001[music] Okay. Uh we are back in open session. Uh before we dive into tonight's agenda, we do want to just take a moment of silence for the tragic loss of a student last week uh here at Hower. [snorts] Okay. Um before I jump in with public comment, anything that you would like to state, Martha? >> Um I can I can just share certainly the entire district. our hearts go out to this family. And um I also just want to take a moment to share also how just very appreciative I am of our community, of our families, of our wonderful, wonderful support staff. Um our social workers and psychologists have done just an outstanding job in supporting students and supporting our staff. Um also, um we have had just an outpouring of supports from our neighboring
002school districts. Riverside Brookfield High School has done an outstanding job providing us with their social workers, their psychologists, their therapy dog um and just administrative support at every single level. Uh Kumar High School, Kumar Elementary sent their social workers. Uh District 95 was ready to send theirs and also realized that there was enough of an overlap of kids that knew each other well that they felt their social workers needed to stay in District 95. Um I have been um truly just so appreciative and beyond impressed of Pillars Community Mental Health Services. They have uh uh uh the loft in Brookfield. Um they have had staff here and also um Buddy's Place which is a place that addresses childhood grief specifically. It's a subgroup of pillars. They have been present here at the school for the
003past three days and just again absolutely outstanding. Uh Hinsdale Humane Society put out a SOS call for us and we have had some of the cutest therapy dogs here this week um that I know have um that has meant a lot to our students and to our staff. So, it has been um a really sad sad week, but it has also been um a really um positive week just in the sense of the there's always a silver lining in terms of that outpouring of love and care and this community coming together in a way that um never seen this community come together in such a way and uh um hope we never have to do it again. Um, and I I also absolutely need to applaud the work of our uh leadership team. Chris and
004Katie at the helm of Hower have been um I hope they are at home tonight getting some sleep. Um, but they have been outstanding. Angela's here tonight. U Molly has been in the room supporting people and uh Norah Gerity, our director of student services and special education has um been beyond outstanding. And she is not here tonight. She's usually at board meeting because I told her she needed to take some time um away from district 96. But uh she really was the one by Sunday afternoon who had coordinated really all of the mental health level response. So um I sure I might be forgetting people and we are you know keeping our lists and sending our notes and our thank yous and um just but just so so very appreciative but also so sad and
005so sad for this family. Yeah, it's been uh yeah, [clears throat] it's been a difficult week for a lot of people, but um it was really great to see just like the amount of support that uh Nora and team were were able to gather for folks. So, that was um that was impressive to see. So, >> Thank you [clears throat] for this. >> Thank you. >> We talk about concentric circles. I'm on the big wide circle. Um but my job is to make sure everybody else is able to do what they have needed to do. So, um it's been a team effort for sure. Okay. Uh thank you. Um so, we will start the agenda as always with public comment. Um the board welcomes and encourages community engagement at all board meetings. Therefore, time is
006allocated at the beginning and end of each meeting for audience members to address the board. We kindly ask that you limit your comments to 5 minutes. Please note, this is a board meeting in public and not a public forum or town hall. The b the board does not directly respond to questions or comments during the meeting, but may ask the superintendent to follow up with you as necessary. Uh, and we do have a public comment tonight. Sorry for the last name, Daniel Luks. >> LS. >> All right. >> And uh, this isn't to put pressure on you, but just to help us both understand the time that we got. So, um, >> Oh, no problem. Well, under >> Okay. Uh hello members of the board. My name is Daniel LS. I'm a father of two
007students in district 96 right now and I'm here tonight to ask that the board add as an action item for a uh future meeting the district's participation in the BSmart program. The BSmart program was launched in 2015 to promote responsible gun ownership. Whether you're a gun owner or you know someone who owns a gun, there's a role for everyone in the conversation around secure gun storage. BS Smart is a framework that parents, caretakers, and community leaders can follow to help keep communities safe. Nearby school districts that have incorporated BS smart into their health and safety language, their policies and their outreach include Oak Park, Burwin, Libertyville, Waneka, and several other suburban school districts. We have also had conversations with the Riverside Library and the Riverside Police Department regarding their participation in the BS Smart campaign.
