>> Yes. Okay. So, just for everyone else, and I'm not sure, have you heard those conversations yet out of the state house or >> I have not heard those yet. Um, I have heard talk of potentially the lit being pushed back another year. Um, >> that was also discussed. >> So, that's right now it's supposed to go away in 28 and I have heard that that may be pushed back to 29 potentially. Um but I can see that potentially of what you're saying um happened if you look across the state and all the different rates um for school districts and that's one thing where we were very certain and I know um Mrs. Smith was very um adamant on keeping that debt service rate at that 3999 and that is crucial for us because then it keeps us under that cap at point4. >> Yeah.
We would need some kind of restroom access that would exist out there. Um we would also have to make [snorts] some fencing adjustments uh into that side area and making sure that there's also proper you know fire you know fire restrictions areas, fire escape areas, access to those areas which uh which require some gate additions and some other things to that west parking lot uh where the primarily staff parks right now. So that was the intent was to look at what the most feasible way to do that. This is a map that shows you an aerial look at where these uh where the positioning would go. So, as you can see, the three portables that are positioned, you see the two existing portables. And if I was skilled here, and I don't know if I want to try it. Um, but if you I think you could all see on there um that you do see that the uh skilled I was going to try to throw a laser up there.
uh he understands that um there's been a longterm interest of 58.99 aligning their calendars over time and that's part of the reason for their referendum construction. So I can't speak on their behalf but I know that their vision long term would be to be aligned. Um >> so they are not aligned. I missed. So district 58 is not aligned. >> Never has. Never has been >> with the Thanksgiving. They >> Well, Thanksgiving has Yeah. >> So is in this plan do students in 58 are they off all of Thanksgiving? >> I can't speak for 58. >> Okay. But the other feeder ele >> The other ones are >> are all aligned be aligned with our other partner elementary districts. >> Their construction's still going on. So that could also have I mean >> oh yeah >> they their their year has been shifted for the past >> two years with beginning and ending.
>> Okay. >> We're doing more overnights and more out of state trips and so that can fluctuate. At the committee meeting, we talked about possibly um having because the bid came in with petroleum traders coming in slightly less by one cent per gallon for the diesel one. Um, from your perspective, you don't see a reason to try to negotiate to just get the diesel one from them versus having um Arnison give us all three. >> Well, typically you you could um and you can award both and and negotiate get quotes from them um every time you go for a fuel um delivery. Mhm. >> So, [clears throat] we can do it that way. U But again, I think with a penny, I don't know how much savings. I think we figured it out like in the hundreds, right? >> Yeah. I think it worked out to like a $100 each.
The board of education is recommending the approval of Dr. Dr. Sarah Cachaturi for the position of superintendent of Kerry Community Consolidated School District 26. If approved, C Dr. Catchi will enter into a 12 month three-year contract at a salary of 200,000 that will begin July 1st, 2026 and end June 30th, 2029. May I have a motion to approve Dr. Sarah Catchuri as the next superintendent of Kerry Community Consolidated School District 26 commencing July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2029 for a three-year contract as presented. >> So moved. >> Second.
So it's 12 days different but by the time you take out that state testing we call it five days maybe. What am I looking at? I'm looking back there. more grimacing. >> So, how many days do you think? >> March. >> Okay. So, so on the 2728 No, I know we've gone back and forth on this, but looks like first semester 79 and second semester 101. >> It's on the alternate. >> That's on the alternate. We're not going with that one. >> 84 and 96. So, it's 12 days. Do we need 12 days? pretty close to Mr. I want to make the point as well that first semester is so important to us because we are assessing the kids and as was brought up earlier in the board meeting you know we want to intervene for kids that need additional help that's how we identify checks and all the other things that place so we want we also have mapped out our curriculums and we don't want to have to rush that on our teachers jam in standards so the year is plotted out and every time the calendar moves because it's a perfect calendar all over the place then we're trying to adjust that but know that we we really look at this first and foremost academic then start but it is really important to get in teaching instruction in those days don't >> Oh no I was saying just the opposite >> yeah I know we're trying to get more I know >> get more into the first semester >> yes I wasn't Quite the opposite of what we said.
The other is to look at the district's leadership and say what are they getting at central office and how do you lead and manage this and my key thing is how does is to talk to the people at the building level how's this impact the principal and and her his team every day and the officers and how would it really work if we recommend something I'm not going to recommend anything that I don't think would work would cause unintended consequences would cause un would cause problems create more problems. So, we really have deep conversations with the principles about how would it work? And the open-ended question is not just what Ken and Chuck think about weapons detection or whatever the issue is. Question is we start out with is we ask the building ministers, what do you think? What would it look like to you?
