Board Of Education Meeting 4.21.2026

001Good evening everyone. Like to start our April 21st meeting with board education. Um welcome. Can I have a roll call please? >> Mr. Bonedz >> here. >> Miss >> Mr. Foronberry >> here. >> Miss Steven >> here. >> Mr. Cook >> here. >> Mr. Nordstrom >> here. Thank you all. Please stand and join me in our pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you. Now we'll get right into the good stuff. Why most of you are here. Staff student and community celebration pride awards. Like we have principal coming up first. >> It works. >> You probably want to make sure Hello. >> Award. Um, we have the Ley Pride

002Awards for Zen staff and students. And tonight I have a very special honor that I'm going to go ahead and turn over the honors to our executive director of athletics, Mr. Jack Mimi. And our focus will be on athletics this month because I really think we have some really good things going on. So, I'll turn it over to you. I'd like to begin by calling up Mr. Hunter, please. >> Tonight we recognize Hal um after 29 years of service in District 126. Uh Hal is retiring this year. Um he's not only a teacher, he's my wrestling coach, our veter teacher and um to be honest with you, one of the best of us. Um, I played athletic turkey for five years and this gentleman probably he's here all summer, but he's not in season. He's

003here all winter, excuse me, all fall and spring when he's not in season working with our kids. Um, I'm going to try to read off some stats real quick. He sent me I was trying to make this quick, but he sent me a lot. There is a lot. 45 all county wrestlers, 11 all county champions. Um, 60 NFC Alpha Academic wrestlers, that's great. 92 all conference wrestlers, eight conference championships, 39 NFC first team allconerence wrestlers, 33 honorable mention wrestlers, and here's the 41 IHSA state qualifiers, seven IHSA allstate wrestlers. I'm going to skip this one because it's the best. 12 national wrestlers, two Illinois Allstar wrestlers, 15 former ZP wrestlers competed in college and just last sorry, two years ago, last year, two years ago, I'm sorry, had his first state champion in a girl

004in our female wrestling program that he was spearheaded and started. It was my second year being athletic. He said, "Man, we're going to start a girls wrestling program." I looked at him like he was crazy. I said, "Girls wrestling?" He said, "It's going to be the biggest thing coming out of the state of Illinois." And sure enough, it was. It blew up. And without this guy advocating for our female athletes, um, it probably wouldn't have happened because I was a new athletic director and I knew nothing about that. So, um, we just want to say thank you. Congratulations. It's been a good ride. He's our interior decorator. If you look at our trophy cases and everything in athletics, he is the one that looks beautiful. This guy, he goes in there every summer. He dust

005it. He moves it around so it doesn't look the same every year. He's promised me he's coming back. Um I offered him a paid position because I want to keep him on. He refused. He said he wants to volunteer so that we can have an extra coach and somebody else can begin to grow under his tutility. And I will also add one last thing. I won't. But um all of his current assistant coaches are former ZV alumni. So again, appreciate you. Enjoy retirement. Congratulations. All right. Next, I have another amazing pleasure to recognize one of our student athletes. Keegan, would you come up here, please? So, Keegan Cook is a diver who put Zion Benson diving on the map. Um, we did not have diving three years ago. Um, I went to the board of

006education and Dr. Wilkinson at the time said, "Can we get a part-time coach if we have kids interested in diving?" Started with our girls. Keegan came around last year and um had a good season last year. This year he broke the record. He broke the record one time, then he broke his own record, I believe, four times. Am I correct? Four times in both the five, the six dive and 11 dive records. Um, that had been set since 2004, I believe. So, a 22-year-old record uh Keegan growing diving this year. And again, I'll reiterate, we did not have a diving program three years ago. So, congratulations to Keegan. Um I'm going to have Coach McNeel come up here and say a few quick words. She's over there. But before I do that, he does have

007a specialty coach and coach Gan. Coach Gel was that coach that we have asked to come on. He came on part time, worked with Keegan in the pool. He couldn't be here tonight because his own daughter has something going on. So, I just he did want me to read this paragraph. Keegan, I could not be prouder of you and what you've accomplished in diving. What you've done in just two years is something most people couldn't pull off in a lifetime and a very forgiving gravity setting. Diving demands total awareness, not just to execute the dives, but to make them look effortless and importantly to stay safe. You've done all that with grace, hard work, and a level of excellence that stands out. From your very first meet, you fit right in with the North River

008Conference, not just competing, but connecting. You managed to share some words of wisdom which for anyone who knows you is saying something else. Smile. Um, all right. I lost my case in point. You're now famous line. Diving diving is easier when you jump. Simple, sharp, and somehow profound. The Stevenson coach loved her so much she didn't be she became courting you all season. So, congratulations on becoming both an athlete and a philosopher. You're a true you truly put Zion back on the map for diving, breaking the six diet and 11 dive school records and collecting medals from the Lake County advant. It's been a privilege to be your coach and I'm excited to see where you go next. He has no doubt you will win. Um, this year was really exciting as a coach and

009uh just to watch Keen continue to grow from our first meets in December to our final um conference sectional where he placed third and um then we were all sort of frantically watching the standings to see if he would qualify. We all knew in our hearts that we qualify and every coach in our sectional was saying to us like he's going to make he's going to make it. He's going to make it. But I recall um texting with his mom cuz there was a tiny little snafu and I was panicking because we really wanted him to get this opportunity to go to state. Um and he was able to go. He qualified. So we took a spirit bus and our two captains uh came two of our captains. Keegan is also one of our two

010captains. um came with us uh and it was a really exciting experience for me. It was my first time going to state um and it was great to see Keegan be able to dive there and be able to see the amazing athletes in the state of Illinois. Um Keegan is also a wonderful swimmer. He and when you're on our swim team, you're also I mean it's swimming and diving, but when you're a diver, you also have to swim. And Keegan was on our 2003 relay um team. He got was on the team that got the best season time. He made some of the 400 free relay um with our boys, too. And he's also on that uh one of our top to top fastest freestyle swimmers. Um and yeah, it's always great to see Keegan

011in the water. He really enjoys it. He prefers playing in the diving well to swimming any day. All right. So, to commemorate your excellent and record-breaking performance, we had this poster made for you and your coaches and your teammates and administration signed it for you. So, congratulations to you. Great job. >> Congratulations, Keegan. We're proud of you. You are now the Zameton diving record holder in both the six dive and 11 dive. And I think that Stand. >> All right. Good evening. Uh it is um my pleasure to uh introduce our ZB Pride Student Award winner, Stephanie Ray. Stephanie, can you join me up? And families welcome to join if you'd like. Um Stephanie is a graduating senior senior at Zben East High School. She has had straight A's throughout almost her entire career since

012her f first semester freshman year um and has impeccable attendance. She was nominated by her teachers as an exemplary student. She likes to learn. She pushes herself to grow and challenge herself and boy is she involved in school life. Buckle up for this list. She's a very active member of our bee leaders, always helping out with bee leaders. She's a member of Healthy Youth Interact. She's going to be in this weekend's uh musical. She's in theater. Uh she played two years in band. She's in National Honor Society and she also goes to Tech Campus where she is studying multimedia design. And she's also a student ambassador with Tech Campus. Um she's not decided on a college yet, but likely going to NIU, uh majoring in marketing and business management. and just in your spare time

013you think thinking about minoring in digital media. Uh she likes to read for fun. Uh in particular Bible studies. She's got three younger siblings. Are they here tonight? No. But but I'm sure you are a major role model for those three siblings. And when she graduates in just 16 school days, she will miss her teachers the most. They've been a big support system for her. We are all very, very proud of you, Stephanie. Congratulations. Um, and for our staff, I'd like to invite up two special staff members, John Kessle and Bob Johnson. That's for you. So when you uh enroll in a principal prep program or as back in my day was called a type 75 on the first day of classes they teach you something that you never forget. The most important person or

014people you need to get on their good side is your maintenance staff. And boy, these fine gentlemen have made it very easy at Zion Benton Beast to develop good relationships with our maintenance staff. Um, they are the most friendly, competent, and customer serviceoriented maintenance team that I've ever experienced before. Both John and Bob are skillful in just about every area, and I can call on them uh at any time I need to. John has worked uh as a private contractor before arriving at Zion Benton East. He's been three years at Zion Benton East. Now he specializes in carpentry, electric, HVAC certified, but he could basically do it all. And every interaction I have with John comes with a smile. He's patient and he's dedicated to excellence. Bob started working for District 126 in 2013, but

015you did contract work here, am I right, in 2001. So he's been here a long time. He is a ZB grad of 1996. Uh and he spent his freshman year at our current campus at Zion Benton East. Both of his kids have graduated from ZV in 2018 and 2021. He does grounds work. He loves working on our athletic fields, plumbing. He can do it all. and he loves stopping by my office, making sure that like everything is done just the way it needs to be, right? When he's out there, starting at 2 am getting the plows going, deicing, right? He wants to make sure the job is done right. He loves working here because he loves fixing things. He says, "I'm not an office person. This is what I was meant to do." He loves

016the people at Zion Bettton and loves how things change here every day. So, we appreciate both of you uh and congratulate you for all the work that you do. Stephanie and your family, can you please come forward? Coach, Keegan, who was with the family members for >> Yes, please. Um, we can I would love to have Keegan. Um, Cook family, coaches come on up. Bob >> and Pal, this is when we take a picture. >> Everybody's going to take our Before we move to our community awards, we'll do our >> student staff picture. >> Oh, yeah. >> He needs to bring that. >> All right. Coach, Coach McNeel, come on. You guys want to come see this side? >> Yep. So um so again I thank you students, family members, um teachers, especially student leaders.

