001[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Good evening. Welcome to the regularly scheduled Valley View School Board meetings for the July 14th, 2025. I would ask that you silence your cell phones, rise, and join us in the pledge of allegiance led by member Shroa. Thank you, member Schroa. Moving down the agenda, Mr. Hy, if you would please, the board affirmation statement. Our mission is to empower every learner to be college, career, and life ready, and to develop, grow, and achieve as a productive citizen. >> Thank you. Agenda. Dr. Wood. >> Yes. Thank you, Board President Quigley. We are seeking the board's approval of the agenda as presented. >> Is there a motion? >> Motion and seconded. Is there any discussion? If not, all those in favor say I. >> I. >> Oppose. Same sign. The eyes
002have it. Moving down the agenda. Dr. Woods spotlight. >> Yes. Tonight's spotlight is Laura Dog. She is a validictorian of Benolenberg High School. Um she may someday assume the title of most interesting person in the world. She is a piano playing jazz band trumpeter who will study physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champagne. If you want to know what Laura thinks about the world around her, just ask her. If you truly listen to her answer, you'll find yourself reflecting on your own thoughts and opinions. Say hi everybody. [Applause] >> Okay, being a teenager today is no joke. And it took a while for me to gain my bearings, to learn how to float despite everything. And I know I'm not the only one here today that understands this cycle. Life is full of
003waves. Sometimes the waves precede tsunamis. Sometimes they provide calm, shallow water. But at the end of the day, there will always be the next wave. Like many students here, my tsunami was junior year. I can say with certainty that I look forward to never taking another SAT or AP exam ever again. despite the outcome, despite how we feel about our decisions now, we we did what we thought was best at the time and we took those hard moments in life as best as we could and now we sit in the bed that we made for ourselves and we keep going. And you should have forgiveness for yourself and you should have space for yourself and not beat yourself up about it. and that even though things didn't always go well, that's just kind of how
004life is. And at the end of the day, you did what you thought was the best thing to do. >> You're going to go to the University of Illinois and study physics. Why that particular field of study? >> Thought about chemistry for a while. And then I was like, that's a dead end. Then I thought about forensic science and I could never really land on a specific career that was interesting to me long term. So, I took a moment in probably like the beginning of my junior year to reflect on what it was that would hold my interest for the longest. Um, and the one thing that has been able to hold my interest for so long has been learning. Um, be it through learning music, learning my instrument, um, learning math, learning English, learning
005science, all of those things have have been so interesting to me throughout. I'm always motivated to learn. And so I decided to do some sort of area of research as a career because that is to me that is learning for a living. >> As you look at the world and the country as it exists right now, what are some of the problems that you think your generation has the unique skill set to solve? >> Well, the first thing that comes to mind is always social issues. I'm so grateful for the amount of progress that has been made in the past however long ever since human conception. Um, but you know, like I wouldn't be here without the civil rights movement. I wouldn't be here as a woman, as a Latina, as a queer person, as
006someone who is an independent person who has thoughts and opinions and wants to express them without those achievements that were made over the course of years. Um, I wouldn't be able to say what I'm about to say now. But at the same time, there's still so much more that needs to be done. Like there are so many injustices happening around the world. So many injustices that our country is contributing to that really really disappoints me as a young person, as someone who's becoming an adult for the first time in 2025, especially in recent years, like since 2020. It kind of feels like the world is crashing down on us a little bit. Um, but at the same time, I'm surrounded by so many strongly opinionated people who have such vigor to like change the world
007that I feel that by the time I'm, you know, old and on my way out, hopefully things will be better for marginalized communities in America and the world will be a kinder place for people who are currently experiencing a lot of hardship right now. Be it in the Middle East, be it in, you know, Ukraine, be it even in Chicago. >> Name a teacher from anywhere along your path in VVSD that had an impact on you and why. >> Mrs. Chug, my seventh grade math teacher, had a really big impact on me. She, even though I was being such a brat to her at first, she gave me so much patience and so much time and so much support. And I vividly remember one time she was speaking to me in the hallway and this
008was after I kind of warmed up to her and I was like okay she's like a really nice teacher like I shouldn't be taking out my anger on her. Um she told me and I don't remember what this conversation was about but she said I when you are on TV as a famous person one day make sure to shout me out and say that you remember me and I'll be sitting there on the couch watching you TV cheering you on like I taught her in seventh grade. And that just like really stuck with me and just her support was revolutionary to my foundation in school. Wow. I'm honored to be mentioned and remembered by Laura. I really feel proud of her and her words go to reaffirm how powerful these student and teacher connections are.
