march 17
regular board meeting
The bOARDBuzz is put together following District 25 School Board Meetings and serves as a recap of what occurred.
For the full agenda of the meeting, please click below:
REGULAR MEETING RECORDING
1. CONVENE INTO CLOSED SESSION | 6:15 PM
2. PUBLIC HEARING ON THE REDUCTION IN FORCE | 6:50 PM
The District 25 Assistant Superintendent of Personnel & Planning, Dr. Brian Kaye, began this portion of the meeting with a description of the Reduction in Force hearing.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
No one from the public spoke on the Reduction in Force hearing.
3. OPENING OF THE PUBLIC MEETING | 7:00 PM
4. RECOGNITIONS AND PRESENTATIONS
There were no recognitions or presentations at this meeting.
5. PUBLIC COMMENT
Community members addressed the Board during this public comment portion of the meeting. According to Board Policy, public comment is heard for 30 minutes at Board of Education meetings. At this meeting, the public comments begin at the 2:18 mark of the meeting and can be viewed by clicking here.
Public comments were also submitted via an online Google form prior to the meeting.
Any public comments submitted prior to the start of the meeting at 7:00 pm on Thursday, March 17, 2022, are available in full and can be read by visiting www.sd25.org/0317Comments.
6. CONSENT AGENDA
MOTION: APPROVED
That the Board of Education approve those items on the Consent Agenda as follows: (A) Personnel Report and Addendum to Personnel Report; (B) Treasurer's Report (C) Invoices; (D) Regular and Closed Session Meeting minutes of February 24, 2022; (E) Special Committee of the Whole Kindergarten Meeting and Closed Session Meeting minutes of March 8, 2022
The consent agenda documents can be seen by clicking here to visit BoardDocs.
This portion of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.7. COMMUNICATIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS
- NSSEO
- Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB)
- ED-RED Education Research Development
- A Board Governance Framework
- Other Board Communication
This portion of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
8. COMMUNICATIONS TO BOARD MEMBERS
- AHC PTA
- ABC25 Foundation
- ATA (Arlington Teachers Association)
This portion of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
9. STUDENT LEARNING
There were no items presented by the Department of Student Learning.
10. STUDENT SERVICES
There were no items presented by the Department of Student Services.
11. BUSINESS AND FINANCE
action item
MOTION: APPROVED
Municipal Advisor Agreement
That the Board of Education approve the Municipal Advisor Agreement with Raymond James & Associates, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $187,500.
Elizabeth Hennessey from Raymond James has been the District's financial advisor on bonds sales for a number of years, including the most recent issues in 2015-2018.
Given the size of the anticipated referendum issue (see later in this Buzz), the strength of the District’s AAA credit rating, and the possibility of a lot of interest, Raymond James prefers to do a competitive sale for the anticipated bonds. Under the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) Rule G-42, this requires documentation of the municipal advisory relationship which is established through the agreement (can be viewed in BoardDocs). The fee was updated based on additional conversations with Raymond James.
This portion of the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch the Board vote on this item, click here.
information items
ANNUAL REPORT ON TAX EXEMPT BONDS
It was reported by the Assistant Superintendent of Business/CSBO, Stacey Mallek, that the District is in compliance.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
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2022-2023 STUDENT FEES
As they do each year, the Administration brought recommendations to the Board of Education regarding student fees. Assistant Superintendent of Business/CSBO, Stacey Mallek reported the following recommendations:
- Technology Fee: None at this time. Parents still have the option to purchase insurance on their child's device.
- Transportation: Increase the amount that the contract increases with the Cook County Bus Company (anticipated 12% increase or $52). This fee only applies to families who do not qualify for free transportation, but wish to pay for transportation and there is a route with availability already going through their residential area.
- Food Services: Increase by $0.25 in elementary (to $3.25) in order to comply with the National School Lunch Program policy of needing the paid lunch fee to meet the minimum weighted average as set forth by the USDA for the 2022-23 school year as well as support the increased cost of food and supplies, which are currently 15 -30% higher than previous years. The Administration also recommended to rid the Middle School of the tiered pricing system, allowing for a wider range of menu offerings at our onsite kitchens with all meals costing the same to the student. Middle School lunches would be priced at $3.75. The school breakfast program would see a $0.15 increase to $1.75 per meal.
- Annual Student Fees: No increase recommended.
- Additional Fees: Mrs. Mallek reported that the District knows from vendors to expect a price increase, but we haven't been given amounts yet. The actual fees charged to parents is recommended to be the actual cost rounded. Student fees are waived for students qualifying for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program.
