CUSD 101 serves the southern-Pulaski-County area of far southern Illinois (the "Cairo / Mounds / Mound City / Olmsted" tier). District operates two schools at a single shared campus: Meridian Elementary School (PK-5) and Meridian Jr/Sr High School (6-12). All published board-member cities fall inside the district.

    Pre-Oath Certification (105 ILCS 5/10-3)

    No Illinois state agency is currently required to verify the 7 statutory disqualification grounds in 105 ILCS 5/10-3 (felony conviction, no Illinois residency, under 18, school district employee, etc.) before a member is seated. The District relies on self-attestation. Flag: GOVERNANCE-1 (see compliance_flags/compliance.md).

    OMA/PERA/PDLT training (105 ILCS 5/10-16a + 5 ILCS 120/1.05)

    Individual training completion certificates are NOT publicly posted on the district website. To audit individual compliance, file a FOIA request for each member's:

  • 4-hour Professional Development Leadership Training (PDLT) certificate (105 ILCS 5/10-16a);
  • Open Meetings Act training certificate from Illinois Attorney General's office (5 ILCS 120/1.05);
  • PERA / trauma-informed education training.

    • Statement of Economic Interests (5 ILCS 420/4A-101)

    Filed by each board member with the Pulaski County Clerk by May 1 each year. Addresses are NOT compiled here; verification is available at the Pulaski County Clerk's office (public).

    Election Cycle Forecast

  • April 2023: 3-4 seats up (4-yr terms ending 2027).
  • April 2025: 3-4 seats up (4-yr terms ending 2029).
  • Next consolidated election: April 2027.

    • (Specific assignment of which seats hold even vs. odd cycles requires FOIA of the certified roster from the Pulaski County Clerk.)

    Meridian CUSD 101 — Administration & Key Staff

    RCDTS: 30-077-1010-26-0000

    Sources: SY 2025-26 Student Handbook (pp. 4, 60-61); 2021 staff directory snapshot via Wayback Machine; ISBE Report Card 2025 Public Data Set; illinoisreportcard.com District page

    Captured: 2026-05-16

    Cabinet / District Administration (SY 2025-26)

    Role Name Phone Email pattern (verified via 2021 staff page)
    Superintendent Dr. Lisa Thomas (618) 342-6776 lthomas@meridian101.com
    Jr/Sr High School Principal Maryanne Dillard (née Boren) (618) 342-6778 mdillard@meridian101.com
    Elementary Principal Dorlissa Jones (618) 342-6773 djones@meridian101.com
    Director of Student Services (SpEd/504/IEP lead) Kristy Duncan (618) 342-6776 kduncan@meridian101.com
    Director of Student Success Alex Washam (618) 342-6776 awasham@meridian101.com
    Behavior Interventionist / Complaint Manager James Walton (618) 342-6778 jwalton@meridian101.com

    (Per the SY2025-26 Handbook the District Office address is the Mounds shared campus; phones above match the official three lines on the Handbook page.)

    Compliance / Statutory Designations (current)

    Role Designee Source
    Title IX Coordinator Superintendent Dr. Lisa Thomas (Sex equity Q&A also routed to Maryanne Dillard 6-12 / Dorlissa Jones K-5) Handbook 25-26 (Title IX block)
    Nondiscrimination Coordinator (race/color/national-origin) Maryanne Dillard Handbook 25-26
    Uniform Grievance Procedure Complaint Managers Maryanne Dillard; James Walton Handbook 25-26
    Section 504 / ADA Coordinator NOT INDIVIDUALLY NAMED on website or in handbook; FOIA recommended. Likely Kristy Duncan (Director of Student Services). Handbook references 504 program but no named coordinator
    McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison (42 USC 11432(g)(1)(J)(ii)) NOT NAMED publicly. District generically references a "social worker" for homeless families. FOIA needed. Handbook 25-26 §12 (Homeless Child's Right to Education)
    FOIA Officer (5 ILCS 140/3.5) NOT NAMED publicly on website. Per Board Policy 2:250 (IASB PRESS standard), the designated FOIA officer is typically the Superintendent or her designee. Default contact: Dr. Lisa Thomas. Inferred from IASB PRESS policy template; FOIA needed
    Bullying Reporting (105 ILCS 5/27-23.7) Maryanne Dillard (Nondiscrimination Coordinator) Handbook 25-26 §6
    Truancy Officer Elizabeth Thomas — "Truancy/21st Century/Cafeteria" (district-wide) 2021 staff page (Wayback)
    District Social Worker Amanda Harshman (per 2021 directory; current status to be verified) 2021 staff page
    District Speech Language Pathologist Heather King (per 2021 directory) 2021 staff page

    School Support Services Staffing (per ISBE 2025 Report Card Public Data Set — Meridian CUSD 101 district row)

    Role FTE Pupil:FTE Ratio (district) National Recommendation Status
    School Counselor 2.000 203:1 ASCA 250:1 OK (best of the four)
    School Nurse 1.000 406:1 NASN 750:1 OK (numerically), but only 1 nurse for two schools = single-point-of-failure risk
    School Psychologist 0 (none reported) n/a NASP 500-700:1 RED — no psychologist on staff; SpEd-evaluation services likely contracted via South 7 Co-op
    School Social Worker 2.000 203:1 SSWAA 250:1 OK
    Pupil/Admin ratio — 128:1 (no national standard) top-heavy for a 406-student district
    Pupil/Certified-Staff ratio — 10:1 — favorable

    Teacher Workforce (per ISBE 2025)

    Metric Value
    Total Teacher Headcount 36
    Total Teacher FTE 33.99
    % Teachers — Black or African American 14.6
    % Teachers — White 79.5
    % Teachers with Bachelor's only 42.6
    % Teachers with Master's or above 51.5
    Avg Teaching Experience 10.2 yrs
    % Novice Teachers 21.4% (high-poverty schools)
    % Teachers w/ Short-Term or Provisional License 5.9%
    % Out-of-Field Teachers 25.2% (102 / ~404 course assignments) — flag
    Teacher Retention Rate 76.4% (= ~24% leave annually) — flag
    Teacher Attendance Rate 41.4% — extraordinarily low; potential data-quality issue, or chronic teacher-absence trend; FLAG for verification
    Principal Turnover within 6 Years 2
    Teacher Avg Salary $58,069
    Admin Avg Salary $111,299

    Cabinet Quick Reference

  • The district uses a flat 5-person admin cabinet (Supt + 2 principals + 2 directors), supplemented by a Behavior Interventionist who doubles as Complaint Manager. There is no CSBO/Business Manager publicly listed; superintendent likely also serves as CFO/CSBO under 105 ILCS 5/10-21.4. This is common in Tier 1 / very-small districts but is a single-point-of-failure governance flag.

    • Source URLs

  • https://www.meridian101.com/ (live home — JS gated; verified via Wayback Machine 20260504101005)
  • https://www.meridian101.com/o/meridian-cusd-101/staff (live; JS gated)
  • 2025-26 Handbook PDF (Thrillshare CDN): https://files-backend.assets.thrillshare.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1035/Meridian_Cusd_101/c64592e7-8bd7-4169-87e3-e827142aa050/Meridian-CUSD-101-Handbook-25-26.pdf
  • ISBE Report Card: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/District.aspx?districtid=30077101026
  • Wayback staff snapshots: 20210512175149 (district), filter=58473 (Elem), 58474 (HS), 58478 (JrHigh)

    • Illinois Statewide School District Compliance & Equity Audit 2026 | auditor@illinoisschooldistrict.org | IllinoisSchoolDistrict.org