001Good evening everyone. We're going to get the November 17th 700 p.m. regular board meeting to order. Secretary, call the role please. >> Valencia >> here. Sephuentes >> here. >> Rez here. L >> here. >> Olivas >> here. Moreno >> here. >> J Johnson absent. >> Please rise for the pledge of allegiance. >> I pledge allegiance. We're going to continue the meeting with public comment. Let's see here. In order to speak at the board meeting, you would have had to sign in before 7 p.m., respect the threeminut time limit and respect the confidentiality of students and staff and keep comments appropriate. We start with the first one, Melinda Thomas. Feel like every time I come I make you guys nervous, but this is good stuff. My name is Melinda Thomas, 256 Caukins Drive, Sugar Grove. I
002wanted to speak tonight in order to say thank you to the school board. Thank you for your recent statement in relation to immigration activity in the area. We truly appreciate you taking a stand on this issue and your clear message that you will do whatever you can to help our students and staff feel safe in our district. To Dr. Halverson, thank you for all of your efforts in the same vein. And to that, I want to add a heartfelt thank you for the work that you have done to begin rebuilding trust within our district. The creation of the joint committees is a huge and greatly needed step in that direction. Some of those committees have not met in years, leaving in limbo issues that could have easily been resolved. In some areas, more has been
003accomplished in the last three months than had been done in the previous three years. I am hopeful that these are simply first steps in developing a truly collaborative relationship between administration and our union members, one which will help increase morale for our staff, increase expectations for our students, and improve the reputation of the district. for all of the efforts that you have made to make East Aurora a safer and more positive place to work and learn. I say thank you to all of you. Again, thank you. >> Thank you. Moving on to the next speaker, Cynthia Martinez. >> Not bad. >> Um, actually it was the same. So that's what I was I just want to thank everyone who is supporting us and with uh the recent ICE um it's been difficult to be at
004school but seeing admin every day in the morning I think reassures our parents staff students um and I'm very lucky to work for a district that has our community support. Um and I also wanted just to say that u Mrs. Morton, our math teacher, her math team got third place uh against some in a math competition at Marmian. So, I also just wanted to throw in. So, thank you. >> Thank you. >> All right, moving on to communications from the superintendent, Dr. Halverson. >> Sure. Thank you, uh, board president Fuentes. First, we have our student board member, Elizabeth Carell Moreno. If Elizabeth could come up to share kind of some events from the high school, we'd appreciate it. Thanks, Elizabeth. >> Good evening, board. Uh hope everyone is doing well. Uh first, I'd like to
005highlight our fall sports banquet that happened two weeks ago, I believe. Uh we had about 400 to 500 students and family members attend. Uh this night was one for our athletes to be acknowledged and rewarded for their hard work. uh each sport named an allconerence uh team member or team members. So, a special kudos uh to those chosen. Uh whether it was with trophies or certificates, I'd like to congratulate all our fall athletes. Uh the banquet tradition will continue with every season, so look forward to those recognitions. Uh course selection season is right around the corner. Uh counselors will be giving presentations to students to guide them through this process. Uh especially the eighth grade students who will soon be freshmen. Um students will have access to their course selection through synergy so they can
006choose classes from home with the help of their parents or other influential parties. Uh hopefully this easy access will encourage students to think and talk about their future goals and choose classes that will aid them in their careers or higher education. Um, for example, if a student is really interested in culinary arts, uh, they could choose to, uh, be in culinary classes, um, which could end up leading to them being a part of our very own Iron Paw Restaurant, which is a fully, uh, studentrun restaurant. Uh, the Iron Paw's food service and production are highly rated uh, by staff members, and all staff members look forward to uh, restaurant days. Not only do students learn to cook, but also to manage and work together in a professional setting. Uh since we're on the topic of
007food, uh let's not forget about food day, which is every Thursday. Uh the school gives out bags with ingredients and snacks for students and their families. Uh recently we've seen an increase in how many bags are being taken which is great as it is very important that our students have access to food especially with the current well uh current political climate that was going on. Um but on a more positive note uh Key Club has been active at Sunny Mar which is the retirement home I uh club members uh spent time with the elderly playing board games and other activities to keep them active and occupied and NHS has also partnered with our public library to create reading kits for young children. All participants work quickly and together to form as many kits as possible
008and even exceeded the library's expectations. Um that's it. Thank you. >> Thank you very much, Elizabeth. Uh, next, uh, communications from the superintendent. Members of the Easter School Board, uh, November 15th is school board members day as declared by the state of Illinois. On this day, I want to extend, well, post this day, November 17th, but we're going to extend it today. On the 17th, I want to extend my deepest appreciation for your unwavering commitment, guidance, and support. As volunteer leaders, you dedicate countless hours to ensuring that our district continues to move for forward with purpose and integrity. Your willingness to serve, often behind the scenes and always with the best interest of our students at heart, makes an immeasurable difference for our district. Thank you for partnering with us to provide the highest quality
