001wanted. The following is an account of what happened during this process. Last fall, I missed the survey regarding trip planning. My husband didn't see it either, and when we looked through our emails trying to find it recently, we couldn't find any of the requests for parent responses. In February, the district requested proposals, and I responded. The questions were a little open-ended and sometimes convoluted, but this is the data that was collected and submitted by D97 as responses to the survey that was supposed to have gone out last fall, but apparently was sent as a request for proposals several months later. A few weeks after that, uh the district emailed me to ask if I'd be willing to fundraise for my trip proposal. Although fundraising is not something in which I'm particularly experienced, I believed in
002the idea of a DC trip as I suggested, and agreed to meet with other parents to support this effort. I would not have worked on it if I hadn't been asked. When we parents [snorts] met, it turned out no no destination was set, which surprised me. After all, how can you fundraise without a specific goal? Asking donations for a trip to somewhere is not very compelling when you're asking for money. Weirdly, all of us who actually got together in person were interested in working toward a trip to DC. That said, one parent did suggest a side trip from DC to Philadelphia, but we all agreed DC was the primary option. No one came to work on other options, but we were told we needed to be open. When we asked the district if we could
003advertise fundraising events through the district school email, the initial answer was yes. When we actually made graphics for it, we were told it was impossible. This was in April. We persevered. We managed to raise some money. We set up a donation account, spoke with tour companies, collected signatures. We held a test walkathon, and we continually pressured you to support a trip to DC. We spoke with the with the PTO and school staff, and really believed we could have a trip that everyone would be happy to participate in, that was fun, educational, and truly equitable for our students. And at the May 12th board meeting, the district said this would be a transitional year, moving the prep from the district back to parents in 2028. And then, last week, someone, perhaps the board or the district
004or together, made the decision to drop the support of this idea completely and let us work on it alone. Without the support for students who have extended needs and without the ability to raise awareness for families early enough to sign on. Without the funding that was offered to as help for funding those students. In 2023, that was $100,000. We don't have contact information for the whole district and we don't know who has economic needs and we don't want or need to know that. But, we do need the district to help with that part of it. You just dropped out of this effort all together, an effort which was sold to me as collaboration between parents and the school district and has instead been foisted off in spite of all preceding communication. You've set us all
005up to fail and are failing the community by dropping out now and I want to know why. I would like a response to this, including and especially where the money went. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Tina, I'm so sorry. >> No, that's okay. >> This come up. I'm so sorry. >> I just want to go straight down. No comments. I actually I hate public speaking [laughter] even though I show up here, but um so I mentioned that I didn't want to go first and he kind of switched with me, uh which I'm glad because he got off on a more positive note. Um so I've spoken here before. My name is Tina Harley. I'm the mother of a soon-to-be eighth grader at Julian, Annabelle, along with a rising second grader and a preschooler. >>
006I'm here today [clears throat] to continue to advocate for a better system for our twice exceptional students. I'm not here to appeal the decision of my daughter's math placement as I know it's not the board's policy to get involved in those matters. Um I have been advocating for change with this acceleration system for years and I know that we've made some progress, but we're not there yet. Um our district talks repeatedly about collaboration, student voice, but then ignores when families do speak up. Uh D97 acceleration program and process is flawed and it is failing our advanced students across our diverse population. Annabelle's case this year and the awful experiences that she's had with acceleration for many years going back to like third grade. Um, in D97 is a perfect example of why and how it's
007flawed, especially when it comes to our neurodivergent student population. Uh, we have heard that the district will provide enrichment for years and yet it rarely happens. Although I will say when we were discussing that uh, to Paul Packer uh, fifth grade and that was a really great experience that was a true enrichment. Um, we have watched our daughter's mental health and self-esteem, her love of school suffer as she repeatedly sees the district not caring about twice exceptional students like her. And it's heartbreaking to hear her say often that the district does not care about smart kids like me. Um, with twice exceptional students the district should be allowing flexibility to show mastery, provide appropriate challenges for the student, focus on the strengths of the student first, and the district should also be grading by learning
008objective rather than by the execution of directions. This uh, text actually comes from the Illinois SB 3533 which was passed by both houses and will soon be signed by the governor. Um, I urge the board to take a look at that ahead of time before it is uh, actually signed and and and get ahead of it and start making policies uh, immediately. For example, uh, one question that she got wrong in the district test, she actually had the right answer, but she didn't simplify it, so they marked it incorrect. The directions did not say specifically to simplify and a neurodivergent student such as Annabelle will take directions literally. Every word, every punctuation is important. So, if the directions do not have the word simplify, then the student will not simplify. On the district test last
009year we found multiple errors upon a very quick review, not looking exactly at it, but just very quickly. Uh, And asked Emily Prehana about these errors, she dismissed it and said, "Well, it's written by humans, so sometimes there are human errors." I don't find that acceptable, especially when you're using that test solely as the decision for double acceleration. And in this case, the district test was the sole factor in the decision. If you look at the rubric, especially this year, there's no way to accelerate without passing that district test, which is created by the district. It's not a standardized test like the other ones. Um and you can get every single point possible on that rubric. And if you do not pass that district test, like Annabelle, she got every single one, it's not okay.
010Definitely feel like that. Um so, I'm just going to skip ahead uh real quick to finish my thought and um because I think this is important. Annabelle did not want to speak today. Um and to me, that was the hardest. She's always spoken up, and at this point, she said, "I don't know what else I would say." Um so, I asked her, if she was the one making the rules, what would she do? And she said she believes in that district test, if it's written without errors, if it's a good test that's been tested, um it should have a lot of weight. And however, it shouldn't be the only deciding factor. She recommended that if a student showed through all the other measures on the rubric that we've created, that they have the capability to
011do it, and they still can't pass that district test for whatever reason, um then they should qualify to take a condensed summer course and learn the material at the end, and then have to take that test to pass on. This is very similar to the bridge program that we've done with other things. Um it's unfair to tell students what concepts are on that test on the district test, and then hold that test as the sole factor. Um so, in conclusion, just I think we need to do better for our twice exceptional students that may not fit in these little boxes that we try to put them in. Thank you. >> Thank you, Cena. I'm going to ask if there's representative >> [cough] >> with the collaboration funding. If everybody wants to come up, but >>
012But this is not the presentation. This is just >> Right. This is public comment. There are several public comments about the support for collab, which I know we do. So, if one person wants to come up or everybody comes up and one person speaks? Okay. >> [clears throat] >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Oh my goodness. >> Great. >> I'm glad you brought your tote. >> Yeah. >> I've got a little shopper with socks in it directly. >> Hi. Thanks for your time, everybody. I'm Joel Blocka. I'm a Parker who teaches kindergarten at Irving. And I was a D97 parent for the past 11 years. And I've come to share why I value the collaboration for early childhood. As a kindergarten teacher here in Oak Park, I've seen firsthand how the collab helps connect our families to
013resources. For example, the collab annually co-hosts with D97 the popular blast off to kindergarten night. I worked there 3 Sundays ago and it was such a delight to see smiles on the faces of our rising kindergarteners and their families as they went from booth to booth and gathering up resources and then most importantly meeting teachers and administrators from their future schools. I also love how their amazing knowledgeable staff creates and shares content like social media posts. If you're not following them on Instagram, you really should cuz their Joel Sala puts up these amazing videos that are really valuable to families. And they just started a podcast that's really informative for families. That's really a vital resource considering that we live in an age where parents really have to navigate a landscape full of wild misinformation.
