Board Highlights
The Winnetka Public Schools, November 2022
Regular Board Meeting
Emily Rose, President, welcomed all in attendance. Ms. Rose thanked the citizens of Winnetka and District 36 staff for their efforts toward passing the referendum to support the 2022 Downsized Capital Improvement Plan.
Dr. Kelly Tess, Superintendent, echoed Ms. Rose’s appreciation for the community’s engagement in the democratic process in order to ensure students’ needs are best served via the projects funded by the referendum.
Highlighting Progressive Education in Action: Greeley School
Mr. Peterson’s fourth grade students presented to the Board about how photography concepts are incorporated into their studies, spurring creative stories, nature exploration, and the integration of visual arts into their daily lives.
Presentation
Brad Goldstein, Chief Financial Officer, presented information on the 2022 Tentative Levy. The Levy is a request for property tax income, representing over 90% of the District’s annual revenue. A public hearing to discuss the proposed tax increase, and the School Board approval of the levy will be held at the December 13, 2022, Board Meeting. The District is seeking an aggregate levy increase of 6.50%. The increase includes 5% for CPI, and an additional 1.5% to ensure the capture of new property growth. The Board engaged in discussion about the impact to the tax payer and committed to providing further communication for all on the actual impact of the levy on an individual tax bill as well as the benefit to levying at this rate now. The 2022 Tentative Levy was approved later in the evening. To access FAQs on the 2022 Tentative Levy, please visit this link.
Informational Items
Advancing the Educational Master Facility Plan
The Board and Administration are pleased to report the successful passage of a referendum following the election on November 8, 2022. The voter turnout as reported by the Cook County Clerk was 56%, with nearly 65% voting in favor of the referendum. It was recognized prior to the Board voting on a resolution to move to referendum that any effort of this kind would require community support. The Board and Administration are grateful to the members of the Citizens Task Force for the time and effort they invested into developing a project plan that would garner the support of the community and result in necessary facility maintenance and improvements.
The community can expect to hear regular updates on next steps as construction is planned to begin at Hubbard Woods and Greeley Schools this summer 2023. The scope and impact of these projects are directly connected to the Educational Master Facility Plan (EMFP), which was approved by the School Board in October 2018.
This recurring memo will be shared with the Board as means to provide timely and succinct updates on the initiatives underway in the District. Formal updates on progress toward annual goals and school improvement plans will be provided in January (mid-year update) and June (end of year report); however, this regular informational memo will give a general summary between formal reporting. This month’s memo includes updates on MTSS, the Literacy Curriculum Review and work with the District’s Data Analytics Partner, ECRA Group.
Kindergarten & New Student Registration
The District began online pre-registration for incoming kindergarteners and students new to the District on November 16, 2022. Online pre-registration is communicated through principal newsletters, direct email to families who have notified us of kindergarten-age children, The Winnetka Wire, and to the broader community, via the District website, Village newsletter, banners outside elementary schools, and flyers posted in downtown Winnetka. In addition, electronic flyers are provided to area preschools to share with their families.
November 1 Staff Institute Day Summary
On November 1st staff participated in the following training on topics including:
Science of Reading ½ day training (Kindergarten-4th grade teachers)
RULER/SEL ½ day training (all staff)
Functional Behavior Assessment all day training (Student Services option for SW/Psych/SpEd/SLP)
Curricular Review all day collaborations (Kinetic Wellness/Tier 3 Reading Specialists/Related Arts/Nurses/Secretaries)
Project Based Learning (PBL) 1/2 day training (5th-8th grade teachers)
Overall feedback from our staff indicated that 85% felt that this day directly related to their own professional development as well as the District as a whole.
The Board approved a partnership with Battelle for Kids as a collaborative partner to facilitate the process of developing a Portrait of an Educator. This process will begin with a committee of representatives in January 2023, with regular updates provided for the community.
The Consent Agenda and Following Action Items Were Approved:
Tentative 2022 Tax Levy
Credit Card Limit Increase
Summer Work Bid 2023
To view the entire Board Packet from the November 15, 2022 Meeting, click here.
