001I would like to call the December 17th, 2025 regular board meeting of the 15th Community High School District 100 board to order. May I have a roll call? >> Good. >> Yes. >> McCulla Miller >> here. >> Lewis >> here. >> Rozinski >> here. >> Figureroa >> here. We have a quorum. Please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge algiance 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. >> Sam, please read our Fenton mission, beliefs, and bison way statement. Absolutely. Fenton mission statement. Cultivate successful, passionate, empowered learners through rigor, relevance and relationships. Fenton belief statement. Successful, passionate, empowered learners thrive when we provide a safe, caring, and welcoming environment. Diversity, equity,
002inclusion unify our community. School and home collaborate as one. We champion innovative teaching and engaged learning with state-of-the-art facilities. We infuse social emotional learning into academics and culture. We prepare students to fulfill their civic responsibility. We immerse students in authentic life experiences. The Bison Way. Students and adults at Fenton High School create a safe, caring, empathetic environment where we believe in each other, respect diversity, communicate openly, grow together, and hold each other to high expectations to become the leaders and innovators of the future. Karen, do we have any public comments tonight? >> Yes, we do. As a reminder, public comments are limited to three minutes per speaker with a limit this evening of 30 minutes total. As a reminder, please address staff members and students by title and not by name to protect their privacy.
003>> Larry Angelone Good evening. Um, I have to assume that the board got the um the I had a conversation with the complaint manager. >> Excuse me, Mr. Analone. If your comments are about your workplace, this is not the form. If you are making a comment as a citizen about other thing that's going on, but as far as your employment with this district, this is not the form >> for that conversation. >> Where's the forum then? I've already completed the chain of command, exhausted all the things that you said I needed to do. >> This how do I talk to the board? Am I making an appointment with you right now to talk to the board? >> If it's if it's about your employment, it's through the staff and ex that's here. >> I've exhausted
004the staff. >> That's where that goes. >> I've exhausted the staff. Do you understand that? >> And the channels that are in place and the policies that are in place. >> Yes. I've exhausted all those. >> This is this is not a place for you to come and then your grievances. give me an alternative in which I can talk to the board, either set me up an appointment or whatever, >> but what I've got to say needs to be heard. >> This is not the form for you to come talk to come over your boss's head to us without going through the the channels that are in place. Now, in every workplace, there are decisions made about us that we don't always agree with, but we have to respect the decisions that are being made.
005I can't go to the governor and complain about my boss and my job. Just improper. Why would this situation be any different? >> Because I elected you people up there >> as a citizen of this community, not as an employee. Your role as an employee here is separate from your residence in this district. >> So if there's a chain of there's a chain of command and process. I hear what you're saying and I respectfully hear what you're saying, but there has to be an avenue in which you've exhausted the entire chain of command here in which the board can hear what's going on because the documentation that I got is inaccurate. Okay. It's flawed. It's filled with lies. You guys supposedly got a copy of it. >> And how do I address that? >> I
006I have a suggestion. Just a second. >> Okay. All right. You get you standing before here making a public comment gives us no hard documentation or anything to really act upon. If you want to go on a record and send us some personally, not personally, but through the through our email because our emails are listed on the for everybody to see. They're they're on the they're on the school website. how to contact us and how to communicate with us, document what you're saying, and if there's anything to it, that would be a better that would be a actually a proper channel as opposed to coming here and you can say anything. Anything can be said here. Go on the record with it. Put your name to it. >> Give us something hard. But this is
007this to complain or to do it in this fashion is is just improper. Go ahead, Sam. >> Yeah, I I I think from what I'm hearing, I agree with the suggestion that you're obvious you're referring to the uniform grievance which the board heard and was sent. >> I don't know if the board heard it. I don't I get no feedback of that. I don't even know if the documentation was given to them. I have nothing. >> Okay. Then what I'd recommend you do is you received that from the attorney on the board's behalf, take that and if you have issues with it, you can send an email to the board outlining your issues with it. You ask for an alternative. I think that's what President Lewis just offered is an opportunity to share that with
008the board. Um so that that's an alternative. Well, if the board policy, for example, the board policy, you talked to the complaint manager, correct? Now, why wasn't I able to confer with the complaint manager of the documentation, the discussion we had, okay, to to see the accuracy that the the communication that transpired in that office is accurate. So, that I don't even know where it goes. I don't know if it goes to the board, if it goes to the attorney, if it goes to the superintendent. I have no idea where this document's going to go. But it would sure have been nice that I would had been able and opportunity to me and Mr. Corandanda, he was to sit down, go over the document so I see what's in it because I have no idea.
009We just spoke. It was transpired. I never saw the document. I don't know where it goes. This is a flawed system. Do we really want to fix things here or do we I don't know if you got what I said in that document. All I know that the document I got from your attorney is completely inaccurate filled with lies and falsisms. Okay. Then then I the suggestion you ask for an alternative is take all these questions you had. This is not public discussion. So we're not going to dialogue back and forth on the topic. But what you can do if you want to speak directly to the board, email the board directly. Other citizens do that and then obviously, you know, we we're not going to have a board meeting on it, but they can
010read it and hear what you're saying and if there's questions, they can talk to me or individually reach out to you potentially. That's usually what happens. So, I think that's what President Lewis is suggesting you do. This this board has one employee that we hold accountable for everything that goes on in this building at this district. We got one employee. He's responsible for everything underneath it. >> I've heard what you've said. It's not like I need you to repeat it over and over again. I've heard exactly what you said and I clearly understand that. >> In the same way, >> but we need to redo our board policies. This board and the last board has given have allowed you extreme latitude. This has been going on for well over a year. We we allowed you
011we had no we let it go on but it's improper sir. It is just plainly it is improper. Well, then now you've been given an alternative. >> If there's if you have a direct issue, there's the problem with how our one employee is handling things here. There's there's a this ain't then send us documentation backing that up and we'll read it. We'll go through it. It's important because that's what we were elected to do. Give us something we can act on, not a statement you're making here. Give us document, something we can go through and hold him accountable to making sure it was handled properly and that is accurate. >> It's a shame that this board doesn't want to fix the problem. It really is a shame. There's a lot of people that have got
012up in that in that podium where you are at and spewed out things, spewed out opinions rather than fact. >> I'm well aware of that. I was there when I happen all the time. >> Now, we can corroborate, give us something, we can act on a document, we can go through, verify, whatever. So >> can I ask you as an employee >> that would be the proper channel? >> This process I went through with the complaint manager >> every single one of my complaints every single one of them were unfounded. >> Excuse me. Is that possible? >> We are not going to you've been we're not going to go through there's other >> workplace related discussion here. It's it's improper. >> That's your opinion. It's not. Thank you, sir. Our next item isformational, Sam. Okay.
