Urbana School District 116 Board of Education 10 28 25

001You didn't get You'll never know. Okay. >> Amendment, right? >> Yes. >> Oh, I need to Thanks a second. I need to bring that up >> an email before I have to remove my name. >> Let's see that. Okay. All right. Uh good evening everyone. It's uh 6:01 p.m. uh on uh Tuesday, October 28th. So, let's begin this business meeting of Urbana School District 116. Roll call, please. >> Member Cheryl >> here. >> Member Hixon >> here. >> Member Maribou >> here. >> Member Jones >> here. >> Member Langdenorf here. Vice President Baxley >> here. >> President Palowski >> here. Um, are there any additions, corrections, or modifications to tonight's agenda? >> The one person. >> Well, we we'll do that as part of the motion. >> Okay, perfect. Um, it is now time for

002citizen statements. Is anybody here present wishes to make a statement before the board? Please fill a golden rod sheet in the back of the room and hand it to our recording secretary Lori Johnson. Going once, going twice. Um, there is no call for an executive session after tonight's meeting. Uh, so the chair would then entertain an approval uh of a motion to approve tonight's agenda as published. >> So moved. >> Second. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Uh we do have accommodations and recognitions this evening u for the following USD16 students who were se selected to participate in the 2025 ILMEA district festival ensembles in November. Um, for senior chorus, uh, Seven Anderson, Alexandria Bower, Cecilia Bersley, O'Reilly Boast, uh, Samuel Clancy Harley, Finley Curtis, Benjamin Diaz, uh, Alex Fidel,

003Malcolm Garvin, Muhammad, uh, Jazelle Huarez, sorry, Aquarier, uh, John Lee, Jimmy Mccumber, Sophia Mayback, uh, Parfait, O Llaya Razner, Lily Schroeder, Ruby Aarla Duger, and Rachel Wy. For senior band, we have uh Isaac Badoni, Grian Beiard, Luke Foley, Veronica Maruanda, Theodore Neans, Rissa Olsen, Kavia Patel, Gabriel Pollock Ray, uh Colton RDE, and Abigail Scully. For senior jazz band one, we have Colin Guth. For senior orchestra, we have Colin Guth, uh, Ilana Lee, Karen Sanchez, and Kai Zean. Virginia orchestra we have Abraham Julian Dousard Penelpy Dunn, Jackims, Cindy Hassau, uh Shin Shakina Lando Lando, uh Lillian uh Mcdana, Felix Madonna, and Clarity. And in junior band we have Declan Downing, Lucy Martin, Austin McCartney, uh Avery Aolski, Amita Patel, Mattie Skully, Willie Sola, and Madison Williams. Congratulations to all these awesome high schoolers. And I'm very

004proud of you all. Uh we do have a student ambassador report tonight, Kandre. All right. Um, so this is our report um, for um, today's meeting. Um, we had a couple things go on with uhs in the past couple of weeks. Marching band performed in St. Louis um, at the St. Louis Marching Band uh, festival. We got third place which was good. Um, we have AC we have academic monogram night which is tomorrow at 6 PM in the UHS commons is where it is I believe. Um, students will be nominated for their honor roles. Um, for year 1 and year two. Um, and that'll be tomorrow night. Uh, UHS choir performs on Monday and they perform at 7 um in the gymnasium at the high school. Um, and this year theater presents their show Brightar.

005Um, and they they present that many different days. Um, sometimes include 700 p.m. and summer at 2:00 p.m. Um, on Wednesday we had actually I think it was Friday, sorry. Friday we had the Latin Heritage Month Assembly. um and the Latin Heritage Club showcase um some things from their heritage such as music um music things with dancing or things with um just some different overall things that that runs around through their culture. Um and the assembly was very good. It was very good. Um sports, um girls swim placed third at their meet um last week, which is which is always a win. Um boys soccer won their regional game against Renul. Uh girls volleyball won their game against Tuscola and boys football won their senior night um against Emanuel 42 to 26. Um and that

006was very exciting. That was very exciting. That that was very exciting. Um wrestling registration has opened. Uh preseason has started. Um so we're kind of getting people to come in and join the wrestling team. Um and kind of showcase some of the things that we do. Practices for that are from 6:00 or 7:30 in the UHS wrestling room. Um I would also like to um thank Dr. Tatum for the grant that you um recommended to Miss Peter um for the u for the EBU program. Um and I'm glad that we did get accepted for that grant and that that money was used greatly. Um my instrument did um did break in a way um break in a way a couple days ago and that money was used to help fix it. And it also bought

007more instruments um that were better and so I now have a professional horn now. Um it's it's it's a lot better and it's also a lot more expensive of course, but um I'm thankful for the grant. Um and yeah, thank you so much. And that this is our report. Thank you. >> Big gem. Sorry. Thank you. It's now time for board reports. Does any board member wishes to make a report this evening? Go ahead, Jenna. Go ahead, Jennifer. Sorry about that. Um, I wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to the board and to the public for arriving late to the special meeting on October 21st. As we all remember, this was a special meeting to finalize the charge and the members for the board committee to help decide the name of the building that

008was once an elementary school and is now housing the sixth grade center. Frankly, I had done most of the things right to get ready for that meeting. I had told Lori that I would be there when she was counting heads for a quorum. I had emailed my concerns about the word wording of the motion that we were about to discuss to the superintendent and the president of the board. On Friday, October 17th, I requested that we be sent a copy of the charge ahead of the meeting since we had never seen the charge written down after we had changed it at the last meeting. um that was sent to the board after four o'clock on Monday afternoon. Because I still had qualms about some elements of the charge, I made some friendly amendments and integrated

009them into the charge, crossing out what I would change and adding and read my credit edits and additions. I printed 10 copies of that document to bring to the board so that the other members could see the two documents together and we wouldn't waste people's times. For me, it was very important that the charge be neutral. We know what the administration wants and I can understand that, but this is a board committee. Um given how this has kind of gone in the past, I felt that the the committee really really needed to be neutral and my comments within the changes were only to make it neutral. But having done all that, I didn't do the most important thing. I didn't get to the meeting on time. As I got out of my car, the clock

010in the car read 602. One of the board members was outside and heading to her car. I asked where she was going and she said the meeting was over that I had missed it. I said, "My gosh, it's just 6:02." And she reminded me that 6:00 means 6:00, not 602. And of course, she was correct. I went on in. As I went into the board, I looked at my Apple Watch, which said 603. I was told that the meeting was indeed over and had lasted 1 minute and 50 seconds. So, because of a mistake on my part, I missed getting my two cents into the discussion. I told the superintendent that I would send my edited version to the committee, my edited version of the charge to the committee. She replied that I didn't need

011to, that she would make sure to give a copy to the chair of the committee before the Monday meeting. Upon returning home, I thought, well, it was my fault that I hadn't gotten there. I should take the responsibility to get my thoughts. >> It's been three months >> to the committee. It has been three minutes. We I mean, I I think going forward, we should probably try to >> follow the same rules. It's in our policy to we follow the same rules as as as the as the public. >> But if you can summarize what you're trying to say here a little more quickly. I'm just about done. I figured the hardest part would be getting email addresses for the members, but that turned out to be not difficult because nine of the 11 members

012on the committee have district emails. Two board members, seven employees. So, I only had to find two emails and as luck would have it, those were pretty easy. I want the public and the board to know that I do take my responsibility on the board seriously and I promise the community and the board that I will make every effort to not be late again. >> Thank you. Go ahead. >> Um, I think we all take our responsibility very seriously and I'm really pleased to be able to work with a lot of people in this community who care about the community very much and show up on time all the time. So, um, and I also want us to re remember that there are a lot of policies that we have to adhere to, including not

013to email more than one board member at a time. So, I there are other things too that we can't discuss, things that are in private, things that have to do with personnel, and I think we always have to remember that as well. Um, that's part of our responsibility. Um, I do want to say something to Kandre based on what he had talked about last time as far as the cafeteria or in commons. Um, today there was a big spill. We're talking about the cleanliness and there was a big smell and when spill and when you have tacos, you know, you just don't have meat. You have lots of other things and it was spread all around. Well, a student went up to a staff member asked for um um a broom and the student cleaned

014it up him all by himself. And I think that that was just a wonderful thing just to for the other students to see that if they spill something, please clean it up and please make an attempt to um to make the cafeteria as clean so other people can enjoy it when they come. And I also talked with Emily Lane today from Quest because she did another project for us. She made her macaroni and cheese for the students. The students could come up and have a taste and also add other things like vegetables and and tomato um bits and um breadcrumbs. so that they can elaborate on a a basic meal and do it at home and she had recipe cards for the students to replicate. But what she did say is that she really really

015likes working with the ambassadors this year. The way that you've come up and you've talked intelligently about the problems and tried to find solutions that she thought that that was a wonderful asset and she looks she's looking forward to working with you some more. Um, as far as the food goes in the pantry, we are concerned about next week if if families don't get their SNAP benefits after November 1st. Um, the counselors, social workers, staff at the high school are available to help students to um, shop if they need to get some additional things for their households. And we're going to continue being there two Tuesdays during lunch. So, we hope that we can help families in that way. Thank you. Um I like to quickly I guess I guess respond to some of your

016comments. If you would have just texted me, I would have held that meeting up for you. I really would have. Um I know if I would have known you're on your way, I I I I didn't know um did and I didn't find any of the amendments that that you wanted to make personally, you know, from my perspective to be counter to the spirit of the of the charge that was written as as it was. I understand what you're trying to do. Um, but I do want to say that it isn't just the two board members on the committee that are subject to the OMA. Every single member of that committee is also subject to the same OMA rules that this board is. Which means that if if if uh over half of a quorum

017of that group participates in some sort of communication outside of a public meeting, it's a violation of the Open Meetings Act and that includes electronic communications. So, it goes on all of us and it goes to the members of the of that committee to be careful uh in their email correspondence with one another. Does anybody else wish to make a board report this evening? Uh we do have three administrative reports tonight. Starting off with our 2024 2025 auditors report um delivered uh from Heather Powell of Forus. All right, good to be here to go through the audit results um from this year. I don't have anything. So, >> I was gonna say I don't Yeah, I think everybody has hard copies of the stuff I'm going to go over. So, I didn't didn't bring it

018electronically. So, sorry about that. Um so, just a few kind of high level things to talk about first and then I'll try to point you in the direction of what I'm talking about when I'm talking about it. But um we have issued the financial statement audit and issued our report. Um it does have an adverse opinion um on the modified cruel basis of accounting which is consistent with previous years. Um maybe just to kind of circle back with this group to make sure everyone you know knows kind of where that stemmed from. So, back in the early 2000s, I think there wasn't a um a new Gazsby standard that was changed the financial reporting framework. And at the time, the district made a decision that the benefit um didn't outweigh the cost to kind of

019implement that standard. So, um it was not adopted as it was um written. And so, the average opinion has, you know, only to do with not adopting that standard and nothing to do with like the financial condition of the district or anything like that. So, um, there's another report that's issued called the annual financial report, which is what you're required to provide to the Illinois State Board of Education. They also didn't adopt that standard. And so, that the difference the reason we have a clean opinion on that one and not on the other one is because they prescribe the form that you have to use. And so, it's considered regulatory basis. So, without getting into too many of the the weeds, they they have different opinions, but they're basically the same, you know, information. So,