008There's three points I really want to hit for the board. The first is that this is not student curriculum. It is not something to give to students or to talk to students about. It is strictly for caregivers information provided to them about safe gun storage. The second thing is BS smart is non-political. It does not address gun ownership rights, the second amendment, anything to that effect. It is strictly about secure gun safety. And then the third, and I think what is likely the strongest point for the board, is that it's free. It doesn't cost the district anything to participate in this program. There's no money being asked by the board. It is strictly providing information to caregivers. If the board has any questions at all about the BS smart program or would like any further
009information, I'd be happy to provide it. And if not, I thank you for your time and your consideration of this campaign. >> Thank you. >> All right. With that, um, are are there any changes proposed by anybody before we get into the agenda tonight? Nope. Okay. Then I will hand it off to Dr. Ryan Toy for the uh strategic plan living the plan update under superend. >> So, as we put this under committee the whole, but um because we had just had a session on December 5th, we wanted to provide uh the board with just a a brief overview and update on our strategic plan. As you know, um we are in year five of a five-year strategic plan. So, coming to a close and um the the specific goals and strategies, um I anticipate
010some of the key pillars, the mission, vision, values. Likely we the board will and the the committee that comes together to take a look at the strategic plan will consider all of that. But um it was great. We do pull together all of our action team leaders, our which is essentially our district leadership team along with some teacher leaders in the different um goal areas to just talk about are we seeing the plan really reflected in um our practices directly in our work with students and and with our staff and with each other. Um so asking people some reflective questions and then just also updating people. We had decided five years ago obviously that we did not want this program to exist in silos that we really wanted to make sure that everybody was aware
011of what the others were working on by intention. There's a lot of overlap. So um you have there I don't need to read it all. It's not really a presentation but wanted to update you in the areas of again standardsbased grading. Um we've made some progress in that area. Advanced learning review and redesign is still underway. Um and then just thinking forward to the last strategic plan and the next strategic plan and some of the key progress areas certainly full day kindergarten I think will be one of our hallmarks of this past five-year plan now that that is well in place. So um a long learning environment and culture that is really what we talk about as our social emotional learning area um falls into that and I'm just talking about uh again the the
012strong culture here at Hower I think has certainly been help part of what has gotten us through even this week and um making sure that we are supporting and um providing clear supports and and proactive teaching around social emotional learning. So there's an update on that. um high quality staff. Just at the last meeting, we talked about the morale survey um and looking at likely making a shift with goal three and a future strategic plan, whether it stays goal three, but I'm sure we will have something about uh high quality personnel in a in a future strategic planning and thinking um that really looking at that morale survey in ways that are most actionable um to continue to do that in meaningful ways. uh family and community partnerships goal four um you've heard a lot
013about that along the way. Again, I think even just the um naming Marlo as our family engagement chair and having a board chair specifically dedicated to this has been a lot um a lot of an important indicator around the important work that's happening in that area. So, um family learning night that's really become operationalized as an annual event. Uh one book one school at each of our elementaryaries. um really looking at the grade five to six transition and doing everything we can to support children at that point. um having the board liaison as I mentioned connecting what's happening at our parent leadership team along with um our family community engagement group as well and then ongoing stu stewardship of our resources and as you know that's an area that we've um been doing some shifting
014and changing and restructuring around our our business office and um I think there's just some key points though that uh the group is the department operates in a in a really strong way and um the board again just appreciate the strong fiscal stewardship and um I think we've called that the stewardship of resources and ensuring that our resources are really dedicated to our student needs. So quick update there. Any questions? No. >> And the other thing I did want to say is happy holidays from all of us. I know I think I wrote that into the agenda last week. It feels uh a little bit um like it's hard to believe that next week is big holidays coming up for everybody, but um I really hope our families are able to take a twoe break
015and enjoy time together. So that is it. All right. Next on the list is the approval of the consent agenda. And Stephanie was not able to be here tonight. So I'm going to ask you to be acting secretary for us, Mr. Versati. Uh could you read the consent agenda for us? >> So so tonight's uh consent agenda consent agenda consists of the November 5th, 2025 minutes of the committee whole meeting whole meeting, [gasps] November 5th, 2025 the closed session meeting minutes. Uh November 19th minutes of the regular business meeting uh the personnel report as presented. The payables pre-list as of November 30th, 2025. And the payables pre-list as of December 17th, 2025. and the review of the closed session minutes of the previous six months. >> Thank you. Is there a motion to approve the
