001Okay, we are reconvening to the open session of the regular meeting of the Fairview District 72 Board of Education. It's November 19th, 2025 at 7:09. We have already established that we have a quorum. Like to request all members of the public to be respectful of everyone at the meeting. Please ensure you have silenced your cell phones and join us for the pledge of >> allegiance. United States of America to the stands indivisible with liberty and justice for all. >> Okay. >> All right. Um one adjustment um really quick to tonight's agenda. There will be a second close session at the end of the meeting. Um, no action will be taken. Just wanted to let you all know. All right. We're going to start with approving a minutes of the regular and closed meetings of October
00215th, 2025 and November 12th, 2025. Can I get a motion and a second to approve the minutes? So move. >> Second. >> Thanks. Any concerns or questions or comments? No. >> Um, well, all those in favor of approving the minutes of October 15, 2025 and November 12th, 2025, say I. >> I. Anybody oppose say nay? Nope. Okay. Minutes are approved. >> Um, can I get a motion and a second to approve payment of bills? Um, yes. May I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Yes. >> Second. Um, and 961,25547. Any questions regarding the bills? >> No. >> All right. Board secretary, can you please call roll call vote? >> Yes. Saja Phillip >> here Dianaka. >> Yes. >> Jaclyn BJ. Yes. >> All right. Those are approved. Um parent teacher apprec appreciation association report.
003Hi Sylvia. >> Okay. Week ago October was our home. We also hosted one of our newly blankets. and the whole team over. >> Um they kind of took over um as PTA they just ask us for a budget that we would um contribute and then they kind of run with it. Uh we've gotten great feedback. I think the community loves that there is an option for um that team. So thank you to them. I know it's a lot of work because they say afterwards it's usually held on the same day that we did. We usually have gone before and seen it, but if you guys haven't, it's an awesome thing. We've also held our very successful Halloween PTA party. Um, this party usually does really, really well. This actually helps fund the rest of our
004PTA events throughout the year. So, huge thank you to all of you guys, Lenola, people there working. So, I do appreciate a huge thank you to the community that always comes out and always shows up and supports us. We appreciate it. Our annual book fair is coming up. It will be December 3rd and 4th. We are opening up the Thursday evening for the public in the community to shop. Parents and kids can come in, buy some really fun books. Um, kids love chachki. They make great stocking stuffers. I did that last year. Um, we are ending the year with our winter classroom parties, which is Friday, December 19th for primary grades. And last but not least, we've been hosting actually having a fundraiser with needs and wants for pies. Tomorrow is the last day to
005order. I myself have ordered six pies. They are really, really good. If you've never had their pies, they're actually really good. Um, you guys can do it online. It's I think on uh email. Um, and you can order them. They have different pickup times throughout the week. Um, so that's all. Happy Thanksgiving. Have a great break. Thank you. >> All right. Next item is school activity report. Does anyone from the board or administration have good news they'd like to share? I just told them that I'll get the boring stuff out of the way first. Uh after we sent the board memo about the tax delay, we actually got a notice from the county that the tax bills were sent out. So November 15th, they went out. >> I got them. >> Uh sorry, but hopefully
006again like we've been struggling this year with cash flow because we haven't got any tax revenue. And so the hope is that the first two weeks of December is when we'll start to see some revenue come in from local tax dollars, which is a big deal. We'll get to that more later, but that's good news. Yeah, >> to piggyback on what Sylvia said, we had Halloween light since the last time we met on October 24th, and it was wonderful to have our preschool families and our students with special needs come and have an opportunity to participate in a in a time that was more successful for them. Um, shout out to Sandra Ridi and Katie Doyle and Jenny Marin and Lucky Thatch and Alicia for all of their hard work. It was a lot of
007work. Um, but it was wonderful. We had a great turnout. We had lots of families come. Um, and it was a wonderful time and we're looking forward to doing it again next year. >> Thank you. >> Hello. Um, I'm I've got good news for primary and middle school. Mr. Leeka is down at the other end of the building with uh Niles West and 8th grade parents right now. So, he will be here shortly. But for primary today, this week we started uh the second trimester. So, we that means for us report card preparation, parent teacher conference preparation. So, teachers have been working really hard and making sure they're getting all of that prepared for for um all of our families. We do have several field trips right around now which um we love field trips
