001I hereby call to order this committee of the whole meeting for Monday, August 11th, 2025. The time is 8:02 a.m. Will the clerk please call the role? >> Aaron Stone >> here. >> Kristen Dcastro >> here. >> Ellison Pavlo >> here. >> Amy Paling >> here. >> Katie Hilton. >> Judy Berlin >> here. >> Annne Hart >> here. Thank you. I seek a motion to approve the minutes of the June 2nd, 2025 committee of the whole and executive session meetings. I move to approve the minutes of the June 2nd, 2025 committee of the whole and executive session meetings. May I have a second? >> Second. The motion being made and seconded. Board members, are there any comments, errors, or omissions to the minutes? Okay, seeing none, uh may we please have a roll call vote?
002Anne Hart, >> yes. >> Kristen Dcastro, >> yes. >> Allison Pavis, >> yes. >> Amy Paling, >> yes. >> Judy Berlin, >> yes. >> Aaron Stone, >> yes. >> Motion carries. >> Okay. Well, we will get started this morning with facility development committee. I'll turn it over to Mrs. Dcastro >> and Mr. Boltar will be giving us an update on the 2025 summer construction project review. >> All right. So this morning we got two items. Um take we'll get a review from Nicholas and Associates on how the project across the street went this summer. Then also we have some new information that has um been accumulated over the summer related to some budgetary estimates for um next summer's work at the junior high. So uh this with with us this morning we have Mike Bickler
003and Rachel Steiner from Nicholson Associates. Um they'll be providing um both of those updates. >> Good morning. My name is Rachel Steiner, project manager with Nichols and Associates. Uh so an update for our 2025 going across the street at Wilmet Junior High. Uh we did uh reach substantial completion last Friday and we have our ROE walk for occupancy tomorrow afternoon. So we're looking good over there. It over to Mike. There's any questions about 2025. Okay. Excellent. So an update for 2026. >> Morning everybody. Mike Pickler with Nicholas and Associates. >> Excuse me. So, we have uh a brief update on our 60% uh CD budgeting effort here. Uh we've seen about a two and a half% increase over our last budget round. That's mainly due to scope increases and uh some other assessments that have
004been incorporated into this 60% plan set. Um most of the pricing that uh we've incorporated into the budget is based on real market feedback from trade partners of ours. There are still some assumptions that are uh obviously in place here based on things that are still in development. Um let's see. We're on track to provide another issuance based on the 85% set that's upcoming that will, you know, obviously be further developed plans, allow us to gather some additional uh real market pricing and establish a baseline for us, uh, you know, to set expectations for bid day. We still do have um a decent amount of relative conserviveness incorporated into this budget. So, I think that puts us in a good position for um, you know, for bid day. uh you know we'll we'll work with
005Corey and the rest of the district to you know tailor the bid packages to provide any alternates for some bid day flexibility. Uh right now we've got really five alternates in place. There are you know one A and B and then two, three and four. Uh at this time, you know, we're we're in a position to be out to bid in the fall, which gives us plenty of uh time for procurement and uh we don't really foresee any lead time issues with anything that's incorporated into the project for next year. Any questions? All right. Thank you. >> Wait, she a couple. >> Sure. Um, Miss Baileing, >> I was just wondering if you can remind us when bid day will be. It might be on here and I'm not >> uh I believe it's going
006out to bid in October. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Great. Thank you. >> So that's relatively early when it comes to school work. >> Thanks. And then could you also remind so alternate four it looks like that's where you know there's been some pretty significant increases. Yes. >> Um could you give a little bit of background there? So, those are enhancements to the front entrance and the pickup and drop off lane. Um, so there's obviously a fair amount of work there just with the reconfiguration of that lane. There's also a u ads sort of storm retention system that needs to be incorporated into that as well as uh some other, you know, nice aesthetic enhancements like a a PA, you know, sort of front entrance patio area. Uh some FFN that goes into that. um you
007know, some uh sidewalk ballard lighting, things like that. It's it's um it would be a very nice enhancement to the front of the school. Uh I believe there's a monument sign incorporated into that if it's not in the base bid. Um >> Okay. >> Yeah, it is it is a fairly large uh alternate, >> but there's there's a large scope of work associated with it. >> Okay. And when you referenced increases due to scope, it it it's pretty much all in that line item, would you say, for this project? Uh there there's a fair amount in that line item. There's been some other um you know just plan adjustments, things like the slate panels for instance that are existing on the building now. Uh it was determined that that's best to remove those and then
008infill that area that's uh has slate now with a MAE's panel. So that mates panel becomes part of the uh you know the glazing system. >> Um so that's kind of an enhancement to that system to deal with that existing condition. >> Sure. Okay. >> Thank you. Any other questions? Miss Stone, >> I was just going to say thank you to everybody on the team, you know, for doing the work that's done been done so far. I think we've benefited in the past from other projects by everything happening early. >> Yes. >> So, yes. So, I am glad we're continuing with that trend and just thank you for all the hard work. >> Yeah, it definitely pays dividends. So, yeah, thank you everybody. >> Judy had her hand up. >> Miss Berlin, >> uh, this
009might be more of a Corey question. I'm not sure. But that alternate four, does that include the safety enhancements that you were talking about in terms of being able to drop off and pick up kids? >> Yeah, there would be that less. Yeah, there would be some safety related features within that um within that alternate four. Um, you know, probably the biggest thing is the the longer that the design has gone along. We're we're currently at a point where um we have the meeting hasn't occurred yet, but there will be a meeting with the MWRD and currently based upon the size of the area being disturbed to like re to renovate the dropoff lane. We would have to install um underground storage, water storage. They have like a they have like a formula. So once