009education for every student in East Aurora. Your leadership allows us to nurture the whole child, supporting each child's academic, social, and emotional needs every single day. Our progress is a direct reflection of your steadfast belief in our mission and your tireless efforts to help us fulfill it. It is an honor to serve alongside you on behalf of the children and families of our community. I am grateful for all you do and for the shared vision we continue to build together. And in that vein, we've got a small video just to recognize you um to say thank you from our school community. So once again, we just want to thank you all for your support as a unit. Um you're the best board to work for. We truly appreciate it. We've got some small tokens of
010our appreciation, so we're going to press pause real quick to hand those off to you. Um Lisa is going to help me out with that. We've got some EA swag for you to head to the winter events when we take care of all the neighboring school districts. >> Yeah, probably. Thank you. >> Nice. >> Thank you very much. >> Thank you guys very much. Appreciate you. >> Next, we're going to move on to some more celebrations. Um, I am incredibly proud to recognize three of our schools. Rollins Elementary School, Oak Park Elementary School, and Fred Rogers Magnet Academy for their outstanding achievement and continued growth on the 2024 Illinois State report card. These accomplishments reflect the dedication of our students, the expertise of our educators, the support of our families, and the collective belief that
011every child in East Aurora deserves an excellent and holistic education. First, I'd like to recognize Rollins Elementary School. And we'll have the principles come up at the end with their staff to take a picture all together. Um, I want to recognize Rollins because they move from targeted to commendable. Rollins Elementary has made a remarkable leap from targeted to commendable. This is a significant milestone that demonstrates improved performance across multiple indicators and strong gains for student groups that previously required targeted support. This shift reflects the hard work of the Rollins team to meet the need the students needs more effectively, strengthen instruction, and ensure that all learners are moving forward with confidence and success. Next, let's give Rollins a big round of applause real quick. Next, I'd like to recognize Oak Park Elementary School. Oak Park
012made an even bigger jump. They moved from comprehensive to commendable. Oak Park Elementary has achieved an extraordinary two-level jump from comprehensive to commendable. This is one of the most challenging improvements a school can make, and it is a direct result of focused leadership, strengthened teaching practices, and a deep commitment to student growth. Moving out of comprehensive status and into commendable designation shows the power of persistence, teamwork, and belief in every child's potential. Let's give Oak Park a big round of applause. And finally, Fred Rogers Fred Rogers Magnet Academy. Fred Rogers is an exemplary school this year. Fred Rogers Magnet Academy has a has earned the highest designation, exemplary. This places a school among the top 10% of all schools statewide. An exemplary designation means that the school not only excels in overall academic achievement and
013student success measures, but that all student demographic groups are meeting or exceeding standards. This distinction is a testament to outstanding instruction, strong culture, and a learning environment where a learning environment where all students thrive. These Let's give uh Fred Rogers Magnet a big round of applause, please. These designations represent far more than rankings. They represent the heart and commitment of our educators, students, and families. They show what is possible when we work together, uphold high expectations, and provide the support our students need every day. To the staff, students, and families of Rollins, Oak Park, and Fred Rogers Magnet Academy, congratulations. You continue to inspire us, elevate our district, and show the community what East Aurora Excellence looks like. Let's give them a big round of applause, and have all the uh three groups come forward,
014please. All right, we're going to we're going to focus real quick on the fact that every opportunity is a learning opportunity. Um, and Dr. Helverson stuck his foot in his mouth a little bit and I reversed Oak Park and Rollins and I apologize to both staffs for that. And so once again, I do apologize, but we're excited for both. So once again, Rollins went from uh from a targeted or from a comprehensive to commendable and Oak Park went from targeted to commendable. So I do apologize to both staffs, but let's congratulate them again. Thank you. Next, before we move on to some additional items, we have one more communication that uh Carlos is going to handle for us. We've got one more recognition to celebrate this evening. Try to do my best here. I'm usually
015behind the camera. Okay. Well, the first line. Good evening board. It is my honor uh to present this East Board of Education certificate to Nikita Stewart. Nikita, would you please join me up here? She is our director of college and career readiness. Uh Nikita, in recognition of your outstanding leadership and organization and dedication, we commend your work uh in making the illuminate career pathways uh of a resounding success. I said that correct, right? The correct. Okay. Through your efforts, more than 600 Easter uh high school freshmen um our district's largest participation effort were able to explore a meaningful career uh college and career pathway. um your leadership ensured a smooth, engaging and inspiring uh experience setting a new standard for excellence in important work. Okay. So on behalf of the board of education uh it
016is my privilege to present to you uh our certificate. Congratulations to me. >> And while Carlos is getting this camera, I just want to say a few words real quick. Nikita's done a tremendous job coming in hit the ground running. We're truly appreciative as we're looking at our career in tech center and figuring out exactly what we want to do. Um her leadership has been instrumental. Um and in addition to that, like Carlos stated, we had over 600 freshmen attendant for that event and that was more than double any other district in the area. Um so we're extremely excited. I know it was a lot of hard work. She had other individuals coming alongside her. Um but that dedication and the feedback we got specifically from Val on how many students attended there and how