014The collab staff is also partnering currently directly with us, the D97 kindergarten teachers in cultivating ways that we can better communicate with uh the families of rising kindergarteners to learn more about their children to better meet their needs day one when they walk into our classrooms come August. The collaboration is such a crucial resource for our community. I'm asking the board to invest in early childhood and support the work of the collaboration in our community. Thanks. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> So it sounds like you'd like fewer comments or maybe quicker comments. >> Yes. >> Um everybody's so excited. >> [laughter] >> It's really important. So I think, you know, that's why we've all come out. So I'm Mary and Ivy. I am uh retired D97 teacher. Uh taught at Longfellow in kindergarten and
015PKP for many years. My children grew up here in Oak Park. Um I am a current volunteer with the collab and a former board member. Um my experience with the collab goes back to uh when my dear friend Dean Farmer was part of the collab and kind of roped me into uh volunteering at the symposium with registration. Just to condense a little bit here. Um the collab is a provider uh for the symposium which is uh fantastic with uh like celebrated keynote speakers, but they also offer other kinds of continuing ed for providers in the area. Um I've participated in child find which was uh collaborative with the collab looking for children who are underserved in our community doing hearing, vision, speech screening, developmental screening to identify children living in the community that might qualify
016for special ed services during my tenure with the district. Um the collab acts sort of as a resource and referral for everything early childhood and it connects uh families with preschools in the area as well as acting as sort of an intake for all of the preschool for all programs within Oak Park, and they determine if the families qualify for the program, and then help them to connect with the program that most closely meets the families' needs. Um I personally participated for many years in the discussion panel that they used to hold. I think it's now called something else, the Blast Off to Kindergarten, but just informing kindergarten parents or rising kindergarten parents about kindergarten readiness and what to expect when they when their children go to kindergarten, what skills and behaviors would help support
017smooth transition into kindergarten. And I know that I can't tell you about everything the Collaboration does. I can only talk about the things that I have personally seen up close and personal, and I really feel like their impact can't be overstated. They're really, really important to our community, and for many families it is their first contact with District 97. They're an important liaisons. I hope that the board will continue to support this crucial program in our community. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> I'm trying to talk really quick. >> [clears throat] >> My name is Whitney Brooks. Uh both of my children went through D97 starting with preschool and kindergarten. My youngest just graduated from Julian Middle School last week and will be joining his brother at OPRF in the fall. I found
018the Collaboration [clears throat] when my kids were roughly 5 and 7 years old and at the suggestion of our school principal at the time participated in their parent leadership training. It sounds cheesy, but it's not an exaggeration to say that that training was life-changing for me. It helped give me direction at a time when I felt like I had none and opened up a host of opportunities for me not just on a personal level, but a professional one as well. While it did eventually lead to me becoming a part-time staff member at the collab, more notably, it put me on the path to becoming a teacher and discovering that my whole heart lies with early childhood education and that supporting young children and their families is my passion. Aside from my own personal story, I
019have seen the direct impact the collab has had for families, not only in my role as a staff member, but also working as a preschool teacher in the community. I've had students that were able to receive glasses and hearing support because of the hearing and vision screenings the collab provides at early learning programs. I've seen parents that were struggling with potty training finally have some success after attending a workshop, and families with children struggling with separation anxiety receive resources and materials from the collab that made school drop-off just a little bit easier each day. This past school year, almost all of my students were moving on to kindergarten, and I saw nearly every single one of them at last off to kindergarten, excited to learn about their new schools and show off all their new
020swag. As a staff member whose role has historically been mostly rooted in outreach, I could go on for hours and open up and about the stories that I've heard and conversations I've had over the years of parents and caregivers who were quick to tell me how grateful they were to receive um support from the collab, whether through home visiting, caregiver workshops, baby bundles with postpartum resources, etc. But, I'll just tell you about a woman I met a couple days ago at the Dana Village event. She told [clears throat] me that at some point in the past she attended the collab's annual symposium, not as an educator, but as a parent, and the things that she learned there shifted her entire worldview in the context of her own parenting journey. She spoke at length about how
021it helped her unlearn parenting practices that she had internalized that weren't working for her and her family, and introduced her to alternative ways to interact with her child that felt better for her, and told me how grateful she was for that experience. >> [clears throat] >> All this to say, the collab is an invaluable resource that's made a big difference not just for me and my family, but for countless others. So, I'm asking the board to continue to invest in early childhood and support the collaboration's work. >> [applause] >> Hi, I'm Rupa Jha. I um um an Oak Parker. Raised two children through D97 and was once at this table. Um I was lucky enough to be part of the vote to support the collaboration um several years ago. And that turned out to be
022a surprisingly valuable during COVID when the collaboration was really able to step up and help um our child care providers, our families with children with special needs, um and our um public health officials um trying to get the word out and reassure families and help adopt best practices. Um since then, the collaboration has been enormously successful in building trust um and connecting families um to uh one another, to the resources that are available. This is all work that happens in D97, too. But the collaboration can do it more flexibly. It can do it often more efficiently and most importantly, it can do it much earlier in children's lives. And so, um to me, um the collaboration is just an enormously valuable partner for the district and um very much allied in the work so that
023the two institutions can really complement each other and much more get uh easily achieve the goals that you're looking for. I forgot to say I'm a board member of the collaboration. >> [laughter] >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> Hi everyone. Um I'll start with saying parenting is hard. Anyone who's had a manage toddler tantrums knows this song. Um [clears throat] I'm Eva Martinez Holland. I'm a parent of D97 Brian First Grade Writer. I first met the Collaboration for Kids at a resource fair that they host. In 2019 we were new residents of Oak Park. Um my oldest was 2-year-old and we were concerned about speech delay, but we really the doctor really couldn't help us until we were in the red zone. We met Michelle Holland there who informed us that about the Partnering with
