001Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay, we now open the floor for public comments on agenda items. Do we have any public comments this [Music] evening? Okay, I will turn the floor over to our presentations. All right, we have three presentations this evening recognizing, celebrating, and honoring some very special people in the room. And the first one is for a new group of students and staff for the L project. So I have a few words I'd like start out with. So good evening everyone. Tonight I have the honor of recognizing a truly remarkable initiative that emerged from heartbreak and transformed into hope. The
002L project in the wake of an unimaginable tragedy, the loss of one of our beloved students, L. Our community found itself in grief, searching for healing and purpose. From that sorrow, something powerful was born. A group of compassionate students alongside three dedicated staff members. Mrs. S, Miss Enriquez, and Mrs. Clar came together to create a movement grounded in kindness, connection, and courage. The L Project is more than a group than more than a support group. It's a living tribute. It stands as a beacon for how we choose to honor El's life, legacy, and positive spirit. Its mission says it all. We commit to living a life with kindness, curiosity, passion, empathy, resilience, and the pursuit of knowledge to live life like L. What began as an effort to support one another through the grief has
003come become a source of strength and inspiration for our entire district. Through the L project, our students are learning how to lift each other up, how to lead with heart, and how to turn pain into purpose. To the students who help launch and lead this initiative, your strength, vulnerability, and leadership are nothing short of extraordinary. You have shown us what it truly means to honor someone's character, friendship, and legacy. To Mrs. S, Miss Enriquez, and Mrs. Clar, thank you for guiding with empathy, for modeling resilience, and for creating a safe space where healing could grow into hope. And to Mr. Peterson, your leadership, quiet strength, and unwavering support were instrumental in bringing this vision to life. Thank you for fostering a school culture where compassion and student voice are not only heard, but empowered. On
004behalf of the board of education and the district leadership team and the entire district 76 family, thank you. Thank you for your vision, your voice, your unwavering commitment to live life like L. Let our light continue to sparkle on. I would like to introduce our three teacher sponsors, Mrs. S, Mrs. Miss Enriquez, and Mrs. Clar, who have a few words to say and to recognize our students from the EL project this evening. Looking at each of the members of the L project tonight, our hearts are full. These kids have spent the past school year grieving the loss of an extraordinary human being, El Kim. As the three co-founders of the L Project, we set out to create a space where our kids, families, and teachers can not only grieve, but begin to heal. We believed
005that one of the most powerful ways to process loss is through the kindness. And these kids have taken that belief and turned it into something incredible. They have thrived showing more compassion, generosity, and heart than we ever imagined. From sharing kindness with our youngest learners at Diamond Lake to lifting up strangers at the Best Buddies Friendship Walk, the members of the L Project have made this mission their own. This is their legacy. This club is run by the kids, their ideas, their curiosity, and their hearts. What started as dreams have turned into realworld acts of service, creating and selling bracelets to fund their efforts, volunteering time to support those in need, and constantly seeking ways to make others feel seen and loved. Their passion to make a dis has reached beyond our school and beyond
006our town. We were simply the catalyst that brought them together. To each and every one of you, we are so incredibly proud. Your spirit, your kindness, your commitment, this is what it means to carry El's light forward. We should all be so lucky to know you all and love you. to L. We know you see them. We know you're working right alongside them because this this joy, this kindness, and this healing is all in the name of the beautiful spirit you are and the legacy you left behind. So to our L project members, always live like L. Embrace the curiosity, kindness, passion, resilience, empathy, and wisdom that lives within you. Because in the words of a wise soul, if my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. And you are