017um how they were so engaged in the process is the reason we wanted to recognize you. So thanks again Nikita. Truly appreciate it. Next, we are going to move on to uh item C1, district updates under communications from the superintendent, and Mr. John Simpson is going to provide an update for us on our culture and climate committee update. >> Good evening, uh board of education and community. Um, as a district, one of our focuses, as we know, is a sense of belonging. Uh, and a key action that we have engaged in is the development of our district-wide culture and climate committee. Um, our committee has met four times, and we wanted to provide the board of education and the community with a quick update on the work of that committee. So far, uh, so we
018really hit the ground running focusing on the purpose and our goals. Um, our PO purpose really focuses around strengthening that cultural sensitivity and inclusivity um, in our district. And by doing that, we've worked to ensure that every student and staff member feels respected, valued, and supported. We have focused on improving district climate by deepening our understanding of different diverse cultures and experiences. And then we've also worked to create school environments where belonging and positive relationships are at the center of learning. Uh we had two more of our schools present during curriculum tonight. Uh and all of our schools have those cultural belonging goals that are built into their school improvement plans. Um the goal of it is is is to design a responsive and needs-based program. Uh through our meetings so far, we have developed
019a program that's grounded in real feedback from both students and staff, which I'll talk about in a little bit. Uh we've provided tools and practices that promote respect, equity, and belonging in all of our school buildings. And then we've tailored supports to meet those unique needs of each of our school communities while also ensuring we have that district consistency across all of the buildings in our district. So when we take a look at our uh committee structure uh we were very intentional in terms of how the committee was was uh put together. Uh and so when we look at this that composition of our committee you'll see that we have certified staff we have non-certified staff we have building administrators we have district administrators and again we were very intentional in our development of this
020team to ensure that we included all these different staff members as they all bring different experiences, backgrounds uh and roles within our community. When we looked at across of our entire committee, a lot of strengths of it were shown. Uh the committee brings together a broad range of experiences, backgrounds and roles which has allowed for us to have a richer discussion and more comprehensive solutions in a lot of our dialogue. In addition, with this balanced representation, we have avoided that single lens approach you see a lot of times that come out of committees and instead we have engaged in inclusive and then collaborative problemolving conversations and discussions. And then also this structure ensures that our decisions reflect the needs of our entire school community. So we're focused on students, staff, and our families. Again, making
021sure that we maintain alignment with what our district goals are. Specifically focused on that sense of belonging. So what the work that we've done so far, as I talked about, we have met four times already this school year. Uh and we began by building a shared understanding of the district's cultural landscape as well as its experiences of students and staff. Um, it's important to note that some of those members on our committee are both are current district employees, but they were also students in our district at one point in time, too. So, they bring a very unique perspective as well. Uh, we've explored the complexity of the c of culture, recognizing how identity, background, and lived experiences have shaped the interactions within our schools. Uh, we've reviewed his the history and experiences of students, staff,
022and then the broader district 131 community to ensure that our work is grounded in context and reality. Uh we've also engaged in a multi-U multi-year district data to identify tren trends and patterns both identifying strengths that we have seen as well as areas that have needed improvement over the last several years. Uh and then we've also uh most recently engaged with our high school culturally aware team of students which is known as the cats program to uh gain direct insight from student leaders at Easter High School who are actively advocating for inclusivity and positive school culture. Uh and if you walk around uh the halls of East High, you'll actually see a lot of great posters up about the work that the cats program is doing uh identifying and celebrating all the different cultures uh
023and diverse backgrounds within it. So it's great to see the students taking that leadership piece and they were very excited to share that uh with the committee as well. So with in terms of district actions again we are committed to supporting students, staff and community through this process. Uh we've committed to ongoing professional development to strengthen relationships, restorative practices, and also those cultural competencies competencies across the district. Our staff development has centered on building strong connections with students and deepening their understanding of culturally responsive practices. And then there has been administrative development that has focused on enhancing relationship building and creating supportive consistent school climates. Uh we've also provided targeted training for all of our employees. Uh two that I want to highlight is the anti-racism training. This is a mandated training but did not
024have a completion date until June 30th. Based on the work of this committee as well as our district focus on that sense of belonging, we have moved up that date by six months. So all of our staff will actually have that completed by December. So again, six months before the state actually said um it was required. Um, in addition, we also provided training on the DCFS reporter training which reinforced which we reinforced districtwide to ensure there was clarity and consistency with those expectations with which information that came to us. When we take a look at the work of the committee, it definitely has a direct connection to all four of our district strategic pillars. We know that the work again crosses all four and again it's very important work. Um the team has uh been
