001Good evening everybody. Can you hear me? Great. Welcome to the March 9th, 2026 meeting of the Evston Township High School Board of Education. Can we have a roll call, please? >> Here. >> Martin >> Here. Carson >> Here. Roller >> Here. Thank you. All right. So, I'm going to start this meeting a little different, different different than the agenda. I'm going to take a prerogative as the board president to open this meeting up with an issue, a critical issue that has been on my mind for several weeks now. And and I've been wanting an opportunity and a platform to have this conversation. So, I'm going to invite the board to join me in this conversation and it is a discussion about the recent events at Lyola Academy. Um, and I want to be clear about
002why I'm making this the first thing we talk about because this is important. This is a priority. We believe that students, our students and our staff deserve to be treated well to deserve to be treated with respect and they don't need to be in a space where they're going to experience racial slurs or verbal assaults. So, I also want to say that I appreciate the action that the referee took to remove the individual who made the racial slur against our student. I appreciate that. And um I I guess I really believe that Lyola's leadership, their subsequent leadership in coming here and giving us an apology is profoundly insignificant. And that's what I want to say. I know that uh most recently I got an email that indicated that there there might be some training. Um
003but I still haven't seen anything that indicates that Lyola is doing any of that. A restorative apology is only a good only as good as the accountability that follows it. And as of this date, I haven't seen anything. I mean, if there's something that I'm missing, I'm happy to hear about it later. Um, furthermore, there's another piece of this that didn't make the media that I am equally as upset about, if not more. And this involves an adult. Um, and it's alleged. This hasn't been in investigated, which is part of the problem. It hasn't been investigated. It hasn't been talked about and it's been there's a silence around it. One of the coaches we have heard had allegedly made a very negative statement to one of our coaches and this is alleged. Um he called
004our coach the b- word two times. So, I'm really upset about that because again, the administration hasn't mentioned it. There's nothing about it and the fact that it's gone so unnamed just really makes the harm even greater. So, um I'm just really upset about this in our community. I I think yes. and a and and some type of specific training and in that includes inclusive practices should be implemented not at only at Lyola but on all of the schools that are a part of the central suburban league on the Northshore. Our students really should not experience this and our staff should not experience this and neither our students or staff should ever have to worry that this is coming. This is going to happen. Um so whenever there's any kind of activity they should not
005have to anticipate that. I am interested in seeing what um the the the Central Suburban League has come up with. Um if there's a training, I want to I I just want to hear about it. I'm not looking to approve it. I just want to hear that there's something something more than an apology because apologies go nowhere. So, um, as you can tell, I feel pretty strongly about this. Um, but I am going to invite my colleagues and I know that other folks have have things to say and you know, feel free all of you to speak your mind. If if you if you need to say what I said, that's okay, too, because I think you I really want to just hear from all of you. So, >> yeah, I'll go. I I won't
006um add what you have said because I think you have made it very clear how we stand um and how we feel about this. I will say that this is a historical issue within the um central suburban league, right? Um, my son graduated in 2016 and there are some schools within our league that are notorious for um um being race racist and discriminating against certain teams. It's not all of ETHs teams, but I can say historically our football teams, um, our basketball teams are often, um, on the back end of being called names, um, being thrown bananas, um, you know, being just disrespected to no end, and that has been historical. Um, so I, you know, it upsets me that we're still having to deal with this. Um, and and nothing has been done at
007a higher level to address this issue. And Evston Township High School is the most diverse school in this league, right? So, our students have to go into communities where there are individuals that don't look like them live in. And and our students have to compete on a level that we love them to compete, right? We love our our athletes, our student athletes. We love our teams here. And our teams here across the board are extremely competitive and oftentimes kick butt, right? So, so that's not um you know that's not liked. They don't like that and especially when um you're coming from a very extremely diverse community into their space. Um, so you know, I would say that, you know, this is just a symptom of the problem because this has been historical um, and something
008that our students have had to carry and prepare for. Just imagine that. Imagine having the conversation in the locker room about a certain school um maybe, you know, disrespecting you or calling you out of your name or or doing something very um racist to you and you have to show up and play anyway. Just imagine that in in 2000, you know, um imagine that in 2026. >> Um anticipating it, anticipating it and then having to come back to your community >> um after dealing with that and brush it off like it's it's no big deal. Um luckily coming back into your community that that receives you. Um so, you know, yeah, my hope is I guess I I'm you know, Lyola is is doing what they're going to do and I don't expect them to
009do anymore, unfortunately. But um I do expect us to hold the league accountable um for their lack of doing nothing to address this issue with the schools that they know notoriously disrespect and are racist towards our kids. Um so it just has to end or we have to determine when enough is enough. >> Yeah. Um, okay. I prefer to talk more conversationally, but this is pretty important. And I jotted some thoughts down, but I won't just be reading. Um, so I was out of town when I first heard about the Loyola Evston game and what happened. And I found it chilling. Um, my thoughts immediately shifted to our president's post of the video clip portraying former President Obama and Michelle Obama as apes. a blatantly racist act for which there was no accountability. I was
010relieved to hear that there was quick action at the game and least at least in terms of dismissing the student section. I then caught a headline of the fact that the president of Loyola Academy would be coming to ETHS to apologize. The first thought that flew through my head when I heard that piece of news was that it felt like an instance in which a parent apologizes for the actions of their child rather than using the opportunity for repair and learning. I don't presume to know exactly what is happening inside Loyola Academy in the aftermath of these incidents. What I do know is that Lyola Academy and ETHS are learning institutions. And as a Catholic myself and the daughter of a Catholic school teacher, I do know that I expect more from a Jesuit institution.
011Given the Jesuit emphasis on kura personalis, a core value stressing that caring for others requires recognizing their full humanity. I believe that it's imperative that when what happened at the game prompts education and restorative practice for the students and coaching staff. It is our duty as educators to help our young people and our adults truly understand the impact and harm of their actions and how to change behavior moving forward in a political and social climate in which people are polarized in terms of their political, social, and religious ideologies and in which there is a lack of accountability for harmful actions. We as educators cannot miss any opportunity to show our students and staff a different way and a better way. A way that respects the humanity and dignity of all people. We can do better.