020um, that was just a decision made. I guess I will just add that that this big report that has the adverse opinion. Um, is really used mostly for bond purposes and the bond council does not have an issue with that opinion and didn't from the beginning. So, that's why the decision was made not to spend the extra money that would have taken to get get to that point. So, hopefully that that helps clear that up. But, um, the annual financial report that we that is um required by the state of Illinois, that will get filed tomorrow. We filed that electronically with them and we'll file that tomorrow after it's approved here tonight. So, so that one has also been issued. Then a couple other smaller reports we issued. One is the um consolidated year and

021financial report that's required by the state. Maryanne will take care of filing that one. And then there was a grant specific audit that we did. Um and the staff member that's responsible for that will file that that one with that grantor agency as well. You may or may not have noticed that we are missing one report this year. um what what we call the single audit. So it has not been issued yet. Um that's your audit over your federal funds and that is no fault of the district, no fault of mine. We can thank the federal government for that one. So every year they issue what we call the compliance supplement and that is basically our guide for us to know what the federal agencies care about from an audit standpoint and what we're supposed

022to audit against. and usually gets issued in May, Juneish time frame and it's still not issued for 2025 and then obviously we're in a government shutdown so they're not issuing it anytime soon. Honestly, I don't think it's their priority when they do come back. Um so I guess what that means for you is no one in the country is issuing a single audit right now. So you're not alone. Um the due date for federal audits is not until nine months after your year end. So, it's already not due technically until March 31st of 2026, but when they do issue that finally, this has happened once or twice in my 30 years, but um once or twice it's happened and they typically issue an extension as well. So, we have until March already probably they're going

023to, you know, issue an extension for everyone kind of globally. So, there's nothing to be concerned about. There's no reason why we're not issuing it other than we're not allowed to because that compliance supplement is not made public yet. We've had drafts of it and so we've done most of the testing that we needed to do. It's just you can't issue it. And like I said, everybody that receives federal funds is the exact same position. So you all are not alone. We will wait patiently. We have no idea when that will get issued. So all right. Um, as far as these statements um that you do have the bound version um in front of you, really no changes to those this year. There were no new footnotes. Um, there was one new accounting standard, but

024it didn't apply to you. So, you it didn't get reflected in here at all. Um, just a few things that I might mention. There were, you know, um, we always disclose any funds that have expenses over budget. So, that's disclosed in note 13. transportation IMRF debt service or those this year. Um, this document that you have also kind of goes through some of the numbers. So, excuse me. A few things I wanted to mention. Um, these statements that we issue are acrruel basis. You all are used to seeing cash basis. So, there's some differences from, you know, maybe the numbers that Marian is reporting to you. But, if you were just looking from last year's audit to this year's audit, a couple of things you might notice. um some of the fund balances might um

025be less than before and probably a couple big things playing into this. One, the tax settlement which you're all aware of that was paid prior to June 30. Um so that should be the same in the statements Marian provides plus the ones we provide. But um the other thing is kind of the timing of your local tax revenue payment. So that third typically you always get the first two distributions before the end of June 30. The third one is kind of you just don't quite know. Um the last few years you've gotten it in July or August and we take everything through August 31st and bring it back. They're considered current resources. It's a Gazsby thing. But so we bring those back this year. That third installment didn't happen till September 17th, I think midepptember.

026So they're not reflected in here. So they're going to look it's really just a timing thing. It's not that you're going to get less tax money. It's just they weren't in these statements. So it looks like it's down, right? So I just would mention those kind of two big things that might make it look like fund balances are down, but maybe, you know, it's just a timing situation. So I wanted to mention that. Um, and then, oh, you did have the two bond issuances this year. So capital projects fund looks like, you know, it's it's higher um because there's still some residual money there. And then currently based on these acrruel statements, transportation and tort would be the only two that are showing as negative right now. Um the next slide on the the expenses,

027this is just ed fund which also includes adult ed. So those um expenses were under budget by about 3.3 million. And then the next slide is is revenue, most all revenue. It's general and special revenue funds. So it's it's most all you can see that local um actual amount is below budget and that's the tax payments that we just talked about state and federal you know sometimes that's just a timing situation too with grant money. So we acrew anything that you've spent that haven't and you haven't been reimbursed for yet. So that's what gets acred back into these statements and that just sometimes is maybe you didn't spend as much of a grant that you thought you would in that year you know so those those always tend to fluctuate a little bit as compared

028to budget and then um working cash I always talk about the working cash fund cash balance that was up a little bit this year that's directly tied to your inner fund loans and those were down they were at three million compared to 3.5 million last year so [music] that just kind of tends to fluctuate based on how much you have loaned out to your other funds. And then the last document you have is kind of just our report of our required communications. So just really quickly to go through that, there were no um what we call past adjustments, no adjustments that we, you know, passed on or didn't make. All the adjustments we do make are based on the conversion from cash to acrruel. And then we did have a few just uh reclasses we

029made for the report. No significant change in your accounting policies. no unusual or um um alternative accounting treatments and then the management letter is built into this. No new comments from last year, no significant deficiencies, no material weaknesses. So all in all, um you know, nothing s significant that we would need to report to you. So um want to thank the team. Um obviously this is Marian's first time fully through. She came at the tail end last last time. So hopefully I think it all went smoothly. So hopefully she did did as well. Um we're back on a October presentation to you all. Last year I think we were in November. So that's always good to get back on a normal rotation. And you know um once that other report is issued, Maryann can share

030it with you all and you can see the results of that. But as I said, I don't know exactly when that will be. So but I'm happy to answer any questions. >> Board members, any questions uh about our audit? I mean it seems like similar to past year's Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. Jennifer, I didn't see you. >> I have a question. And you mentioned in Okay, where's my piece of paper? >> Um, uh, here it is. you you mentioned on I think it was pa now I don't know if it would be page 47 of this but page 47 of the stuff that we were sent online >> that the deficit annual financial report summary information page does that that's something that you did >> that's an annual that's part of the annual financial

031report so that's likely just pulling numbers from um and I can come look at what you're looking at but it's it's the isby prescribed form and it's probably pulling numbers from various places but >> uhhuh and and it said that um we are not and I think I'm quoting but maybe I'm not exactly but we are not at one it it says the auditor auditor comments that we are unbalanced as to our finance operating funds compared to our debt but we are not at one/ird yet so we do not need a deficit reduction plan at this time. >> Yeah, that's a that's an Illinois State Board calculation that it automatically does. And if and that form tells us like if if you um weren't balanced, then you had to do like a deficit reduction plan

032um but you're not so you don't have to do that. So that >> well it basically says that >> that we are unbalanced >> but but we're not quite at a third. And the numbers that I used put us at 3.5, but I'm never quite sure of my numbers. So, um, is the auditor warning us that we're getting too close or is just this I don't know what school district should be at? >> Yeah. And I without knowing exactly what page you're looking at, is it giving you the overall score like the overall recognition or warning or review? Is that the page you're looking at? >> I was that it was called the deficit annual financial report summary information page. Okay. Well, I can certainly take a look at that and see what that page

033is. Do you have page 47 on >> here? >> I don't If you want to email me that question, Jennifer, if you want to email me that question, I can forward it on to Heather and then send that back to you guys. >> Yeah. I don't think I mean, it would have flagged it in a million different ways if they had to do a deficit reduction plan. And so, um, I just don't I'm not familiar with that specific line that you're reading, but I can definitely take a look at it. But I feel confident that they did not have to file a deficit reduction plan. >> Oh, no, no, no, no. It didn't say that. I was just I I wasn't implying that. What I was asking was >> did they flag did they say

034that because we're getting too close. >> Oh, gotcha. >> That was my question. >> Okay. I will look at that and see if if what they consider what is be considers close or not close because >> some of the schedules >> and I know I I looked on the state guidelines and the state just basically uses that one-third. Okay. >> Number. I mean, it's not like they warn you at >> Sure. >> 3.5, but it looked like it was 3.5. >> Okay. >> And I had one other question and just this just kind of stuck out at me because um it was such a big difference. And this one is on the statement of expenditures. I'm having trouble with my eyes. My that cataract. um statement of expenditures dispersed expenditures budget to actual for the

035year ending June 30, 2024. Okay. So, this is on page 17 and on line 85, other payments to instate governments and um 600 is other objects. First of all, I'd like to know what are other objects? I and it just stuck out to me because it was such a big difference and and and I had never I had done a budget for the district for a while and I never saw a 600 other objects. I was just curious what is other objects. >> That's like your payment. That's your non charges to other >> districts. Yeah. I'm sorry. >> So I think are you talking about like the object code 600? >> Yeah. What does that mean? >> So it would be payments to other districts. Um, let me make sure. >> Okay. Okay. So, that

036and and I finally did find it was um what I was looking at is that um it said we paid um four I'm sorry. >> Oh, >> 4,289,940 and that we had budgeted $374,24. our payment. >> That's the payment to Proina for the in the education fund. That's the tax settlement payment >> out of that fund that was not budgeted for because you didn't know the court was going to rule that way until >> and the other was all to the for the park district. Yeah, I I I did figure that out. Okay. Okay. It was just such a huge difference that it it caught my eye when I was >> Glenn. That's where we put the the payments to the other government. >> Okay. basically since they call Carl tax exempt though so >>

037and >> or proving I mean >> okay okay thanks yeah >> but if you want if you have that other question if you want to type it up and email it to me I have no problem sending it on to Heather if it's something I can't answer >> yeah I'll take a look at that language and see if if I think that's something you guys are getting close to or not >> okay >> anything else thank you any any further questions All right. Thank you very much. >> Uh, next up is our multilingual department update. Uh, Madia Rakonei and and Joseph Lee Milt will be presenting that to the to the board. and Lucia is joining them, I believe. So, >> Oh, sure. >> You guys want an additional mic? I think we're gonna hand

038you one over. >> Oh, we got an extra. Good evening. Um, as you'll see from the title page, we did include the names of all of the family leaison in our presentation tonight because they did all contribute information. And so I just want to be clear in your board packet. Um I did uh rearrange some things. Um so all the slides are there. They just may come sooner than you expected. So I apologize for that. So tonight we're here to talk um one to give an update of our department. um but also um to uh give the liaison some time to um kind of give you an update on the status of our families, our students, and our community and how we're working together in order to provide supports and I don't know how to

039work. There we go. >> Sorry. [gasps] So, I just wanted to reiterate the mission and vision that we adopted as a department last year. um really focusing on you know promoting academic excellence but also um that our students are receiving support uh to develop fluency and literacy in English. Um, we also wanted to include in this, um, I will let you read this on your own, but I think the big one that we really want to f focus on this evening is looking through our programs, making sure that students values, languages, and cultures are affirmed while they're acquiring an understanding, appreciation, and acceptance of other cultures. That's really important to us today. So, going over the student demographics, I think it's really important for us to have an eye on where our students are. So,