017It is so um great to see the great work of Keegan. Uh we follow you every week. Sometimes it was the next day you broke the record again and again. So I'm so proud of you. Um and Stephanie for academic excellence um when we make investments board of education um when we invest in in for example when we invest in our coaches when we invest uh in our facilities this is a reacy it's a great return on that investment. So I'm so proud for our maintenance team to our teachers that are here coaches you know on behalf of the board we thank you we congratulate you you make this 126 proud I mean it is so amazing and again it is so great to see the work of the staff because it is with great

018staff that we're able to produce the extraordinary result that we see in Khan and Stephan and it's also with our parents and the support of our board that we're able to have the great vision that we have. So again students on behalf of the board congratulations a staff member thank you for the partnership. Let's continue to make district 6 the best food district anyone and Mr. Minnie stop spending our money but if you are and you continue to do this it's going to be approved. >> Bring home the Ready on three. One, two, Thank you very much. >> Yeah. Thank you. Yes. Thank you. Um, good evening everyone. It is my pleasure this evening to recognize a very special group of people who share our hallways and our mission for lifelong learning. We are incredibly

019proud uh to once again and happy to once again serve as a site for the Montalign High School Adult Education program. This program has provided free English instruction for over 30 years across 10 Lake County communities serving adults from beginning literacy to advanced English. Their mission is to equip adults with English and workforce skills needed for employment, advancement, and retention while also supporting high school students recovering from recovery credits towards graduation. And since 2022, they have expanded into workplace education, partnered with core Lake County businesses to offer flexible on-site classes tailored to industry needs and focus on workforce competencies for district 126. Providing the physical space is the easy part. But real magic happens when the dedication of the program coordinators, the passion of the instructors, and the drive of these remarkable students we're going

020to recognize tonight um are on display uh periodically throughout our weeks. Supporting this program strengthens our entire community by providing adult learners with the essential tools to thrive both personally and professionally. and we are honored to foster an inclusive environment where lifelong learning is celebrated and every individual has the opportunity to grow. To the students, your commitment to personal development and integration is nothing short of heroic. To the staff and coordinators, we thank you for choosing our space to change lives. And so, please join me in a quick round of applause for the achievements of all of our adult ESL program. uh are those a part of the program before we get into the individual recognition. So tonight I want to just quickly bring up the program coordinators. I want to recognize them. I'll then

021bring up the instructors as well and then I will ask the instructors to um uh take the honor of recognizing those of the students who were here with us tonight. So, um, so let me start with, um, Lisa Johnson and Susan Phelps as the program directors of this fine program. Come on up, please. >> We appreciate you. Um, and you know what? Why don't you stand up here? we're going to end up taking a picture. So, right, that's how we do business. Um, and so also our our instructors, um, two are here with us, uh, during the day at district 126. Uh, we have an assistant principal from district 6 and also a a teacher with the learning charter school in district 60 who come periodically each week to instruct these fine adult learners. So

022with that I want to bring up Edith Martinez, Joy Mobile Samuels and Veronica Leon. Come on up. I'm holdus. How does that sound? And so I'm going to turn the microphone over and these these fine instructors are going to um call up the names of the individual students here tonight. And what I would ask the students is you can just stay up here with us because afterwards we would love to get a picture um for all of our social media because we love the opportunity. >> Can my class, the advanced class come up please? my students please. Okay, I have with me Valerie Edward. Would my students come up? Hi, intermediate please. Okay, we're out of water. Jose Castro Hernandez Sanchez Labra Nancy Magna Rodriguez. Okay, I've got some students here with me tonight, too.

023If you're in my class, come on up and join me. Okay, I've got some four lovely students with me tonight. Nancy Would my please stand up? This is Mara, William Thomas, Thomas Garcia Garcia, Kelly, Papino, De Do you want to figure So, another big round of applause for all of these fine examples. We are very thankful for all you do for our communities, not just design community, all of our communities. You're a great example and as an educator of of of youth, um you are examples for them. It means a lot for us as teachers to see families and parents that lead those children by example. So with that, I'm going to turn it over to our superintendent, Dr. Rodriguez, for a few words. >> Thank you, Dr. Parish. Board of Education, if you can

024please join us in this beautiful circle and how how great it is to see this type of partnership, this type of work. See, one of the things that that that we have to realize is that um community partnerships are valid, but with that, we have made a huge investment in our English learners program at our school um with the leadership of Miss Mo and I thank you for that. You know, I remember the days where our students were not achieving um a high level and we're so proud that our students are graduating based on the work that you're doing with them. But not only that, you overextend and you are expanding and you're reaching other and it is so great to see this partnership with the learners because it is through community that we're able

025to do this work effectively. So, So, Thank you, Miss Moble along with the teachers along with um Senator Marian. I think she's involved in this program as well. Uh we you know we also thank her for that. Our board is proud that we are that we house a program here. We support this. As a matter of fact, we typically do this in the the boardroom. We have to bring this meeting here because this program is growing. I see more people. I don't know if I'm I don't know if it's a good assessment, but I see more students, more adults here than in previous years. And that is so great to see. Again, another example where you invest in the right places and that return goes back to your school district with extraordinary results. So in

026short and in closing, thank you. Um we are so proud of you. Continue to learn English, be bilingual, be multicultural, you know, be your best. Thank you again. We take a picture and it is so proud. It is so great to see. I see myself with you because I was a student in an ESR classroom. My mother still go both to ESR classes. So again, congratulations so proud of you. We We just need to kind of scrunch in. We can make it happen. >> Look at the picture. Show me the front. This is the first. >> All right. And please don't leave. We have cupcakes. Please grab a cupcake. I know that you are also going back to class. >> It's just like we tell our students after we celebrate, you have class. Please grab

027a cupcake if you would like. Uh we're right there. Grab and go and have a wonderful class. And thank you. Do you want any thoughts? Thank you very much. >> Hello. Good afternoon. My son is going to attend um vet. >> Yeah. But um he got a letter and said that he was accepted. >> Did he do I had to do something else to register him or when it's going to be the registration for them? >> We're going to reach out to you about that. Uh next month. >> Next month. Okay. Now I was like, hey what, you know, this is new for me. I was going to ask you. >> Feel free to call or if you have any questions, but he's been accepted. Everything's good. We'll reach out to you again about the

028details about registration in the coming weeks. >> You know, like >> what's his name? >> Uh Jacob. >> Okay. Which school does he go to now? >> Uh right now he's in Beach Park Middle School. >> Okay. So >> Well, I'm so glad you're you're sending him to East. You picked the right school. >> Yes. You know, I go like uh he's in Juniority. He's a band. And I like it looks like you I don't know. >> Gracias again. Thank you so much and have a wonderful class this evening. >> Thank you. I don't think I can eat it. You got a picture. I see Thank you. President. Thank you. >> Thank you so much. Okay, I think we will restart. >> All right, we just pause for a couple minutes for a cupcake break.

029That was a great recognition and celebration. Thanks to everybody who helps make sure that that partnership continues to happen. Um, that being said, I believe we are moving on. We are done with staff, student, and community celebrations. So, we'll move to communications from staff, guests, and district residents. Let's see here. computer. This is a different Um, District 126 is committed to an equitable, respectful learning environment where bullying, harassment, racism, sexism, hate speech have a place. Please partner with us in fostering a positive community. We are at the Before we have the opportunity for public comment, um staff guests and district residents may address the board of education during the communications with staff guests and district residents portion of the agenda. Uh we have folks who have signed in below. You have three minutes per individual

030and we'll try and give you a heads up if you start to approach the end of that three three minute time. Um the first name that we have here, sorry I keep reading that. Um first name we have here I believe he has stepped out and probably This was a signing sheet not for public comment and that was done both. >> So um I will move on. The next name we have is Demetrius Terrell. And when you get up sir if you just again just state your name. Good evening. >> Good evening sir. My name is Alicia. I'm a school engagement specialist over here at Z. Uh the reason why I'm here is to give a structural summary of the situation regarding harassment, retaliation, and pun punishment related to my FMA and ABA protections. This

031all stemmed from a work related accident that occurred January 11, 2023. In this accident, I was injured while conducting a homeless. During this time, I experienced ongoing issues from work after exercising my rights under the FMA act and American disability. I'm going to go as fast as I can because it's not enough time to discuss what I've been doing for the last two years. All right. I was injured at work providing medical documentation from both my personal doctor and the workman's comp doctor because they sent me to the individual medical examiner. both confirmed that I can return to work with reasonable accommodations. Despite this, the employer refused to accommodate me and required a full metal clearance regardless of the documentation and the medical documentation that a workman's comp doctor and my doctor provided. Because of

032these accommodations being denied, I was sent home from work not once, not twice, but over four times in a threeear span that I was out on FMA. After the FA expired, I received a termination letter from an employer claiming that I refused to do my job with or without reasonable accommodations. As we know, this is a lie because I was refused those reasonable accommodations. No clear explanation was given for rejecting the medical documentations and there was no written explanation of a denial letter which is both required under FAA and ADA. The reason why I feel like HR is complicit in this situation because they failed to intervene and appropriately curve this behavior. So in closing, I want the board to know I have a 90-day letter not from one civil a not from two but

033three civil agencies for the right to sue the district for this unfair treatment and this harassment behavior that I endure. And I guess my time is up and I'm ready to sit behind any closed door session and disclose names and all this information to any and every board. Thank you for your time. Thank you. >> All right, we have no further names and no further members sitting in the public. So, we will move on. Um, agenda. Do I have a motion to accept consent agenda items as presented? >> Motion by shared by Miss Steven. Any questions or requested changes? Hearing none. Roll call, please. >> Miss Champine. >> Hi. >> Mr. Cordonberry. >> Hi. >> Miss Steven. >> Hi. >> Mr. Cook. >> Hi. >> Mr. Bonita. >> Hi. >> Mr. North. >> Hi. Thank

034you. That brings us to our superintendence report. Dr. Rodriguez. Okay. I hope you're able to see the uh little bit. Yes, you are. I do see clearly. So, um if you um can please see the TV on the front and in the back. Um we do see here our track and trail students. Um and again this um another great program, another great investment. Um a couple days ago there was a tornado in the area. We had some students um that needed to um stop their buses in Wigan and in Chicago. This happened to be one of the group of students that have to stop for children and on a night that as you can see I don't know if you're able to see to the left you have rankings and you have a different schools

035school districts um Mr. said that to me that night and what is crazy about that picture if you're able to see that is that Sio Benon is at the top with Whitney Young. So that that was something you know coming from you know from Cook County you know when you mentioned Whitney John for when you mention Kenwood you know we're above Kenwood Ki you know so our our students from a tracker are competing at that level that is exceptional so today I had an opportunity to talk to the coach and she's so proud and and again this is powerhouse house school district as it relates to. So while I am very proud of the students and you see the pictures here, you know, the work that they do, I am so proud that they are

036ranking tight 123 points with with the young. So So again, you know, congratulations to this group of um students. I understand that these four are doing some amazing work and they contributed to 123. So that's what the posture indicated. But again, a big highlight um no surprise she continues to send these long emails um with the celebrations and the passion about her students. Um and I'm so so proud of of this team. Um we actually have a for you um our angel RTC you know ra um competing um same story as always over the last I don't know how many years um their exceptional discipline dedication continuing to represent you know teaching character discipline service um you know facing many other school districts across the nation and coming on top. So that is uh so

037proud of that team and uh and another area where we're looking to make some small investments but uh very meaningful for that uh group of um uh you know students and staff uh our symphony band I mean invited to the super state concert band um the highest level of competition this is another area where we we just opened that um as you know we just opened that um program uh with new rooms um and they function and they operate you know from many places in the school district uh where wherever there was a space they used it so um our band director know Mr. Casmi has done an an unbelievable job over the years you know in developing building uh you know and and growing that program so um we continue to be proud of

038all of the work that they do um special Olympics you know one of our students from the transition program you know participating at Special Olympics USA games um that's taking place June 20 to 26 in Minnesota. So from Minnesota to New York to uh um Florida. I mean this idea of expanding opportunities for our students um is something that uh the board and I take a lot of pride you know that we are very uh uh excited about. Our science exchange club you know you know congratulating one of our students. There was three students. Two were unable to be present but um these students were selected as the students of the month for January, February and March by the Sian Area Exchange Club. Um so again you know another partnership you know and this partnership