010you hit a certain threshold, then you have to do it. Now, we will be having a meeting. Our argument would be that while we didn't, District 39 didn't do the project, this community did lots of projects for exactly that purpose. And um I would hope that they would, you know, be willing to grant a waiver given that I don't know, 200 yards on the other to the east is a massive storage facility. So um so that's like and that price reflects if if that wasn't successful. Um so and there's like utility relocation included within their with within this project. So it is a it is as Mike said it's a large project. Um, and the other thing as it relates to like the base bed compared to maybe what we had thought I don't know
011a year ago or two years ago, you know, the longer the investigation has and digging into the details of replacing the windows at the junior high is the existing system which is original to the building just the way it's structured is a little more expensive compared to other potential window systems. So um that that is a contributing factor to uh you know the overall cost of of the basement. >> I was just asking about the crowding at the front. >> Yeah. Oh yeah. And all that would be accounted for. >> Alternate number four. >> Yep. >> That alternate number four actually clearly incorporates a lot of work. Um redesigning the entire front and as Corey mentioned some collaboration with the village could be even more helpful. But um a lot that would go into that
012if if in fact we pursue it. The it's an alternate. So the board will have the option not to pursue it at this time if if that ends up being a cost that you don't want to or can't afford. >> And just to clarify, if we did that option, you know, in two years as opposed to as part of this, it would be more expensive presumably to do it as an standalone project or not necessarily. I mean, I know it's hard to >> Well, I would say, but >> you know, you you just have sort of the incremental increase in costs that you see just over time. I don't know that um necessarily doing like alternate for as part of the you know, larger window work would um you know generate any real efficiencies because
013it is sort of a different type of scope. Um I I would add though that you know just the storm system that Corey mentioned alone accounts for about half of that budget in uh alternate 4. So if you know there that was to be navigated with MWRD um you know that that would be a significant savings. >> Okay. just um I think you went through this last year and if we do go to approve alternate 4, would we be able to get refreshed on exactly what's being proposed for to solve the congestion problem? Like what that would look like? We don't need to do it now, but I just >> Yeah, we >> I know we talked about lots of different options. >> Oh, yeah. Um, so we've, uh, you know, through the spring and
014summer, we've had meetings on multiple meetings on this project for next summer. And, um, at those meetings, we had, you know, just multiple options that we were kind of looking through. We provided feedback um, you know, modifications here and there of of what we would like it to look like. Certainly before another meeting, we could probably September, October, we could have the team put together something so we could show, hey, this is what it would look like. And definitely before you would have to essentially vote on it of what exactly we're talking about because it is if you think about what it what it is now and what it essentially would be, it is really substantially different. Yeah. So >> that would be helpful. Thank you. Anyone else? >> Okay. Thank you very much. >>
015I'll just add thank you uh Rachel for your help too in helping to make sure that the projects happen really smoothly or as smoothly as it could be over the summer. >> Absolutely. Thank you. All right. We'll move on to school finance. Mrs. Bailey. >> Yes. And we have uh three items under that. And I will turn that back over to Mr. I'm going to share my screen. All right. So, um, since we talked about the fiscal year 26 budget in at the May and June meetings, um, put in a lot of work, made a lot of changes, and ultimately after the slides, we'll get to the, um, I I'll go through the the detailed sheet that the board board already has as far as what the, uh, summary of changes were. So um one
016as you'll see later interest revenue was a was a big one was a big change uh also the transfer that we do from our operations and maintenance fund to capital projects we hit a lot of areas um some of the areas when you look at them in total the amounts may not look big but it really is probably the result of you know sometimes 20 30 50 smaller uh changes from the tenative to the final budget. All right. So, our total revenues um minus total expenditures get us to a projected surplus of one almost 1.4 million for fiscal year 26. We've um adjusted the other uses which includes construction projects and then our debt certificates at uh up to one five 5.1 million. So that brings us to a total net deficit of 3.7 um
017for this fiscal year. So really the way to look at it is um while that is a deficit, it is a planned spending of existing reserves for construction. Um so we would then end fiscal year 26 with about just shy of 43% fund balance. Here's a a a look at the breakdown of revenues. Um property taxes up to 86%. Um we're looking now at 94% of our of all of our funding being local sources. On the expenditure side, just shy of 80% in the final budget is salary and benefits. And in this particular um chart we show that operating in the operating funds revenues and expenditures have exceeded each other exceed revenues exceeded expenditures five straight years. So let me switch to a different document. Okay. All right. So, back in the spring, we started
018with a a tenative net deficit of two almost 2.7 million. You see a lengthy list here of changes that we've made over the summer. The highlights for me, uh, interest revenue dropping almost 300,000. Um, when I think about what budget I have in the operating uh operating funds for interest revenue, it's almost a million dollars lower than what fiscal year 25 ended at. Part of that is we're in a declining interest rate market and it's continued to expect uh multiple quarter point drops through this current fiscal year. Um, so that's part of it, but another big part of why I I in particular this minus 275,000 um is with the recent um press coverage of second installment tax bills being late and you know in some articles they hint at it come out in September,
019sometimes they say November or December. there's a value in our budget or an impact to our budget when th when when those installments are several months late. And I went through the calculations and on a low end, I'm looking at probably it's probably going to cost D39 300,000 in lost interest revenue. And depending upon if it gets towards like the Thanksgiving or slightly thereafter time frame, then we're probably in the neighborhood of 450,000. So, um, this will now be the third time in four years that the second installment has been late. Last year it was on time. Um, but the prior two years, I think one year we started getting revenue in November and one time we started getting it just before winter break. And then it was a similar to what's happening this year.