040as of last week, the number of multilingual students we have in the district um was 1,037. As you are very aware, um the number of students we have in the district is about um 4,200. Correct, Jennifer? So, about a quarter of the students in our district are identified as English learners per the state of Illinois requirements. Um you can kind of see a breakdown of where our students are housed. um and that will kind of help you get an understanding of how we're supporting the students in these buildings. Something exciting is that um the number of languages we have represented in the district has gone up since last year. Um last year it was around 45. Now we're at about 53. Um the number of accompanied minors that we have this year I thought was

041very important for this presentation for you to know that we have 20 unaccompanied minors between the sixth grade center all the way through the high school. Um this year the number of newcomers and when I say newcomer I mean recent arrivals this year has only been 23 and um that is a drastic difference from last year. Um we can speculate lots of different reasons why that might be. Um but I do want you to be aware that it is substantially less so far this year than it was last year. So an update about our bilingual parent advisory. Last year we invited them to come um as well. Uh this year uh getting that group started um has been a little bit delayed specifically for our Spanish fe. The times that they had scheduled conflicted with

042strategic planning and other things. Um so they have not had a formal meeting yet. However, their president, Geshaos, has been very active in making sure that parents have information, engaging with them on social media, and um having individual uh connections with families as well. We were able to have a French bilingual parent advisory meeting already this year. Um they have a a community president as well, Kennedy Lefana. Um they met on September 20th um to have their initial meeting to address some concerns as well as discuss their roles and responsibilities. So they will have their next meeting on December 20th. >> Okay. >> Sure. >> Okay. So we'll have just a few district update slides which I think might have been later in your packet if you wanted to find the exact slide. So we

043apologize for the shifting there. Um this is just a regard in regards to staffing. Real quick overview. Um 66 department teachers across kindergarten through 12th grade. Um, and this year only three long-term subs, which is a great improvement um, in regards to licensed staff um, in our classrooms, as well as 20 visiting international teachers who come with the fully licensed process through ISBY. Um, that's across classroom teachers, PE teachers, and special education teachers. And we have nine stu nine teachers working towards their full ESL bilingual endorsement and certification um, through this elevating educators grant. And we are appreciative and thankful for our human resources office for the support and leadership they've provided to help us in moving our staffing forward ba ba based off of kind of the the struggles we had through the co

044years of finding a staff and licensed staff and it's always been a struggle ever since I've been since we've been in these positions. So we are appreciative of the work that we've done and the leadership from HR. >> Back to you for the element. >> Sure. >> Yep. So, this is just a general um update about the programs in our buildings at Early Childhood. This year, we're really excited to be able to offer five sections of Spanish bilingual programming. So, what that means is that we have three certified bilingual specialed teachers and early childhood certified teachers, which um the excitement in my voice is because those are like finding unicorns that have all of those endorsements and degrees. So, the fact that we have three has been amazing because there are some districts that don't

045have any. Um we in addition some of those teachers that we certified with ESL endorsements um were uh general ed teachers at early childhood. So now kids that don't necessarily either speak Spanish or are in the Spanish bilingual classrooms at early childhood are still getting their ESL services from an ESL endorsed teacher in the classroom at early childhood. So that's been really exciting for us. Um, we are very fortunate to have parent liaison for both French and Spanish at early childhood that help bridge that communication gap for our families at early childhood. At King, our ESL teachers h continue to provide support through both pushin and pull out instruction. We continue to be able to offer native language support in Arabic and Mandarin. Um, we are still continuing to seek a posture support teacher or

046TA. So, if you know of anybody, by all means, I have reached out to the refugee center um to see if they can help with referrals as well. Um they do have a person on staff that helps us as a caa on occasion, but um certification can be a little challenging um when you're coming internationally um and it can be kind of expensive. So, we have been um offering that suggestion on how to work with the ROE to do that. It just has unfortunately not given us a result yet. Um at Yankee Ridge this year we have 27 classrooms at Yankee Ridge. Four of those are dual language, 20 dual language French, 23 of them are dual language Spanish. Um our building is fully staffed. We do not have any long-term subs at Yankee Ridge

047this year, which is um an amazing thing to have that many certified bilingual teachers in the building. Um and that includes all of our staff that are bilingual. um that includes the psyches, the social workers, um the office staff. Um it's been really amazing to kind of build that bilingual community in the building. Um the building has been focused on best practices throughout all areas. So this is one of the things that I know when Joe and I were planning for the one building, we were really excited about having every meeting, every conversation, every uh collab, every PLC is focused on by literacy best practices, which has been an amazing thing to witness and see. Um, we also have two family leaison um, who share the family leaison role and the sea role that support

048both French and Spanish speaking families there as well. at the secondary level. I I should have also put an update in there about staffing, but as I just think off the top of my head, I think out of approximately 25 um licensed teachers or positions that are dedicated to multilingual classrooms or dual language classrooms, I think only three are long-term subs, which is also a huge improvement at the secondary level. But instead, I put just the courses that are being offered specifically at the sixth grade center in as well as uh I think I caught all of them. I caught one late um and added that late but um you can I won't go over those but that's a wide variety of courses offered either in the target language or as a in English structured

049English as a second language designed courses or co-taught classes where uh the gened teacher who's licensed in science or math might be co-eing with a licensed ESL endorsed teacher. So that's just a real quick overview of our sixth grade center middle school and high school. Yeah, something I want to add just because I recently went to a job fair and recruiting teachers, talking to secondary graduates who are graduating with biology degrees but speak Spanish, they were amazed to know that they had could have the opportunity to teach biology in Spanish or to teach these content areas in Spanish. Having dual language at the high school level is not very present in Illinois as it is elementary. So the fact that we have a fully functioning dual language program all the way through high school is

050really something to be celebrated especially for this part of the state. So a couple questions that uh I wanted to put there to address from the district um were that we hear is are we at risk for losing funding for our multilingual and immigrant populations. So for FY26 we did receive federal title three funding. Um nothing official has been given to me um from ISBY that we will not be getting that for FY27. There is speculation, there is concern. Um my recommendation to anybody about that is to write to your legislators and continue to advocate for that. Um thankfully this funding is supplemental. So um it's a way that we kind of provide the icing on the cake for our students. [music] Um, so but it is beneficial. So, so I think continuing that would

051be an amazing opportunity for our students and families. Is there a possibility that we will no longer be allowed to provide services to undocumented students? There are lots of legal cases that have precedent that require public schools um to provide education to students regardless of documentation status. We don't ask documentation status when families register. That being said, policy as as we all know can change from one day to the next. Um, and we are at this moment moving forward as we always have been that we will continue to provide an education for our students. Okay. So, how are we supporting our immigrant families in Urbana Champagne? I will turn this over to Lucia. I will be happy to support as well. But with this we um asked our liaison to kind of give an update

052of how specifically they have been supporting our f our immigrant families um specifically um around some of the political changes that are happening in the community. So >> can I use a computer? >> Um you should be mine. >> Yeah, that's early childhood. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. So I will speak on behalf of the elementary um liaison that have not been here. Um what you'll see is uh you'll see a lot of themes of things that are present in every building. Um so specifically here, you know, really um being uh focusing on communication, making sure that we're communicating with families with whatever resource that they might be most comfortable. I know John is is really excited about our new communication tool. Up until this point, we've really tried to meet parents where they are. um

053always referring families to community resources. There are lots of resources in the community that we'll talk about um in a moment. Not necessarily just around immigrant rights, but also around health care, around um you know, sometimes even I know resources. I know sometimes Lucia helps with the DMV and things like that. So, really making sure that our families have access and that language isn't a barrier. Um, another thing I want to highlight here is really making sure that we're building those relationships with families that they know that coming in and talking to us at school is a safe thing to do, that we um, you know, are there to meet their needs. um CU early collaboration really making sure that CU early that f that program focuses on our youngest kiddos um from birth to

054three and really making sure that those families um are getting access to the resources as well. Challenges, fear and uncertainty is ICE going to come into schools? I think there is not a week that goes by that we don't hear from a community member or a family member that is concerned about sending their child to school because they don't know who has access. Um the district has adopted a protocol for principles to follow should that happen. Um so we feel like we're prepared, but sometimes you don't know until it happens. So um right now what we can do is assure families that we are going to take care of their kids the best that we can when they are in our doors. >> Um language barriers continue to be a challenge um at early childhood.

055There are lots of bilingual staff there, but there's always going to be language barriers, especially when you have 53 languages in the district and most of our staff, you know, we have at most, you know, five languages represented in the district from staff. So, okay, low attendance when ICE is reported in the area. This happens in all of our spaces, in all of our buildings. Um, and I'll let Lucia talk more on that, but um, again, that fear of sending my kids to school when there are sightings in the community. >> Can I add something to that one? >> So, I wanted to thank Lucia and I know Principal Fente is not here today, but last week there were several sightings in the community. Um, and I went over and checked in with the folks

056at Yankee Ridge because you know that fear is a real fear. And I was told that um Lucia and Patricia met the buses out in Idaho that morning and that parents were there and thanking them and that attendance wasn't as impacted as we thought it would be. And I and I think that speaks very much so to the relationships that you that the staff at Garage have as well as all of our um dual language teachers. Um not to mention the relationships that they have with administrators and liaison to see the principal and see you at the bus stop. calm them. >> Yeah. So, from Yankee Ridge, just a couple things I'll highlight that weren't mentioned previously is um again they do a lot of home visits. I know all the liaison do. That's something

057really important to them to meet families where they feel safe and comfortable. Um as well as the know your rights cards distribution has been happening from all of our liaison. They are bilingual cards that we've been giving families. Um and Lucia and the leaison actually did a training for families last year um in the fall um to kind of prepare them as well. Um again some challenges that fear and uncertainty is as I mentioned prevalent at every building. Um resource gaps sometimes you know families are needing legal aid or things beyond what the schools can directly offer and support. But I will tell you that the leaison always find a way to support them or get them connected with someone who can communicate with them at these different um organizations. Um emotional and mental health

058needs. This is something that has been also challenging and a weight on everyone's shoulders. A lot of our school social works, they're trained for school social work, they're not necessarily trained for dealing with kids and families coming out of trauma in detention. That's a very different kind of trauma. um we've been able to um work with uh community organizations that can support us in ways, but this is a very specific kind of support that our families are needing. So that has been a challenge to get them that you want to speak. >> I don't want to speak for Carla, but I think is um some of the main points are um you're going to see repeated in all the slides. communication. We have been um I'm not going to lie, it hasn't been it has

059been very overwhelming the number of messages and phone calls that we get through the week and on weekends from parents who are very concerned who are uncertain about their future about what they're going to do if something happens to them or uh or their kids. Um so um I think for the three of us for Carla um the liaison at Junker and for myself communication has been one of the biggest changes. We have been able to um accept that parents are um wanting to hear from us and uh that they want us to be available when they when they have those questions. Um Carla has been doing uh more work to u establish better relationships with the students at the middle school. she has done uh different activities to be able to um make the

060students feel comfortable with her. And now that she's in two buildings, um she um I don't know how she's doing it, but she's been able to balance that uh really well. Um like we mentioned before, there's been a lot of referrals. Um later I want to uh highlight some of the organizations that I have been working more uh more closely with. Um there is um as we mentioned there is a lot of fear. Um there are some uh Carla mentioned about some difficulties or some of the challenges that she's facing access to some of some of the barriers. Um she frequently mentioned that she would love to see the district using just one way to communicate with families. I think the fact that different buildings are using are using different apps to communicate makes it