009Laura was always a standout, curious, driven, brilliant. I love to challenge her and she rose to every challenge I threw her way. Uh what makes me this what makes me more emotional about this is that she was a part of my very first class and that was a co year and I never got to say a proper goodbye. Um and I always wondered how are these kids doing? Uh did I do enough for them? But hearing her speak today uh gives me that sense of closure and an immense sense of pride. >> I think that's awesome. I'll give her a round of applause. And it's just wonderful to know that our students futures are bright. UFI is going to get something else that they're probably not used to in a physics class. That's for sure.
010Uh, moving on down the agenda, treasures report. Mr. Renitch, if you would please. >> Sure. The treasures action report 6.1 for the month of June includes the normal schedule of financial reports, balance sheet, summary revenues and expenditures, interimm obligations, and debt service payments totaling 10,965,480.80 for your approval. Motion and sec. Is there a second? >> Second. >> Motion and seconded. Is there any discussion? If not, a roll call vote would be in order. >> Member Pipkin. >> I. >> Member Hy. >> Yes. >> Member Shrova. >> Yes. >> Secretary Sutherland. >> Yes. >> President Quigley. >> Yes. >> Mr. Ren. Schedule bills 6.2. The schedule bills for the month of June. We have six funds totaling bills payable of $5,825,73321 for your approval. Is there a motion? >> 1221. Uh we have a motion and
011a second. Is there any discussion? Hearing none. Seeing none, roll call vote, please. >> Member Hy. >> Yes. >> Member Shroa, >> yes. Member Pipkin, >> yes. >> Secretary Sutherland, >> yes. President Quigley. >> Yes, Mr. Renitch. >> 6.3 is the schedule of bills for the month of July. We have funds, six funds totaling of B bills payable of 6,961,81787 for your approval. >> Is there a motion? >> Second. >> Motion and seconded. Come on, folks. Work with me. Motion and seconded. Uh, if there's any discussion, uh, there being no discussion, roll call vote would be in order. >> Member Shrova, >> yes. >> Member Pipkin, >> yes. >> Member Hyo, >> yes. >> Secretary Sutherland, >> yes. >> PresidentWigley, >> yes. Moving down the agenda, Mr. Renitch. >> In your packet, you have 6.4,
012the summary of investments for the month of June, along with 6.5, the state funding update, 6.6, 6 property tax received. 6.7 all schools trust activity. This is anformational agenda item. >> Does anyone have any questions? If none that you have now, you can always ask Mr. Ranch. I'm very impressed. The state of Illinois only owes us $126,000, which is awesome. So, that's a good thing. Uh, moving down the agenda, consent agenda. Dr. Wood. >> Yes. Tonight, we're seeking your approval of five consent agenda items as presented. 7.1 board meeting minutes June 16 2025 7.2 executive session meeting minutes June 16 2025 7.3 gift to RC Hill Elementary School 7.4 4 Freedom of Information Act and Open Meeting Acts Designee and Deputy and 7.5 Job Description Superintendent of Schools. >> Do we have a motion? >>
013So moved. >> Second. >> Motion and seconded. Is there any discussion? Seeing none, hearing none, roll call vote, please. >> Member Pipkin, >> yes. >> Member Hyo, >> yes. >> Member Schroba, >> yes. >> Secretary Sutherland, >> yes. >> PresidentWigley, >> yes. Leaz is on reports. Any and all from my right and all from my left >> left. >> Um I've gotten a report from Wilco um from Miss Kaufman and um basically they're they had six summer um high school students uh had taken and passed their nursing assistant state certification test. Next week they'll be hosting exam session at the center. um they are still waiting for their um Illinois State Board of Education allocations for their several of their grants that they had um submitted. And also they've have they've also had a couple
014of approvals for grants. Um one is capital game improvement grant and an EV grant. um they're preparing the center for the start of school year and they have mailed out dual credit letters to students providing them with guidance on applying for dual credit and giving parents a heads up on the process to come. So um so they've been busy during the summer. The second um uh information I wanted to share was I met at this will be the second half of the learning and growth team that I met with with and this would be for the elementary and um it was a very um enlightening um presentation. Uh there's a lot of things that are going to be uh presented uh coming the uh coming school year um some of the programs and uh I
015just feel like there's a really good positive back to the basics. So, I'm hoping that this program will help improve the math scores. So, that's it. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh, student ambassadors, we're not they're not in. Are they up? No, not today. Good. Moved down the agenda. Then, uh, audience participation, is there anybody who wishes to address the board this evening? If you do, please keep your comments to three minutes or less. announce your name and where you're from if you would kindly so the board clerk can get you in the record. Ma'am, please step up. >> There you go. >> Hi, my name is Jean Walsh and I live in Bowling Brook. I moved to Bowling Brook, Indian Oaks 51 years ago. And when I arrived in uh January 1974, my daughter
