Board RECAP
October 19, 2023
May 15, 2025
The District 211 Board of Education met Thursday, May 15, 2025, in the Board Room of the G.A. McElroy Administration Center. Below is a recap of key items acted on and reviewed.
Appointment
Palatine High School -- Assistant Principal
Liza Sullivan has been appointed Assistant Principal at Palatine High School. She currently serves as a Social Studies teacher at Palatine, a position she has held since 2007. For the past two years, Liza also has served as Dean of Students. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from College of Santa Fe (New Mexico) and a master’s degree in Secondary Education/Bilingual Bicultural Education from DePaul University. In 2024, Liza earned a second master’s degree in Educational Administration and Leadership from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. She is working toward her doctorate degree in Education Policy, Organization, and Leadership: Diversity and Equity in Education from the University of Illinois.
Recognition
The Board of Education formally recognized students and staff who achieved state and national recognition, and also honored Booster presidents from all five high schools.
Palatine High School
HOSA - Future Health Professionals State Competition
Presenters: Alexis McCloud and Jennifer Dahl
Agam Nanda -1st place in Research Poster
IHSA State Journalism Tournament
Presenter: Sean Berleman
Isabella Borissova - 6th place in Yearbook Copy Writing
Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics State Tournament
Presenter: Craig Barnes
Patrick Shoults - 1st place in Algebra 2
Illinois Science Olympiad Tournament
Presenter: Robert Heitz
Amy Chau 3rd place in Geologic Mapping
Joaqiun Flores 3rd place in Protein Modeling and 5th place in Bottle Rocket
Krish Handa 2nd place in Air Trajectory and 3rd place in Protein Modeling
Tyler Moi 2nd place in Air Trajectory and 3rd place in Protein Modeling
Evan Muller-Zelazny 5th place in Bottle Rocket
Isaac Robinson 3rd place in Geologic Mapping
Tanya Saxena 3rd place in Anatomy & Physiology
Abi Shahid 3rd place in Anatomy & Physiology
William Fremd High School
HOSA - Future Health Professionals State Competition
Presenter: Luke Madden
Sahasra Boyina -1st place in Mental Health Promotion Team
Mahreen Gaffoor - 1st place in Mental Health Promotion Team
Niyathi Girish - 1st place in Mental Health Promotion Team
Riya Kukreja - 1st place in Mental Health Promotion Team
Sumedha Rao - 1st place in Mental Health Promotion Team
IHSA State Journalism Tournament
Presenter: Grant Dawson
Sonali Khanna -1st place in Headline Writing
Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics State Tournament
Presenter: Christopher Grattoni
Isabella Chen - 2nd place in the Precalculus Written Team
Siddharth Kadiyala - 3rd place in Calculator Team
Rishi Kanchi - 2nd place in Precalculus Written Team, 3rd place in Calculator Team
Ryan Kim - 4th place in Algebra 2 Written Team, 3rd place in Calculator Team
Chloe Kim - 3rd place in Calculator Team
Joshua King - 3rd place in Calculator Team
Joshua Lin - 2nd place in Precalculus Written Team, 3rd place in Calculator Team, 1 st place in Precalculus Written Individual
Sophia Lin -3rd place in Calculator Team
Krista Liu - 4th place in Algebra 2 Written Team
Samuel Malcolm - 4th place in Algebra 2 Written Team, 3rd place in Calculator Team
Dayita Mandal - 4th place in Algebra 2 Written Team
Mantra Mittal - 4th place in Algebra 2 Written Team
Andrew Qian - 2nd place in Precalculus Written Team
Daniel Xiao - 4th place in Algebra 2 Written Team, 3rd place in Oralist Competition, 1st Place in Junior-Senior 2-Person Tournament
Jason Zhou - 2nd place in Precalculus Written Team
Eddie Zhou - 2nd place in Precalculus Written Team, 3rd place in Oralist Competition, 1st Place in Junior-Senior 2-Person
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America State Conference
Presenter: Linda Serafini
Helena Roh - 1st place in Decorated Cakes
Nicole Saletta -1st place in Say Yes to FCS
Conant High School
HOSA - Future Health Professionals State Competition
Presenter: Victoria DeGuia
Anuva Jakher - 1st place in Health Career Display
Reyna Patel - 1st place in Pharmacy Science
Sabina Rajabova -1st place in the Health Career Display
IHSA State Journalism Tournament
Presenter: David Gwizdala
Adriana Buchanan - 1st place in Infographics
Zehra Ozcan - 2nd place in Editorial Writing
Leyla Yurtsever - 3rd place in News Writing
Illinois Science Olympiad Tournament
Presenter: Jon Babcock
Krisha Dave - 1st place in Astronomy and Microbe Mission
Evelyn Qiu - 1st place in Astronomy
Atinna Zhang - 1st place in Microbe Mission
Hoffman Estates High School
HOSA - Future Health Professionals State Competition
Presenter: Octavio Rodriguez
Danielle Rose Sy - 1st place in Biotechnology
Illinois High School Cheerleading Coaches Organization 2025 Hall of Fame
The Illinois High School Cheerleading Coaches Organization annually recognizes outstanding high school cheerleading coaches who have significantly impacted the sport. The honorees are chosen from a field of nominations from across the state. This year, twin sisters Amanda Schweinebraten and Christina Schweinebraten-Melone, who together coach co-ed cheerleading at James B. Conant High School, were selected for the Hall of Fame. The Conant Co-Ed Cheer team placed second at the Illinois High School Association tournament. Ms. Schweinebraten and Ms. Schweinebraten-Melone are being honored for their dedication and passion for the sport.
