ACROSS THE BOARD

Recommendations during Committee meetings go to the full Board for consideration, with final action taken during future Regular or Special meetings. This issue of Across the Board provides an update on the boundary process, and summaries from the following meetings:

• January 29 Business Services Committee
• January 29 Policy Committee

Meeting memos, presentations and other documents in BoardDocs

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The Board received presentations from RSP & Associates and District Administration that analyzed elementary boundary concept maps with respect to the approved guiding principles and minimum space standards. Coming into this meeting, the Board had yet to move forward an elementary concept map for a final vote. The Board had previously moved forward with Concept 2 for secondary schools (middle and high) for final vote at the February 12 meeting.

During the District Administration’s presentation, each elementary concept was analyzed in relation to the space utilization criteria established by the Board.

The presentation utilized RSP and District analysis. This considered minimum space standards using actual student enrollment data and class size guidelines to determine the number of sections per grade level, the amount of flex space related to the standards, designated space for specials, office space, and District programs.

Recommendation: District Administration analysis shows that elementary Concept 2 provides the best alignment with the Board’s #1 criteria for projected enrollment and building utilization based on the following:

• It balances enrollment and building utilization across all buildings

• No buildings have more space than is recommended

• One building does not have the space to meet the projected enrollment

• Which is likely to be alleviated by the 27-28 school year

• 7 schools have some flex space available to respond to variable enrollment

• In 6 of the 7 schools where space is limited, the class size is small and will likely be able to absorb growth

• In 2 of the 4 schools with no available flex space, enrollment decreases by more than 40 students in 27-28 school year, alleviating the space concerns.

The Board expressed interest in examining elementary Concept 2, with minor revisions, at the February 5 Special Business Services Committee meeting. Upon receiving revisions from RSP, the Board will explore moving forward the revised elementary concept for a final vote at the February 12 meeting.

Updated Boundary Timeline

The Board discussed the District’s Dual Language program, which is housed at Richmond as part of the proposed elementary concepts. Dual Language in D303 is an opt-in program which already exists at a single site at Davis/Richmond. The District believes it can provide a more effective dual language experience at a single site closest to where the majority of Dual Language program participants reside. Approximately 40% of the students who participate in the Dual Language program are housed within the Richmond boundaries.

District 303 is legally obligated to provide bilingual services if there are 20 or more students who speak the same language at a school. This means that we must provide full-time Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) services - teaching the core content - in the student's native language. Without a single site Dual Language program, the District is required to provide full-time TBE services at each qualifying school, therefore increasing space needs at each of those buildings.

When students who are bilingual enroll in school they are given an assessment. If the bilingual student qualifies for dual language the District recommends that the family opt into the program. Should a family choose to opt out of the Dual Language program, the student will receive part-time services that are offered at multiple locations.

The next Business Services meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 5 at 5:30 PM.

• Revised elementary concept map discussion
• Intra-District Transfer Procedure discussion

Meeting memos, presentations and other documents in BoardDocs

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The committee reviewed policy manual revisions from the Policy Reference Education

Subscription Service (PRESS). The Board requested the following policies to be pulled for further discussion at a later meeting.

The following policies will be added to the consent agenda at the February 12 Board Meeting:

Policy 2:20 – Powers and Duties of the School Board; Indemnification

This policy raises the bidding threshold to $35,000.

Policy 2:120 – Qualifications, Term and Duties of Board Officers

This policy has been revised to remove the reference to the Fall of 2023.

Policy 2:200 – Types of School Board Meetings

This policy reflects a change permitting Boards to meet in closed session for hearings regarding denial of admission to school events.

Policy 2:220 – School Board Meeting Procedure

This policy is updated to allow a public body to permit a member to attend remotely due to unexpected childcare obligations.

Policy 4:10 – Fiscal and Business Management

This policy now requires a Board to annually present at a Board meeting a written report that includes the annual average expenditures of the district’s operational funds for the previous three fiscal years.

Policy 4:30 – Revenue and Investments

This policy reflects adding authorized investment obligations of certain U.S. corporations and amending requirements for investment in short-term obligations of U.S. corporations.