020In both cases, um D39 lost the opportunity to earn hundreds of thousands of um interest revenue in both cases. The bottom the other thing I'd like to highlight, so we increased the transfer from O andM to capital projects by 658,000. That is our funding source for our capital projects. um that's a reflection of just having the information of what the project is likely to cost and um wanting to have at least budgetarily that in our our final budget. I don't know that we'll ultimately approve base plus alternates that get us to that amount. But that's what the adjustment that was uh made there. Um you see several other um changes that were that were made just as a ro result of new information that came in through the summer. I'm going to scroll down and
021show one one one more slide or one more document. So, this has three years of actual data for the operating funds and then you'll notice there's an estimated column for fiscal year 25 and then the budget information that that we're asking the board to approve in two weeks in the uh in the blue column. I just wanted to note the estimated column does reflect pretty much where I believe fiscal year 25 is going to end. Um, I know there are still a few adjustments left to be made in fiscal year 25 as we as the business office works our way towards our audit, but at this point, um, the ones that I'm generally aware of that we still need to do probably will be pretty close to washing each other out. So, one area might
022increase, another area might decrease. Um, so it's a it's a pretty good estimate. And the nice thing is that fiscal year 25 um was over two million had over $2 million positive budget variance. So as we get further into the fall and those numbers firm up, we'll certainly share the areas of where those but it does provide a better starting point for fiscal year 26 um and is a contributing factor to being able to start the year um with a target of almost 43% fund balance at the end. So that is all I have for uh the D39 budget. I'm happy to answer any questions anyone has before I jump to the Wixie budget. >> Thank you board members questions, comments. Miss Pathless, >> I just um when I look at that that last slide
023and those numbers and I see it's basically in the fifth the fund balance is basically 50 52 whatever and then we dropped 42 or 43. Um, does that concern you at all or not really? I mean, I know it's still above the 40% >> threshold and I don't know that will >> um >> not uh at this point it does not. We've had um many years where we start we start with an expectation that we might fall you know somewhere a little below 45%. And then if um you know we're able to res uh achieve some positive things financially during the year um it ends up you know more towards that 50%. Um yeah I mean I eventually you know the last few years I think we've been able to kind of continue to be
024right at that 50 or just above 50%. one of these years we're going to fall slightly below it, but I don't like I would be surprised that when fiscal year 26 ends we fall all the way down to 42.9. Like I would I would think that going into this year I think there are some things um going in our favor and I'll just give you one example. Uh normally if if property taxes were were operating on time um by June I would know what that final amount is. I'm able to incorporate that in the budget. Right now, our budget for fiscal year 26 just has an estimate and which is fine, but one of the things that's been happening with the delayed Cook County is it's not just that they haven't been able to bill.
025it's that they're also sitting on existing money like the software issues that's hitting all three of the the assessor, the treasurer, and the clerk's office is they haven't been able to distribute um the collections that they've received. We the last time we got something was I think in early to mid June. So from like a purely accounting standpoint, that means right like right now fiscal year 25's property taxes um will unless something happens in the next two weeks, property taxes for fiscal year 25 will probably be about 5 to 600,000 under budget. Um we normally would have hit that budget and probably gone slightly over if they had been distributing money and been on time. I did not adjust for that. It really that is really just shifting money from 25 to 26. I did
026not adjust the fiscal year 26 budget to reflect that because it's entirely possible that on August 24th Cook County could start sending distributions. Like they don't tell us, they just do when do when they're able to. So, I think there's certainly a a strong possibility that like when we look at fiscal year 26 results, property taxes could be a very strong line item um in in a positive way. So, I'm I'm a little optimistic that of where fiscal year 26 may end. Now, what happens like in in subsequent years, I I'll work through that information, you know, leading up um to potentially the board's vote for for the summer 26 projects in November. Um but as far as like any immediate concerns, not at this time. >> Thank you. Um yeah, I just had one
027>> Oh, sorry. >> Go ahead. And then M. >> Oh, sorry. Miss Stone, go ahead. >> You sure? >> Positive. >> Okay, go for it. >> Um, thanks Sam. >> Yeah. >> Um, so I'm thinking about this idea of planning and you talked about planned spending. >> Couple things to say. This is also like going to provide some building off of Allison's comment and question and some context is number one, this planned spending. I think it's important to note that what we're doing is intentional and that um it's for good reasons. And I if I mean I feel like I'm about to toot I'm about to toot the district's horn. Um but you know we haven't had a referendum for over 14 years and in that time we had been able to um put air
028conditioning in every single classroom and start all day kindergarten and not every single district has been able to do the same thing without going to referendum. So I appreciate all of the um efforts and planning and prudence that has gone into that. And the other thing is the context I'm going to provide is so I I'm a nerd if that isn't obvious and I watched eight years of board meetings before I ran and the board before I joined changed the fund balance threshold. It used to be 30%. And then they raised it to 40% out of a um abundance of caution and prudence. And I think that the fact that they did that has helped us because there's more money there in case something, you know, happens like Cook County being delayed in their property
029tax distributions. And um so I get like, you know, we're at 50 and then it goes down to 40. But I appreciate your expertise and your um uh informed I think you know, response that no, it's not something to worry about, I guess, is what I would say. But yeah, I think your question was good because that's what we do. We ask we notice trends and we say like should we be worried and I'm not worried but um anyway so hopefully that made sense but thank you. I guess this is my bottom line. >> Thank you Miss Paling. >> No no you okay. All right me. Um so just one comment. I think when I first looked at this um sheet I thought wow that's a million dollar that's a big swing from June to
