August Board of Education Meeting

001already died. >> Good evening. I call to order the board of education meeting for Prospect Heights School District 23 for August 14th at 7:01 p.m. Can I get a roll call, please? >> Mrs. Morsy, >> here. >> Mrs. Bowwinsky >> here. >> Mr. Gerdonis >> here. >> Dr. Long >> here. >> Mrs. Mlan present. >> Mr. Nordvar >> here. >> Mrs. Peters. >> She did let us know she's running a little bit late, but she'll be here. >> All right. Pledge allegiance tonight is led by Memorial. Sadly disappointed. >> All right. Hand up. Oh. I aliance 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. At each regular and special open meeting, members of the public

002and district employees may comment on or ask questions of the board of education. If you would like to address the board, please complete the pink form and give it to Mrs. O'Donnell, our reporting secretary. Anyone anyone interested? All right. Since we don't have a long line, we'll move along to communications. So, we are ready to be back in school. We're super excited for all of our back to school events this week. We yesterday, Wednesday, we released uh schedules. So, uh the phone lines are digitally things are buzzing. Um we uh at at uh buildings and sites, we did a walkthrough of the facilities. We're kind of interested and excited about bringing those things to fruition. Um one other uh communication this newsletters from the buildings went out in our using our new s'more platform. Um

003the school seeing will go out tomorrow again and it'll have our back to school FAQ which is a good place for one-stop kind of the most frequently asked kinds of uh links and information are all there. Um, we will also share our annual uh back to school first day of school PDFs that folks if they want to print those out, take snap a a photo with those um we're happy to provide those. So that's that's coming out. Um annually we share uh as required uh the links to our student parent handbooks um and our employee handbooks. Those are updated every summer to bring them up to uh speed. We make any language changes or any modifications uh that are necessary and then we we share those publicly at our annual session. So those are there.

004Oh, see I did have certification to schools. Uh we did take a walk through. We took a look at uh all the facilities. Want to give a big shout out to our custodial crew and our maintenance crew. Um we didn't have uh that much uh external work done. not many outside vendors. They had only a couple of projects. So, the vast majority of the work that was done by our own crews inhouse, the carpentry work, the painting work, the electrical work was all done by our own crew. So, uh the buildings look fantastic and uh we we certainly extend our appreciation uh to them. Uh we are in the planning stages for our now fourth annual D23 family. uh which I need to update the link. Thank you, Carol, in the in the board packet.

005Uh I think I uploaded last year's flyer. Uh this year the event is taking place on Friday, September 12th. And um in addition to some of our favorite kinds of activities uh that are returning, uh the new one of the new activities this year is going to be a mini golf course. >> Oh, that's good. So there can be nine teams of four out on the course and we'll rotate through. Uh so we're excited about that. We've got some uh who's coming for food. Uh Rainbow Ceone and um Bona Beef, I think. Yes. >> I was going to say me. >> Yeah. You're coming for the food. You're not providing the food. And our PTO is doing uh pizza again. Uh PTO is what's that? >> Are we doing a dump? We are not doing

006a dump tank this year. >> I know. You got to keep it fresh. You got to keep it something new. >> Yeah, I still have to put water in my ears. Um, >> that's amazing. >> We The PTO Another new thing though, this year the PTO is pre-elling t-shirts and then we'll be facilitating a tie dye station at uh Family Fest. So folks can purchase a t a t-shirt in advance, come there, decorate it, and then bring it home and and with the directions to wash it and those kinds of things. And that's part uh tied into their let's play campaign for the year. So kind of a fun way to kick that off. So we're excited about that. Um tied in with that, we uh each year advertise for uh local vendors. If we

007have folks in our community, whether they're uh participate in our school as uh enrolled families or if they're in our community at large, uh we love supporting local. So, if folks have uh friends or if you uh represent a uh a business that might do or a company that might do business with the school district, uh we love to put you on our local vendors list. We're always looking for photographers and DJs. um t-shirt decoration, those kinds of things. We've had uh great success with uh some desserts and we had the cupcakes and cake pops and uh bakeries that we'll support. Uh so any of those types of things um if we have local vendors that are interested uh in providing that uh service uh we're happy to have you on our list and then

008uh get you get you involved here in in D23. Uh for the second year we're going to uh facilitate our plant your roots campaign. the um pasta and the other perennials that were dropped off last year are flourishing in the uh on the east side of um our campus here between the breezeway at Ross and Sullivan. And this year we're looking to plant uh some greenery on the west side to uh make that area a little bit more uh appealing visually. So, if folks have perennials, you may drop them by the breezeway doors. Uh really anytime on Friday, September 12th. Um we uh also obviously during uh the D23 family fest uh two birds with one stone if you'd like to drop those off. And then if there are any people who love yard work

009in addition to me, uh on Saturday, September 13th, we will be planting those. And so anyone who wants to to help us. Last year we had some Girl Scouts and some Cub Scouts. Uh we had some parent volunteers uh makes quick work of it. It was 90 something degrees last year. So, we're hoping maybe we're not in the same in the same boat, but if if folks are interested, uh we'll be planting on uh Saturday, September 13th. And those are >> What time are you planting? >> Uh I think we got here at like 8:30, 9:00. We haven't officially we we coordinate that with our landscaping to make sure that they've prepped everything. Um but it'll be it'll be first thing in the morning. So 8:30ish usually and that's the communications reporting. >> Yes. >>

010At this time, the board will conduct a public hearing concerning the intent of the board to issue not to exceed $20 million of funding bonds. May I have a motion to open the public hearing? >> So moved. >> Can I get a second? >> Second. >> Moved by Spencer, second by Tracy. Oh my gosh. Can I get a voice vote, please? All in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? So, passed 6 at 7:1. >> Um, Dr. Angela will now provide us with an overview. >> Yes. And um I will do so quite uh professionally by introducing uh Liz Hennessy from Raymond James. She has served the district for >> I was going to say a number of years but it's a couple of decades now I think that you connected with >> age. No, no,

011no. We were very young when when you started. Uh the uh financial plan that we um have been talking about for the last number of years. Uh as the board knows and the community is aware, we uh voted in July um to uh issue some debt certificates. That has been completed. Liz is here to uh kind of go through the process uh explain where we're at in that process and um she has the unfortunate role of sharing the current financial state of the world um and the negative impacts that we've had uh on that process but puts us uh you know according to our plan. We're we're we were aware of that and prepared for that. So, uh, we won't be surprised, but thank you, Liz, again for sharing your time and talent with us,

012and I'll let you walk through your presentation. >> Thanks, Don. Thanks for having me. So, um, I'm just going to highlight a few things for the board here. First of all, the purpose of the bond issuance. Um there are several series of bonds being issued uh for the purpose of getting the district 66.5 million is the target of debt certificate proceeds that it can use to complete its construction projects. So this slide addresses the purpose of each series of bonds. Okay. So, um, if you add all these numbers up, it looks like, oh my gosh, we're issuing 40 million of new debt. Well, that is not the case. The 16,545,000 debt certificates, which closed yesterday, August 13th, um, that's the new money for school construction. the eight proposed and I I say prelim preliminary subject

013to change 18,770 estimated uh general obligation limited tax funding bonds are going to refinance that debt certificate loan and allow the district's debt service extension base to pay back the debt. Debt certificates are paid from operating funds. So that's just a temporary loan which creates the obligation or claim that is going to be refunded by these funding bonds. So you might say, well that's 18.7 million. We're only borrowing 16.5 million. So the difference there is capitalized interest. And I'll bring you back to a slide we reviewed a couple weeks ago. Capitalized interest is a portion of the bond proceeds currently estimated at about 1,625 that's going to go in the bond and interest fund to pay interest on those new bonds until that debt service extension base opens up um to pay off these funding

014bonds. So, it's money that goes into the bond and interest fund and goes right back out over the next 18 months to pay interest on the new bonds. Then we've got 2,330,000 again estimated general obligation limited tax refunding bonds that is going to refinance or pay off the series 22 bonds. So, it's not new debt, it's paying off old debt. uh outstanding debt and similar the next piece 2,450,000 taxable general obligation bonds those are refinancing or paying off portions of the series 2019A and series 21 bonds. So the estimated new debt net is going to be approximately 18,170,000. Again, this is estimated um and that is 1,625 uh,000 higher than the 16,545 debt certificates borrowed. And that again is due to the capitalized interest um estimated at a million uh 824 um not a million

015625, it's a million8.24 24 is capitalized interest which is used again to pay interest on the new funding bonds and the refunding bonds until the debt service extension base is available to absorb the payments on this new debt. So, just to remind the board, your current debt limit is 38. Net debt limit is 38,50,000. This net new debt is estimated to use 18,170,000 of it. Okay. When all is said and done, >> why did we have to do the debt certificate instead instead of just selling bonds? because the working cash fund bond limit is not big enough. That would be the preferred option if we could just go issue the working cash fund bonds, but there's not enough. There's a separate statutory limit for that and that's not big enough to fund the project you're