Illinois High School Gymnastics Coaches Association 2025 Hall of Fame
The Illinois High School Gymnastics Coaches Association has selected Dave Calisch of Hoffman Estates High School for induction into its Hall of Fame. This honor recognizes Mr. Calisch for his dedication and significant contributions to the sport. Mr. Calisch coaches boys and girls gymnastics at Hoffman Estates High School and is being honored for his passion and the athletes he has so positively impacted over many years in the field of gymnastics.
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification
Hoffman Estates High School teacher Angela Rallidis, a Special Education teacher, has earned national certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. This is the highest professional credential in the field of teaching and is a symbol of teaching excellence. This is a voluntary process achieved through a rigorous performance-based assessment that takes nearly a year to complete. It demonstrates exemplary dedication and commitment.
Illinois State Board of Education Those Who Excel Honorees
Annually, the Illinois State Board of Education recognizes those who excel significantly in their work, selecting awardees from across the state. District 211 honorees for 2025 are:
Administrator -- Barbara Peterson, G.A. McElroy Administration Center
Classroom Teacher -- Mauricio Orozco, Palatine High School
Early Career Educator -- Elizabeth Dopke-Jimenez, James B. Conant High School
Educational Service Personnel - Alison Woytus, Schaumburg High School
Team -- Instructional Coaches: Katherine Giegler and Michael Karasch, William Fremd High School
Team -- Teaching and Learning Team: Jill Boomer, David Calisch, Hollee Czajka, Laura Mallon, Tanya Meador, Thomas Mocon, Christina Ordonez, Jason Stevens, Tessa Strzempek, Kari Verdonck, and Kay Yereb, Hoffman Estates High School
Booster Club Presidents
The Board formally recognized Booster presidents from all five schools for their diligent and tireless efforts to support students, staff, families and programs.
Palatine High School
Rachel Stevens and Betsy Gharagozlou, Pirate Booster Club Co-Presidents
Jennifer Krieg, Parents Music Club President
William Fremd High School
Verlyn Suderman, Viking Booster Club President
Melissa Schlesinger, Music Association President
James B. Conant High School
Traci Garcia and Cristina Zajac, Cougar Booster Club Co-Presidents
Debbie Lipka, Band Parents Club President
Schaumburg High School
Kathy Ashenfelter, Very Interested Parents (VIPs) President
Michelle Pikscher, Band Booster Club President
Hoffman Estates High School
Pam Conway, Hoffman Estates Hawk Booster Club President
Jessica Augsburger, Music Parents Association President
Presentation: Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization (NSSEO) Budget
The Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization (NSSEO) is a special education cooperative of eight member districts: six elementary districts that include Community Consolidated School District 21, Prospect Heights School District 23, Arlington Heights School District 25, River Trails School District 26, Mount Prospect School District 57, Community Consolidated District 59; and two high school districts: Township High School District 211 and Township High School District 214. Annually, the NSSEO budget is presented to each member district’s Board of Education for approval. Dr. Meg Schnoor, NSSEO Superintendent and Mr. Gavin McGinn, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, presented the NSSEO budget.
View the presentation here.
View the budget here.
Approval of Minutes
Bids for Consideration
Full bid information can be viewed here.
Acceptance of Donations
The Board formally accepted the donations of $2,000 from The Goodman Family Foundation to support the Palatine Promise program at Palatine High School; a 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan from Kristeen Riforgiato for use by the automotive classes at James B. Conant High School; and $1,000 from Emerson & Elder, P.C. in support of the Cougars in Need program at James B. Conant High School.
Employment of Summer School Staff
This year, District 211 expects to employ approximately 200 academic summer school teachers. First Semester will run from June 2 to June 24; Second Semester will run from June 25 to July 17. The Board approved a resolution to employ 2025 summer school teachers as presented At the June 12 Board meeting, employment of additional summer teachers will be recommended.
View the full details here.
