Board Briefs

September 8, 2020

Board BriefsSeptember 8, 2020
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Deerfield Public Schools District 109

Email: esteckling@dps109.org
Website: www.dps109.org
Location: 517 Deerfield Road, Deerfield, IL, USA
Phone: (847) 945-1844
Twitter: @DPS109

Board Meeting Details


The September 8 board meeting was held both on site at the District Office and remotely via Zoom. Due to COVID-19 gathering restrictions, only 10 people were permitted inside the boardroom at any given time, observing proper physical distancing and wearing face coverings. Members of the public could listen/observe the meeting by logging in to a designated Zoom webinar. For open/community participation, a laptop was set up in the District Office to accommodate live public comment. The district also created a dedicated voicemail line for public comment.

Superintendent's Report


  • Mr. Rafferty thanked the administration & Task Force for their hard work on the recommendation.

Community Participation Relative to Matters on the Meeting Agenda


There was just over one hour of voicemails played and no live speakers during the community participation section. All addressed the school re-entry/reopening efforts.

Elementary School Re-Entry Recommendation

Members of the Administration and the Re-Entry Task Force gave presentations on the recommendation for the phase-in of elementary students to in-person instruction.


Board Member Kuo presented slides on the metrics used in the recommendation.


Ms. Arnold & Ms. Ford gave a presentation about the adjustment to the AM/PM hybrid schedules and explained how that would work.


The board consensus was that there were still many questions in the community about the process, and that the dates should be delayed to allow for more time for families to consider their options. The administration will also schedule a town hall event to answer questions.


The proposed re-entry dates are now:

Kindergarten -- 9/24

1st & 2nd Grades -- 9/29

3rd Grade -- 10/1

4th & 5th Grades -- 10/5

Action Items

The Recommendation to Approve Resolution for School Re-Entry Plan was approved with the modified dates mentioned above.


The contract for Professional Services with Dr. Daniel Johnson was approved.

Committee Reports

There were no committee reports.

Open Community Participation

One community member spoke about the school re-entry program.

Board/Superintendent Other

There were no matters discussed.

Upcoming School Board Meetings

Monday, September 21, 2020 -- Regular Board Meeting


Monday, October 26, 2020 -- Regular Board Meeting