030August. Um and it's so helpful. Thank you for all of this detail. And if I'm looking at it correctly, um, you know, the biggest drivers, the first one is the last line item there, which we just talked about, um, being, you know, money that we haven't even committed yet that we do have more information that will be coming. We have, you know, more bids and more decisions to be made there. So, that's kind of the biggest driver of this big swing in a two-month period. um which is good to know that um there is more information that will help us make those decisions. Um and then obviously the interest revenue um kind of two factors of the the changes there. Um so again just thank you for this level of detail and and then I
031just had a question. I was curious um why such a change in student transportation fees? Um, so I had set like the the budget for the revenue budget for that um, in the spring based upon where I knew we were ending fiscal year 25. I knew what the price was going to be for the upcoming year. And um, I just made a an estimate of what kind of increase I thought would we would see. We have um I had a few a few people on our staff go through. So, we were looking at numbers from a couple different ways. How many people had signed up? Um it was probably about a week ago before I finalized this and um that was kind of the information I was given. Um, I think it could still go
032up based upon um, people joining the wait list and people once school starts, people that are unfamiliar with Highest, right? Like last year when I got the initial numbers, there was a little bit of like, oh, okay, people might be starting to change behaviors relative to price. Then we ended up with a weight list that was like 150 and that was way bigger than we've had in a very long time. And so then the total revenue number for that year was more reflective of maybe where I thought it would be. Um last school year we had were able to reduce the number of of routes based upon the writership um which impacted this the transport the calculation um positively. We were able to drop another full like bus route this year. So even though maybe
033revenue on the student transportation fee side it may not have grown like we would hoped, we are like the the cost side is being controlled a little bit. So I expect like a positive um for us to be comfortable with where we're at. I think when I update that information later this fall, but it's really just a reflection of what the wrership was compared to what I had kind of estimated back in the spring. Okay. No, thank you for that. I know it's something that we discuss every year in terms of those fees versus writership and the level of, you know, benefit that we're providing and um, you know, the level of costs we're subsidizing. So, it's just one I I know we always want to keep an eye on. So, thanks for that background.
034Um, anyone else? Any questions comes? Okay. Thank you. >> I think we can move to the wixie. I'll just one last comment on D on D39 before I go to XC. Yes, I would agree that like having the 40% other than providing a safety net has more value. So just in recent history like the three out of the last four years, one of the benefits to having the nice fund balance besides earning interest revenue when rates are what they've been the last few years, but we've also avoided having to go into short-term borrowing. So, like the last when when these delays in Cook County um happen, if you're running kind of razor thin on your reserves, the first thing you do, you're like, "Oh, now I've got a short-term borrow." Well, that's got a cost,
035right? And um you know, that's lost money from your from your operational budget. So, any something I wanted to point out. Okay, Wixie. Um, it's our joint agreement with the VOCA School District. All right. So, for fiscal year 26, uh, we're looking at 236,000 for the budget of revenue and expenditures. Last year was at 227. Um, no fund balance. At least is way the budget is comprised. There's really nothing new or changed from from the prior year. Um, you know, our our D39 board here approves the Wixie budget, holds the public hearing. So, in two weeks, um, probably the f one of the first things on the agenda that night will be we'll hold public hearings for both the D39 and the Wixie budget, um, as required by law. And then we'll ask the board
036to approve both of those items um, later in the evening. There any questions related to the Wixie budget? >> No. Thank you. >> Okay. I turn it back to you. >> Oh, hold on. One last item. >> One more. >> Uh >> oh, sorry. Annual post tax compliance. >> Yep. Very very easy to forget. Very uh procedural item. Um, it's just a review that that I that I uh perform each year because we issue um long-term debt that is consumed by the general public or investors. And so we go through a few steps just to make sure that we're in compliance with the laws that are in place that allow us to um to issue that debt. and and I just am reporting to the board that um D39 is is once again for the
037last year um in compliance. That's really the that's really all there is. >> Great. Thank you very much. >> All right, we will move on to strategy. Miss Stone. >> Yes, thank you. And I believe I'm turning it over to Mr. Damonte for an update on technology use. >> Thank you. Uh it's important to reflect upon how we use technology every now and again. Um we happen to think we are using it as a model um compared to other places and our kids benefiting from the way in which our educators professionals integrate it with the curriculum and their day-to-day use and homework notetaking and all the above projects. But um given the fact that there's been some either local interest or some national trends to just look at how technology is being used in the
038schools, um one thing we identified was a lack of just clarity, clear language that we can point to for both our teachers and our parents to just say, "Look, here's some language. These are some of the ways that we're using it. This is how you can guide your kids with their own personal uh technology at home. So we know uh cell phones and social media and other technologies are a struggle for our parents. So maybe giving them um some vocabulary could help and in turn help us as well. So when onetoone programs we don't use the term onetoone uh we don't call it a tech program. It's just what we do. Um partly because you just have to uh our high stakes testing and assessments are are all uh technology- based. Um some of it
039is because we want to developing the four C's and um having projects that are authentic and real world and involve creativity and communication, collaboration, those kind of things. But we use uh iPad the iPad uh on a daily basis. uh usage may be different depending on the grade level. So our early childhood prek kiddos never really touch uh any kind of tech or the devices. Our kindergarten students have access uh to iPad. They never go home. Um they're on a cart. Targeted used probably more often never used. First through fourth they're used when it makes sense. And then as the kids get older and are more in charge of their learning fifth through 8th and they have their learning management system otherwise known as an online classroom schooly and assignments and different teachers and projects