So the conversation basically was is and this was I it's going to be a big topic. Basically they were prepping us for the conversation happening next year during the budget cycle is they want to move from a levy based system because of the levy growths and all that have happened because of COVID and the the the growths in in AV and all that stuff to a rate based where you stay within your rate and they're going to give everybody a total dollar amount and then we were going to get up to a dollar. Um I'm not sure how that's going to work. I haven't seen the numbers, but that was definitely a conversation from the legislative legislators that be prepared for that conversation. So, I'm just basically informing the rest of the board when you start hearing that, understand that unless they drop it below a dollar right now, we're good.
I don't think that's a good idea, though. But I will tell you that those two existing portables, as you can see them there, you add the three additional ones, uh that's going to uh make the least amount of disruption. You'll also see where we where we could see the additional restroom going. Those other orange boxes were just other thoughts of sites where the portables, you know, like the one on the inside of the uh near the restroom, proposed restroom. The ones in the parking lot were even just us thinking about where we were going to initially store them, you know, to bring them over, but we're not going to need to do that. We can actually position them right behind the two existing portables and put temporary fencing around them on that sidewalk area. So, we do have a plan even to bring in those portables uh as we get ready to to launch that and and make that happen.
>> Got it. >> Once they're all done I know that there's a plan to look at their calendar in comparison to all of the other like us and the other 99 partners. I I can't speak to what they'll do but I know it is a priority of theirs. Can I I hate to ask you to go back but we kind of were going through the family stuff and I wanted to just maybe touch real quick back on >> with the teachers >> I had written down what kind of plan time do you have or do we have set aside for the teachers because this is a a shift and new learning and will there be time at the beginning of the school year because I know we had talked about that week is going to look different for when they're going to have different PD going on >> getting ready for the school year.
>> Yeah. So, it was uh you know, the administration costs of managing two contracts and those types of things probably wouldn't even >> Right. Um, I have a random question. >> Sorry, I should have asked this before. What kind of mileage do buses get? What kind of gas mileage? If you if you don't know, it's totally fine. I mean, they sit there and idle a lot. I >> Oh, yeah. >> Miles to the gallon. >> Six, seven miles. Okay. I knew it had to be >> just like my 74 Nova. Um, okay. >> Any other questions? I knew it was going to be super low. I talked to armored car people and they're like, "Yeah, we I'm like, "Oh, you get 10 miles." Nope. >> Nope. [laughter] >> So, all right. >> Well, thank you. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Next item is uh 10.4 floor for information on club ADA sidewalk installation.
>> Is there any discussion? Hearing none. If we could take a vote, please. >> Jason Jansik, >> yes. >> Darling, yes. >> Mindy Hartman, >> yes. >> Bridget Sandlin, >> yes. Stacy Salt, Katherine Potter. >> Yes. >> That motion is approved. I invited Dr. Gashtori to come up and say a say a word if she'd like. >> Well, D, that's really hard to follow. You pretty much covered my entire history. I just wanted to say thank you so much. It's been a pleasure getting to know you and getting to know the community and I had such a wonderful day here um a few weeks ago where I got to meet the students and some of the staff and some of your administrators and I'm just so excited to be embraced by such a wonderful community and I can't wait to continue to the great work that you've already started and it was so nice to hear your teaching and learning report.
>> And and just to note again, they're moving the spring break week up one that same. >> Good. Thank you. Thank you guys. Appreciate it. >> Okay, we're moving on to item seven, 7.01, superintendent discussion groups. Uh, this morning, >> I did not uh didn't did not attend Cedar Lake. I need to do a followup for us to make sure nothing's going on. >> Thank you, Mr. >> Mr. Passer. Crown Point. >> Crown Point. Uh, redevelopment is next a week from tonight. Uh, this last week because I was surgeries. Welcome back and glad to see you here. >> Thank you. Uh item 7.02, Director of Elementary Education, Dr. Kacina. >> Thank you, Mr. President and board members. Tomorrow is an exciting day. Online kindergarten enrollment begins tomorrow. It opens up for the class of 2039. We are very excited to welcome and get to know our newest students and our newest families.
