October 2024 Board Meeting Recap
Fremont School District 79
Regular Board Meeting
Gabriela Whipple, Board President, remarked on last week's Educational Long-Range Facility Plan community forum, which was held at Fremont Intermediate School and was an opportunity for the District to garner feedback on the proposed plan as the District plans for transformational enrollment growth over the next two decades. Additionally, the District and its financial advisors, PMA, will be partnering with District 120 on October 28 to provide a presentation on school finances to the Board of Trustees of the Village of Mundelein.
Dr. Trisha Kocanda, Superintendent of Schools, commented that the District hosted a well-attended Multilingual Family Night event. Congratulations were given to three fall sports teams at the middle school that earned conference titles: girls soccer, seventh-grade "B" girls basketball, and eighth-grade "B" girls basketball. Tuesday is School Bus Driver Appreciation Day, while this week is Principal Appreciation Week. Both groups were thanked for their continual efforts in creating a warm and inclusive environment for all students. The District's second Parent University session of the year is being held this Thursday, a virtual presentation on the topic of teen technology use and misuse, and cyberbullying.
Board of Education Recognition
This month's meeting featured a pair of recognitions. The inaugural members of the Fremont Elementary School PAW Patrol were honored for their leadership in recognizing their classmates who are displaying positive behavior. Also recognized was Fremont Middle School eighth-grader Nicky M., who qualified for this year's IESA state cross country meet, along with his coaches, Amanda Monico and Jessica Glas.
Presentations
The Board received an update on FSD79's coaching program, which includes three Instructional Coaches and one Behavioral Coach serving all grade levels Pre-K through 8th grade. The coaching team offers three main service options: coaching cycles, design support/workshops, and thinking partner collaboration, with 74 total staff requests already received this fall. The program aligns with the District's strategic goal of "Growth and Achievement for All" through job-embedded professional learning, with 2024-2025 targets of completing 50 coaching cycles and 40 design support workshops while maintaining 80% positive feedback from staff.
The Board reviewed the 2024 tentative tax levy presentation, which explained that while the levy is the dollar amount requested by the District, the actual extension received is calculated based on the prior year's extension plus CPI (capped at 5%) and new property value. Based on the December 2023 CPI of 3.4% and preliminary estimates of $16.85M in new construction, the District presented a total tentative levy request of $34,138,535, with the largest allocations going to the Educational Fund ($26.8M) and Operations & Maintenance Fund ($3.1M). The actual extension will be determined once final calculations are made in spring 2025, using updated equalized assessed valuation (EAV) figures, which are currently estimated at $1.18B excluding new construction.
Informational Items
Bus Routing Implementation Update
The recent implementation of changes to bus routing has resulted in improved efficiency, safer routes, and fewer last-minute modifications, allowing for smoother overall operations. The Director of Transportation coordinated with local authorities and homeowners associations to ensure support and made adjustments based on parent feedback to enhance safety, with ongoing monitoring and adjustments planned for optimal service.
Dr. Brian Bullis, Assistant Superintendent of Learning, provided an update on the District's student growth and achievement. Fall 2024 NWEA MAP scores demonstrated that all of our eight grades met or exceeded their growth projections in math, while seven of our eight grades met or exceeded their growth projections in reading.
Educational Long-Range Facility Plan (ELFP) Update
The District's Steering Committee met on September 30 to review estimated costs, gain consensus on a recommended plan, and prepare presentations to the community and the Board of Education. A community forum was hosted on October 17 at Fremont Intermediate School to gather feedback, while a similar virtual presentation is being held for staff to provide their feedback on October 22. The biggest surprise to individuals who participated in the presentations was the expected growth of 1,000 students. The plan will be presented to the Board at its November 18 meeting with expected approval in December.
The Consent Agenda and Following Action Items Were Approved:
- Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Financial Audit
- Fund Balance Plan
- Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for Special Education Placement with D75
- Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) for Data Sharing with Stevenson High School District 125
- Resolution 25-04 Authorizing Disposal of School District Personal Property
- Agreement with Chicagoland Paving Contractors, Inc.
- Agreement with Evolve Security
- Agreement with Trane
- Second Reading of Proposed Board Policies
To view the Board Packet materials from the October 21, 2024 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