008here in experiential learning as I always say. So last week first grade went to Emily Oaks, third grade went to the Skooki Public Library and tomorrow our second graders are going to the Museum of Science and Industry. So we love going out and seeing things which is wonderful. We also wrapped up the Read to Succeed uh program partnering with the Chicago Wolves and we have the final numbers in and there's a bulletin board in the main hallway and we read 558 hours which is a lot of hours in a fairly short amount of time. Um for middle school student council has been very busy. They went to Feed My Starving Children a couple of weeks ago and if you've never been there, it's a really great organization and um just teamwork type of atmosphere where
009you work to then send food to like third third world world countries where students well their kids really don't have food. So they um do that every year. That was really great. They also just wrapped up the tackle hunger food drive and we sp uh sent this morning I think like over 20 boxes of food and non-p perishable items to the Niles Township food pantry. So it's just great because it's going to be helping the people in our community. So that was really wonderful. This Friday is the this is snowflake um for our seventh graders and that really is kind of a seal focused day for students. They have eighth grade mentors. um they really focus on just building that community and connection and you know just having that time together to kind of find
010out more about themselves. Um and it's it just it really pulls them all together. I think that's a really great experience. A lot of people are involved in it. Um and we actually have some people from the organization that are going to come on Friday to observe because they've heard about our program and seen what we do. So that's really I feel like says a lot about our teachers and staff and you know the reputation that we have. So um and we are just looking forward to uh next week Thanksgiving. Um but more before that, you know, seeing so many people at parent teacher conferences. We hope you're able to come see your your teachers and we just hope everybody has a really wonderful Thanksgiving break uh with your families. Thank you. Any questions? >>
011Uh we continue to send reports home electronically. I hope you're all getting them. the ISA map and soon to be report cards on Friday on Friday. So, it's great from my end. We can see the reporting of who's got it, who hasn't gotten it, who's opened it. Um, I'm happy to say that 100% of our parents are getting the reports. Whether or not they're opening the reports is another thing, but that's, you know, whatever. Um, secondly, I uh recently, um, was able to attend a three-day power school conference, um, focusing on MBA reports, which we use for our report cards and a lot of other reports. It was great. 8 to 10 hours a day at Power School is a little much, but the training I received there was just top-notch. Came back right away,
012started making new reports for Karen and Mike. Um, we're we're using that stuff right away. So, well worth well worth the time and and uh cost. So, thanks. >> Okay. >> All right. Um, next item is our board discussion. Superintendent, please introduce the reports to the board. >> Sure. The first is the first reading of our next batch of board policies for the board to review. Uh I have um changed it up a little bit so that the policy you can just click on it um and that will take you to the policy and you can read it. Um I've provided a summary and if there are any other extra notes that board members should be aware of as they look through the policies. So like I do with every first reading of board policies,
013I'm just putting it out there for all of you. I I would encourage you to look at them so that next month uh we can uh move forward with approval. Um but there there are no new policies here. Um they're just uh you know changes slight changes in the law um or you know small things um for just improving the readability of the policies and whatnot. So um there's not too much for me to report there. Are there any questions? Sort of I think you all are kind of into the usual routine with board policy work at this point. So, um, but it is important work. Um, and I encourage you to take a good look at all of the policies there. Uh, next up is the superintendence report. And, um, since we last met,
014we have a lot of, um, great stuff going on as you just heard from from the admin team and the PTA. Uh, we are really looking forward to the book fair. Uh, that's it's a lot of work. Um, but it's something that the kids really look forward to and having an evening opportunity for parents and children and we do get some community members who will come over and take a look and see what uh they might purchase. Um, and just encouraging that love of reading is just, you know, such an important goal for us here at Fairview. Um, in addition to that, um, we are continuing to work on our reading curriculum implementation. We have built-in professional development opportunities on Mondays that relate to the reading curriculum. So teachers are kind of getting that staff
015development on an ongoing basis. We spent a good amount of time during our October Institute Day training teachers as well. Um it's it's hard. Implementing a new curriculum is hard and it's uh requires a lot of work and year one is really challenging. Um year two gets a little bit easier, but I think they're doing a a really good job across the board and really putting in a lot of effort to try to do their very best. Um so we will try to continue to support that work in any which way that we can. Um so that's um we are very happy um as school employees to see the tax bills go out. Um not so happy as homeowners necessarily, but ouch. Um but that is very good. Um some of our um colleagues in