>> And we've already and we've asked that question of seven building administrators. uh and I appreciate the fact they trust us to give us and have been given reinforcement from administration to say be honest and just tell tell it like it is and they have is you know there's been it's a balancing act and what I hear from administrators very early on here and elsewhere is we want par we want to address the parents concerns and we understand that pressure and it puts a little heat on us but I don't want do something that's going to alter the climate, the culture, and the and how kids and families feel when they come into my school. And when you talk, that's why you taking a a tactical pause, as we say, and taking a look rather than making a knee-jerk reaction based on an incident or a couple is what we recommend people do.
But if it gets if it comes down too much, we we're going to then have issues that we need to pay attention to. Um, but right now, as I look at it and and Michelle said, we're we're good. But it's something to pay attention to because not only do we have to worry about SB1 and some of the side effects of that. Hopefully lit gets pushed out another year to give us a little bit more time to understand the consequences, but if they then also then turn around and start adjusting the rate and limiting our rate, then we're going to have some other issues that we have to deal with. Um, and that all all of that funds that we're talking about is basically how we maintain our buildings. So, if we have problems and to keep our buildings up, that's where it's all going to come from and what it's going to hurt.
So, that gives you the best aerial view of what it would look like going in. Now, granted, as we talk about this project, um, and I'm going to turn it over to Miss Bidell here in a little bit to make sure that she hits the points that I may miss, but as we look at the project under the JOC, the amount is not to exceed that 1.3 million. There is a it's attached um in the documents that you can look at the the entire proposal from core construction um that outlines all of that that information. a portion of uh the district developer donations will be utilized as a funding source and the formal quote attached is there as well. Miss B, I'll let you uh add to that piece. >> Thank you, Mr. Musey. Um President Scavar, board, members of the board. Um no additional information just other than noting that that is why this is coming to the board for approval is because within policy we have um authorization only up to the million dollars.
Can you talk to that? >> Yeah. So there would be instead of three in service days at the beginning of the year, there would be two. And then we would shift some of the stuff on we do on those twos two day those three days currently uh into the first couple of weeks of the school year when our teachers have rotating uh professional learning time during the school day, right? And then we would put that third in service day into the week of Thanksgiving week. >> So as your as a plan is coming together for the different departments and what this might look like, then they will have time set aside specific to here's the agenda and what our expectations are so that >> we haven't built all that out yet, but yes, we acknowledge that there needs to be time for that. Okay. uh we're waiting for approval of the proposal to get to work on the actual model of what it will be.
>> Uh, yep. We also brought this to FFC last week and um, we invited Andre, the interim director of operations to discuss this and answer any questions if needed. And also Todd with Mer. >> Yeah, good evening. Good evening Roberts with Merit Corp civil engineer land surveyor and uh brief uh project there were a couple of ADA routes on the uh northeast corner of the building. I don't have a pointer, sorry. But um in that uh curve >> there's a pointer there's a pointer on the side of the clip. >> Oh, right there. Oh yeah. >> And is the mic working? >> So at that >> mic, >> can you hear me? All right. >> All right. Great. What's good going here? >> Uh so what we discovered during the ADA sidewalk replacement project back in 2024 that there were two ADA routes here that were non-compliant.
I just I got started to get a little jittery back there. I was like, "Oh, this is great. I can't wait. Let's do it." So, thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> All right. Uh, next up we have the approval of the new assistant superintendent of special services contract to begin July 1st, 2026. Dr. Toms. >> Thank you. So, I have the pleasure to introduce Dr. Dr. Christristine Bordonaro who is uh has uh accepted the position assistant superintendent for special services and is uh on your agenda to be approved tonight. So Dr. Bordonaro is a state approved director of special services who is currently the director of special programs in Wakanda district 118. She holds lure as a special education teacher, has worked in special education administration both in public schools as well as the exceptional learners collaborative. Has worked with solution tree as an associate and author and also worked as a mental health counselor in the US Navy for 15 years.
Uh after a couple weeks of that enrollment window opening up, schools will begin contacting families um and setting up and scheduling visits for late April and early May uh so our incoming kindergarteners can come on in and see their future school. Uh art show. Last Tuesday evening, um the Crown Point Public Library hosted the first of two art shows this year. We split it up this year to get more uh student art involved, create a little bit more space to highlight more of that work. Uh but last Tuesday, uh three of our schools, artwork from Eisenhower, Soulen, and Jerry Ross was on display. It's on display for a couple more days. Um, but the exhibit will transition later this week to feature work from Lake Street, MacArthur, Winfield, and Timothy Ball with their reception happening on March 10th. Uh, huge thank you to our seven art teachers at the elementary level.