September 2023 Board Meeting Recap
Fremont School District 79
FY24 Budget Public Hearing
The evening began with a Public Hearing regarding the FY24 Final Budget. The District budgeted $37,628,747 in revenues and the expenditures are budgeted at $37,284,395. It is estimated the District will have a surplus of $344,352 for FY24.
Regular Board Meeting
Gabriela Whipple, Board President, remarked that the Board entered the regular meeting on the heels of finishing a workshop focused on an in-depth analysis of the District's student growth and achievement performance. This workshop was part of a broader School Board development plan this year, consisting of the goals of targeting strategic areas for the Board to grow in “best practice” as well as continue to broaden a governance network. The Board's next workshop will be with its Illinois Association of School Boards Field Director on October 2 with a focus on community engagement.
Dr. Trisha Kocanda, Superintendent of Schools, celebrated the over 100 band students who marched in the Mundelein High School Homecoming parade. Middle school teacher Don Doll was commended for presenting to the Libertyville Rotary, showcasing the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program. The District's Professional Learning Communities are in gear with Solution Tree coaching to help lead two days of programming to support the team leaders. A partnership with Wauconda Park District started this week with a pair of enrichment opportunities offered in concert with the early release schedule.
Board of Education Recognition
This month's recognition was for Board member Michael Jandes, who recently completed 10 years of service on the Board. He has been a dedicated volunteer of his time and a strong advocate for our District. His continued service to the District and to public education is to be commended.
Student Growth and Achievement Update
An annual update on our student growth and achievement scores was presented. During the 2022-2023 academic year, FSD79 produced positive marks, which also represented some encouraging trends as we continue to rebound from the impact of the pandemic. Our Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) scores from this past year saw significant jumps in English Language Arts (ELA) and math scores. In ELA, an additional 8% of students met or exceeded state standards and we regained pace with our pre-pandemic benchmark at 53% (in 2019 it was 54%). In math, we had an additional 5% of students meet or exceed standards for a second consecutive year and we are approaching this pre-pandemic benchmark as well (42% in 2023 compared to 46% in 2019). In analyzing our NWEA MAP scores, we saw similar positive trends. For reading, 5 of our 9 grade levels increased their national achievement percentiles from the year prior, while math saw 6 of our 9 grades increasing their national achievement percentile. This remarkable growth is a testament to our amazing educators, students, families, and school community.
Informational Items
FY23 Administrator and Teacher Salary and Benefits Report
Allison Stempien, Executive Director of Human Resources, stated that the State requires posting of an annual salaries and benefits report for all licensed personnel. The FY23 report was shared and will be posted on District's website.
An outcome of the strategic planning’s community feedback cycles is an enhancement
to our parent/community education and outreach. An investment in parent outreach strengthens trust and better equips both the school and families to support learning. This year, the District is launching an exciting, new outreach program – Fremont Parent University. Parent University offerings align with the strategic goal areas and are designed in partnership with the Fremont PTO.
Educational Master Facility Planning (EMFP) & Demographic Study
Following interviews with three prospective architects, processing all the information, and conducting reference checks, it was determined that DLR is the best fit as a partner in the District's Educational Master Facility Plan. The proposal includes an extensive collaborative approach that addresses the District's need for a 10-year educational master facility plan as we prepare for the future. Additionally, District officials, D120 officials, the Village of Mundelein and the Ivanhoe Farms development team are meeting for the first time on Tuesday, September 26. It is intended that this meeting will offer an opportunity to better understand the pace and scope of the housing development.
CLEAR ID Residency Verification
In August, the District implemented a residency verification system, CLEAR ID. This system efficiently verifies residency by looking at multiple data points including property data, utility records, and relatives. In the future, this system will allow us to confirm a student’s residency status prior to them being enrolled in FSD79 as the Board requested.
The Consent Agenda and Following Action Items Were Approved:
Adopt the FY24 Final Budget
DLR Educational Master Facility Plan Proposal
BloomBoard Contract
Nursing Services Agreement
Disposal of School District Personal Property
To view the Board Packet materials from the September 18, 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