012We can ensure that there is increased training on inclusivity and anti-racism for all schools in the central suburban league. The building a more inclusive CSL workshop that ETHs is hosting is a good example of this. At all competitions, athletes and their families, coaching staff, the students and staff who attend games should experience safe environments free of harm and hurt. >> Thank you, >> John. For me, it's it's it covers a few different layers or a few different levels, but um what what frustrates me is is is the the the foe or the performativeness of of what I think the the apology was. Um it it was it does not seem sincere. and and that that was a good point. I didn't even think of it from the perspective of it's like a parent apologizing for
013the child without the child taking any accountability and having that learning opportunity. That's an excellent point. Um, and and to Monique's point about the certain schools that are kind of habitual perpetrators, I like Pat's point of of trying to hold CSL accountable to try to actually drive something that's meaningful and and we see some we see something happen. It's it's it's just it's I wish I could say it's shocking, but it's not. It's just sad that we're we're that these things continue to happen. Um the the Oh, I forgot the the one thing I wanted to actually talk about was was the when the leader of a team in this scenario, the coach is perpetrating the same behavior and it didn't get the media attention. That to me was of course you're going to see
014students doing it if a coach is doing it to our coach. Um and and that's where I wish I mean again we can't we can't make decisions on behalf of another institution but I I just really wish that we would see some something happen there. Um and and again I mean you know I guess it comes back to well then let's let's hold CSL accountable for for driving something. Right. >> And that piece is is >> Yeah. >> Alleged. We We'll >> That That's fair. >> It hasn't been investigated. >> That's fair. That's fair. >> Yes. >> Ma um there are a million thoughts um and and thank you for saying we can repeat um because I think so many are are very similar to what um has been said. I want to just also
015put out there that um this is a moment in which I feel um also a lot of pain around the kids who are attending Loyola. And I think about how much harm is done to all of our students who hear um this language racist or allegedly sexist. Um and and so I think about that too. um as much as our crew of course, but the and the kids who say it like that that is harming them and and for them to we need to understand that this is an equal not equal but an opportunity in which we must help all of our students and our and the staff who are part of our school systems in standing up like you said and and speaking to it, not remaining silent, not worrying about whether or not
016we are saying things that are the same. our voice, if not here, where um and to remember our kids are watching us. This is a moment for us to really show and model what it means to not accept to uh be dehumanized or to um allow for surface level apologies maybe step one. >> Um but what I worry about is the systemic change that's needed. So, I love the work of our CSL in the initial piece and the um the sessions that are offered in the way that they're designed are really to take root in a set of conditions that the school system has to reinforce on a daily because to your point, a one-off training is not going to do the work. >> Absolutely. >> And so, how do we create a CSL? How
017do we create a system in which the trainings actually can take root? And I don't have the answer. Um, but I wonder when we are thinking about competition and whether or not teams get disqualified, when they um act in ways that are egregious like this, perhaps there will be more incentive to create the conditions that would then allow them to compete >> because the the athletes, the the gyms, the all of these are part of our extended classrooms. And so we know um that the standard should be just as high and I fear that because of the history that you've mentioned Mon'nique and we still continue to see it that we have not created high enough standards in these classrooms that we call gyms and arenas and fields >> so I would love to have
018that conversation further. Thank you >> Pat. >> Thanks. Um, so I think I texted or emailed Marcus the fastest I've ever done when he sent me that about what happened. Um, I like Mo'Nique, I had a a daughter who played sports at ETHS and this happened a lot, I will be honest, from adults and students. Um, she played basketball and it was pretty clear and obvious. and um and she graduated a few years ago. So, it's not a surprise, but it's still horrifying. Um and I f I want to start first by saying how sorry I am to the young woman who was the target of this horrible racial slur and to her teammates um that they were in for, you know, that they were forced to endure this during a basketball game. Um it's
019beyond unacceptable and they deserve so much more than apologies. It just never should have happened. And um I you know feel that unfortunately we can't uh as adults we can't um protect our kids out in the world all the time. But it certainly feels like um in their own school and when they're playing on behalf of their school at another school, they should be safe from these uh dehumanizing uh comments. Um and I I want the young woman and her whole team to know that as an ETH board member, as a community member, um I'm just so sorry. and I want them to know that they are loved and supported by this board, by me, and by this school. Um, because they are and and we are truly sorry. Um, I also have to say
020as a parent of white children, I have never personally had to experience what it's like to have the person I love the most in the entire world, my own child, subjected to such awful, dehumanizing um, words that are meant to distract them from a game, but not really. These are words trying to rob them of their humanity. And I I say that sincerely that I don't know that pain, but I ask other members of the community, particularly other white families in our community in Lyola, in the league to think about that. We have a privilege that we don't have to have that conversation with our student. our student doesn't have to talk to their their uh teammates about, oh, we're playing so and so today, so be careful of whatever. They don't have to have
021that thought. That is a gift. And I don't want that for any child, any young person ever, regardless um of who they are, how they show up, how they speak, what they look like. And I think as white families, as white parents and community members, we need to take a beat and think about that because if that were our child, I think there would be a very different we would be responding differently as a collective. Um, and so I really ask members of our community and the Lyola community to really ponder that and really think about that. Um, and I also to Meera's point, I also want the Lyola community to think about their own community. There are students of color who go to Lyola. There was a picture on the front page of the
022round table or on the article of the round table showing the student section and there were several black students in that group. They were sitting next to the person who said that. How in the world would they feel? Can you imagine how you would feel sitting next to someone you think is your friend and find out that that's how they think about you and others like you? I it it's really it's overwhelming and and again I I this outrage is is pales in how I actually feel inside um because it's so agre so so egregious and so wrong. These are kids. These are our kids and we really need to do a lot better. Um, so much better. I think as adults, we need to educate ourselves. We need to be ready to support our
023young people in the community. All of us need to do that. And as educators, including the coaches of teams, really need to be extra prepared to deal with these kind of problems to model for students how to be anti-racist, how to be um able to um you know have conversations that are uncomfortable and help students see what that looks like so they can they can do it too. Um, you know, there's just so much um dehumanization in our world right now. It is horrible and I know probably everybody in this room agrees on that. But we need to ensure that at least our schools are a sanctuary for our kids. And maybe if we help that sanctuary to stay strong and supportive of all of our kids, maybe they'll figure out the way to lead
024us out of this so that we, Mon'nique and I, with kids who graduated in 16 and 18 are still not seeing the same thing. So, God bless our B girls basketball team. Thank you, >> Liz. >> Hi. Um, I had to jot down and collect my thoughts in writing. Um, and I'm going to provide a little bit of background for some people that are hearing this for the first time, and I apologize in advance for the strong language, but I think that the public needs to hear the full effect of what actually happened. Um, so in February, the ETHs girls basketball played against Lyola and there were incidences that disrupted what should have been a fun and joyous game. Firstly, in the quiet leading up to a free throw by one of ETHS's black athletes,
025a student from Lyola yelled the word Chewbacca from the stands. As we all know, Chewbacca is an ape-like creature from Star Wars. Comparing black human beings to apes is one of the oldest known racist tropes and perhaps one of the most harmful because it is so dehumanizing. It is hate speech, plain and simple. And I was not born yesterday, so it's clear to me that the racist attack was meant to psych out the um the basketball player and the rest of the team and anybody else who is black and brown at the game. But um like others have said, it's really more than that. It's dehumanizing. It's more than just psyching out a player. It's it's basically dehumanizing them to the point that they maybe couldn't even play anymore. Um so many people heard the