007all doing just that with all our love. So now we will recognize uh the members of the AL project. So if you could please come and collect your certificate when your name is called. Nia Butnator, Joanna Diaz, Lauren, Eleanor Leila Flores, Raquel Flores, Soul, Celestee Gomez, Harper Hail who cannot join us tonight. Angie Herado [Music] Davis Stson, Elanor Kirksick, Daniel Lzro. Eloise Martin, Rebecca Osarnio. Huh? Elena Ramirez, Sophia Richtor. Natalie Zack Gonzalez, Liam Sarmento, and Elizabeth Sullivan. They're purple diamonds. And to commemorate this evening, Mr. uh Peterson, would you like to come up for a minute? For all of everyone's hard work, dedication, and leadership, we have gotten you a canvas that says, "We commit to living life with curiosity, passion, empathy, resilience, and the pursuit of knowledge to live life like all." We have
008one for each of our teacher sponsors and for Mr. Peterson and for Mr. and Mrs. Kim. Well, I'll I'll keep my I'll keep my words short because I I believe your guys's actions speak louder than any words I could I could ever I ever ever say. I I'm I'm truly grateful and just honored to be part of this movement of so many young people, so many staff members that just felt like, hey, you know, through tragedy, we we need to come together and we need to heal and and um you know, that I don't think that process is ever going to be complete. Um, you know, I think there's always going to be kind of a hole or something missing. Um, you know, with with El's passing, but, um, you guys made our school better
009and you guys helped our community heal. Um, you helped each other heal. Um, and I I'll be forever grateful for this. This is something that, uh, I'm going to take with me for the rest of my life and I hope something is that you guys can take with you as well and keeping keeping El's memory alive. But you guys are are amazing. Um, and I can't thank you guys enough. And um, you know, I I hope you guys continue to do the the thoughtful things that you guys have done and and put others ahead of yourself like you guys have had like you've done uh this year. So, thank you everybody. Thank you. All right, we have two more special gifts to give. If you remember, the L project started out this school year uh
010planting a tree in El's honor. It's a magnolia tree. So, when it blooms, it blooms purple flowers. And it did start blooming last week. I think the blooms came off today, but hopefully they'll rebud and come back in a few weeks when the sun comes out. But from um the L project and from all of us, her entire eighth grade class, we got a commemorative stone to put in front of that tree that says remembering our friend El Kim, class of 2025. So, we wanted you all to see it and it'll be placed by our maintenance staff right in front of that tree um tomorrow. So that's um our gift or L project's gift to the community and to this school is that project. So you'll always come back or excuse me is is this
011gift and you'll always come back to visit it. And one last thing, as you remember from two weeks ago, I gave um our three departing board members the book Have You Filled a Bucket? As you guys know, I've been reading that book for 10 years to every grade level. So, I started reading it 10 years ago and Al was in kindergarten nine years ago and I'm emotional because I I I don't know why, but I read to the kindergarters every year and they give me a thank you note that's a giant Have you guys seen them? You know what I'm talking about? The big post-it things. And every class every year has given me a thank you note for reading to them. For some reason, El's kindergarten class gave me that note. They were in
012Mrs. Garcia's class nine years ago, and Mrs. Garcia spelled buses wrong. So, I framed it to show her that she spelled buses wrong and how funny it was and how I was always going to remember it. And then for during the construction, I had it framed and it was in glass and I moved it and I told Mr. Thibido, I said, "Please put this somewhere safe because I don't want it to break. It's very special and it's funny to me." And when we found it last year after the summer we were coming back to school, I looked at whose name was on it and it was Harper and Angie and L's. So, I'm going to give this to Mr. and Mrs. him cuz it's says, "Thank you for reading to us, visiting our class, taking
013care of the school, helping us, being kind, taking care of the buses with two S's, and protecting our school, Mrs. Garcia's class, and uh her name is signed on it." So, I wanted you to have I think we're done with this presentation. Anybody like to say anything? Are you guys all on? All right. Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Kim, for coming and bringing your family. just know how special she was to all of us and how her legacy lives on in every single friend and human that's standing up here. So, thank you. Thank you for being here and the courage and the resilience and the heart that it takes to come back. So, we appreciate and love you. Thank you. Thank you all of you. I recogn project students, if you'd like to follow Mr.
