Um I think fine arts uses >> yeah there's the theat the theater we kind of have it divided there's a wall that divides it kind of in two and one half belongs to really the theater and um uh the band primarily and then on the other side is a lot of the supplies that we used to keep as much as possible in our main storage area which is commonly referred to as the tunnel. Um, but we have other things that need to be stored there that are used daily such as eight pallets of paper and stuff like that. So, we we just have very limited resources in terms of space on campus. But we can for sure I'll take a look at it again and and see if there's some way to do that. >> Thank you. would um if we were to build there's talk of like shed or something like that.
Christoph Mr. Bear and I I believe Mr. may be joining on that, but we're going to be um working with the the board and doing presentations based off of, you know, I know that you have your group ready to present for the May meeting. So, we'll look forward to that. But I would just say to the board that the the fruit of actually doing policy review is that in real time we're making adjustments to our action and understanding, you know, what we can do better. I think that helps everybody. So, >> thank Tina for that because you did you pushed on. Well, thank you for spending so much time and going through them and really making it a priority. >> It's the number one thing the board can do is effectuate policy. >> And I just want to clarify, but that both of these committees are dictated by school code.
Every year we abate back a certain percentage of their property taxes back to them under a long-standing agreement. This year, we are abating back >> 30%. Uh so we have three more years and after three more years the agreement ends and or well two more years after this one and then we'll be collecting 100% every year. >> So this is just the action item that authorizes us to do what we've already agreed to and must do anyway. >> It's a resolution that we need to turn over to the county. >> A resolution not to breach our contract. Correct. >> Correct. >> Yes. >> All right. So we recommend you approve that. uh tax rate reallocation. I'll turn this one back over to Jurine. >> So, we have some more excitement here. >> Okay. We received the preliminary 2025 tax extension from the DuPage County Clerk on April 1st.
You no longer have that. So, that's the impact of the schedule at the high school, and our teachers have been working on that pretty earnestly. They will not be shy about saying, "Yeah, I got it right at this moment in time in this way, and nope, not quite right at the >> [laughter] >> at that moment in time in that way." Different than potentially losing minutes at the middle school. Yeah, right. We're optimistic that we will be able to implement implement the new schedule proposed. Um in the meantime, yeah, we have shorter classes that we are really trying to leverage the strategies that we know are effective with visible thinking, with collaboration. And yes, those things do take time to dig deep. So, what might, you know, maybe with a longer period would be one class would be maybe over two classes, or, you know, a class and a half.
Is that maybe what we would consider? >> It certainly is a possibility. >> Second floor. >> Absolutely. You know, we do store a lot of athletic equipment as well as all of our grounds equipment in the barn um that's out there right now. I think if we were able to or had to redesign that or build that or move it, we would definitely look at what would the added cost be to add additional storage on our campus. >> Any other questions? >> And Ysef, >> yes. Si Tyer, >> hi. Hi. >> No. Hi, >> Frost. Okay. Um I'll do the next couple. Uh the ne next item is the Lake County sales tax uh resolution. Um this is only a first reading. We had a chance to talk about this um in our finance meeting earlier, so we won't go into it in depth here, but again, tonight we're only putting it on as a first reading.
Is that correct? >> Yes. >> So, they will stay there because of that. >> Yes. >> And how great to bring the PTC's into it and and let them actually be part of the process and everything. you were already doing it, but it's a formal way of doing it and let them know we really respect their time >> and our our staff members. >> Yes. Thank you. >> Appreciate the presentation. >> If there are no other questions, >> um I move that the board No more questions, right? >> All right. I move that the board approve the revisions to the board policy as presented in the second reading. Second. >> It's been moved and seconded. Can I roll call, please? >> Hassa. >> I. >> Marley. >> I. >> Burton. >> I. >> Defin. >> I >> Heron. >> Hi. >> Thank you. >> Yes.
>> So, for our capped funds, the total extension is about $103.4 million. Oh, we're just looking at the rates here. Okay. >> Yeah. um which is fine, which is an increase of about $3.2 million over the previous year. Our original request for the levy was $ 105 million. We always want it to be higher than what it actually comes comes in at, which it was. Um and then the clerk reduces the amount that it's needed to fall within the tax cap law and everything. That reduction was applied across all capped funds at about 98.5% of our request. We just had our funds adjusted evenly across the board. As a result, the tax rates, as we see here, are for for 2025 is 1.58 versus 1.60 from last year. Because reallocation decisions are due April 3rd. We had two days to turn that around. Administration submitted the adjusted rates in advance to meet the deadline.