026attack including the officials and luckily um some of the officials swiftly moved in and confronted the group of students from Lyola. Um there's a photo in the round table showing the Lyola students laughing while the referee is confronting them which is also concerning. Um here at ETHS we don't really buy into the excuse that it's a bad apple situation or a one-off situation when it comes to racism. We see racism in terms of systems and institutional culture and norms. Um, we have difficult conversations in every corner of this building to bring to light the systems that produce the racial harm. Other schools have a moral obligation to do the same thing. Not talking frankly about racism to students and then assuming they will magically not be racist is foolish. It's our responsibility as the adults
027in our schools to teach our students about the real life harm of racism and racist language. We are working against a dangerous tide at the national level where racist beliefs and language are becoming commonplace. We have to provide the counternarrative and have those uncomfortable conversations and give our students the tools to navigate complex current and historical harms. If our students are meant to compete against the many schools on the Northshore in the Central Suburban League, we demand that our students enter these spaces free from racial harm and harassment. Schools need to be addressing racism in their classrooms regardless of the racial makeup of their school and whether they are public or private. Additionally, when racial harm does occur, accountability must be taken and amends made. We've been told that the incident is a confidential student
028matter, which we understand. But from our perspective, it looks like nothing was done because it wasn't made right with our students. Sadly, at the same basketball game, a Loyola coach allegedly called our basketball coach a according to the witnesses, which included other coaches as well as student athletes. When confronted about it after the game, the coach allegedly doubled down and repeated the slur again in front of parents. Hearing that an adult would make such a slur in the middle of a game is outrageous and beyond reason because we believe it is important to name race. It's worth noting that the accused coach is a white male and the slur was directed at our black female coach. This is not insignificant. This is something we need to acknowledge. We have not heard a word from Lyola
029leadership about the coach being interviewed, investigated, or held accountable despite ETHs offering full cooperation in doing so. This adds insult to injury to our community as we watch an institution protect their own instead of making things right for our students and staff. This is not helping to model to students that there are consequences for bad behavior. Additionally, not addressing racist attacks only serves to condone the behavior and embolden others to escalate the next time. We have high expectations for our athletes and have built a culture of respect and sportsmanship in the game, no matter how heated it may become, and we expect the other schools to do the same. The Loyola Mission talks about diversity, justice, and reconciliation. And I'd like to see that applied in this situation. Um, yeah. So, I agree with what
030every everybody else has said and I just really hope that there can be some kind of resolution that we can show our students and our staff that there are consequences to actions. >> Thank you. Thank you, board. And I guess we should proceed with the meeting. But I do appreciate I want to say to all the board members the time that you took to express your feelings and um we'll just keep seeing and watching and listening for what comes next. So thank you. So now we'll start the meeting and the first item on the agenda is comments from the public. Dr. Davis, do we have any comments from the public? >> We have no comments from the public this evening. >> Okay. All right. The next item is written communication. Do we have any written
031communication? >> Uh we have no written communication this evening either. >> Okay. Thank you. The next item is items for information. And the first item is recognition of National Merit and National Achievement Scholars. >> All right, this will be a shift in mood and tone, but we're going to invite Beth Ary to come and uh recognize our national merit uh national achievement scholars. We are very proud of our ETHs students who have achieved such an honor. This is an exciting night cuz it's a switcheroo. It was daytime when we got here. Still moving to the season. Awesome. All right. So, I'm gonna start with just a good evening. Thanks for having us here in March. I appreciate that. Um, and I want to let our finalists and guests of finalists know kind of how this
032is going to go unless you've changed your minds. Okay. Okay. Cool. So, um, the way this is going to work is I'm going to read a brief statement about um, the National Merit Scholarship Competition. And then um I'm going to call the names first of the individuals who RSVP that they are here and then uh as I read your name you will come up and you will stay here up here and then I will conclude with the names of the students who are not here. Okay? And then we will have you parade your way around the school board for congratulations. Okay? You can choose a handshake or you can choose a fist bump or however you prefer to celebrate >> a hug. Anyone handing out hugs today? Um all those things. Okay. So, whatever you
033prefer um you can do to celebrate your accomplishments. Um so, we're going to do that and then at the conclusion of our celebration, you will receive at the center of the celebration, you'll receive a fantastic gift. Um so, don't forget your gift here in the middle. Madame President will give it to you. And um we are going to conclude with a photo, a group photo today that um Miss Hannah is going to take of you here at the center as well. So you'll go around and then you'll stick around and we'll head back to the middle for a group photo. Okay. Sound good? Everyone understand what we're doing? Okay. I practice names, but when I get up here, you never know what's going to happen. I also have certificates. So, at the conclusion, I'll hand
034them out at the end so that we don't get all like fumbly up here and stuff like that. Okay? Um, but I'll I'll give them to you when we're going and I've separated those. So, this is the fun part. What is different about what we're doing this year than in the past? Um, so while it is a small move, a small change, it is significant to highlight tonight's program in the shift that we're doing to honor these students who are here today who have been selected for National Merit Scholarship Competition. Instead of only test scores, ETHS has chosen to celebrate top performing semi-finalists who have successfully advanced to finalist status based on academic record, essays, and letters of recommendation. The students with us tonight entered the 2026 National Merit Scholarship Competition by taking the 2024
035PSAT NMSQT, which is the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, as juniors. Okay? And this served as that initial screen for how you get into the competition. The nationwide pool of semi- finalists represents less than 1% of high school seniors. As semi- finalists, these students each chose to complete a rigorous application process with a very short timeline during an already very stressful senior fall. They did it though. Um, now as finalists in the 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program, these talented high school seniors are now eligible to earn a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship or corporate or college sponsored scholarship. Tonight, for the first time, I have the privilege of presenting to you our 2026 ETHs National Merit Competition finalists. It's very exciting. Okay, you ready? So, I am going to um Don't forget to come up
036when I call your name, Matia Beretti. Matia, congratulations. And then we have Ryan Cowan. And then Lillian de Crescendo, Nikolai Droeski, Adam Elgot, Kins Guy, William Clearman, Griffin Lewis, and Adakus Rosenbach. Okay, the remainder of our finalists are um Mary Esther Ing, Finch Shufelt, Kayla West, Alistister Keely Walker, and Siobhan Monahan. So, let's congratulate our finalists. Parade, you want to come around? Yep. Just go right this way in the front of the tables. And here's your pen. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. Your pen. >> Congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Good job. >> Congratulations. Are we going to get in the picture? >> We can just kind of Yeah, that concludes our program. Families, you are welcome to depart. >> Thank you. Okay. So, while families are departing, we're going to keep going. And the
037next item is a report from our school-based health center. We get an update. >> All right. We're going to have uh Dr. Well, our representatives from the schoolbased health center to come and uh share a report. >> Hi. >> Turn your mic on. >> How is it working? >> There you go. >> Very good. >> I'm gonna help pull up the slides. >> Okay. RN at the health center. This >> maybe installer. It's not it wasn't working, so I took a break. >> Well, they they tend to >> So, Reena is our new lead um nurse. Uh you haven't met her yet. So, she wasn't with me when I was here two years ago, and we are very lucky to have her. and she's a former graduate of ETHS. >> Yes, I am. Thank you.