014Hansen out, he's going to take a quick picture with you with your certificates and your diamonds. Okay. Do you want to bring Yeah, we can do it right there. All right, we're gonna take a quick picture and then we're going to recogn Stop. Are you ready? Thank you guys. Thank you guys. Yes, you did amazing. Thank you. We love you. Yes. Thank you. Thank you, ladies. All right. Now, I would like the district leadership team to join me to recognize our firstear staff members. So tonight we have the honor of recognizing a very special group of educators, our firstear teachers. These individuals stepped into one of the most important and challenging professions during a time when the need is so great and the choices are so many. Yet they chose us, District 76, our schools,
015our students, and our community. In a time of a national teacher shortages and increasing demands, each of these educators made a powerful and personal commitment to serve. And from day one, they have shown up with purpose, passion, and positivity. They brought fresh ideas, open hearts, and a willingness to learn and grow. These qualities have already made a lasting impact. Being a new teacher is never easy. It requires patience, resilience, and a deep sense of mission. But this group has met every challenge with grace. They've built relationships, embraced our culture, and committed themselves to embrace, empower, and excel each child each day. Most importantly, they've done this all while living on while living our sparkle on core values, showing care, compassion, and unwavering dedication to the students and families that we serve. To our first year
016district 76 educators, thank you for choosing to be here. Thank you for giving so much of yourselves each day and thank you for believing in the promise and potential of every student to ensure they learn, thrive, and feel seen. We are so proud to celebrate you tonight. You represent the future of education and the heart of our district. Please join me in recognizing and celebrating our amazing firstear teachers. I will say their name and then a member of our district leadership team will recognize you. So we will do um district office or our district level employees. Ariel Walakonis who is our occupational therapist. Come on up Ariel. No cry. Mr. Hansen, would you like them to stay up here for a picture or would Yes, they would like you to stay up here for a
017picture. Okay. From Diamond Lake, we have Cassidy Sterns. Is she here? Oh, and Jessica Toledo from West Oak Intermediate School. We have Analisa Martinez. Happy Lisa Bricker. Madison Guerreri. That your mom over there. I remember I just said, "Is that your mom over there?" Because I remember you were here last year when she got hired. So, congratulations, Mom. uh and Janet Perez, West Oak Middle School. Jennifer Jones and Jamaia McKim. Do I see him? Is Kyle Mesa here? Kyle, there he is. Come on over. me. Did I get everybody? Did I miss anybody? I feel like I went through the list, but I Okay. Oh, Holly B, you're here. But you're first year. Get over here. Come on over. BLS. Seriously, this is such a great group and first year teaching is so hard and
018like I said, I mean, you have so many choices of where to go and where to serve and spend your time and we are so grateful that you chose district 76. So, thank you. You got your picture. Oh, Mr. Hansen's going to do a about the All right. Our third and final presentation this evening is going to be recognizing our students and staff for the core value of nurture from our sparkle on core values. And I'm going to have Mrs. Sunonny Mley come up and recognize her staff member from Diamond Lake. It is with great pride and appreciation that I present this award for the core value of nurture. A value that's all about caring deeply, fostering growth, and leading with heart. Today, we're recognizing someone who brings this value to life in everything that
019he does. Mr. Spencer Kibler. Spencer nurtures something truly special in our building, a love of music. Through his energy, creativity, and passion, he has helped our students not only learn music, but feel it, enjoy it, and grow through it. His classroom is a space where all students feel seen, heard, and supported, and where their voices, both musical and personal, are valued. But Spencer's nurturing spirit doesn't stop there. He leads his team with compassion and care, always looking out for others, and offering a helping hand. Whether he's building strong relationships with students, supporting a colleague, or stepping up in wherever he's needed, Spencer shows up wholeheartedly. We're incredibly lucky to have someone like Spencer at Diamond Lake School. Thank you, Spencer, for nurturing joy, connection, and creativity in our community every single day. And as you
020often say, friends are like diamonds. So, come on up. Spencer is choosing to pass. Thank you. From West Oak Intermediate School, I am honored to recognize a very special educator who lives and breathes our one of our sparkle on core values of nurture. That educator is Mrs. Katie Levy, our exceptional steam teacher at Wois. Katie's impact goes far beyond the brushstrokes and building blocks of her curriculum. She touches the lives of every student in our school. Not only by teaching them the artistic techniques and steam skills by nurturing their creativity, curiosity, and sense of belonging. Her classroom is more than a learning space. It's a safe haven. It's where students feel feel seen, valued, and encouraged to be themselves. Whether it's the student who is discovering color for the first time or diving into a