013So, tonight we have uh quite a few variety of uh topics here. Tonight, we're going to look at some finances. We're going to introduce our new superintendent and waiting uh a board member vacancy, which we're looking to fill, and a few other items. But we're going to kick it off with financial projections with Rob Grossy. Some of you may remember Rob that have been to board meetings in the past. But uh he's a financial consultant. He travels the state of Illinois pro maybe other states too. But anyway, he's well known throughout Illinois uh because of the kind of insight he has, experience he has as far as um the way the way to look at finances from a holistic uh viewpoint and uh he's been with us over the years and provided great insight. So,
014we're going to turn it over to Rob and go through our financial projections. >> Thank you, Sam. Good evening, everybody. Merry Christmas. Um, so, um, so tonight, so for the last month or so, um, Doug and I have been putting together this document that you're going to see, but know that, um, the projections that you're going to see tonight are based on what I see as an outsider looking at your school district. I have the opportunity to work with a lot of school districts, uh, a lot of school districts that are really healthy. A lot of school districts like Evston who have struggled significantly and have major challenges. Um, I'm somewhat familiar with your district. I've been around off and on for about 10 years. Um, and about 10 years ago, the district had financial
015challenges. So, um, so feel free to ask questions at any time. So, I'm going to start with historical financial summary. So this is uh for the for the last eight years um excuse me nine years. The these are your um excluding capital activity. These are your revenues and expenditures. The blue bars are the revenues. Red bars are expenditures and revenue growth during this time period has been 3.5%. Expenditure growth has been 4.1%. And you could see and it'll be illustrated more on the next slide that the red is now higher than the blue. uh expenses are higher than revenues. So putting those two numbers together um this is your structural um surplus or deficit uh during the same time period. So zero is a balanced budget revenues minus expenditures. So the district through 2023 had
016growing surpluses um but in the last two two years uh those surpluses have now become deficits. So for your last audit, your expenditures excluding capital exceeded revenues for the first time since about 2017. So uh what are the primary reasons uh for the decline over the last two years? Um first of all on the revenue side um a couple things happened. Number one is for the entire state, the Illinois Department of Revenue made a calculation here and overpaid all taxing bodies. So, um, everybody, school districts included, received more than double of what they should have received. The Department of Revenue recognized they had an error after the 2023 year and started clawing back the error. So, corporate personal property taxes, which are taxes that corporations pay to Springfield and then they're distributed to schools based
017on a formula, um decrease from 4 basically 4.3 million in 23 to 1.8 million. So, that's a drop of uh 2.4 million approximately. Then on the uh then again all other school districts also received money for COVID relief called ESSER revenues and those revenues which were 858,000 and 24 went away just like with every school district. So nearly every school district has seen the the beginning of sort of a a cliff in terms of revenue uh received in the school district on the expenditure side. Um just pointing out four major categories. The district's out of district tuition has increased very significantly over the past few years. Um in 2023 is a little over three million. In 2025, the district was paying almost a million and a half dollars more than two years prior. And if
018you went back a couple years, that number was more like $2 million. uh debt payments uh debt payments were always around 739,000. That's for leases and things like that for copers, etc. Um that went up as the debt certificates started rolling onto the books and the district um had to start paying principal and interest on that. That started to phase in in 2024 and now the district is paying an extra about 2.4 million out of its budget to pay back that borrowing. So you primarily talk about the STEM wing, right? >> Yes. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> This Yes. The STEM wing. >> Um salaries and benefits have increased. You know, that's not a a major increase relative to what I see uh with other schools. It went up from 24.6 to a little over
01927. Transportation costs, almost all school districts have seen significant increases in in transportation, special ed transportation. Special ed by the way in nearly every district I work with has increased significantly postcoid and transportation is an aspect of that and um but in addition to that just in general transportation is going up. So in total over the last from 2023 to 2025 just in those categories expenses are $7.8 million higher than they were. Has anything been identified to explain the this the rapid jump in transportation costs? >> Well, for the districts that use um that outsource their transportation, the busing companies are having a huge labor problem. Well, even even the schools that have their own buses, uh people are going to work for Amazon and companies like that and delivering packages, making more money than
020delivering people. So, so it's it's it's bringing a lot of a the labor market in and of itself has shrunk, but for that particular service, um they're moving and and so now the busing companies are having to pay significant money to attract bus drivers and then in the private and then for school districts and some school districts I work with that have their own busing, those bus drivers are going to work for these companies because now they're paying more than the school districts. So it's a supply and demand issue on labor that's that's causing that's the one of the pime and that's one of the primary causes of transportation in general and then special ed transportation because school districts can't find um services to provide to deliver uh like some schools I work with are
021paying like essentially the the the equivalent of Uber drivers $100,000 a year to bring one student or two students from 30 mi away into their school district uh or or or into the the service area that they're going to. Um these are these are expenses that uh the district absorbs. Um they have to absorb it and unfortunately the state of Illinois doesn't reimburse them very much for those expenses. >> That's what I was going to say. We've heard this through other superintendents. The reimbursement rates are declining. >> They are. >> So I guess >> Yes. >> Well, this is almost more of a question for for Dr. Wild chair. I thought year two ago we'd actually worked a deal out. >> Talking to you, Mike. >> Oh, I thought a year or two ago, we'd
022actually worked a deal out with some of the other uh school districts here to share uh uh routes and stuff. I hoped we'd yield some benefits from that, but >> this is from this is the first year we did implement that. So, this We probably haven't seen the fruits of that necessarily like but potentially could help. >> Yeah, I was >> Yeah, the the hope is that with our transportation with doing some consolidation of those routes from from this summer, the hope is that we'll we'll see a decrease in our in our transportation expenditures for the 26 school year. >> And this is mostly labor. You you say >> it's primarily labor. Yes. >> Because that gas is going down, >> right? >> All right. Good point. >> Yeah, >> buses have gone off. >>
023What? >> Buses have gone off. >> Gas has gone. >> We bought a couple buses last year, I thought. But cruise. >> It's primarily labor. >> All right. Um and then in addition to that, um the district has invested approximately $33 million over that that this nine-year period. The district used fund balance reserves for its water mitigation project and did the debt certificates for family. Um so uh the surpluses and deficits and capital investment all impact fund balances. So this is the district's historical fund balances. This is a start of some relevant slides I'm going to show you. Um in 2017 you had 249 days of fund balance reserve. The state of Illinois recommends a minimum of 180 days to if you want to receive the highest profile score from their rubric that measures financial
024strength of a school district. The district peaked in 2022. You had 351 days, almost a year's worth of reserves and a decision was made at that time to use some of those reserves for the water mitigation project. Um but you could see that since that time days of reserve are starting to decline as the district was again fund using some fund balance reserves for the water mitigation project and then now that in 2025 we have the deficit that brings fund balances down. So now we're down to 240 days worth of reserves um at the end of June 2025. So, before I get into the specific um projections for this school district, just generally, and I think it's important that that you hear this, um I'm very concerned and most of the people I work with
025are very concerned that every area of a district's revenue source, local, state, and federal, are going to experience a fiscal cliff. Generally speaking, the last five years have been the best year. I've been working with schools for a long time. The best five years ever for schools financially. CPI was 5% two years in a row, which helped taxes tax revenues. Um the evidence-based funding for those districts that get it, that's been growing a lot. Um everything's lined up and now I now it seems like we're trending back down towards what's being called a fiscal cliff. Uh on the local revenues uh first of all precoid the 10 years before COVID CPI averaged 1.75%. So 80% of your money comes from real estate taxes. So 80% of your money grew at 1.75%. Between 2024 and 25
026uh 2022 and 24 that was almost about 4 and a.5%. That's trending back down. Your board's going to be asked to approve a levy of 2.9% tonight. Tonight, uh you could see it's trending down 5% 5% 3.4 2.9 uh and that's trending down. So your your largest revenue source for everybody is mostly going to go down. Corporate personal property taxes, as I mentioned, is recalibrating and interest rates are starting to decline as the Federal Reserve starts taking action to lower rates. on the state side and this is something I'm very concerned about since 2001 the state of Illinois only had one balanced budget ever and I mean dur during that entire time period between 2000 and precoid um and the deficits were multi-billion dollars at the end the district owed um roughly 6 to8 billion