038Yes, I'm back. >> Class of >> 2010. Okay. >> 2010. >> Yeah. Thank you for your help. >> Yeah, we're all getting older. >> Right. You just need to mirror it. >> Thanks, Kendra. I'm a good nurse but not very good at technology. So >> scroll down should be like a mirror or no it says extend. There's a drop down from this far. Yes. Mirror. >> No duplicate. >> Duplicate. Yes. Pardon me. I can't. As I said, I need to get closer. >> Duplicate or extend how in your space. There you go. >> You're not so much. >> All right. >> Oh, yeah. And this is Amy Crow, our medical director, who's been with us quite a while. We're lucky to have her, too. Is it showing? Let's see. >> You can share. should it
039was working before I think expand. >> I would love you're in the right spot, >> right? >> We're just not Yeah, >> keep re keep changes. That's what I want. And we're going to do slidhow. Okay. Awesome. We're here. We did it. >> Right. >> All right. You can rehearse. Um, well, I realize that most of you are very familiar with us because I see very a lot of familiar faces from last time, but you might remember some people wonder what is a school-based health center. So, we're one of the few schools in the area that are lucky enough to have one in our high school and we've been around for a long time. It's a basically a pediatric primary care office that's inside your school. So, we can do anything any primary care office
040can do and a lot more. So, because we're located in the school, students can um miss less school and parents miss less work and students learn how to advocate for themselves and become um take charge of their own health. So in our clinic we offer physicals, sports physicals, vaccines, reproductive health, mental health, wellness as well as urgent appointments. And we work closely with your nurse's office which is in a separate which are separate than us. Um we save appointments for them every day just in case they have situations of students they want to send over. Yeah. The mission we wrote together a while back was um the ETHL ETHS health center welcomes and provides care for all ETHS students empowering them to take agency of their own health care practices in order to optimize lifelong
041physical and mental health. So yeah, so it's we had our 30th year anniversary this year. It was really beautiful event that we held here at the school. Um, I guess that's all about that. >> You know, that's our door and we're right like you can walk right by us when you exit. You can see our door right there. >> Um, we had a member of our staff retire this year after 30 years. So, Julie Russell is a really um gifted and special nurse practitioner who was with us at the very beginning and she um retired this year. So, we had um a party for her at the 30th anniversary and she won a very prestigious nursing award at the same time through Endeavor Health, which is called the Daisy Award. So, that's her getting her
042award and it's a nationally recognized award for nurses. It's kind of like our MVP award. Um so, the fact that someone who was working with us for so long was able to receive this award is a huge testament to the work that we do at the health center. and her four sons came here as well. >> Oh, yeah. It was to this school >> and came to the event. >> That's our crew. So, we have three physicians part-time, three nurse practitioners, one full-time, two part-time. We have a medical assistant, also an ETHS grad. We have um our own social worker for which we're very grateful. And then there's Reena and Shirley at the front desk who many of you may know who's also been there 30 years. and she's been she's an alumni as well.
043>> All right. So, just to break down how many visits we have and kind of our impact here at the high school, last school year we had over 2,000 visits made by 800 uh students. So, to me that I love this because it shows that a lot of students come back. So, once they step into our doors and get our resources, they're like, "Oh, I want more." We have a lot of folks who come in just with questions um who are not even in these numbers, but just being a a space for students to ask their questions about their own health has been like such a beautiful thing to watch them grow. Um last year we did over 400 physicals and those include sports physicals. So sometimes we get calls from students like right at
044tryyouts that are like we I got to come in. I got my tryyous and we're able to fit them in where a lot of the times especially for sports physicals especially for those beginning of the year physicals can be difficult to schedule. I know as a parent that's difficult and then um we had 851 sick visits and those include those two to three urgent visits we keep for the nurs's office. So they'll have folks there and then instead of a parent having to come pick them up and take them to an urgent care and spend money and spend time, they can just come to us. So, that's pretty cool. And then thus far this school year, we've seen uh 1,764 visits made by 571 patients. So, and I'll just add to that. So, there isn't
045a day at the health center that isn't busy and full. Um, and it's rare to have a patient that does not have multiple needs. So, we may they may come for one thing, but there are often many other things that we address at the same time. So I decided to look through just um the last couple weeks of who's come in and in a given day we might see truly all in one day um uh an unhoused uh teen who needs urgent psychiatric referral. Um a newcomer family of six who is has lost all their vaccine records and needs to get into district 65. a teen who had is worried about STI in pregnancy because they had unprotected sex and then we might do a sports physical and discover a new murmur and have to
046get them urgent cardiology followup before they can play their sport and that could be one provider in one day. So um it's complex it's complex work we do >> and also we have the time we get to give them time too to explore those things too which is such a gift. >> We have long visits >> long vis long visits sometimes um and then just breaking down some more numbers. Um we see both male and female and non-binary patients. We're working on getting our non-binary folks to feel comfortable to report that and also just keep on checking in about gender as we know it's fluid. Um and this is again their self-reported data. We also have this is self-reported demographics. So how they identify themselves um you can read it. Yeah. And then also just
047important to emphasize our insurance status. So, we also have the privilege because of our partnership with ETHS, with Endeavor Health, with the city to see patients who are uninsured, who have Medicaid, um, and also private insurance folks, but we have the ability to give them really comprehensive care, especially for our uninsured people. And then our, uh, social worker can help them find insurance as well. So, we kind of we get to do this wraparound for many different types of students. And no student is turned away regardless of ability to be insured or pay. >> Correct. So, um, we talked about this two years ago, how how m much the mental health arm of our, um, clinic has grown. And obviously, it's, uh, you can't separate that mental and physical health. But last year, we had
048350 mental health sessions with 43 different students with one social worker in the kitchen. So, we're still in our kitchen. we still don't have enough space, but she is very busy. So, um we now have a part-time pediatrician though who specializes in mental health diagnoses and is seeing patients and can do some med management. And then, um I think we talked about two years ago how we partnered with the Bridges program through Endeavor Health. So, now we have on-site psychiatry. So, we've been doing that since we met last time. It's a weekly clinic. Um and it has changed everything. Um they do psychiatric evaluation and treatment and they can get students in within a couple like a week or two >> and that's also during students time at the school. So again they don't need
049to leave or feel additional stigma for those kinds of visits. It's just here during their off blocks. They don't need transportation to appointments. And then in terms of our reproductive health, which is important in this the way we live right now in this world, um we do have free and confidential access to all forms of contraceptives. Um if the only type we are not unable to do at the health center are long acting contraceptives and those we have a really close partnership with Erie Health right down the road that is able to do that for our patients. Um if a student comes in like Amy said or Dr. Cro said when they're freaked out about STI, we are able to test them um confidentially as well. And we've tested last year 183 students and we
050treated them on site and we can also do partner treatment which is really great. Um, and all of these services are given to us through our partnership with the Evston Department of Public Health. And we're so grateful for their partnership and especially in this time. Um, we've been working really closely about how to navigate these things, especially to support our miners. >> You may remember that the partnership is one for 30 years between ETHs, the Department of Public Health, and Endeavor Health. So um in terms of wellness um our wellkits program which we've talked about before is it was started by Dr. Lynn Shahab it it is now integrated into all of our care and it focuses on things that um we know h we have date lots of data on health outcomes um and
051wellness outcomes. So we focus on sleep, sugar, and stress. Um, and we use sort of a motivational interviewing approach where students decide what they want to work on and then we have meetings to follow up. Um, we have sports medicine doctors that support the student athletes. They come over weekly from Endeavor and they work with our trainers. We still have acup acupuncture on site because the integrative medicine department still supports us from Endeavor and the staff actually take advantage of the acupuncture as well. And our newest initiative that we're excited about is we're now part partnering with the dietitians over at Endeavor and we're hoping to have very soon an on-site weekly dietician who can see patients um for a whole a whole range of things from eating disorders all the way to pre-diabetes. Um