039that I value this program continues to rise and this is a program that um um where we are an investment you know in facilities in u teachers and our students again delivering outstanding performance at the future business leaders of America uh conference again earning national qualifications um in four events. So you know we do have as an administration and also our teachers too. there's this energy about a return on the investment results. Um, you know, let's do our best. Let's show this type of work. Uh, let's not be shy about it. And, uh, and and that is um, that is very energetic. It's very, you know, it's great to see, you know, for high school students. Um, our anchor players tonight. I mean, some board members and I had the opportunity to enjoy um, in

040the, um, mlash, right? you know. Um, so Mr. uh, good book was there. Um, he won first place. Uh, Mr. uh, uh, uh, uh, Losbury, you know, was there. I was in his team. He got second. Sorry I made you lose. Um, you know, I got one answer only one right. But, um, it was an amazing event of community and and coming back to the staff, I mean, they know I mention I didn't send a text message. This is true community partnership, you know, uh um with different generations, students, uh um you know, uh uh staff members, board members, community, parents. Uh it was a great it was a great time. It was a great great time. Nobody had a better time than Mr. Nobody. I hope you know that. So, not only did he

041win, but you know, he you know, he had a great time here. Um but again I thank you for that and this partnership and this activity was um made possible by the work of our teachers uh our union president you know she was one of the organizers for the event. So um again uh thank you board members and thank you uh teachers for uh for for a fun night you know um and last but not least I mean we do have um um this compliance audit and I must say to administrators all of you thank you our chiefs you know thank you for the hard work um because it is looking really really good a couple years ago I mean we did this um and our result was 96% or 96 points um we are

042there you know um the administrators are promising a 97 you know um everything above 90 is really good. So this is the the uh regional office of education that they do come and they check many many records and it's um and they do a compliance audit. It happens every three years, five years, four, three. I think it's three. So it happens every three years. Um but uh again it's a you know full uh examination and in the areas where we may not um have as uh something completed we will have you know action so it's looking very very positive and there is this is an area of a lot of attention for me where you know I do believe that compliance is important um but at the same time program support so they do go

043together so um um our audit is looking it's looking So we continue to hold the vision, you know, trust the process, celebrate, you know, with our staff, our students, you know, continue to invest in these facilities like this one that you can see here. Um, this week we actually had a great event here for literacy. Um, it was called literacy freedom for all something like that, right? Um so where we our English teachers were you know celebrating our students um and they um had a great time um uh with uh writings and poems and um and again everything around the idea that children do their best and that we invest in them and that um we continue to bring our our school district forward you know as the best school district anywhere. So with that

044we conclude the superintendent's report. Okay. Thank you. Any questions for Dr. Rodriguez? All right. Hearing none our principal reports. See our principal system principal standing up. All right. Katie. Okay. You do have a target report submitted with with different instructional updates and operational updates. Um but right now today at this board meeting we're going to focus on our third quarter discipline report. Okay, which we have been presenting to you with the assistant principles and principal. So I knew it would be a little hard to see. So we gave you the chart. Um but that is the chart that we actually have showing for you on the two TV screens, but this is the same categories that we presented to you before. So it would probably look familiar with, you know, the different categories as far

045as the discipline. If you flip it over, that's the attendance. But Dr. Brown will get to that in a moment. So next after it's helpful to kind of look well you know I give you a little short discipline summary of where we've been just to kind of look at some of the numbers but overall if we're assessing the third quarter discipline summary in a nutshell more ZB students are making good choices that's really what we have to say here so we're not trying to say we invoke some magical formula and you know it's Zb's aren't really doing a great job there's a lot there's lots of things that factor into this um I think we've had a reduction in all the major categories So if you take a look there, we are steadily declining from

046last year and quarter on the quarter. Um suspensions are down 58% from the last quarter. We have behavior interventions in place, restorative supports, consistent systems across um or they across I guess many areas working with the interventionist. They're contributing to an improving school culture and climate because as you know it takes a little while to shift the culture and climate but I'm happy to report we are moving in a good direction there. There's a picture of the deans for you there as you see on the screen intervention actions that have been happening um increased peer mediation and self-reporting. So we're really trying to have students hold themselves accountable but it's about building trust and building relationships in that dean's office because that empowers students to come in talk and have those open relationships. Um, uh,

047the deans created this nice QR code to make it handy at the front door for parents because we have a lot of parents that come in and want to see them like right now. So, they're able to do the QR code, schedule an appointment with that dean, and come right in. Um, juvenile justice program, we've really taken off with that um, in collaboration with our SRO this third quarter to really do all kinds of different programs involving the juvenile justice. Um, so I think our our deans are really very visible. You hear from staff, they'll say they're really all over the place. um they do classroom visits. Uh one of their favorites that they wanted to mention is the no phone Fridays in which they go into classrooms and just make sure and reiterate no

048phone Friday. Um but I think it's been really really helpful overall with just setting the tone in. Any other questions on that part? Because I'm going to turn this over for the attendance piece for Dr. Brown. >> All right. Good evening board. Uh tonight I'm going to walk us through accordingly review and annual comparison of both tendency and truency data. So we've always started with our personal connection which is our starting point that we're communicating early and often with families. That's something that we uh started this year with something that we intend on uh concluding our year with as you'll see the graph in the middle is a comparison of our second quarter interventions to our third quarter interventions. you'll see that we have plus 250 home I'm sorry plus 250 voice to voice calls.

049Um we believe that the more parents that we call uh the greater chance that we know the parents have so we can guide them towards our expectation of positive attendance. We have plus 22 home visits. We uh accomplished over 112 home visits and that's that's a huge number uh for our outreach team. We have over plus 329 attendance uh mailers. And if you'll look a little bit further down, um the band between three to seven unexcused absences is where that plus uh 329 attendance members came out. But if you look at the very bottom in the bulk, it says 43 fewer certified 10 day letters. That's huge to us. That means the interventions that we're putting forward are compressing students and families from hitting that 10 or that nine unexcused uh absence absences. So we're

050very excited about that. We've had six regional office of education truency referrals. Those are students who have reached that peak of 18 or 19 absences. Uh we did have to put some students through that. Uh we feel like that is a a good referral process. We still support them on the back end. Um as I mentioned a couple times the interventions that the regional office of education uh do are the things that we've already accomplished. And so when we bring them students to the regional office of education the try program they're basically mimicking what we've already done um in there um as for when we push them over to regional office education uh for when they start react um we'll talk about the 120day audit system something that we do we did at 60 days

051we went at 90 days we 120 days if we look at the attendance rate our attendance rates um have gone up and I can't see that So at this time last year was 89.31 and this year for third quarter is at 90.39. So we are tracking better than we were last year. If you look at chronic truency rates this time last year for third quarter was 20.85. That is a huge number. We've knocked that down by 50%. We're at 10.62. So those interventions that we are doing um are working our fourth quarter focus or out of that 20 days 20-day audit. We found a few things um that we'd like to stay with is that we want to remain consistent with our personal approach that is our starting point. We're focusing a lot on daily

052calls for truency. We talked about increased consistent attendance with weekly incentives. Donnie shirt um that brought us a 92% rate today for our ACT uh which is which is huge. We've given out these shirts to, you know, at weekly intervals to students who have re have reached five days of positive attendance that the students they love. Um, we've increased our line with our academic service center team through progress monitoring. We're making sure that we're following up with those students who we refer them to office of education. We're not just referring them and giving them a need. We're continuing to support those students. And then last but not least is our proactive value call with a personalized approach. Remember, we're starting with a personalized approach and we're going to end with a personalized approach. There's a

053lot of work to be done, but we are definitely on the right track. Are there any questions based on the truency and attendance slides? We appreciate you. Let me just make one final point about attendance. Today, we got our ACT uh testing day today. So, last week we attempted to have that as well. There was 122 students gone last week for that that day. Today about how many were gone? >> 116. So it just shows you that it wasn't like, hey, we got to go to school because it's testing day. It shows you that these practices are starting to become embedded in their daily, you know, this is what we do. We go to school because we had an even better rate for testing, you know, today. So that tells me kids aren't just coming

054because it's the one special thing. It's just starting to become ingrained. So I think that's positive. So I wanted to just shout out Dr. Brown because he's been really all over attendance all year very hard and it's it's showing >> question but um so chronic cut in half. Excellent attendance rate just kind of inches up. How do they calculate that that overall attendance rate? Is that just attendance period per the for every student because I you would >> I would expect to see a couple percentage points more than just one. Not to say that you guys are doing a great job. You are. I just I'm trying to kind of the data. >> So the way that we calculate um daily attendance, the way we calculate the daily attendance is five more periods. So that's

055how that comes. I like this. I hope I can get this analogy right is every quarter is like filling up your right begins at zero and it might be a slow right so first quarter you know basically students come into the district by second quarter we're going to start to see some seniors that are kind of trickle might accumulation first quarter every quarter if that makes sense if >> well I think like to your question right average daily attendance is exactly that right it's the number of kids attend class daily. But chronic truency and chronic absenteeism, different kids are here different days. And so average daily tennis is just 90% of our kids are here every single day. When those other things, it's individual kids. You know, you might have 200 kids missing this day

056and a whole new set of 200 kids missing that day, but your average daily attendance is still at 90%. >> Right. But once those accumulate that that's >> yeah I'm just trying to remember back when we originally had this we were talking about how the the not the basket but like the people you really want to impact true right that's that's where you're going to probably impact your number your >> okay that's I'm just trying like I said I'm trying to understand is there something else we could be doing to bring it 90% is good right it's better than we've been in the past so I guess no complaints here No, I mean and the thing is that they're not going to move the same level because the number is higher on average attendance. number

057that number is going to be like you know half a million for you know as opposed to the world >> and and let me just add like there is there's a limit to what we can do right outside of dragging kids to school and and I'm not kidding when I say this we are dragging some kids to school going to the door knocking on them Mr. Lee is there. You can see the kid in the back and he's still, you know, and so there's a ton of work being done and the chronic truency obviously is improving. We'll see where chronic absenteeism kind of figures out, but uh but the daily attendance is moving in the right direction. In the end, it's all moving in the right direction. it's not going to be fixed in a

058day because this is a societal problem that again schools are being burdened with fixing and uh and there's definitely some challenges to that like I said but we there are times when we are literally taking that kid and putting them on the bus bringing them here oneon-one that's great for that day but then it's up to the parent to help us maintain that um flip side to this and I apologize if I'm not connecting the dots and obviously with what we were just talking about want kids to be here but then things happen and sometimes we tell them well you can't go to class you're suspended um and that's dropped dramatically I guess I was just wondering in general are the nature of the incidents has that mix changed or is it pretty much the