025doing a great job collaborating and we've been really working to connect and just associate ourselves with more individuals to get more of that background. So we wanted to provide that quick update and overview of the work so far. Any questions? >> Well, I just thank you for the update. I mean that was something that the community is as well as is looking into. So I I appreciate the update and uh hopefully maybe in a month or so we'll get another update as to what else may be pertaining maybe January. Yeah, absolutely. That's that's something Dr. Halverson has mentioned is keeping this at the forefront and providing the board and the community updates as we continue to go through this process as a group. >> Can I know more about the DCFS training? >> Yeah, so
026with the DCFS training, um obviously our staff are mandated reporters and they have to go through it. Um but with the additional training that is provided by DCFS uh through the global compliance network that we have, there's also been information that's provided about um identifying what are the differences between abuse and neglect and then possibly uh living through um just neighborhood trauma, secondary trauma, uh areas of poverty. And again, sometimes those can lead um individuals to make calls, but it's not that doesn't really escalate to the level of abuse and neglect from DCFS. But then there's definitely a areas of support that those families need. So then how do we connect them with that support? Um so again, it's just not that call and it doesn't go anywhere. It's actually kind of getting to the
027root cause and then also making sure that um there aren't just um like inaccurate calls being made. Yep. Any other questions for Mr. Simpson? Thank you, Mr. Simpson. Appreciate it. Next, we're going to move on to a school safety update. And while they're pulling that up, as two of our guest speakers uh came forward this this evening from the community to talk about, um we know that there's a lot going on around us. We wanted to provide an update for the community of all the steps we've taken to ensure safe schools um and just provide the ongoing support we need for our community. And I think they're getting that pulled up for me right now. Yeah, it's in there. Yeah, there. Yep. While while they're pulling that up, um I just want to touch on
028the fact that this is definitely connected to our mission and vision. Um so, when you're looking at our mission and vision, um our mission is to educate and empower all students to reach their full potential. Our vision really drives our safety and support as we work towards that mission. And our vision is to ensure that students become confident and productive global citizens. So one of the things that we're really stressing right now is in order for our students to achieve that, a safe learning environment is absolutely necessary. So in this presentation today, when we talk about some of the safety and uh security protocols we're putting in place, I really want the community and the board and our executive cabinet to look at it through the lens of what does a safe school environment look
029for our kids? um because we know that uh recently within the last two months a lot of our students were not feeling safe. Um so these are some of the proactive measures we're taking. While they're getting that up and going, I'm going to start a little bit of our timeline here and then I'll have them skip ahead as we're going. Um the first thing I want to talk about, this is going to go chronological order. So back on September 4th, 2025, we did a review of our visitor procedures and emergency contacts. Um we conducted a district-wide review of the visitor procedures for sure. And this was something that came out back in February, right? Right when the presidency shifted over for the country there it was isby guidance that came out but we came out
030and revisited that again. Um building and district leaders examined how schools confirm document and monitor visitors. A second focus was strengthening parent outreach regarding emer emergency contacts to ensure commu to ensure uh communication accuracy. So, what we found a lot is when we were going through our emergency contact list, a lot of times students may only have one emergency contact or zero emergency contacts on there with the amount of individuals within our community who were facing the detainment occasionally. We needed to make sure that we had that emergency contact list updated. So, we went through and went through a process where we worked with our building administrators, our building office staff. They worked really, really hard to make sure they made individual calls to anybody who had zero or only one emergency contacts at that
031point in time. Next, on September 5th, 2025, we had staff training on visitor protocols and emergency contacts. Office staff and parent leaison received direct training from building administration. Training included updates on visitor sign-in procedures and emergency contact verification. This guaranteed that the people who manage daily building access. So, it's really comes through our office a lot of times when you look at daily building access were fully equipped and aligned with our policy that we were going through there. Dr. Dr. Angel, if you can't if you can't get it up and going, I can do it without the presentation. That's okay. Thank you. Yep. Continuing on uh September 9th, 2025, we had staff presentations. These all school staff presentations reinforce safety expectations and procedures. Presentations included reminders on student confidentiality and the importance of privacy. Staff
032received clarity on their specific roles in maintaining a safe and supportive environment. If you fast forward to October 3rd, uh we had district communication regarding activity in the community. On October 3rd, the district communicated I'll pause real quick. There we go. On October 3rd, the district communicated updates regarding reports of federal law enforcement activity in the community. The goal was to re reduce anxiety and ensure transparency with our community at large. We also re reviewed building practices for responding to unexpected visitors or inquiries. The district prioritized consistent, calm, and accurate information. And we streamlined the communication approach if there was concerns around the building. And that communication approach without disclosing too much was direct calls right to Jeff Winsk, our director of uh staff and or director of security, as well as Dr. Ballard, myself,