061more difficult for parents and we have talked about this. If something happens in the community and we need to reach out to parents quickly, we don't have one way to do so. Um to be able to reach everybody, we have to send messages through one app and then some others through other app. We as liaison use uh Facebook. We have a group where we post information but as we know it's not the most perfect and of course it's not uh confidential. So we are always careful about what information we post there. Um she also wanted she has realized that there is a need for more uh workshops for parents to understand IEPs and how to advocate for their children. Um and the use of a Skyward and other technology with some of our families who

062don't know how to use technology is is a challenge to be able to be updated on their child's progress when they don't know how to use the apps. Um and attendance. Well, that's one of the things that you're going to hear constantly. Um, like uh Lupin mentioned before, there's no not a week goes by when we don't hear from a family saying we're not going to send children our children to school because we heard that immigration may be in town. And last week immigration was in town on Monday and on Tuesday I got a few phone calls at the high school from parents with the same message. I decided not to send my kids and we are going to we all of us are going to stay home today. Um so attendance has been impacted

063for sure. Um so on the um uh urban high school slide you can see some of the supports. You heard before about the know your rice trainings that we had been doing. We did a couple of big workshops uh in the fall but we had been doing that. We had continued to do that in a more informal way. Um since we're having more communication one-on-one with families, we h we keep providing that information. I have some of the packages in my car and just the other day I stopped by the store and one of the uh families was in the the parking lot and they asked me about it and I had the forms right there to give them. So, um I feel like doing it that way in a more in a smaller more

064private way has worked behind is basically just a suggestion for them to create their own emergency plan. Um we had been collaborating with the Urbana Free Library. Carol Inscript has been wonderful attending our workshops and coming with us to uh visit uh in the neighborhoods to notoriize um the um uh temporary custody letters for families and that's one of the most important documents that they can have just in case the family gets separated the kids have somebody that will be taking care of them. Um so we had been doing um we had been coming into the community working with families that way. We continue uh distributing food through the tiger uh pantry. Sherry is wonderful at that uh keeping the pantry stored and um we are now doing deliveries. I had been do in the

065last few months I've been doing I had done probably a handful of deliveries to families who were afraid of going to the school to the store right after they heard immigration was in town. So uh the pantry is really useful for that. Uh we still have a closet for an accompany minors and other immigrant students. Uh but I wanted to highlight some of the organizations that have been really useful in the last few months. Um some of them are the immigration project. The immigration project as far as I know is the only organization in town that has attorneys that are providing deportation defense and that is one of the most useful uh assistance that people can get after a family member is arrested. Um so we are in constant uh communication with them. immigrant services

066uh have a lot of different services but two of the most the uh two of the services that we are using the most from them is transportation. They are really good about providing transportation to immigrants when they need to go to immigration court in Chicago or for somebody who is updating their status and they need to go to fingerprint on Indiana they provide safe transportation and for some families it just it even when they have their own transportation it's just the fact that going with somebody that is going to be there in case something happens is been very useful. So they're really good at that. They are also received funding to provide uh mental health services which is one of the biggest needs right now. So, we're trying to find a way to collaborate with

067them more on that, making referrals so our families and students can receive those services. Um, the refugee center, um, as we know, they have been there for a very long time. Um, I don't I never send families or I never refer families to places that I wouldn't go, but when I need things done quickly and well, I usually call Walupa at the refugee center and I send families her way. Um, last year I started working with some families who are not Latino, students from Jordan, uh, from Pakistan, um, Afghanistan who had had comm community uh, needs. This year I met a student an accompany minor from Congo that we didn't even know that he was an accompanying minor um, until one day when I was at the office and they were asking for health records

068from him. Um, so when um, so I collaborate with the refugee center that way, usually through Walupiao because I know that if I send somebody, they're going to receive the help they need. The new Americans welcome center, we haven't had really a big, uh, a lot of opportunities to collaborate with them, but now they have a new director, uh, Francisco Bites, and I think things are going to change for the better. So I'm hopeful that we're going to be able to do more collaboration as they are very close to the schools, so that's useful. when is any a family has any any needs related to health um I usually call healthcare consumers grease anadani of healthcare consumers as bilingual and they know a lot about families and they do um they take care of them

069really well um Latino partnership is one of the smallest organizations but uh it has been here for a very long time I'm involved with Latino Partnership um and last year um Canita Fay who I know everybody knows Canita she was uh she went to the rarity club and explained some of the challenges that we were having providing um supplies and clothes for an accompanying minors and other immigrant students and she got a little bit of funding from Rotary Club for Latino Partnership. So the money went through Latino Partnership and we had a students who come with a really uh who have an emergency or need something that the district cannot provide. Usually I request those funds. An example is a student from the high school who needed to have and an accompany minor who needed

070to have surgery. um he had surgery on both of his feet um the first week of at the during the summer at the beginning of the summer and he was going to have to stay in bed for two months. So, but he is an accompany minor. He has expenses. He needed to pay rent. He needed to pay bills. So, we use part of that funding to be able to pay uh his rent to give him time to heal. And he's doing really well now. Um, one of the biggest changes that I have uh that we have seen in the last months and has been incredibly helpful is uh now the community has a rapid response team. We didn't have that before. Um, and I when things starting getting more uh difficult in Chicago, I started

071getting more nervous thinking that's going to happen here, that's going to happen here and we don't have a rapid response team. Um and by talking to some people we started um in getting organized. They started talking to some of their friends and people who I really trust and they got a rapid response team organized and now we had a really strong team of people who uh since this is televised and um everybody can see it. I'm not going to share a lot. I'm just going to share that it's a really good team. they're doing a really good job and it really felt like uh really heavy weight was lifted from my shoulders when I when I knew that they were ready and they started working because uh when something happens um or when a family

072or a parent called me and say I'm looking at im like last week uh really early in the morning when a parent called me and said I'm looking at immigration they're across the street and there are several cars and several agents all I had to do was uh sending information to the rapid response team and they took care of everything else. So, it's use it's incredibly useful to have them in the community. Um, talk by talking to people again about some of the needs that some of the accompanying miners have. Um I was invited last year to participate in a panel at at uh Clark Lindsay and um I shared some of the information and some of the needs that you know company miners have and a couple of weeks later they called me back

073and they say we're thinking that we would like to create a team of people with uh who can help provide you some some assistance because we see that you are you're dealing with a lot. Um and now we have a group of people who live at Clark Glindy who are taking care of u medical and dental needs of unaccompanied minors and they have done so much. Um most of the unaccompanied minors if not all when they arrive here they have a lot of medical needs and uh dental needs as you probably know dental uh dental needs are very hard to um uh find providers here in the community. Well they have done it. they went out and they talked to dentists and they talked to doctors and they had been able to provide those services

074to unaccompanied minors who wouldn't be able to get them otherwise. Uh most of the unaccompanied minors that they're seeing are already 18th. So um they are able to provide transportation. We I my my part is arranging the appointments and the times when they're going to get picked up and they take up everything else. So some of the accompanying miners who were dealing with pain for months or probably years from uh dental needs are being taken care of now. Thanks to this team, um Yoyu Church is um has had a collaboration with us for for uh for years. They provide backpacks and supplies uh especially for an accompanying minors, but since the number we know now is uh getting uh smaller, we are using some of the backpacks for other students who need them as well.

075I'm also part of the Latino um Parkland's Latino Advice meetings and it's always useful to meet with other Latinos in the community who are providing services just to hear the challenges they're facing and how we can work together to solve them. Um as you know I organize the visit of the Mexican consulate to Urbana every year. This year the visit was canceled because of lack of funding on their part. Um but we are ready and planning a date for next year and uh the I'm in contact to with the Guatemalan consulate and they share information useful for the community here. Um and one of the things that also has been very useful is being in communication with immigrant organizations in Chicago with everything going on there. Hearing from them who are in the ground about

076things that are working for them has been very useful. um some of the um challenges um as me as I mentioned before uh we have several unaccompanied minors um the and it's been a little difficult to get close for them when um when they get here and I register the students and I complete the um the Mckin Vento form. I usually mark the services they're going to need and right after I start working at that I start coordinating services. I start coordinating appointments. I contact my groups to be able to make sure that they have them on their list if they need medical services. Um, but it takes longer to get uh clothes for them. I acknowledge that is difficult to get clothes for the students who you don't really know. Um, it was really

077useful when um I was able to go to the store and buy clothes myself because I know how they look like and I know the sizes that they are wearing. Um, so they they closed it and a few times I actually took the students with me so they were able to choose something they wanted to use. Um, I always feel horrible to give them something that I know or I feel like they're not going to use um based on what they usually wear to school. So it's been a little challenging uh to get access to clothes and also for other immigrant students. As I mentioned before, I'm working with now with students from uh other countries who are not unaccompanied minors. They have families here but uh their families are struggling and the students come

078to my office uh they see other students coming to my office so they come to my office and I have a sign with different with a welcome word in different languages so they come to my office and ask for help um but it's been hard when they ask me for clothes and um or uh or say I'm I'm cold I don't have any hoodies I don't have any jackets and we don't have a direct way to get that um it's also getting a little um complicated to coordinate services for all of the unaccompanied minors and other students. It just takes time. I think the word um I wanted to find out the way way a good way to explain that it's just time. We are already doing a lot of other different things and this

079is just another layer of things that we're doing now and with all the stress with um immigration enforcement it we I feel like we are all trying to get everything done quickly and um it doesn't happen that way. um and the fear in the community. It's been very very heavy to be hearing from uh parents and students constantly about the way they're feeling and they are looking for reassurance that everything is going to be okay and we cannot give them that. So it's been um I often worry about Carla um she's younger about other leaison who are younger and um that have to be carrying this concern because it is very very constant. People will go to people that they trust and in this case is is us. So it is it is very u

080very heavy. Um what is next? Is that you? So um you have a um I asked some of the I didn't want to speak for them. So I asked some of the organizations that we had been collaborating with them more often to just send a little blurb of the services they provide for immigrants uh right now facing um fears or in case they um they um have a family member detained. So in the uh few next slides you can see the information that they send. I'm not going to read to that but the information that they send is there. I wanted to make sure that you hear that you heard from them. I also forgot on my slide. I forgot something really important. Um we had a huge collaboration with the legal clinic at UBI.