016started her second semester of kindergarten. And uh Valley View School District in Bowling Brook. We had only three elementary schools, Oak View, Brookview, and North View. And uh no high schools. There was one high school in the district that was Romeoville, and one middle school that was Westview, which is now Martinez. So all the children in Bowling Brook had to go to Romeoville. Uh we also had two newspapers in town and we were on 4515 school year and over the years from then until now the district has from their website I looked 19 schools um in 1980 um January 1st Oakview burned and uh at the end of that school year June 30th we went from 4515 to a traditional school year and also So over these years, I don't know how many people, you
017can tell I'm a senior. Um, we had the privilege of having President Ronald Reagan visit Bowling Brook High School in 1984 and we made the front page of the Tribune. And at present, we have no local newspapers at all. All we have is the patch. Which brings me to the school board meeting tonight because as a member of the community with no children in the district, I find we have very little communication from the district at all. And it came to light when I um received my tax bill. And as I pay my taxes to the Will County treasurer, 70% of my taxes come here to Valley View School District. And you know what? I have no idea what you do with it at all. And let me give illustrate this. Um if you're family
018member and um somebody in your family, you give money to your family to family member to your son to go buy gym shoes, a baseball mitt, your daughter a prom dress, your spouse goes out and buys all these Christmas presents. Do you ask what um they bought? Do you ask to see what they bought? So bring that to Valley View. I pay you taxes and I don't know what you doing with my taxes. There's no communication. People in the school district that have kids in the district, you hear what's going on. We have absolutely nothing. So, I went to your website and under communication it says, "We actively utilize social media and send out regular email newsletters to keep you informed about what is going on today and across the district. uh we engage in
019methods of communication um engaged in um uh with uh to be effic effective u communicate to students, parents, staff and community. So I guess one of my questions is what do you consider community? Maybe when you define community, you should add all inclusive community, which would include all of us seniors and anybody else who pays taxes and doesn't have anybody that attends school in this community. And I know in the past where my taxes went because I've been here from 74. So my taxes went to build all these schools that have come up after I moved here. So, um, >> so I I will ensure that Mr. Belly talks to you after the meeting or after you get done with your comments because we can make sure that there's some other ways maybe we can
020communicate. >> Okay. >> And I I I will make that commitment. So, thank you. Um my question, my last comment is that when I think about it, you know, the last time we received a newsletter from Valley View School District was when Jim Mitchum was superintendent and was retiring. Since then, we've had nothing uh in the mail from the district. Um all you see once in a while is something on patch, which is going on. And uh but the other taxing bodies in town have quarterly newsletters. So my suggestion is maybe you don't have to do quarterly but maybe even once a year but connect with rest of us maybe you'd have more people come out and vote and as far as superintendent search I think you're doing a superintendent search. So look nationwide look
021for somebody that comes from a a state that rates in one of the top states with school districts. Um we need a change. Um thank you very much. >> Thank you. Hello. >> Uh, I'm Bob. I have uh three kids currently in the district. Uh, here's a list of things that I am not. I am not a caterpillar with any kind of appetite. I'm not a young girl in Nazi Germany. I am not a member of the everlasting Tuck family. I am not a teenage orphan on Prince Edward Island. I am not a 20-something gay man living with AIDS in the early 1980s. I am not a boy who had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. And I am not Holden Cfield. But I was able to experience these lives and situations of
022love and loss and life vicariously through books. They and thousands more over the years invited me to live beyond my little reality in the Chicago suburbs. And these realities, comfortingly familiar and thrillingly new, were delivered into my hands by teachers and librarians over my scholastic career, 12 years of which was spent here in this district. And now I fear that things are breaking in ways that will never heal. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled that parents cannot their child out of learning certain themes that exist in books, which may be used in classroom curricula. These themes are usually conveyed through fiction, but that doesn't make them any less real, even if some parents literally pray that they weren't. Now, as Americans, these parents have every right to withdraw their child from anything they deem inappropriate. But