027dollars in outstanding bills they were paying hundreds of millions of dollars in penalties and even in 2020 I received a call from ISBY asking what it would look like if they cut funding to education by 32%. That's how bad things were. Um then COVID hit and for and and and and for all the bad that co the bad of CO financially it's it saved the it saved the state and provided good value to the school. So the the the state of Illinois received billions of dollars, paid off their bills, increased funding to education, and you could see on the left that they actually started running a surplus. Well, now with now that ESSER money, just like with schools, is gone, but their budget is now significantly higher. So the governor's office itself is projecting now
028that deficits are going to go back to the multi-billion dollar level. >> Is that the graph on the lower right, the projected? Yes. That's projected from the governor's office. >> So the left is actual, the one on the right is projected. >> Yes. >> Okay. >> And and and and this is really important because historically the state has been able to kick the can down the road. They issued bonds. They they didn't pay their bills. I don't think those avenues are going to be around allow around available anymore because the district's credit rating, the state's credit rating was was close to junk status. It's the worst in the country. And um it's it's a pos I don't think they could go uh significantly towards that route. Again, what it means to this district for Fenton
029for Fenton School District, you don't really rely on state revenues. So if they freeze state, if they freeze evidence-based funding, that means nothing to your school district. It means a lot to some of the other districts I work with, but it means nothing to this district. But if they cut funding to education, it's districts that match the profile of Fenton that they're going to go after uh in some form or another. Now, that's not built into my projections, but it's something to keep on the back end of the radar. >> Yes. >> Uh a couple of slides ago, you had the you had the top revenue line that was uh state and it was going from Yeah, there it is. That uh going from four million to >> that that's just corporate taxes. Well, >>
030yeah. >> Corporate tax revenues. >> Corporate state. >> Explain that to me. >> Sure. There there's a revenue source. It's it's it's corporations pay a certain percentage of their income, right, >> to the state of Illinois. >> Yeah. Regular. Okay. >> Illinois Department of Revenue. Yep. And and then it's distributed. It's actually called local, it's called called local revenues because they used to pay the local communities directly and then now it goes through the state. 1975 they changed it and now it gets distributed to the schools. Th this is no longer the 1.8 is is the norm for your school district. That's that's what it was before they made the mistake. >> So this go so we at one time we always got 1.8 eight. And the reason is it really looks like a decline,
031but it isn't is because this they're they're getting taking their money. They're taking their money back. >> Yeah. If they paid if they paid correctly those couple years, you're you're every district would look a little bit worse during those 2022 and 23 audits. >> Okay. So, so this is this is to me is an alarming. So, this is evidence-based funding which used to be called general state aid. And for you people that are old like me, um the there were 10 years in a row where the state didn't increase funding to schools. The foundation level was 6,119. It was flat. They were even prrating money because they didn't have enough money. Well, you could see that with evidence-based funding, which has helped a lot of districts, they've gone from $4 billion a year to $8.5
032billion a year. That's the annual evidence-based funding. Well, now with this with the money that was partially being used to pay this going away, the question is how are they going to pay for this? Because it's the the budget's way more than it was precoid and the resources have gone away, but the expenditures have not. So that's why the pro there's a a a possibility, I'm not calling it a probability yet, uh that that this could have some impact down the road for all school districts that are tier three, tier four in the school formula. And then on the federal side, we don't know. That's a that's a big uncertainty. Um, right now it looks most likely that what's happening with the Department of Education is that the the bureaucracy part is is trying to
033go away, but the funds like your major funds like Title One and IDA, which is special ed, are going to go straight to the schools. Um, but of more of a concern is that the federal government, excuse me, the state relies on federal funds as well, and Prrisker and Trump don't get along too well. So, I don't don't know if you knew that. And um so so we so if if some federal money is pulled from the state that's going to exasperate that's the right word um their financial condition because they only have 28 days of reserves state of Illinois. So now again these aren't baked into these projections. These are possibilities that could happen. So maybe next year they become realistic possibilities but now at this point they're not. So, so the format is
034a little off the again 76% of your money comes from uh real estate taxes. So CPI is the major driver of your revenue growth. Um we're projecting uh well the 2000 for the levy tonight 2.9%. Uh right now the 2026 levy is trending around 2.8 and we're projecting it's going to go back to 2.4. Interest earnings were projected to decline. evidence-based funding, you only get $2,000 more a year. That's easy to project. And state and federal grant revenues, you don't get an increase there. So, collectively, um, I'm I'm projecting the likely scenario that your revenues are going to grow 2.4% during the ne during the projection period. On the expenditure side, roughly twothirds of your money comes from salaries and benefits. That's normal for school districts. uh and that's the main driver of your of
035your um of your expenditures. But you have a couple of other expenditures out there like tuition that are becoming more and more significant. Uh in terms of the assumptions that we use for these projections, uh we are anticipating 17 teacher retirements during the projection period. So that'll help. Uh we're projecting health insurance uh premiums to go up uh which make up a major portion of employee benefits. So employee benefits going up 5.3%. Uh the district's going to spend on average, this is in not including your major capital, 340,000 on building maintenance and 125 on non-c capitalapitalized equipment. Those are historical averages. Uh the district will spend 8.5 million to complete existing projects and the remaining 5 million of capital fund reserves uh after that will be play uh paid for in with additional projects during
036the projection period. out of district tuition is going to increase six percent this year which would be a lot slower. Um and then 3% thereafter maybe that's optimistic I don't know and then all other expenses increasing about 3%. All that together has revenues expenditures going up 3.4%. So if if revenues grow 2.4 and expenditures grow 3.4 mathematically things are going to get worse. Um, and that's concerning because your district's going into this scenario, which which I'm calling the likely scenario of expenditure growth higher than revenue growth. Let me add a caveat. Back up for a second. Within the assumptions is no reduction in staff. So, that's a lever that the district will have that could change these numbers, but we wanted to show um the picture of what it would look like if we did
037nothing and then that would create the magnitude of what needs to be done to stabilize this thing. But without that action and without other action, we're projecting the district's uh deficits to to grow beyond the 2025 number. And if that happens, the district would break through the 180day number u sometime after the 2027 fiscal year and would only have 41 days of reserve left after FY31, which is unsustainable. Um so uh so it it it shows a picture that um kind of to me provides a mandate that something has to be done to get this thing you know start focusing on this to stabilize it. Um just real quick alternate. So there's a realistic worst case realistic best case. So it's not worse or best. If CPI stays a little higher at like 3% which
038is about what it's at now. Um, and if salaries grow a little bit less than we're projecting and expenditures or CPI goes a little bit lower than what we're expecting, there's there's a realistic worst and best case scenario. So the blue the blue uh dots are the reur projections that you saw earlier likely projections. But there is a scenario even under realistic. So if CPI goes to three 3% CPI is good for your district. It's bad personally good for your district. uh in if inflation stays at 3% you you'll do all right but you're still going to be deficit spending it's just a stable deficit um but under but if CPI drops back down to pre-COVID numbers like 1.7 or 2% that makes this situation uh even worse and then this would be what would
039happen to fund balances uh recommendations for recommendations uh make major decisions with the goal of ensuring annual expenditures do not exceed annual revenues uh get back to balanced budgets. That should be an objective if possible. Um the district uh to ensure balanced budgets throughout the projection period, it would need to look at um a combination of a reduction in expenditures or an increase in revenues of $5 million. Um if this cannot be achieved with without impacting student learning because that's the most important thing uh the district will have to consider revenue enhancements. Uh number two identify operational efficiencies within the budget as soon as possible as the first major step to slowing expenditure growth. So the good news is the district does have fund balance reserves and has time to stabilize the district without shocking
040the system. Um, so, uh, for a district like this, you you start looking at things like if somebody retires, ask the question, do we need to fill that position? Those types of, uh, thoughts should be, uh, um, being considered starting with next year's budget. Um, rightize staffing levels to adjust to declining enrollment. Declining enrollment gives the district a little bit of an opportunity to reduce expenditures without impacting student learning. uh look at ways to deliver out of district tuition services in a more cost-effective manner. Again, this is something that a lot of school districts are trying to come up with a solution to provide equal or better quality services at a lower price. Um and examine more efficient ways to deliver non-instructional services such as building maintenance and pupil transportation. always the last round of