Policy 4:60 – Purchases and Contracts

This policy includes a change to raising the bidding threshold to $35,000. In addition, this policy also permits boards to utilize a design-build delivery system for construction projects and also requires boards to present the terms of and approve new contracts for district-administered assessments at a regular board meeting.

Policy 4:130 – Free and Reduced-Price Food Service

This policy now includes establishing the Healthy School Meals for All Program.

Policy 4:160 – Environmental Quality of Buildings and Grounds

This policy reflects prohibiting schools serving students in grades K-8 from scheduling pesticide application on school grounds during a school day when students are in attendance for instruction.

Policy 5:30 – Hiring Process and Criteria

This policy reflects a change to the legal references

Policy 5:190 – Teacher Qualifications

This policy reflects a change to the legal references.

Policy 5:200 – Terms and Conditions of Employment and Dismissal

This policy reflects a change to the legal references.

Policy 5:210 – Resignations

This policy now addresses the resignation of teachers during a school term and amending the procedures a district must follow when referring a teacher to the State Superintendent of Education due to the teacher’s resignation during the school term to accept another teaching assignment.

Policy 5:220 – Substitute Teachers

This policy has been updated permitting TRS annuitants to substitute teach for 120 paid days or 600 paid hours in each school year through 6-30-26. The Board is permitted to employ a substitute teacher in a vacant position for 90 calendar days or until the end of the semester, whichever is greater, due to a lack of qualified candidates, provided certain procedures are followed.

Policy 5:250 – Leaves of Absence

This policy now includes an unpaid leave benefit to employees who experience the loss of a child by suicide or homicide. In addition, The Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) now permits employees to use VESSA leave to grieve or attend to matters necessitated by the death of a family or household member who is killed in a crime of violence. This policy also entitles teachers to 10 days of paid leave per school term for federal advocacy work, if they are elected to represent a statewide teacher association in such work.

• Required Question: How many full-time employees does the district employ?

• More than 250

• Between 50-249

• Fewer than 50

Policy 5:330 – Sick Days, Vacation, Holidays, and Leaves

This policy includes the 2024 Election Day as a school holiday and also refers to the new child extended bereavement leave.

Policy 6:15 – School Accountability

This policy has minor language clean-up

Policy 6:30 – Organization of Instruction

This policy reflects a change to the legal references.

Policy 6:50 – School Wellness

This policy reflects a change to the legal references.

Policy 6:60 – Curriculum Content

This policy now requires instruction on the Native American experience and Native American history starting in the 2024-2025 school year. In addition, this policy requires health education in grades 9-12 to includes instruction of the dangers of fentanyl, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year.

Policy 6:185 – Remote Education Plan

This policy should be removed from our policy manual since the district does not have a remote education plan. This policy was only used for the 2021-2022 school year.

Policy 7:50 – School Admissions and Student Transfers top and from Non-District Schools

This policy establishes specific procedures for administratively transferring a disruptive student to an ISBE regional safe school.

Policy 7:60 – Residence

This policy indicates that if special education services are provided, a student’s resident district is determined by applying the provisions of where the parent/guardian resides as well as where the student resides.

• Required Question: Does the Board wish to accept requests from district employees for their nonresident children to attend school in the district on a tuition-free basis?

• No. (default)

• Yes. (IASB will add the following paragraph: “For a nonresident student who is the child of a District employee, if the Superintendent approves the request for nonresident admission for the student, the tuition cost is waived.”)

Policy 7:70 – Attendance and Truancy

This policy reflects a change to the legal references.

Policy 7:250 – Student Support Services

This policy includes minor language clean-up.

Policy 7:285 – Anaphylaxis Prevention, Response, and Management Program

This policy has minor language clean-up.

Policy 7:290 – Suicide and Depression Awareness and Prevention

This policy includes minor language clean-up.

Policy 8:30 – Visitors to and Conduct on School Property

This policy includes minor language clean-up.

Recommendation: Administration recommends bringing these policies to the February 12 Board meeting for approval.

The next Policy meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 21 at 4:30 p.m.