- Children's Circle Tuition: No increase is recommended for this fee for the District's Early Childhood Children's Circle program.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
12. FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
action item
MOTION: APPROVED
Summer Construction Bid Awards
Motion 1: That the Board of Education award Bid Package #1, Base Bid while rejecting Alternates 1, 2, & 3 for General Trades to Monarch Construction in the amount of $959,200 for 2022 Capital Improvements and immediately assign the Contract with the Contractor to Nicholas & Associates, Inc., as Construction Manager.
Motion 2: That the Board of Education award Bid Package #2, Base Bid while rejecting Alternates 1, 2, & 3 for HVAC to DeKalb Mechanical in the amount of $890,000 for 2022 Capital Improvements and immediately assign the Contract with the Contractor to Nicholas & Associates, Inc., as Construction Manager.
Motion 3: That the Board of Education award Bid Package #3, Base Bid while rejecting Alternates 1, 2, & 3 for Electrical to Shoreline Electric in the amount of $120,000 for 2022 Capital Improvements and immediately assign the Contract with the Contractor to Nicholas & Associates, Inc., as Construction Manager.
Director of Facilities Management, Ryan Schulz, presented the bid packages to the Board of Education that would address items that were identified in the 2022 Capital Projects that were presented to the Board of Education in the fall of 2021. The scope of work within these packages includes:
Base Bid
- Greenbrier Boilers
- Ivy Hill Air Handling Unit
- Patton and Windsor Exterior EIFS Replacement Sections
- Multiple Roofing Sections
- South Window Caulking Repairs
- Olive Select Masonry Caulking Repairs
- Select parking lot lighting repairs
Alternates
At this time, Mr. Schulz proposed to reject all alternate bids due to budget availability and defer that scope until a future date. The work being deferred is not currently critical in nature.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
13. PERSONNEL AND PLANNING
action items
Assistant Superintendent of Personnel & Planning, Dr. Brian Kaye, presented the motions listed below to the Board of Education. Each were voted on separately by the Board of Education. Dr. Kaye added this statement:
"Each winter, the School District analyzes its staffing plans based on student enrollment projections, program needs, mandated state programming, the student identified needs, and the goals of the District. We do our best to forecast the needs of the staff members and make decisions to ensure that our school district is fiscally responsible. Since we are still putting together our staffing plans and evaluating our staffing needs, we are asking the Board of Education take action on [the resolutions recommended]."
MOTION: APPROVED
Motion 1: That the Board of Education adopt Resolution A authorizing the Honorable Dismissal of Part-Time Clerical Assistants (Contract Tracers).
MOTION: APPROVED
Motion 2: That the Board of Education adopt Resolution B authorizing the Honorable Dismissal of Probationary Teachers.
MOTION: APPROVED
Motion 3: That the Board of Education adopt Resolution C, Authorizing Dismissal and Reassignment of Probationary Teacher.
MOTION: APPROVED
Motion 4: That the Board of Education adopt Resolution D authorizing the Dismissal of First, Second, and Third-Year Probationary Teachers for reasons other than Reduction-In-Force and not re-employ the teachers for the 2022-2023 school year.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
14. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT
information items
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REPORT
Superintendent, Dr. Lori Bein, updated the Board on some Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from the public. Those include:
- Natalie White requested information on SSCIP communication and information; a response was provided on March 1, 2022.
- Ewa Wojcik requested information on vaccine clinic costs; a response was provided on March 2, 2022.
- Ted Novak requested information on various bonds; a response was provided on March 3, 2022.
- Nathan Ulery requested information on correspondence and information with CCDPH; a response was provided on March 7, 2022.
- Nathan Ulery requested information on communications regarding Covid mitigations; a response was provided on March 7, 2022.
- Jonathan Fagg, ABC7 Chicago, requested information on challenges to library books; a response was provided on March 7, 2022.
- Katie Rausch requested information on data from a survey used as a data point to assess Ivy Hill; a response was provided on March 7, 2022.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
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STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
District 25 presented an update on the Strategic Plan that was adopted by the Board of Education in April 2021. The District has utilized a PLAN, DO, STUDY, ACT process since the beginning of the plan's work. It is now time for the DO phase. This presentation updated the Board on the plan's progress and provided the Board with a list of SMART goals to support the five Strategic Plan Goals and related strategies.