041projections should be to imp in the classroom impacting the kids. Uh third, consider issuing bonds to address both current and future major capital investment with the objective of preserving fund balance reserves. I know the district attempted to do that a couple times and it failed. Uh but the state of Illinois has subsequently passed legislation recognizing that schools have have life safety concerns that you know that affect the health and safety of the kids and school districts can issue that and it doesn't count against that limits. So if project if capital is identified as a life safety that's something to consider and then continue to make financial decisions within regularly updated financial projection model. Um I I used to do this every year for the school district. Uh it's a good idea to do that or
042if something major happens. Um and then we could see if the action taken by the board is is working or we could see what's happening in the outside landscape to see if we need to do more or less. So it's a lot I talked about and I apologize for being long-winded, but that's that's uh that's kind of what I see for this district at this point. Any questions for Rob? >> A lot to digest. >> Okay. Thanks, Rob. Just just hang around because we're going to talk a little bit more financial. So, >> of course, >> maybe eat a cupcake or something and be available if uh goes right to my need to. Yes. >> Right. >> Thank you. Thanks a lot. >> Thank you. >> Uh good evening Dr. Benson, Mr. Lewis, the board
043and community members here. Um thank you again Mr. Gross for providing uh some of the financial projections and uh Rob has been great to work with sharing sort of our information and in the previous past and trying to identify some future options to to try to continue to do all the the great things that we're doing here within Fenton as well as trying to get ourselves in in the best fiscal as well as instructional environment as we possibly can. To sort of piggyback off of what Mr. Gross was talking about. Again, we do have all of uh those financial projections in front of us, but we still also do have uh facility um improvements to consider and maintain and upkeep. Um and what we wanted to talk through briefly is even within some of these
044uh financial constraints that we have, we do have some financial options that we can consider um to continue to improve on on our facilities. we we don't have to um sacrifice necessarily one thing for another. So with our facility improvements, uh we've used our architect firm STR. Um they've conducted multiple facility assessments for us for various reasons to prepare for our referendum back in in 2020. Um they've also completed our health life safety audit in 2021. Um they provided us an updated facility assessment after we we completed the water mitigation, stadium uh renovations, the stem weighing additions to provide us some uh additional assessments of or improvements to our facility. And then most recently uh again this year we asked them to provide us uh some facility assessments of of pricing and potential costs to
045to um various areas. Those areas include uh mechanical, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofs, parking lots, classrooms, uh athletic facilities, hallways, essentially the entirety of of our campus. U on the low end, these projects and the facility assessments, STR has identified about $40 million worth of work on sort of the low end and then as high as 100 million. Uh again, these are numbers that sort of started in 2020 when we as a district we were looking at um the referendum. And so those places are are still wants and needs uh for for us as a district and what we're doing as an admin team and sort of taking that that giant list of facility improvements and administratively trying to prioritize what are what are the wants, what are the needs, what are the most highly impactful
046things for our students, our staff, and our community. As uh Mr. GCI alluded to and we've talked uh to the board about this throughout the the budget process, the levy process, the the stemwing edition. By the end of this fiscal year, we'll have spent about $8.5 million on the finishing touches to the stemwing edition, which will leave us with around $5 million of remaining money in fund 20, which is the capital project fund to do on other facility improvements. We don't have the ability to take that money. We just saw the financial projections. Can we just move that money from fund 60 to pay um our operations or pay our teacher salary? The answer is no. We borrowed that money from ourselves um our future selves to fund capital improvement projects. So, we have to
047continue to use that 5 million on capital improvement projects. There are other funding options. Not saying any of these are uh good, better, best at this moment. It's just as the the business manager and the the financial steward and the treasurer. It's my duty and responsibility to at least provide you the options that are in fact available. Um referendum, I I understand that that is something that we have gone through multiple times. Um not necessarily something that we're interested in considering, but that is a a funding option u for for the board. We can again we saw the financial projections. They're not ideal but we could shift uh additional local funds through levy process and and things like that to move money from the education fund operation of of transportation etc. And we could move
048and levy more money into operation and maintenance. So pay paying for some of these fiscally improvements out of local funds. Again not necessarily ideal because as because as Mr. Gross alluded to, we don't want to take necessarily uh funds that that are supporting teaching and learning and move it to facility improvement. U another option that Mr. Gi alluded to is a relatively new option that many school districts uh especially a school district such as ours where we have not been successful in passing a referendum. If we have facility improvements that are deemed health and life safety um priorities, we can issue what's called a life safety bond. Uh this would be uh giving us an a funding source, a borrowing ability where we could borrow money to pay for life safety needs within within um
049within the the district and and within our grounds. >> Yes, sir. on this life and safety bond. Is that like a something that can be issued without voter approval? >> Yes. >> And then that would add to the tax bill, the real estate tax bill. >> Yes. >> What is the funding limit on something like that? >> There's there is no funding limit on a life safety bond. >> 60 million. >> You could go to life and safety bond for 60 million. >> We could. Yes. If if so, how that would work, we'd have to and and I'll explain this a little bit more in the next slide, but what we would have is our life safety audit that was completed in 2021, we would have that amended and we'd have either our architects or
050a construction management company reassess our life safety needs. Typically, pre this new change in 2024 with the these life safety bonds, many architects who needed to complete the 10-year life safety audit did not put a lot of life safety needs on the the health life safety audit because once that's there, the district is responsible to complete and address those things in a 10-year period. So, in 2021, when STR, again, if you recall, we were in the middle of working on a referendum. They put a handful of items that that were in life health and life safety needs in that health life safety audit. >> So now we're on the hook >> for 1.5 million. >> Yeah, it's under 2 million and we've been slowly working chiseling away at it. Yeah, exactly. But items that they
051did not include that could qualify would be things like roof repairs, parking lots, trip and slip and fall hazards, um, uh, HVAC piping, updating bathrooms to to modern code, et, for HVAC. Is it working yet? >> Last I knew, we still had some bugs. the the for you're referencing the contract for with IBS the the the BAS system >> says yes >> yeah so that that work is towards getting the software to align with the current the current technology the the the h the um the um actuators and the unit vents and the the heating elements and the cooling elements that equipment has not been updated but the software to manage those air handling units, those those items, those are still, you know, can be almost original to the building. >> Thought the 850 was
052going to include hardware and software. >> It is, but as the software is updated, as we're looking at what's happening, it's identifying some issues within the HVAC system, like a valve that's not working or something that's not a vent that's not opening, closing. So, we're trying as soon as that those are identified, we're trying to repair those. So, that's like what we talked about last time when they came in. >> I don't I don't mean to digress too much, but I know we just spent I thought some serious money on a system that's not yet working related into HBAC. >> Um, that s what we paid for was a monitoring system >> and a system that made what we did have more efficient. Yeah, >> it did nothing to address >> other hardware type issues
053that existed throughout the building that's still there. If you recall and go back >> when we did the referendum, $40 million was identified and necessary just to address HVAC and all of the things he just mentioned. So that system just helped us to better account for what's going on. It didn't fix the problem. >> Compared to your house, think of what we did is your thermostat. >> Yeah. There you go. >> All it is is the thermostat, but it's the thermostat for the whole building and all 40 HVAC. >> I won't I won't just I won't disute that. There's probably some some mismatches between the old old stuff that we have and new stuff we're trying to put in, which is kind of summarizing it. But it's my my point ultimately is whoever sold this
054to us said it was going to work. >> Well, it works. >> The parts, but it didn't replace any air handlers. It didn't replace any HVAC units. It's just making all the units talk and it's helping us find problems. It's fine-tuning it, but it didn't fix the bigger issue. It's just making what we have work more efficiently. All right. And helping us find problems before they become critical. >> The last thing I heard that it certainly had some bugs. Yeah, that's not very sophisticated, but >> No, you're I mean, everyone's >> I think we're kind of on the same page, but it it is identifying some work that still needs to be done >> and we're doing that and it's real slow progress. It's not >> it's not a quick process that we're going through.