016looking at. >> Okay. >> Any other questions on this side? Then I'll move to the next. Um, now this is small. I hope you have it on your screens. So, this hearkens back to the options that we looked at back in uh June and then again in July. And I think at this point it makes sense to review why were the board determined to move forward with this transaction in the first place. So, just to review, this 16.5 million is going to accomplish the critical capital projects uh including the scaledback additions to Eisenhower renovations at MacArthur's MacArthur and to at today's prices. So, we're going to avoid some of that cost escalation which is so uh much with us in this inflationary environment. Also utilizing the sunk costs already spent on design and development and

017avoiding the threat of future threat now of loss of tax exemption and most importantly at no additional cost to the taxpayers except annual costs except CPI. Okay. So we looked at lots of different options, funding 16 million, 15 million down to 10 million, 4 million, all sorts of different options, seeing how that would use up the debt service extension base and important to the board and I think rightly so. You wanted to give future boards flexibility to do this again. So we kind of looked at all these different options and ended out on the 16.5 million of DOT certificates. um focusing on a structure that provides a window for additional bonds in levby year 2037 in the amount of approximately 587,000 each year which is shown in that highlighted green box. Back when we ran

018these numbers uh in May of 20 May 21st and end of May for the ear the early June 2nd meeting rates were lower. We were estimating for all these various series an all-in true interest cost of 4.91%. Okay. So um in order to stay within this debt structure uh the amount of debt certificates we can pay off will vary with the interest rate. Okay. So that's kind of the bad news Don is talking about. So let's go forward on the slides. If we look at the next one here's the graph showing the um 2037. Again, Google is killing my power. >> Sorry about that. >> It's on graph. So, uh hopefully uh on your screens you might have that uh xaxis, but in 2037 at the drop down uh and room for additional debt. Um

019let's go to the next slide. >> I'm going to help you out a bit here. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Use something friendlier. >> Either PowerPoint or PDF sometimes. Okay. >> What is this? It goes back in there. Excuse me as I fix this. >> You're still reading it. >> Okay. Thank you. >> There we go. It's a little bit smaller. Hopefully you can zoom in on it a little bit. >> I would love to. >> There you go. All right. That helps. Thank you. So here's our 16.5 million in graphic. So you can see now the dollars per year. The debt service extension base is the represented by the blue line that increases by CPI 2% each year. Um the uh we've got refunding bonds in here, but the funding bonds is the yellow

020gold bars and they drop down in that year 2037, giving you more room for additional debt. So let's go to the next slide. And this is what's happened in the market uh since January 1 to August 8th. The good news is that we've got the shortterm rates going down. Um, but our bonds are not in the short term. Uh, our bonds are long-term and those rates have gone up in fact about 74 basis points on this uh, AAA M&D since January 1. So since May it's not quite as much but it has gone up so that now our option is at an interest rate of 5.24% all in true interest cost as opposed to 4.91%. So what does that mean for our option? And I tried to write a memo about this variability that we

021may see uh for the board. But if we want to maintain that debt structure with that the board liked on the 16.5 million option where in 2037 we have 587,000 of capacity. Then that means something's got to give because the interest rate is higher. the amount of proceeds we get out is lower. And in this case, the amount of proceeds the district can get is 15,750 based on rates today. We're not selling these bonds till September. The Fed is talking about lowering rates uh just before your board meeting on September 18th. So, I'm hopeful that will positively impact uh interest rates. But um you know we have a very kind of volatile time right now. So again the two levers that we have are the amount of debt certificate proceeds that we can keep and

022the debt structure. So for example if the board said well the debt window instead of 587,000 a year in 2037 how about 400,000? then we get more dollars up front. Or let's say we move the window out another year to 2038. The district could then keep more of those debt certificate proceeds higher than the 15,750. Or if rates go down, we're hoping that's going to help as well. So, but what we're looking at today is an allin interest cost that's 5.24%. Okay. So, let's go to the next page. And this graph, the the graph is exactly the same. It's just because interest rates are higher. When we're looking at a fixed bucket of dollars that we can access, the interest is up, the proceeds are down right now from 165 down to 15750. So let's

023go to the next page and just kind of compare what does this mean for the district. So the original plan 16,545,000 that's what we issued. We had Lake Zurich School District 95 purchased this loan uh debt certificate loan at 5%. That's lower than similar non-rated uh debt has been going for. Uh a Southside district with a similar rating got 5.55%. So I thought this was a good comparison. Um, so if if things go to plan, we will not need any of that 16 million5 that's currently in the bank at the township treasur being invested uh at 4.3%. Okay, so that's going to be earning some interest for you as well. So, um, we would simply use the funding bonds as we planned to pay off those debt certificates. that was at the 4.91%. So, right

024now, um because rates are up, we would have to use a part of that 16.5 million to help pay back the full amount of the 16,545. In this case, 798,000 of that would go towards repayment of the debt certificate and the funding bonds would generate 15,861 at today's interest rates. So, I just wanted to give you a feel for the various things that can happen as we get into September. We could have rates come lower and that amount could go down. um we're or you know we could have rates go higher and then we'd be in the opposite issue. So uh but every the economists are saying that they think there's going to be two more interest rate cuts before the end of the year. Uh one in September, the other one probably in December.

025What matters a lot is what Chairman Powell is going to say after at the September meeting. It could cause the markets to go up or down. So we're just in a vol little time. So you know we have uh difficulty predicting the market given the national international and economic uncertainties. So, we are doing the best we can, but this is still going to be a substantial amount of proceeds for the district within the structure that the board felt comfortable with uh based on its meeting July 7th when it approved the 16.5. >> And we've not or we're not recommending we haven't had excuse me any discussion about changing that structure. Um, we think that that is a the the window is is a good a good window. The dollar amount at that time is a

026good dollar amount. We've known all along that based on the proceeds we have available, our prioritized list of projects, maybe we could do more of them or less of them. If the interest rates are here, we would do less of those of those projects. We're still prioritizing the Eisenhower edition and the MacArthur window side and doors project. The additional uh revenue. Again, we know there's no shortage of other projects, but that's where that gives us still a little bit of wiggle room that it's not critical that we have 16.5. Um we still obviously have to go out to bid. We still know that we have decisions that we need to make to keep our um projects in line with the available funding, but we're not considering any changes to that structure. Um unless Liz says

027something miraculous has happened and um we should uh we will be watching those. Well, we Liz will be watching very closely uh what happens in September. um and making a recommendation if we sell right away or we wait a day or wait a week um depending on what we what she thinks the market the market may be doing. Um but again this is also then why uh and and you'll see Liz's next slides about the up to gives us that we're not exactly sure where rates will be at that time. We still want to be able to hit uh stay within our targeted amount for projects. We want to stay at the zero tax impact and we want to live within the structure. So none of those three goals has changed. It's just shuffling of

028what that means to us in terms of where uh the funding is is going, what we have to pay in interest, what we have to pay in uh debt certificates, what would be available for projects. >> Well said, Dan. Can you just walk through why why the 798,000 that we that we need to pay off the debt certificates now? I I guess why is the payoff of the debt certificates impacted? Well, the board, the district does not intend to pay debt certificate proceeds out of operations, right? The operating rate did not pass. The district is tightening its belt so it can staff early childhood or full day kindergarten and you don't have surplus funds in your operations to fund these uh debt certificates. The funding box is what we have always planned to >> No,

029I'm sorry. Like the difference between the original plan and the current update, but like the third column like the how does like I I guess I'm not parsing in my head why the increase in interest rates is causing the increase to the amount needed to pay off the debt certificates. So, it's just it's not increasing the amount that you have to pay off the debt certificates. It's just um determines what sources it can come from. The 15,861, >> right? >> That's all that will fit in that graphic window. Right? Now going back, if you can go back to the prior slide, within those yellow bars, you can fit principal and interest. When interest rates were lower, we could fit 16.7 million in there. Now, because interest rates are higher, we can only fit 15.8. >>

030Okay. Okay. That I followed the column doesn't seem labeled properly. cuz that could you go back to the the slide after that? I mean, this I'm following >> something needed to pay off debt certificates. >> So, we can't get enough from the funding bonds to pay them off. So, we need to go somewhere else. We're not going to go to your operating funds. We're going to reduce the size of the project. Does that make sense? >> Yeah. Okay. >> Yeah. Thanks, >> Liz. And maybe you're going to touch on this or maybe this is a totally off type. Stop me if it's not the right time or topic, but like when we get this money, let's say 15, the 15.5 million when we're ready to start and we're not using it right away, >> could

031we then like invest that somewhere and make money on that money as well? And so then eventually maybe actually even have more here than what we're intending. >> In fact, you already you you already have the money. It's in your treasury that 16.4% you said, right? earning interest >> 4 point I I I talked to Jim Palmer today. I think 4 uh2% is where he's got it invested. It's liquid. Um so we have an estimated draw schedule on these debt certificate funds that we have um uh had to use for closing because the IRS wants to know that you do plan on spending that money. But there's going to be time in between where you're going to have that invested. So the investment earnings between now and October 3rd when these things are paid off

032will help pay uh offset that interest cost. But once we close then and you're waiting to spend the money, you're going to bid, you're going to pay yourself back for some of the architects fees and all the things you've incurred for design development so far, which is nice. It'll go right into the O and M fund. That's a smaller amount, but most of it is going to be invested. And I think in that spreadsheet, then we were looking at uh just under 800,000 in interest earnings over the three-year life of the um >> spend down. >> Yep. And we have 5 years to spend all of the money. And so we know that we'll have some upfront costs, but we really won't write the larger checks until the project comes to fruition. So we'll have

033until August or so of 2027 before the majority of our big projects are done. >> So So we So we're earning money on this. That was just >> Yes. while you spend it. So hopefully that'll be a nice bore you with some of these things. >> So you said it the investments would be liquid, right? So we can access it easier. So is that true? >> Yes. Right now they're liquid until we close on October 3rd. Then see we have an estimated draw schedule from Nicholas and Archon, but they're going to get more serious about that. And once they get a more serious draw schedule when you need the money, then I think Jim Palmer is your treasurer and the Wheeling Township treasurer will look at investing a little longer and locking >> more money.