081They had been coming to the school twice now every year and they provide legal services for an accompany minors. We had the legal clinic last Friday and every time they're here, you can um you can see that the kids light up after talking to them and hearing, okay, something is you can do something, something is possible and you can be protected, especially because these are children that are here alone without their parents. Is that else? Do you have any questions for me? For any of us >> or for any of us? Sorry. Are you done? Oh, you're done. Yes. Board members, any questions? >> Go ahead, Sher. >> Just looking at the slides, I had a question before you even spoke regarding um leaison for the elementary schools. Um with the number of uh children

082at Leo, Dr. Williams and Thomas Payne, who provides support for them because there there's nobody that I could see that's assigned to those schools and that was about over 60 students. >> So, Dr. Williams does have a liaison. That person resigned three weeks agoish. >> They had the position. They don't have a person right now. Um, >> she was in school to become a sped teacher and she's excellent and we really needed her in the classroom. She was good at everything. So, >> King, >> we need to clone her. >> King has a liaison. >> No, not King. It was Leo and Thomas Payne. >> Yeah. Uh in regards to multilingual support at those buildings um the elementary liaison uh Jean Flor and Kenya actually provide support to the additional buildings when needed. So there

083will be uh needs for uh MTSS meetings or things and they're there to interpret um my coordinator Lily Jimenez also provides support at those buildings to families um especially at Thomas Payne regarding uh our uh duly identified kiddos that are in the programs at Thomas Payne. In addition, our ESL teachers that are at those sites as well also provide support to families. >> Okay. Um being in the high school too that I I see some of the students and I know the um the students who work the hardest are the unaccompanied minors because they're the ones who say, "Well, after school I can't take the food because I have to go to my job." So, I was wondering if there's a way to get some of the funding because if you have a specific job,

084you usually need specific clothing and you need it that day. You need certain shoes to wear if you're working food service or certain pants at the restaurant. So, is there any way we can get some of the funding or some of the supplies over to the high school so that it's readily accessible? >> So, none of our grants pay for food or clothing specifically unfortunately. >> No, the as far as McKini Vento funding. Oh, well that is a good question for D. I know they don't play for food. >> No, I'm not talking about food. I'm talking about clothing. >> Clothing? Yeah. >> Well, so I'll repeat that since it's not on the camera. So our one of our district leaders who support Mini Mckenni Vento is in the audience and we can pay for

085clothing for school not for work. I know we um have the red shoe fund that our social workers also utilize in the buildings but that is also for um clo clothing like socks, underwear, backpack supplies um things like that. So, I don't think we have utilized that funding unless the Rotary >> would like to designate that we can. I know that's not ever been something that we've talked to the Rotary members who donate to the Red Shoe Fund >> to do that, but that is definitely a need that we can take to them and see if they will. >> Well, I mean, logically, if they're going to to work right after school, they're wearing this clothes to school and to work and it's so be something that they would be appropriate for them to wear

086all during the day. So, >> but not like a uniform, right? No, no, I'm just talking about black pants or jeans or uh a certain type of hard sold shoes instead >> like I see our kids at Jimmy John, they work all over the place and something like that they're not going to want to walk around in. >> Right. So, um I was just going to ask you Lucy if this and the question is do you think that there's a second parent lays on needed for the high school with 257 plus students there or um what's what's reasonable as far as what how many families you can assist? Um I don't know how to answer that. I I have seen when I'm at the office um I have seen a need uh to have somebody

087else who not necessarily somebody who speaks a different language but somebody else there just helping. Uh the reason why I started assisting the kids from Afghanistan and Jordan and um now Congo is because they needed help and there was uh no one else actually able to do it or had time to do it. Um and I don't mind. is just that it does take time away from other things. Every week I made my goal of this week I'm going to call the parents who said they wanted to meet and organize uh an event or just meet for coffee and talk and then Friday comes and I didn't have time. Um it just it's hard to answer but I I will always say yes. U more help is needed. >> Well I think the communication is

088the hardest part. maybe having some type of translator, especially when they walk into the high school um on Iowa Street, to have some type of translator, have that a person who's there to translate. What do you need? Who do you need to speak with and why? Because there were two two women were waiting for a while when I got there this this afternoon that needed help. And John and I talked about this too >> regarding and this is a question also for all three of you is that are there families that or parents that do aren't even literate in their own home language? So you can give them whatever app they want, but unless it's speaking to them at the same time, they're not going to get that information. And that was a question I

089posed to John if there was some way that we can include that as well. >> So what I will mention that I don't think um the buildings are quite aware that they're here yet. Uh through Title One, uh Tanya Deacon recently purchased some devices called Pocket Talks that Lucia has kind of been piloting this past year with some of our Kazak families and she has loved it. Um, so these devices will actually be spread throughout the district for the office staff or admin to be able to use. Um, I think it has access to maybe about a hundred different languages. Um, Poshto being one of them which was very beneficial for us. Kazach being another one at the high school where there's a lot of students. So, we're really excited to roll those out too.

090>> Can I add I was trying to get Dion's attention. I think she's communicating me, but I'm gonna go ahead and jump in. So um in addition to to answer your question I think our S seaasa our student engagement attendance advocates can also be an additional person like at the high school is Mr. Jack and um having that per they're not just attendance is a huge part of what they do but attendance and truency all of these things that we're talking about food insecurity clothing um not having their needs be met are also things that impact wanting to be at school and wanting to be engaged while you're at school. So, I think the things that you're talking about um in all of our schools have seaas. Those um more um non-traditional attendance things are

091also things that we get credit for in the truance um alternative uh alternative the tap grant. Um they work with small groups. They can go do home visits. They can be another uh person to you know like we encourage them not to go to home visits by themselves. They're another person who could go on a home visit with Lucia or one of our parent liaison or our social workers. So, they're another resource that I think our schools should be tapping into more. >> Any other questions from anyone? >> I don't have a question, but I do have a comment. Um, thank you for everything that you're doing. It is such an important um thing that the kids really need and the community needs and I wish more people were here to do it. So, I

092really appreciate everything y'all are doing. >> Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> Yeah. Again, echo the boards. I think all of us up here are are grateful for everything that you're doing for this this this community that's under assault right now. Um, and um, I guess the question is if if if if somebody wanted to donate, if somebody if anybody out there would like to do more, how could they go about doing that? >> Thank you for asking. Um, I would love to find a way for us and Carla mentioned this too. Um, I think both of us would love to have access to some type of funding. We don't have funding to help um to buy clothes for students. We don't have funding to buy if a student that had surgery needed medicine and

093he didn't have the money to buy. We don't have funding for that for those type of an emergencies. Um we are getting very good about refer referring families of students to organizations and we now feel comfortable pushing the organizations. They need this now. Um, but it will be a lot easier for us if we had some access, direct access to some type of funding. And it can be very well established what the funding is going to be used for. But, um, like I say before, it's hard to it's hard to get close because there are several steps that we have to follow to be able to get the clothes and it usually takes between two weeks and a maybe a little more. And then the the clothes that I got didn't fit. So, I have

094to send them back and wait until they send me a new ones and it's getting colder. So, the kids need the clothes now, but it will be really is uh really wonderful if we can have not just me um Carla the son at Jankee Reach um if we could have some more direct funding or access to funding for that type of thing. Um mostly emergencies when we see a kid that is like really shivering because he's cold and we don't have anything on his size then we don't have to go anywhere looking for clothes. we can just grab some a card and go buy something for that student. Um, we're really good about using what we have, but is what we don't have access to what is making it more complicated. >> Did I answer

095your question? I >> No, you did. I'm just I'm just >> Yeah, exactly. I'm trying to think think through solutions, but still something we're going to have to discuss as this goes forward. >> Sure. whether or not we could set up some sort of a a funding mechan external funding mechanism or or or what but um that's something for us to to look to look into. >> Yeah, I mean people can send donations um you know we can report them in the board report like we would for anything else. um we have on the web store we could create a link. So, we've done that. You know, when the band is raising money for different things or the choir or some special event, we can put we can add an additional pay source on our

096web store. So, people could you could just share that link with people and people could go to the web store. Then they can do debit credit, >> send us a check. I mean, things like that. So, >> that might be an additional >> think right now as the weather's getting colder, if anyone has well-loved coats that you would like to donate, we will happily take them. I was going to say, you know, there are a lot of us, me included, I have two boys and we we take when we shift seasons, we take stuff to Salt and Light. And I'm not saying that isn't a great option or the Goodwill and things like that, but many of us probably could just put that stuff in totes and bring it to work and >> wash it

097and they're well loved, but they're they're warm and they're, you know, still good clothes. So, I bet there are a lot of us that could do that. >> Yeah. Lori was asking about sizes. I think you will find that we have kiddos all sizes, all heights, all shapes, all everything that could benefit from gloves, hats, um anything >> as the weather gets colder. Yeah, >> most of the company miners wear smaller sizes though. Um and it's it's kind of hard like I mentioned before because um I know they wear or or one of them told me I wear medium, but then I got a medium hoodie and it was really big on him. So it's medium in a specific fits but so um but they usually it's usually between medium and a small uh for

098an accompanying minors because they're really short. >> If I have something to to to bring or to donate would I just bring it up to the high school or where somewhere that would be a good drop off location for something >> to the high school and if you could add my name or as a office um that it is for um for me. We have two closets. One of them um is managed by somebody else. And the one that we have at the at the high school, Carla and I have some clothes there for middle and high school students, but she also has some smaller closets in her office at the sixth grade center and at the middle school. So, we we check the clothes and then whatever we feel like is going to have

099to go to a different one of her closets, then we send it that way. But if you bring it to the high school, uh that will be great. Thank you. And I would love to uh whoever can develop something like that a way for us to receive donations so we can advertise that uh that >> and I can do that pretty easily just add a link to the web store >> that would be that would be very useful. >> I also think uh and I know I'm just chiming in here but if this would be helpful I can reach out to Salt and Light. is going to suggest that maybe we could create a program where um if any kid that's recommended by an administrator, by a liaison that they could be accompanied to Salt

100and Light and anything that they wanted to get clothing wise, they could have and they'd be able to pick and choose just for another option that's right there and it wouldn't necessarily have to be storing it. Um >> that's a great idea like a shop. I'll reach out to them and then we could do shop with a Oh, yeah. I know that it's I mean I mean good idea. >> No kid necessarily wants used clothing, but I shop there and get stuff there all the time. It's not I mean they have some nice things. >> So I I can do that tomorrow and see if there's any way to be able to do that. >> Okay. Thank you, >> Angie. It's vintage, not used. >> Well, not only that, they have food there as [clears

101throat] well. So that would be a great resource. They have like uh kitchen supplies or things that might be needed to cook food or anything. So yeah. Yeah. We were just talking about it. >> Kitchen supplies you can get from ISCO from immigration services. >> Yeah. And uh we also were able to get some beds and the bed that the student who had s surgery, we realized the day before the surgery that he was sleeping in the floor. We thought, okay, you're not going to be able to get off the floor with the s after the surgery. So, we were able to get a bed from them. Yeah. They're always very very very graceful and um love to help. And I wonder if um some sort of communication with First Presbyterian Church in Urbana um

102because they have that and I think it's called Twice as Nice. I I don't go to church there, but um I know that they have the secondhand program >> and I think they'd be happy to work with you. >> Okay. And I and I tell you what, I will um >> I know the clerk of the session over there, so I will call him. >> Thank you. >> And and could I give him your phone? >> Absolutely. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. >> This has been a good discussion. Anyone else? >> Thanks again. Really appreciate you all. >> Thank you. Um, our last administrative report of the evening is our kindergarten transition report from Kelly Allen. Okay. Okay. Hi everybody. There's a few new board members, so I'll do a quick introduction. I am Kelly