055>> All right. All right. All right. And to tie back to what you your original question. So if uh we identify those life safety concerns, we amend our life safety audit and the architects or whoever conducts that that life safety audit for us. If they identify $5 million worth of work, we could issue a $5 million life safety bond. If they identify $60 million worth of work, we could issue a $60 million life safety bond. >> Okay? And of course then the state has to approve it. >> Correct. >> So that's the other part of it. >> Just checking. >> Thank you. >> Um another piece to at least share with the board again making sure that we provide as many opportunities to you. There are some alternative options uh that can u potentially show
056show some financial savings to us. also provide a little bit of of more of a timely um opportunity for us to respond to some of our life safety needs or our facility improvement needs. We have historically used our architect firms and then their construction managers in this case STR and Gil Bane to develop design bid and build projects. So we go to the architect uh STR, we ask them to design a a solution for us. Water mitigation uh stadium stem wing. They design this. Then they put together that design, present it to us, present it to you as a board. You approve the design. Then they send that project, that entire package out for bid to get the lowest most responsible bids for all of the various um elements of work with Gil Bane as
057a construction manager. And then after those bids have been presented to you as a board and you approve those bids, then the project um gets underway and and build. There's new Illinois statute that again, similar to the life safety audit uh changes. There are abilities for municipalities such as the school district to enter in what are called governmental joint p purchasing acts where we can sort of bypass the design bid build and move solely to a design build um capacity. So we are a part of uh Omnia Partners which is an educational purchasing co-op uh where we can take public center us as a public sector entity. We can work with individual businesses who offer pre-negotiated competitive contracts for various projects such as things like what we're looking at doing in here. And two examples
058of companies are Opera and M Midwest Mechanical who we have met with and we've kind of talked through some of these things and companies like this are willing and able to do this type of work for us. >> Well, I I got to have we used this service before. >> We have not. So you said STR then is eliminated from the process. >> Right. If we go with a design build, we don't go with STR and then we don't have Gil Bane. Now, if we're talking about a smaller project like let's say the auditorium for example and some of the work in there, then you know it's not STR does not do their designs and Gil Bane wouldn't be here. Now, of course, Gilbane's not going to be here anyway, right? It's a small project.
059But what this one of what these companies do is they basically will take it all into account and come up with a price that this is the price. So no surprises. They put in this is what the price is going to be. If for some reason they find issues that go along the way, it just it's still the price. So, there's some stability, there's some predictability, and you don't have to necessarily go through the bidding process, which takes time and money. And and just real quick, then I'll So, for example, Midwest Mechanical, their specialty is HVAC. >> So, that's like their bread and butter. So, if we do an HVAC project, then they would use their own people, let's say, and then they'll give you that that price and then we kind of take it
060or leave it and then we go from there. >> Okay. Well, then particularly mechanical stuff, it's not like I have to worry about too much whether I want I how much eye appeal I want designed into something because it's all behind the walls and everything else anyway. >> Correct. And if they've got in-house designs and you know you expect them to have a pretty good idea what to do that certainly seems to be way to streamline the process and ultimately just just on the just on the work I would hope would yield you know some savings in that regard if they're all doing it within the same four walls. Now, on top of that, I think I might be won't get invited to lunch next year, but there's 10% off the top from STR, right?
061>> Correct. >> And then Sam can >> the >> um Sam would be to Panera or I don't know. >> I I got a question though. How long has this been available as an option? Because I don't remember this. This has got to be fairly new. went into effect uh January 1st of 2024. >> That's why. Okay. So, this is very new. Yes. >> Okay. This is a nice option for us. This could yield some pretty good savings. >> Yes. The as Dr. Benson was alluding to with with a a process such as using an Opter Midwest Mechanical, we we ask them, we want to uh again do an auditorium update. We meet with their team. They meet with us. We designed We tell them what we would like to get done. Yeah. They take
062that information. They take it to again their a part of a educational co-op which has all pre-arranged and pre-negotiated contracts. It's all fair labor. All of the the checks that are qualified under Illinois code. They come back to us and say, "Here is the price of the project." >> We bring that price to you as a board. >> You approve that. Then they immediately start working whenever we tell them. we don't have to go to. They give us a design, they give us an estimated price, then we say yes, and then they go back and they send it out to bid. What happens if they underestimated what the the price would be? Those bids come back. You then vote no, and then it's scratched. For a place like Opter or Midwest Mechanic or any of
063these educational purchasing co-ops, they come they come to us with X dollar amount for this project. you you come back and you tell me as a as a CSBO, too much, figure out a way to shave some money off of that project. I simply go back to them and say, "We're going to cut X, Y, and Z. Give us an updated price." I bring that back to you as a board. You approve it, and then they begin working on it. >> Well, I like I like the efficiency of the dollar spend here. Um, >> yeah. >> Go ahead. I'm done. The quality of of a project is really relying upon a quality assessment of needs. My concern with this design build is it put more on administrators to identify and assess need when it's kind
064of out of out of your purview. How does this not end up being like a car mechanic? I show up and tell my water pump bad, "Okay, I'll just fix your water pump and ignore what I know to really be right wrong." But I gave you what you asked for. How do districts assess need? Because that's the most important part of a design bill is correctly and thoroughly assessing need. How do we account for that if we're going to take away STR and those type companies that that provide that service to the district? >> Not to to diminish STR um >> any other company who I'm just I just use them as an example. >> STR is also providing us a recommendation on the things to fix with the intended goal of hopefully procuring that
065contract. So they're they're selling something for us to buy. >> Absolutely. >> The for us as a as a leadership team, what we intend on planning on doing and and what we have begun doing is working with Kate and and the building admin team, working with Jose and Carl and and Dr. Benson and obviously you as a board to identify some of the universal needs that we all believe will are are imperative for improving and maintaining highquality teaching and learning. We bring those to you as what we have identified as facility needs. We don't necessarily have to take Midwest Mechanicals recommendations or STRs or Opteras or any of these companies. If they're if they see what we see and those line up, that to me is a a good indication that what they're selling is
066also what we're looking to buy. If if that makes sense to use that analogy. >> Well, I'm concerned about that because they are new kids in the block. >> Mhm. >> Okay. Um, I'm seeing a lot of those and fail. >> Uh, could be a marvelous idea, but I prefer to be more calm to be patient. And we got a big building that we need to take care. And I don't want to spend $100 million and later on it's going to be a damage and we need $200 million to fix. I guess my concern too ain't necessarily who builds it. >> Yes. >> It's it's the assessing part that I'm most concerned with. I can I know that, you know, my car don't work, >> but that's all I know. >> Right. >> I'm relying
067upon someone to tell me X, Y, and Z. This needs to be done and fixed. >> You're right. And that's that's the part of it that I'm most concerned with to assuring that >> what what should get done is what's actually being fixed, not what I tell you the problem with. Cuz >> yeah, it it it makes sure it makes a lot of sense. >> How do you how does the district ensure that that assessment part is still being done >> even with the design bill? >> Right. And so what to avoid something like that, what we were talking about is maybe start with a single project, you know, we mentioned the auditorium. Let's just say hypothetically air conditioning in the front gym or whatever that may and and the two and the field and