034Yes. Cuz when it's liquid, it's going to be a shorter interest, >> right? But longer term, especially with short-term rates going down, so lacking it out to just when you need it is going to be important, >> right? >> Yeah. >> I know you've got one more good slide. >> I do. All right. So, that kind of brings us to tonight. So, tonight we are starting the authorization process to issue funding bonds to pay off the debt certificates. And we have a not to exceed amount of 20 million. So, you know, you might have the question, why is why are we looking at an amount not to exceed 20 million? So, you know, kind of going back to that first slide, we don't have to go back there, but um we want a a number

035that gives you the most flexibility. So including the full debt certificate payoff currently estimated for the 16.5 at 16.7 million and the capitalized interest uh again which goes to pay uh interest on the bonds until the debt service extension base opens up and that's a million824 plus cost of issuance takes us to 18.9 million. um then we might have a demand for discount bonds as opposed to premium bonds which we typically have. We just don't know. We want to if discount bonds are demanded you get a lower interest rate on the long end but you get less proceeds up front. So we need to increase the par amount of the issue. So that is why we're looking at an amount not to exceed 20 million. So it may it very likely will be less than

036that. I just want to give the board the most cushion possible to get the most proceeds from the funding bonds to pay off the most amount of debt certificates within our approved structure. And I had that same question that Liz knows because we we called and uh my big kind of highlevel understanding, you know, definitely not in the in the weeds uh of it. But uh is are we asking for more than 16.5 for construction? No. Is it going to impact the tax payer? No. Does it contain or or or fit within the structure that we had agreed on? Yes. So then like okay, as long as we're not messing with those variables, I think how the sausage gets made is again I I have asked what's a debt certificate versus this kind of bond

037and a funding bond and a working bond. Um, that was what was reassuring to me is that we can live within that. If we have less revenue to spend toward construction because we have to pay more toward interest, then we'll make those decisions as necessary. But I didn't want to put us in a position of changing the parameters around which the board has been deliberating. So it is >> thank you for this presentation because this was the the initial memo I was struggling with but I appreciate you because I had sent some questions and talked to Don the other day and I appreciate you walking through all this. This is much clearer now. >> I said I said I can't I can't tell you but Liz will be there. >> I said that's why we're

038inviting Liz. And the thing is you you walk you you understand it once you walk away from it and you're like what and then you see these numbers and I understand how it can be confusing because we have to operate within Illinois law and these are the only way we can issue these get them on the debt base within all the limits and um so >> yeah you know I mean I think just the primary thing for me was just the the the statutory versus the the what the working cash and that we really couldn't just straight issue the bonds, right? And that we need that you needed to do that first step >> that we that we've done with Lake Zurich to actually get the money >> and then now we do like the

039full reissuance. So this is like a preliminary step that you really didn't I was not fully understanding uh >> yeah to begin. So thank you >> Liz. I know we a couple of people have tons of questions. So obviously this was great to be able to sit down and and cuz they called me and be like I have no like I I could try and Liz will do way better than I can. So this was really helpful and good. I'm glad. Yep. And you know again feel it does get confusing. Feel free to ping Don or Amy and they will you know probably have the answer but I'm happy to jump in come back. You know, we're gonna be that kind of takes us to our schedule of where we're at. >> Pretty convenient of

040Amy to miss this meeting. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. >> She's watching, I'm sure. >> Yeah. >> Gotcha. >> Okay. So, you know, we started this back in April and here we are at August 14th. So, again, just to reiterate, we closed the sale of the debt certificates yesterday, August 13th. the money hit the bank, so it's invested. And tonight, we are holding this public hearing right now. And then later on your agenda, you have the approval of the resolution of intent to issue funding bonds to pay the debt certificates. And just to remind you, you don't need any notice or anything for the refunding bond portions for the other bonds. You simply need it for the funding bonds. Um so tomorrow we will publish the assuming the notice of intent is approved tonight. Uh we

041will publish that in the uh newspaper the daily herald that begins a 30-day petition period. If within 30 days uh we have um a an objection to uh of 10% of the registered voters submitting a signed petition. They have to be voters within the district. then that would cause the issue to go to referendum. That is ne that's also the case on working cash bonds and that's never happened to you guys in the past. So once those 30 days expire that kind of takes us to September 15th and then your board meeting is conveniently on September 18th after that petition period expires. So on that board meeting, assuming market is strong, we're going to try to sell the bonds on September 18th. It's the day after the Fed speaks. We hope it's as expected and

042everything's stable and good. If for some reason it isn't, what we'll bring to the board instead is called a parameters bond resolution. and you guys have passed those before that delegates the authority to say yes to the board president and the C CSBO and superintendent within certain parameters right so it's going to be the debt structure and everything we've talked about so that's the alternative if the market is not cooperative but we wanted to move this ahead with all due speed to reduce the time that those debt certificates are acrewing interest for Lake Zurich get them paid off October 3rd and then um move on so you can get started on your projects and your business. >> So then so the notification that's in the paper tomorrow will be for up to 20 for funding

043bonds only. >> Correct. This is very clear like I I really appreciate this this work. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> Does anybody have any >> We have to read her down. >> Does anybody else have any questions or anything? Um, is there any public comment um from from the public about the um about the we >> um any anything? All right. Can I get a motion to close the public hearing? So moved. >> Moved by Spencer. Can I get a second? >> Second by um Bren. All in favor? >> I. Any opposed? Uh motion carries 6 at 7:44 p.m. >> Thank you again, Liz. Appreciate it. >> More time. >> Thank you. And I'll wait to pass the uh action item just in case any questions occur. >> Thank you. Sure. All right,

044the next one we have we're up to committee reports and I have Mrs. Buty to I just lost my internet building and sites >> buildings and sites. Okay. Um we had the buildings and sites meeting last week. Um and uh talked about the garden project behind Sullivan which is is it complete now or is it complete? >> So we were waiting on um we we received the permit for the fence. We were waiting on an inspection for the fence. Uh the posts have been the holes have been dug. Uh I don't I didn't get to it after like 2:00. I saw them at that point and at that point they were waiting but I think the fence may be completed if they got if the inspector came by they were ready to go and that

045putting it up after they do I said you guys already did all the hard work uh then it's just posts and then an installation of the fence. So that may very well be done. I haven't haven't checked it out but if not today it'll be tomorrow. the PTO funded uh the garden. Uh they um a number of boxes um like 20 maybe. >> Yeah. >> Um were assembled and filled with dirt. Uh the um custodial people and um Gavin Slebky and with his Eagle project um worked on it. They spread pea gravel all around the inside of the fence there, the fence area. Uh so and um the ribbon cutting will be next month. >> I heard on the hottest day of the year is when that project is >> Yes, it was always >>

046unbelievably hot. >> Uh let's see. Um there was electrical um installation taking place at the multi-purpose room for Ross Sullivan to accommodate two steam tables which will be provided free of charge from organic life and that will allow for expanded food options for lunch. uh low voltage wiring project was completed for Mac and Gratzky. All the network cabling was replaced and organized and it looks very sharp. Good job. Um let's see. Sullivan's Bradsky's um inter door intercom system is quite old. and uh can no longer be prepared. So uh there is a proposal on the agenda tonight to approve uh purchase of new equipment. Uh there was concrete and paving work done uh throughout the district. Uh there you might have noticed some concrete new concrete in front of Godsky. There's some along the um

047Ross Sullivan here. The drive uh there was the um sidewalk behind Sullivan was expanded with um Ballards put um so that it's just a safety issue with students and staff coming and going with drop off and buses and that. Um just some of the other uh summer custodial work, the deep cleaning of all classrooms, fixtures, furniture, lockers, uh deep cleaning of washrooms, all carpets were cleaned, all tiled floors were stripped, cleaned, and rewaxed. And the HVAC air vents were cleaned and all filters replaced. Um we're uh as of the meeting we are waiting the installation of the fire door. Um >> that's still we're still waiting on >> still waiting on that. >> Um that should be is expected in the next few weeks I think. >> Where's that's in the basement where our uh

