The District 146 Board of Education held its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, February 12 in the multi-purpose room at Fulton School.
The Board recognized the District 146 Spelling Bee champion and runner-up. Anya Kleis (CMS, 6th grade) was named the District 146 Champion at the February 6 Spelling Bee, and Monica Jiang (Kruse, 4th grade) was the runner-up. This is the second year in row that Anya and Monica have placed first and second, respectively.
During the meeting, the Board heard from Superintendent Dr. Jeff Stawick:
- The District is hosting a community Wellness Fair on Saturday, March 2. Between 9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., community members can come to Central Middle School to learn about health, nutrition, child development, and mental wellness.
- In March, CMS 8th grade students and chaperones will travel to Washington, D.C. for three days. The students will visit many monuments and memorials including the White House, the World War II Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery.
- Summer School planning for 2024 is underway. Summer programming will run from July 8 to August 1. All programs will be held at Fulton.
- Parking light fixtures at Fulton are set to be replaced. The District has an existing credit on file with a vendor, so there will be no extra charge for the new LED lights. The District will also receive an energy-saving rebate from ComEd.
- Every two years, the District provides data to the Department of Education's Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) program. Data is currently being collected and will be submitted by the February 26 deadline.
- The District Policy Committee met on February 2. Recommended policy changes were presented to the Board. The Board will vote on the recommendations at the March meeting.
The Board also heard the following:
- A teachers union representative reported that with the end of the trimester approaching, teachers and staff are busy analyzing data and preparing for the third trimester. This week schools are hosting a Kindness Week, encouraging students and staff to make each day a bit brighter by being kind to one another. Many schools also took part in World Read Aloud Day earlier this month.
- Matt Shannahan, Director of Buildings and Grounds, presented a proposal for roof restoration at Central Middle School. The Board will be asked to take action at the regular March meeting.
- A contract has been negotiated with Sunrise Bus Company, the District’s special education bus service. At the regular March meeting, the Board will be asked to approve a 2-year contract with a 7% increase each year.
- Jeff Charleston, Director of Business Services, discussed the Property Tax Relief Grant. This is the third year in a row the District has qualified. In exchange for abating property taxes, the District receives a permanent increase to its state funding. The Board will be asked to approve the abatement at the March meeting.
The Board took the following action at the meeting:
- Approved an overnight trip for the CMS Band in April 2025. The location of the trip has not yet been announced publicly. Band Director Jason Freeland will make the official announcement to students and families.
- Approved the 2024-2025 School Calendar. It will now be sent to the Illinois State Board of Education for approval before it is released to the public.
Before adjourning, the Board met in closed session to discuss personnel matters.
The minutes of the February meeting will be available on BoardDocs once approved by the Board of Education at the next meeting. A recording of the meeting can be viewed on the District's YouTube Channel.