040and and learning is just more collaborative. They're using it quite often which then prepares them for high school where they're going to be using it quite often. college where every university in college I know uh requires some kind of device and then in uh careers uh where people are remote working and and using tech every every day. Uh so it but that being said uh looking back on some of the frameworks when you were first to roll out a one to one uh let me share my screen. There's a couple of ones that um are talked about a lot. SAMR um first released I believe in 2009. So it's a little older but still very applicable. So you want to move technology from just substituting what you would normally do or augmenting what you would
041normally do to modifying or redefining the learning. So you want to take it beyond just it's an electronic worksheet uh and then doing something more with it which again we do quite a bit of here in district 39. I looked at uh the technology integration uh matrix uh put out by the University of Florida. They have these uh meaningful learning environments uh these five down here active learning, collaborative, constructive, authentic, goal- directed, um a lot of the best use of of technology and then different levels in which it's being used kind of like SAMR it goes from entry to transformative. Um, so and I looked at a few others, the TAC framework and a couple others that have kind of been out there and uh some research articles that have looked at these different frameworks
042and not very surprisingly they're all based on the same general research and you start to see the same terms being used. And then we've reflected a little bit here in district 39. um how can we make this clear for our parents and our teachers? Can we boil it down to some simplified language? Um knowing that a lot of these are really mentioning the same characteristics. So in synergizing that uh came up with uh and active and passive learning. These terms have been around for a while, but applying them with technology use can help to clarify those those best practice ways of how we're using it. Again, we are doing these things. We're just giving language uh internally and externally. So, if you take a look at at the screen, uh this is uh almost completed
043uh fairly complete. Uh it was it's a one-page document trying not to be heavy with uh the vocabulary or jargon if you will. So digital learning in Wilmet public schools how technology use this one's for teachers can engage empower and inspire. And if we boil it down to just that simplified language of active learning or use and passive learning and use can see those characteristics down below. um many of which on the green side are what you would see in those technology integration frameworks. Uh images were created by our graphic artists that uh uh maybe you recognize little characters from some of the COVID signage around the district. Uh it's not what uh it's known for, but it's kind of what it's known for. But there's our characters. Uh so images representing that active learning
044and use the the terms that I stated the images representing the passive learning or or use um which could be just and and actually why don't I read some of these because I think it'll make sense for you as um the majority of you are non-educators and hopefully this does make sense for you. But let's take a look at passive because that's not where we want to be all the time. There are some times where passive is okay. Um it's a great way to deliver uh information lectures kind of with ease. So ebooks or e texts or podcasts uh those ways are onedirectional uh kind of consumption. Um they're easy to access. They can be up to date. Uh they're efficient ways to learn information. But we don't always want to be there because as
045examples digital worksheets we don't want to have at least without immediate feedback because if there is immediate feedback there's a benefit to it. The second bullet point observational or non-interactive content that would be like a YouTube video. Think about a YouTube not all technology use is the same. That one directional watching of YouTube videos, autoplay, continuous without any interaction, not always great. But if you pair that with reflection, imagination, participation, that same video that a teacher could uh assign or a kid could watch uh can help the learning process and just generally no thought or interaction required. That's passive learn uh learning, excuse me. Uh but active learning you might have critical thinking and analysis of ideas immediate feedback uh creating designing constructing uh in interactive engaging collaborating with others uh both near and far.
046So friends here friends of far um personalized investigations application of that newly learned information real world world connections. So those are the terms that you would often see as best uh best use of technology. And with this term, we'll also have a parentf facing document. That's what I just flipped to. You may say that looks the same slightly, just changing student to uh to child, excuse me. Um and then at the bottom, uh acknowledging that these terms can help guide personal technology choices as well. Um we want our parents uh we recommend to consider the quality of interaction with screen time media in addition to the amount of time. So look at how media examples like apps, games, video content engages and grows your child. Everyone wants to know like what's a good app, what's
047a bad app. You know good apps are ones that as I highlight this exemplify that it could be something that allows for creativity. It could be sudoku. could be a game in which you're thinking we're playing with others, that's that's good. Um, but if it's just consumption of videos without learning or reflection, I would argue, you know, not always the greatest use of that. So, this can help guide parents guide their uh children's personal technology use. So, think of cell phone, think of the things the kids do on cell phones. Um, you know, you could boil it down even to like little videos on on uh social media feeds like just consuming videos all the time without learning ju maybe not so great. There are some kids that have been very successful in creating videos
048and learning marketing skills and entrepreneurial uh skills like maybe that's a good thing. So I think you just need to think about a parent our parents need to think about what they're doing. It's not the tech. It's not the quantity of hours. It's the quality of the interactions of what kids are doing. So, we're going to reflect upon that both for our teachers as well as for our our parents. Um, put these very simple, hopefully easy to understand as you look at them, one-page documents out there. Um now going back uh we've done some reflecting on our devices the iPad uh in which go home and we are going to make some adjustments. So I put this on the bottom um and I'll just kind of point you to it uh of the teacher page.