048paper records and archives are. >> Oh okay. Okay. >> Yeah. Uh some of the other major projects was um the sale room in Sullivan and uh the sale room at Mac. >> It's the striper room. >> It's a stripe. >> Sorry. >> All right. Uh they um removed older shelving units and installing new shelves and doors and locks on the open shelving. uh in some new tile. >> Was all that all that new stuff from last month >> already that they got that all? Oh, cool. >> Yeah, they did it super fast. >> Yeah, that was fast. >> We're just missing some chairs, but those are due in next week. So, >> okay. >> We did that all in house. So, that was Cal and then the furniture, >> right? We had to do the

049install stuff, but we had just had those purchase orders for like 15,000. >> That was for the furniture, the portable stuff, right? >> That came. That's awesome. >> We've been used some really long delays with us. So, right. >> So, painting at uh Ross Library and in the Mac orchestra room. The um uh whiteboard and projector in the choir room at Mac was moved to be in the center was kind of off to the side and half the class couldn't see it really. So that's been switched and um new spiggots were uh installed for the garden. So the walls were opened up and the spigotss installed and the walls closed up. So um that's the work that took place this summer and everything looks really good. Tracy and I walked around with Raph Roth and

050um done and everything. I mean, it's just shiny and just looks really good. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Uh, finance did not meet. Um, I know that we got the stuff via email. Anything to share or any comments? Good. All right. Next up is NSSO. I know we have some stuff to talk about in a video to watch. Do you want Do we want to start with the video or do we want to start? But while he's pulling the video up, you want to just kind of lay the ground at the short part of the meeting and then um kind of introduce this. Uh let's see. Uh the board approved uh some salary increases for um one of the building managers. Uh this was not part of the planned budget but it was uh within

051the budget parameters and the board discussed it with admin and approved it. Um Dr. Schnore's contract has she has a new contract now that is basically a retirement contract. Um that's two two-year contract that was approved. Um said that just so fast. >> Really? So but it starts next year. How many more? >> This year would last year be >> 2027. >> Yeah. >> June of 2027. >> So you got another search coming then in two years. Oh >> um two years right? uh new theme for um the year for NSCO is shine from within. That uh is a program that they do where they have uh staff submit ideas for the theme of the year and Katie Kater from the DHH program was the winner with the new theme. Uh number of policies were

052approved through second reading. They reviewed staff vacancies. Uh Molly Dunn reviewed the summer leadership programs for the staff. Uh let's see. Uh new committee uh assignments for the board was announced. The board meetings themselves will start at 6:30 instead of 7 to allow for better scheduling with the NSO stars and their family. And now um Dr. Schnore gave an update on the strategic plan and uh there's a um an a edited version of the articles of agreement which uh is you should have an email from Don that has links to all these things. There's a link to the the presentation that she made at the uh board meeting. She put together a video which you'll see now that kind of reviews the strategic plan uh process and what's happened where we are now and how

053we are going to proceed from here. Is that perfect? Set it up. Thank you for taking the time from your busy board agenda to include this video and the important information shared regarding the governance structure at MSCSO. This is Dr. Me Shore, your district and seven other area districts enabling the provision of special education services for the most complex educational needs. In fall of 2024, NSSEO along with all member districts and a variety of NSSO shareholders met to develop a strategic plan to guide the cooperative in meeting the needs of member districts for the next 5 years. Four key priorities emerged. Governance, finance and facilities, instruction and programs, and highly qualified staff. This evening I am presenting about the governance priority. For the more than 50 years NSSO has served districts, the governance structure has

054been that of a single tiered board, the NSSO governing board, which is made up of one elected board member from each of the member district boards coming together monthly to govern the work of the cooperative. During the original strategic plan meetings in fall of 2024, as well as the action plan meetings in January of 2025, the shareholders agreed that there needs to be another layer of governance added to the structure. This layer of governance would be composed of the superintendent from each of the member districts and the NSSO superintendent meeting in alignment with the open meetings act to collaboratively make decisions of how best to provide for students with special needs in all member districts. These decisions would be made in alignment with the budget established and annually by the elected governing board members. Making

055the change to a two-tiered board requires the change of the NSSO articles of agreement, which were already overdue, to be reviewed and revised. A copy of a draft of the new NSSO articles of agreement is included in your board packets. Naturally, the question, why do we need to change has arisen in many discussions. NSSEO exists to meet the needs of member districts and member districts want to share in the decisions that are made on behalf of their students including those attending NSSO program. Another question has been the superintendent already meet monthly in an advisory capacity with the superintendent and administration of NSSO. Isn't that sufficient? While the implementation of the NSSO superintendent council has increased the dialogue between superintendent and NSSO administration, it does not hold decision-making power. An operational board would have the formal

056authority to make operational decisions on matters such as the e-learning policy, program design, staffing models, and transportation services, giving districts a direct role in shaping the outcomes that impact students and their budgets. Unlike advisory groups, an operation board would meet publicly under the open meetings act. This creates a legally accountable structure where all deliberations and decisions are transparent, documented, and accessible to the public. This helps build broader trust, which has been a key concern raised in the strategic planning process. Further, an operational board will also help NSSE reduce the sharing of misinformation and back channel problem solving. The operational board removes the ambiguity. Instead of conversations happening offline or in silos, key issues would be addressed through a structured visible process. This helps eliminate conjecture and fosters mutual accountability. The question of how was this

057decision made will no longer be an issue. Additionally, the operational board with superintendent representation from all member districts in a formal capacity ensures that decisions reflect the diversity of needs across our entire cooperative, not just those with the loudest voices, most urgent needs or lowest or highest fund balances. It helps us function as a cooperative with shared priority, not just being a service provider. Ultimately, this is about building confidence in how NSSEO serves students and stewards the significant fi financial contributions from member districts. The operational board will provide a platform for member districts to shape strategy, monitor value, and affirm that NSSO is indeed delivering on our mission. The superintendent advisory council is critical and will continue to be, but an operational board offers the public an empowered and equitable forum of collective leadership. My

058goal as the superintendent of NSSO is that by the end of this year, every member district will not only understand how decisions are made, but will also see clear evidence that NSSO is more than a value added partner. We are a shared investment and better future for our students with exceptional needs. The addition of the operational board does not in any way diminish the importance of our governing board. The governing board will continue to set the budget within which the operational board functions as well as hire and evaluate the NSSO superintendent. But their role extends far beyond that. We need our governing board to continue to bring the needs of NSSEO back to your member district boards so that resources can continue to be allocated to meeting the needs of all of your students. We

059also need our governing board members to ensure that our students continue to have a place and a voice in our community and that their needs are considered beyond the school from community events to employment opportunities and the generation of supplemental resources to provide for their needs. We have a cautionary tale that has taken shape this summer in that a neighboring special education cooperative will no longer be in existence this time next year. We want to strengthen the collaboration between member districts and NSSO to ensure that we can continue to provide the services for our students in their home community. The time to move forward is now. As board members of eight different school boards, I'm asking that you review the draft articles, ask questions, and eventually ratify them. so that we can move forward in

060a highly transparent and effective manner as we work to implement all of the priorities of the NSSO strategic plan and provide for your students with the most complex special needs. Thank you. Which co-op is closing or closing down? >> True North, >> formerly NSSD. >> What district is that? >> Like the North Shore like Highland Park. Um Rose Deer Deerfield is like their their co-op offices are located like in Highland Park. >> Why is that? lots of issues that they've tried to work through. I I want to thank Carol for her leadership in NSSEO, taking on an even more active leadership role throughout this strategic planning process. Uh Meg uh always thanks me for sharing Carol with her. Uh and we're very fortunate again that uh the level of uh feedback and input that we

061have, the awareness that we have, that is not the case in every district and every member district. And that's part of the goal is to make sure that um we're all the members are hearing consistent information. Uh Chris and uh Amy and I participated in the strategic plan process as well. So uh and Chris has been a longtime advocate for our students and for our programs and has been a real support for NSSO as well. Uh and I think what Meg said at the very end is really been our driving focus is that we want to see collaborative decision making um and not see NSSO as a third party provider but an extension of D23. And so, uh, we've been making good strides toward that. Um, the governance structure is just one of those pillars.

