About Leadership Communications Tools & Forms Office Locations Resources Stronger United Initiatives President Support Financial Procedures Membership Processing Events & Conferences IEA Calendar Funding Forms IL – The Illinois Attorney General’s office (AG) determined further action is warranted regarding an Open Meetings Act violation filed by the East Alton Education Association (EAEA) against the East Alton School District 13 Board of Education (BOE) The EAEA filed the violation after East Alton School District Board Member Connie Bailey sent text messages related to her campaign during closed session of the BOE meeting “School board members should never be campaigning during a board meeting That time is meant to be discussing how to best serve our students and our community,” EAEA President Pete Kleeman said “We look forward to the outcome of the attorney general’s investigation.” A letter from the AG’s office details what evidence they are requesting to review during their investigation including a voice recording of the BOE’s closed session on Feb The text messages in question were sent by Bailey to an EAEA union representative during closed session on Feb Bailey requests to meet with the union regarding an endorsement in the April 1 BOE election where Bailey was running as an incumbent The approved minutes from the Feb 18 meeting show Bailey was in attendance and the board was in executive session from 7:48 p.m The text messages are all time stamped and show they were sent during closed session “While I was shocked to receive the messages during the meeting “The board has a history of questionable behavior including irresponsibly spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars All of this is a massive distraction from the true work of the board which is figuring out the best way to support our students.” The East Alton BOE has engaged in questionable behavior in the past The BOE now has seven days to respond to the request for additional information from the AG’s office The EAEA is a union representing the more than 60 certified personnel EAEA’s mission is to advocate for the welfare of members improve the quality of education in District 13 and serve as a voice for the nearly 700 East Alton students and their families The 135,000 member Illinois Education Association (IEA-NEA) is the state’s largest union IEA represents Pre K-12 teachers outside the city of Chicago and education support staff retired education employees and students preparing to become teachers Get all your IEA questions answered in one spot Recently the East Alton-Wood River Oilers announced the following slate of games for the 2025 season The Oilers will play 9 games including two contests against Breese Central and Civic Memorial Among the other teams on the Oilers' schedule are Chester They wrap up their season with a road tilt against Roxana and return back home to square off versus Dupo Below is the Oilers' 2025 regular season shcedule with official times to be announced Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App -- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi ANDY VILLAMARZOAndy Villamarzo has been a sports writer in the Tampa Bay (FL) Area since 2007 writing for publications such as Tampa Bay Times FL area and started as a writer with SB Live Sports in the summer of 2022 covering the Tampa Bay Area He has quickly become one of Florida's foremost authorities on high school sports radio programs and digital broadcasts as an expert on team rankings © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER IL – The East Alton Education Association (EAEA) filed an Open Meetings Act violation with the Illinois Attorney General’s office after incumbent Connie Bailey sent text messages related to her campaign during closed session of the East Alton School District 13 (D13) Board of Education (BOE) meeting “School board members are elected to focus on our students and our schools To blatantly disregard the law and campaign during a school board meeting is not just a distraction it hurts our students,” EAEA President Pete Kleeman said The text messages were sent by Bailey to an EAEA union representative on Feb. 18. In the messages Bailey requests to meet with the union regarding an endorsement in the upcoming BOE election where Bailey is running as an incumbent The approved minutes from the meeting in question show Bailey was in attendance and the board was in executive session from 7:48 p.m The text messages are all time stamped and were sent during closed session “I think it’s important the public has the full picture about the folks running to support our students We need candidates who understand the responsibility of serving on the board and who respect the electoral process,” Kleeman said mean strong schools and strong communities We’re recommending candidates that truly put students first and who understand campaigning while you’re supposed to be supporting our students is illegal and doesn’t support anyone but themselves.” “We are looking to the future of our district and want to set ourselves up for success As educators and staff who dedicate our lives to East Alton students we take seriously our responsibility to recommend candidates who are committed to the success of all learners transparent and rooted in our shared vision for a thriving school district,” Kleeman said The union encourages community members to seek accurate information about the candidates running for school board The upcoming election on April 1 offers a crucial opportunity for voters to have a direct impact on the future of East Alton students’ education Construction on a German company’s $500 million expansion of its manufacturing plant in East Alton has started and will be finished in the next three years an international producer of copper and copper alloys said the investment to a facility that employs 800 will make it sustainable for the long term “This is an important day and another bright chapter in the history of East Alton,” said Mayor Darren Carlton at a press conference on Monday “This modernization of Wieland’s East Alton facilities is a step forward for economic development for our region East Alton looks forward to maintaining its role as an industrial anchor for Madison County.” Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, leaders from Illinois’ Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Wieland announced the expansion plans last year which include $231 million in state incentives under a program for clean manufacturing Wieland’s integrated brass mill in the Metro East produces copper products used in electric vehicles electric vehicle charging stations and renewable energy production The company also makes parts for construction The project will modernize the German company’s facility to increase its operational efficiency deliver higher standards of quality and product reliability which is going to happen right after today and we're excited about that,” said Jeff Byrd The East Alton location belonged to Olin Brass before Wieland acquired it six years ago the company has six locations in the state The company has recycling facilities in Granite City and produces welded copper tubes in Cuba “This is a massive commitment of capital and people by a great international company,” Pritzker said “And East Alton and the local workforce showed its mettle — no pun intended.”