So, but they're masters at juggling that, you know, really monitoring where the kiddos are, and, you know, having to stop at a comfortable spot you know, today, and you pick up your, you know, tomorrow. It's just, you know, balancing it. Well, that's why when you gave us that very thorough re-envisioning um the the middle school schedule and the class times, the emphasis on instructional time. This is exactly what you mean by that. And it's what teachers are asking for. Tim. Thank you. Um yeah, you mentioned seventh grade economics. I'm curious. Are you talking Are you talking balancing a checkbook and a household budget, or Federal Reserve monetary policy, or somewhere in between? I'm just curious. Economics to me is really broad word. >> Yes, it There's global There's an emphasis on global and regional economics. So, the standards are very specific, and that's another benefit of the 2024 document.
We will be bringing this back to you in May um for your consideration. So in the meantime, feel free to reach out with any questions that you might have. Uh the next item is again a first reading. It's appointment of a treasurer. Um and you'll be asked uh as you are every two years to appoint a treasurer for the district. And as you would expect uh we're going to be recommending Sean Carney for that role. Um Sean would do that from July of 2026 through June 30th of 2028. Um for lots of different reasons, not only being great at what he does, but he's our school's chief CSBO. So >> correct. um something we'll bring forward to you uh next month. And then adjacent to that is uh approval of the treasures bond. Again, this is a first reading tonight. We'll bring it forward to you as for your approval in May.
I need a motion to approve the closed session minutes of March 16th, 2026. >> I move that the board approve the closed session minutes of March 16, 2026 as presented. Second, >> it's been moved and seconded. Can I have a roll call, please? >> I duck. >> I will abstain as I was not there. Herit I >> Massa >> I thank you. Next we have the consent agenda. I move that the board approve the consent agenda items which include approval of the revised personnel report, authorization of contract approvals, approval of minutes, business meeting of March 16, 2026, district net payroll for March 2026, District 62 warrant register and reported bills for March 13th, 17th, 30th, 31st, April 7th, and 14th, 2026. 6 monthly financial summary for March 2026. North Cook net payroll for March 2026. North Cook warrant register for March 2026. >> Second. >> It's been moved and seconded.
So we have to do it before the actual board meeting. This adjustment was anticipated and does not impact our overall financial plan. So admin administration recommends that tonight you will just approve those adjusted tax rates. So, if board members remember back in like December, we came to you and we said, "Here's what we think it'll be. We have to guess and then later they tell us what it actually is." This is the board meeting where you learn what it actually is. So, we recommended this be approved this evening as well. Auditor services jury. >> Okay. So, last month we learned that our current audit firm, Miller Cooper, is exiting the governmental audit space. So we are required to transition to a new firm for FY26 for this year's audit that will begin in late summer. We have the opportunity to maintain our strong contact by working with Sikage where our long-term audit partner Betsy Allen has transitioned.
They, unlike 2015, there were more standards, and they weren't aligned with the topics. So, now we can see what the recommended standards are. So, it is They are rigorous So, what would be a topic? Global and regional could be learning about, you know, the different types of economic systems, understanding GDP, understanding the stock market. Okay. It's It's very rigorous, and that's what we're currently is absent in our existing curriculum. So, we have had student teachers who have dabbled with it knowing it's an area that we have to write. We have to write this summer to that. I have another teacher who is slightly ahead of the others in pacing. So, she's dabbling with some picking some priority. We sat down, we kind of decided what would be those priority standards, and coming up with an authentic performance task that would be real world. Um and we're trying to do some preliminary planning so over the summer we can hopefully tighten up and create a whole unit.
Um but as required by the Illinois school code, uh we'll have to purchase a treasurer's bond. Um in the past, the bond has cost a,000 to um $1,000 per $1 million of fund balance. So estimating um Sean that >> it's going to be in that 20 to 25% range. >> Okay. Um more details >> 20 25 million, excuse me. >> Yeah. More details will uh come >> Yeah. >> between now and then. Um but uh as we always say that not only will uh Sean have a treasures bond, but we know where he lives and we can hunt him down. So >> move. >> Uh and that Sean takes us to approval of the budget. Thank you, Eric. Um, as we discussed earlier today, um, we, uh, have two budgets that, um, we need we need the board to take action. We'll talk about the, um, FY27 budget that covers the 2627 school year.