021complex engineering challenge, Katie meets every student with patience, care, and a genuine love. What's especially inspiring is what happens outside of the scheduled class time. Katie opens her doors during recess multiple times a week to welcome students who may not feel connected to the playground or need a quiet space. In that room, they find more than just art and steam supplies. They find comfort, conversation, and the confidence to express who they are. Katie, your ability to create this nurturing environment, one where students grow, not just as learners, but as individuals, is extraordinary. You embody embody the heart of Sparkleon and the value of nurture with grace, warmth, and authenticity. On behalf of the entire district 76 community, thank you for the love and the light you bring to our students. It lights up every single
022day with your extraordinary efforts to nurture all the students in your care. Please join me in recognizing Mrs. Katie Levy for her outstanding dedication and unwavering comm commitment to nurturing the hearts and minds of our students. Congratulations and sparkle on. Okay, Katie is also passing. I guess we weren't leading by very good examples. There she is. Okay. Um I know I was uh I cannot be more happy to nominate Marylu Lozano for this month's superintendent spotlight uh in the area of nurture. For those who do not know Mary Louu uh she's she is more she's more of a soft spoken person as you can tell she's hiding over there in the corner. um with within our building unlike the rest of our P uh un unlike the rest of her PLC team which is plum
023full of extroverts. So um although at times it can be challenging to get a word in during uh our morning or our weekly meetings, Mary Lou plays a positive and supportive role uh within her team. Along with this, she's a strong teacher and an integral part of our dual language program within our school. On the subject of nurture, Marylu stands uh stands out not only for her words but her actions. uh when students and staff are around her, it is easy to feel her passion for all things she is part of. Uh her passion for the Spanish language, her passion for teaching, her passion for student self-identity and and her passion for students and colleagues alike have been instrumental in building and maintaining a nurturing environment where everyone uh feels accepted and respected. For those
024who do not know uh Mary Lou, she is the goat of theme weeks. Um, I've been told that she has at home here she has a closet uh devoted solely to silly outfits, props and sorts and all sorts of amazingness that it's ready for any theme that we can come up with throughout the school year. Yes. Okay. It's true. Uh, in doing this, uh, Marylu nurtures nurtures a fun and team oriented atmosphere that brings our students, staff, and school together. Uh although soft-spoken, her deep commitment to what she does and who and who she does it for does not go unnoticed. Uh and she continues to play an incredibly important role in encouraging and nurturing all of us to do and be our best. So, thank you, Mary Lou, for all you do at West
025Oak Middle School and allowing us to lean in, level up, and sparkle on. Oh, she got she got to think. I do. I'll make up for the other one. Congrats. I know. Thank you. Okay. No, that's all right. Okay. So, I'm not a speech person, but I started like typing and I'm like, "Oh, this is kind of cool." Okay. So, I want to take a moment to thank everyone here at Westo uh everyone here and Westo in particular. It means a lot to be recognized and earn an award like this. I associate nurture with the word family, and that's what this symbolizes for me. My nurturing characteristics come from my own very large and tight-knit family, and I thank them for all they have taught me. I strive myself in being a person my family,
026friends, colleagues, and students can go to, be it to celebrate, to vent, or just to be reassured. I pride myself in the idea that the glass is half full instead of half empty. I hope that my previous, current, and future students remember me as a person who heard them, encouraged them, and opened their eyes to different possibilities. I hope they see different perspectives and are able to put themselves in other people's shoes. Because to me, that's what matters. To be a humble and empathetic member of a community. If you know my story, you know that my life and experiences are like many of our students. I am the first to graduate middle school, high school, go away to college, earn a bachelor's degree, and earn a master's degree. I enjoy sharing my experiences with my
027students, and hope that these connections make a difference. Being a part of this school district for 20 years, and enduring the ups and downs, the challenges and triumphs, the changes and plethora of experiences with different administration, teachers, and students has helped me to create a bond that's more like a family than a place I work at. It's a true Wolfpack. I love the people that I work with. I love the students that I teach day in and day out. And Baba, I love the sparkle that you have taught us to embrace. To me, sparkle on means diversity in your own way. Just be you. Shine like you've never shined before. Sparkle like there's no tomorrow. As I write this, I'm reminded of my high school quote that's written under my senior picture. Smile. You don't
028know who might need it today. Oh, and Brandon, I learned something about you recently. kept note of it and wanted to treat you as well. It's not a diamond, but I think you'll enjoy them all during our last week and a half of school. Try not to stress eat it all in one sitting. Thank you. Of course. So, this is our last core value for the school year, and it's the first time, and I hope it won't be the last time that we recognize someone who has an impact districtwide. So, tonight, Mr. Rogers and I are proud to recognize someone whose daily work might happen behind the scenes, but whose impact is felt deeply throughout our entire school community. That person is our dedicated food service supervisor, Miss Kim Veter, who truly exemplifies the sparkle