062We still need finance and, uh, support for HR and for staff at, uh, at NSSO's programs and their professional learning. So, we'll be addressing some of those other pillars as we move forward. But the process as I shared in the email earlier today, um the first step is that NSSO actually has to vote next at their next meeting in September 3rd to send the articles formally to the member districts. Then member districts have 90 days to review and pass a resol, you know, we would vote pass a resolution to tell Carol that we are supportive of assuming those and then that would give Carol direction when that vote to change the articles um takes place probably December. Um then Carol has the direction of of this board. So, um, this isn't necessarily a a a

063formal vote. Uh, it's really an opportunity for is there any further information that people would like for Chris or Carol or I to provide. Um, if you have questions or comments about the articles as they've been we shared, uh, we can uh we will make that an action item in our September meeting. Um, so we'll have deliberation around any issues there. Um but uh again I think this has been a really monumental um task that Megu has taken on and I think we all as member districts um have been advocating well and collaborating well and I think that this gives us an opportunity to make that relationship even better. So >> awesome. Thank you guys for that. Next up is policy. Tracy. >> Um, so we met on Brian and I met on with Dr.

064A on August 8th. Um, >> yes, sorry, Dr. Chris. Um and there was just some general updating of policies but one implementation is uh an update about censure and whether or not we want to adopt or not the censure right now or currently our oath as board members does not address if a board member what happens if a board member violates a code of ethics and what happens um if there's a board member misbehavior Currently we follow the ISB IASB recommendations. um find anything to elaborate on. I you know I just think that they just had a a rec that we don't really have a path forward right if there is a right like if there is some something so it's more just kind of getting a process for >> for for century into our

065policy I >> I don't know that this ever come up or that it will not tying us down into anything but it's more >> h just having a policy right and it it doesn't like set out punishments or anything it's just kind linking a path, right? >> Yeah. Of the policies, this this volume uh this is an optional uh change in language. It's not a requirement, but the committee met and felt probably uh worthwhile to document and have that structure. Um so that's a recommended to approve as I think were all of the others, most of them were uh five-year reviews. So, >> anybody else have questions about the policy? I see that we have the replay of time. All right. Next up is community relations. >> All right. Yeah. So, we met last week

066as well. Uh, so me, Tracy, Don, and Chris. >> All right. Yes. So, so Don gave us an update on the s'more uh email software that uh we've been using. Um and then we have a bunch of back to school activity dates. So, um get ready. Um so, we have the the the ECN kindergarten uh play dates are the 16th. Uh the teacher institute and school improvement days are the 18th and 19th. Then the IRA Sullivan sneak peeks are the 19th. Uh first day of school for 1st through 8th is the 20th and then the first day of school for early childhood is the 21st. Um and so then then the following week, right, we'll have the back to school nights. So, the MAC uh sixth grade back to school night is the 26th and

067then the MAC 7th and eighth grade back to school nights are the back to school night is the 27th. Uh then the first day of school for kindergarten is August 28th. The Ike back to school night is that same night, right? August 28th for >> Yeah. And then the uh Yeah, that's going to be a long day. Um, and then the last two items on here were the the Solomon back to school night is September 4th and then the Ross back to school night is September 9th. >> Mhm. Um, >> which one? >> September 4th. We're all celebrated. >> All celebrated. All right. Awesome. >> I heard that. Uh, you know, then as as Don talked about, um, the the family fest is September 12th. Uh, looking forward to that. >> Um, and then some

068items under uh community engagement. Did you bring any of those the family guide? >> Oh, I can bring them in. I didn't bring them in. >> That's right. I don't know if you remember this from last show that there was like the student guide for Mac where it was like a six six or seven page thing about like key things for like new kid for new new families in the schools got like a little pamphlet to hand out so that we we now have one this year for both MacArthur and then there's MacArthur has one and then I cross Sullivan has a separate one right and so it's like you know key dates right websites uh holidays uh resources to access links, stuff like that. Um, >> yep. Everything a brand new family could want

069to know. >> That's our goal, >> right? >> He was he was a nice family. >> Yeah. So, yeah. Yeah. No, they're really they're they're cool. Um, >> does it have in there? Just a question. Does it have like all of those back to school nights and all of that stuff in it? >> It doesn't have the cuz we're trying to make it calendar, but it has the QR code which the link right to the website that has all of the stuff on it. I just wonder because we had um or I went just thinking ahead of this piece. Is that like a flyer maybe at the um Mac schedule thing? I worked a table for a little while and there were quite a few parents that were like >> when's picture day? Like they

070were like so like sixth grade parents like so anxious about that. Like when's picture day? When's this? When's back to school night? When's that? Like and so maybe if we just had like something like that like that post like with like all those like key dates as a new sixth grade parent when >> you're not going to get the same level of communication you've been getting for the last 5 years you know >> that was sent out the next day. >> Yes. But but like and they said that but they were like standing there. She's like okay so what about this date? What about this day? I was like I don't know off the top of my head right like I'm like you can go to the website but >> subject to change. >> Yes

071I know. But you had like a line of people and like just so I'm just like if we had something to just a >> an idea. >> Oh, it's a good idea to kind of help people. >> Yeah. For those six I'm thinking sixth grade parents, right? Like that like >> why are they anxious sometimes? >> Maybe. Maybe. >> I don't know what you're talking about. >> The mother of a sixth grader. >> It's fine. Where the eighth grade parents are like whatever. >> Like they're like whatever. I didn't even know what was happening that night. >> You know, and I think we we talked a little bit about some kind of safety expectation communication that will be going on from the community. And I think it was primarily around two topics, right? I think

072the first is motorized vehicles being used all around the you know the campus and making sure that we you know that parents understand the expectations and that uh we are not expecting to have children flying by right and uh and scooters right you know during the school year that that prohibited um and just making sure that we're communicating that and then secondly just you know about for for parents for for parents right in in line and expectations and understanding to to to try to avoid uh confrontation or challenges, right, from our staff trying to help kids get into the school safely and to avoid kind of uh >> bad behavior, >> anger, poor behavior, right, from parents there to to to remind people that uh about expectations there. Um >> our timing is off slightly

073because earlier in the meeting I I saw one go by, right? zip. >> Oh, really? >> Um, >> and then, you know, and then like I think so I think that but that communication will be via email, but then I think that Don might you might schedule a couple nights like you like with the Prospect Heights Police Department just to to really kind of raise awareness of this stuff and expectations especially around the motorized vehicle. Uh we've talked about the vendor list that Don mentioned earlier uh for like for you for for local vendors. Um the board sign up which was in the Monday in the Monday memo. Oh boy. Coordinated events I don't remember. just that one of the goals that the leadership team has developed this year is that's right >> a goal

074to try to improve and enhance uh participation and attendance. And so some ways we're thinking about doing that is by marrying if Ross is doing a reading night, maybe doing it the same night as Sullivan and maybe you get parents that instead of having to come on two separate nights, you might drive up some participation. So, just as you see the list of uh community engagement events come out that we're looking to do some some new things as well. >> Um Don, I'm uh is safety focus any different than safety expectations? Okay. >> Safety. Yep. >> Um and then I then talked about the the fall news. Oh, I'm sorry. Okay. So the fall newsletter, the community connections, right? So that and I think the some of the topics that will be the focus of

075that will be kind of, you know, talking about the building better D23 finance and the in the Ike solution, talking about the Mac window siding and doors and then also another reminder about this kind of safety focus. >> Anything else? >> You nailed it. >> Okay, >> done. >> Got it. N good. Thank you. >> Thank you everybody. Um we have consent agenda tonight. Um, tonight's consent agenda includes the approval of minutes from the regular meeting on July 7th and tuition reports for administrators. Do I have a motion? >> Motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Motion by Spencer. >> Second by Brian. Can I get a roll call, please? Mrs. Morsy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bwinsky, >> yes. >> Mr. Gdonis, >> yes. >> Dr. Long, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mlan. >>

076Yes. >> Mr. Nordbar. >> Yes. >> Uh motion carries 6 to zero. Next up is the financial report which was Carol. >> Yeah, I had the financial report. I had someformational questions but nothing really nothing really an issue just justformational mostly for myself. Uh so uh I will move to approve the financial report as presented. >> Have a second. >> Second. >> Oh gosh. >> But I think Brian Brian >> you said Brian I already put Brian. >> All right. So I have a motion by Carol. Second by Brian. Can I get a roll call, please? >> Mrs. Morsy. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Bowwinsky. >> Yes. >> Mr. Gordonis. >> Yes. >> Dr. Long. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mlan. >> Yes. >> Mr. Nordmark. See >> uh motion carries 6. >> All right, we are

077on to the superintendent report with some different items here. >> Yes, I'm noticing a little uh error in the agenda itself. Uh, I would ask if we move to item B first so that Liz doesn't uh spend her entire evening with us. Um, this is for the approval uh of the display of the Oh, I'm sorry, not item B. That's where I was mistaken. Uh, item, >> yes, that's where I was thrown off. Item D, consideration of the resolution of intent to issue not to exceed $20 million of funding bonds. >> Right. Can I get a motion, please, for item D? >> Motion to approve resolution declaring the intention to issue not to exceed $20 million bonds for the purpose of paying claims against the district, directing that notice of such intent be published as