023I fully believe that to do so robs the child of the lived experience of others, which is safe to assume they have yet to encounter. The classroom at all levels of education is a safe place to learn new things. If done correctly, this will spark questions. Maybe they'll be addressed in the classroom or maybe they'll be asked at home. But aside from, "Can I have more candy?" A child's favorite question is always, "Why?" And this is where a child can grow in mind and outlook or continued to be stifled with a curiosity being tamped down to the point of lifelessness. This is not hyperbole. when I say that why is the most consequential question in human history. Now more to the point for this board in respect to the classroom itself allowing parents to opt
024out of specific aspects of a lesson plan adds a burden to the teacher that they can ill afford to shoulder. They are required to create a secondary lesson plan that's specifically uh geared to the opted out student or students including gathering all the materials creating tests and grading. The school staff needs to scramble to have someone available to distribute the materials to the opted out child or children and supervise them for the time required. And while this may seem easy on paper, I don't have to tell anyone here how many hours and even days of planning this will take even for just the one student. And I haven't even touched on the impact that being singled out in this way will have on the student themselves. Even here in the safety of this district, bullying
025is always going to be an issue. So I implore the board to consider the repercussions of allowing parents to opt their kids out of classroom curricula. I know there are issues that you're privy to that I never will and thus you're better informed to make this decision. So, please use that information that you have to make the best choice for all kids because all kids deserve to be informed in real life, even if their parents don't wish that parts of that life existed. Thanks. >> Hi. >> Hello. >> Good evening. My name is Jared Jeter Senior and I'm here tonight from here tonight with my wife Selena. Uh we're the parents. >> Can you get a little closer to the microphone? >> Can you guys hear me better? >> There you go. Thank you. >>
026Okay. So, I was saying my name is Jared Jeter Senior and I'm here tonight with my wife Selena. Uh we're the parents of two children that are currently in the Valley View School District. One of whom is Jackson. Um Jackson is preparing to enter kindergarten this fall. Uh we're here tonight because we've yet to receive a response to a written transportation appeal that we submitted on May 8th and then again with a recent follow-up on July 8th. Uh Jackson has been approved to attend Jamie McGee Elementary School, but our request for district provided transportation was denied despite the fact that we live a mile and a half away from the school and despite the fact that he has an IEP with the developmental delay. What's missing in this conversation is why we had to request
027a school transfer in the first place. Our older son, Jared Jr., experienced serious mistreatment at our assigned home school, which is Independence Elementary, including IEP violations and a founded state complaint. He was locked in classrooms. His support services were taken away without our input. It was traumatic to him and it caused real harm to our son and to our family. We fought hard to have him move uh moved to a safe and supportive environment at Jaime McGee. And once he was placed there, we saw a dramatic difference in his well-being and his progress. The staff at Jaime McGee worked with us in partnership and Jared Jr. truly began to thrive. It gave us hope again, not just for his education, but for rebuilding trust in the district. So when it came time for our younger
028son to start school, we knew we couldn't subject him to the same risks and the same people. That's why we submitted a special replacement a special placement request for Jackson to attend Jaime McGee the same as his brother and it was approved. But now after everything our family has endured, we're being told that because his placement was considered a special request that the district won't provide transportation. Essentially, we feel that we're being punished for protecting our son from a school that previously violated his brother's rights. So this isn't about convenience. It isn't. It's about fairness, safety, and basic access. No family should have to relive trauma just to get a ride to school. As full-time working parents and active community members and taxpayers in the district, we're simply asking for equity and compassion based on
029what our family has experienced. We're asking the board to please review our appeal and consider granting an exception for transportation based on the unique and wellocumented circumstances surrounding our family. Thank you for your time, your consideration. >> Thank you. >> I want to provide that information. >> Sorry about that. >> I was going to say I have uh our contact information on the back and I wanted to submit this guys for any appropriate followup. >> That's fine. Thank you. Appreciate it. All right. Uh, seeing no one else, moving down the agenda. Where we at? Human resources. I'm sorry. Yeah. 10. Uh, human resources report. >> Yes. Action. >> Action for 10.1 is the consolidated action report for certified, classified, and administrative personnel. The administration is respectfully seeking your approval on all items as presented. >>