024Parents program and how they can do home visits that included reviewing of Ages and Stages milestones. As a parent trying to get a toddler in a car, everyone knows that's like climbing Mount Everest. So home visit I think along with like yes, I'm sold. Let's do this. Even before meeting with the Collaboration, I learned about their early early learning resource guide. As a parent, trusting where you're going to leave your child for daycare or preschool is one of the hardest decisions you have to make. I called the office and so they took the time to walk me through a lot of reviews and what I should look for and what questions to ask. We used to participate participate in the Partnering with Parents with Melinda. Um also part of the resource fair we learned about
025a new preschool that is intergenerational where children would be able to interact with uh senior citizens at Kindercare Creators. That was one of the best decisions that we made learn and we learned that about from the resource fair. While at Kindercare Creator my oldest participate in a vision hearing test that helped us identify auditory diagnosis that's often overlooked and undiagnosed by our children. Um the monthly visits with Ages and Stages also helped review on what we can do better help my child. When my youngest had also had a speech delay, we were we we thought we might need intervention. Again, the doctor cannot help you until you are quote unquote in the red zone. Ms. Melinda's helped us navigate what we need to from the pediatrician to get speech therapy started quickly. We're fortunate because
026we started so early, we only needed a number of sessions before we started speaking right away. Now we can't get him to stop talking. As a new [clears throat] parent, you don't know what you don't know. And Ms. Melinda's visits were reassuring to any postpartum anxiety that we were doing all the right things and our concerns were never dismissed. We also participated in many, many workshops on potty training, toddler meltdowns, preparing siblings for a new baby, and nutrition. There is no doubt that we are better parents because of the guidance from the collaboration for the kids. Um our time with a pediatrician is often limited and again, focused on physical needs of a child and often they cannot help until you are in that worst case. The collaboration helps families not even get to the
027red zone and start early interventions so that we don't need to get more invasive and more complicated treatment later on. Pediatricians can also not help with navigate the social and emotional needs of our children. The collaboration helps parents prepare for our kids for social emotional needs that are required for the foundation to learn and succeed later on. They help prepare your whole child, not just the physical child. More than anything, in a time of so much misinformation, where anyone can start a parenting page, the collaboration brings research information to parents when they are most vulnerable. I'm asking the board to continue to invest in early childhood and support the life-changing work the collaboration does every day in our community. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Liz Krop? >> Um thank you for the opportunity to
028speak um and for your service on the District 97 school board. My name is Liz Krop and I'm the parent of a rising second and fifth grader at Whittier Elementary School. >> [clears throat] >> And I'm here to ask you as education and community leaders uh to lead on creating distraction-free schools in District 97 and getting big tech companies out of the classroom. It's a problem in Oak Park and in schools across the country. And so, Oak Oak Park can really be a leader, not just in Illinois, but nationally. Uh, we moved here just a few years ago in 2024 primarily because of the fantastic school system. Um, and we've had we've loved it. Um, we were pretty shocked though when our third-grader came home with an iPad that as far as we could tell
029had no parental controls or guardrails set up. Uh, my son, he's really little, he's smaller for his age, he has ADHD, and screens are a real problem for him. Um, he'll choose iPad time over any other activity, and spending time on iPads leads to a lot of dysregulation for him. And so, we're pretty restrictive with screens at home. Um, so I am concerned about the amount of time my son uses his district-issued iPad when we're not there to stop him. Um, for example, at his after-school program. Um, we have found him hiding on the playground on his iPad rather than playing with his friends. And when we talked to the program staff about it, they told me, "Oh, no, he's not allowed to be on his iPad." He told us. And I'm sharing this anecdote
030because I find it heartbreaking cuz he knows he's not supposed to be on it. Um, but he is really powerful to resist when it's accessible. And you know, I feel this really strongly that kids, they rely on us to keep them safe and keep them in healthy environments, and I feel that we're letting them down in the environment that, you know, we're in right now, the tech-saturated environment. Um, and I know other parents in the district agree. Um, to date, 1,500 District 97 parents have signed the Screen Sense Oak Park petition for sensible screen policies in the schools. I want the district to keep the iPads at school, um but that's not all I want. iPads and Chromebooks are just as distracting inside the classroom as they are on the playground. There's no way to
031actually restrict access to YouTube, artificial intelligence, and the rest of it, and it's irresistible to our kids. The only solution is to limit physical access to the devices, and that's what we owe our kids, and the teachers and staff that have to deal with the fallout and the constant monitoring and redirecting. There's increasing attention to the problem with tech in schools, including an article on the front page of the most recent Sunday New York Times, which detailed how tech companies intentionally strategize to get access to children during the school day. As the Wall Street Journal has reported, Google sold Chromebooks to school districts in order to have a market for an underperforming product. From the Wall Street Journal, I quote, "To Google, the K-12 market and Chromebooks were a critical entry point for building lifelong
032brand loyalty," according to internal documents released during the social media trials. There isn't any evidence to show that all of this tech is actually helping kids learn better. In fact, the evidence shows the opposite, that learning analog is better than digital, and I think we all know that intuitively. The New York Times recently reported on a study showing declining test scores across the country over the last decade, including here in Oak Park, where reading scores have gone down almost two grade levels since 2015, which is when one-to-one devices were introduced. I'm ending on a nice note. Can I Can I just To wrap up, um we're so more of our Whittier school community and the schools here in Oak Park are just really special. We're glad that we moved here um and we feel really
033lucky to be a part of the school district. Um as the impact of tech in schools continues to become more apparent um all of you in the administration have a real opportunity to lead nationally on putting our kids ahead of corporate interests. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> [applause] >> TAQWIYAH ROBINSON >> WHAT? >> [laughter] >> THAT'S THE NAME ON SHEET. >> [laughter] [laughter] >> While we wait on Ms. Robinson, I just want to say and I typically do not do this, but we appreciate and value the collaboration so so so much. So I um >> [snorts] >> we we thank you guys for coming and for the words that you spoke. I I don't think any of the board members disagree with you at all. So thank you. >> [applause] >> IT'S WEIRD THAT
034THIS PERSON HAS THE SAME LAST NAME as you. >> [laughter] >> Whoever planned this. >> Oh my god, both kids are just like Ms. Robinson. >> Oh my gosh. >> [applause] [laughter] >> Oh my god, there's a whole group of people. What's happening here? >> [laughter] >> Ms. Robinson, did you want to speak? Did you want to say a few words? >> Oh god. >> [laughter] >> Hey. >> Don't let Jeremy go first. >> I'm back. >> [laughter] >> Do you want to say something? Yep. Yep. Listen. It's not my turn. Okay. This is not Miss Caprice Robinson, by the way. >> This is not Miss Caprice Robinson. >> [laughter] [laughter] >> I really just [clears throat] want to say congratulations. >> Oh. >> We're very proud of you, and we love you. THANK YOU.