059same types of things fewer numbers. I mean, it's a pretty dramatic drop. So, is there something that's just not even a problem anymore, or is it just fewer of all the normal things you would see that leads to suspension? >> I mean, we probably gave you all these same categories from last year this year >> because this doesn't necessar tie back to this directly on this page, does it? >> Well, the numbers >> they will all that'll show you items, right? Remember, we said there's miscellaneous items that they're not going to get suspended out of school from, but But if you take a look at all these numbers, these are the major things that could get them sent out of school. And I would have to answer that overall everything is down overall. So I

060there isn't one thing I would probably say maybe last year the start of last year was like a lot of physical physical situations. I that is tremendously. Um so the physical incences you know that and apes are still a problem. But yeah, I just think just that alone physical incident. >> If I try and grab any of these numbers here, >> they don't directly tie back to one of these columns over here >> for the total suspend. >> Whichever. >> Yes. Yeah. They will. Yes. They the number of incidences here. Yep. They should all if you do the math because we did the math, they should all tie back because I think also these are the items that our students are like totally suspended 153. going to be these numbers in the chart. >> So,

061I'll see if I can I think I can. So, so the the numbers in the first chart tie back to the number of referable incidences. Not every referral ends up with a suspension. All right. So, the the one on the right are suspension incidences. So, it's how many times a kid has done something that would warrant a suspension and then the days total number of days. >> So, yes. Okay. Yeah, we're not looking at we're not able to look at which I don't mean to. I'm just trying to make sure I I'm missing I'm missing something. I'm not adding up agitation and physical education and bas on the right because that's just the incident, not the resulting question. >> Yes. >> Sorry. So it seemed suspension incidents down a lot of times those are like

062this is your third incident, right? So we bring those down, right? Naturally, you may see a I think you see a big drop in suspension, but if you're only on your first second offense versus your third time, you hold off your t-shirt, >> Right. Yeah. You don't suspend somebody. Well, sometimes the first time that usually >> Yes. >> And then obviously we have really put a tremendous restorative how to work with that um as you can see because it's not like you said so I think this is a combination of different approaches in place lots of interventions remember we have um one one that's been four years five years been there one that's been one year and we have two brand new so it's also just building the capacity to be consistent But I'd say

063we're really jelling to make sure that we have that consistency in that messaging like you're saying. So I think we're in a great place. >> I do have one more question. Sorry. Obviously you want zeros would be great but not >> so is there one thing that happened or popped up in this that you're like gosh I can't believe that still hasn't gotten traction or I can't believe that's still the way it is. There's one particularly disappointing or surprising thing. Yeah. >> Yeah. um vaping and the drug use issues that we have. I'm not even substances. It's very difficult because you're stuck between you do nothing and the message is we allow you to sit in our schools under a major influence, you know what I mean? Or then we don't we send you home,

064right? So you're it's a very difficult topic. So that's a big one. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. >> Okay. Uh we at Zinbet East are going to uh now give the award a very similar report that has a lot of uh very similar themes that you saw with Zinbet Township High School. A lot of our numbers are improving in both attendance and discipline. Uh I want to congratulate Mr. Issac and his office for the excellent work. But the really good news that both schools are reporting very similar improvements. Uh and that is because of all the great work that the board is doing and central office is doing. Attendance really does matter. Uh and and building our climate culture to the point where our discipline numbers are improving. So I'm going to turn

065things over to Mr. Isis. >> Thank you. Good evening. Uh thank you to President Nuk and the board of education. All right. Make sure I'm on the right side. Great pride. I look forward to discussing with you our quarter 3 attendance and discipline data from design vend comparing our year-over-year data trends as well as shedding some light on the strategies we found successful in both areas. First I'd like to begin by discussing some of our discipline trends in quarter 3. And right away you can see we continue to make great progress as I down across all major categories of discipline as compared to quarter 3 from last school year. This is also reflected in a significant decrease in both suspension instances and suspension dates. Um overall we've seen a 54% reduction in suspensions and a

06645% reduction in referrals overall as compared to quarter 3 last year. Some of the major contributing factors to this decline are student engagement, ZVE culture and climate and strengthening skills and relationships from staff. Research has always shown that kids engage in school beyond the classroom have stronger connections to school. I'm proud to inform you that this is the first year since co uh since before co that Zinbent Lee has staffed and run all official school clubs and activities providing a wide array of opportunities for students to connect with the school community. Additionally, there's been an intentional effort to strengthen culture and climate at times with a focus on student engagement. I'll share with you one recent example and I brought some heart attacks. Our healthy youth club sponsored a duck hunt in the week leading

067up to Easter to take a look at our healthy youth sponsored a duck hunt in the week leading up to Easter. There were 400 of those small ducks hidden in the common spaces um and some very specific classrooms throughout the building. Students were encouraged to hunt during their passing periods and lunch periods to find and accumulate dust. Additionally, there was a curricular tie-in with Miss Rubble's 3D printing classroom in class. They printed five of these golden bunnies. Um and if you found a golden bunny, then you won an Easter basket. Top collectors won additional prizes and students had absolute blast on their expeditions. Finally, you don't see these types of changes without buying and effort from our staff. The student support team designed Ben, which I've highlighted before, is empowered to teach and lead in

068these efforts. Outside of the classroom, peer-to-peer mediation, when appropriate, has made a significant impact on class on conflict deescalation. Probably the area I'm most proud of is to see our agitations and our physical applications um drastically drop off because of the efforts of uh of this team. Student support team also conducts parent meetings regularly and engages with staff during grade level articulation so that we're building a bridge from the classroom to the living room. Above all, empowering and building confidence in the classroom allows teachers to build and bring consistency to their practices leading to consistent outcomes. On the attendance front, our data continues to show positive growth on daily attendance and our target for attendance matters on chronic truency. Our daily attendance is up quarter 3 this year as compared to quarter 3 last year

069with a daily attendance rate of 93.23%. Additionally, our chronic truency continues to be roughly half as compared to quarter 3 last year, showing a positive return on that investment. As I close, I want to highlight a couple of Zen East juniors that have shown growth in the area areas highlighted tonight. Discipline and attendance. These examples illustrate that when students invest their hard work and dedication in themselves in combination with extra support for our intervention strategies at Ze, we can see results in our students that show positive growth and build momentum. Thank you for your time this evening and I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have. I guess similarly is there anything with obviously smaller numbers smaller pools of students similar topics that come up whether at one time or eight times

070something that you were surprised either had gotten worse or hadn't gotten as improved as much as you know again I'm I'm I'm very proud of um the significant decrease that we've had in physical altercations um as well as our agitation to fight data. We um myself and the student support team are really invested in early intervention with students building those relationships and there's a really great flow of information and communication that comes from our staff in the classrooms, our staff in the hallways that are able to kind of keep their finger on the pulse of student conflict. were able to then intervene and engage when appropriate with peer-to-peer mediation. And I will also echo Miss Felki that I'm I'm not surprised, but vapes continue to be something an area of growth for us. Um, and

071I think for for school districts nationwide and sometimes it feels like like I was telling Mr. W a little bit ago, like playing a game of wagon. And um, it's it's just it's something that's that's I think plaguing us for some time. I don't know what the the right answer is other than just continuing to try to be consistent in enforcement and then um really tying in an educational piece when when those students do uh get caught for for lack of a better term with those devices. >> Anybody else? >> Thank you. Thank you. All right, moving on. That brings us to board committee reports. There's just the finance committee listed on here, but we'll also um this is the finance committee. I will keep it brief, especially because we're going kind of long and

072we still have the rest of our visit to take up kind of as is usual. Everything we took up that conversation to finance is going to be taken up under new business and or was taken up under um the consent agenda or will be part of those special conversations. So um any questions for me about this good find right we will start moving to the first half of the alphabet and under new business um Dr. rules coming up. First item up is approval of school fee 262.7. >> Good evening, President Nordstrom, Board of Education. Thank you for the opportunity to uh come before you this evening with some uh options for some new business ideas. Uh the first up is the approval of school fees for 2627. We did actually have a robust discussion after

073the um March is April after the March EDF committee meeting and then the March board meeting. And so we've come back to you this evening after much uh discussion and feedback amongst um the executive members. Um and we are bringing forward a recommendation to reduce our registration fees further. The freshmen were at 140. they will be down to 65. And the juniors and sophomores were at 135, they will be down to 65. Um, so that is reduction of greater than 50% in the registration fees. And then the summer enrichment, we used to charge $110 for those courses. We've dropped that fee to $55. Um, and so we are thinking that this is a positive trend and a positive step in the right direction to actually put some money back in the pockets of our people.

074advantage of our school system that do not own property and we receive a break from the property tax abments. Um, and while we did not feel it was prudent to eliminate these completely, we felt like this was a pretty solid step in the right direction. And we would also recommend that we'll take a look at where we land at the end of this year to see what kind of impact it might have on identifying those who apply to fee wavers or our EDF funding. We want to make sure that we are tracking in the correct direction there. That is the recommendation that we are going to this morning. >> Thank you. We have a motion to accept superintendent recommendation to approve the school fees for 2627 as presented. So >> motion by Mr. Porterry second.

075Any questions? >> Mr. Um, I just would like to have this review because I would just say >> anybody else Hi >> Miss Steven. >> Hi >> Mr. Cook. >> Hi >> Mr. >> Hi >> Champ. >> Hi >> Mr. North. >> I thank you. Next item approval of insurance rates for 2627. Dr. Wolf. So, in your packet is more of a complete uh and thorough charting of our insurance rates, but we did receive word that we were slated for a 33 and 12% increase overall in our insurance rates this year. However, we just had a meeting on Monday morning this week with our co-op and our broker. We are not the highest. We have a district and our co-op that got a 61% increase in their rates. Um, so this is rampant and the

076lowest was over 20%. Uh, in the co-op, uh, and because of our self- insurance program with our co-op, uh, with the claims the way they have been, um, our broker recommends percentage increases each year. Uh, in the past, we have not passed that entire increase on. We have been spending down our cash reserves in the co-op and that is no longer sustainable. So we are out of reserves and we need to pass this on in accordance with the cost share. We did also as an insurance committee when we met um decide that there is an option available to actually add a tier to our standard PO program and that would be to open a um an employee plus one dependent. So it could be a spouse or it could be a single child. Uh the

077past has always just been either single or your family. Um, and so that tier actually would save the folks that choose to move about $252 a month and it would save the board about $850 a month per member who moves. We know right off the top based on our census data, we have about six employees that could move. However, as we begin open enrollment tomorrow, our goal will be to educate all staff um with the use of uh benefit calculators to show the difference between the plans, the difference between the tiers and present to them options. If you have a spouse and a child and your spouse can take their family or their single insurance and you can take single plus one and you're no longer paying for family insurance and that together is cheaper