030There a motion. >> Second. >> Motion and seconded. Is there any discussion? Roll call vote, please. >> Member Shrova, >> yes. >> Member Hyo, >> yes. >> Member Pipkin, >> yes. >> Secretary Sutherland, >> yes. >> PresidentWigley, >> yes. >> Before we get to 10.2, I would like to acknowledge some of the guests in the audience who we've just approved as future administrators for the 2526 school year. So, we will begin with Duncan Powers who has been hired as the interim assistant principal at Brooks Middle School. Mr. Powers has spent the past five years teaching high school Spanish. He started out in Rochelle Township and then for the past four years at Bowling Brook High School. Prior to starting his career in education, Mr. P worked in sales which included marketing and hiring events. Throughout
031both of his careers, he has taken on leadership and facilitator roles which will be an asset as he transitions into this position. Let's welcome Duncan Powers. I would also like to celebrate Shannon Bruns, the new assistant principal at Independence Elementary School. Miss Bruns comes to us with extensive experience at the preschool and elementary levels where she has provided leadership, guidance, coaching, and professional development for staff. She has served as the international balorate coordinator and literacy coach in Cree Mon. And prior to that role, she was a first grade teacher, reading specialist, and special educator, which has prepared her to support students, staff, and the independence community. Welcome. [Applause] >> Hey, can you share one of your balloons with her? >> And last but not least, we have Aaron Woodson, who has just been acknowledged as
032the assistant principal at Pioneer Elementary School. Miss Woodson has spent the last four years as an instructional coach at Bay Elementary School in Oak Park, where she supported professional learning, created affinity spaces, and facilitated collaborative team meetings for staff members. Prior to her instructional coaching role, she served as an educator in Oak Park Elementary School District and Chicago Public Schools. We welcome Erin strengths as the new assistant principal at Pioneer Elementary. Welcome, Erin. All right, moving down the agenda. Oh, you got one more. That's right. >> Right back. Um, action for 10.2 resolution number 2601 is the authorization of dismissal of pro professional technical personnel employee for reasons other than reduction in force or misconduct. >> A motion. >> Second. >> Motion and seconded. Any discussion? Seeing none, hearing none, roll call vote, please. Member
033Hy. >> Yes. >> Member Shrova. >> Yes. >> Member Pipkin. >> Yes. >> Secretary Sutherland. >> Yes. >> President Quiggley. >> Yes. Mr. Renitch. Action report 11. No report. That's the report of the day. Uh Dr. Pollson is not here. No report there. Mr. Wood, student discipline. No. No report. That's really good. We don't have any student discipline since there's no school. Superintendent information report. Dr. Dr. Wood, if you would please. >> Yes. Thank you, board president Quigley. Have a few items to um update the board and community on today. And um just a reminder that um enrollment still continues. We have a few um weeks before um the fall session starts. And I also want to remind um parents to make sure that you take advantage of um this lull or quiet time to
034get those um physicals and immunizations. um up to-date and current so there are no disruptions to getting um off to a great start to the school year. Um these images that you see are about the work that's taken place over the summer and um the far left is RC Hill is having their parking lot renovated which will make um exit and entry um a lot more convenient for our school staff and community. In the middle is our Debbie Sour Early Childhood Center. And I'm happy to um report the final touches are um being in place and we expect an opening um a grand opening this fall and looking forward to that new facility. And the far right is something that's might appear to be fairly odd. Why are we looking at the ceiling and seeing
035ceiling tiles being replaced? And I think this is just a an example of the little small things that take place across all our school facilities to make sure that they are in top-notch condition um so that we're able to provide world-class learning experiences. We don't think about the floors so much or the ceiling tiles getting replaced, but those little things are important. um the building um inside, the grounds outside, all of these things point to um what we believe is important in terms of providing a safe, secure environment for um our students and staff. So, just a just a brief overview of things that are taking place across our district to make sure we're ready to go for the fall. hiring season is still um underway and I do want to um make note of