049So our kindergarten devices they don't go home now. Um there's really no change there. our fifth through 8th, they go home daily. Um, we're gonna maybe think a little bit about the goal of what our kids are doing on that and make sure it's active learning and active use. So, it's not just that substitution of the digital worksheet. There has to be something some kind of feedback, some kind of, you know, something that happens with that content. But the real big change is grades one through four, which as far as devices going home, they're by default um just going to stay at school. So, we had made the purchase of some additional storage devices for our classrooms that didn't have them. When we started this journey, uh every classroom had a charging system of some
050way. And then as time went on, uh some classrooms kept that and some uh were no longer here. we have since uh either donated or electronically recycled or what have you. And now we're going back to storing. So, we had to um put that in place. So, we ordered them. Our building technicians have assembled them and they're going to be in classrooms for the first day of school. So, every first through fourth grade classroom, the default will be devices, iPads will be charged at school. And we're still going to live leave discretion to our uh professionals. We do hire well. We employ amazing teachers. We want we don't we don't want to say these iPads can never go home, but they should targetedly go home. And any kind of homework assigned should be an example
051of active learning or active use. So that's the terminology, that's the filter, that's the framework that we're going to use with our teachers. So they may go home less frequently. We did have some grade levels where they went home daily. And at this point, it's just the default is staying at school. If there's an assignment for a night where there's active learning, active use involved, it'll go home. It'll come back. It'll continue to get charged here at school. So, that's uh an update at least on the uh how we're using iPad. I I do know uh I still continue to be very proud of our teachers and in what we're doing uh exemplifying the correct use of using technology we've hosted and and I know that because internally I I'm familiar with this language and
052I see it happening. Um we've also had other districts come and on site and watch us do it uh multiple districts. I just got a request over the weekend for a Wisconsin district to come down in September to see us in action. So, there's some external validation I want you as board members to understand in our schools, we're doing amazing things with it and using it right. Um, so just conveying using some language and conveying that so that way our parents um can also understand that uh is is the key here. There's one more update. I don't really have something to show you on that but uh artificial intelligence is um definitely a hot topic right now. So this Friday we have a facilitator uh Amanda Bicker Staff from AI for Education who has helped
053to develop guidelines for Chicago public schools, New York public schools, state level organizations and we got her not one of the people that works for her. So, she'll be on site with us uh over at uh Learning Commons where all day we're going to have a workshop with a cross-section of our teachers, somebody representing the majority of positions. We have six parents that will be joining us as well. And I'm trying to grab a few students uh 13 and older to come join us as well. During that time, we're going to talk about philosophical use of AI in schools, ethical considerations of AI in schools. And the second half of the day is to develop very similar to these one pagers, one-page guidance documents, one for parents, one for teachers, one for students. Because at
054this point, we're not at the point of having a philosophical discussion of AI. Generally speaking, our people just want to know, can I use it or can I not use it or how should I use it? They just want clarity and that's what we're going to bring. So when we have those one pagers, then from there those will be used in our normal processes. So, like as Kelly Jackson has a curriculum uh committee and they're at the point of uh adopting a pro a curriculum for a certain subject and they're looking at resources looking at that document, can or can't you or what kind? Sure, you can use AI if it's and I'm just saying this for now because Friday hasn't happened. if it's embedded into some kind of educational program where there's a tight
055agreement about data privacy and there's guard rails and you know X Y and Z then yes it can be adopted as a resource for whatever ELA curriculum or something like that. So, and then um for parents and students to have some clarity as well because a lot of our kids may not realize that most of the uh kind of general AI uh chat bots that are out there, chat GBT and and Gemini and others, you have to be um most of them are 18 and older. Our kids shouldn't even be using them. So again, can I or could can't I use this no chart teacher needs to, you know, teacher directed or uh but at the same time also expose our kids to it. So by the time they leave our system, they will have
056some knowledge or possible guided use. There are some that are 13 and older uh that can be used so that when they go on to newer they have learned the guard rails without getting their hands slapped. Um our kids are young, our kids are learning. They just need to know can or I can't can't I. So our teachers working with our kids. So anyway, a lot to come from this but you're seeing the connections of trying to make things simple, try to boil it down to one pagers and just provide some some guidance. That all being said, are there any questions from the board? >> Board members questions, comments, I have a few, but I wanted to open it up to everybody else first. >> What? >> You go. >> You sure? >> Yeah, I'm
057positive. >> Okay. It might be a little verbose. That's where I'm at. Um, >> one page questions. >> All about one pages. >> Half page. All right. >> Okay. Number one is thank you for being so responsive and thoughtful and um doing such important work and for reflecting on um where we're at with this and for tightening up um the clarity for everybody's benefit going through that lens of our mission to engage, empower, and inspire. Um that's the first is the thank you. >> Sure. Uh my two questions are number one is where are these guidance documents going to live so that people can access them easily or find out about them or whatever. That's my first question. >> So right now I'm the finishing touches is um my peers in the tech and education.