078provided by law. >> Can I get a second, please? >> Second. >> U moved by Spencer, second by Tracy. Can I get a roll call? Mrs. Bwinsky. This is I just want to clarify this is a notice. >> It's a notice. It's not >> right. This starts Yeah. This starts the the 30 days. >> I I will say yes for the notice. >> Okay. >> Mr. Gordonis. >> Yes. >> Dr. Long. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mlan. >> Yes. >> Mrs. Morsy. >> Yes. >> Mr. Nordmark. Yes. >> Motion carries 6 to Z. Thank you. >> Thanks everybody. Good to see you here. Good to see you. Liz, >> I'm Can I ask you just one last question? So when you were presenting, you talked about how there might be there's an expectation that they might

079actually lower rates twice this year. Like is, you know, if there's like if we're get to September and they lower them once and there's an expectation that there's like a second rate cut and in the last few months of the year, is there any advantage to to potentially waiting to see if there's a second rate cut? >> You know, I don't think so because these things get built in immediately into So, so if there's a really strong expectation that another one's coming, it will be kind of partially baked into the race already. >> Exactly. Okay. >> And that'll be based on the comments on the 17th from the bench. >> Gotcha. Okay. Thank you. >> Sure. >> Thank you for coming, Liz. >> Thank you. >> All right. We're going back to item A for

080the presentation. >> Yes. Item A. Uh I was confused when I saw item. >> Yes. Uh Chris, if you don't mind, uh this is just a preview of what we'll be sharing at our um institute day and um the part of the communication that Brian referenced around our comprehensive approach to safety and security. Uh over the ne this meeting and the next two following meetings, we will highlight our uh three critical goals. These are um of all of the goals that we've developed for our strategic plan, uh there really are three that rise to uh be a primary focus. So tonight we'll be sharing um our comprehensive approach to safety and security. Uh next month we'll be talking about our um initiative to uh implement standardsbased instructional practices. And then the third uh is our

081full day kindergarten uh initiative which we will uh highlight again then in October. Um so just as a reminder uh for the board and community we have been um spending uh specific time focused on safety and security going back to uh 2022 when we conducted a formal safety and security audit. We had a a team of stakeholders that participated in that audit as well as a third party vendor. Uh out of that safety and security audit came a number of recommendations which I'm very happy to uh share. We have been making really good progress on. Uh some of them are listed here. We updated our emergency protocols. Uh we implemented new training for staff in the 2324 school year. We completed our first phase of security camera installation in 2324. Uh in 2425, uh Craig

082facilitated the discipline committee and we updated all of our handbooks. We uh completed the second phase of security camera installation and um we continued with our uh training on our emergency protocols. That is an annual uh component I think. Uh next slide please Chris. Thank you. Uh again when we think about safety and security obviously uh our brain goes to physical safety. That's uh a critically important part of what we uh need to provide. But we are also focused on emotional be uh safety and some of those behavioral components. uh we've been using this sort of risk assessment, vulnerability assessment process to identify where there might be uh needs needed areas of enhancement and improvement and that's again an ongoing process that drives uh our planning and decision-m. We want to again reiterate that this

083is a comprehensive approach on the next that we're looking at uh not just response but we're looking at prevention ways that we can mitigate risk. Uh we train and do our drills and our safety days and safety weeks. Uh we partner with uh local uh first responders to develop our preparedness. uh we obviously spend uh a good amount of time prepping for uh a response when needed. Um but then we're also focused on sort of that response and recovery and and what does that look like in terms of reestablishing trust. Um and and so the comprehensive approach that we're looking at, this is a visual, a graphic that um will be used really kind of talks about all the different components when we think about safety. Obviously, we have our procedures and our drills and

084the training that goes on. We spend a good amount of time looking at physical grounds, making sure that we have good sight lines and that there are um any physical uh hazards are removed. Um this year in particular, uh you will see a focus around guest visitor management, which I will talk about on a on a future slide. We're implementing a new process there. Uh cyber security is uh perhaps a component of our safety plan that folks don't always think about. But um in today's world, cyber security is uh just as much a threat to um data and to uh information being leaked. Uh so we have been doing a lot there. uh classroom access, making sure that we're uh safe and secure within our buildings and supporting staff as well in making sure that

085they are uh feeling safe. Uh that helps them to be more effective and efficient. All of which lead toward uh our primary goal which is ensuring that our kids feel safe and comfortable at school so that they can have their best uh learning experience. So, I'm going to highlight a couple of these goals. These are um in each of the the key areas. Uh we're looking again at continuing our review of emergency protocols. Um we review those as schools uh multiple times a year and I started last year uh visiting all of the teams. I'll do that again this fall to uh review the emergency protocols and answer any questions. We've also set a goal as an admin team to um increase our ability to uh invite first responders in to uh have whenever possible

086our partners be the ones that work with kids and talk to kids so that they see that this is a whole community approach. Um, we are looking at some internal practices for all secure and teach locations to be locked and closed at all times. And we're doubling down on our practices for outside supervision, ensuring that we have walkie-talkies, that folks are wearing their vests, um, that we're uh providing a safe opportunity anytime we bring kids outside. Now, that we continue to have some really cool outdoor learning spaces. We want to make sure that we're uh aware of those practices. The two uh outward-f facing kinds of um topics uh are our guest visitor management and um our student conduct. And we're going to talk a little bit more about each of those. But uh we'll

087we'll share our visitor aare the ways that we're enhancing security within our vestibules. Uh Brian mentioned uh topic of driver behavior and compliance. We'll we'll touch on that in a minute. And um on the student side, we have uh now I'm not pointing any fingers. Uh on the on the student side, we always review our behavioral expectations. The safe framework is the uh new work that has been done in the last few years to update uh that interact those interactions around student expectations. Um we're talking uh with a focus this year on bus safety and bus behavior, bus conduct. Um and so we'll talk about some potentials for assigned seating to streamline that. We've made a couple of changes to some routes to help them run more efficiently as well. Uh and then again the

088uh the the hot topic these days of bikes and scooters on campus will be an area of focus for us. I think I have >> I got slides. So, guest visitor management uh the big picture here is that while we are a publicly funded uh organization, our property and our campus is private to the business of the district. Therefore, we have expectations that we can set and uh any guests or visitors to our campus are required to comply with those directions. Unfortunately, we have had more and an increase of non-compliance from guests in our uh particularly in our parking lot when we've asked folks to move forward, to not move forward, to let your kids out of the car. um and and that has created not only some delays in the traffic flow, but has

089created unsafe situations. And uh I'm sure that folks in the community that are a part of pickup and drop off um can share some really scary stories because I've seen them, I've heard them, I've participated uh as a almost victim. Um and so we will have a focus on um some new signage, some refreshed sharing of expectations, but the bottom line answer is going to be if folks are not able or willing to comply with directions, we do have the authority to prohibit folks from being on school grounds. So we will follow a progressive pattern. We will have conversations with uh those uh few offenders. Um but at some point we will be uh blocking folks restricting folks from being on school grounds. Uh that's just the safe safety piece. I think the other component

090that is really disappointing when we see really disrespectful behavior uh is that it's almost always with kids in the car uh andor walking around. And so we as adults have to remember that kids are watching. And when we give a finger salute to someone who is there only to help cross a student across the street in a safe way. What is the message we're sending folks when the principal of the school says, "Hey, pull forward." and you go, "No, I don't think I'm going to." What message are we sending to our students? So, we're going to see an increased focus on that. You'll see more information about it, but it's something that has uh become worse and worse over the over the past few years. Uh maybe as I get older, I don't know. That

091could be part of it. >> Um it's, you know, just for 10 second, like it's crazy like how much better the actual traffic flow is, right? and all the work you've done like it's >> it's too bad that this is the direction right because you guys have done so much work right to make the traffic patterns better >> and we have and the actual traffic itself is way better right like this was >> right >> you know 6 years ago like there was backups on on show and back all the way down to Willow right that we've made so many improvements it's too bad that >> people are I'm glad that those people weren't around then right >> well I mean I think everybody is busy and everybody needs to get to work. And that

092is not an excuse to tear around other cars, speed through the lot, and jump in at the last second. Just like it's no excuse when we're merging on the highway for you to drive down the shoulder, cuz you know, this is a little pet peeve of mine, right? It's that kind of common courtesy that we're trying to teach our kids uh that we need to model. And so uh that that unfortunately is something that uh we've seen all too much and it and it is it is an accident that has happened and it's an accident waiting to happen and we want to mitigate that as much as possible. So we'll be calling on folks to really help us with that behavior getting kids to school safely and on time. Uh you'll see some language around

093that. One of the things that we have had a practice of is uh and you've seen this in schools all across the country is um a scan in when visitors come. We do uh a scan to make sure that folks are safe and appropriate to be on school grounds. We had been using one system. We we're switching to a new system. This is a going to be a kiosk mode. So it'll be out in the foyers of all the schools. Um, when you arrive, when guest guests or visitors arrive on school grounds and they need to enter the building, they will take a picture of themselves and then scan in their driver's license. And that will run the safety checks that are necessary and verify that the person who is saying they're here is actually