036fact that we have um a few positions that we're still um looking to um fill and those are for set certified special educators, dual language educators, pair professionals, um transportation, building operations security and registered nurses. Specifically for pair of professionals, we do have a hiring event that's coming up on July 22nd and that will be from 1 to 3 at the administrative center 801 West Normantown Road. Um so make sure if you are an aspiring um educator and when I look when I think about pair of professionals we think about our pair of professionals as being like the the right hand to our teachers in the classrooms but also too we um hope and um look to support any um educator leveling up and we have a very strong program set up for pair professionals
037to level up to be um teachers um should they choose to. So that's just a um another way of professional development and learning that we provide for our um aspiring educators. You can see some of the benefits that we offer which are um extremely comprehensive and I would say robust. So just an encouragement to all who are looking for employment belong to something bigger. Come on Valley View. I just want to take um quick moment to review some of our priority areas um that we stay focused on over the course of the year. Learning growth was one that was um kind of took like the lion share of our attention um in terms of um focus. But the other areas, equitable systems, responsible and caring culture and stewardship of resources were definitely um addressed as
038well. And you know, we often kind of um as we go through the year, we don't take some time to um talk about the good things that have happened. So what I want to do is provide a kind of a highlevel overview um across those priority areas of just a few um bullet points of um standout items that occurred. Also knowing too that there's always opportunity to improve. And so I'll um speak to um one or two um areas of what to look forward to in terms of ongoing continued process. But before I go forward, I would just like to note that um our gains that we have experienced are based on the hard work and efforts of not just one person or group of people. teachers, um our school and district staff, no matter
039what capacity they serve in, our administrators, students, parents, and our um board of education working together to make sure that our kids have the best learning experience they can possibly have so that they have options um when they um transition through into the high school. and you saw the valad dictorian um Laura from BHS who was pretty much a product of the experiences that she's had over the many years um of being a part of the Valley View School District system. Um a more detailed update will be provided um after I data is finalized in the fall. So again this is just a a highlevel um look. So for learning and growth just want to point out um more st students are earning career credentials. We had increased students earning college and career pathway endorsements
040from 25 to 102 which is a significant uptick. This gives them real world experience and valuable skills in agriculture, business, hospitality, nursing, teaching, IT and manufacturing trades. Uh we know that there is not a one-sizefitit all and it's anytime we have an opportunity to expand offerings and experiences, we take advantage of it. So quite proud about that. We've also um had an uptick in more college credit opportunities. Students can now earn college credit in high school with 54 dual credit and 31 AP courses offered. That is a celebration and a positive. Um, we're also experiencing strong elementary literacy skills. The new reading and writing curriculum in grades three through five has already exceeded expectations and strengthening literacy skills. So, those are some good things that are going on, but the work continues. And what's next
041for us in learning and growth is launching a new English curriculum for grades 6 through 12 and beginning the search for a new K through five math curriculum. And again um a more detailed um explanation or report will be provided um once that I AR data gets formalized in the area of equitable systems. Uh this year we were able to um march towards the fair and consistent grading and we developed consistent grading practices in middle and high school to ensure students are supported fairly and held accountable for their learning across all schools. Uh we've grown the dual language program. Our one-way dual language program continued its expansion and is now serving all grades preK through 8, which helps more students become bilingual and biliterate with strong academic achievement in both English and Spanish while fostering
042social cultural competence. So the academic and the social cultural um component. And we also have um extended access to advanced courses in math and science. and we have um more and more students take advantage of summer independent study courses um which gives them more additional pathways to honors level course classes. What's next for us in equitable systems? We want to expand our dual language into high school and refine our multi-tier system of supports to better support all students prek through 12 and academics behavior and attendance for a responsible and caring culture. We have um grown in our the area of strong providing stronger social emotional support. We've continued the expansion of tools and strategies to support students mental health and emotional well-being. Um this year we were able to um host the new family engagement
