Hawthorn Board Highlights

We've added "Contact" and "Subscribe" buttons to the bottom of this newsletter for your convenience. Whether you have feedback, questions, suggestions, or compliments, reaching out to us is now just a click away.

Present: Michael Engle, Karl Borchers, Julie Clifford, George Fievet, Robin Cleek, Wes Polen.

Absent: Joel Finfer

The Recognition Committee was excited to kick off this year's recognition program by honoring three outstanding community members. Holly Marder, Kim Kopin, and Charlie Sostak were recognized for the significant contributions they made to Hawthorn Middle School North's musical productions. Each of them have shown to be incredibly dedicated members of our community, giving their time and efforts to support the Middle North musicals.

One of the goals of the Board of Education is to recognize the accomplishments of those who play a significant role in advancing Hawthorn’s tradition of excellence. This includes teachers, staff, students and community members. Nominate someone for recognition today!

Board President Robin Cleek reminds the board to respond to invitations for the IASB Lake Division dinner and the ED Red event.

Dr. Hannigan welcomed the D120 Finance and Facilities Committee, who provided an update on their referendum, covering facility needs, student enrollment, and the improvement plan, encouraging the community to visit the D120 website for more information.

Ms. Jennifer Akin concluded the superintendent's report with a transportation update, highlighting proactive measures, including the addition of routes to reduce travel time, ongoing collaboration with Lakeside, and future plans to transition to electric buses and potentially pilot iPads for routing improvements.

Superintendent Dr. Hannigan reviewed Policy PRESS Issue 115, where the Policy Sub-Committee examined 21 policies and exhibits, most of which were five-year reviews with no changes.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Business Operations, Ms. Jennifer Akin, presented the Teacher and Administrator Compensation Report, which requires board approval and must be posted on the district website by September each year to comply with school code.

Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, Mr. Adam Palmer, presented the 10-Day Enrollment and Staffing Update. The presentation provided an overview of Hawthorn District 73’s enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year, as well as insights into how current enrollment trends might affect future staffing decisions.

The next Board of Education meeting will be held on October 17, 2024 at Hawthorn District Office.