103Allen. I am the district's kindergarten, family engagement, and kindergarten coordinator. Um, I spend a lot of time doing transition work with our kindergarten students. Um, so I'll go into a little bit about what all that entails and what that looks like. Um, I was a special ed case manager at Yankee Ridge for 14 years and I've been at central office doing this, um, position for four years. Um, and you'll see how that kind of blends nicely into my current role and and what I currently work with. So, in this presentation, you'll hear some details about my role um and what those um tend to look like. I will talk a little bit about kindergarten transition leader roles and responsibilities and who that is and what they look like in the schools. Um and then we'll

104go over current kindergarten screening data um um throughout the district and this each school. Um so specifically um in my role I work through family engagement and I prepare handouts to give families during family engagement events such as Jetty Roads Day, Champagne Orbana Day, ReadAcross America Day. Um and then there's some handouts that I prepare for them. Um, just as an example, there's a kindergarten frequently asked questions. Um, you're on your way to K handout, and everything I do is translated into French and Spanish and, um, available for all families. I also provide families with materials and supplies to practice academic skills at home. I work directly with Katherine Tles, our director of communications and marketing, to update and maintain the kindergarten web page. and I collaborate with Deian Webster, director of family student supports

105and updating the Urbana School District's community resource guide. um academic support that I provide. I push into all kindergarten classrooms to support the kindergarten teachers and assist with classroom management, classroom routines, which can include lining up, transitioning from seats to carpet, what sitting looks like, raising hands, moving throughout the classroom, using supplies, walking in the hallway, peer interactions, all what seems like very, very small things, but when there are 18 to 22 littles in a classroom, it is is a lot of interactions. Um, as well as set and modeling expectations, I observe students to identify those who may need additional academic or behavioral support. I create weekly schedules to provide additional academic support to groups of students daily in all kindergarten classrooms on improving kindergarten readiness skills such as name recognition, namew writing, letter recognition,

106letter sounds, number recognition, and writing as well as rope counting. Again, seems basic, but a lot of our friends come in with no prior school experience. Um, and we're starting with those skills bottom up. Support that I give to the kindergarten teachers will look like um attending kindergarten and grade level meetings at both building and district levels to provide support to teachers, problem solving, and providing suggestions for academic and behavioral needs. I have facilitated professional development at the district level on phonmic awareness and other literacy components. I provide instructional support through the use of peer-to-peer observation, video and reflection, targeted focus areas, as well as planning. I also share resources with teachers via our Google Drive on topics such as academic skills and kindergarten readiness, behavior support techniques which may involve check-in checkouts, charts, schedules,

107task scripts, individual incentive charts. I also provide fellow teacher examples and lessons and instructional activities. Uh other support that I provide through kindergarten is uh the screening that we do on all incoming students. Um and this will provide a baseline snapshot of individual readiness skill levels. I review all of that screening data with classroom teachers and kindergarten teams. And then that data is used as a tool to assist with balancing classrooms and gives classroom teachers a starting point for academic instruction and student groups. I also collaborate with the kindergarten transition leaders in each building to discuss the kindergarten classrooms within each of their buildings. This is a time for them to work together, share ideas around curriculum and student supports. It's also a time to problem solve, brainstorm, and suggest plans for academic supports that

108may be needed in order to maintain academic success for all of our learners. I also attend all of the kindergarten transition meetings that are held at Urbana Early Childhood School in the spring as well as Head Start. Um, I take notes and then share all of that with the incoming school teams. Um, and these meetings allow the receiving kindergarten schools and teams a chance to meet with the current teachers, review IEP plans, determine what is needed for student success, um, and for the families to ask any questions pertaining to kindergarten and school specific plans. I also observe incoming kindergarten students at Urbana Early Childhood School and Head Start in the spring. Uh and again I provide these notes and these narratives to the incoming teams um to give them a better understanding. Um I watch

109different student interactions with peers as long as staff notice what supports are used and even have conversations with the incoming students um to get that little bit more of a personal feel for who's coming in to see us. Other transition supports includes assisting um planning for all of the kindergarten open houses at all of our elementary schools in the spring. This includes all incoming families and they have the opportunity to come into all of our buildings, meet the K teams, the building administrators, um and it allows parents to receive supports and um specific questions for each building as they're all just a little bit different. They'll get a tour of the buildings. Um, and if needed, we have options to register that night for all of those buildings as well. Um, new students will have

110time to meet the teachers in a fun atmosphere, see their new classrooms and listen to stories, um, and do different activities that are provided. Open houses are planned within each of the buildings, and those activities do vary from school to school. And the open houses are planned intentionally on different nights so that I and different administrators can go to each of the buildings. Um those are often held in late April and early May. One of the big jobs I do is kindergarten registration. So I do all of my flyers for um each registration event is a little different. I have all of them translated into Spanish and French and distributed throughout the different elementary schools, Urban Early Childhood School, Head Start, neighboring daycarees, preschools, and other private centers. Um, and then the flyers are attached.

111Um, these are pictures of the registration just this past year in April. um the setup and different families registering. Kindergarten readiness. Each year, incoming kindergarten students receive a kindergarten readiness bag thanks to Elrusa. Elrusa makes an annual generous donation to Urbana School District 116, which helps create the bags for incoming kindergarten students. These bags vary from year to year, but can include items such as pencils, crayons, scissors, books, alphabet cards, number cards, letter magnets, sensory fidget toys, Play-Doh, kindergarten, and readiness as handouts, and more. New this year, I included a parent resource folder. So, members from Maltusa came and they helped stuff over 300 bags and 200 folders for our new families. Um, and some of those parent resources include a kindergarten frequently asked questions, some literacy snapshots and activities to do at home, as

112well as just things, checkpoints that you should be looking for as your child is ready for kindergarten. Elusa is an international nonprofit organization making our local communities better through leadership, partnership, and service. And we definitely thank Alt Treesa for their time and service to getting all of these bags ready. It's always a fun few hours they come in to the office um and help stuff and it's it's a fun time. Um and just a couple pictures of them actually using the bags at registration. It's a good opportunity for kids while their parents are doing all the paperwork to go through their bags and find their letters and practice looking at those cards. It's playing with the Play-Doh. It's fun. through kindergarten registration. I organized kindergarten um events around registration events around the community over several

113months in order to reach more families. The goal is to register as many families before the start of the school year in order to better prepare teachers and families. Um and so this is just a quick breakdown of the different events that I did this past year at Urbana Early Childhood School. So, in the spring, I sit at parent teacher conferences um and register families as they're in to have those conferences with their teachers. And I was able to register 55 families that night or between the night and the morning of. Um that's the largest number I've ever had at that event specifically. At Head Start, I go to the Urbana Head Start and sit while their conferences are also being uh coordinated. And I registered seven families there, which is also an increase from

114last year. I only had three families. Then I have my main registration event from Lincoln Square Mall. That's in April. I registered 82 families this past spring, which was lower than the previous years. I've had at least about 95 to 100 families over the past three to four years. So that was a little bit lower. Uh and then the past two years, I've done an Orchard Downs parent informationistration event. Um and only two families registered this year, but none last year. So just a small increase as well. Um then of course we're at centralized registration at middle school um in late July. One of my other roles is I coordinate the kindergarten readiness camp and first grade jumpstart summer program. Um I collaborate, plan and organize both of these programs. I create letters, flyers, and

115permission slips for all of the teachers and families. again translated and sent out to those that need all of those. I collaborate with First Student for all of the bus services for those students that qualify for both camps. And then I collaborate and communicate with all of the families that we have coming in and tell them their bus pickup times and drop off times and locations. Prepare the job postings and facilitate the hiring for certified and non-certified staff for both camps. I collaborate with Quest Food Service for breakfast and lunch menus for the week. I collaborate with payroll and human resources to ensure proper payroll processing. Communicate with families and the district nurse regarding student allergies, health concerns, action plans, and the nurse schedule. I prepare a staff handbook and facilitate staff training the week

116prior to camp. maintain student registration and attendance records for that week as well as supervise both camps. Kindergarten readiness camp. The purpose of is to provide students and families with resources and tools to prepare for kindergarten. The camp is open to all incoming kindergarten students, including two, but not limited to students from early childhood Head Start, private preschools, and those with no prior school experience. This is a quick breakdown of camp over the last four years. Um, it is growing. So, we started in 2022 with 23 students in one classroom. And this past summer, I had 44 students in three different classrooms. Uh each classroom, the goal is to have one certified staff and one to two support staff per classroom. And then I always try to make sure we have Spanish speaking staff and

117French if applicable um per classroom. And then I do the same thing for first grade uh jump start as well. And then just a small breakdown of the demographics to see um if there's any trends or or numbers, differences for who's attending. And that's usually um pretty even in terms of year after year breakdown. Camp this year was an overall attendance rate of 71.4% um breakdown from from all the days. There are our three rooms that we had our teachers and support staff per room. The purpose of first grade jumpstart program is to prepare incoming first grade students with the foundational skills they need to be successful in first grade. Students whose current data shows they need additional support to be academically prepared for first grade are invited to participate in the first grade jumpstart

118program. This was only my second year doing the first grade program. Um the attendance was higher, but it's um originally it was a recommendation only by the teachers based on their scores uh for their current data. Um but we're not getting as many of those students participating. So this registration I did open that up to more first grade students to allow more to attend. Next year I think I will take out the recommendation piece and just do a first grade re like join just like I do for the KR camp and have that open registration available for all families that are interested in attending that. Both camps run simultaneously. It's a full 5day week program. It is just half days. Um and again they run um simultaneously. I have three kindergarten rooms and then the

119first grade rooms. For first grade I tried to do one certified teacher and one support staff versus the two support for the kindergarten rooms. Those are the two first grades and then the two all together. In each building, I have a kindergarten transition leader. This used to be called the kindergarten transition teachers. Uh, and that verbiage was kind of confusing for some folks and they thought it was like their only role, but these are certified full-time employees. This is a stipen position. Um, so each kindergarten transition leader receives a $1,000 per year total. um prrated stipen on completion of all their duties. Um and it may be split between two staff per building. Only one of my elementaryaries will split that and that's by choice. They just choose to ask for a partner to do

120that with otherwise the other four it goes to one teacher. Um we have quarterly meetings that meet after school for an hour and kind of just update. Um but their role is to create a smooth transition for kindergarten students from early childhood again from any of our preschools, home daycarees into our kindergartens. Some of their roles um include assisting with transitioning students into classrooms during the start of the year, including being in the classrooms when students arrive, helping students separate from their families, reassuring students and families, answering questions, and being that familiar face to students. Um again, this is Stipen, so they are certified. So, of my five, two are full-time teachers. They're kindergarten teachers. Otherwise, they're tier one support teachers. Um, and they have a little bit more flexible time in their beginning of

121the year. So, they're able to be in the classrooms um versus the teacher being in just that their one room. They provide resources to kindergarten families at various district events such as back to school night openhouse and curriculum nights. And then they attend and work at their respective school tables for kindergarten registration and assist with screening and family interviews. They also um set upformational tables at spring conferences including information on kindergarten readiness skills, how to help prepare for kindergarten, activity countdown calendars, school specific information, registration information. They send a welcome letter and their contact information for each school. And then they host that open house in the spring and they provide students and families with books and materials to help prepare them for kindergarten. They also will help me do their screenings in the spring