035>> [applause] >> JEREMY. >> MR. JEREMY CHRISTIAN. >> OH. >> YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS. >> [laughter] >> Starting now. >> have had us out here for 40 minutes. Um good evening, everyone. Um this is really a short 30-second story. Um Patrick and I did not become connected until roughly 2020. Um Patrick said that he wanted to go on this trip. And at first, when me and Patrick didn't talk, I didn't know anything about Patrick, and he said, "Let's get together. He wants to go on this trip." Um that was Innovative School Summit. And what I thought would just be a trip for professional development of principals turned out to be um something that I would say is a a brotherhood, a friendship. Um what many may have thought that we were just in Atlanta doing
036whatever, that didn't happen. Um we went to every session. Um Patrick has challenged me um with questions that I have. Patrick has given me encouragement. He's given me books when there were things that um were happening in my career that I didn't understand why, and I just wanted to say to him, you know, congratulations on just making it through. You know, I was going to still the whole what I TOLD YOU PRIVATELY. >> [laughter] >> I'M JUST BEING AND I'M EXCITED for your future. I'm excited for who you are, and I wanted to say thank you and your family for being a sound aboard and for keeping me sane because, you know, I will go off, and I thank you for being who you are for number one being another black man that I can
037call on and say, "That's my dude." So, thank you, Patrick, for being A GOOD GUY. >> [applause] >> THIS IS RYAN JONES. THESE FACES LOOK SO FAMILIAR. Um So, I actually uh took the time to write something down, unlike Jeremy. Uh So, um I am uh Ryan Jones. I am the uh former principal of uh Lincoln Elementary School, go Lions, um and the former assistant principal of Julian Middle School, so go Jayhawks. Um So, I was hired the same year as Patrick in 2018. Uh Patrick as the principal of Whittier and I as the assistant principal at Julian. During this year, we both were learning the culture of Oak Park, our jobs, and outside of app leadership didn't cross paths much. >> [clears throat] >> In March of 2019, uh I was hired to be
038the interim principal of Lincoln for the following school year. As many of us remember, March 13th, 2019, we all Yeah, we remember. Um we all went home for what we thought was an additional week of spring break, uh only to be thrust into a global pandemic. Being a pandemic principal put us all on even playing field and forced us to rely heavily on one another. During that time, I was fortunate to work alongside some of the best principals and administrators I know here in Oak Park. Patrick was one of those principals. After COVID, it's interesting that Jeremy brought this up. We were lucky enough to be able to attend a professional learning >> [clears throat] >> of our choice within our local budgets. We all threw it out there to attend a conference and four
039of us ended up at the same conference. During that time, we learned some things. We did attend every session, just so you all know. We did. Um, but the one thing that we left with was a sense of care and community within our team. Imagine hiking a mountain, being afraid of heights, and hearing Patrick, Jeremy, and Amy cheering you on and rooting for you through your fear. Every time I looked up through the haze of watery eyes, it was their faces I saw and an experience I will never forget. This was the core of what Oak Park stood for and what Patrick embodies. As many of you know, Patrick leads with integrity, shows up when you need him most, and can be counted on in many ways um that we cannot often express. I have
040the unique experience of having had Patrick as a principal peer and then as my direct supervisor when he earned the title of assistant superintendent of elementary schools. He is a strong man to be the person who has to tell me what to do. >> [laughter] >> Just ask my husband. Uh, what I can say is that was easy working for him. I'm sorry it was easy working for him just as it had been in former years working with him. Not because he was a friend, >> [clears throat] >> but because he is a leader who cares about you, your school community, and what Oak Park stood for. Patrick, congratulations on serving the students, staff, and families of Oak Park this year as the interim superintendent. It is not easy to have that title, lead when
041people don't always see your vision, and do so as a black man in America, especially one that is 6'7" in an elementary school district. 6'7"? 6'8"? Close. 6'8". I don't know. All right. Dear friends, I value your work, enjoy how you fill a room with your light, and miss working with you. I am lucky to still keep in touch and hear about the pack, your doctoral work, and look forward to seeing how great you will continue to be. But don't worry, I will still tease you so that you don't forget who you are and where you came from. Undoubtedly, it will continue to make you better. >> [cough] >> Again, congratulations on your continued success, and thank you for all you do, and thank you Kapria for sharing your husband with us. >> [applause] [applause]
042>> Oh, a reminder. Just so I can keep our comments to 1 minute. Mr. Craig Turner. >> Congratulations. As you know, we both experienced being instruments at the same time, so we were able to uh collaborate and you know, share our experiences also with what we were what we were going through so we can uh But, you know, this is a quick story about Patrick. You know, I met him back in 2016. Uh when we started our journey to become uh men of Alpha Phi Alpha. So, we crossed the burning sands together and um you know, you're younger than me. I still consider you as a as a mentor cuz you taught me a lot of things about myself, how I interact with people, and just the blessings to everyone that's uh that you come
043in contact with. And I still appreciate you being the remixer of poems. So, >> [laughter] >> thank you. And congratulations. >> [applause] >> Oh, I'm sorry. Um Ryan Curtis. >> Good evening, everyone. Good evening in the back. My name is Ryan Curtis. I've met Mr. Robinson. This is the first time I'm calling him Patrick Robinson. Long story, but met him almost 10 years ago. We are fraternity brothers. I joined a fraternity to meet some men that I can call brothers. Uh tried to be the smartest person in the room. Now, I'm friends with this gentleman and uh sometimes he's the smartest one in the room. Sometimes. I remember him starting his journey to Oak Park. It was something that he really wanted to do. So, to see this movement, to see him grow as a
044man, as a leader, as an administrator, it's just really proud to see. Um Mr. Robinson, uh he is a great leader. He's a great friend, a great husband, a great father. And we just want to say congratulations on your journey. We know more is coming, but we're proud of everything you've done so far. Thank you for being a great friend, a great administrator, great dad, great brother. Love you, man. >> Love you, TOO, MAN. >> [applause] >> A BRUSH AND A HALF? >> WHAT? >> ALL RIGHT. >> [laughter] >> GOOD EVENING. I am super honored and excited to be invited here um before July 1st >> [laughter] >> for Patrick's uh final uh opportunity to say thank you. I know him the least of probably all of you that are speaking tonight. And in this