043symposium which was our first district-wide event to connect with families and strengthen our homeschool partnerships. And one specific note about that, we had a variety of vendors that came out and a lot of um representatives um from across our region. And when I say reg, our legislative representatives coming out to form partnerships to support um our students and our families. We cannot do the work um in isolation. So anytime we have an opportunity to partner with external organizations, we take advantage of it. Um we also uh were able to get a an inclusive early childhood program started and this is a developed partnership provided us opportunity to develop partnerships with local daycare centers to support students with special needs through the community outreach inclusion program grant. And the thing that's special about that is when
044you're talking about um preschool or um early childhood education, there are very few opportunities for parents to take advantage of special um services for the little ones that are prek. This provides opportunity for um professional daycare I mean our local daycare providers to receive professional learning and other supports to help students who need it the most. What's next for us is we're rolling out new strategies to boost student attendance and partner with families to reduce chronic absenteeism. That is a huge huge um need for our district and not just our district across the state of uh Illinois and the nation for that matter. And uh finally, stewardship of resources. um wouldn't um uh be remiss if I let this report and update go forward without talking about the fact that we um continued our AA1
045bond rating and it's one notch below the highest possible rating for school districts which reflects our strong financial management and responsible use of resources and we'll continue to um take efforts to make sure that we are being good stewards of our financial situation. That's the end of my update for the U priority areas. I just have a couple more items to um speak to. >> All right, moving down the agenda. >> Well, just a couple more. >> Um our summer connections program was quite robust. A variety of students um and staff that who were View staff had opportunity engaged in a a plethora of um learning activities. Um you see swimming indicated and I was able to go over to a um school site and see middle school students from across the district come together
046and work hands-on with technology through um a Best Buy initiative called the Geek Squad and um was a phenomenal learning opportunity for our students. So our students were quite busy over the summer. And um finally for important upcoming dates, August 2nd is our back to school event. So look forward, look out for additional information related to that. August 8th is our last day for online registration. August and 11 August 11 and 12 are institute days for our staff. August 14th is the first day of school for K through 12. And August 18th is the first day of school for EC students. And I know I was a little bit long-winded tonight. That is the end of my update. >> Yeah, I lost my internet up here. So 14.2 technology firewall support. >> Thank you. Uh
047the administration had received approval back on May 12th, 2025 board meeting to purchase the support for the firewall which is our cyber security system. Just so you know that these purchases are partially funded by -ate which is a federally designed program to support our technology needs but after the calculation the amount of the district funds had increased. So dur for the August 4th board meeting we will bring this back to the board for reapproval because of the the change in the amount. So >> thank you. Crossing guard services. Who's got that? Mr. Renich. So in 2020, the district assumed the responsibility for crossing guard services. The existing contractor, Danny Frain, is set to expire this year. An invitation to bid was issued on June 27th to solicit bids for the continuation of crossing guard services
048for the upcoming school year or years. The bids were officially opened on July 10th, 2025 at 1000 a.m. This report serves as to inform the board of the current status of the regarding the Carson Guard contract. A formal recommendation for updating and finalizing these services will be presented at the next board of education meeting for your approval. >> All righty. Any other? >> Good. Nothing else. Legal services report. Just briefly few hours ago, uh, the US Supreme Court gave the go-ahhead on mass layoffs at the US Department of Education. So, we'll see what kind of impact that has in terms of functioning uh of school districts across the nation. Thank you, Mr. O'Driscoll. Moving down the a uh number 16, Association Federation Ports. I don't see anybody here from the union. Uh, Valley View Council
049604. They're back. Thank you. Uh, Valley View Office Personnel Council. Okay, you got all three. Thank you. Transportation. Anybody from Transportation? All right. Uh, speaking of transportation, we are always looking for bus drivers. Uh, moving down the agenda. Only old business before the board this evening. Any new business before the board this evening? As always, our Freedom of Information Act requests go through Mr. Blay and he posts those on the website and so on so forth for the responses. Any announcements by the board. Uh I have a couple uh things that are going on. So I want to uh first uh there's a finance committee meeting on July 23rd. I want to thank Brandy Jones and former board member vice president Victor Zach for the time and effort they put in on this committee. Uh,