052and this will be uh really exciting and we're we can't wait. It's a huge need that we've seen with our patients and the students just to have a space to talk about how to eat well, how to navigate their own, you know, experience through those like sleep, sugar, and stress. So, I'm Yeah, we're really excited about that. And then, uh, we spend a lot of time out in the ETHs community. We partner with Lurri Children's to uh give uh reproductive health education to all ninth grade gym classes. Um that's in October and this year we got to do it with the transition house. So that's been really exciting cuz all students need education on reproductive health and again there Lur Children's is amazing at this and yeah we're lucky to be a part of that
053partnership. We also do opioid education and Narcan training in partnership with Birdie Light and Pierce Services here at the school. Last year we did our first all school kind of blast where everybody got the same education at the same exact time. It was it was pretty cool. And then we have a really active um student club called our student ambassadors who are really every month get really jazzed about a different topic. Um we had a blood drive here where 33 people were able to give blood. Um and also just learn about what are the you know how does giving blood support health? Um what are the ways yeah uh I lost my train of thought there. And then also just different ways of being health advocates in terms of social media. They'll make posts and
054just learn and teach their peers about different ways to stay healthy. And then right now we're in Women's Health Month and they're going to do a bake sale. And then also next month they're going to do a getyou yourself tested event. >> So yeah, thank you for supporting us over the years. If you have any questions, we'd love to answer them. >> Okay. Thank you. Thank you for the presentation. And it's always I always look forward to this and I'm so proud that we can provide this service to uh students in our district. Um so we'll take questions. Liz, we'll start with you. >> Um yes. So I just wanted to comment on my own personal um experience with my freshman, which is, you know, kind of waiting until the end of summer to get
055into your pediatrician before school starts and then realizing they have no appointments for months. Um, but then we came here and had the sports physical and everything and just making sure the vaccines were up to date. Um, and that was great. And it was $30 and that was without even using insurance. It was just $30 which was amazing. Um, and then I also wanted to mention there is a form that you can fill out as a parent um that basically gives consent that your student can access medical care um without you being informed so they can have confidential medical care whenever they need it. Um, can you remind us where we find that that form to fill out? >> If it if you're a new parent, you fill it out once and you're done for
056four years. But do you mean how does a new parent find it? Yeah, like a incoming freshman. >> Um, we're at all the freshman nights passing it out. Um, it goes out with a mailing to all students at the beginning of the year, but what we're really working on is digitizing it and >> yeah, >> it needs to be digital, I think. Um, so that's like a >> we've had a lot of barriers. It's a big big project especially because you only need to fill it out once and we're at these events and we're handing out and people are so excited to fill it out and then we we have to like talk about what we do and fill it out and do this. So the goal is a digital form. We do have a
057PDF on the website you can download. Um but yeah that's that's how you can do it is find us at those events and also look through the packet. >> Can it be submitted as just like a signed PDF electronically? >> Yeah. to our email. Yes. Okay. Good. Yes. >> Yeah, that's great. And you know, I recommend doing that, you know, freshman year like how you were doing that because then your students covered for four years and you don't have to deal with it later. But anyway, great program. Glad you had a positive experience. >> Fully support everything you guys are doing. I love it. We're so lucky to have you here. And speaking, you mentioned confidential care as well, and we we do follow the laws of confidentiality in Illinois, but we work really hard
058um over time to earn trust and to encourage bringing in the adults that they trust. So that's our ultimate goal always is to extend the village around the child or teen or young adult. Um but uh sometimes that takes time. >> Yeah. Thank you, Pat. >> Thank you. That was a great report. Um, I just real quickly wanted to ask about the mental health issue. We certainly since co have been really talking about this nationally and at ETHS and I just wonder if you could shed a little light on what you're seeing. Is is it getting better? Are you are you getting some themes that are that you're able to address more as a a community health as well as individual? Like can you just talk a little bit about where we're at in mental
059health with our teens at this point? >> Um I guess there was there is a lot of data around COVID around the peaks in for example ER visits, hospitalizations. Um we know a lot about that. I think um like many things that happened during COVID, it was a wakeup call and we've been sort of digging our way out of it ever since. So um from our perspective, we um continue to turn every stone over to find every resource we can and we work closely. Our our social worker, Yolanda Kim, works with the team. there's a you know a huge incredible team at ETHS who see so many kids and so she tries to be a part of that team. Um I think bringing in the psychiatrist was uh critical because even if we could diagnose
060like we didn't have any we had it took six months to get kids in and that's why you sometimes end up in the hospital and um or the emergency room. So, um I'd say uh I I I don't have any like bright news for you that we're we're through it, you know, but like but we're trying to figure out how to do it better and catch up. Um, >> so but I I think resources particularly for our uninsured patients and our Medicaid um covered patients are thin >> and being able to give them again those resources at the school alleviates a lot of anxiety about stigma and just general missing class. A lot of those anxieties can build on top of each other. So are just yeah we're just grateful to be here at the
061school where they are and be able to give them individual therapy with someone who's been you know Yolanda has been here for 10 years and has really strong relationships with the school and the school is really responsive. So we're just really in a really privileged position to be able to meet the students who are ready for services and want to talk and want to you know get some support to then be able to wrap that around them. It always makes sense to do the appointments here because um there's just too many barriers to getting to appointments. >> Absolutely. >> Great. Well, thank you for all that great work. >> Thank you. >> Yeah. >> Well, before I was on the board, I I had I I was in the counseling department for 21 years. So,
062I had the privilege of working directly with the schoolbased health center. And I just want to um lift how what an invaluable resource having the school-based health center is for our students. And you she's been mentioned already before, but I did want to get a give a shout out to Yolanda Kim. Uh working in counseling, that partnership is really strong and is an again a great resource for our students and it's so accessible. Um, so the other thing I wanted to mention is as I listen, um, your services are clearly ever more comprehensive and seem to really be responding to the needs, the growing needs or the evolving needs or the needs of the moment. And so I'm impressed by that and I thank you for that. Um and then the question I had was
063um what how how is it looking in terms of um what do you see in terms of the accessibility and use of uh families where English may not be their um native language? >> How do we address that? >> Um we have multiple in terms of Spanish speakers which is our number one um language here. We have multiple providers that speak Spanish. So, there's always someone there who speaks Spanish, but we also have um through Endeavor Health, we have the the iPad where we can get any translator for any language at any moment. So, we do always use translation services with our patients. We're so glad we can do that. Yeah. And thanks for noticing the growth. >> Yeah. my comments just tiny. Um, but one amazing work and I um I'm struck by it
064even though you said, you know, it was two years ago. I just it feels new still to keep hearing what powerful work we do and that we're community- based um health service. Uh being a professional in another school district where we don't have that makes me all the more um just in awe and um in gratitude. So, thank you. And then I was just thinking about the fourth S, social media. >> Thank you. >> We welcome all ideas, >> Chad. I just wanted to comment on the the how you're expanding with uh dietitionian and the emphasis there I think is phenomenal especially from the disorder end of the spectrum maybe even in particular on that end of the spectrum but all the way up through the other end of the you know spectrum with with
065pre-diabetes and different things I think and that kind of I feel almost folds into the mental health aspect as well so it it's phenomenal to see that that's being given um the attention it deserves. >> And the fun part is that the whole team can talk about a case together. >> Yeah. >> So, we're all there like all the different people >> that are involved with that that patient. Um and you know that just as a as a fact there really are not services uh for eating disordered students that are Medicaid insured or or uninsured. there really are almost no services and we've struggled with that. So, um we many of them go untreated. >> Yeah. >> So, maybe this is a beginning. >> It is a beginning. >> Yes. Once it is going to
066start Yes. >> Yeah. That's that's awesome. >> I think at one point you mentioned um um supporting someone so that they could get into district 65. Do you see do you see the younger stu younger kids? often. >> We have a partnership with district 65 and the all of their health clerks and nurses that they can send call over and make appointments for the students that um are either, you know, new refugees or um students that have had a very difficult time getting their physical done and maybe it's like October and they still haven't been able to get an appointment or whatever. So, we've done that for a very long time. And yes, we always enjoy when the little kids come. >> Yeah, I can I can imagine that can brighten up the the office.