045very short amount of time that I've had to get to know Patrick, I just wanted to share a few a few thoughts. So, it is very unique to be coming into a district in circumstances like this and to have someone who has come from within, who has such established strong relationships, who has paved the way and really taken good care of this district for this past year um as interim superintendent. I am extraordinarily grateful to be coming into this district under such good care and to have you as a partner in working to continue the care and service for this district. Um I know what an incredible challenge it is to step up from your role amongst your peers and take on this title. Um you have now seen behind the curtain and it is
046your eyes have a different perspective and you are going to be a trusted ally for me as I come in and I'm very grateful for that. Um Patrick has been nothing but humble and gracious and accommodating and welcoming in my time since I have met you. Um I am literally having very very big shoes to fill >> [laughter] >> Uh he has chairs in his office that I cannot And if you ever see our two cars parked next to each other, they are a representation >> [laughter] >> of Patrick and I, but um I am very excited and honored because he has taken such good care and to step up into this position and then to continue and carry on in your position and continue to serve this organization tells me that you are placing
047this community above yourself. And that is the kind of partner I look forward to working with. So, thank you and thank you to your family for giving Patrick an honor time. You know how much time you have given in this role and I look forward to continuing to work with you. SO, THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> THIS IS FOR ALI. >> THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS A ROAST. >> [laughter] >> We didn't even want the monitor to recognize and thank Patrick for his service as interim superintendent. Patrick is someone that you can count on and you do not want to let down. During a period of significant transition for our district, Patrick provided steady leadership, thoughtful guidance, and unwavering commitment for our students, staff, and community that that our community deserve. What I've appreciated most
048during my time working alongside Patrick is his consistent commitment to people. He listens and he consistently treated people with ground and with dignity and respect. He always took the time to hear the perspectives of staff, our administrators, family, and community members. Throughout those interactions, he's continued to build meaningful relationships and strengthen his uh that strengthen trust across our district. As I reflect on your growth this year cuz I've been able to see it from my own two eyes, uh you've continued to evolve as a leader and now you have a more of a commanding presence that has little to do with your stature and everything to do with your character, your credibility, and conviction. At the same time, he never lost humility and his approachability was always there that makes him so effective. When he
049was wearing his coaching hat, uh cuz I've been on on the other side of tables with Patrick and he's given us guidance, uh he always gave us honest feedback, encouragement, and helped us be stronger leaders for our buildings. Most importantly, Patrick was always accessible. This is from our principal team. We we so much appreciated when you were when we needed you, you picked up the phone. When we faced difficult situations, he was always there to provide support, perspective, and reassurance. That reliability always means a great deal to all of us. Patrick, as you transition back into your pre- previous role in District 97, please know that your impact of your leadership as interim superintendent will continue to be felt throughout our schools. While your title may be changing, your influence, relationships, and commitment to this
050community remain invaluable. Thank you so much from our principal team. >> THANK YOU. >> [applause] >> MICHAEL MICHAEL MELODY. >> [laughter] >> MICHAEL MELODY TOGETHER. >> SO, I have a follow-up in 30 seconds, I promise. >> Um on behalf of the central office team. >> Michael Melody. >> [laughter] >> On behalf of the central office team, we also want to acknowledge Patrick's amazing leadership which started in the school that's near and dear to my family. Even though you ripped my niece's picture off the wall >> [laughter] >> we were able to work through reimagining multi-age classrooms, to play co-teaching, conducting learning walks, cycles of inquiry. What was most gratifying was to hear a gymnasium full of students enthusiastically say, "Great, >> Mr. Robinson." >> Um or to witness his work with individual students working through
051emotional hurdles or celebrations. Um so, it was amazing to see that school expertise and commitment to equity that centered students translate to the work here um where he has led our team with humor, grace, and everything. >> Michael >> Um leadership and kind of think about it hearing all these things. Kind of a little bit of a little bit of everything. So, leadership is a measured what's called uh has proven uh when the pressure is highest and throughout the year these transitions uh Patrick showed us what it looks like. Uh balances doctoral work, Patrick never stepped back. He's a leader who keeps students at the forefront of every single decision and perspective he brings to the table. As we navigated the changes, Patrick actively championed the continuation of our work, consistently seeking out ways to
052be involved and support others. He is the ultimate collaborator, always available [clears throat] to listen, a thought partner, and a problem solver. He didn't manage from a distance, he stood right there with us sharing our collective weight with genuine humility and an upbeat attitude. Thank you, Patrick, for your student-centered student-centered heart, your collaborative spirit, and inspiring leadership. I really look forward to being here. >> I look forward to doing the same here. >> [applause] >> Hello, I'm not here to talk about my behalf, but I'm here to speak [snorts] on behalf of some former colleagues in the superintendent's cabinet. So, the first message is from Dr. Kilgore. Patrick, congratulations to you on a very successful year. You have always put the needs of students and the district first. Your willingness to take on new responsibilities
053to maintain stability in times of district turnover is impressive. That has not gone unnoticed. Your empathy and compassion are your true strength, and your future is very bright. Although it was for a short time, I am grateful you worked together. You are a great asset to D97, and they are fortunate to have you. Keep up the great work. Um the next message is from Dr. Renette. Patrick, what an honor it has been to work with you for 3 months. One thing I pride myself on is being able to recognize talent and you certainly have what it takes to be an outstanding leader. You made my decision to leave in December for personal reasons so much easier. Uh my hip thanks you. Of course, I had to apologize for Dr. Powell's terrible jokes. You handled them
054with such grace and humor. Honestly, I think I should have sat down with you beforehand and warned you to simply smile and ignore them. Otherwise, he just doesn't stop talking as you learned. All kidding aside, it was truly a pleasure working with you. Your professionalism, dedication, and positive attitude have made a lasting impression. You are part of a wonderful district and I have no doubt that you will continue to make a meaningful difference in the lives of students, staff, and the community. Thank you for your leadership and commitment during your time as interim superintendent. You made my job so much easier. If you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to contact me. I wish you nothing but success and happiness in the years ahead. And last but not least, from Dr. Powell. >> Dr.