016consent agenda as presented? >> Second. >> Kathy, would you please call the role? >> Okay. Mr. Olic. >> I. >> Mr. Barcati. >> Hi. >> Mr. Hunt. >> I. >> Miss Kick. Hi, >> Miss Class. >> Hi. >> And Mr. Mayorhead. >> Hi. >> Okay. Motion passes. >> And I was going to take a minute um our very unceremonial approving the personnel report as presented had a very significant um person on the personnel report and it's Shannon Pride who is sitting here with us tonight. Um Shannon is going to be our new HR specialist in district 96 and want to take a moment and welcome her. Um she is following in the footsteps of Donna McLaclin who'll be retiring in February 5th. So Shannon and Donna are going to have about five weeks to work
017together which I think is great. Have an opportunity to meet our staff and um connect with the work. So Shannon has done very similar work in a nearby school district. So we know she's going to come um with a whole lot of the skills and readiness already built in but also I think uh help us as we continue to improve our processes too. So Shannon Welcome to the district. From what I've heard, everybody's very excited to have you get started. So, welcome. >> Yeah. A little bit of a break and then she'll be with us on January 5th. >> Yeah. >> Thanks. >> Welcome. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Uh any comments from Riverside Education Council tonight? >> Nope. Okay. Uh board member comments. We had a winter orchestra concert last week that I went to
018that was pretty good. It's always amazing watching the kids year by year how much like you could just six well I didn't see the sixth graders but the seventh or the eighth graders is just such a substantial difference that one year makes in in their learning and everything. Um those are always fun to go see. I don't have anything else. All right. Hollywood show last night. Noollywood. Yeah. >> Yeah. It was very nice of um >> Jane Lawren. >> Lawrence. Yeah. To take over for um Mr. House and still have a they had a great show. >> I just want to point out last week Central had their um science fair. I think it was one of the biggest attended. There was the Hower gym, the central gym, the library, the multi-purpose room packed with
019kids. It It was really cool. >> Great. I heard like 120 entries or something like that. Yeah, it was. >> Yeah, >> school was packed. >> That is big. I went to one at what three, four years ago. And we had the gym and like one or two classrooms, but it was nowhere close to 120 entries. That's all. >> And it's really cool. people go around with a, you know, like a lab coat and they ask the the students questions about their experiment and take notes and they give them feedback and it's that's pretty nice. All right, thank you for sharing that. Uh, so next item we move into old business. We have a resolution authorizing the extension of an interfund loan from the education fund to the operations and maintenance fund. And I think
020the cliffnotes version of this is uh we are not going to get our tax revenue on time. And so we are is it the right way to say borrowing money until we get the money and then we're putting it back? >> Yeah, I think we're just transferring money. >> Just Okay. >> But it's >> because some school districts are borrowing money. So yeah. >> Okay. We're not All right. I'm sorry. I meant from like fund to fund. We're transferring money from one fund to another fund >> and then when we get the tax collection, we will put the money back where it >> belongs. Yeah. Is that okay? >> Yes. We are not taking out debt. >> Is there a motion to approve? Uh do I have a motion in here? Yeah, I do. Okay.
021No, I don't. Sorry. One second. Is there a motion to for the board of a district um is there a motion for the board of education to direct the school treasur to make an interfund loan in the amount of $850,000 from the school district's educational fund to its operations and maintenance fund as presented. >> Uh Kathy, would you call the role? >> Okay. [snorts] Mr. Barat, >> I >> Mr. Mr. Hunt. >> Hi, >> Miss Kick. >> Hi, >> Miss Claps. >> Hi, >> Mr. Olic. >> Hi, >> and Mr. Mayorhead. >> Hi. >> Okay, motion passes. >> Should probably state we had some conversation prior to tonight, which is why there's not much conversation tonight. We knew this was coming. So, kind of a procedural thing. Uh, okay. Next up is the strategic planning
022facilitator for our 2026 to 2031 recommendation. It seems weird to be saying 2030s uh right now, but >> um we had two uh you helped us identify two uh candidates that came in and gave proposals a couple meetings ago and we ended up moving uh selecting educational leadership solutions which we've been working with quite a bit. They're helping us with our living the plan now as well as uh a few other items in the district um that we just use their their supports for beyond the strategic plan. Um before I call the motion here, is there any other discussion that anybody would like to state before we vote? >> Okay. So, is there a motion for the board of education to approve educational leadership solutions to facilitate the district's next 5-year strategic plan as presented?
023>> So, moved. Second. >> Kathy, would you call the role? >> Okay. Mr. Hunt, >> I. Miss Kick. >> Hi. >> Mr. Ol. >> Hi. >> Miss Claps. >> Hi. >> Mr. Bari. >> Hi. >> And Mr. Mayhead. >> I. >> Okay. Motion passes. >> And that is all we have for tonight. There was not a whole lot of stuff that we needed to actually take action on for this meeting going into break. And uh Martha and I have gone back and forth. You really only have um now I'm drawing a blank on what it was. >> New press policies, but they're not due till the end of February. So we're thinking maybe Yeah. >> Yeah. So if everybody's okay with it, we were thinking cancel the January meeting because that's the only thing we
024would talk about on the committee the whole and just squeeze that into our January 20 would that be the 21st? I think our our regular board meeting. Um as of right now, we don't really have anything material that's going to take a lot of time on that meeting. So it seems like we could just condense that meeting into one whatever regular activity we need to take plus the cow conversation. >> Give everybody a night back. Yeah. Okay. All right. So with that uh future meeting dates, the January 7th meeting will be cancelled. That committee, the whole meeting at Ble Park will be cancelled and we will consolidate that into the January 21st, 2026 regular business meeting at 7 p.m. here in the Hower Learning Resource Center. And with that this meeting is adjourned. That might
025be a record for [music]