Student Accident Insurance
Full information is available here.
Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting Award
Annually, the Association of School Business Officials International recognizes school districts that demonstrate high standards and best practices for financial reporting and accountability through the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting Award. For the 18th year in a row, District 211 was named a recipient of this award for the fiscal period ending June 30, 2024. This award confirms the District’s commitment to financial accountability and transparency through its financial reports. These awards are an affirming acknowledgement to our Board of Education and District for their commitment to continuously provide comprehensive, accurate, and transparent financial information that meets national quality and accountability standards.
Strategic Plan Update: Energy Conservation
In the Board’s current strategic plan, section 9.4 is to annually continue to improve safety and modernization of facilities with a specific target to annually enhance energy efficiency. District 211 maintains a comprehensive energy management program with the goal of reducing energy consumption and lowering utility costs for electricity, natural gas and water. Energy initiatives include utilization of building automation systems to maintain control settings all hours of the day, replacement of facility systems with more efficient replacements and competitive pricing solicitation for energy rates. The Board reviewed a full report regarding energy efficiency.
Board Liaison Information
Board members may serve as liaisons on a number of administrative groups or outside organizations. Board members presented their interests to the Board President for review. The Board reviewed the presented ist. Dr. Campbell, superintendent-elect, may bring forth additional administrative groups at a later date.
• Community and Family Services: Ms. Barron
• Education Research Development: Ms. Russell
• Illinois Association of School Boards: Ms. Russell
• Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization:: Mr. Rosenblum; Mrs. Lopez, alternate
Summer Curriculum Projects
Each summer, teachers gather from all schools to work as District- or school-based teams to develop curriculum, enhance instructional choices and assessments and develop new coursework. Summer curriculum projects are proposed by groups of teachers, reviewed by all pertinent department chairs and recommended by the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction. Each project includes the development of instructional materials, plans for change based on assessment data review or a proposal for curriculum change to be presented to the department chairs via the formal curriculum meeting process. The Board reviewed and approved the projects, which represent a variety of topics across disciplines. Monetary needs are accommodated through Title I, Title II and IDEA grant funds.
More details and a list of projects is available here.
Panorama Education Software Platform
Panorama Education was first approved by the Board in 2021 to assist in monitoring students’ mental health and supporting Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) within District 211. Over the past four years, we have fostered a strong partnership with Panorama Education and this collaborative effort has resulted in a platform that provides access to valid, reliable student and staff survey tools, and a comprehensive system that can manage tier I, II, and III behavior, academics, and social-emotional learning intervention strategies. The platform enables District staff to continue to assess and monitor social-emotional health by administering Panorama’s validated, research-backed social-emotional learning surveys to students and staff. These measures will allow staff to gather information about our students’ development and application of key social-emotional learning skills, such as grit and growth mindset, as well as information about the District and individual schools, and support for social-emotional development. The Board approved a one-year agreement with Panorama Education at a cost of $123,537.
ELLevation Software Platform
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) includes educational requirements and provides funding to support schools’ efforts to help children who are English learners “achieve at high levels in academic subjects so that all English Learners can meet the same challenging State academic standards that all children are expected to meet.” Section 105 ILCS 5/14C-3 requires that public schools provide two types of programs for students identified as EL to support them toward becoming proficient in English. Schools in Illinois also are required to use an approved English language screening instrument in the EL student enrollment process, and all EL students are required to participate in a state assessment focused on four language domains: listening, speaking, reading and writing. EL enrollment during the 2012-2013 school year was 485 students. The predicted EL enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is over 2,000 students. The ELLevation software platform will enable District 211 staff to continue to assess, monitor, and effectively support EL students in District 211 classrooms. The Board approved a one-year agreement with Curriculum Associates, LLC to purchase ELLevation at a cost of $66,055.50. The cost will be covered under District 211’s allocation of Title III funding.
Full information is available here.
Consolidated District Plan
The Federal government provides a variety of education grant programs to support eligible school districts across the nation. In the past, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) managed access to these grants for Illinois school districts through separate and distinct application systems. Effective with the 2019-2020 school year, ISBE began managing federal grants under one Consolidated District Plan (CDP). Each Illinois school district accessing Federal grant funds must submit a single unified grant application to the ISBE after seeking approval of the CDP by its local school board. District 211 participates in the Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Federal grant programs. The Board approved the 2025-2026 Consolidated District Plan to utilize Federal Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV and IDEA grants totaling approximately $4,298,810* as presented.
Details are available here.
Spring Curriculum Report
District 211 provides students with a robust and diverse academic experience, offering over 700 unique courses designed to meet a wide range of interests and educational goals. To ensure our curriculum remains rigorous, relevant and aligned across all schools, the District 211 Curriculum Committee convenes three times each year. This committee, composed of department chairs from each school, principals, and the assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, oversees the ongoing evaluation and refinement of curriculum and instructional practices. The Board reviewed and approved the curriculum committee report and recommendations.