029on core value of nurture. I'm not going to cry looking at you, Kim. I'm going to turn this way. Every morning, Miss Federer is often the first person to walk through our doors long before the first bell rings. She is already in the kitchen preparing, organizing, ensuring everything is just right. Her goal is simple yet powerful, to make sure every student in our district receives a nutritious, warm meal, and that no child goes through the day hungry or unnoticed. But it goes beyond food. Mrs. Veter nurtures our students with her care, consistency, and compassion. She sees them. She knows their needs, their preferences, and even their moods. She creates a welcoming environment where students students feel safe, supported, and valued. Her kitchen is more than a place where meals are made. It's a place where
030hearts are filled. Her work reflects a deep and selfless commitment to service. She shows up early and stays late. She never hesitates to go the extra mile for our team and our students. Whether she's adjusting menus, troubleshooting challenges, or stepping in where she's needed, she does it all with purpose and pride. Miss Federer, thank you for showing us what it means to nurture with action, with heart, and with passion. Your role is essential, and your impact is immeasurable. I won't end because I think Eric would like to say a few words. So, I'm gonna I'll conclude that. Uh, no, I could never say it as good as you just did. But, Kim, you're truly one of the most uh uh valuable relationships I've ever had in my entire career. Uh, each and every day, my
031conversations with you just I I know how much you care about all the students and all the staff here. Uh, if anything, you're one of the people that cost me the most money because you want to feed every single student every single day and are always just advocating for all of our families. Um, I'm truly so proud to be, you know, to know you and have worked with you. And so, um, on behalf of each kid that you've served, you throughout your entire career here, I just know how big of an impact you have. I know I I know how much it can go unnoticed, but I truly appreciate you and as do we all. So, thank you so much, Kim. And I just have a funny because every time I see Kim, we always
032chitchat and she always ends with, "Oh, Babna, you're the best." And I turn around and I'm here tonight to say it in front of everybody. No, Kim, you're the best. So, thank you. Congratulations, and sparkle on, you are truly amazing. Come on up. cry. Thank you. Would you like to say anything? Thanks everybody. All right. Now we are going to recognize a few staff members who are going to celebrate our students for the value of nurture. And from Diamond Lake, we have Mrs. H. Miss Holly Young. Come on up. Thank you. Good evening, everyone. It is my absolute pleasure to present this award for the value of nurture, a value that speaks to the heart of who we are at Diamond Lake School. To nurture means to care deeply and intentionally invest in the growth
033and well-being of others. Today, I'm honored to recognize a student who lives out this value every single day. Joshua Sanchez. Come on up. Hey, Joshua. Joshua nurtures his relationships in the most genuine, and thoughtful ways. He is social, funny, and kind. And he brings that energy into every corner of our building. Whether it's taking a moment to say hello to all of his classmates, greeting teachers by name in the hallway, or flashing his signature smile, Joshua makes everyone feel seen and valued. One of my favorite moments recently with Joshua was when I came into his classroom and he saw me and he pulled up a chair and he tapped on it for me to come sit down. He's just so thoughtful and these are the things that just come naturally to him. He wants to
034make people feel cared for. He regularly welcomes his teachers with a hug and shows true care for the people around him. So Joshua, thank you for nurturing your friendships and your relationships with your teachers. You make Diamond Lake a warmer, happier place, and we are so lucky to have you in our school community. Congratulations. I'm not going to do it in Spanish. Diamond Lake Sanchez. Joshua natural. Diamond Lake. Thank you. And from West Oak Intermediate School, we have Mrs. Levy, who would like to recognize a student. Miss Guerrer, would you like to come up with her? So, unfortunately, Yena just walked out, but I'm going to go through and read it for you guys. Anyways, um it's my pleasure to recognize an exceptional fifth grade student who have had the priv privilege of having since
035kindergarten, Yenya. Within the Steam classroom, Yenya consistently nurtures a positive and supportive learning environment. She offers thoughtful help to her classmates during projects, always ready to lend a hand or a listening ear. What truly sets her apart is her kindness and encouragement she brings to every interaction. Through her words and actions, Yena fosters teamwork with two of her peers, builds confidence, and exemplifies what it means to be a nurturing, nurturing, and collaborative learner. We are so proud to celebrate her today. Thank you. You want to say thank you? Thank you. And from West Oak Middle School, Mrs. Shelley Selman. Good evening. Okay. All right. nurture, take care of, encourage, protect, and help. If you know Joanna, you know that all of these words are just a natural part of who she is. Joanna doesn't go