068the uh fitness center and the dance studio. So let's just say we go with that project. That's a pretty contained project >> that it it not it's within like if it's with Midmass Mechanical, it's within their realm. So there's not a ton of assessments. It's just has to do with that. Shouldn't be that complicated. Uh to Reed's point, not we don't need dynamic architectural >> Yes. >> You know, stunning views or anything. and and I thought Gil Bane did an excellent job here, but the reality is, you know, they're they do big projects. They're not, you know, going to help us with that. And so when Carrie was talking about administrators trying to figure a lot of this out, we're obviously trying to work on other things, but they do provide some oversight of the
069building process and there are subcontractors. They provide some oversight other than just Carl. So, I think kind of we don't want to like go huge right off the bat, but maybe try a project out that that the board and the administrative team are like, "Yeah, we really would like to do this and and go from there." So, maybe that's sort of a way to test the waters. >> Yeah, I I like Sam's I like Sam's comments. And the and the followup is now I I get Midwest Mechanical. That's like they kind of tell me what they do in their name. But what is an optter? >> Optera, now I do not have the acronym in front of me, but Optera is an energy uh they're an energy conservation, energy efficiency organization. So similar in in
070the MEP, the the mechanical, electrical, plumbing, that's their bread and butter is also in the world of trying to find energy efficiencies. Let me let me ask this >> D. If if we're looking at a project and and want to make sure that, you know, we're going to get what we need done correctly, you know, no fluffy add-ons or any of that kind of stuff. I mean, you could do the same thing you could do with your car. You take it to one guy and say, "What do I need?" you know, if you don't like his number, you take it to somebody else and see what they see what they say and, you know, see who's blowing smoke. So, we've got we have the same options, right? >> We we currently have it from STR
071and both of these companies would be willing to do a full facility audit. >> Yeah. Right. With these guys >> with both Opera and Midwest Mechanical to identify. So, we have STR's information of our facility needs. We can ask both of these companies to do the same. See who identifies what. See who identifies >> align with you whatever you're talking about before. >> Correct. >> So there is some way to double check, so to speak. >> Correct. >> So really this is another option we have. It's a newer option. It cuts one step out. You save a million here, you save a million there. Eventually we're going to do >> you start talking real. >> So I mean it's nice to know we have an option. And I think I agree. I mean this is
072new. We got to try and digest this. But some of these smaller projects, you know, if we can execute them a little faster, save a few steps, save some money here, save some money there, ultimately it adds up. Yeah, I'm not ready to say, let's redo the whole building based on this by no means, but I think I agree those littleer projects that we can take care of that we can save some money here, save some money there, it all eventually adds up. It's just nice to know we have another option. And in my past world, I needed to buy a vehicle. Well, this is a state purchase vehicle. Well, I don't need to go out for bid. I save a whole bunch of steps. Just Yeah, I go buy it. You're just you're you're
073the sole supplier. Here you go. Here's my check. Give me my my vehicle. I'm off. So, it's nice to know we have these options now outside of that realm with mechanical, with plumbing, with other things. So, it's it's a good tool to have. It's a good tool to have, but it's a lot to digest. >> Yeah, >> it's a lot. >> And there's no action taken clearly. It's just getting getting out there to start thinking about. >> You got to start looking ahead. You say they've been in existence since for a couple of years now. >> This the the um the health life safety u bond issuance that has been in play for a little over >> I mean the design bill >> the design build option has been has been in in play for
074for two years. These other companies have been around for much longer. I know you're doing your due diligence. >> Just continue with that. um if there's other districts that's >> Mhm. >> who's who you utilized them. >> Yeah. >> I mean just continue doing the reach out get as much information as possible >> and I'll I'll close with the the the last portion of this is as a and again there is no action. This is justformational. if if we were looking at sort of a recommendation and we've all sort of been talking about that portion over this discussion. Um and again we wouldn't do anything without board approval and and further talks and etc. Uh but the recommendation would be uh as Mr. Gross had pointed out, if we have facility um needs within the
075building, we we certainly do have that that $5 million in in fund60. But if we do have those items that that aren't necessarily they're vital and needs to the the infrastructure, roofing, plumbing, things of that nature, u that would address health life safety needs. we we issue u an amendment to our health life safety uh audit. Uh again, one of these companies, for example, at Midwest Mechanical, um they in theory would identify many of the facility um assessment needs that SDR had identified for us. We would then take that dollar amount. We would issue a life safety bond. Again, this would require board action for whatever dollar amount. Uh then that would be uh relayed to the taxpayer. So, similar to what we did back in in 2015 and 2016 to renovate the the front
076um office area, the front building and and the the security vestibule different than the the 2324 stem wing where this would be a a bond issuing to the taxpayer where the debt certificates are bond issuance where we have to pay back the the bill via fund balances. Um, we use those 5 million for some of those other facility improvements that are the the wants, not necessarily the needs. Um, and then we use a company like one of these procurement companies. Uh, start small. We we do not have to do all of the things that we've identified. We can start one by one individual projects, assess their their worth and assess their value to us. And then if if we agree that um this is something that would would is continuing with a partnership that we
077we both benefit from, we could then use do another project and another project etc. >> So to reiterate these are intertwined in a way because if we decide to move forward a life safety bond that would impact maybe what you're spending the 5 million on that we already have. So that's that's why they're connected. if if we choose not to do the life safety bond then again that 5 million takes on a different lens quite quite frankly. So just some things to think about. This is probably something that we would come back to uh after you know you think about it and we kind of see what the next steps might be with the >> with revising facility and finance meeting where we can have a little more depth a little more time. you could
078bring some more suggestions, a little more for us to digest. Yeah, this is a lot of new information. I think it's going to take time to to settle and I think little bites of this apple can go a long way. >> And and we do just to reiterate, I know this has been a a thing that we have talked about in in the past. We have no timeline obligation to get any of this work done. We've we've completed all of the steps required to spend. So that five million in fund 60, it it's not burning a hole in our pocket that we need to spend it. >> If I'm correct, we we >> I thought we did have a time frame on using that 5 million though. >> We we needed to to spend up
079to at least 85% of the money we borrowed within the first 3 years after we borrowed it. We have met that. Correct. >> President Lewis is correct. There was in past years some talk about having two years or so to spend that money, but Rob's still here. >> You with us, Rob? Okay. So, that 5 million in essence, since we spent over the 85%, what Doug's telling us is, you know, we don't have a time limit on how to spend that. So, >> everything has been said. >> Okay, good. >> We just need to spend it appropriately. So, hold off on five million. Oh >> the other staff turn on your mic. >> It was on with the with the design bill does >> of course that means we can have quicker startup time for
080projects. >> Correct. >> Okay. >> Quicker. Yeah. And if there there's no such in in a design bid build, I know this is a a small thing, but it's not when we start looking at this. Throughout the projects for the water mitigation and the stem wing, there were a number of times when we wanted to make a change order and then we we have to pause and we have to bring that to the board and and then we're subject to whatever pricing that subcontractor >> in a design build. You bypass that bid process where if we did need to make a change, we just immediately speak with them. They give us if it's within the scope of the project, there's no change to the price or anything like that. If there's an additional cost, if