067I you know, I didn't know that. So, thank you for for sharing that. >> And thank you again. I think >> so all of our questions. Thank you again for your support for coming. Yes, appreciate it. Absolutely. Come see us anytime. Stop by. >> Thank you. >> Okay. Super. And Dr. Davis is going over because we are going to talk about textbook adoption and deletion proposals. There it is. >> Seven. Uh here's the rapid process that we use for textbooks. We use a similar process uh for new courses. Department chairs in conjunction with teachers recommend uh new textbooks, new texts. Uh I have to agree uh to sign off an agreement to move those proposals forward to the board of education if approved by the board of education teachers with department chairs implement the new
068text in the following school year. Uh input we get input from the curriculum forum variety of teachers department chairs administrators and the decision rest with the board of education. We have three new texts this year. We have envision algebra 1 Spanish and envision uh geometry Spanish. Those are uh that that is made uh for our dual language math program that we're we're starting well dual language program our first suare into that will be in algebra and geometry. Uh and we also have a new science textbook for chemistry CK12 chemistry flexbook. What's interesting though is the next page. So here you see the costs and you'll see that our cost our total adoption cost this year is $9,525. This is the first time since I've done this that it's been under 10 grand. Say for the
069year during co when we didn't adopt anything. What's also curious about this though is if you look at that science line for the chemistry book, it's zero dollars. It is an open-source textbook through a nonforprofit and that is a new thing that people are doing now. Uh so our science teachers, vet, we work with David Chain in our uh instructional tech department with our with Steven Spite, our department chair, and some and some chemistry teachers. They vetted different text and this is the text they chose. So, it's really really exciting. Um, I'm not going to demo it for you tonight, but if you're interested, I encourage you to go check it out. Uh, we're also looking down the road at other other uh options for other other courses like uh psychology. There's an APY book
070that's out there as well. If you think about it though, if we didn't have that option, this could easily be a $100,000 total purchase or above because that's what a big ticket item of 780 units costs. It gets expensive fast. So that's a major development in textbooks. >> Here you see the cost of textbook of 5year history. I don't want to get too excited, but in 2223 we spent $138,000 and it's been a steady decrease all the way down to $9,525. Can't promise that that'll continue, but I'm going to take the savings over the last two years. I think that's pretty impressive. And again, with this new uh online open-source textbook through these nonforprofits, I think I think we're positioned well uh going forward. open for questions. >> So is that what's is that what's
071happening these these uh these online textbooks? Yeah, there's a new a new new players have entered the field that are very disruptive to your traditional uh textbook companies like Savas and those online providers because typically what they'll do is they'll bundle an online text with a hardcover text >> uh and they don't give you a break and then your subscription typically is a four or five year subscription u and then at the end of that you have to re-up. So they pretty much guarantee with with your typical for-profit purchases that you're re-uping your licenses every four to five years. So you have so if that's a major um adoption of about 700 books you can see how that can be extraordinarily expensive over time. That is exactly why these n these nonforprofits that are entering
072this field are extraordinarily disruptive. >> Wow. >> Yeah. >> How did the the nonprofits get who like what's the background on that? Who's the it's not like funded by no some evil genius that we don't want. Uh the these these are not funded by evil geniuses. Uh no, they tend to be more consortium based uh organizations. So uh no, we looked at that. >> I'm sure you did. And I'm sure >> for propaganda >> at the the content to make sure it was >> Yeah. What's really cool, I mean, I would walk you through it, but you can actually create they're they're modular based, so you can actually create your own textbook to meet the needs of the students in front of you. um they can um adopt uh language uh they can adapt uh
073to context and they also offer opportunities to integrate real world local problems, local challenges in chemistry. So kind of cool. >> Nice. Very nice. >> yeah. And so I just want to kind of double down and point out that the the savings are not because we're not relying on textbooks anymore or change. It's it's simply like being able to find which is really cool. >> Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Thanks, John. Great. >> Also, this year the list was pretty short. Sometimes we have many more books on the list. >> Yes, sometimes we do. Uh we're going to be we're going to actually next year start a uh an English rotation of novels and and and things. So, you'll see like there'll be a cycle there'll be a four-year cycle of adoption for English
074uh novels. Our English teachers out there are very excited to hear that. That is under the leadership. It's long overdue >> and I'm gonna I'm gonna credit our current department chair uh uh Dr. Jod Elliot Shurmer for that. Uh she's really she's really taken the leadership role on that and we've met several times with our book distribution person Angela Malone and we have a four-year strat we have a four-year rotating strategy for that. So, and it's not going to break the bank. These are novels, not not not $150 textbooks. >> It's pretty cool. Very excited for that. It's a great development. Yeah, I'll be look interested in what novels get selected. >> Oh, me too. Former English teacher, I want to have an opinion, but I'm going to keep that in the back pocket. >>
075All right. >> Thank you so much, Dr. Davis. >> Okay. And we're now going to talk about international travel for 2627. >> We have uh Dr. Brown coming and uh she will maybe share a little bit, but then was just mostly questions about the travel. Okay. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> Um so we have four um proposed international travel trips. Um one to Beijing, China, Madrid, Spain, a Latin tour which includes Italy, France, Sicy, and Greece and then a Moroccan tour. Three of the four are proposed through our rural language department. Um and then the Beijing China is the summer trip with um Jana McAp and Tony and Sunny Brewer which was um a product of a benefactor what I was told from IC Technologies Frank Chin. Um all of the world language trips
076um are being fundraised. So they will fund raise through t-shirt sales, through um popcorn sales, um solicit funds through the Unman or foundation donations, um and family contributions. And then in addition to that, the Madrid trip um will receive financial support through the exchange scholarship um which is being donated through some of the host families for that trip. Any questions? I have comments more. So I can't not talk about international travel. I'm also a former foreign lang or world language teacher. We called it that differently when I did it. Um so I think I just I'm really glad to see that after um exchanges and travel abroad took such a hit after COVID that we're back to this. Um, I think that, um, with world languages, um, there's nothing like having an experiential experience to
077really learn and use the language. Um, that's really just like it's it's like a shift once you do that in your learning. But it's so much more than just the language. I I truly believe that world languages, you know, really also teaches you about other cultures, different perspectives, and expands your world view. And then so excited to also see that we had this benefactor. I noticed that the China trip is being offered from the equity department and student services and again the opportunity for students to travel who might not financially have that opportunity. Um often world travel can be you know uh available to the privileged and everyone can benefit from that opportunity to see the rest of the world and again expand their perspective and and and see things from a different um lens.