033and John Simpson. So, we had a laundry list of individuals we could call at that point in time. On 10:17 2025, uh the note you can Yep, there we go. The know your rights resources were shared. We shared these out. Um the district sent know your rights resources to all East Aurora families. This ensured that families regardless of background had access to clear, reliable, multilingual legal information. The resources reflected our commitment to protecting students well-being beyond the school walls. This communication was proactive, supported, and aligned with community needs. Next, on October 29th, first of all, on October 28th, um the board took a bold step, which I'm thankful for. We worked together to put that resolution in place uh to make sure that we could try and meet the needs of our community as safely
034as possible. And then on the 29th, the district shared further guidance to help families understand district policies and to address emerging concerns. Families were reminded of school protections and protocols. This communication helped reassure the community and reinforce stability. We share this communication first with our admin, first with our board, then with our admin, then with our uh staff, and then with our community at large. Next slide, please. So, on 11525, we had an unfortunate event. Um, we had an incident that we had to respond to. On November 5th, the district activated standard procedures in response to external federal law enforcement activity occurring near a school. And this resulted in the federal law enforcement activity actually taking place on the circle drive at the conclusion of the event. School operations remained safe and uninterrupted. I want
035to reiterate that again. School operations remained safe and uninterrupted. We did not have ICE in our buildings at all. Staff received sameday communication summarizing the situation. Follow-up communication emphasized the district's continued vigilance and care for students and making sure that their safety was our first response. Additional communication was sent to administrators. leadership was provided guidance to support families with questions or concerns and we ensured a unified compassionate response districtwide. Um once again for that uh event in particular, our protocol would have worked. We were about 30 seconds away from our security supervisor arriving on site. So he just missed um ICE at that point in time. At that point in time, this is a critical thing that was talked about earlier. We decided to make sure that we had all of cabinet out at buildings
036for dismissal that day to make sure we had support for our community. And then in addition to every school day from now until up until Thanksgiving break and then we'll determine what we're doing next. We have cabinet level administrators out at every building, elementary, middle school, and high school um in those wonderful red vests there. We had yellow vests on before uh but they didn't stand out as much. We looked like construction workers. So now we have the red vests that say East Aurora administration. Um and we're out there every morning to provide support so our students can safely get into the school. And as you heard from a couple of our teachers, it is reaffirming that our number one job is a student safety so they can get to school and learn. Uh next,
037so um on 117 there was additional communication that went out regarding an incident that occurred at the high school on October 30th. With everything that occurred on the 29th, um we had a lot of information that was forthcoming with that incident, but we wanted to circle back and this is in the name of transparency again that we sent out communication to all of the district at that point in time. Next slide, please. Um, principles and district administrators were then trained. Received focus training on supporting families affected by federal law enforcement actions. So, we pulled together all of our resources. What we realized is that we had a lot of different individuals uh pedaling upstream together that we needed to get on the same boat. So, we had a lot of good things going on, but
038we brought everybody together to talk about the steps we needed. The training centered on trauma-informed practices, deescalation, and maintaining a welcoming school environment. This step empowered school leaders to respond with empathy, accuracy, and confidence. Next slide, please. Um, and right now what we have ongoing, I actually have a follow-up meeting set up tomorrow. Um, there's support and collaboration with the IFT. Um, I'm going to be meeting with Becky Roro as well as, um, Adam tomorrow, and we're going to continue to talk about additional trainings for our staff. We know that right now since about octo or since about November 8th um it has started to kind of slowly dwindle a little bit. Um but we want to make sure that we're truly prepared if things escalate again. So we'll be doing some training with staff
039with all admin working together with IF because they have training that they provide throughout the state and know your rights for our um all of our school staff. So we make sure that we have that out for teachers, par profofessionals, custodial engineers. We're going to make sure we have that in play. And then we're going to potentially look at some additional training that would not be mandatory but would be optional for our teachers to train in as well because they've been asking for that because they want to ensure that safe and secure environment for our kids as well. Next slide please. Um so once again I just want to stress that the safety of our students and the collaboration from the board to the superintendent to all stakeholders is definitely our number one priority. Um
040it has been trying times for our community for sure and we're there to support our students, support our parents. Um, if we have individuals in the organization or individuals in the community who know of individuals who are detained that we are not aware of yet, please let us know so we can get resources in hand. We know a lot of times if parents or guardians are detained, but we don't know if it's an individual who maybe lives next door that is a person who's watching the child when they come home or is a person who's giving them a ride to school. So, if you know of those instances, please come forward. Principal, same thing. Let us know so we can make sure we get those resources to all individuals and make sure we support them.