050Secretary Sutherland and Helen Romeos have kindly agreed to take their places on this committee. Uh, it meets quarterly and they go over various aspects of what's going on in the district and uh, finance things and where we're spending our money and why we're spending it there and they get updates from our staff. Um, those are typically held at 9 or 10 o'clock in the morning on whatever the date is and again they are done quarterly. Uh, secondly, um, Dr. Wood has done a yman's job since he has been in this chair as the superintendent of our district and he had graciously has given us a couple extra years. He was looking forward to his retirement. Uh but he will be retiring at the end of next school year. As such, the district is starting a
051search process for our our next superintendent. Vacancy announcement will be going out in the next few days and will be placed on the district website and sent to several organizations including the ISAA job bank, the K12 job spot, the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Association of School Personal Administrators, Illinois Association of School Administrators. Uh I assume Luda is part of that as well, the Luda Network, Large Unit District Association, Miss uh who is not here this evening. However, uh we are looking forward to uh a robust se selection of resumeumés and uh we will be sitting down going through those as they come in. Those will be provided electronically. Uh HR will be receiving those. We will also be doing a survey of the community that will be electronic asking what you think
052somebody in a superintendency role should be doing uh for our our district. Uh we have a lot of good things in this district that should make us very attractive in my opinion. Uh we have great facilities, we have good kids, we have diversity, we have a good budget. Um we're not out there crawling. We're not going to a referendum anytime soon. All the things that people in that role have to deal with. And I think we we we've had some, you know, we've had some hills to climb. And we will always strive to be the best and find the best that we can for this district. And that goes to the whatever, however you want to define it, the person on the low end of the totem pole and the person at the top of
053the totem pole. We want the best for our kids. We want the best for our community and we certainly want the best uh for this district. And I think our reputation is fantastic and we want to make it even better. Uh, and I want to thank all my fellow board members and I know that this we got a lot of time of things that have been going on in the district, but this is going to take some time and we're going to have to sit behind the scenes and we're going to have to interview folks and I hope we will find again a very robust crew of folks. Uh, the applications as of right now, we're going to keep the received until August 15th. Uh, if we do not find what we find is a
054good cadray of uh, you know, we'll open it up again. But we're trying to get out in front of this way early. Normally these things wouldn't happen until September or October. We want to get out again in front of this. Uh we would like to have those interviews conducted by September, midepptember the first round, maybe September 22nd. We've got a hard not a hard date because this is all negotiable based on what we get in. Uh we would like to conduct our second interviews by this third week of October. And uh hopefully uh with that in mind, we will have a selected candidate by mid November. So before Thanksgiving, we may be announcing or hoping to announce our new superintendent for the Valley View School Board. So Dr. Wood, I know you've still got another
055year left, but thank you for where you've gotten us so far and all the staff and I mean at every staff member, I know a lot of a lot of you on vacation and welld deserved. Uh but we will work together in partnership. uh we want to we want to be with you uh all the way step of the way and uh to the lady that was here earlier talking about things we want to work with the community not just the people that are in the education business and people who have children uh we understand where you're coming from and I will we will try and find a way to make things better from a communication standpoint because you're not the first time that this is brought up just try to find ways to work
056through that. So thank you for your comments. Uh if there is no other new business or announcements by the board, uh we'll move down to announcements by the administration. >> Yes. Just um briefly, um thank you for the words of um um appreciation. Um it's a pleasure to lead and to serve. Um just welcome to our new administrators. Welcome to Valley View. [Applause] I thought you were going to have a little more little silicate or something. Uh if if there is no further business before the board this evening, everybody have a safe uh rest of >> a motion to adjurnn. >> I need a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Motion and second. All those in favor say I. >> I post same sign. Have a safe and uh enjoy the rest of
057the summer. Have a safe evening. Thank you.