094the person who's standing in front of us. um that is just a a unfortunate necessary screener that we have in place. We're starting off this school year with that process happening in the office itself because we want to make sure that as folks come in that they're understanding why we're doing this and we can support folks through that process. But the goal is and the technology exists for us to make that kind of a standalone kiosk. >> It's pretty cool. Some of the schools I visit, it you you put your phone number in too and it'll text you like, "Are you still in the building?" And you can say, "Oops, I left." And it'll check you out of the building. And then it also like if if you go frequently, it remembers you. So it's

095like, "Welcome back." And then like you get your little >> there's a QR code um feature that we will be investigating and rolling out where if folks are we know they're coming in advance they have a meeting that's scheduled they can receive a QR code and just scan that in. So there are some some new technology that make that process flow a little bit better and enhances our our safety and security. We will also uh continue. This has been a a trend in the last few years, but uh again, it's not because we don't want to be welcoming, but if there are uh an instrument drop off, an iPad drop off, late homework drop off, and there's not a specific reason that folks need to enter the uh office area and or need to enter

096into the school, we we're setting up those tables in the foyer to be Thanks. Drop your lunch off for your kid. There is their name on it. We'll get it to them. So, that's a restriction in some access, but it's not again not because we don't want folks to be welcomed, but because it's a it's a safety uh screening that allows us to keep better management of who's in in the buildings. Uh on the student side, uh if you go to the next slide, please. Thank you. Uh you have seen andor heard a lot in the state of Illinois. There was a um a proposed bill that would prohibit cell phones from being in schools uh at all. Uh that did not move forward. Um but we have continued to work on minimizing the distractions

097that cell phones and smartwatches can uh can create. So we are um again reminding folks that in in our school day if kids have a cell phone it should be off and out of sight unless the teacher uh directs them otherwise. Smartwatches are the the don't really fit into one category another because even without a cell phone kids can get notifications and communications through their smartwatch. So, not the watch features, but the other distracting kind of features. If that becomes a problem, we have uh we've had to put some uh some limits around wearing the smartwatch. And you can play games on it. A lot of distractions. Uh and our goal here again is to make sure that folks uh that kids are are safe and paying attention. Uh often times we hear that I

098want my kid to have a cell phone so they can call me at any time. Unfortunately, uh that's problematic because anyone who has kids know um if they uh have a quick and easier out, we're going to take it cuz that's just human nature. And sometimes when kids are faced with difficult situations or challenges, living in that and working through it is part of the growth process. And so, uh, when a parent shows up at school and says, "Oh, I'm here to pick up my daughter, uh, in the office doesn't know anything about it. How did that happen? Oh, she texted me from class." You're like, "Well, wait a minute. You know, let us help by intervening in that situation." If it's truly an emergency, you can always call the office. If it's truly an

099emergency, the student can always come down to the office and ask to make a phone call. We're never restricting that information. But if it's a, "Hey, I can't be there. It's going to be 10 minutes later." They don't need to interrupt science class and distract from the instruction and their participation just for that one quick message. We're all subject to it. It happens in all of our lives. I am as guilty as anybody about checking my phone all the time. Part of our responsibility as adults is to help kids navigate through this. And so we'll have some continued focus on that. Uh one of the uh most challenging situations for kids to navigate is the bus bus ride. We think about how uh protected our kids are and guided our kids are and how many

100adults there are around them all day long helping them, guiding them. And then when they're on a bus, there's somebody whose responsibility is to drive this multipleton machinery and navigate through all of this and look through a mirror to make sure that everybody's behaving themselves. And so in that less than structured environment, we tend to see uh an an uptick in in inappropriate behavior and unexpected behavior. And so we're reinforcing some of that with um some assigned seating when necessary um so that it helps us to to structure our investigation and response. Also to minimize some of the uh behavior that the negative behavior that we've seen. Um, so you'll see some some work there. Again, as I mentioned, there are uh two routes that were re uh shuffled that had been um overcrowded and

101um more frequently late and delayed. Uh we've made some some switches there, so we should see some improvement uh both on the number of kids that are on those routes as well as the timing. So, we'll we'll stay tuned for that. But we we have the same number of routes as last year, right? >> Yes. Okay. So, we just did some rearranging. >> We just restructured some of them that we still are within the parameters from the board, but we're trying to >> trying to tweak that. Amy does that every year, but we were able to find a couple this year. Right. >> Uh whether the bicycle or scooter that you uh ride or uh a child rides uh is motorized or otherwise on school grounds. All bikes and scooters need to be uh walked

102or carried. I suppose you carry your scooter and walk your bike. um there's just too much traffic and too many opportunities for kids riding bikes and into people who are walking. So once on school grounds, we ask that all bikes and scooters are walked. When you bring your bike onto school grounds or your scooter, we ask folks to lock them at our at our bike racks. Uh connected to that is the ongoing and look seemingly growing concern around um age of kids, speed of some of the ebikes and um you know I'm guilty of being one of those kids back in the day with my Huffy that you know I've gone over the handlebars a number of times doing jumps and stupid things. So, this is the pot calling the kettle black a little bit.

103Um, but I do think that there is a growing concern about the risk that kids face uh to self uh injury on these bikes as well as that we've seen with adults and injuries around the use of ebikes. our neighboring municipalities. This is the other guy that just uh experienced that perhaps firsthand. And um we're working with local municipalities. There are we serve four different municipalities in district 23. Each of them has a different language around what is allowed, what is prohibited, the the rating of the bike. Is it a class one? Is it a class two? Is it this size engine, that size engine? It's I can't imagine being a parent now and trying to navigate that. I see them at Costco and go, "That looks really cool. I would love one of those."

104Uh, which is why we see them all over the place. But many parents will be shocked to learn that it is in fact against school, against local municipalities to to ride one, to be on one, where you can ride them. uh the the speed of the bike where it's limited and again it's complex because there's different municipalities. We're going to take the role of supporting our our first responders, the Arlington Heights, Wheeling, Mount Prospect, Prospect Heights Police Departments in getting communication out for parents. Um that's not we're not on the legal side of whether you can or can't have one or should or shouldn't have one. We're not playing that game, but we are maintaining a safe environment. And so on school grounds, please walk all bikes and scooters um uh so that we can

105maintain a safe arrival and dismissal. And I think that's my last um slide. Yes. Uh, if you're really interested and you want to dig into the formal language, our parent student handbook says all of what I just said in these different components. Uh, any questions or any thing for clarification? Um, >> you know, still look, we had talked about a community relations and that you had mentioned tonight about like the coordinated events like just for even just if you have like a one pager about some of the stuff at some of the back to school nights just like really just to make sure that you're raising awareness and just to get big font like you cannot be writing scooters on campus right during the school year, >> right? I >> I don't know like how

106many parents would really recognize about this as well. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Just to do everything you can just to kind of blast. >> We talked about this as well. I know Don and I did about like in those home like those first days of advisory in junior high like those first advisory days like really telling the kids >> and our expectations the elementary levels. We've had this conversation at our house too and I was like, you know, there's a sign that says no no bikes on and really like so like just really reiterating that like you know you can and that's not just on school like that's a lot of places like walk your bike when you're >> at these places and so like >> and it's an evolving issue again as the municipalities

107there was just uh action at Arlington Heights just this week um took some action they they had a proposal to for a full ban and they they didn't go quite that far, but there's different classes that are illegal for kids under the age of 16 to ride, which is all of our students. Um, so again, yes, Brian, the the as we have opportunity, we've invited the police departments in to we would be willing to host nights. Um, so they're kind of get trying to get their uh communications uh clear clearly articulated. Um, but it's one of those things that has moved so quickly that the municipalities, the laws, the policies, the regulations can hardly keep up. As soon as you say it's an electric ebike, they go, "Well, this one's hydrogen powered, so it's not

108an electric, right?" I don't know if that exists, but somebody's going to make one. It sounds kind of cool. So, our and I would probably ride it, but not on school grounds. So, um, again, our our we're looking at our role as what we can control on school grounds to maintain a safe environment we're going to do. And then we want to be a partner to help parents understand and navigate this cuz it's tricky. >> And is cell phone use also not allowed? >> Correct. >> Well, no, you can during instruction it needs to be off and out of sight. >> Like driving you around. >> Oh, well, driving is still right. You cannot drive a and be on a cell phone even hands-free in a school zone. >> Okay. >> So that from a

109>> include that >> from a driving perspective that's that's a distracted driving >> all the time here. >> Go back to going uphill both ways. >> Yes. Remember when I went to school? Yes. >> Can we find for some of these things like revenue generator? We cannot we cannot find >> but we will be in contact with our police departments and they would >> do the followup and they can find we get a repar don't we do it in the spirit of safety >> and being a good mom roll >> okay >> no chickens on school property no dogs >> not the chickens like heights I didn't bring that up. >> All right, we're going to move on to item B. >> Item B, uh, this is the tentative budget. Uh, we, uh, need to,