055Powell. >> [laughter] >> How many pages is it? >> Just one. Um Patrick, soon to be known as Dr. Robinson. I wanted to take a moment tonight to publicly express my deepest personal appreciation for the incredible educator, leader, and person you are. Having had the privilege of working alongside you as co-interim superintendent this past year, I saw first hand your remarkable empathy and genuine meaningful relationships you build so naturally with our students, staff, and community members. You have never shied away from putting in the long exhausting hours required to deliver exactly what this organization needs, consistently demonstrating a profound and inspiring standard of leadership. When I stepped away back in early March, I did so with complete peace of mind knowing absolutely that this district was in the best possible hands under your sole guidance
056until the new superintendent arrives. Thank you, Patrick, for your tireless dedication and unwavering support and the lasting positive impact you have made on all of us. >> [applause] [cheering] [applause] >> I just want to be clear Patrick is not going to >> I know. I know. I know. >> [laughter] >> So, you guys trying to sing me a clip? >> We will find you. >> [laughter] >> Um but we didn't want to embarrass you. >> You didn't. >> And so, Patrick, on behalf of the Board of Education, we want to thank you for your commitment and leadership to this district. While maintaining your role as assistant superintendent, you stepped up to lead the district as an interim superintendent [clears throat] all while pursuing a PhD, parenting, and showing up in unprecedented uncertainty in education. We
057have navigated complex issues with calmness, professionalism, and empathy. And while you had an amazing team that stepped up, shout out to all of our D97 staff, uh you continue to go above and beyond for our students while they're little seven-year strangers picked to serve on the board. So, we just want to thank you. >> It's the real world. >> It is the real world. >> [laughter] >> But in all seriousness, we want to say thank you so much for everything that you've done and dealt with us. >> And now, we're going to get back to business. So, let's go >> [laughter] >> home. >> Thank you. >> He's like, "Uh stop it." Also, we got you a gift. That's in your email. >> It's an extended warranty. >> [laughter] >> All right. Now, >> Thank
058you, everyone. >> Yes, thank you, everyone, for coming. EXCEPT FOR JEREMY. >> [laughter] >> WHERE DID FELICIA GO? WE'LL HAVE TO EMBARRASS her later. Um Bye, brothers and sisters. All right. Bye, guys. Thank you so much, Terry, for coming. All right, Terry. Thank you. Next up, we'll see you soon. All right, I'm putting on my Dr. Kim hat, going back to business. >> [laughter] >> All right, I move that the Board of Education approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Second. >> Yes. >> Annual contracts exceeding $25,000. So, I think we got to read these separately. I don't know if we can do them as one. So, I'm just going to do it real fast. You guys ready? >> Mhm. >> All right. I move that the Board of Education of Oak Park District 97
059approve the new and/or renewal contracts exceeding $25,000 and go one by one. Um for technology in the amount of $132,051.84. >> Second. >> Per Johnson? >> Yes. >> Lossman? >> Yes. >> Spurlock? >> Yes. >> Moore? >> Yes. >> Kim? >> Yes. >> Harris? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> I move that the Board of Education District 97 approve the contract for student services in the amount of $124,317.56 for materials. >> Second. >> Clayton, I got to keep going. $305,320.80 for staff services and $2,546,900.66 for out-of-district tuition. I think those all go together as they're student services. >> Second. >> All right. Yep. >> Per Johnson? >> Yes. >> Lossman? >> Yes. >> Spurlock? >> Yes. >> Moore? >> Yes. >> Kim? >> Yes. >> Harris? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> I move that
060the Board of Education of District 97 approve the teaching and learning contract in the amount of $162,780. >> Second. >> Per Johnson? >> Yes. >> Lossman? >> Yes. >> Spurlock? >> Yes. >> Moore? >> Yes. >> Kim? >> Yes. >> Harris? >> Yes. >> Motion passes. >> I move that the Board of Education approve the safety contract in the amount of $46,233.20. >> Second. >> Per Johnson? >> Yes. >> Spurlock? >> Yes. >> Lossman? Yes. >> Laura? >> Yes. >> Kim? >> Yes. >> Harder? >> Yes. >> I move that the Board of Education approve the Human Resources contract in the amount of $79,805.11. >> Second. >> Hurt Johnson? >> Yes. >> Ross driven? >> Yes. >> Sperling? >> Yes. >> Laura? >> Yes. >> Kim? >> Yes. >> Harder? >> Yes. >> All of
061these were presented on May 12th or May 26th. >> Uh 7.2 memorandum of agreement with OPTA for ultimate frisbee and robotics. There are two motions. Can I get someone to read the first motion? >> I move that the Board of Education of the Oak Park Elementary School District 97 approve the memorandum of agreement between the Board of Education and the Oak Park Teachers' Association memorializing the ability of additional coaches to the robotics program based on student involvement to section 8, which is supplemental pay, section 1 sports of the collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Education and Oak Park Teachers' Association. >> Second. >> Ross driven? >> Yes. >> Harder? >> Yes. >> Sperling? >> Yes. >> Kim? >> Yes. >> Hurt Johnson? >> Yes. >> Laura? >> Yes. >> names. >> I move that
062the Board of Education of Oak Park Elementary School District 97 approve the memorandum of agreement between the Board of Education and the Oak Park Teachers' Association memorializing the existence of two seasons of ultimate frisbee to section 8, supplemental pay, section 1 sports of the collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Education and the Oak Park Teachers' Association. >> Second. >> Ross driven? >> Yes. >> Harder? >> Yes. >> Sperling? >> Yes. >> Kim? >> Yes. >> Hurt Johnson? >> Yes. >> Laura? >> Yes. >> names. >> 8.1 collaboration for early childhood financial contribution. Can I get someone to read the motion? >> Oh, this is new special >> Well, we actually have to discuss it. >> Oh, sorry. >> We're going to bring up mirror. >> Yeah. I heard there's a clicker, so >> Oh,
063mirror, you can >> Come on over here. >> Yes, sir. with Patrick Reynolds. >> [laughter] [laughter] >> Thank you. So, I'm Mary Reynolds. I'm the executive director at the collaboration for early childhood. Hi. I am always happy to have a chance to just talk about our work with all of you and what it means for children and families. Thank you for the clicker. Just to ground our conversation a bit, I am here to talk about the intergovernmental agreement for the purchase of early childhood services between District 97, District 200, and the Village of Oak Park. As you all know, this is a really innovative approach to early childhood and allows D97 to reach into the community and shape children's experiences before they even come to one of the doors of your school. I think our
064public commenters said it better than I ever could in terms of the impact of the collaboration and how wonderful that work is, but this is such a nice opportunity for me to add the heaping praise for Patrick and also really all of the D97 staff that we get to work with every day who weathered this transition in incredible ways with us. And I would say over the last year, we've not only continued work during this time of transition, but we've actually deepened it and made it even more powerful and meaningful. And that is because of the leadership of people like you, Dr. Lofton, Crystal, just the people that we get to work with every day, and your incredible early childhood staff. Some of whom we got to hear from, but other folks who we're just
065really privileged to work with, and you have an incredible team. So, all of that work that we do together really sets the foundation for the kind of students that you're working to build here in Oak Park, and we're proud to do that work with you. You heard about Blast Off to Kindergarten. It's one of my favorite events of the year. A fun number for you all is that the first year we did that in 2023, we had 75 families. And we were like, "This is great. This is amazing." 2026, any guesses? 250. So, in just 4 years of doing that, this is all >> [applause] >> In In 4 years of doing that work together, that work of really reaching into the community and building those bridges for families is happening and is happening in
066remarkably powerful ways. So, um all of that foundation really just to put before you the intergovernmental agreement itself. Um so, in the spring of 2025, our IGA governing board, which is two reps from D97, two reps from um D200, two reps from the village, as well as then the um senior staff from each of those parties, were at one of our um IGA governing board meetings, and they agreed it was time to take a look at that document. That document was originally signed in 2013. It was updated in 2016, and there had been just some sort of good faith issues that had built up over time that needed to be addressed. So, those three parties formed an ad hoc working group, um and this slide just kind of captures how they framed the purpose of
067that ad hoc work. Um what we really came to is that the IGA was designed with an expectation first that contributions would grow over time alongside each partner's budget, but in practice those contributions have been flat since 2017. And there were also some like administrative issues and hiccups and challenges in how we work together, things like quorum or the challenge of rotating hosting every year that were disruptive to the work together that the governing um parties that the governing board really wanted to take a look at. So, there are um several reasons that make this just a compelling time to do this refresh. Um on on behalf of the collaboration, our funding leveled out in 2017, but it wasn't actually until 2020 that we began billing the full amount available to us in that contract.