081we wanted to veer left on something right away, they would just give us an in a projected cost. We'd bring it to the board. You approve and then they just do it. >> I have a question. Well, that means that during this last project, for instance, when we had to stop and get approvals or do whatever we had to do administratively, we injected inefficiencies into the process and that probably cost us more money in the long run. >> Correct. >> Yeah. the the change orders. Again, you think of uh your personal home. If you built a home and then in the middle of the construction, you wanted to update those countertops. That's when the those construction managers get you because now they're going to upsell you on that price in that change order. >> Then
082they got to stop and restart and do a chunk. >> Welcome to government. What kind of uh checks and balances are in place with this design bill since it's part of a cooperative that >> give the district some assurance on quality of the delivery of project. >> So in order to qualify for that omnia partner that educational procurement cooperative they have to submit they have to submit a a bid to be able to do the work. So within their bid, they've adhered to um purchasing agreements that align to all the Illinois school code. They they align to all the other municipalities. They align to um uh the all the labor standards that that are that adhered to Illinois school code. So everything they do is aligned with what a Gilbane and an STR also have
083to provide. >> So in summary, they've already been vetted. >> Correct. Yep. >> Correct. Well, it was good. Thank you. You did your homework. I like it to >> to not be in construction management. I thought I was going to trip you up somewhere. >> I appreciate that. I want to turn this over quickly to somebody else. Thank you. >> All right. >> Okay. Here we go. Uh anyway, great talk on finances. Thanks, Rob. Appreciate you coming out. So, we wanted to highlight this is a special night. Uh Dr. Jason Klene will be the next superintendent of Fenton Community High School District 100 pending board approval here in a little bit. Uh but we also like to thank uh HYA for being here and Carrie is back there and Lynn. Yep, there they are. They're
084waving. So, thank you for all your efforts uh through this journey. Uh a little trip down memory lane. The search began in late August include stakeholder engagement. Of course, feedback was provided through the community. And uh I personally like to thank the board. You guys have had special board meetings. Uh you've had all day meetings. There's just been a lot of time and effort uh that went into this process. And so I want to thank you for for your efforts and and finding the right uh candidate. So, here in a little bit, you're going to be voting on Dr. Klein's contract. And after that, um, and after the board meeting's over, we have some time to meet and greet. So, stay tuned. We also have a board member vacancy. There's Rachel Matug. We're sorry to
085see her go for her uh 7 to eight months of dedicated service here at Fenton. But right now, just to review where we're at, um we have posted her position to to date, we have two applicants. The application deadline for anyone listening at home or watching at home, uh Friday, January the 9th, 3:30 p.m. So, please get your applications in. You just need to email Karen and she will get you that application. Then, we will share the application with the board. I would like you briefly to maybe take a look at your calendars because the way we've done this in the past is we would have a special board meeting. We're looking at the second week of January. if you want to take a quick look at your calendars to see. The reason for that
086is in close session we would the board would interview the candidates and once the board decides on who the candidate would be um then we would at the January board meeting swear in that new board member and that's within the 60-day requirement of filling that seat. And then there's some other logistical things after that that we have to do. Any questions on this process? Okay. Is there Well, hold on. Is there any dates? Would would perhaps a Wednesday work for the board? Are we used to Wednesdays or are there a few dates to stay away from that week of second week of January? You're going to schedule this like right now? >> Well, no. I mean, I just think maybe some feedback would be nice. >> Oh, sorry. >> Yeah. >> Wednesdays seem to always
087be >> the better the better of the options for all of us. >> I know on the 14th, as of right now, I'm open. So, that'd be the 14th. But, yeah, I think I I I know we've heard from other board members that Wednesdays are better. So, I'm I'm good with that. >> Tenatively. Yeah. Tenative. >> Tenatively. >> Yeah. David, >> I'm okay. I'm taking over as 15 and 16. So 14 is going to be okay. >> I'm good also. >> Okay. Okay. Very good. We'll have Karen reach out and we'll try to solidify that date as we get closer. >> All right. >> Are you having him say anything? >> Yeah, that's come after we approval. >> Okay. Power advertising proposal. Now, this is uh we're just bringing this to the board here tonight.
088there's no action to be taken. But as we look at potential revenue streams, this kind of fits in nicely as far as having some advertising. Uh part of this process is, you know, there's district policy on advertising. We would eventually bring this to the board at a later date uh for approval, but uh Jose's going to kind of take the lead with this. >> Thank you, Dr. Benson. Um so Fenton administrative team um Dr. Wilds, myself, Mr. Campbick, we met with Power Ad. Uh we would like the board to consider allowing us to proceed with the contracts uh in not today, not tonight, but in the future uh in which Power Ad would help us generate revenue for the district via advertising dollars. This is a national company that works with over 50 schools in
089the Chicagoland area. Uh we would look to advertise in our stadium, the gym, the fieldhouse areas. Um the contract uh would be for 10 years with 50% of the revenue coming to the district. The superintendent would be able to review all advertisements uh prior to entering into any agreements with any of the advertisers. Um we would also be able to terminate the contract at any point. Um the board has this information and can review over the next month or so and then decide u in January whether or not they'd like to proceed with this. Um we also wanted to note that this contract was reviewed by our district attorney as well. So, um, he has looked over it. >> Any thoughts on advertising from the board? >> I definitely think that's a huge opportunity. I'm
090I'm sure there's plenty of businesses that would, uh, advertise on that digital board as well as outside on the fence. >> Okay. >> Yes, sir. >> Uh, we talked a couple years or so ago, I'm going to start old issue and work to the new issue. >> Mhm. >> About the scoreboard. We've been selling ads on there for a while, right? We have not been able to secure any advertising dollars on there. So, we thought that using a company like Power Ad would help us to get some more advertisers um interested in this. >> Okay. >> One of the things that did come about in the past and we could re, you know, discuss this again, we we did try to, you know, discuss using um the tennis courts as a place of advertising as
091well as the back of the scoreboard. Uh the village was not in favor of that at the time, but that's something we could we try to talk about again with the with the village. >> Well, then I have to because I trying to would the village get in the middle of this issue? >> They they specifically stated they did not care about the stadium as it's front, you know, that that particular sign faces the stadium. >> They're worried about the back. >> They're talking about anything that faces the >> It's too much like a billboard basically in the back of it. >> Okay, I get that. >> Yes, sir. >> Now, let's talk about this other thing on the scoreboard. Um, you know, I I can see where that would be attractive, but you know,
092I also think it can be intrusive. You know, I'm there to enjoy the game. Um, and having that thing flashing with so many of these signs I see today that they must have the volume turned all the way up, you know, that there's no way that you you you can, you know, uh, go by them and not be distracted by their by their presence. um from an I would I would question the value of how much revenue you're going to think you're going to get on that as compared to interrupting the uh ambiance of the sports event, you know, out there. If I don't like that, I can turn away and go see what the quarterback or the tight end's doing. >> You're in the you're in the stadium like that. And >> you mean