078than the overall family premium, perhaps you might want to think about that as an option. So, not that we're pushing people away, but we want them to think intelligently about the cost of their premiums and where their coverage can come from to maximize their benefit for the least amount of cost. So that is going to be part of our open enrollment program beginning tomorrow. Um but we are also now as a result of this there had been resistance in the past to open up different tiers and different plans. Um and I think with this large increase that needs to be shared. We are actually going to have some employees um that will call it a mega raise that their health insurance costs per month will go up so much that the raise that they're going

079to get based on the contract won't cover the increase in their healthcare premium. So it is a very real concern. Um, and as a result, the union has expressed interest in exploring this fall as a committee some different offers options with our broker to bring in some different levels of planning, whether it be a high deductible health plan with a health savings account. Uh, whether it be an HMO option, um, but we are really, we need to really expand our scope and not just offer one plan. Um, we're also exploring um a benefit calculator that will actually work to demonstrate do you actually save money on this PBO plus plan that's closed or would you be better served moving to the general PO plan um which is a different cost share but the out of

080pocket expenses are different. So what's the benefit pros and cons? So our goal is to educate our entire membership about these different plan options and potentially um bring to the board next year uh with the approval of the union and the insurance committee some different options so we can try to bring down some of these healthcare costs but we did get the rates and that's they are what they are unfortunately we don't have a lot of room thank you it's a motion and a second so uh we have a motion to approve the superintendent's recommendation to approve the uh health insurance renewal rates and the addition single plus one regular plan for presented by Mr. by Steven any questions or comments >> um this is >> no >> and it's not sustainable >> we cannot

081keep doing this to our employees they especially um are not certified staff I mean 25% We have to find a better way. What can we do other than look at different plans? Can we >> And how much time do we have? You say enrollment starts tomorrow. >> Well, we have this is this is it for the year. Our rates are in and we have to have our open enrollment done. The research on changing and bringing forward new plans and new plan ideas would be the work of all of next year and come back with a recommendation in the spring. said reality world unfortunately this year. >> How many classified staff members were going to ask that question? I could have brought it, but I think there's only four or five, but I'm not positive. >>

082It's actually in your board packet. The census data actually has the number of employees in each classification and how many are each, >> right? >> Question. They should have mentioned this. I failed to mention this at BBI. So I agree with trying to pursue a future possibility of the HMO. I think signal plus one is great. Um I forgot to forgot to ask this. Maybe it's the nature of the cooperative and what they allow their members to have or do. I know we're in one cooperative. There's another significant cooperative. >> I have not yet. Um and I understand actually another tier that you can have which at least for some other members member district allows a $200 differentiation which is family doesn't mean more than just one other person. There's a families here which could

083mean children but not a spouse and that that somehow because of older likely spouse being much more expensive if they're having hips or hearts or other significant health events as opposed to children which tend to just have um minor bumps and bruises and you know well child like that. So I didn't know if that was mentioned or even a possibility under our co-op. It it is and we can we can tell the co-op this is what we want to offer and not all districts have the same plans offered. So we have a district that offers an HMO but we have districts who don't. As far as the tier you're typically you'll have a four tier structure with your insurance plan. So they have employee only and there's a contribution rate for that. Then you usually

084have employee plus spouse. So if there's a spouse because older probably more expensive the premium is going to be a little higher right. Then you usually have employee plus child or children which is cheaper and then you have family. Okay. >> So that's typically the four tier structure structure you'll see in insurance program whether it's a PO HMO HP it doesn't matter. You usually will see a four tier as opposed to a two-tier. And now we're asking for that third tier. I mean, I guess it'd be interesting as you're investigating over this next year to see, you know, logistically and costwise if our demographic would actually show much of differentiation between family costs >> and the single plus children cost. I think that might be helpful both to us just in general and to maybe

085families who maybe if there's just children under the spouse or if the or I'm sorry under the employee or if the spouse has coverage elsewhere and can get it more cost effectively you might actually too. So that's that's something that we definitely need to look into. But one of the downsides of the insurance co-op and it's it happens with the I was in a co-op before. Um, one of the issues that you have is you can get your renewal rates in April and you need to run your open enrollment starting in April and before the teachers leave in May. So, you get these renewal pricing rates, but you get them so close to when open enrollment starts that there's no wiggle room between the time you actually get your renewal rate. So that you try

086to have these conversations should be taking place before your renewal rates come in so that you are developing strategies and scenarios that would potentially reduce costs so when the rates come in we've already asked them to do what >> correct in in worst case scenario if we had to look ahead of time without knowing I guess it's unfortunate that you're under that much of a gun that you have to do a lot of work to theoretically not act on it because you don't know it's the need to as opposed to getting it in February and having a couple of months to do the leg work and investigate the different if the broker knows we want to make plan changes we can go and we can say this is what we're looking for you to price

087out for us take it to market figure out what you can get for us and they come back and they say we can offer this this this and this at these rates and then the insurance committee can say okay we're interested in adding these options options that give our employees more of a buffet, if you will, of tiered benefit options for insurance. Then when the insurance committee comes back and gives a recommendation, we want more plan options, we want this, we want that, the board then has the option to say yes because that will help bring down your cost, help bring down our cost, and it provides a greater range of benefit choices. Um, you know, Blake has said, you know, if it's just him and he's young and he's healthy, why not take that

088high deductible health plan? Keeps my rates low and I almost never go to the doctor, my out of pocket expense might be a little bit more, but that's okay. It's going to be less than what those premiums are going to cost me over the course of the year. So, a lot of it is educating our people, but we need to have the options about which to educate them. And currently, we don't have those options. >> Thank you. Yeah, I think this next year will be very important to build the set of options that you know allow things to be more affordable for the district and for the staff who are interested. >> It's an unfortunate set of events this year, but I think one of the positives is it has opened the door for those

089conversations which have not been opened before. So yes, I agree. We we need to do something. >> Is there flexibility within the year for people to change their plan in the because I know open enrollment. So I guess my concern is I'm thinking open enrollment you enroll yourself and your spouse or kids or whatever right your open enrollment may not align with your with your partner's open enrollment right so then their period would be like mine is November December you're kissing in January or whatever right so I'm thinking well if you carry your spouse on there starting next you've got four months before their open enrollment date. So what is that situation where they would be able to remove that person off of their insurance rather than having to be double because the enrollments are

090not going to apply? >> It's going to depend on how the broker is going to view a lifealtering event. So there are brokers that will say absolutely let's if if they're they have the option for a different insurance program now because they wasn't available to them before that could be considered life altering event birth of the child or divorce a death all of those things those are lifealtering events. Um so it just depends on the definition that's acceptable but we can always we can always be allowed to override things as well. So we can certainly take that into consideration if somebody said, "Hey, I need to come off your plan. I got to go over here or I need to bring my because his company just lost in the insurance or jacked so much we

091can't afford the premiums." We would work with the employee to benefit them. >> Anybody else? >> Roll. >> Mr. Hi, >> Mr. Berned. >> Hi, >> Miss Shine. >> Hi, >> Mr. Perry. >> Hi, >> Mr. >> Hi. >> Thank you. Next item, December 2026 furniture approval. Dr. Wolves. >> So, as I alluded to at the BBF meeting, we are actually changing furniture vendors for the transportation project. We're getting the same high quality furniture from the same manufacturers going through our omni estate contract with a company known as Larson Equipment as opposed to EDI. It's brought down our freight and our um assembly costs. Uh so we're very happy with this new correction with this new company. Uh total cost for the furniture uh for the summer redesign of the transportation center is $56,91287. That's

092everything. That's all our desks, our file cabinets, our furniture, our cabinetry, everything. It's all all there. Um, and the reason it's coming to the board now is because we have to wait until after all the bids are in, all the design work has been done before we understand what furniture we're actually going to put in those places. So, this is typical to see the furniture quote come after uh the rest of the bids are. Thank you. Motion to approve the awarding of furniture package bids for the 2026 phase 4 renovation project to Larson equipment furniture company in the amount of $56,91287 by Miss Steven. Any questions? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Cook, >> Mr. Hi, >> Miss Champine. >> Hi, >> Mr. Hi. >> Steven. >> Hi, Mr. >> Hi. Next item. summer 2026

093roofing maintenance proposal. Dr. >> So, back in January of 2024, the board approved a long range roof improvement and maintenance program. Uh, and so this is now going to be the third um step. We go out through 2031 of getting sections of our roof over here at ZTHS. Uh, they come in, they vacuum the gravel off the surface, and then they patch anything that needs to be patched, and then they literally flood it with this um energy efficient reflective epoxy coating and it gets us another 20 years out of our roof. It's warranty for 20 years uh against failure. So uh instead of having to tear off your roof completely, put down all the insulation, regroof, you can use this product and it saves a lot of money. Um, so the next phase is a

094section of the building. We're basically uh just to the west of where we are sitting, entire classroom area above here. It's on the map that's in your packet. Um, and the cost to do that in the budget is 1.25 million. Um, to continue our agreement with code to get that segment of our billing um done this summer. >> Great. Thank you. Have a motion to approve the budgeted roof restoration project with WTI in the approximate amount of 1,235,000. >> Motion by second by Miss Steven. Any questions? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Hi. >> Steven, >> Mr. Cook, >> I >> Mr. N. >> I thank you. Next item, potential property purchase agreement. Dr. Wolf. >> So attached to your packet as well is an executable copy of a purchase agreement uh with Marty Meyer

095Meer Engineering Company. Um it's actually a trust uh to purchase the Meer Engineering Building located 1139 Louis Avenue. We've been talking about this quite a bit in close session, also public session at the last meeting um for the purpose of addressing some immediate short-term needs to re relocate our transportation operation while the transportation center is being uh renovated, but then also for future um potential alternative learning programs, some CTE, career tech. The future is boundless for this property. It's an incredibly well-built building. We've actually been in the process of the independent appraisal as well as an all the land survey which I just got that yesterday and then a phase one environmental study which is being done this week so that we are in compliance across the board. The purchase agreement does not mean you

096have to buy it if there are things that are found. There are safety valves in it, but it is an intent uh to purchase barring the unforeseen circumstances uh this property for the district use and it does sit in the village of Wford Harbor as opposed to the city of Zion which has actually been very beneficial for us in terms of what would be needed for us to occupy the building. It's not nearly um what the uh uh the city of Zion had should when we were looking at the property right across the street. I will also add that our mechanics are relocated to the Winford Harbor uh public works department. Uh that has gone incredibly well. They're about halfway there. Uh so they're splitting their time right now, but we'll get everything else moved

097uh for that lease agreement opportunity. Um but this is a fantastic opportunity for the district to really expand some of its programming and also meet some initial needs um for the relocation of our transportation book. >> Thank you. A motion to approve the purchase agreement of the presented property located at 1139 Lewis Avenue in Winter Park, Illinois with an established purchase price of $1.2 million. >> Motion by Mr. Bonita, second by Miss Shamine. Any questions? I should add we have a walkthrough scheduled for this Friday morning at 9:00 and we will go through the entire facility with Wald and Camosi. Dr. Rodriguez will be there, Josh will be there. We'll look at anything that might need to be improved or done, plus any equipment we may want to, you know, purchase alongside the uh the

098property. So, forgot to mention that. Sorry. >> Mr. Hen, >> I thank you. Next item, Aramark food service contract renewal. Dr. Wolf. >> So, um, Aramark, our food service provider, their contract needs to be renewed every year and it needs to be filed with the state board of education with child nutrition program. Uh, we just got the renewal between the BBF and the board meeting. So, it was on the BBF meeting as a placeholder. Uh, did get the actual numbers back. They're looking at 4.1% increase over last year. uh did an analysis of what our average monthly costs were just for student food service. And so we were we are looking at moving from about uh a total contract amount of a million187 uh to a million 236 for next year. That reflects a 4.1%

099increase based on CPI and the goods and services for food uh and the cost of consumables for food service production. Um I'm actually very comfortable with this increase. All right. Have a motion to accept the recommendation for the renewal of food service contract repair for the 2026 2027 school year increase of 4.1% over the 2025 2026 rate as presented. Any questions? >> Actually, I was mistaken. We actually signed a contract with Aramark in 2024. It was the year before I came. I apologize. Yes, I did say that. I was incorrect. So, we have time, but we can always go out to bid, but we need to go in the fall. We can't go out any later than that because of all the loopholes you have to jump through with the state for vetting certain times.