058I have a couple of trusted people that I have just reviewing that making sure it's on target making some adjustments. Um once that should be in the next day or two these are done. We need to make sure internally they get to our teachers. Um, and they'll be shared whichever way uh makes sense. A lot of our principles have internal. I'm sure you're talking about external. So, they'll go out probably through one of the communications from Dr. Dr. Kromascoli u because we want to start off the year knowing there was interest in this topic with some clarity some vocabulary and some language we can all kind of share so that we can explain this in in a way that everyone understands. So um I believe this will go out in one of the upcoming u
059emails from Dr. Premise Skully to start and then I see it getting uh into our principal newsletters uh toward the beginning of the year and right now there was a thought of providing a slide to our teachers. So at curriculum night or one of those first con conversations um that language is is out there to be shared as well. >> Okay, that's brilliant. And I wasn't trying to tell you what to do. I was just curious. >> No, that is the plan and I appreciate that. Speaking of staying on the balcony because that's where that's where we live. Um, if anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about, I'm talking about good governance and our board is on the balcony and the running of the district's on the dance floor. It's something we get taught. We
060have one employee, our superintendent. Everybody goes from there. Anyway, um, in case anyone listening is not knowing what I'm talk about talking about, which is that. Okay. So, this next question is also not a suggestion to do something. It's just a curiosity because I know you do such an amazing job with all the parent education nights. >> We have many. >> You do. you and I'm so impressed. >> We've actually had a couple districts split to us to see how they could replicate it. I've had two conversations this summer with nearby districts. >> Oh, I'm not surprised. >> Um, we need to hit this more uh or at least one or two on the topic and that could be with our tech teachers, tech specialists. I also know that a lot of the struggle struggles
061are personal with social media. So, we always do a couple every year. we need to hammer those home and uh communicate those broadly because that's I think where the real struggle is is personal tech use not what we're doing here in school. So it just comes out as frustration. It presents as such. Um so those will occur. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. Um board members, other board members, questions, comments, concerns? I'm >> I'm still digesting all of it so I'm good. Go ahead. >> Okay. Could could I just ask Tony, can you explain just briefly some of the work that you needed to do this summer to make sure that our elementary schools were fully equipped to make it the default to keep all these devices at school and be charged here. That's a
062bit of a shift for some of our schools, not so much for others, but the consistency across the district is is will be new this year. And so there's some there's some uh equipment changes that needed to happen. >> I appreciate that. Thank you. So we um we first started by looking at internally um out of our four elementaryaries uh which grade levels were going home on a daily basis which were not. We did have some inconsistencies. We had one school uh first through fourth grade going home daily. We had uh other schools just third and fourth grade. We had one school just fourth grade. Well intended fourth grade to prepare you for high crest. Like it makes sense. But then when looking at that, we were many times sending devices home without any plan
063for active use or learning. They were just going home and coming back. Um so I think and sometimes getting crushed in the process in a backpack and if you're a parent that's frustrating because wasn't coming home for any for any actual use or learning. Um and then we take took a look at our neighbors in the Nutri Township and some of them um are making an adjustment as well. um some are up through fifth grade. Uh due to the structure of their schools, keeping them at school, uh many of them are moving that direction. So then we looked at our storage devices in at our elementarymentaries and in order to make that happen, we had to make classrooms whole. So we bought some tech tubs, um storage tubs. Uh we have some charging carts out
064there, but our teachers, many of them like these little tubs. There's four in a classroom uh because you can spread those tubs out and have kids go up and grab the devices. So, we needed to purchase those the inside charging hubs, cables, and then our technicians had to assemble all those things, put them into the classrooms. It sounds easy. It's a lot of work. Um by the time it was done, it was 85 tech tubs that needed to be assembled and many, many hundreds of cables and hubs that needed to be put in there. So, um, at this point, uh, I think I only just have a couple still out from a section recent section break that I had to still get in, but the vast majority are already in our classrooms ready, uh, to
065be charged um, and kept here. So, and we also paired that with like when these things go home, as a reminder to our board, because um, unless you have kids here, you may not be aware, making sure the parents have the proper controls when they get home. So when these devices when the bipads go home, parents absolutely have the right to say, "Take it out of your bag. Let's put it on the shelf. Let's keep it turned." That's a parent's right. So empowering the parents. Um screen time. If they really did want to control apps or websites, we don't lock that on the iPad. So Apple's built-in screen time controls, they're welcome to use. And then we purchased securely uh home which is an app that allows for very simplified controls for the parent. They
066can pause and unpause with a single tap. They can block websites. They can set schedules. They get alerts. We purchase that as a monitoring tool for our parents for when they do go home. We don't use securely home internally. That is for our parents. So if these do go home, parents have full control and empowered to um use them as they see fit. So, um, we don't want them to be a burden. We think it enhances the educational experience for our kids, but at the same time recognize being a parent in 2025 is tough. So, these controls, they're there. Um, so our and then so we'll need to um draw attention back on to those controls like screen time and securely home so our parents understand they have the controls they're seeking. You can block
067YouTube. Like it's as simple as typing it in and blocking it. So, no filter's perfect, but this but securely home is one of the best ones out there for uh for the iPad. Thank you, Carrie, for that question. >> Any other board members? Miss Paling? >> So, I just want to echo the appreciation. I think um our you know, our greatest goal is for our kids to be collaborative, creative thinkers, and uh the approach you're clarifying for everyone really emphasizes that. And um I think what I appreciate the most is the balance of focusing on the quality of the technology use >> pedigogy always rules >> right >> always. >> And with that comes quantity because I know what we've heard both locally and nationally is even when there's good use of technology when you're