I have a roll call, please. >> Burton. >> I. >> Duckman. >> I. >> Garrett. >> I. >> Hering. >> Hi. >> Massa. >> I. >> Mley. >> I. Next we have communications from the four. Um I can start. Um I attended Forest PTC's multicultural night last week. Um was paired with um EPAC and so they also used the rooms at the ELC meeting room and um it was a huge success. It was a wonderful wonderful time. They have tons of families that sponsored tables and they brought food and music and artifacts from their homes. Um and they a lot of them dressed in traditional dress. Um AMS's Alangquin's um march band came and played and they crushed it. It was so fun. It was so so fun. Um and I am so pleased that so many schools do a multicultural night and um principles let us know what those are.
Her experience with the district will help ensure an efficient and smooth audit process. The proposed fee from this new firm is $49,300, which is just $1,000 more than Miller Cooper's base fee from last year. Given the timing of the upcoming audit and the importance of what we feel is to have that experience with an audit firm, we are recommending a one-year engagement with this new firm. And then at a later time, we would come back with a recommendation if we want to go out for a proposal or what we might propose at that time. >> And we're not required to do that now because of the short timing. >> It's a service. >> So we don't have to bid. >> Oh, we don't have to service. Okay. Got it. >> I'll I'll also just remind the board that the finance and HR team is in the process of transitioning software systems for finance.
We can divide it a regional unit and a global unit, which is likely what we'll probably end up doing. And what is it that gets pushed out? Because you still only have 1,000 hours a year. What's that? What What gets pushed out? What gets pushed out? When you're adding economics Oh, what gets pushed out? Geographic concepts. Yeah, that is no longer um It's no longer in seventh grade. Is it emphasis more in the sixth grade? It's unfortunate, we did design some very compelling um some very compelling case studies that were really geographically rooted. Things like environmentally sinking Venice, you know, that kind of really cool stuff. But, unfortunately, that no longer is in our realm in seventh grade. Okay, so something gets pushed out. >> Largely global studies in sixth and seventh, they're elevating the lens on economics side a bit. It doesn't mean that you're not studying movements of people or out of geographic [clears throat] concepts just like that.
Um, we presented the initial draft today um, by law uh, by the school code. We actually need to have a public hearing. Um, so tonight we're asking the board to set that public hearing. Um, in addition, we also have to um post the um a notice in the bond uh in the paper, excuse me. Oh my goodness. Um, a notice in the paper of the uh tenative budget for the 2627 school year. There must be 30 days in between um when the board takes action and holds the public hearing and when we um put it in the newspaper. Um so uh we are asking tonight that the board of education put the tenative um 2627 school year budget on display for viewing. Um and we will do that on Monday, May 11th of this particular year. Could I get a motion? >> Some move. Second.
>> Please email us. We want to come to stuff. So let us know. Um I also um want to talk about ERAD real quick. Um I am the leazison for ERAD and the they didn't have a a huge shocking update this last meeting um but they just kept saying that the biggest pressing issue was funding um that uh EDF isn't enough um for all the things that we have to do during the school day um with unfunded mandates and lower pration rates. Um and so it's it's kind of um an interesting time to be in looking at funding for school districts um all over the place, but especially for us here in um Cook County. So um yes, but they they um we talked about, you know, how do you keep funding a top priority within the state budget? Um and every all the legislators that we've talked to so far are um are are fully committed that this that funding is the top priority, not a priority, but the priority.
So this they've got a lot of changes going on right now to begin with. This came out of the blue. >> So helping them with the consistency of somebody knows how how we work and how they work will definitely uh lower some of the the pain points in this transition right now. That was quite unexpected. >> Yes.
Yeah. But, fifth and sixth is what largely based in this. So, Oh, sorry. Just I have one more question. Thank you. Tim, you had mentioned for the high school, a typical a [clears throat] typical topic could be Iran. Totally get it. And I think what you said was for social studies in second grade, it's like a community. >> Community. It's not the Iran war, right? >> No. Okay, got it. That's all I wanted to check. So, the way that it works in the lower grades, you start with myself, my neighborhood, my town, >> Yep. Yep. Yep. my state, and then it moves up, right? Which is why we study Cheshire in grade three, which is why we study the regions in grade four. So, it progresses. But, like what Kristen was saying, we have some alignment work that we need to do because some of the things that we perhaps might have covered in middle school may now live in upper elementary.