100So, we've been very pleased with they've done a good job. >> Thank you. >> Hi, Mr. >> H. Hi, >> Mr. >> Hi. Thank you. Next item, five-year financial plan. Dr. Rodriguez and Dr. >> So, so what we do have for you is the five years finan. >> Yeah. 1.0 for now after the team iterations that got us to this point. >> Yeah. maybe 37 now. Um but um you know very proud of the work um you know here um and this is something that we would like to uh again uh um make you know publicly available in our website and um and we buy every year so that we have a virtual 1.0 1 2.0 you know make changes accordingly based on our financial uh situation. So I think to make the the the

101plan you know easy to uh understand. I mean of course the first page you have the safety summary uh with um uh the CSBO uh superintendent and BBF uh committee with um uh President Nstrom and you know Kathleen Champine um you know and a message that we are putting out there for the financial time. So, and then after that when you go p when you go to page two is when you start to see the um the meita potatoes and where are we going with this? So, it's there's three parts. Part number one is about financial sustainability for the district. So, on October uh the policy committee decided that we would like to um increase our operating uh home balance in order for us to meet our contractual obligations. you know, employees, uh, uh, facilities,

102I mean, everything we do, um, in order for us to be able to provide, you know, educational services for our students. So, basically, what this is is establishing a home balance, uh, utilizing, uh, policy, you know, targeting is 55 to 60% of our annual revenue for each operating party. It used to be 30 to 40. So that was that was that was a post positive change. It will also help our B rating. It will also help our investment strategy because now we have ability to invest for 12 you know 18 months. So that's what number one is all about. Um and it comes with a model that Dr. War put together with financial advisors um where we do have a 20 million bone sale. So this graphic is very important. So we have shown this

103to you several times. Um and what it shows is that in the next five years if we stay firm if the you know preliminary projections uh hold true you know we are we will have a balanced budget that is above the 55 to 60%. So so that's what you see here. Of course you can't project what's going to happen in year four five not even in year three. So we do have to keep an eye on state politics, federal politics, allocation of of dollars, local politics. So but this is um you know an intelligent uh uh piece of uh you know our projections based on what we see. Um number two is you know it's funding for the for the facilities master plan. So number one you is your educational commitment contract. two 12 facilities

104master plan. So here we're allocating approximately $26.6 million uh to FY31 to improve our district infrastructures. As we mentioned before this plan uh you can put a stop, you can accelerate it is all based on funding availability. Um so this is what we're proposing for now. Um so we start with 26 million and if we do spend uh 7 to9 to 9 million this is how it would look like. So so I want you to look for a minute into a 27 28 for example and it says 18 and 6 to9 that might be four that might be 11. So again we will decide that and we make we will make edits to the financial. So it's a it's it will look like that. That's just paper budgets. Um so we do have a flexibility

105and if funding is an issue you can put a stop or if funding becomes available you can accelerate. So that's a so that piece is there. And then number three is tax relief. So our commitment to a tax relief for our community and that commitment starts in our buildings. So this idea of um decreasing the um uh fees it is a form of task and it benefits all students. So, we're proud that we're doing that. And at the same time, we're also uh leveraging the SIA grant, $3.5 million, and that's our base to um ensure that we have vaccinate for our community. Now year 2, three, four or five there is opportunity to do more but that all depends on your decision and that that all depends on protecting our base that all depends on

106um extra funding that comes our way. So there's good possibilities about that. Um so I do see a bright future and I do see a significant amount of uh uh dollars um allocated into this uh tax relief but we just have to take that year by year you know so but that is the proposed um tax um uh relief um strategy you know that we have so I take any questions on the financial plan and as as today finally is u is up to This is something that we wanted to do December. Then we have our challenges with a CA and the work that we needed to do. All those things are now defined. So we do have a fiveyear financial plan for your consideration on a question. >> There's been significant conversation I think

107at multiple individual committees and then across more than one different committee. So um thank you to you and Dr. Wall and everybody who participated in something that this is the point where uh we able to approve it and amazing road map for us to be able to keep ourselves on track and adjust as needed. being the case. So, do I have a motion to accept and approve the five-year financial plan as presented? >> Motion by Mr. Bonz. Any questions? Hearing none. Roll call, please. Mr. >> Hi, >> Miss >> Hi, >> Mr. Cook. >> Hi, >> Mr. >> Hi, M. >> Hi, >> Mr. N. >> I thank you. >> Next item, FY27 budget and staffing recommendations. >> So, the idea that we have a fiveyear financial plan doesn't mean that uh that the budgets

108are going to be cut and or that um there's no work that we have to do every year. So what it actually means is that that every year we have to engage in um uh um you know projections about um our best uh uh you know ideas relative to how much funding will become in the following year where we still don't have an approved budget for this thing. So so every year I I mean uh we have done this now for uh since I've been here since day one. Um and every year I I highly encourage the board of education to uh to engage in this process and don't abandon it ever because it has produced positive results you know for us as a district and that is what we call a budget carousel overview

109and process. So um and and this is the this is really the idea um that the administrators along with their staff they um they start to um to um uh reflect on what um was working that return on that investment as you saw earlier today in athletics as you saw in programs as you saw with our English learners um as you saw with our uh business programs. I mean um so so a lot of those programs and some of them were new from athletics to um um academics there were so new programs that have produce a positive result and a lot of those ideas um the end during this voluntary cell process. So a lot of the the growth every office you know shows growth and it is because we engage we're not able to

110address everything but we can address a couple things and show return. So basically this year this is I want to start with the end in mind. So we have allocated and you know for for next year's budget 59% to the student support and personal salaries uh 14% for academic programming athletics 10% um facilities and equipment about 30%. So um and I will explain those those percentages you know really really fast in the next couple slides and show you the process. So so you start we started this year the idea and the fact that last year we started this process with 600 601,000. So last year that's what we approved around 600,000. So, so this year we decided and when we met back in October and we had these conversations, we, you know, we we need

111to spend less than 600,000 for the following year because we do understand that there are some challenges with Roman, there's some challenges with the federal government. So, so it has to be less than 600,000. So, that's what was in mind because remember this happened in October. The governor did a release his messages about the state budget until I think it was February. So we start this process early. So so FY27 on 11 on November 24th was the first time that I provided feedback to administrators based on the meetings that we had uh before tax and at that time it was about ideas big picture. every year the first meetings were produce huge expenditures and that is great because again what matters is the ideas not the expenditures so we want to hear the ideas so

112you you can't bundle that part you know you you have to listen to your staff and listen to those ideas so basically October 12 when we put everything together our boy carell was at a$1.1 million almost 1.2 2. So that's one one. So we have to be below 600,000. Our administrators are coming in with 1 1.1 almost 1.2. So a couple uh uh weeks after it increases to 1.2. Some of those increases was probably some of those increases was probably so who knows? But it increased. So to $1.3 million. So it's still good work because we we're only in January. So let me tell you something. I have until March 1st. Jake, I have until March 1st to get it together so that Jake and Cynthia can provide me with sectioning numbers and and and

113do this this thing of um uh uh maybe eliminating or adding positions. So there's a programming piece and a sectioning piece that that follows this because then on March 15 you have to do in HR you have to do Miss Moreno our uh um uh future staffing so that we can start hiring people. So so there is a timeline here. It's not that you that you can just do this in one in one month or or do it or or do a cut and paste. So so that's why on the 7. I still have time. Uh February 23rd, it comes to 8:56. That's the third round for the body carousels. Um and then we were able to bring it down in March to 739 and then March 30, Sacramento sent me the final number. It's

114back to 56. So now again 600,000 or less is what we have. I'm now at 856. And all of the ideas are great ideas. Our final number is 390. And I'll show you based on the numbers from my finance how we got here. I got to go all the way to the end. I'll come back to >> you know >> so so basically our budget producer approval is 556 of which is a certified deduction staff three certified positions are reduced again I mentioned to you a couple minutes ago that at some point before March 1st Jake and Cynthia I would have to provide numbers and I might need five positions, seven positions, three positions. Typically I do mention to them I do need three positions, four positions based on whatever it is that I have

115in front of me. What I have in front of me is 856. So of course I need to make some deductions. So those reductions took place. Then uh office of finance uh Sacramento were take that FY26 this year's budget and determine which items can we pay with this year's body and she came up with 203 we spoke about that it got approved our final number is so that's how the process works so it's something that begins in in October November and then There are multiple meetings with administrators, oneonone group and multiple letters that are sent to them you know in the form of memos at least two or three for each administrator about the rationale and or looking at the return on that investment and how do we move that strategic plan forward. So that's

116where we're at right now 390 and then I will show you really quick how we decided to allocate those dollars and those changes. So in the left you see the proposed budget changes. So what we're what we're proposing is that we add as support specialist as a new position. So why do we want to do that? You know I will tell you why exactly the data why we want to do that we need a focus on parents and the parental piece because in our report card when it comes to our five essentials you do see that the participation of parents is weak it's black and white for me it's weak it's not good so we need to increase that so that position for this building is to ensure that we have somebody that will engage

117with parents I do need better work in the parent engagement, student engagement. It's not at the standard of excellence. So, so this data and this um uh survey is very important. As a matter of fact, this year is used as part of the report card. So they have this thing called elevating >> indicators and if our students participate in the survey at a at a certain percentage that will get your report card at a at a potentially at a higher level. So, and this year um you know CVE um has about 96% of the students you know are taking a survey which in many high schools is very very low and um and this school with over 1,800 students at about 92%. So those numbers are are completely remarkable. So again for the parents I