View the full report here.
District 211 Professional Development
Professional learning is a link between design and implementation of educational trends and effective practices that ultimately lead to extraordinary opportunities, innovative teaching and exceptional learning. District 211 develops and implements a variety of opportunities to support and sustain teacher learning in a culture of continual improvement. Educators who participate in professional learning opportunities can put their newly acquired knowledge, skills and practices to work in order to impact the students’ learning experiences. District 211 staff have the opportunity to participate in professional learning opportunities offered by outside educational institutions or organizations and by the District through opportunities such as in-district courses. In-district courses provide an opportunity for teachers to engage in, acquire, enhance and refine the knowledge and skills necessary to create higher levels of learning, engagement and understanding for students with other teachers within the District. In-district courses are taught by District 211 faculty to District 211 faculty. The Board authorized the Superintendent to offer professional learning opportunities for in-district credit as presented.
Appointment of Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer and Bond Renewal
In accordance with the Illinois School Code, the Boards of the school districts affected by the abolition of Township School Treasurer are required to appoint their own school treasurer for a two-year term beginning and ending the first day of July. On June 20, 2024, the Board appointed Barbara Peterson as Treasurer and Lauren Hummel as Assistant Treasurer for a two-year term. Due to the retirement of Barbara Peterson on June 30, 2025, it is recommended that the Board appoint Kathy Zalewski as School Treasurer to fill the remaining year of the two-year term. Kathy Zalewski is a certified chief school business official and a certified public accountant and was appointed Controller/Treasurer-Elect in District 211 effective July 1, 2024. The Illinois School Code also provides that the school treasurer be bonded. The Board adopted a resolution to appoint Kathy Zalewski as School Treasurer to fulfill the remainder of the two-year treasurer term from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 following the retirement of Barbara Peterson. The Board also approved securing treasurer bonds for Kathy Zalewski and Lauren Hummel as presented with Liberty Mutual for a combined total of $57,586.
Full details are available here.
Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization Budget
The Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization (NSSEO) amended annual budget for 2024-2025 and proposed annual budget for 2025-2026 were approved by its Governing Board for transmittal to member districts on April 2. Controller and Treasurer Barbara Peterson, Controller and Treasurer/Chief School Business Officer Elect Kathy Zalewski, Director of Special Education Renée Erickson and Assistant Director of Special Education Mary Pat Krones participated on the NSSEO Finance Advisory Committee that reviewed the amended 2024-2025 annual budget and developed the proposed 2025-2026 annual budget. As a result of increased total student enrollment in NSSEO programs, the amended 2024-2025 annual budget reflects an overall increase in the NSSEO annual budget of approximately 2.3% ($1.1 million). The District’s projected to actual enrollment of students in NSSEO programs increased by approximately 2 students during the 2024-2025 school year, resulting in an approximate 0.7% increase in the District’s proportionate share costs (approximately $39,282). The Board ratified the NSSEO amended 2024-2025 annual budget and the proposed 2025-2026 annual budget and agreed to pay the District’s proportionate share of proposed budgeted revenues.
A full overview is available here.
A budget chart is available here.
The budget is available here.
D211 School Board Representative’s Actions as a Governing Member of NSSEO
The Northwest Suburban Special Education Organization (NSSEO) is a special education cooperative operating in Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, and Palatine serving students through programs designed with a person-centered approach to address a range of intense, significant needs, as well as providing services and support to students and staff in member districts, ranging from itinerant student services to embedded coaching, technical supports, professional learning and monthly parent training across the eight member districts. The Governing Board consists of eight board members. Each NSSEO member district appoints one elected Board member to represent their district on the NSSEO Governing Board. This Board establishes policy, oversees financial plans and supports program development to ensure that NSSEO programs and services are meeting the needs of the member districts. The District 211 Board adopted a presented resolution to establish the responsibilities of the District 211 Board member who will represent the District 211 Board as a member of the NSSEO Governing Board.
Read the resolution here.
Board Member Expenses
The Board approved the pre-approval form for future expense reimbursement for Anne Lopez, Jane Russell and Kenneth Van Dyke to complete the online training for Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) 2025 New Board Member Training Model. The Board also approved expenses for Steven Rosenblum and Jane Russell to attend the IASB Joint Annual Conference/Triple I Conference November 20-23.
Sale Price for Student-Built Home in Palatine
Through a course allowing students to work with teachers and professionals to build entire homes, another house is being completed and is ready for sale in Palatine. Students from Palatine and Fremd high schools worked on the home through the District 211 Building Construction Program.
The Board approved a selling price of $1,035,000.