068We were still in a lot of ways functioning in a startup way in those first years. There are not a lot of other organizations like us out there. You all are pretty innovative in doing this work. So, we didn't have partner agencies that we could look to to say, "What does the staffing look like for this? How do you set this up in ways that make it work as well as possible?" We were growing into that together. So, by 2020 we were billing the full amount of our contract, which had been leveled out in 2017. We've been able to bridge that gap between what the contract covers and what it actually costs us to do that work in part through ARPA funding, which was administered COVID COVID relief dollars administered by the Village of Oak
069Park, as well as some state grants. Those state grants are always uncertain after July 1st, and then ARPA ends definitively by December 31st of this year. So, our IJA work group came up with several recommendations, and the first set is really about the administrative structure. So, moving from having a single chair to having co-chairs, rotating hosting every 2 years instead of every 1 year just to allow for a little bit more of that continuity. There's some provisions added so that folks can have a substitute come do the work for them at a meeting they can't attend so that that work can move forward. And then we really went through the entire agreement to ensure that the language in it really reflects your commitment, the D200 commitment, and the Village commitment to equity, to strength-based work,
070to talking about children and families in ways that really honor who they are and all that they bring to us. And then there were work group recommendations about the financial structure of the agreement as well, and I will go through each one of those individually. So, the first is what we call contribution ratios, and this just this sort of speaks to how the costs of the contract for early childhood services are divided across the three parties to it. Um, the village um, budget looks very different than the school district budgets, those really aren't comparable. So, uh, folks who are much smarter than me about finances, I know a few, um, really spent time looking at cost categories in your primary operating fund. So, that's the education fund for D97 and D200, and the um, general
071fund for the Village of Oak Park, and backing costs out of those that aren't comparable across categories. So, police and fire pensions are a great example that schools don't have comparable costs like that. So, costs that couldn't be comparable across entities are backed out, and that arrives then at the combined, we call it an adjusted primary fund. And then, each party has a share of that fund, and costs related to the contract are divided according to those percentages. So, what you see on this chart is the 2012 baseline that we were operating from. Um, since 2012, D97 has had operating referenda, so everyone's budget has changed, and D97's has changed um, in comparison to the others. So, recalculating those contribution ratios results in the updated percentages that you see represented here. Um, the second thing
072that the contract wants to address is not having another 10-year period where it's flat, um, so that there aren't surprises for you all as as budget deciders, and for us, you know, the challenges of operating with flat funding are, >> [snorts] >> I probably don't need to explain. So, um, one of the things that the the um, work group talked about was having an annual adjustment mechanism for the contract, similar to PTEL with a lower cap than P-TEL. Um and with an opportunity for the governing board to review that cost structure every year. So, to review what the CPI is. Um make sure that that's manageable in the context of each party's budget and move forward or adjust accordingly. So, that we won't find ourselves back here again needing to do a big catch-up. And
073then the third piece is sort of resetting contribution amounts. So, looking at increasing the baseline of that contract before those annual adjustments go into place to adjust for the last 10 years where there has not been an increase. Um the original agreement with those adjusted primary funds that we just looked at the amount that was paid to the collaboration was 0.85% of that total amount. The workgroup looked at a bunch of scenarios including returning to that 0.85% of the adjusted primary funds, but ultimately brought that back down to 0.8%. So, that it is not back up to the level where it was originally recognizing that the pressures that all of your bodies are facing are numerous. But also wanting to bring that funding back in line with um the intention of the contract so that
074we can continue the great work that we do together. The other piece of this is that in those years that the collaboration had drawn down funding but not fully expended it, um there was a reserve account that was put together and that reserve account is held here at D97 as administrative agent. Um you hear it reported on at tri-board meetings. Torrence usually comes and tells us all about how many dollars are in there. Um and the governing the workgroup has recommended that we draw that all the way down to zero using those dollars to help smooth out these increases for each party over time. So, what you see represented here is um the payment recommendation from each party as well as periodic drawdowns from that reserve account so that this isn't a huge jump for
075parties over time to really smooth it out. Um and phase that in. So, that is the IGA reset in a nutshell. After I talk about um math like that, I like to look at pictures of children and >> [laughter] >> get myself back in the zone where I belong in. Um these are all rising kindergarteners. These are all students who will be with you here at D97 this um this fall. And um they're writing thank you notes to their teachers, which feels like the right backdrop to say to you all that this partnership is really important. We certainly don't take it for granted, and I want you to know that it's recognized well beyond Oak Park, too. Um so, last summer we hosted the staff team from the National Center for Early Learning Funding Equity.
