Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees Approves Bradford National Bank Arena Naming Agreement

CENTRALIA, IL - The Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees held its regular monthly meeting Monday, October 26, 2026, at the College's main campus. Trustees present included Board Chairman John W. Bill Hawley (Odin), Vice Chairman Linda Stover (Centralia), Secretary Laura Wedekemper (Shattuc), Bryan Holthaus (Carlyle), and Student Trustee Andolini Gray. Trustees Jim Beasley (Centralia), Craig Finke (Nashville), and Louis Kalert (Centralia) were absent.

The Board approved a resolution naming the College's new gymnasium and connected facilities the "Bradford National Bank Arena" in recognition of a $1 million charitable commitment from Bradford National Bank to the Kaskaskia College Foundation over 15 years. The partnership will support the KC Now dual-enrollment program and a KC Student success fund, which helps students overcome barriers to completing their education.

Kaskaskia College Foundation Executive Director Michael Christensen discussed the partnership's impact on KC Now, noting that participation has grown from four students to more than 150. He also highlighted the portion of the gift dedicated to addressing obstacles students face. Hawley thanked Christensen, the Foundation, and College President George Evans for their work in developing the partnership.

In financial matters, trustees approved a resolution of intent to levy an equity tax to help address differences in local property tax resources among community college districts. The additional education fund levy rate is 2.47 cents per $100 of equalized assessed valuation and is estimated to generate approximately $749,000 for college operations. For a home valued at $100,000, the estimated annual cost of this portion of the levy is $8.23, a decrease of $1.09 compared with the prior levy. The equity tax is one component of the College's property tax levy, not the entire levy.

The Board also approved a Protection, Health and Safety (PHS) project for repairs and alterations to the College's existing, older gymnasium, with an estimated project cost of $1,546,992.

Trustees approved a three-year student housing bed reservation agreement with Prairie Creek Apartments, LLC, effective July 1, 2027. The agreement reserves 32 beds for designated KC students at $440 per bed per month, for a total of $140,800 over 10 months annually. The rate represents the first increase in more than a decade, while a previously charged 3 percent annual administrative fee has been eliminated. Quinn Realty and Property Management Group will manage the property and student leases, with online payments and electronic maintenance requests among the planned services.

To expand hands-on instruction in renewable energy, the Board approved the $132,565 purchase of Amatrol electrical and solar photovoltaic learning systems, software, and curriculum from Moss Enterprises, of Johnston, IA. Fully funded by an Illinois Green Economy Network grant supported through the Renewable Energy Resources Trust Fund and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the purchase will enhance KCs Residential and Commercial Electricity Program without using College operating funds. The systems will support training in electrical fundamentals, solar installation, testing, and troubleshooting.

The Board also authorized the purchase of an HPE StoreOnce 3720 backup and recovery system from Xerox IT Solutions for $51,293.33 in institutional funds. The replacement will strengthen data protection, cybersecurity resilience, and disaster recovery for College operations. The purchase includes hardware, software, support, and maintenance over five years.

In other action, trustees approved the 2027 Board of Trustees meeting calendar, including planned off-campus meetings in Nashville in June and Salem in September, as well as the 20282029 academic calendar. The Board approved a resolution to close all College campuses March 610, 2028, as part of a planned employee break, and a resolution supporting the City of Vandalia's request for a 12-year extension of its TIF #2 Industrial Park redevelopment district.

In personnel matters, the Board approved a new food service worker position.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Kaskaskia College Board of Trustees will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, November 23, 2026, at the College's main campus.