078So I'm really glad um that ETHS I'm looking at you Dr. Campbell that we're really supporting this and you know we're back to offering these things. I think it's really it really does fit into our mission and I think in terms of academic learning but also in terms of equity the way it's being handled. Go >> ahead. I was going to say the the the the China trip has been in the works for Dr. Davis what two years three years >> that you want to go back to the original orange story so >> we don't have to go that >> two years two years on this one. 2 years and it just makes me think that we need to talk about this larger partnership that we have with the benefactor cuz it's not just a
079China trip. It's it's it's what he wants to do is make an ETHslike school in China for students who don't really have access to this kind of education. And so we've been sharing a lot of thoughts and and and information and trying to get some things going and cuz he wants to open a school just like ETHs in China. So um that's a longer conversation and a longer project, but this is kind of the first step in that in that process along with stuff that we've been working out with the attorneys. At some point we'll bring that to the board. >> Well, that sounds really exciting. Um, so I I guess I'm going to bring a different perspective um in light of what's going on in the world right now. Um, so yeah, I'm excited,
080but I'm concerned. >> I mean, you know, and I and it's probably not even this cuz we don't know what's going to, you know, happen by the end of 2026. maybe more so our trips that are planned >> um if we have any for the beginning >> or for now. Are we done with traveling right now? >> For now. Yeah. >> For now. Okay. Praise God. >> Um so yeah, I I'm thinking, you know, as um the person that I am right now and and we're trying to make sure that all our students um have access to this um there will probably, and I'm making an assumption, be more concerned with certain pockets of our community about extending this to their child or allowing their student to do this. Um and all families will be
081concerned for sure. And so what is our process of determining if we go, you know, um how we keep our how we decide where to go, what's safe, how do we keep our students safe. I I guess I >> I can't talk about this without talking about the current state of the world we're living in right now. So um I can't put this in isolation of what's happening in our >> in our um world. I can speak to that in the Kan if you have you want to share. Um so it's usually driven by the curriculum you know and we take all uh advice uh and advisory notifications from the state department. So if the I mean I think maybe just a couple years ago we were headed to some place and the state department
082said oh don't go or it got really you know uncomfortable for us. we pulled the trip the night before and said we're just not gonna go. So we look at um sto the state department advisories and what's generally happening within the region and if we need to decide that this is not the right time to go then we we do u make adjustments so it's not just we're going regardless we do um you know follow a safety protocol. >> Perfect. I just think it's important that we communicate that out um as we're trying to build uh participation in this as well. So, thank you for that. >> Excellent. Yeah. Yeah. Other questions, board, thank you so much, Dr. Brown. Mhm. As usual. >> Huh? >> I said as usual. I want to do what the
083kids get to do here. >> All right. So, we're going to talk about the final calendar for 2627 and 2728, the draft calendar. >> Um, good evening members of the board and administration. Um I'm here tonight on behalf of the calendar committee regarding the proposed um school calendar for the 2627 school year as well as the draft calendar for 2728 both of which you received in your board packet. As you know the development of the school calendar is a collaborative process involving administrators, faculty and staff representing different departments along with representatives of district 65. And this of course ensures a broad range of perspectives and alignment with the best interests of our school community. As you will recall, the 202627 calendar was approved in draft form around this time last year. Since then, uh minor
084adjustments were made as outlined in the memo. Um for planning purposes and of course as a service to our students, staff, and families, we also um develop a draft calendar two years in advance. and the draft calendar for 2728 included in the memo is intended to provide advanced notice of key dates and may be adjusted as needed next year. Um I would like to note that several priorities guide our calendar development including um starting as late in August as possible. We know that this year's start felt early to many of our families and we're pleased to share that next school year will begin a week later in August. Um we also aim to minimize the imbalance between semesters. So every effort is made to ensure a balanced distribution of instructional days to the greatest extent
085possible. Um and of course maximizing alignment with um district 65. And while exact alignment isn't always possible due to different differing needs, um we know that coordinated calendars help families with students in both districts plan uh more effectively, reduce child care conflicts um and support collaboration between the districts. Additional details and considerations are included in the memo. I am confident that we're putting forward calendars that meet the needs of our students, families, and staff while centering teaching and learning. Um, I'd also like to take this opportunity to extend thanks and appreciation to my colleagues in the communications office, Michael Jacobson and Sabrina Stark, as well as to the members of the calendar committee for their thoughtful work throughout this year's calendar development process. We know everyone's busy and truly appreciate the time, care, and perspective
086that each of them contributed to this work. Um, that said, I'm happy to take any questions that you may have with regard to the calendars. I did notice that um when the committee was listed, >> is this the full committee? >> Uh it should be. >> Okay. That there were only a couple people from district 65. >> Uh yeah, their communication staff who I believe handle um calendar planning on their end. >> Okay. All right. So, thank you so much to see you at that table. Good >> to see you all. >> Love this. >> Yeah. Here we go. >> Bye. >> All right. Okay. We are at item number seven. Foyers. Dr. Davis. >> Uh, yes. We have uh eight foyers. One from Meyer, one from Ferrer Store, one from Akens, one from Henry,
087and four from Randall. The responses are in your packet. >> Okay. Thank you. All right. Um, we're at board committee reports and the first one is the city schools liaison committee that met January 29th. Um, I think Liz and I were at that meeting and that report is in your packet. So, if you have any questions, let us know. And the next one is the curriculum form from March 3rd. Um we did we we essentially did it's it's it's in the packet as well. >> Quick meeting just like >> presentation. It's very efficient. >> very efficient. >> I love it. >> All right. So we're at with the student board report. >> Hello everybody. >> Hi. I hope you all enjoyed the end of third quarter. I know a lot of students were stressing last
088week about getting their grades in um before the quarter ended and now I think everyone is looking forward to fourth quarter and the warm weather and the school year wrapping up. Uh in terms of performance art, the vocal showcase happened this weekend and rehearsals have started up for this year's spring musical Hades Town. The boys swim team had a record-breaking run at state, breaking four school records and finishing 13th. Boys basketball finished their last season with a loss against Depal Prep at the sectional final which was last Friday. Uh barring the Loyola game, girls basketball had a pretty good season uh finishing as the conference champions and uh losing in the sectional semi-final against Maine South. Also last Friday there was a student organized and moderate including myself moderated panel of the congressional candidates for
089the Illinois District 9 congressional seat here at UTS. Uh it was very successful with over 400 people in attendance. Wow. The student rep election for this position has begun. Over 10 people have fulfilled the requirements for candidacy. So it'll be a tight race. Um and in terms of student union, all groups are progressing well. Um they have all formed relationships with different administrative partners and hopefully their goals will be achieved by the end of the year. They're all sort of at different points, but they're they're working towards it. >> So yeah. >> Wonderful. Thank you. >> What did you say the spring musical is? >> Hades Town. >> Okay. Thank you. Yes. >> Thank you. All right, Dr. Campbell, >> thank you. Uh, thanks, Eva. I saw the write up for the forum that you