093the one on the left, sir, the scoring table? >> Right. Right. if you're in the auditorium. I >> So that would probably be indoors during the basketball games. That's a scores table. >> And I don't I think it would just probably put up like an insurance company, let's say. I I don't think there's going to be graphics and >> I don't think it's that >> I can ask to get more specifics than that, but I don't think it's a graphic. I think it's a pretty much like a you know, like a logo, you know. Well, I mean, if it if it looks like an LED thing. If somebody just wants to put a >> a poster up or something like that, I don't care. >> Yeah. >> I think we can make sure it's static
094and not like >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm doing next thing you know, you've got one of these things is flashing between three or four different advertisers >> and you know, just just by reaction, you're always going to be drawn to it. And they know that. >> I I think we can avoid that. Yeah. So, >> as long as it's not too bright and we can set some parameters, I don't think it's an issue. >> Yeah. Well, make sure they, you know, make sure it's set to dim. >> Understood. >> I think Jose can dig more into that detail. >> We can we can get more information. >> Yep. >> Yes, sir. >> Maybe maybe if we can get live video of one actually in operation and see how >> obnoxious or not obnoxious it is to
095make that decision. Oh, we do need the money. Is that is that 50/50 uh split hard? Is it negotiable? >> I think this is pretty much standard for them. I I don't think they they really go off of that, you know. So, >> you know, >> and and obviously we can terminate the contract. >> The theory is they specialize. They know how to >> go after people and continually >> I don't want to bring more in than if we're if it's up to Jose and Doug and going door to door. I That's a 5050 split. Uh the revenue they have they personally generate. >> Correct. Okay. >> Right. >> Yes. Good point. Yeah. If you don't raise anything, they don't get paid anything. >> What's that? I'm sorry. >> They own the equipment. They maintain
096the equipment. >> No, those are ours. We We own that already. We We have the scores table. We own the >> But what they put on it? The sign. >> We would have to We would be responsible for putting it up. Yeah. >> But they supply it. >> Uh >> they maintain it, >> I believe. So they they provide No, we maintain it. Once we put it up, we have to make sure it's ours. >> It's ours. >> We take possession of it. >> We take possession. >> All right. Could there potentially be sponsor tiers on how long your ad is out? >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> Yeah. The size of it, things of that nature. Yeah. And we could, you know, if things go well, we could always go back to them and ask
097for more depending on what the board, you know, the preference from the board. We can ask for more >> feedback, >> signage, whether it's in the stadium, like along the fence line, things of that nature. >> Okay. >> It's an option. >> All right. Thank you. >> Next slide. >> Um, so just a few foyas. These were all resolved uh this past month. Smart procure uh asked for all the purchases in the last quarter. Uh public info access requested copies of um existing record listing of all active employees within the district. Um Chicago Land Laborers District uh requests all the contract award notices from the STEM project. Specifically, they they asked for the date of March 20th, 2025. And then Lucy Parson's Labs resolved um they wanted to know um names and login credentials pertaining
098to Flock. >> There's no other. >> No other. >> Can I have a motion to approve in a second to approve the consent agenda as presented? >> I'll make that motion. I'll second. >> May I have a roll call? >> Rosinski? >> Yes. >> Figureroa? >> Yes. >> Miller? >> Yes. >> Good. >> Abstain. >> Lewis. >> Yes. Motion passed. >> May I have a motion that the board of education approve the appointment of Dr. Jason Klene as superintendent starting July the 1st, 2026. >> I'll make that motion. >> Who is taking the second? >> Reed. >> Okay. >> Any discussion? Just kidding. Um, roll call. >> Good. >> Yes. No. Yes. >> Miller. >> Yes. >> Fredinski. >> Yes. >> Figuro. a girl. >> Yes. Let me digest that. >> Yes. Um motion passed.
099At this time, I'd like to introduce Dr. Jason Klene as our next superintendent. The floor is yours. Uh thank you so much. I am uh so humbled and I'm so honored and grateful. Uh I have had a true dream job the last seven years working with school districts and community colleges and universities and state agencies across Illinois. And uh Fenton was the only thing that made me want to leave that dream job. Uh I felt real drawn here. Um and the reasons I felt drawn here are number one this community. This community is amazing. Um values are amazing and the resources we have in this community. Uh the things that are already happening in classrooms in clubs and activities and sports uh and the things we can still do. Uh just sitting there in the
100last discussion, I'm looking at my own kid saying, "Hey, here's a work-based learning opportunity for you, advertising major. Uh get on this." And so, um and then the team here at Fenton. I I've had the privilege of getting to do a little bit of work with a small number of that team, but oh my goodness, the level of care for our students and families here. um the foundation of success again from the classroom to the outside activities whether it's the speech team or cross country and beyond and and I I think we are in the most amazing spot in so many ways to innovate and to take this crazy strong foundation and do really exciting things for students and for the community and with our families. And so, uh, for me, I I can't wait
101to just start meeting people and getting to know everybody deeply. And I think we heard about the finances tonight. We are ready to meet this moment instructionally, financially, organizationally, how we work together as a community. And again, I'm I'm deeply honored, honored, and and and humbled and and grateful. Thank you so much. >> Thank you. Please stick around uh after the board meeting. We have some cupcakes and a swag bag for you, Jason. So, be ready for that. May I have a motion that the board of education adopts the 2025 certificate of tax levy and tax levy resolutions as presented? So move. >> I'll second. >> Any discussion? >> Roll call. >> Miller, >> yes. >> Rosinski, >> yes. >> Figuroa, >> yes. >> Good. >> No. >> Lewis, >> yes. Motion passed. May I
102have a motion that the board of education approve the IG in a government agreement relating to the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission as presented. >> Motion second. >> Sir, could you >> Yeah, just real quick. So, we already sit on this commission. Uh, obviously it's been going on for quite a while. This is just an annual renewal. That's all it is. But we do need to approve it here by the end of the month so we can turn it in so we can continue continue to be part of this commission that meets on on this topic. So our recommendation is to approve it. >> Roll call. >> Goodri? >> Yes. >> Miller? >> Yes. >> Rinski? >> Yes. >> Figureroa? >> Yes. >> Lewis? >> Yes. Motion passed. Um, does anyone have any committee reports? >>
103Uh, Bensonville Foundation, Bensonville Foundation met. Our next meeting will be January 22nd. Um, we did not receive the Subaru grant, which is uh majority of the money that's used. It went to the Bensonville Youth Coalition, I believe. So, that money is still available in the community. You're just having another group administer it. uh we were able to fulfill all of the obligations, all of the requests we'd received. They're not obligations, they're requests, leaving us a fund balance of $37,473 to use over the next year. So, the decision of the group was to go back to micro grants, uh the smaller grants, just because there's not as much money. People who reach out to us that we can't help, we're going to direct them over there if they meet the requirements of the youth youth coalition.
104So, the money is still out there in the community. It's just they're going to have to go somewhere else to ask for it. It sounds like Subaru may be alternating. We don't know for sure, but it is what it is. So, that money is still out there in the community. It's just available through another resource, not through uh the foundation. There's still some funds available and there's some other funds that are put away for specific purposes. Um so, you know, micro grants could still come, but it's probably going to be a lot smaller. we're going to have to be a lot more selective and certain things we're probably going to say please go see them because it really meets the needs of the youth coalition versus us and they have the money to assist you.
105So that's where that's at. So the meetings have been set for next year. Uh Mike and I are still sitting on that board and uh that's all we have on the foundation. >> I don't really have a net update. >> All right. Um that's it. A tenative policy meeting is scheduled at 6 PM prior to the regular board meeting to the next regular board meeting in January. The next scheduled board of education meeting is Wednesday, January the 28th, 2026 at 700 p.m. Uh, spite of the agenda, there will be no close session tonight. Yay. >> May I have a motion? >> Oops. No. >> May I have a motion and a second to adjurnn? All in favor say I. I. >> Abstain. Thank