041And that's the conclusion of uh my presentation regarding safety and security. Any questions from the school board or from the community with that. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. And next we're going to move on to finance department improvement plan. And as we shared at our last board meeting once a month um and it typically won't be on a meeting when we have this many presentations uh we will have each department present their departmental improvement plan. So without further ado, we'll turn it over to Dr. Angel and his team. Thank you. got a big crowd tonight. Okay. >> Well, good evening, Board of Education and community. Um, I have the pleasure of introducing our wonderful finance team here tonight. I've got uh Daniel, he's our um executive director of grants. I've got Bopa here
042who is our district account and Judy who is our district auditor. and CPA for the district. So, without further ado, we can go to the next. I don't have the Oh, are we clicking? >> We're clicking. All right. As you can tell, we don't get it out in front of an audience often, but we're going to we're going to try this out tonight. So, we have four uh large or kind of overarching goals for this year. The first one is uh the implementation of Skyward. This goal aligns itself with a sense of belonging because everybody is working together and it really unites everyone and the district needs to use it going forward. Okay, it's going to be our new financial software package. Uh the next one is our annual audit. Um we're looking at uh
043timely submissions with zero findings. This goal aligns itself again with sense of uh community partnerships and Crow is one of our partners. Uh we value their input and partnership at making us better each and every year. Um we're hoping to be as transparent and always above board as possible. Our third goal is a balanced budget. Um this goal aligns again with community partnerships uh as part of trust and transparency. And our last goal, our fourth goal is to maximize uh the fullest extent possible. um which aligns with the with uh more than typical growth and with community partnerships as we'll be looking for multiple partnerships and agencies to help uh find revenue streams going forward for FY26 and into the future. All these goals are part of our district's goal of operational excellence which are
044part of our strategic plan there as goal number two. So going a little deeper into this, we're going to let um first J. >> All right, Judy's up first. I've had the great honor of being able to work on I don't need the clicker at all. My I'm good. >> Um so I this project of implementing Skyward has been the most exciting and um invigorating project I've had the opportunity to do here at um East Aurora. I have 17 years of school district experience and kind of working on Skyward at every phase of the accounting process, HR, um, bringing it all together was just, uh, it was fun. It was long. Our go live date started well our go live was October 1st but the implementation and starting getting the data ready started January but
045early spring it really picked up pace and um realized that this project to be a success was going to make us collaborate in a big way and it was that has to be my mantra for this project. It was finance, payroll, accounts payable, general accounting, benefits, HR in a big way. The big teams from HR and technology huge. I mean, without them, everyone was committed. Everyone was so professional and every time there was a Skyward their implementation plan is they they don't really come on site at all like you have WebExes. And so when we had a WebEx, all the invitations would go out and everyone would be popping in and we would meet in a conference room and everyone would get together. We would have homework takeaways and we would come back the next
046time and have a piece of the system basically implemented. And every time I was presented with something, I always used like an auditor's lens with it. Making sure that we're embedding good internal controls and making sure that we're getting a system that is better than what we came into it with, which is really fun. It it was great. So, and we're not there yet. We have plenty to do. Um for instance, we were presented with um student activity system which student uh SAF accounts which oh it's just at the buildings and it's kind of like almost like an afterthought sometimes but we decided to make it a full-blown system. We gave them full functionality so they have it's completely transparent now. So the auditors come in everything is already uploaded in the system. Anyone could
047go in and look at any school's F accounts and see exactly where they stand as far as um receipts and deposits. Um so that was just that's like kind of a pride point because it was a big a big undertaking and they all rose to the challenge. they all came in. Um, they were they're I don't want to call them our guinea pigs, but they were kind of our test group. And I think it is kind of almost like a community because they were kind of shut out of the system for a little bit and so they weren't very like we had a lot of schools needing to do a lot of things that keep schools running and keep everyone move along and we kind of turn them turned them off sometime in September. So
048we brought them in first and we started doing trainings with them in a big group and kind of helped us test a lot of the security to make sure people had access and then um they also came in in small groups. We had a couple key people that were kind of vocal and we made sure that they got trained really well on oneonone trainings. Sandra's really good consulting. She knows what they need and um they kind of moved out. Okay. Um, all the way along it's district employees that did the documentation too. Skyward didn't provide any documentation. Everything that we've done as far as trainings, videos, online stuff, it's all been district inhouse. So, it's going to make us stronger. Um, I have other examples, but there's some best practices as far as like salary
049schedules and matrices and things in the CBA that we didn't actually have to do because we went live in October while the salaries were set, but we still built them and we still made sure that we're ready for July one of next year with really solid imported matrices so that we can move forward. All right, I'm gonna wrap it up. All right. All right. I can't forget um we've changed some processes with accounts payable and um we've changed some procedures and so that'll be stronger and our community partners with all our vendors are going to be better and stronger will be more efficient. We're ready for next year with bringing balances forward and uh Ben AD benefit management is going to be the next process that's going to roll out. So all our employees will