118do need something and that's why in that position of um um um a school support specialist so that we can address that and increase the you know this idea of parental engagement community engagement you know somebody that is a that is specifically working on that in many places they call it very important so so you know it's it's pretty much somebody that is going to work with our principles This position will report to the principal and it is a new position here. We have the position as city is we're also proposing a this SRO um and this has been it has been popular to be honest with you it has been a popular uh um idea um based on the work that we have done this year and the results and Mr. Fernandez will talk

119to us a little bit about you know the next two slides about this rationale of why an why another one and and then you know we just go from here so good evening board a few slides of uh some of the highlights of of the SRO and some of the the reasons uh has been beneficial to uh to the district um for consistency, coverage and safety. Um having an SRO here is it ensures that we we have that law enforcement presence regularly as the same person. Um it also reduces the amount of time that we have uh when we're calling for the police. There's a lot of incidents that happen. It could be something minor. And uh just today actually, excuse me, we had a different situation that that involves somebody else from a a

120different department that called us. So that eliminates a lot of that time. And the fact that they know the SRO, it just makes things a lot easier than having uh an outside unknown officer come uh to the school and maybe deal with that and either interview someone or take a police report. So again, that that just avoids having that unfamiliar face of uh someone from the department head. Uh either our students or our staff may not feel comfortable either, you know, speaking to um building and maintaining those constant relationships with our staff and our students. And also, it definitely helps with our after school events. And I'll show you some pictures here. You'll see him. Let me see if it works here. So here's some activities that our SRO has participated in. Again, it's just

121that that familiar things. The students really feel comfortable feeling like they can actually come up to him something that happened and not be so reclusive. Another benefit of having a second would be better coordination in a high stress environment in the event of an incident. Having an SRO that would just deal specifically with that incident and having another SRO deal with the logistics, the communication, ensuring that communication is uh being transmitted to responding officers while one officer deals directly with that emergency. Um, obviously having that immediate police response as opposed to a fairly quick response, which is it's nice design because it's a a small community, but having that that those officers in the buildings, you're going to get that immediate response. Um, we're also using the SRO to be participants in our threat assessment.

122Uh, this is important. I think that uh you know having the SRO share intelligence from school to school because our kids are intertwined uh and some of the issues that happen between uh students they don't you know they don't see a boundary of this building and that building uh so having that shared intelligence is beneficial to the district again having that strengthened relationship with design police department having that redundancy and knowledge of our build our protocols is also important. Uh in the event of an emergency, you're not having officers that really don't know what's going on or really don't know the building. U just recently they were here during spring break for training and a lot of the officers found it really difficult even though it only sectioned off one section for them to uh

123do a training. They found it difficult kind of getting around and maneuvering through here because of the complexity of the building. So having that institutional knowledge, having that redundancy knowledge really helps us and relationships, prevention and support. Uh the idea of I think nowadays in law enforcement is that it's always been for a long time a reactionary type of job, right? like you get you get a phone call, you get a 911 call, the officers respond and they deal with the situation. Having those officers within our buildings allows them to really take on a different role and be proactive and not just reactive. Uh we want them to be here and having that additional person will allow one to deal with the incidents, you know, because there's multiple incidents and they can be minor. Not

124everything is big here. Uh you know, could be a It could be a school fight. It could be something at home. But we can have another officer that really focuses on maybe some mentorship, some conflict resolution, some more follow-ups, and maybe do a little bit more training, which I think is is needed. You can never have enough training in the school. I think if we can uh utilize that additional person to build that up, it would be really beneficial building the trust. And hopefully the idea is to really assist with the discipline. Um hopefully we can move away uh we could add some of those restorative practices as opposed to the punishment and really do some educational things which I think was mentioned especially with the baking. Um, I think if we can have something

125where we can build an educational component to the SRO where they're giving these presentations and the dangers and building that into our program, hopefully we can uh decrease some of that uh and again the community engagement. We had our SRO uh especially during the ICE uh situation that we had our SRO present to the community because a lot of them were scared. were able to come in and actually hear the presentation that that we provided uh to our administration from the SR and I think that's about it in a nutshell. Thank you. So um it was hard to imagine that an SRO was um was going to be as successful as uh what we have experienced because in the early stages I mean I I even I myself have my reservations about the SRO but

126um we we establish a standard um an expectation and um we continue with that um so and this provides opportunity right now uh we are applying for the uh cops grant and u and that is receive I mean that will pay for both uh positions so that will go down significantly if we don't have the positions you don't have opportunities so so so certain business certain businesses here are is is a business it's a business drive there's something behind it um that I know so let's continue seeking those opportunities so in concluding with this um uh FY2 budget point Um we have an instructional aid for um uh CBES um to assist with um um tutoring uh um more levels of um uh support for our students. So that is for the for CBT's uh

127recommendation from uh Mr. wider um to again uh you know work with students um one or small groups. So that's what we're adding. So when you look at additions you're adding three and those are supports for students in one way or another um outside of classroom support and then we're reclassifying some positions. I mentioned to you before that we are reducing three FTEs where one will become a school social worker with a with a focus on substance abuse. So that will be um housed in the MTSS center. We we now have one uh we are experiencing very very good results with the regular education social worker. We would like to add another one. So it's needed. I mean the scope of students is really really large uh for our social worker um and a data

128systems and compliance manager. So that's another position. So those are reclassifications again taking those FDs and changing them into another position of certified staff and then the next piece is the other position making it two instructional gates. So that's two FDs. But what happens with that? So that's because something you know you look at two FDs but what for? Simply to ensure that our teachers in study hall were able to bring some of those teachers so that they can work with our students in small groups and an instructional aid can take care of the supervision piece of the story. So you're taking that. So this was an an incredible great idea that is cost effective uh you know for the district. So that's why those two um instructional aids they will work with teachers in

129story hall and it allow us to uh work with one of the story teachers so that we can add more supports to our MTSS program. So, I'm very very proud of that and the union and the administration for for thinking about students this this way because it's really looking at our resources and how do we best use the talent and the expertise and the skills of our staff. I could have hired a two instructional aid so that they can do the type of work with our students is not the same. The skill set, the level of education, the expertise in a content area our teachers have. So, so that is uh that is the idea with those uh two positions. I know when I presented this to you, I mean it all look, you know,

130as if it was all these positions, but I hope this gives you the opportunity to see that those three FDs are reclassified and we're adding what you see on top. On the bottom, you see additional uh pieces, you know, event staff pay increase that was recommended by athletics and and um you know, it has it was the same for many many many years. was very low uh internship seminar possibly uh a boss for athletics. Mr. Lini did some homework on this and and in research you know some school districts and there are a couple of school districts that are doing this. So it's it's looking it's looking positive that we might do this um for next year you know your OTC is typing increase for one two or maybe 03 staff members a year and

131that is something that you know resources is working on um that we might do that's not a lot of money but it's it's an additional expense and I'm just giving you everything that we're adding and services surprise tuition you know for uh our teachers and and staff. Um the idea of um um you know maintenance this uh uh uh uh pickle truck that we're looking to purchase the uh uh uh I think it's a skier is it called >> skier you know for snow removal that is part of that as well. So, so again you do have um operational pieces and you also have a instructional and student support. The majority of the money is gear and is sent to the most important place in the district which is the classroom. So uh the operational

132piece we're not allocating at all. So in the right you see what we're paying with FY2X. So these are items that we have the ability to uh uh plan and pay with this year's budget you know. So uh we have done this you know for many many years in the past every year. So that's u that's how it works. Um you know oh and the organizational chart for the district I have it here is is almost identical. just small changes a school support specialist reported to the principles the data uh uh manager reports to Dr. But the reporting structure and the on and the organizational chart has minor changes and it's mostly around who reports to who um and assignments that I uh you know that I look into and and and provide to the

133different administrators but there's no changes in the worksh for for some people um but um that's the FY27 I mean I take any questions and again it's u the idea here is that um that um we are balanced that um um at some point I do understand actually not only me uh uh Mr. person understand that FY28, FY 29 there, those are very very challenged years. It's already on paper. It is already on paper where we might have to reduce a little bit more and be more aggressive with that. So, but we'll talk to you more and more about that. Right now, um we would do excellent, you know, with three. There's there's no need to go any deeper. Um and this this is work that was planned. And this didn't happen in that in

134October like I'm telling you again in FY28 FY29 it is already on paper and there is a a plan already about how do we do that through what is called natural attrition plus we may have to do a you know a reduction in first but we will work with our unions addressing all that you know if we if it gets to that point so but for right now it looks very positive and very good it looks So I hope this hopefully help and I take any questions. Let me motion first. for a motion to accept and approve the budget staffing plan as presented. >> So Steven, any questions or comments? >> I think this has been discussed a couple of different times in various iterations as you thought process carousels, personel committee, other PDF for

135discussion there's any other no other comments or questions roll Mr. Hen >> Mr. Cook >> Mr. >> Thank you. >> All right. Um Next, county school facilities tax resolution. Another CSFT. Another for us. Um uh we have we did share with you a video about this and um um many school districts in Illinois in the county actually are um voting uh in favor against this resolution. Um and what we know is that it provide additional resources to uh school districts, you know, um um that are in need of um um school improvements. But I want you to know something in we were very intentional in adding um SRO into this. So you know so you know this could potentially pay for the school resource officer. So it is intentionally added there um you know as

136part of the um of the work that we do as superintendent and the idea that you know in our district whatever revenue source that I can tap into. >> When you say could you speak on that a little more when you say um added or included meaning the SRO is specifically listed as a acceptable use of the funds. >> That is correct. Exactly that. the SRO is a you know it's an acceptable use of the funds you know if this you know passes along in addition to school um improvements not staffing not test books I mean there's certain things that are not allowed but but as you know I mean once the once you do have the funds if you do need to move money around I mean it does offer flexibility and this is

137I think I mean if I recall this is about 2.2 million stream uh the uh >> project was just over 2.2 right about 2.3 is the projection >> around $2.2 million. So imagine for a minute and this is not going to happen right away. So I mentioned to you before that my my opinion is that we're going to start to see some of this funding in um FY29. So this is an opportunity for you to um add more to the tax strategy that you have. You decide that. But this is a great opportunity to do that because it is 2.3 million $2.3 million that you didn't have. So you could take whatever amount you want $1 million 1.2 to whatever the case may be as a task available. Now you cannot do that unless you

138have the bonds you know strategy in place because if you do if you do it without that you your base will be um um affected negatively. So, so if you really really really think about what we're doing here and how we are structuring ourselves a spring of we go for the bone sale spring of 2029 you start to see this one you can start doing a bit if you want. So it is by design it's not by chance that those uh uh ideas and those deadlines are there on the on the on the the same happens with a big project that we are thinking about proposing to you about this building you know also the spring of 2028 so it's all aligned so that you know based on when the funding is coming in you