016neighboring districts did have to go through the process of borrowing money in the event that they didn't receive the money. um you know and we talked long and hard about that and you know are feeling that we're going to be fine but borrowing money costs money a lot of it depending on how much you're borrowing as you know um and there are fees associated with that. So very frustrating that our county could not get their act together um to do this in a way that was efficient and on time because now school districts on the backs of the taxpayers are paying to borrow money because of a glitch with technical systems. doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but um hopefully they have that straightened out. My hope is once they receive the
017tax money that they are able to then send it out in an efficient way. Um more efficient than the the bills themselves, but anyway, um we had our top workplace celebration this week. Um so we celebrated with a special treat for the staff and uh you know there are always ongoing student issues. um especially this time of year, we see that the holidays sometimes bring out big emotions um for students and for staff. So, um just working hard to support everybody and and providing them what they need. So, any questions on my report? No, that's all I have. >> All right. Next item is our board committees and representatives. Jackie, any updates for NTDSC? >> No, I'll have one next month. Okay. >> And then Christine, any additional for PTA? Okay, perfect. Um, freedom of
018information. Regarding the Freedom of Information Act, I can report that there was one Freedom of Information Act received since the last board meeting and it was addressed. Um, we currently have do not have any submissions for information items and correspondence. And we will move on to public comment. At this time, I'd like to invite members of the audience to address the board and public comment. Public comment period is designed to gain input from the public and not for immediate response by the board to the questions or comments presented. If you wish to adjust the board, please come to the microphone, state your name. A threem minute time limit will be set. The board secretary will keep time. I close this. >> There were also no online public comments tonight and Mr. Leeka has made it,
019but we already heard all about the great things in the middle school, so we're glad you're here. >> All right. Um, our action items for today, adopt the 2025 tentative tax levy. Make it a motion in a second to adopt the 2025 tax levy. >> So moved. >> I'll second. >> And Mr. Far will um provide a brief presentation on the tax levy for all of you this evening. Thank you, Jeff, for putting this together for us. >> Very brief. Um, thank you everyone. So, every year we do the tenative levy in November and the final levy in December. Um, typically when we have our increases under 5%, which I'll get to in a second, but this is common practice for the district. Uh, this is a big deal for the district because 78% of
020our money comes from local property tax. If we include CPVRT, almost 86% comes from local local property taxes in um, corporate tax. So, this is a big deal for the district as it is the biggest ask that we have in the year as far as revenues go. The important distinction to make if you've ever have anyone come up to you and want to talk tax levy, which I'm assuming everyone does, right, Sash? No. Yeah. Tax levy is what we're asking for and we're limited by what we can ask. Tax extension is what actually is sent to the taxpayers and that's set by the county. We don't determine that. Uh the property tax extension limitation law limits how much we can ask to the lower of CPI or 5%. So this year's CPI is set at
021about 2.9%. So we're asking for 2.9% and new property is excluded from that, but we'll get that's a limited amount. So we're going to be right around 3%. Taxes are calculated. So we have the prior year's extension, which is the amount that we receive or will receive soon. Added CPI on top of that. And there's certain things that are excluded from that. But the gist of it is that we can only ask about CPI one plus CPI from the previous year. There's a historical look at CPI and where it's been. We had some lean years back in 15 and 16. Saw some spikes in 22 and 23 and again like I said it's 2.9% this year. Uh the projected next three years are based on a rolling average. What we're seeing right now for 26
022is about 3.2 but that's going to depend there's a lot of time to go until um that'll be settled in the next month and a half. These is the property valuation. The property valuation is a very complicated process. So, your property is valued. Uh, then it's equalized to bring it to one-third of the market value. Then it's Cook County at some. They really complicate things a great deal to make it really hard for you to understand. Um, so we have the EAV of the district, which is what's called our tax base. We have a healthy tax base because we have a lot of corporate we have a lot of corporate property in our district about 50%. And those are often assessed at a higher value. This year is the trienal reassessment in North Cook County,
023which means in 2025, all the property bill will be reassessed. In years like that, we've seen anywhere from a 10 to 18% increase in our EAV, which is good for the district because we're limited in how much we can ask. A spike in EAV will likely bring tax rates down. I say likely because the math, if it works out, that'll bring tax rates down. Here's a breakdown of our district. Again, a large commercial industrial tax base. There is a breakdown of Niles Township. Again, we don't have the final 2024 tax rates out. Again, we're waiting on that when the tax bills get posted. And 2023, the tax rates, and this will it'll be similarly this year as well, but we're the second lowest tax rate in the township. Uh Culver is below us, but at