122um late summer and in the fall. And then they will enter their scores into their screening spreadsheet. And that spreadsheet is shared with all kindergarten teams, administrators, and district leadership. They attend quarterly meetings with me to discuss some current support services, curriculum questions, and problem solve. uh and their intent of these meetings is to assist with enhancing uh kindergarten growth and success to see progress as our young learners develop over time not only within academics but as social emotional learners as well. And now I will show you some charts to go over the screening and I will start with an info. This is a quick snapshot of what my screening assessments um overall scoring looks like. Um, and this is done for any incoming kindergarten students and their screenings are done in their native language

123for English, Spanish, and French. It is completed in late spring, late summer at registration or if they miss all of that, they can get screening done within the first two weeks of school. Um, I screen at early childhood. The school teams will come over as a group and screen their incoming rosters. Um again, and then they help me support at registration events throughout the summer or they can come screen with me at central office by appointment. Um and again, the screening is just to gain a data point for schools to assist with balancing classrooms. Teachers use this to prepare their plans for the start of instruction um and for them to show a small glimpse of their learning as we start kindergarten. On the screening is three components. two of which are scored. So, literacy

124and math have scoring rubrics that we uh will go through with the students. Literacy um there are tests for letter naming for upper and lowercase letters, letter sounds, beginning sounds, and then a new piece this year we added was to label the picture. And this gives us a good way to just get the skills in their vocabulary, labeling pictures. What do they see? Just a little conversation to have with them versus just naming letters at us. Um, and it's it's a fun piece because they really do open up. They feel comfortable talking about what's in that picture. It's common. It's it's a picture of a park scene and they really do relate to that and they have a lot of conversation with us in in that moment. For math, we screen on oral counting, number

125identification, one-to-one correspondence, and number writing. And then there's some observational tools that we use within that screening that we just take notes on. We don't score it. There's no points given to it. But it is the name writing. We're looking for the grip, letter formation. Are they independent at writing their name? For cutting, we look at they have to cut out a circle on a whole eight and a half by 11. And we're looking at how do they hold the scissors? Do they turn the page on their own? Are they on the line? And then I incorporated a little new piece this year with the team. We decided to incorporate some of our new language curriculum from CLA. We incorporated the writing strokes just to see if they can follow starting at the top going

126to the bottom. Can they follow the squiggle lines? Can they copy these shapes? Um, again, just observational, no scoring component to that piece. So, overall our district-wide screening data, uh, red is our low scores, yellow would be the medium, and green would be the meeting or exceeding. Um, so overall 47.8 Eight of our 274 students that were screened scored in the red zone. 32 and a half% scored in our yellow range and then 19.7% scored in our green range. And this leads to a district total screening average of 1.61. The highest you can get on a screening is a 3.0. And the next few were just individual school charts. Dr. Williams um 51.3% in the red range, 38 and a half% were in that medium range, and then 10.3% scored in the green. For Leo

127screening data, out of their 41 students screened, 26.8% 8% were in the red range, 43.9% were in the yellow range, and 29.3% were in the green range. At Dr. King, out of our 57 students, we had 42.1% in the red range, 36.8% 8% in the yellow range and 21.1% in the green range. At Thomas Payne, we have 50.8% in the red. We have 28.8% in the medium and the yellow range. And then 20.3% uh in the median and the green range. At Yankee Ridge, we had 52.9% in the red. We had 26.5% in the yellow and 20.6% in the green. Again, noting that that is in their home language, their native language when they come into school. These scores also, it's important to note that this is compiled in the first 20 days of school.

128Um and since then we have had an increase in student um numbers. So these the 68 is lower than what they currently have but that's for all of our schools. Their um numbers have gone up just a little bit and increased and that is the end questions. >> Thank you board members. Any questions? >> Go ahead Jennifer. Um, I was wondering, do you keep track of the incoming kindergarten data based on where they're coming from? Like, are they coming from early childhood? Are they coming from um, >> you know, home? Not are they coming from another >> um, you know, nursery school setting. >> And I I was wondering if we keep track of that data. Yeah, I can pull based on if or they were from early childhood. Um, and then if it's labeled

129and tagged as a Head Start student or no preschool student, then we could pull that just by managing the others and pulling them out. >> Okay. And I guess what I'm wondering is, can we figure out if we are really getting the students in early childhood who need that boost? Do we have a lot of students, very many students who aren't coming from early childhood who are scoring >> pretty low. >> And so I'm wondering, you know, about that. >> Yeah. Yeah. I could pull that information >> to see how many are in preschool and and receiving those services. >> Yeah. >> And but you don't have anything off the top of your head that you could tell off the top. >> Okay. Okay. Well, maybe early childhood has that too. >> Yeah, I can

130look into it. Absolutely. >> Okay, thanks. >> Good question. Go ahead, Sherry. >> Well, I'm wondering how this data compares to previous years if there's been uh increase or decrease in the number of students who test in those different areas. >> The numbers itself in terms of >> scorings like that score, yeah, that has gone down. Um our average being a 1.61 is a lower score than previous years. Yeah. So, if they're starting lower, I mean, is it reasonable to for us to have goals of them achieving a certain amount in um at the end of the school year? I I did do um kindergarten online during COVID, so I saw what the teachers were doing and and they weren't children weren't expected to know the beginning sounds or all that. I mean that was

131something that they could attain but the skills that um are assessed for readiness skills uh to learn that um how have you seen that changed at all >> over year over the over the year we can check those through the MClass data and those academic scores um >> no when they first enroll have you have you seen a difference in just the readiness skills? >> No. Um that has also just kind of taken a low curve. Um, our kids are coming in not knowing school at all. Um, behaviorally, our students are very challenged right now. We're having a lot of academics being put on the back burner because our behaviors are so very high. Um, and I won't say in every classroom, but and there's a handful of kids that are really really struggling behaviorally

132right now. >> Um, and so that's been just the forefront of my support for a lot right now. >> Okay. Um, I also see a range in the attendance or in the um enrollment in the kindergarten classes ranging from 14 in a classroom up to 20. What do you think is the is the um I most um beneficial number to have in a kindergarten? Less is more. >> I know. But [laughter] I mean, we know that they're much lower than than what our our um expectations are as regarding our contract, but as far as obtaining the kindergarten skills, what do you think is the the number that is the most productive? Is there I mean, is 20 the same as 14? >> It is not. It is not. I anywhere like 15 to 18 is

133is an ideal learning classroom size. >> Okay. um when we're hitting 18, 19, 20 students, it's really hard. We're very, very busy. Um and like I said, the behaviors that we're seeing are are absolutely outweighing the academics at this point. Um and that makes the classroom hard when there's 22 students and 10 of those students are having a really hard time just sitting on the carpet or not flirting out or keeping our hands to ourselves or I mean it runs the gamut of behaviors. Um so again that less is more that attention is there for the teacher to be able to give that one-to-one support >> um because we don't have aids in our classrooms unless the student requires services right so um it's it's hard to manage behaviors and academics and students when you're

134at 22 students in a room >> can I comment >> um you're doing a great job talking off the top of your head thank you for doing that but you guys both asked some really really good questions that I think if we get in and Kelly gave us so much information, but um it would have been nice for her to have those questions. >> Yeah. Oh yeah. But you're doing a great job just kind of like pulling stuff right out. But some of that data, you know, getting that when you guys get the packet on Friday or Saturday or Sunday or even Monday morning so she can do a little because that trending stuff would have been really good to put in here. I didn't think to ask you to put that in there. So,

135thank you board members for thinking of that. Um, but yes, so I think you know in the future having those really good because having data to kind of back up what you're saying anecdotally is awesome. >> And Kelly's also being very kind I think be about some of the behaviors. Um, and she's smiling because she her slide where she talked about being an academic support and being an extra pair of hands. She literally was at King School I want to say four or five days out of the week to start the year for for a couple months. >> Oh yeah. Um, and we just found a teaching assistant willing to go in and be a safety aid after fall break. But Kelly was filling that void for that classroom so learning could happen for all

136the other students and for this so this student could be in the classroom as much as possible. And I think we're seeing more students like the student that Kelly was supporting who's been with grandma and at home and not a head start and not an early childhood and not really anywhere. And so coming into kindergarten with literally no expectations for learning how to sit, how to li how to walk, how to hold someone's hand in the hallway. All those things are just had to be re taught. And we're seeing that as a pattern unfortunately and a trend. >> Um and yeah, I don't know what to do about that. I think we do whatever we can for child find. We go out in the like you saw her slide where she's going to church like

137everywhere >> to child find some to make sure our families know about Urbana early childhood >> or and Head Start does the same thing. They're required to by the federal government to do child find and so and we do it for special education also. >> So we just miss kids right there families who can't afford home daycare, you know, don't ch qualify for child care resource, whatever it might be. We are seeing more families show up to kindergarten with no previous experience and that is a challenge. Um and so I think just it just takes a village like so many people like Kelly who are just and I'm not and social workers are jumping in those spaces, resource teachers, co-teers are helping our teachers manage those things the first 20 days of school. So it

138it really has administrators. It's really taken a team effort >> to help with those kiddos who show up and they're like, "Oh, this is what school is. [laughter] >> So, yeah. >> So, thank you, Kelly. >> I I agree. I think you've done a great job." And I didn't mean to put you on the spot. >> Thank you. >> I wasn't saying that in a way. I was saying your questions were really really good and I I was like, "Wow, I wish we had those in the slides." So, yes. I but I would like to say and this is not um that I think as a board we need to think about the resources needed at the kindergarten level because the kids from early childhood are going from a class size of 10 with an

139aid a teacher and an aid to a class size of 20 with a teacher and no aid. And >> what's up 10 or 15? >> Early childhood. about 15. >> Oh, 15. My my mistake. Okay. 15. >> Okay. But 15 with an aid to, you know, no aid and um >> all day half day to all day, >> right? All and it's a big jump for these kids. So for the kids who are coming in and haven't been in school before and for the early childhood kids who are some of them are still struggling. Um I mean I think that's something we've got to put in the back of our mind in order to get to make progress. Um because they just keep getting further behind them. I think that's um another thing that I'm

140I'm concerned about is not if a student is if his child isn't ready um we can't expect him to go a certain or her to go a certain distance during the school year. So we have to have you know more >> it's it's harder on the teachers because they're expected to teach certain things and have their students achieve certain things and if a child's not ready to learn um academically or behaviorally it's it's more difficult. But um the other thing I wanted to know is how do you assess this the students after um the initial assessment? How many and how many times do you assess them during the year? >> We do not do the screening again. >> We just use our MClass data which is related to our dibbles and our CKLA curriculum that

141we use um which gives our letter naming the beginning sounds. >> Yes. And just a different format. >> Yeah. So, not only do we have to be grateful for you and the work that you do, but the kindergarten teachers as well because we know that they're they have a very difficult job. So, thank you. Let us know what else we can do. >> Thank you. >> Good questions. Good questions. Uh, anybody else? >> And thank you, Kelly. >> Thank you. >> Uh, we do have action items tonight. Uh, first up is our consent agenda. Uh, starting with 11.1, which are minutes from the September 16th uh, business meeting. the September 23rd district parent teacher advisory meeting, the October 6th executive session, October 7th study session, the October 8th executive session, and the October 21st special

