February 2023 Board Meeting Recap
Fremont School District 79
Regular Board Meeting
Gabriela Whipple, Board President, remarked on a number of ways in which Board members have collaborated on District planning, including parent strategic planning sessions, collective bargaining negotiations, and Mundelein High School sender districts' cohort to plan student and teacher shared initiatives.
Dr. Trisha Kocanda, Superintendent of Schools, remarked on the following items:
- Fremont Elementary School recently hosted its annual Kindergarten Registration Night. This was a great opportunity for families to learn more about the newly implemented tuition-free, full-day experience.
- The District has been working on establishing a weekly early release model. There have been meetings with staff members, while parents and staff also have had the opportunity to submit online feedback. The District is exploring a variety of options in regards to the impact of the change to the schedule.
- A presentation will be made to the Board next month regarding staffing for the 2023-24 school year.
- The District will be collaborating with District 120 on a student enrollment and cost impact study as a result of the forthcoming Ivanhoe Village development.
The Board of Education recognized Fremont Middle School science teacher Megan Temple who recently was named a 2023 Those Who Excel Award of Meritorious Service recipient by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Presentations
Annual Goal Update - Increase Growth and Achievement through Inclusive Practices
Dr. Jane Pedersen, Director of Student Services, provided an update on District plans to increase inclusive services for students within the least restrictive environment over the next few years. These plans include providing professional development for administrators and teachers to build capacity and ongoing work to ensure staffing levels that meet student needs. The District is reducing the number of students placed outside our schools. Additionally, the District is partnering with other local school districts in order to collectively utilize resources to offer "closer-to-home" services and programming.
Informational Items
Dr. Brian Bullis, Assistant Superintendent of Learning, provided an update on the District's student growth and achievement following the winter NWEA MAP test. According to NWEA, four of our eight grades met or exceeded their growth projections from last winter to this winter in mathematics. The remaining grades were close to meeting their projections. In reading, five of our eight grades met or exceeded their growth projections from last winter to this winter. The remaining grades demonstrated growth close to their expected growth.
Next academic year, in response to the identified value and need for additional professional learning for staff, the District is proposing a staff professional learning model that incorporates a weekly early release schedule. These early release days would replace the six School Improvement Planning (SIP) half-days scheduled periodically throughout the year. Once a week, students would be dismissed 30 minutes early and staff will stay an extra 30 minutes past their normally scheduled time in order to engage in professional learning. The District is gathering feedback from staff and parents, while actively exploring all impacts of the change to the schedule. A decision will be made at the March 20, 2023 Board meeting.
In January, the District launched a community-wide strategic planning survey that was completed by over 1,000 parents, staff, and community members. Respondents were asked to rate satisfaction and the overall quality of the District in key areas, while also identifying areas that the District should prioritize over the next four years. Staff had a 92% satisfaction rate with the District, while parents' overall level of satisfaction was 81%. The top priority for all constituent groups was the recruitment and retention of high-quality teachers, staff, and administrators. Other top priorities included supporting students' social and emotional well-being, classroom instruction and curriculum, a wide variety of STEM opportunities, and academic support services for all learners.
The Consent Agenda and Following Action Items Were Approved:
Destruction of Closed Session Audio Recordings
Bid Award for Fremont Middle School Tuckpointing Project
Disposal of School District Personal Property
Student and Staff Technology Device Purchase
Prepare, Make Available for Public Inspection, and Publish Notice of Hearing on the Budget
Skyward Financial Software
Intergovernmental Agreement for the Sharing of District Employee
Consulting Services for a Fiscal Impact Analysis of the Ivanhoe Development
To view the Board Packet materials from the February 27, 2023 Meeting, click here.
Fremont School District 79
Address: 28855 North Fremont Center Road, Mundelein, IL
Phone: (847) 566-0169
Website: fsd79.org
Twitter: @FSD79
Instagram: @FSD79
YouTube: youtube.com/FSD79