0242.148, we have a very low cap tax rate. That's what's um within the tax cap. And then our debt service is in that non-cap. So at 2.319 total we are very low. The next lowest I believe is 68 at 2.762. There's a look at our EAV over the years. 2025 again we're projecting about a 10 to 11% jump because of the reassessment. The next three years are rolling average and again a jump in the next reassessment 2028. There's a look at the relationship between EAV extension and tax rate. And again, this is something that gets jumbled when people talk about is they think that the district is asking for more money. We are limited in what we can ask. It really is heavily dependent on the EAV and how the property is assessed in the
025county. There's a look at the timeline as you notice the big question marks there or the final tax rate report which we generally get in June or July and we still haven't received it. It's a big reason why our audit isn't completed yet either. We've asked for an extension so we're good with that. will likely have it in the next couple weeks which we'll present to the board in December. Uh the final levy will be approved in December and then submitted to the county clerk and then we'll start the uh the process again in the spring and our first tax bills if the if we get back to the traditional calendar we'll receive the first tax bills for the 2025 levy in the spring likely March or April. And there's a look at our ask
026for the year. Sorry about the crazy looking chart there but a 3.06% 06%. Uh the first column is what we actually extended this past year. The middle column is the levy. That's that that's the projection. We go up to 4.99%. The reason we go to 4.99% is because if we have to if we go 5% or above, we have to have a public hearing. Uh we've generally tried to stay below that in years, the CPI is under 5%. And the projected extension is what I project we're actually going to get, and it's that 3.06%. Uh again, that 4.99% is our capped extension. That doesn't include our debt. Um new property is a very small percentage. We've gotten very little new property in the last four to five years. Um I think what there was one
027year, I believe it was last last year, two years ago, we had zero new property in the district. Um it's an important reminder that the district's requesting money is not the driver of higher taxes. Again, talking point for everyone. And then the allocation of levy between funds. What we try to do is we try to ask for money based on our budgeted expenditures, but also to bring our fund balances in line with each other to make sure they're close to the same percentages and keep the same fund balance there. So, I'll balance everything out to make sure they're even or try to. And we also have on the website uh levy and tax bill calculations if anyone wants to figure out their tax bill fun. And that's it. There's any questions? uh zero property uh
028taxes the coming from because of the commercial or residential. This is zero. >> You mean the zero new property? >> Yeah, I mean it's it's typically because we don't have any build there's nowhere to build or we don't have commercial property also is like in the in the reassessment years we don't get a lot of change. Um and there's not much I mean in our district there's nowhere to really construct anything. We have everything built up here and we you know there's things that are being built right now but there's usually a one to two-year lag when they come on the tax roll. So there's some buildings on TUI some commercial property on TUI but we won't see that come on the tax bills till they're completed and then there's a little bit of a
029lag because it's new property so it'll be like two to three years probably. Okay. All right. Thank you everyone. Yes. >> Yes. >> All right. Um, next item is items for future consideration. Does anybody have anything? >> I have two, but do you have any? No. Okay. Um, just wanted to ask if we can revisit the seventh grade outdoor ed um, trip potentially something for them. Um, I know it was asked about the overnight stuff, but if we could do even like a day thing like the sixth graders, I think that'd be >> I just met with Miss Ree, our sixth grade filling shoes at Ly Massoff, which is a big a big thing. Yes. So, I just met with her to talk about it and we opened up the door to conversations with Camp
030Timberly to see what dates they have for like the the day trips. >> Okay. >> So, usually they fill the overnight trips with schools that do like the two nights. Uh and then they couple those with day trips and so we'll know what they have available. So, sure. Yeah. >> Okay. I think that'd be nice. And then the second um sorry, just to clarify, so I think what she's asking is can we do a day trip for sixth grade and for seventh? Okay. The sixth graders went last year. >> So they would be the same trip. >> Yeah. >> So that would be the same trip um to camp. >> They were seventh grade now. >> But can we establish like a sixth grade trip and a seventh grade trip? The eighth graders have like