142meeting. There is a list of personnel items that were in our um packet for 11.2 seeking approval. Uh but there is a modification to the published list of personnel items that we would like to make. Uh so when this this motion is made will be made uh requesting that uh under leave requests William Fischer is no longer requesting leave. Uh 11.3 is approval for hazardous areas for transportation that's needed for state funding. 11.4 is a resolution authorization directing the sale or disposal of personal property. Uh this is a library reference table, a map case and a single door refrigerator. 11.5 uh new activity count for the class of 2028 at Herbana High School. Is there a motion to Well, first of all, does anybody wish to remove uh any one of these uh proposed uh

143consent agenda items from the consent agenda? Uh hearing none, the chair would entertain a motion to approve the entire list of consent agenda uh items as read and with 11.2 uh with the verbal amendment. >> So moved. Is there a second? >> Second. >> So moved and seconded. Any any further questions, comments, or discussion? >> Uh, roll call, please. >> Member Hixon, >> yes. >> Member Maribou, >> yes. >> Member Jones, >> yes. >> Member Langorf, yes. >> Vice President Baxley, >> yes. >> President Powski, >> yes. >> And member Cheryl, >> yes. >> Uh, motion passes. Uh, moving on to our individual action items. Uh, first up is 12.1 our gifts. Uh, Fiser National Bank donated $650 to the Bana High School wrestling program. Sandra Smith Vulk donated $250 to the Urbana High School

144Mariachi Tigers or Tes. Uh, Sher Langadorf donated three digital point andoot cameras uh, for $200 batteries to Urbana High School. James Wang Pory Charter donated a chartered bus for the sixth grade center Urbana Middle School softball team game in Bloomington, Illinois. Anna Ivy donated $100 to the Bana High School cross country team. Pam Shallenburgger, John and Paty Pratt, and Frank Modica donated a replacement bench in memory of Marshia Learner at Thomas Payne Elementary. Jackie Martin, Thomas Payne, teacher received a total of $200 from Diane uh Hergen Henrother. Uh Laura and Chris Lion to purchase school supplies for her classroom. The following uh uh girls swim team supporters needed $100 or more. Uh Brian Angeli, uh Dr. Gene Amber, Tracy Dufffield, uh Kristen and Paul, sorry, Ebirth, uh Jack and Jane Franklin, uh Wade and Angie

145Franklin, Jeff Bersley and Becky Fuller, Anna Gres, James Hansen, Chris and Virginia Layman, Susan Layman, Ned and Shirley Lewis, Tyler Milton, and Vicky Trimble. Is there a motion to accept these gifts and send out the appropriate thank yous? >> So move. >> Second. Been moved and seconded. Any further questions, comments, or discussion? All in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Motion passes. Last up is uh press plus 119, which we had uh discussed at a prior meeting. Um is there a motion on the floor to accept the changes from press plus 119? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Been moved and seconded. Any questions, comments, or discussion? At the last meeting when we discussed this, I brought up some changes that I thought would be good. Um, and I was asked to

146send those changes to Lori and I did and I sent them to Lori, >> Paul, and the superintendent. And I didn't hear anything back. I was wondering if you thought any of that could be >> I don't make those decisions. Send that to our attorneys. They proof all the There's an attorney group that puts together press. Did you send them to Susan also, Lori? Okay. So, um we can hold off on this one. It's past due, but we can wait another um >> So, are we Well, we have a we have we have a meeting a week from today and we have a meeting three weeks from today. >> To Susan. The lawyers put together that information. So, because it is a um legal document once we you know >> Okay. So, >> we will

147send it to Susan. >> So, I would entertain a motion to definitely suspend. um until the the next the next meeting unless we don't receive uh >> okay until the November 4th uh meeting. Is there is there a motion to that effect? >> So move. >> Is there a second? >> Okay. So this is a motion to death or postpone a vote on this until >> right or next week. >> All in favor say I. >> I. >> Okay. Okay. So, we're >> I guess I think so. >> It's a unanimous vote. So, I think we're all in agreement. Um, >> so, but if I'm supposed to send it somewhere, could you >> We already have it. It's just It's just >> Oh, you she will take care of >> We just want to make

148sure that everything that you suggested is compliant with with others, you know, with with state law. It just has to be compliant with legislation, with school code, um lot the labor laws, all kinds of things that the attorneys look at that I don't. >> Okay. So, when what I had sent to Lori, I had said was, you know, kind of quick and you know, I just I I'm not sure that the wording is exactly wonderful. Um, that's where Susan will take it to make sure it's legally adapted to what >> we I know Susan and Susan will will reply with with what a modification or if if it needs to be modified and then you can look at it and see if that really is is the intent of of what you wish to have.

149>> She may make a recommendation that we don't I mean there are times when we ask for changes and she'll say I don't recommend that you do that because of this reason, right? Um, and so she may do that as well. I mean, I just don't want you to be surprised by that if she says >> you can make that change if you want to, but I would recommend that you don't, and here's why. So, that happens sometimes, too. >> Okay. So, this will be be uh reviewed again next week. Um there is not a call in uh in the agenda for future special executive me meeting but we're are we tenatively working on a expulsion hearing for >> next Thursday >> for this uh be November 6th um again. So yeah there's a meeting

150a regular meeting a week from today and then uh the meeting three weeks from today which is November 18th I will not be present. So, so Ben, you'll be be chairing that meeting >> and that's the tax levy meeting. >> Just that's our November business meeting. So, if you have input on the tax levy, might you could go ahead and meet with Maryanne or since she won't be at that, I might suggest that. Is that okay? >> Sure. >> Okay. >> Um, superintendent report. >> Okay. John, one thing that I am uh working on with our principles is um and so be on your I know you I know it's hard when we're asking you to be present for so many other things in the evening but um it negotiations is coming. So um we

151are getting final do not come to our building dates and what build from our uh principles for our lunchons because it is time for us to kind of start planning for negotiations and part of our practice has been to have board members um be at the lunch periods. We only have two at a time. So we have a very specific schedule that we follow um with times listed out. So hopefully you'll be receiving that in the next couple of days and we'll make sure that you really you really know to go in. you'll have to sit with your calendar and say, "I really want to go to King or I really want to go to the sixth grade center. I really want to go and um and and we don't ask that you go to

152every single building and to um multiple lunch periods, but we do ask that if there are buildings where you really want to be that you when we send that out that you lock yourself in." Um and they're all during our school's set lunch periods. So, you know, a lot of our schools, like some of the elementary schools start at 10:45 and they go until 1:00. And we'll give you the breakdown of when the kindergarten teachers eat lunch, when the fifth grade teachers eat lunch. So, if you're interested in kindergarten and want kindergarten and want to talk to those teachers, you might slot yourself in for one of the kindergarten times. Um, and then we will make sure that there only two of you there per time period. Does that make sense? So, um, we'll send

153you that spreadsheet. Paul, looks like you want >> Yeah. I want to chime in real It's it's it's a wonderful opportunity >> for the seven of us to hear concerns directly from the membership itself. >> Yes. >> As opposed the leadership I think their leadership does a great job of representing them. But hearing it unfiltered directly from um the people on the front lines is is is I've always found it really really helpful during the negotiation process. >> Absolutely. And our role there um Angie and I go to several of them. Um Maryanne will be invited for the first time and our role there is really to listen. We're not there to solve the problems of the world and problem solve everything because we we can't do that when it's just two of you, right?

154Like you can't make a promise, the two of you at King um without the other board members being there. But our our role really is to listen um take notes, you know, it's just like a listen. We I like to call them listening sessions and um it's an opportunity like Paul said to just hear from everyone and there'll be people there who are not UEA members um because it's their lunchtime and we're going to be in the teachers lounge. So, um, that that's just something to be on the lookout for this week. Okay. UHS boys soccer. So, Keandre um mentioned this, but I wanted to share a few pictures. This is just so much fun. I got these from uh Dr. Weel. His son is on the team. And so, um, they will be heading

155to Washington tomorrow for sectionals matchup. I don't know who they play yet. I'll find that out. But, um, we're just really excited for their regional championship win. You can just see their excitement as well. So, um, kudos and let's go Tigers. Great job. Um, inter mural basketball started tonight. So, I had a district, a couple of our district folks going around checking in on our teams. I have a couple great pictures, but we have about a hundred fifth graders signed up. Um, we have six boy teams and three girl teams that started tonight um, at all of our elementary schools practicing. And um we this is a partnership with the um health and wellness center with the park district. So practices will be happening in our schools um in the evenings and then we'll play

156games um at the health and wellness center um on Saturday mornings. Um and then we're going to have a tournament at the sixth grade center um on December 20th, that Saturday before uh we close for winter break. And um all the fifth graders get to go there and see. Wow, this is this is where I'm going to be next year as a sixth grader, but they are going to act also all play one another. Um we'll have an actual basketball tournament for them. So, Miss Carr is really excited about that and um it'll be a great way for all those kiddos and their families to kind of come together. We'll celebrate them with, you know, our participation certificate and all that. So, we're really excited about this and based on the response, our families are

157excited, too. So, um and I want to thank all of our coaches. Um, we have parents who stepped up to coach. We have staff members who are also parents who stepped up to coach. Um, and we have some folks who don't have kids who um don't even have uh students yet or children that they just want to help our basketball program be great in the future who stepped up to coach. So, I want to thank all those folks. And then we also have supporters like we have a couple parents at some buildings who said, "I will be in charge of making the schedules for this and I will help the coach send out emails." And so, um, we're just really excited about the response that we've gotten from our, um, school communities. So, thank you.

158Um, the Day of the Dead bike ride. So, most of you are probably on an individual email somewhere with Kenita about this. So, she spearhead this um, and she's of course been working with Lucia and our parent liaison. And, um, this is for Dia de los Muertes, a Day of the Dead celebration. Um we're having it in the community and I know some of the schools do their own special things as well. Um UHS Tiger Mariachi will be out there and um it's a way for kind of everyone to come together away from their individual um school celebrations. So um thank you for organizing this for us. Saturday was last week was Pride Week and Saturday was the Pride Festival in downtown Urbana. Um, and so you can see some of our staff members, some

159of our students, um, from GSA and some of our, um, the gay uh, our gay straight alliance groups, um, and some of our own staff who participated in the parade. And it looks like they had a lot of fun out there. You can tell from the pictures. So, thank you for everyone who helped kind of coordinate that. Um, Friday was United Nations Day, and we celebrate United Nations Day um, once a year. You heard that we have more languages represented um this year than we've had in a long time. Um but we had 25 countries represented in the United Nations Day parade. So, um, as you'll see, the students in this picture represent the oldest child from that particular country, um, who they get to carry the flag in and out of the, uh, assembly.

160And it is just a great way to continue the, um, legacy of United, United Nations Day, and celebrating the international and multiculturalism that still exists at King. So, great job. And that is it. The chair [clears throat] would then entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Moved and seconded. All in favor say I. >> I. >> Post. All right. We'll see you in one week. >> They play Washington. Okay. I