District 30 Board Brief
October 12, 2023 - Board of Education Meeting Summary
Dr. Scott Carlson named Director of Human Resources
Dear District 30 Community,
We are proud to announce that our Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 Board of Education unanimously voted to approve Willowbrook School Principal Dr. Scott Carlson as the Director of Human Resources, a new position in the district, during Thursday's regular board meeting.
He will begin serving in this role on July 1, 2024.
Dr. Carlson is a natural fit for this role due to his experience, passion for supporting staff and developing employee relationships. We look forward to the important work he will lead in ensuring that District 30 meets the goals identified by our recent human resources audit, aligns practices with our forthcoming Strategic Plan, and continues to attract and retain top teaching talent for our students.
District 30 is currently exploring candidates to fill the Willowbrook School principal vacancy. As part of this work, parents and staff will be surveyed on key qualities and characteristics they feel should be embodied by the principal.
Our focus now is creating a seamless transition for Willowbrook School as we plan for the next principal. Stakeholder feedback will be valuable in informing this process so we can ensure Willowbrook’s next leader will best serve our students, staff, and community.
Click here to read more about Dr. Carlson's background and new role. We congratulate him!
Sincerely,
Dr. Emily K. Tammaru
Superintendent of Schools
Character Counts! Art & Video Contest winners honored
The Board recognized seven students across all three District 30 schools as winners of the 2023-24 Character Counts! in Glenview Art & Video Contest. The students were also honored earlier this month at a Glenview Village Board of Trustees meeting.
The contest recognizes artwork and videos from students of any Glenview school that celebrate the six pillars of character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. This year’s contest theme was “superheroes” and Glenview-area students were asked to create original art or video that demonstrates how their superhero – real or fiction – demonstrates the pillars.
The art contest was open to kindergartners through 4th grade and entries were judged by a team from the Glenview Public Library. Only students in grades 5-8 were eligible for the video contest, and entries were judged by a team from the Glenview Village Hall. Contest winners earned a monetary prize generously sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Glenview-Northbrook.
Art Contest Winners: Kindergarten through 2nd-Grade Category
1st Place - Rachel Weinberg (2nd Grade, Wescott School)
2nd Place - Vrish Akash (2nd Grade, Willowbrook School)
Art Contest Winners: 3rd- and 4th-Grade Category
1st Place - Sophia Velez (3rd Grade, Willowbrook School)
2nd Place - Esra Mathew (3rd Grade, Wescott School)
Video Contest Winners: 5th through 8th Grade
1st Place - Arya Akash (5th Grade, Willowbrook School)
2nd Place - Emerson Theobald (5th Grade, Willowbrook School)
3rd Place - Eli Matthew (6th Grade, Maple School)
Board approves new Human Resources Director
As outlined above in this Board Brief, the Board unanimously approved Dr. Scott Carlson as the District 30 Director of Human Resources, a new role within the district. Click here to learn more and click the video below for his remarks from the meeting.
Superintendent's report
Dr. Emily Tammaru reviewed the District 30 SWOT Analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) with the Board, which was created by the Strategic Plan team as a culmination of the February 1 Data Retreat. She sought feedback from Board Members, with Board President Mr. Jeff Zuercher adding that he believed innovative approaches in District 30 classrooms could be added as a strength. Dr. Tammaru also noted that the national teacher shortage could be suggested as a threat.
Dr. Tammaru also reminded the Board and members of the audience to share feedback on the SWOT analysis by March 1, while also highlighting the upcoming March 18 Vision Retreat. During the retreat, the Strategic Plan team made up of students, staff, parents and community members will develop "portraits" of students and adults in District 30 that outline qualities that should be embodied by our learners and those who support them.
Additionally, Dr. Tammaru and the Board agreed to cancel the April 11 Board Meeting that would include discussion of the Board Goals, due to overlap with the current Strategic Plan work.
Board of Education 2024-25 meeting dates approved
The Board of Education approved meeting dates for the 2024-25 academic year, with one date for meetings occurring monthly.
Approval of 2024-25 student fees
The Board approved student fees for the 2024-25 school year in the following categories: curriculum, transportation, field trips, lunch program and preschool. Changes to next year's fee structure includes these changes:
- A curriculum fee of $195 discounted by $25 per student for families registering no later than May 31, 2024
- An approximate 5 percent increase in transportation fees to cover First Student increase for the 2024-25 school year
- A modest increases in lunch program fees to address higher food costs and labor
- An approximate 5 percent tuition increase for preschool
Wescott School report
Wescott Principal Dr. Chris Brown and Assistant Principal Mrs. Katie Compagno presented the annual Wescott School report. Click below to review:
Wescott School traffic study
Mr. Justin Opitz, a transportation planner with engineering planning and design firm Kimley-Horn, made a presentation to the Board regarding a traffic review at Wescott School. Wescott has experienced increases in pick-up and drop-off traffic as a result of growth, which can cause congestion and queueing issues around the school.
Mr. Opitz said he observed that, in general, drop-off and pick-up traffic operated acceptably, with peak activity lasting approximately 10-15 minutes before the first bell and after dismissal. Mr. Opitz also said existing operations and staffing are adequately managing vehicle and pedestrian movements through the pick-up/drop-off loop drive and along adjacent streets.
Mr. Opitz provided recommendations for drop-off and pick-up to improve traffic flow, while also outlining the levels of costs associated with each. For more information, click here or below for the Kimley-Horn executive summary.
Next District 30 School Board Meeting
You are welcome to join us at our next Board Meeting, where Willowbrook Principals will discuss the annual school report.
Thursday, Mar 14, 2024, 07:00 PM
Willowbrook School, Happy Hollow Road, Glenview, IL, USA
Our Board of Education
The Board of Education consists of seven members elected from the general public to serve the entire Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 Community. The Board provides governance for the district by hiring and evaluating the superintendent and approving a budget, policies, and goals that align with the district's strategic plan. Board members are:
- President -Jeff Zuercher
- Vice President - Ammar Rizki
- Zivit Blonder
- Keith Karchmar
- Pamela Manicioto
- Patrick Wang
- Dr. Stephanie Yohannan
Northbrook/Glenview District 30
Northbrook/Glenview District 30 exists to create a community that craves learning, fosters resiliency, and cares deeply for every student. District 30 serves more than 1,200 students in pre-K through 8th grade across Willowbrook, Wescott and Maple Schools.
Email: communications@district30.org
Website: district30.org
Location: 2374 Shermer Road, Northbrook, IL, USA
Phone: 847-498-4190