036out of her way to do these things. It is built into her personality. When she sees someone struggling in the classroom, she offers guidance just because she's sitting there and she can do something. A new club forms at school to honor a student's legacy. She signs up and gets right to work offering ideas, lending a hand, volunteering, and giving up her free time. Her friends are being picked on or teased by the boys in my first period class. Don't worry, uh she's there for each and every one of them in whatever ways that she can help. Uh she's the first one in my room each and every morning and she's always the first one with a smile on her face. If I need something done, she's the first one to volunteer. When I can't tell
037if the room is too warm or if it's just me again, all I need to do is look over at Joanna, my human thermostat, to see if she has my handheld fan already going. A simple smirk tells me all I need to know. In my 24 years of teaching, I can tell you that there is not many students like Yana. She is there to make others feel good or to help those in need. She doesn't look for a reward or a pat on the back. This is why when I heard nurture was the last spotlight category, I knew I had to have it be for her. She nurtures all of us and brings out the best in those around her just by being herself. Uh, this this world could use more Joanna's. Congratulations, kiddo. It
038is my honor to present you with nurture. He's going to pass, too. All right. Well, thank you everybody for our two students. Mr. Johansson's going to come out there and take some pictures as well as for our teachers and our staff members. Thank you so much. This was such a special evening. Um it's the end of our school year, but not the end of our celebrations. But we just want to tell you thank you for being here tonight. We know how busy everybody is, especially in May. Um and we just couldn't do it without you. So the students, the staff, the families, um please continue uh to sparkle on. We just appreciate and are so grateful for you. Thank you. We are going to have the business part of our meeting. You are welcome to
039stay. It's very exciting, but not as exciting as what we just saw and heard. So, thank you again for coming tonight. Oh, you're fine. Okay. So, we will move on to our business agenda for the evening. Um, we have a number of items for action and then the last item is up for review. The first item up for action is approving the omnibus vote agenda. Items under the omnibus vote agenda are considered routine and are non-controversial and will be approved by one motion. If anyone board member, staff, administrator, or citizen wishes to have a separate vote on any item or items, that item or items will be pulled from the omni vote agenda and voted on separately. Be it resolved that the Diamond Lake 76 Board of Education accepts and approves the omnivous vote agenda
040items A through D is listed. May I have a motion to approve, please? Mr. Becker, yes. Miss Sullivan, Miss Bless, yes. Miss Crutchfield, yes. Yes, that motion is approved. The next item up for action is personnel. Be it resolved, the Diamond Lake 76 Board of Education accepts and approves the personnel items as depicted on the agenda. We have four new hires and three resignations. May I have a motion to approve? That motion is approved. The next item up for action is approving the 2025 2026 board meeting dates. Whereas the open meetings act requires each public body to give public notice of its schedules of dates, times, and places for regular meetings at the beginning of each calendar or fiscal year. Therefore, be it resolved, the Diamond Lake 76 Board of Education approves their 2025 2026
041calendar, allowing for meetings to be held twice a month at the Diamond Lake School 25807 Diamond Lake Road, Mundeline, Illinois 60060, with the exception of the following months: July 2025, September 2025, November 2025, December 2025, and January 2026. May I have a motion to approve, please? Moved. Yes, that motion is approved. Um, the next item up for action is approving the appointment of a treasurer. Whereas the school code instructs the trustees of schools to appoint a treasurer who shall be custodian of school funds and responsible for all receipts, dispersements, and investments of the school funds and pays orders issued by the school board. And where is Mr. Eric Rogers will assume the position of director of finance and operation on July 1st, 2025 and possesses the qualifications set forth in section 5-1B of the school
042code. Therefore, be it resolved the Diamond Lake School Board of Education appoints Mr. Eric Rogers to serve as treasurer for Diamond Lake School District 76 for a one-year period beginning on July 1st, 2025 for the annual compensation of $3,000. May I have a motion to approve, please? Yes. Motion is approved. Can I just make I just want to make one correction on that and we can do it at the just to reflect it in the minutes is Mr. Roger's new title on July 1 will be I know it's written in the resolution that was going to be the assistant superintendent for um finance and operations. Interesting. And that was voted on. It wasn't just something I decided right now just so everybody knows. Okay. Um that was approved. The next item up for action is