068looking here you're not looking at your neighbor and all those essential interpersonal skills. And I think when we're doing it really well, it it builds in that quantity because your balance, you know, I I know what we all are aiming for is a balance and you can't use technology well in the way you're describing if you're always looking at a computer. >> Great point. I I want to mention uh Amy that we sometimes have set ourselves up for this questioning as well. So, in doing amazing things with technology, we've taken a lot of pictures. We post a lot of pictures. If you were to look at some of our pictures, you would think our kids are on iPad all the time. They are not. I have walked through a school um before. I've one of
069my stories I shared about last year was I walked through our Apple rep um at one of our elementary schools because I was like going to show her some grit, right? And I didn't come across a single classroom using the iPad at that moment in time. fine. Absolutely fine. So, I think our teachers use it when it makes sense. They're empowered to and there is no district directive that says you must. We trust our professionals. And um so I think there's a misconception by a lot of people that our kids are on devices all the time and they are not. um it increases a little bit fifth through eighth. Kids are older, go to multiple classes, you know, it's but um and even there there's a lot of non- tech time. So, no, in this
070district, we have been very thoughtful to the balance of um even in our libraries, we have ebooks and we never got rid of paper books, right? We have both. Um, there's screen time and we hope our kids when they're at home have a lot of green time and there's hands-on experience that is our tech and there are hands-on that are not. So, we we do a very good job of balancing that. Before it was like the focus to balance or to balance, you know, you hear a lot about it now. We've always been doing that because we knew it wasn't best. I do appreciate as you u mentioning though the number because we have looked at that too in the research and like American Academy of Pediatrics and a whole bunch of other medical organizations
071don't just so everyone's aware here don't provide a number to school age kids they have ch all changed their guidance for school age kids to talk about it's the quality of the interactions not the quantity there is no magic number unless you're talking to an optometrist and they're you There's that piece. >> But for other use, there isn't a magic number anymore. Back in the day, there used to be. There is not. So, if you ever hear anybody saying school age kids, it's one hour, it's two hours, that does not exist. There's a big difference from kids consuming YouTube videos non-educational with autoplay turned on constant con constant and watching some kind of educational video where they're learning something paired with either reflection or discussion or so uh yeah there is no magic number it's
072pedigogy it's quality not quantity >> thank you that allowed me to uh get a few comments in >> nice board members >> I'll just Mrs. um add add to that just along the lines of what Amy said and I mean I I just think this is a critically important conversation that I'm so glad we're having right now and I look forward to continuing this conversation um you know on an ongoing basis as this evolves. Um and along those lines I just agree wholeheartedly with what Amy said. you know, it's evolving so fast, the technology is, and we're being presented with the opportunity to use it in so many different ways um at home and in school. And it's just really about that balance of you know what is the benefit um teaching the kids the
073right technologies preparing them for what's ahead but at the same time you know really maintaining these time-tested methods and practices um that have that that work. So just you know striking that balance is is hard work I think um because there is so much opportunity but you know the traditional methods um just you know maintaining those as much as possible and seeing those come through in the students work is is so critical. Um so I just again appreciate the conversation and look forward to having more of these. Um and then you know just se separately um um you mentioned you the iPads not going home um >> that's right >> in the elementary schools and thank you for all of the work that allowed that to be possible so that they go home on an
074as needed basis not every night and I just know that that doesn't mean that parents aren't going to be seeing work come home especially when you get up toward you know third and fourth grade and there is a little bit more homework that you know hopeful because I know that at le parents love that homeschool connection and seeing what kids are working on in school. So because the iPads aren't going home you know I'm sure they'll be seeing the work coming home in other ways. >> Yeah. We got to be careful like we don't want to set ourselves up to be like okay now we need to send more paper home because parents need to see learning in action or >> um learning is happening. So um it's just you're yeah you're right we >>
075again that balance it's the balance which also may vary again based on grade. So absolutely >> our fourth grade teachers are very intense about preparing the our kids for your kids for >> Highest and that may mean a couple more times it goes home than a first grade classroom where uh >> you know I don't know how much independent practice on an iPad really may need to take place unless there's some kind of take a picture of your family or you know video of something with your brother and I don't know. So thank you. Yeah. >> So, yeah, whenever there's uh you have questions from the community, please reach out. Or if you want to hear more, like Anna stated, just talk to Dr. Kremcoli and we'll get it back on the agenda. >> Okay.
076>> Thank you. Any other board members before I turn this back over to Mrs. Hart? >> All right. I think that ends our strategy update for today. So, I'm turning it back over to you, President Hart. >> Okay. Thank you, Miss Stone. Um, at this time, this is an opportunity for the public to address the board on any topic. Any board members that would like to I mean, I'm sorry, any audience members that would like to speak today? Okay, great. Seeing none, we will move on with our agenda. Old business. Is there any old business? All right, new business. Any new business? I will just mention I in the uh Friday update I shared with the board the invitation from ISB for the uh North Cook dinner that will will be happening in October if
077you'd like to attend and I know a couple of you have already shared interest. Please let me and Margie know. We'll make sure to get you registered. The event looks like it'll be a really good one with Doug Bolton uh presenting. Got you going. >> I was just gonna say I'm a huge fan of Doug Bolton. I've seen him speak and I signed up. Um, so just if anyone's on the fence or you think like, hey, I might be free, he's he's worth it. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Thank you. At this time, um, like a motion to adjourn to executive session to discuss special education and individual student matters, specific personnel, and collective negotiations. Um, I move to adjourn to executive session to discuss special education specific employees and collective negotiations. >> May I have
078a second? >> Second. >> Motion having been made and seconded, will the clerk please call the role? >> Allison Pathos, >> yes. >> Amy Paling, >> yes. >> Judy Berlin, >> yes. >> Annne Hart, >> yes. >> Kristen Dcastro, >> yes. >> Aaron Stone, >> yes. >> Motion carried. We are now adjourned to executive session and the time is 9:09