110um, post it, make it available for review, um, schedule our public hearing for at least 30 days out, which again is why we moved our September meeting. Um the tenative budget has been presented and reviewed in finance. Um it's still a work in process. Uh and uh will continue to go under a number of uh adjustments, but we will uh ask tonight for those actions to uh approve the display of the 20 FY26 tenative budget post in the newspaper and scheduling of our public hearing. and then we'll have the final budget uh hearing and a presentation by Amy in September. >> Do I have a motion? >> I move to approve the posting of the fiscal year 2016 budget posting in the newspaper and scheduling public hearing for September 25. >> Second. >> Moved by

111Tracy, second by Bren. Can I get a roll call? >> Mrs. Morrisy. >> Yep. >> Mrs. Bwinsky. >> Yes. >> Mr. Gordonis. Yes, >> Dr. Long. >> Yes, >> Mrs. Mlan. >> Yes, >> Mr. Nordmark. >> Yep. >> Motion carries 660. >> Uh, the next item is also an action item. This is um the item that was approved by finance via email. So, the work is uh already underway. They were actually out in the district today uh so that we could have the work on our new intercoms uh at Sullivan and Grodsky up and ready by the beginning of the school year. We still have the formal need to approve it. >> Yeah, I thank Amy for her approach on this. So I'll move to approve the proposal for the amount of $12,455 for the

112placement of the intercom system at an SOL in Katsky. Do I have a second? >> Second. >> Moved by Spencer, second by Brian. Can I get a roll call, please? >> Mrs. Morsy? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Bowwinsky? >> Yes. >> Mr. Gordon? >> Yes. >> Dr. Law? >> Yes. >> Mrs. Mlan? >> Yes. >> Mr. Nordmark? >> As long as Johnson first. Yes. You got it. >> Motion carries 6 or M. We've already done D. So, E is information. >> Thank you. And the remaining items are information items. Uh, I want to give a big shout out to to Craig and the professional development committee made up of our our instructional coaches. Uh, the plan for professional learning throughout the year is really comprehensive. Our each of the buildings, each of our departments have elements

113that are articulated in the plan. Um, our theme for the year, Ready Player D23. We're going with an arcade theme along with a gamified PD. um method for the year. Uh and those themes are articulated in Craig's memo. Uh I'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions that board might have. >> I have a couple questions. The um the NVCI training >> Mhm. That's that that was just a certain group of people. Is that just special ed or is that like all I don't know >> special ed? >> Mhm. Yeah, that's nonviolent crisis intervention. >> Yeah. >> Mhm. So that's all of our certified special education staff and then the um pair professionals who work in our self-contained programs >> and administrators. >> Administrators. >> Okay. And then I'm just curious, is there a

114lot of overlap of these different groups? >> I'm just getting at that, you know, that it's a lot of >> lot of training to do. Oh, yeah. >> And are there some people that are in multiple of those >> lines? And so they're not they're not just doing this stuff. They're doing >> correct. For example, I would say, you know, our administrators and coaches and leadership teams are in a ton of those different categories. Um, for example, this morning we had our leadership summit that was our leaders within the district. So, our psychologists, social workers, admin team, and team leaders and coaches. Um, they are involved in a ton of different committees, um, most professional development around the district. and you're going to see them on involved in all of these pieces in some way,

115shape, or form. Um, and then our our typical classroom teachers, they're going to be they're going to be involved um based on well, I guess on a volunteer basis throughout the way kind of spotted in. So, it kind of depends on their involvement. You kind of take the level of involvement that you're willing to be a part of throughout the business. So what's I mean do they get you know like 60 days to do this or the whole year to do it or or >> so the the gamify piece of that is is that kind of what you're talking about with this or everything >> everything I guess you know >> so I mean it's a mix there are some that are before the first day of school with kids you must have had XYZ

116training so bloodborne pathogens on and on. Those we build into our back to school institute days. Um again depending on the role our custodians have a certain set of required trainings, the nurses have a different set, office staff have a different set and the requirements of how often and uh some of them are every year, some of them are every two years, some of them are every three years. So, it really depends. The the graphic that that uh Craig has developed, I think, has helped to kind of streamline that for folks, but it's really complex. There is there is no specific answer. Everybody in the district could have a different path and different requirements. And that was what I was going to get at too at the NBCI training. That is something that there's a

117timeline on it. So, we prefer for most of our staff to get on a timeline where you're taking it over the summer so it doesn't interrupt your your absences at school. At the same time, if yours expires in October, it might make sense for you to wait and take the first take the first one during the school year so that it doesn't so that you're not >> so you don't just kind of depends on anything else on PD. We're excited to share that with you next month when we do our curricular presentation in the gamified PD. Uh it's going to be really exciting. >> Some of you might get a little sneak peek if you're at the institute presentation on uh Monday as well. The next memo item F uh annually uh we are required

118to provide an update on the instructional materials to be used so that that is both uh reviewed and uh by the board as well as available publicly. So Craig has again uh provided a memo and he's he was telling me how happy he'd be to answer questions about this memo. He just leaned over. >> No questions. The final item is an information item. Uh we continue to monitor our enrollment uh and therefore and by uh extension our staffing plan. Uh there are no recommendations to change our staffing plan or alter that. provided in the packet is uh the enrollment data as of August 7th. Um we just updated it again today. Um and then also are the uh average class sizes uh across our buildings. We see that um we are in within our classroom

119guidelines at all grade levels. uh you know the eighth grade is at the higher end u of that class size guideline but everything is within um that range. We continue to watch uh there's we we have room to grow in fourth grade and sixth grade. We did move that section purposefully in fourth grade and in sixth grade at the beginning of the year knowing that this bubble was coming through. Um but we continue to see upticks in fourth grade. we're up to 193 students in fourth grade as our highest uh cohort and then in sixth grade we're up to 181. >> Oh wow, that's a good >> So um we continue to monitor those um and uh we did not see uh the return of students in kindergarten and first grade which was something that

120of course we had we had been talking about. Uh we're up to 133 in first grade right now and everything else is off maybe up or down by one. We continue to monitor this all the way through uh the September. Uh we there still is a urban legend about school not starting until after Labor Day. That's a that's only from old folks like me that remember that. Um it hasn't been that way for quite some time. all over the place and even in CPS this year they're starting uh now. >> Yeah. So, um but we do typically get still um families enrolling over the next few weeks. So, uh our final enrollment presentation I'll share in September and then in November we start our enrollment projections for the following year. So, get a month a

121month break and then we're on to next year. Any questions about this? I would be delighted to answer any questions you might have. >> And so we did so we did have a net minus2 in core. >> Yes. >> And then and that's effectively minus one in K minus one in first. >> Yep. >> Mhm. >> Did we have a minus one in third but a plus one in fourth? >> Down one and third. >> Yeah. plus one and fourth as that section moved. >> Yeah. One of the things you'll see like you can kind of see it in the graph is that there's >> beh there's like certain certain co certain grade levels, right? Where there's a huge group of kids that moves up. Sometimes you kind of have a teacher moving with them

122for a year or two, right? And and then you know so that we kind of have to accommodate it. But you can kind of see it in the trends like hey you know what next you know next year we're going to have to have one more fifth grade teacher, right? And whether that's someone who moves from fourth now, right? But the you got these big lumps that kind of move through. >> Well, we've got 192 in fourth now and only 167 in fourth. That's a that's a big difference. >> Yeah, that's a huge difference. >> So here's another obvious question, but are the averages here? Is it the number of core teacher is the number enrolled divide by the number of core teachers? >> Not at all. Those are not >> right. Some of our

123in grades K through three we have bilingual sections. >> Oh. >> Uh and in kindergarten we have an at risk section that is that is outside of the average or typical. There's a targeted number that we that we seek in those. And the bilingual is obviously driven by qualification. >> Yeah. So the averages are after I pull out those specialized classes and then it's the remainder of the kids through the remainder of the teachers. >> At MacArthur when you get to the middle school it's even more complicated. This is just a straight total number of core teachers at a grade level. you know that goes into the factor of divided or the students divided by that number of teachers. That doesn't mean that our average math class is 24 there. There may be fluctuations there

124based on leveling and the student um scheduling. So it's within that range but that's always a variable based on you know um how many band is a much bigger class size than uh than other things. >> Yeah thanks thank you for that. >> Sure. >> Um old business. Does anybody have any old business? >> New business we have press policy 119. And again, I think the the recommendation is uh after our first read that we're looking at adopting these as presented. Um and we'll take action. We'll put them on the consent agenda if there are no concerns or questions raised between now and next month. >> Any questions about that? All right. So then we are at adjournment. Um can I get a motion? So moved. >> I get a second. >> Second. >> Moved

125by Spencer, second by Brian. And I get a roll call. Is a roll. Roll call, please. Mrs. Morsy, >> yes. >> Mrs. Bowwinsky, >> yes. >> Mr. Gdanis, >> yes. >> Dr. Long, >> yes. >> Mrs. Mlan, >> yes. >> Mr. Nordmark. >> Yep. >> Motion carries 6 at 9:02 a.m. >> And everybody tell me McPartland to >> go to bed. What a band.