043approving the Mindsight Service contract. Um, be it resolved that the Diamond Lake 76 Board of Education accepts and approves the Mindsight Service contract as presented. May I have a motion to approve, please? Second, that motion is approved. Um the next item up for action is um reviewing and approving the 2025 2026 insurance rates. Mr. Rogers, did you want to talk about them? Absolutely. So just want to give you an update on the uh the insurance rates. It's been a little different process this year. So just want to give you an update on that. Um, you know, for our new board members, this is an annual process of uh working with an insurance committee to uh receive recommendations from our insurance third party administrator and then we we take a look at our insurance reserves and
044determine what an appropriate raise might be in uh in terms of the insurance rate. So, uh this year has marked a lot of transition for us. We we're part of Lake Region Benefit Cooperative. It's a small cooperative of six school districts that make up this uh this insurance pool. uh we've init uh we we uh selected a new thirdparty administrators. It's a company called USI this year that's really worked on modernizing our approach to uh to an insurance pool. So traditionally our districts have all worked as kind of six independent districts and we've not able to have the best economies of scale when attaining pricing. So USI has really taken a look at uh our shared risk model that we have and all the insurance plans that we're part of and and made a lot
045of aggressive recommendations. It's helped us with some s significant cost savings this year. So we're very grateful with their approach and also we we're also uh bringing in a modern insurance portal. So most employers have an open enrollment portal. You'll be able to log in, view all your insurance selections, have all the information there. Uh it's something we've been trying to get the last 10 years since I've been here. Thank god the first year USI has been here they've already been able to implement it. So we've been really happy with their service and we're going to roll that out in our open enrollment in September. But to go along with that they've really taken a deep dive in our uh our insurance selections. So besides medical uh we they've looked at our dental plans what
046we've been a part of and is able to bring us not only uh a cost savings for our standard plan they brought us a more aggressive higher option plan that matches our our medical coverage that we have. So our our dental rates um been able to go down about 28% on average with this this most recent renewal which hasn't happened since I've been here. typically goes up in at certain increments, but across the board for our standard plan, we've seen a 28 to 30% decrease. And uh they've also brought a higher option plan that we've still been able to bring our employees and it's been at a decreased cost. So, this is just a co uh a value ad to our district, especially when we're going out and soliciting uh trying to find new employees
047that we're able to offer really one of the most comprehensive insurance packages uh in Lake County. Um to go along with that, the medical rates, they were able to solicit some aggressive coverage for uh prescriptions. So, we've been able to bring uh a while most districts in our cooperative saw, you know, six, seven, 8% increases, we've had a really low claims experience this last year, which means we've not had a lot of added costs for our district. So, because of that, we had a 2.8% initial renewal. Um because our insurance committee has the option of selecting and and adjusting these rates a little bit, we opted to round it up to a 3% increase, which would not only uh add a little bit extra to our insurance reserves, we're able to uh still reduce costs
048for employees out of pocket next year. So each employee is going to see uh on average there were paying um it was $40 roughly a month for employee plus child coverage. It's now dropping about $15 a month. So out of pocket, every employee gets coverage for free. They're able to add their children on it for just about $20. And uh family coverage has dropped about $110 a month as well. So uh since I first started, we were up at about $500 $600. The last couple years we've really really been aggressive in terms of uh how how employees have uh and and this insurance committee as a whole has approached our renewal cycle and they've been able that both have skin in the game where we can increase costs and still reduce the out-of- pocket expenses
049to employees. So long-winded answer. We've had a lot of change this year but we've still been able to reduce costs for our employees which we're really excited for. So, the insurance committee wanted to bring this recommendation and due to timing of the school year, uh we were able we had to get this renewal a little bit later than we normally do. So, that's why we're bringing it to you tonight for both uh u review and for action tonight. So, sorry for all explanations, but if you guys have any questions, I'm happy to answer that. Insurance is very fun. So, any questions? Fantastic work to you and to the committee. I know I was like, can we all join this insurance plan? It sounds very good. Okay, then we will um take action to approve the
0502025 2026 insurance rates. Be it resolved that Diamond Lake 76 Board of Education accepts and approves the 2025 2026 insurance rates as presented. May I have a motion to approve, please? Yes, that is also approved. Sorry, I just lost my agenda for a second. Um, the next item up for action is the consolidated district plan. Be it resolved that the Diamond Lake 76 Board of Education accepts and approves the 2025 2026 consolidated district plan as presented. May have a motion to approve. Yes. Yes. Okay, that is also approved. And then the last item on our agenda is for review and that is reviewing the 2024 2025 designation of interest earnings for the fiscal year. And Mr. Rogers, the floor is yours again. I'll I'll keep this one more brief. Uh so this is an annual