031a beautiful year. >> They have a lot. But at least you know it I remember going to White Pines when I was here and I it was an amazing memory. I just feel like it's something that we should consider bringing back. >> Yeah. that team I I can speak with that team um the seventh grade team shifted from Springfield which was many years ago and then it was Springfield one day which was too much too long and then they did a like an exploration of Chicago based on culture uh and then they stopped kind of co and they haven't they haven't returned so I can bring it up for that team. Yeah, >> team is different. So they they probably lean on others that have gone to kind of talk about what Oh, a couple
032actually a couple of them were there. So they should they should remember what we did. So yeah, that might be that might be connected a little bit more than something like education. >> Yeah. Just so you know. So you're you're asking not necessarily for an outdoor ed trip, but for something that would connect to the curriculum for seventh graders. That would >> be so they can have something special. Eighth graders have special, sixth graders have it now, you know. >> Yeah. Yeah. seventh grade they go to they go to the Chinese acrobat show that's kind of their one staple because it's when they're doing that vision of the world in social studies um but that's the role so that so um something additional would be I'd be open to that with that team to see
033if they have ideas for sure >> anyone have any >> yeah that is true too >> if you if you can just see what the teachers feel or the kids I think Yeah, you see them in a different light in their >> um and then the second item I just wanted to circle back to the lunches. Um I know we're going to send out like a community um community survey just to kind of see how people feel about the lunches and whatnot. So just wanted to circle back to that. >> Yeah. So just the update since last month because it was brought up last month as well. you know, we're kind of at a a crossroads of, you know, we are members, we participate in the National School Lunch Program, which provides funding to our
034school to provide lunches. Um, and it really subsidizes those children that are free on the free or the reduced lunch. Um, so I think we need to look at the amount of money that comes from that, the district's budget, as well as potentially asking parents how much they're willing to pay. Um, and see how that all fits together. Because I think it's a little bit unfair to ask parents, what would you like the lunch program to look like? What do you want? If then the answer is going to be well that's great but the district only has this much to to put towards school lunches or you know this is the benefits of the school lunch program. So I think like I would like to get some of those financial questions answered and Jeff is
035already working on that um to kind of know like what we can ask parents about and you know without giving false hopes um of you know some grand changes um that may not be financial financially feasible at this moment. So, um, you know, I hear you. I I know that school lunch is always a hot topic. Um, and yet I just am really, I don't know, I struggle with putting a survey out, cart blanch, what do you want to change? When I know that there are financial ramifications that we need to consider and I think we should consider that first. So um so let us do that homework um and find out what we're talking about and in terms of the finances and then go from there. >> I think I know the answer. So
036is the funding that we get I imagine that there are sort of contingencies on what we need to offer and have in order to get that funding. Y >> the National School Lunch Program has a lot of rules and regulations that are intended and and they do serve a purpose in that the food being served to children is proportioned properly. It's health, you know, it has certain ingredients and nutrients and so it's very prescribed. So, you know, when a parent says, "Oh gosh, I wish we could have this." >> Sometimes we have to say, "No, it's not allowable with the National School Lunch Program." And then the parent will say to me, "Well, why do we do that?" Well, because there's a financial implication. So, it's it's a little more complicated than um just surviving
037people and asking them what they want. >> So, >> that makes sense. That's I I figured there was a funding and the guidelines >> and and just from an equity standpoint of, you know, we do have parents in the community that probably would be happy to pay any dollar amount for their kids to have, you know, really fun hot meals, whatever, you know, that they they want, but there are also parents in the community who can't. And so how do we kind of bridge that gap and so that all the children have the same opportunities? >> Is it around 30? I thought >> Jeff the percentage of students on free and reduced lunch at this point. >> Yep. 30 to 35. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Yeah. Thank you. >> All right. At this time,
038I will need a motion and a second to go into close session at 7:38 p.m. for the following matters, personnel matters. I have a motion in a second. >> So moved. >> Yeah. Okay. Board secretary, can you please take a roll call vote? >> Yes. Yes. Ser, >> yes. >> Sarah, sorry. >> Uh Diana Deak, yes. So, >> yes. Thank you everybody. >> Okay. Thank you everybody. They're going to go to close session. They'll come back briefly to adjourn the meeting. There won't be any action um because there's none listed on the agenda. Um so you know no need to to stay unless you want to visit with each other. Okay. Thank you. Have a happy week next week.