050have state-of-the-art um product open enrollment and time clocks will make that process better too. Thank you. >> Absolutely. >> All right. Ph is going to go through goal number two here. >> So with goal number two, our ultimate goal is to ensure that we have a timely submission for an annual uh annual audit as well as a zero finding. So start from um July start since July um of this year we began to work on both of audits with ESB audit and crow audits simultaneously. Um it was it delay a few months but um we got it going start from July and this board this audit all be almost complete completed but we expect to receive the the SB audit and we will review with um finance and also with Dr. housing and for crow
051audit will be uh finalized and will be presented to the board on December 1st 2025. Um our ultimate goal is to demonstrate physical responsibility through these audits and we ensure that uh best practice with process and procedure effective and which result in audit uh zero audit findings and the last one is student activities. Um we have been implemented a increase on internal control process and procedure ensure that best practices is in terms of improving accuracy and clarity and also it's could it will help us with a zero audit finding as well. >> I'm jumping back in. So one of our goals also is to have a balanced budget. Um we solicited feedback from principles, department heads and other stakeholders. We use specific including but not limit to our historical data, our current staffing forecasted expenditures,
052potential capital projects and forecasted revenue. Um again we brought it to executive cabinet. We revised the tenative budget after receiving feedback and questions from the executive board and the board of education uh and the budget was approved uh the proposed budget was approved back on September the 15, 2025. And the last one is goal number four. So ultimately our goal is to maximize our grant funding. Uh and that means that we have to collaborate with our different departments that we have here in East Aurora uh including our curriculum instruction and our school leadership. Uh we want to make sure that we're utilizing our state and federal grants uh to the best of our ability uh to meet our needs um through throughout the district and and across the buildings. Um, this has also been a
053great opportunity for for us to build that partnership uh with our community members, the city of Aurora, um, with our schools, with other school districts as we look to continue to apply for uh, more funding opportunities that come our way. Um, ultimately we're utilizing these funds to to meet that or our mission uh, where students can reach their full potential and ultimately uh, earn more than expected growth um on those benchmark assessments. Um furthermore with with maximizing grants or uh maximizing our grants, we are maintaining compliance with our state and federal regulations uh submitting um our reports in timely way to make sure that uh we're honoring ISB's expectations. And our final slide, um we are the backbone of of the district, if you will. We all of the departments and we ensure that our
054sound decision and support uh helps out with the community in which we serve and we're maintaining transparency with all stakeholders and working to provide uh things necessary to develop and grow our leaders throughout the district. So these again are our financial decision making with a purpose pillars if you will goes back to the strategic plan. Thank you everybody. Thank you. >> And last one under the superintendent report, I promise item 4C4 um for with Mr. Allen. >> Thank you. Uh so in the packet tonight presented to you is the replacement uh windows bids that we received. They're received later than the normal B&G meeting, but because of the priority and we need to make sure these get ordered that's brought here tonight uh because there is a lead time to get these custom manufactured for
055Oak Park. And then we're doing them also at Krug in similar fashion that we did O'Donnell this past year. The bids did come in recently. You'll see the the results here uh in your packets. Uh we're just recommending that we push forward and do this project going forward. It'll help us with Oak Park. We do have some water infiltration, other things. We're trying to figure out the the process there and this would greatly help that process by replacing those windows along with the gutters that we're going to bring back in March is hopefully when we rebid that project. Uh if there's any questions, I'll be happy to take them. All right, I'll read the motion. Motion to approve the 2024 I mean 2026 window replacement bid for Oak Park and Krug schools to light construction
056incorporated in the amount of 1,198,770. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Do we have any questions? Secretary, call the roll, please. >> Valencia, >> yes. >> Johnson, >> yes. Olivas, >> yes. >> Reyes, >> yes. That >> that concludes my report. >> All right. Thank you. We're moving on to the consent agenda. Motion to approve the following consent agenda as listed. So move >> second. >> Secretary call the roll, please. >> Yes. >> Valencia. >> Yes. >> Olivas. >> Yes. >> Johnson. >> Yes. >> Reyes. >> Yes. >> All right. Moving on to finance and personnel committee with Miss Reyes. >> Good evening everyone. No toos. Um the finance and personnel committee met on sorry uh November 3rd, 2025 at 5:30 here at the administrative center. At that meeting, Dr. Engel presented the list of
057district donations which the committee reviewed and confirmed were in order. He then provided the September 2025 uh financial report. There were no questions and the committee agreed that the finances appeared in good standing. Dr. Engel also reviewed the tax levy presentation including the planned $350,000 abatement. The related resolutions will proceed to the full board for action at in a little bit. The total levy request is approximately $45.9 million, a 4.99% increase, covering both operating and bond funds. The district's fund balance remains strong at 63%, well within statutory limits. Next, Dr. Angel discussed the 2026 health insurance renewal from Hub International. Open enrollment will run from December 1st through the 15th with new insurance cards mailed in January. And this item will also move forward um for approval in a little bit here. He then provided
058an update on the district's beverage vending contract with Coca-Cola, which runs through July 2026. A request for proposal is expected in late 2025 or early 2026, potentially including digital scoreboard sponsorship opportunities. Dr. Chair Ballard then presented a recommendation to increase the daily substitute rate for retired certified staff from $150 to 180. The proposed increase is intended to help retain institutional knowledge, attract future substitutes ahead of more than 60 anticipated retirements and remain competitive with surrounding districts. The adjustment is non- retroactive and will be presented here in a moment. The meeting then adjourned at 5:43 p.m. And I do have one action item. 6B.1 motion to approve the updated substitute rate for retired certified staff. >> So move. >> Second. >> Any questions? Hearing none. Secretary, call the role, please. >> Yes. >> Johnson. >> Yes.
