VVSD Board to Begin Process of Selecting New Board Member
Valley View Community Unit School District 365U Board of Education Member Leonel Venegas has tendered his resignation from the School Board for personal matters. Mr. Venegas is a longtime resident of the Village of Romeoville and has been a member of the VVSD Board of Education since 2021, and also previously served on the VVSD Board beginning in 2010 after being appointed to an open seat. At the December 9, 2024, Board meeting, the Board declared a vacancy.
VVSD Board President Steve Quigley stated that “Leo has been a Board member for several years. Board members are volunteers who do not get paid and spend a lot of time on School District business. We appreciate the time that Leo has given to represent the Romeoville community and Valley View and we wish him well”.
Mr. Venegas’s term was to expire in the Spring of 2025. The Board will now select a replacement for that limited timeframe. The public may submit a resume and a brief letter regarding why they want to be on the Board to VVSD Board Clerk Patty Arriola at ARRIOLAPA@vvsd.org by Monday, December 16 at noon. The candidate interviews will occur at a Special Meeting in closed session on Wednesday, December 18 at 9 am at the Ad Center.
The vote/swearing in will be on Monday December 30 at 4 pm at the Ad Center.
VVSD Staff Spotlight- Joel Kussmann, Romeoville HS Math Teacher
Armed with an undergraduate degree in mathematics, Joel Kussmann’s original career plan was to become a college basketball coach. At the start of that path is little, or more likely no pay, so Joel was a substitute math teacher to create some income.
But a funny thing happened while Joel was substitute teaching. He discovered he really enjoyed sharing his love of math with students. So, Joel went back and earned an education degree, a teaching certificate, and then found his home as a math teacher (and freshman basketball coach!) at Romeoville HS.
VVSD Board of Education Approves 2025-26 School Year Calendar
The VVSD Board of Education approved the 2025-26 School Year Calendar at the December 9 Regular Meeting. The First Day of School is Thursday, August 14 for students in grades kindergarten through 12th. The First Day of School for Early Childhood students is Monday, August 25.
VVSD Hiring Now for 2024-25 School Year
VVSD is still hiring for a wide range of positions for the 2024-25 school year with an emphasis on adding to our teams of paraprofessionals, lunchroom/playground aides and special education teachers.
We are also seeking new team members including guest teachers, bus drivers, operations & maintenance, nutrition services, and special education staff.
VVSD’s employment opportunities offer schedules for staff members that are in synchronization with school schedules, making VVSD a great choice for parents who need to have their work schedule match up with the school hours, and Winter and Spring Break for their children. To see all VVSD job opportunities and to apply, visit www.vvsd.org/jobs
A.Vito Martinez Middle School Presents “Murder on the 518”
In this play red-eye travelers on the westbound 518 are in for a surprise when first one passenger, and then another, mysteriously drop-dead right before their eyes — and just as the train is halted by a rockslide in an isolated canyon. Because the pair appears to have been poisoned, anyone and everyone in the train dining car is a suspect!
Performance dates are Fri. Dec. 13 at 6pm and Sat. Dec. 14 at Noon. Tickets available by cash purchase at the door only. Adults $5, Students $3, Children under 5 years old, no charge.
Morgan Tuck (Bolingbrook HS ‘12) is now the General Manager of the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun after serving for the last two years as Asst. General Manager and Director of Franchise Development. Morgan is a two-time Illinois High School Ms. Basketball, and in a 13-year span beginning in 2009, played on three IHSA champions at BHS, four NCAA champions at the University of Connecticut, and one WNBA champion with the Seattle Storm.
The latest edition of a long-running VVSD tradition is the Bolingbrook HS Holiday Band & Choir Concert for VVSD elementary and middle school students. Pictured is the BHS Symphonic Band performing, led by Band Director Bob Hanerhoff.
Romeoville HS 11th grade student and President of the Romeoville DuCAP Teen Leadership Group Ben Smith was a guest presenter at the quarterly VVSD365U Community Partners Breakfast. Ben highlighted the initiatives DuCAP drives to improve our community.