The following District 25 Administrators presented to the Board:
- Dr. Lori Bein, Superintendent
- Dr. Becky FitzPatrick, Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning
- Dr. Brian Kaye, Assistant Superintendent of Personnel & Planning
- Dr. Peg Lasiewicki, Assistant Superintendent of Student Service
- Mrs. Stacey Mallek, Assistant Superintendent of Business/CSBO
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
For a PDF of this presentation, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
To watch the Board discuss this item, click here.
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BOARD MEETING STRUCTURE
A year ago, the Board discussed a variety of elements related to the structure of the Board meetings. Superintendent, Dr. Lori Bein, brought this topic back as it was time to revisit the following:
- 2022-2023 Meeting Dates: The Board discussed switching the day of the week next year's meetings will be held from Thursday to Tuesday with a start time of 7:00 pm.
- Board Meeting Times: On a trial basis for the rest of the Board meetings for the 2021-2022 school year, the Board decided to set a hard stop of 11:00 pm for meetings.
- Electronic Public Comments: No determination was made for this item as the Superintendent was directed to follow up on the District's legal obligation in regards to electronic public comments being read aloud at the meeting.
- Board Policy Committee: The Board decided to implement a Board Policy Committee dedicated to reviewing and, if necessary, adjusting suggested policy based on their understanding of the needs of the District and the Arlington Heights community.
- Retiree Reception: The location of the Board meeting on Monday, May 23, 2022 has been moved to South Middle School to accommodate for the anticipated attendance to honor and celebrate District 25's retirees.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
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ACADEMY PROGRAM REVIEW
In the past, Board members expressed an interest in parent feedback about the Academy Program District 25 implemented this year as an offering for those students who were not able to attend school in-person due to COVID-19. The District surveyed the parents of each student that was invited to the Academy Program from August 2021 through March 7, 2022. Superintendent, Dr. Lori Bein walked through the results of that survey with the Board at this meeting.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
action item
MOTION: APPROVED
Full Day Kindergarten
That the Board of Education direct the Superintendent to implement Full Day Kindergarten in District 25 by August 2024 by taking the following actions:
- Pursue voter approval to issue the needed School Building Bonds to cover related construction costs and 5-year Capital Projects costs; and,
- Build additional classroom space at Dryden, Greenbrier, Olive-Mary Stitt, Patton, Westgate, and Windsor Elementary Schools so that Full-day Kindergarten can be provided at each student's home school; and,
- Collaborate with staff and families to recommend to the Board of Education the program design, instructional resources, personnel, and transportation details.
The Board of Education entered a lengthy discussion, mainly focused on the cost and finances related to the next agenda item. Superintendent, Dr. Lori Bein, Assistant Superintendent of Business/CSBO, Stacey Mallek, and Director of Facilities Management, Ryan Schulz were available to answer the Board's questions.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
To watch the Board discuss this item, click here.
To watch the Board vote on this item, click here.
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MOTION: APPROVED
That the Board of Education approve the Resolution providing for and requiring the submission of the proposition of issuing $75,000,000 School Building Bonds to the voters of the District at the general primary election to be held on the 28th day of June, 2022.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
To watch the Board discuss this item, click here.
To watch the Board vote on this item, click here.
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MOTION: APPROVED
Second Reading of Policies - PRESS 108
That the Board of Education approve the policies and exhibits as presented by the Illinois Association of School Boards.
To view this in BoardDocs, including any documents associated with this item, click here.
To watch this portion of the meeting and the Board discuss this item, click here.
To watch the Board vote on this item, click here.
15. PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION
The District 25 Board of Education offers a second opportunity for public comment at each Board Meeting that takes place once all the agenda items have been presented, discussed, or voted on.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
16. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
TOPICS WITH DATES TO BE DETERMINED
- Equity Audit date has been set to May 5.
- Long-term financing of capital projects.
To watch this portion of the meeting, click here.
NEW TOPICS
- None
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UPCOMING BOARD EVENTS
Regular Meeting of the Board
TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2022 @ 7:00 PM
This meeting will be held at the Dunton Administration Building and broadcasted live and recorded. The link for the livestream can be found on the Board Agenda page (www.sd25.org/BoardAgenda) the week of the meeting.
This meeting will allow audience members in the room.
Visit www.sd25.org/BoardAgenda closer to the day of the meeting for any potential changes in how this meeting will be held, due to COVID-19 regulations.
Public Comments
Anyone who has a public comment and is not going to attend the meeting in-person is welcome to submit their comment by filling out the public comments Google Form.
Meeting Recordings
A video of the meeting will be recorded and uploaded to our site the following day on the 'Board Agenda' page and on our 'Catch up on Meetings' page.