059>> Moreno. Yes. >> Yes. >> The next finance and personnel committee meeting will meet on would that be January 2nd? Uh sorry, December 1st, 2025 at 5:30 here in the administrative center. And that concludes my report. >> Thank you, Miss Reyes. Moving on to curriculum and programs with Mr. Olivas. Good evening, Wenos. We just had our curriculum committee meeting um this evening. um at 6 PM here in the admin center. Uh I will provide more details um on those minutes on December 1st. Our next meeting, curriculum meeting will be December 15. Um I do want to make a quick announcement, Mr. Suentes, if I could. Yeah. >> Um regarding uh I think it's relevant to curriculum, but the community foundation of the Fox Valley uh of the Fox River Valley scholarship application is not open
060for all seniors. Uh the deadline is January 20th at 4 pm. So I just want to make sure uh we put that out there uh so our students are families are aware that the community foundation of the Foxbury Valley does have their scholarship application open. Um that concludes my report. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. Levas. Moving on to building and grounds with Mr. Lshe. >> Thank you. Uh our buildings and ground committee met uh Monday, November 3rd. Mr. Allen reported that the district went out of bid for Oak Park gutters and unfortunately we only got one bid and it was higher than anticipated. So the district is recommending we reject the bid and go out to bid at a later date. Then we moved on to uh Eastora High School equipment bid. Um Mr.
061Allen report the district has been working with train to purchase the next phase of HBAC equipment through the Omnia cooperative purchase agreement and the committee had no objections and we will have that on action item tonight and then we need to pick an installer for the equipment. Um Mr. Allen said the district went out to bid and got four bids of which Decal Mechanical was determined to be the most responsive bidder and they they were our contractor for phase one and we feel very comfortable with them. That'll be an action item tonight as well. And uh Mr. Allen reported that playgrounds at Gates, BSA, and Krueger are needed upgrades and uh we brought that before the board last um meeting because of the deadline. And that was I think all through grants, mostly through grants,
062the playground upgrades. >> This time that we don't have gr the equipment itself was through a grant. It paid about 50% of the equipment for Yeah. uh gates. That's the primary primary for the equipment. The others are benevitas is a resurface and then krug is uh the equipment is in good shape but we don't have pour and play base under the one playground. So we're putting a pore and play base under that. Okay. >> Then we Mr. Allen reported that currently the student records are being stored in the basement of uh East High School. Been some challenges with flooding. We have to keep the records for 60 years. So, the district is seeking approval to begin a digit digitization project. Um, and that'll be an action item tonight. And then we talked about um a
063preventative maintenance contract for HBAC equipment and we came up with three solutions. One would be to continue the contract with FE Moran. The second would be to enter a contract with train and third would be a hybrid option. So, committee has agreed to uh Mr. Mr. Allen's going to work on exploring a hybrid option and there will be no action on that tonight. Um, Mr. Allen explained the district's current software for screening visitors to school buildings is in need of enhancement to provide better safety and security. Uh, also a need to implement a safe secure reunification projects for all buildings. So, the district is going to is asking Raptor Technology, the current screening software and hardware being used in the district to be utilized. And we have an action item for a three-year contract with
064them tonight. Uh and then we talked about the work order summary. Progress is being made. Our next meeting is 121 of 25 Monday at 6 PM. So we have four action items. First is we need a motion to approve the purchase of mechanical equipment controls and warranties for the Eastor High School phase 2 mechanical project through the Omnia cooperative purchases agreement from Train Technologies with alternate 2 in the amount of $2,749,58630. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? >> Hearing none. Secretary call the role please. >> Yes. Yes. >> Olivia, >> yes. >> Johnson, >> yes. >> Okay. Next, we need a motion to award the Easter School phase 2 mechanical improvements installation bid an alternate to Decal Mechanical in the amount of 7,210,000. >> So move. >> Second. >> Any questions? Hearing none.
065Secretary, call the role, please. >> Quentes. >> Yes. >> Valencia. >> Yes. >> Olivas. >> Yes. >> Moreno. >> Yes. >> Johnson. Yes. >> Yes. >> Third, we need a motion to approve the Canon document management manage proposal in the amount of $50,841.76 for the purpose of digitizing student records with a yearly maintenance fee of $5,64840. >> So move. >> Second. >> Any questions? Secretary, call the role, please. >> Yes. >> Valencia. Yes. >> Johnson. >> Yes. >> Moreno. >> Yes. >> Finally, we need a motion to award a three-year agreement to purchase additional system integrations with Raptor Technology Services in the amount of $151,790 annually. >> So moved. >> I'll second. >> Any questions? Secretary, call the role, please. >> Valencia, >> yes. >> Johnson, >> yes. >> Reyes, >> yes. >> Moreno, >>
066yes. Yes. >> Yes. >> Next meeting 121 of 25 6:00 here. Back to you. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. L. All right. Now, moving to executive session for the purpose of discussing workers compensation, student discipline, land acquisition, negotiations, and the appointments, employment performance, compensation, and dismissal of a specific employee. >> Second. >> Secretary call, please. >> Yes. Yes. >> Yes. >> Johnson. >> Yes. All right. Motion to reconvene from executive session. The >> move. >> Second. >> Secretary call the roll. >> Yes. >> Johnson. >> Yes. >> Moreno. >> Yes. Motion to adjurnn. >> So move. >> Second. >> Secretary. Call the role, please. >> Valencia. >> Yes. Yes. >> No. Yes. >> All right. Thank you. I could say I have >> you can