090all hosted Friday night. Nice job, >> you know, nice, excellent job. >> Um, just a couple things on my end. Uh last month, a federal court invalidated the US uh Department of Education's 2025 directive that sought to restrict DEI initiatives, ruling that guidance could not be enforced nationwide. Amid national uncertainty about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools and threats to our federal funding, I'm proud that ETHS and our educators, this board stood firmly in our core values and continue to support inclusive, informed learning environments for all students. Uh throughout this period, we remain focused on expanding opportunity and upholding principles that guide our work while preparing for changes in and funding. The ruling affirms what educator educators have long understood. Honoring the full humanity of every person and engaging honestly with our shared history
091are essential to the work in education. And I must add that I am very grateful to NEA uh our national education association for their advocacy on this on the on with with the feds. Uh it is it could not have happened without NEA, the NAACP and so many organizations working to um um to say that you know this is this is quite an infringement upon uh what we really believe education is about. So I just wanted to shout out NEA and our own um teacher Bill Farmer who was on the NEA board for their advocacy and support in that work. There's a lot of talk about Lyola tonight and I appreciate the board's comments uh and sharing your concerns uh around the um what happened with our girls basketball team at Lyola. Uh and I
092also want to take this moment to recognize uh our winter sport athletes more broadly. Student athletes are among the most visible representatives of our school culture. And I'm consistently proud of the way they represent ETHS with competitiveness, sportsmanship, and respect for one another. That pride extends to our fans as well. Our boys basketball team recently completed their another exciting postseason run, and the energy and sportsmanship shown by our student section is something uh we continue to be proud of. Uh, ETHS is a profoundly diverse school community. We are unwavering in our commitment to protecting students, confronting racism wherever it occurs, and upholding standards of inclusion and sportsmanship within the central suburban league, IHSA, and beyond. So, thank you tonight, Bo. >> Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. All right. So we are at our items for
093action and the first item is approval of international travel for 2627. Can I have a motion please? >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Andy, >> yes. >> Martin, >> yes. >> Carson, >> Yes. Thank you. The next item is approval of days of remembrance for victims of the Holocaust. And Merror's going to read that for us. >> Do I have to read it exactly how it's stated? >> Okay, that that means I don't. I don't. >> You don't. >> No. >> Yes, you do. Yes, you do. >> Okay. >> Yes, you do. >> No, we all know. Okay. Holocaust Remembrance Day is March 16th through March 20th, 2026. Whereas from 1933 to 1945, 6 million Jews and 5 million clerics, communists, dissident, Roma, gays and lesbians, disabled people, Poles, Serbs, and Jehovah
094witnesses were murdered in the Holocaust as part of a systematic program of genocide. Whereas the students and staff of Evston Township High School should always remember the atrocities committed by the Nazis so that such horrors are never repeated. Whereas the ETHS community should continually dedicate itself to the principle of equal justice for all people, remain eternally vigilant against tyrants and hate speech, and recognize that bigotry provides a breeding ground for tyranny to flourish. Therefore, we the District 202 school board proclaimed that in memory of the victims of the Holocaust and in the hope that we will always strive to overcome prejudice and inhumity through vigilance, education, and resistance, proclaim that March 16th through March 20, 2025, otherwise known as 2026, be hereby designated as Holocaust Remembrance Days at Evston Township High School. Thank you. We'll
095make that correction. It should be 2026. >> Okay. And I'd also like it to read people who are disabled versus disabled people. Thank you. >> Okay. Can I have a motion for acceptance, please? >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Martin, >> yes. Yes. >> Yes. Okay. The next item is approval of Honeywell Investment grade audit and that was in our packet. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Yes. The next item is approval of resolution providing for the issue of not to exceed $15 million general obligation school bonds of the district for the purpose of altering and school altering and school buildings and per purchasing and installing equipment therein for fire prevention and safety, energy conservation and school security purposes. providing for the levy of direct annual tax sufficient
096to pay the principle and interest on said bonds and authorizing the sale of said bonds to the purchaser thereof >> before you all vote. Uh Kendra Kendra, you got a comment? >> Yeah, I was just going to share with the board a few months back we had this item on the agenda. Yes. needed to table it so that we could uh have make sure that we had all of our tasks handled for the approval. Um we were able to get everything approved by the Illinois State Board of Education so that we could move forward with issuing these bonds. And these uh funds will be predominantly used for um the replacement of mechanical equipment in um the athletic wing, which will allow us to then um replace old and failing equipment with equipment that will be
097per um able to provide air conditioning in the gym wing. So, we're looking forward to taking that on. And also um the other part of this is that because it was tabled and we didn't issue the debt when we initially uh were intending we did have to go through and do another uh rating call with Moody's. And so I just also wanted to make sure that the board was informed that we still were able to maintain our AAA bond rating. >> Yay. >> Excellent. Excellent. Okay. Thank you. Thank you for that update and that information. Mhm. >> Okay. Can I have a motion, please? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Yes. The next item is approval of resolution of sale of the geometry and construction home for 2020 and 2000 and
098wait I'm sorry for 2120 and 2122 Daryl in Evston Illinois. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Um yes. >> Yes. >> Martin. >> Yes. >> Parson. >> Yes. Okay. The next item is approval of resolution authorizing non-renewal of part-time teachers. >> So move. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Yes. >> Parson. >> Yes. The next item is approval of resolution authorizing notice of non-renewal of non-tenure teachers other than final year probationary teachers. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Yes. >> Martin, >> yes. >> Carson, >> Yes. The next item is approval of rehire of second, third, and fourth year teachers for the 26 27th school year. >> So moved. Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Martin, >> Yes. The next item is consent agenda which includes approval of IHSA 2627
099membership, approval of campus landscaping bid, approval of athletic wing for the HVAC modernization, approval of minutes from February 9th, 2026, regular and close session. treasures report from December 2025 and approval of bills and we're going to hold the personnel report for now. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Yes. >> Martin, >> Yes. Okay. And the next item is personnel report. Can we have a motion, please? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Abstain. >> Yes. >> Martin, >> Yes. Okay. So, we are at old and new business. Does anybody have old or new business? Polling of the board. I'd just like to say that I I came here to see the Laram project and I thought it was amazing. I don't know if if anybody else had the
100opportunity. >> It was so well done. >> Important story to tell. >> Such an important story. Yes. Yes. Yeah. I was really really moved. Um, I just I just wanted to say that I attended the forum for the um candidates for the 9inth Congressional District and I've been very involved in that whole thing and I just want to give a shout out um to uh wait, now I'm saying Eva or Oh my gosh. Um Eva and the other two students who moderated it, they truly did a professional job and better than some other events I've been to. >> Wow, that's amazing. It was really, it was really, really good. Um, and also just can't resist saying hallelujah again for HVAC in the PE way. >> Finally. Finally, >> after a hundred years. >> Yes. >>
101Literally. >> It feels like it. >> Um, the credit for the candidate forum doesn't just go to me, but uh the city of Evston youth advisory committee. We worked to put it on and the Etown Sunrise group. We did that together. >> Yeah. Thanks for recognizing that. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> All right. Uh can I have a motion for adjournment? >> So moved. >> Okay. This board is adjourned and it's 9:20. Yay.