076They have a cute acronym for that, which is SELFIE. Um they do national consulting work on equity in early childhood. They came here to Oak Park specifically to learn about this model and the way D97 invests in the early years. And then just a few weeks ago, our team had a chance to present at a statewide conference alongside Ebony Lofton, which was a wonderful experience. Um and we talked about our work together on kindergarten transition. And after that, uh another local early childhood collabor- well, not super North Shore. Um our our early childhood collaboration leader reached out to me and asked to talk more about it cuz she wanted to replicate that in her community. And I got on the phone with her, and I'm quoting, and she said, "How did you get that with
077your school district?" And I said, "I didn't have to get it because this is a group of people who really understand that the conditions children experience in their first 5 years directly shape who walks through their doors." This is a district that understands that what we do in those first 5 years is one of the most powerful things a school district can do to advance equity and improve student outcomes. Um you all have known that for well over a decade and it's just a privilege and a joy to be doing this work with all of you. Um so I want to make sure that there's time for questions and discussion or more nice things about Patrick, whatever >> [laughter] [laughter] >> I um so thank you for working on this and also to all the
078and this doesn't I mean the thought that went into this clearly you guys worked really hard. I know you John and Nancy are are >> We work so hard. >> Yeah. Um so I I feel bad that we've had flat funding actually. I feel like that was an oversight that you know, that we should fix and thank you guys for continuing to do all the work you do without kind of those increases that are kind of standard part of what I don't know what would be expected. Um I and I saw what the difference were in in the changes and I guess I'm I'm just curious and we just talked about like I don't know enough about early childhood like are we and I say it sounds like we're setting ourselves up for a sustainable
079situation? But the the world is so unstable right now. So how are you feeling about the stability of this proposal and the re you know, how realistic is it that this is going to carry us for a while? >> Absolutely. That's important. >> Yeah, thank you. >> So thank you first for that question. Um if if District 97 trips and falls into puddles of money, we would always be able to use more. So, I I should say that, right? That However, what this what this does is give us a stable foundation. I think as you're saying, the world around us is is volatile, is unpredictable, um and this gives us that stable foundation. And what what I think what we say in early childhood is that predictability and consistency are two of the most important
080things for little ones, and that is true of us as well. And I think it's true for you all, too, that predictability of contract increases, consistency of contract increases, um that's really the important thing. The Crystal pointed out to me, thank you, that the reserve account that Oh, there's this See, look at them. The reserve account that is shown being drawn down here, as a nonprofit organization, we also maintain a separate reserve account that is for times when the state hasn't had a budget for a year or when payments are delayed. So, drawing down from this reserve account smooths this out for all of the parties without um impacting that reserve account so that we do also have that cushion in case of some sort of emergency that would happen. So, from my perspective, this
081the work group has been really thoughtful about how to do this, about how to approach this, and about how to balance not only our needs, but D97's needs, D200 need, and the village needs in it. So, it's been a a thoughtful process that I feel like does really set us up for long-term success together in ways that I think the original agreement intended, that just didn't get documented in there, and so this opportunity to refresh it has been really important. Um thank you. >> Yeah. And thank you, Crystal. Um we um so, I think the it may all of this makes sense. I do think that um when we are at the annual meeting and you all present kind of the data um uh financially, like the the investment that we make comes back to
082us like multiple times over. And I don't know how clear that is, but maybe when we talk about this next phase, letting, you know, maybe sharing a little widely some executive summaries on some of that data as the financial commitment share um would be helpful cuz not everyone is always Very few people actually are at our annual meeting where we do hear all about that those are >> Yeah, absolutely. >> And Holly O, that's a various first small to just delightful. But everything about the collaboration is just so wonderful and that's why we are all in education, especially on the financial side. But the services that continue to grow each year >> Yeah. >> documenting as well because keeping in mind how we started, the greater we started, and where we got to, and then
083the long you know data that we can have to show what that does beyond 97, beyond 200. That's, you know, they're 202. >> Yeah. >> 202. Uh that's a great thing that we can show. So I agree with you that that's something we love to you know keep in mind and maybe quarterly or half a every half a year just show some things that are happening. >> Yeah, absolutely. And for you all to know, too, um that their D200 is also coming on board with data sharing for the first time since children who started in D97 are now in high school. So once that data use agreement is signed, we'll have that access to really follow children through their educational trajectory, which is an incredibly exciting thing. Like wagging our tails with the excitement of
084more data. It's a really It's a cool opportunity. So we're excited to put that forward and and share that. Absolutely. Thank you. Any other questions? >> I just want to make a couple of comments on this. One, as was stated earlier, this is incredibly necessary work that doesn't always get done. And I think Oak Park is very privileged to have this opportunity to have a group that is really paying attention to that 0-5 and not doing it on their own, but doing it collaboratively. Um I just wanted to say thank you to the working group members from D200 and from the village as well. As well as the staff from D200 and D97 and the government and the village as well because this could not have been done without everybody coming together to talk about
085what fits our budgets, how does this work logistically, can we you know, what can we make happen? Um and I think it's just you know, coming at those numbers and to your point of coming to something that is sustainable and not a sure we can do it right now, but in a year we're going to be rethinking this is again so critical to the work that is being done. Um so we appreciate you and I appreciate everyone who worked on this collaborative piece. >> Thank you. >> Are there any other questions? All right, can I get a motion? >> I move that the Board of Education vote Park Elementary School District 97 approve the financial contributions as outlined in the IGA for the collaboration for early childhood. >> Second. >> Hardy? >> Yes. >> Kane?
086>> Yes. >> Moore? >> Yes. >> Sperling? >> Yes. >> Hostetler? >> Yes. >> French-Johnson? >> Yes. >> Thank you, DONNA. >> THANK [applause] YOU. >> AND I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A MOTION FOR THIS, BUT SINCE THIS is the whole agreement between all three parties, we also need approval on that, which could be at this meeting or at your August meeting. The actual IGA. >> I thought we were still kind of coming together with the D200 >> We're waiting on final legal >> have to they all have to be the same, so we'll have to wait for >> So we will put in front of you nothing new in terms of these numbers, but we'll put in front of you then at your August meeting the intergovernmental agreement for the purchase of early childhood
087services, so that will be back and we'll be again. >> The language of the of motion was just that we approved the numbers, so we're good. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you all so much. >> Thank you, Crystal. >> All right. Concluding items, board remarks, Patrick Garrett. So, we can talk about you. >> [laughter] >> You can come back, but they'll have a treat. Okay, give us a minute. >> That's fine. >> Oh. >> Wait, are we really going to Are we really going to talk about what this one >> Yeah. >> What's happening right now? I'm just at my bottom line. >> Oh, he just invited his family. >> So, we're just doing other random >> Yeah, we didn't we didn't take a break, so we didn't think this out very well, but
088Patrick told like his village kind of thing. >> Yeah. >> Um but with that, does anybody have any board remarks? >> One board remark. Thank you, Patrick. >> [laughter] >> Um but I I will say thank you to the board for being this part of the ECC. It's an important piece and I appreciate how supportive you guys have been and that's that. >> I just wanted to say um for those who are still listening, um as I mentioned, just super thankful for our uh our staff and all the building leaders and this cabinet for stepping up in an uncertain time. Um thank you to Lani A. for her unwavering support of the board. Um we we could not have done this without her. As you can see, I'm still stumbling to start a board meeting,
089uh meeting, so thank you, Lani A. Um and thank you to our board. We've gone through some changes um and it's been stressful at times, but we we got through it and we're going to have a big party afterwards. All right. Um Um committees. Summer. I like I don't know anybody who's met, but if anyone has, speak now or forever hold your peace. >> No. >> All right. That was the easiest. Um our next meeting is scheduled Well, I'm lying. We'll have a special board meeting to appoint a new board member. Um that meeting is TBD as we work with our administration uh to finalize and get the new board the board special board meeting uh date published. Um but after that, our next board meeting is scheduled for August 11th, 2023. Uh can I
090get a motion to adjourn?