051process that the district uh keeps on in terms of just having some flexibility on where we can move our interest around. So the district works with a a very good investment partner to maximize our approach to uh where we put our school district funds each year. So we really had another high year of interest earnings. So what this allows us to do is move this money around to each specific fund and make sure we maximize uh you know where we'd like our money to be. So for instance, we may not want uh too large of a surplus in any one fund. This will allow us to move it to certain particular funds if we be to do construction projects and things like that. So, this will allow flexibility and if uh once I do the
052May treasures report, I can greater uh better determine where this money might be better allocated and I'd provide you guys a write up on where that would go. Anyone have any questions? Okay, thank you. That concludes our business agenda. Moving on to board discussion. Do we have any items for board discussion this evening? Okay, fantastic. Awesome. Fantastic. Thank you. Great. And we had no foyer requests which is also great. Um notice of communications. We have um we don't have anything. No, that's a first. Um, public comments and petitions on non-aggenda items. Do we have any public comments this evening? No. Erin's working on it. Um, others. I had uh two quick things two quick things for others. I had sent everybody a text for scheduling purposes about um your availability July 22nd. It sounds like
053we will plan to meet uh at 4 pm that day. So, thank you for everyone being flexible for that and you will get more information as we get kind of closer to that date. Um, the other thing is I noticed that I got an email today talking about the joint annual conference registration is opening June 2nd. Um, so triple I no the registration always opens really early and then hyum is great to sign everybody up and then have us forget and and don't sign up early. Um, so yeah, the dates of the triple eye conference are November 21st to the 23rd. Um, if anyone's interested in going, we can work with Hyram to get you registered. Um, and more information will be coming out on that. But I just wanted to get that on people's
054radar just because it is right around the holidays. Um, and then also with the end of the school year, it's very chaotic for everyone. So, um, that is all I had for others. Did anyone have anything else? So I think it kind of depends on the year. Um they do have a lot of sessions for like nude board members and they have some specific stuff. They will put out I think June 2nd we will get kind of the agenda right with some of some of more specific sessions so you can kind of see what they have. Um and then right now they have like the speakers that'll be there. I would say generally about half the board attends kind of depending on the year. It just it kind of depends on the year and also
055some of the topics like right after COVID there were a lot of topics about COVID and transition and obviously and you know depending on what's going on sometimes topics are I would say are more relevant. The um the one thing though is we always have someone go to vote on the resolutions because on the Saturday um all the boards will send one delegate to um vote on the resolutions that are issued by ISB. So we as a board will discuss those when they came come out in the fall um and kind of agree on our positions and then we usually will just come to an agreement amongst who would like to go and represent the board. Um it's a couple hour process. So depending on you know if you want to go to a session
056or not. I think usually we try to work that out with who kind of can do it at that time and we say downtown. Yes. Although you don't have to if you would not like to. Um but yeah that's kind of it in a nutshell but we could tell you much more about it too if you want. Yeah. Yeah, there's a lot of nice sessions like that. It's it's also I think personally um interesting to meet people from districts all over the whole state because we don't generally interact with a lot of the districts like in the southern part of Illinois necessarily and their concerns and interests are very different usually than ours. So it's kind of um it's good to kind of get the perspective of what everyone is dealing with across the whole
057state. So you kind of have an understanding of sometimes the different legislation that's coming out or different resolutions or so that's very interesting too. Maybe this will get like matching tracks. There are some boards that very much like match. Yeah, we could really bling it out, but Well, we have sparkle lanyards. We do have sparkle lanyards. My hair. I know. That's why I don't wear No, like the first year I went, people aboard had matching like an Adidas type tracksuit for the district. It was amazing. I would fully support that. Break out my cricket. Get going. Got a cricket, too. So, we'll go full outfit. Anyway, uh not to digress, but yeah, it's it's I would recommend if you can if it works with your schedule, I would recommend going this year, especially as a
058new board member, just I think that they do have a big chunk of the agenda that is kind of focused on that and probably your first year at least it's the most beneficial to go to and then I would say it just kind of depends on the topics. Um, anything else for others? Okay. Then we do not have executive session this evening. So, um, can we have a motion to adjourn? Yes. Mr. Crutchfield. Yes. Thanks everybody. Um, I need Alisa, I'm going to need you to put like a vote in here. If a bobin