139are making those expenditures or investments or class strategies so so this is a positive for district 126 it's positive for many school districts um in lake county is something that I highly uh you know recommend. I do know and I understand the uh uh board members that might have questions about it or or the idea of um taxation and how high it is that is also understood. But um um it's for your consideration. Um if you do um go with a pass one which is decline action then we send it to the indicating that you didn't want to move forward. If it's flag, you know, uh, you know, pack two approve the ballot president, then it simply says that this resolution authorizes the to put it on the ballot and do the campaigning and do

140everything they have to do in order to get this uh approved. So that's how that's how it works. My intent and my plan is that based on your decision today, you know, and once we approve the minutes next month, I will send it to the RE because we are right, you know, we are on time, you know, when it comes to this. Um, we have to send the resolution and the minutes, you know, you know, to keep all of them record. Um because again the RO is the one that is taking uh action and moving this forward and this is the timeline you know uh if the resolutions are passed um and everything is done before August 17 you know the timeline is here where the county uh certifies those resolutions and that our moves

141forward in making sure that that goes into the ballot and the voting for that is November 2026 election. So it's in a couple months. So that's the idea with our portfol. So for purposes of tonight, the item that was in our packet, is that the item that we're asking for people to vote on? Are we asking for people to um authorize a final resolution on Excellent. >> Um, we're asking the board to um uh authorize the uh uh resolution this >> want to make sure that we're all on the same page. So when I read paraphrase that the motion trying to figure out the right part of the resolution to read here. So, um, I'm going to read part of the earlier part of the document that's on page one of six. As the president

142announced, the board of education will consider the adoption of a resolution directing the superintendent, regional superintendent of schools for the county of Lake to certify to county clerk of said county the question of imposing a retailer's occupation tax and a service occupation tax at a rate of 1%. Provide revenue to be used exclus to be used exclusively for school facility purposes. resource officers and mental health professionals for submission to the electors as of said county at the general election to be held on third day of November 2026. So um that being said and you know I will ask for the motion and second and then if there's further conversation before we vote please ask any questions. So um we have a motion to direct Do I have a motion to approve the resolution directing the

143original superintendent of schools for the county lake, Illinois to certify to the county clerk of said county the question of imposing a retailers occupation tax and service occupation tax be used exclusively for the school facility purposes, school resource officers and mental health professionals for submission to the electors of said county general election to be held on the third day of November 2026. >> Motion from Mr. Pine second by Mr. For any questions or comments. This is just to send this to Could you go over that just a little bit again? And we have had this in prior meeting conversation. Not just for the purposes of the group and the record and anybody watching the recording. The implications of us voting puts us in with any other districts to then come to the 50 + 1%

144of the students represented by those school boards to get this on the ballot. >> That is correct. >> Okay. >> That is correct. So uh so we do have u uh school districts I will use wagan as an example uh with a lot of students you know which is very important because it's is based on the enrollment and participating students um so and once um we um achieve uh you know the 51 superintendent you know there's more than 51% 50 actually 51 more um then it could go in the battle if if we don't have that will fail it doesn't go in the ballot. The regional superintendent is the one that pushes that and making sure that it goes to the ballot. But then and also the region superintendent is a fiscal agent. So the

145money goes to the regional office and then they will send they will distribute the dollars to the different schools once we get there. >> Yeah. layers of administration. >> I and it's based on the collection too. How much how much is collected will be distributed >> but you're asking basically a straight man. >> Yeah. >> What's taken in gets allocated based on the enrollment? >> Yes. >> Yeah. It opens possibilities especially as you see I mean we specifically added is mental health in addition to buildings because the needs for social emotional learning are so high and um and the funding is not always there so I don't anticipate adding more but at least cover what we have in the future. >> Any other questions? Mr. Cook. >> Hi, >> Mr. H. >> Mr. >> Hi,

146Steven. >> Hi, >> Mr. >> Hi. Thank you. Interesting to see how this develops over the next couple months and what feedback we get from other districts. >> All right. Thank you, everybody. Uh last item I see under new business is the service agreement. >> So I will be joined by uh Dr. Bishart and Dr. Br um about this uh you know great opportunity for our uh students and um there's two components number one and number two number one is a student workforce initiative or things media and Dr. controversial. We'll talk about that briefly and you know there's some uh uh bullet points about that here and Dr. Bridge about community collaborations and this idea of signing together and and um they will finish the item and I will sit down um but um I

147will say uh you know you know thank you and thanks to our legal team because this was something that came to my office you know uh uh I think last week last week uh Friday Dr. brought it forward and we work over over you know we work on it over the weekend and Dr. corporation has been working on this for a couple weeks, you know, or months. But, um, when I learn about the opportunity and the idea that our students have opportunities for scholarships and that they are there's this great uh potential collaboration, you know, what came to mind rapidly was how do we find money to fund it? And and let me be very clear, we do have the $5,000. That's not a problem. But um um we were able to um secure uh

148this funding from the um uh regional office of education. So um as soon as you learn about the idea and you start engaging other ideas and funding opportunities come your way. So Dr. Pares and and Dr. bridge will talk to us about the uh partnership and what we're seeking to do and um and at the end of the day uh after it's all said and done have an opportunity to say thank you uh you know superintendent partner for for for this partnership. So >> yeah, so um I'm going to advise as we're talking that you're looking at this in kind of two separate things because that's really how this evolved over time and Dr. Rodriguez said, I've been working with kind of part one with um what we're calling all things media, which was brought

149to um our district from some outside folks, particularly True Conglomerate, which is a for-profit business. Um, and as as the months kind of ensued and our and our discussions went on, here is kind of what we came up with, which is a really great example of our school district, a a forprofit business, and then also um nonprofit um outside of our building, organizations as well, all coming together and in the end creating a great experience, a workbased experience for our kids with the intent of of enhancing their experiences that they've had here in our digital media courses and in our digital media after school clubs to give even more and give a really great sense of professional training and what it really means to create, produce, edit and and then put forth a final product

150done at a very high professional level. That was the that was the goal of tree conglomerate and that is what we are currently working on. school. This piece was no was no cost to us as a district. Um and it was intended by True to to um give these experiences to kids. And then now it's going to evolve into the summer into some paid internships that many of these same students who have been learning these skills and these uh and these trade craft are then going to go to work for True over the summer completely separate from our organization as a so we're in essence turning them over. We just created the space for them to learn and then build a resume and a portfolio. Look, these kids can do this. So now they're they're

151not going into a job blind. They actually have skills. Um and some of those skills are going to be turned into what Dr. Bridge will talk about soon. So um it's been a great experience so far. They've been wonderful. Um and right now they're working on a final product which is highlighting three of our our star graduating seniors from this campus. So hopefully when that's done you will then see the product and the workers as we turn it over. So, not only these partnerships, but the um the Lake County Workforce Development is is a nonforprofit in our community, too. They're actually going to be paying for some of those. And then there is a future projection next year where the Boys and Girls Club of Lake County may get involved too. So, we know a

152lot of things and shaking with this, but right now it's been a great experience. Any questions about that component? Yes, ma'am. >> Yeah. How did you come across? They came to us. >> They came to you. >> They came to us with with uh um they came to us um with uh Sher Neil, the um township supervisor with this with this concept and this idea. Took some time to kind of flesh it out and figure out how to make it happen in our in our in our district. Um but right now it is it's moving and shaking and it is right now we've got most of the kids are Zetin high school kids. There is a young lady from Zet who's been participating So it was open. >> Excellent. So Zion together is a partnership

153um with all of our local entities. Um it's a collaborative effort with a wonderful group of communications leaders. um is the same group that works on the quarterly and they have come in this partnership with truth conglomerate to develop a storytelling campaign if you will. Um and the whole idea behind it is that this strategy is going to be a collective work between all of these entities but also independent. So if there are certain things that we would like to showcase or share or highlight, events, things like that, we will have an opportunity to have videos created or coverage taken um to really tell a story. And what originally came together as this this need saw a need where we needed to shape a an accurate positive picture of design. And so we're hoping that

154we're going to be able to all come together. We have 36 videos um for our contribution of that $5,000. Um and everybody's going to contribute and we'll have 36 videos um that we can create. And the videos will all all will be different. So we can sit down as a group and decide what our needs are and then we'll as a group kind of vote on them and decide based off of timeline and needs. Um if there's anything we can share together. We've noticed that as we started talking about certain things that a lot of our interests overlap and that maybe we can kind of share videos as well. Um, so I think it's going to be a really great opportunity for us to change change the the storytelling of the community. Any questions? >>

155Go ahead. >> So we first started with a with the idea of a memorandum of understanding between the different entities. What you have here is a service agreement. I haven't we haven't had an opportunity to talk about is a service agreement on you also or service. >> So everyone is going to use our service engineer um and kind of fill in their own way. Yeah. But they're they're modeling the so and that is something that we work together with our legal council because a service agreement is really what we need to do and use for this type of uh partnerships with guarantees and uh you know legal uh uh implications and and clarity probably. >> Yeah. And just a quick addition, um the storytelling component um I think is is um worth kind of calling

156out because that that is one of the major parts of what's happening now with our kids is there being taught in the digital media world in terms of you know how do you create questions and how do you get the right sites and everything because you really want to tell a story in video. Um and that is what now ended up rolling into what Dr. Bridge just talked about. So when all of this starts to happen through all the taxing bodies, many of our students will be at the forefront of actually going creating, designing and shooting and editing and finalizing. That that was not the purpose when I started having these conversations months and months ago. But this is the power of of the kinds of engagement in a community with multiple stakeholders. And then

157here is the fruits of the labor and and I'm quite certain this was not what we were thinking or they were thinking many many months ago when we started this conversation. But he has a lot of potential and a lot of opportunities for our kids to be a part of which I think. >> I'll also add that all of the video that they capture um will belong to all of us. So, we'll be able to, you know, cut little pieces or take the original footage and and reuse and reuse however we want to. Um, so that's that's important to note that we can will own all of this footage. Um, and then also it's really um amazing because they've offered to support us in getting those videos out. So, coming up with strategies to make

158sure that we get viewership on on our videos. So, they'll work with each entity and whatever their needs are to make sure that they they're getting viewed which is really neat. >> Yeah. Thank you. Trying to craft this motion that makes sense and kind of helps combine and authorizes what we need to do as moves forward. So motion to authorize the execution of service agreements to allow for the work to be completed or taken to next steps with all things media and together initiatives >> by Mr. B. >> Any questions? >> Roll call, please. >> Mr. Bern, >> Mr. Hi, thank you. Brings us to the end of our new business. And we have no other business section. So I am going to keep moving. Um close session. Do I have a motion to go

159into close session consideration of appointment compensation discipline performance or dismissal of specific employees or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. But the negotiating matters between the public body and its employees, whether representatives orations concerning salary schedules or one or more classes of employees or the purchase of real of purchase or lease of real property for the use of the public body, including meetings held for the purpose of discussing whether the particular arc should be acquired or security procedures, school building safety and security, and use of personnel and equipment to respond to an actual threatened or a reasonably reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public or public champ. Any questions? >> Mr. Cook. >> Hi, >> Mr. Hi. The