001Okay, board members, real squared away. Here we go. Good evening everyone. On behalf of the Community Unit School District 300 Board of Education, I would like to thank you for being in attendance both virtually and in person for tonight's board meeting. At this time, I would like to reconvene the meeting of the Community Unit School District 300 Board of Education to order for Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025. Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? Burkett, present. Fantino, present. Lamarca, present. McKini, present. Scarpino, present. Thomas, present. Zetler. You have six board members present. Thank you, Dr. Smith. At this time, I'd like to invite Principal Doug Corey from Dundy Highlands Elementary School and his students to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. Parents, if you'd like to come forward and take photos, please do. Parents,
002come on. You can move up here if you want. Sit in the front row. Take pictures. Yep. So cute. Good evening, District 300 Board of Education, Dr. Smith, and District 300 community members. My name is Doug Corey, and I'm the proud principal of Dundy Highlands Elementary School. We also have with us uh Mrs. Dawn Deetsz, our assistant principal. Dundy Highlands is thrilled to present these eight students you see before you this evening. This year Dundy Highlands has transformed into the school of rock where students have gone on an educational rock tour. As part of their rock tour, students can earn a caught being a rockstar ticket for showing care at Dundy Islands. Each student you see before you has earned that ticket this year multiple times and they were selected to be here this evening
003while also getting some pretty cool shades. These students are Christa Rivero, Adelina Pilchuk, Audrey Coridon, Noah Rodriguez, Beatatrice Black, Devin Alexander, Eliza Okampo, and Adam Bosco. At this time, please would you all join me in standing for the pledge of allegiance. Turn that way. Turn this way. That's it. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you so much. Great job, parents. Great job. Moms and dads, you're free to take off if you want. We'll continue with the meeting. Thank you. I just want you all to know this is the second board meeting where the students gave me a little something. So, I got a pair of shades. I will refrain
004from wearing them for the meeting. Item number five. Thank you. The approval of the agenda. There have been no changes to the agenda. Do I have a motion to approve the agenda? So move. Second. Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? McKenzie. I Burkett I Fantino I Thomas I Lamar I motion passes 6. Thank you Dr. Smith. For tonight's student recognition, I'd like to welcome Mrs. Stephanie Watson, Liberty Elementary School principal to the podium. Good evening, board of education members, Dr. Smith, families, and community members. My name is Stephanie Watson, and I have the privilege of serving as the proud principal of Liberty Elementary School. Tonight, I am honored to share a glimpse of the powerful student voice and leadership thriving at Liberty. Our students are empowered to lead and when they see an
005opportunity to enrich our school community, they know that they have the support to make it happen. One example of student voice and leadership is Maya Copala, who is with us this evening. Inspired by her passion for crochet, Maya took the initiative to start a club that now includes over 40 classmates and several staff members, including her classroom teacher, Mr. Betts. And they do all of this during their lunch recess time. These kinds of student-led initiatives teach vital skills and most importantly demonstrate to every Liberty student that their voice matters and can shape our community. I'm incredibly proud of the culture that we have built together, one that fosters confidence, creativity, and leadership. Please join me in a round of applause for Maya for sharing her passion while demonstrating the incredible things that can happen when
006students lead. Thank you, Maya. Congratulations. [Applause] I have something for like for you to explain. two for two. So, just um I think it was just a week ago during some school visits um Doc and I were out at Liberty and when I go to Liberty, there are always student ambassadors that greet me at the door and they always have snacks because for some reason it's usually around the time where I haven't quite had any lunch yet. So, it's like clutch. But anyway, as we were welcomed into the school, we started learning about different clubs that students have taken the responsibility and the ownership to create at Liberty Elementary School. And Miss Maya here just really stood out with her compassion and her drive to start something that had never happened at their school before.
007All of us adults were jealous because we have this secret that we want to learn how to crochet and have no time. And um what I really connected to is that Maya has created an opportunity for her and her peers because some of us we got to admit out there we kind of wanted something else to do during recess but we just had to go. She has created an opportunity for some of her peers to do something different and be proud of what they're doing. And so it was great, not only for the snacks, but because we're seeing student voice and leadership all the way down to the elementary school. And I think that's wonderful. Good job. Good job. Mom and dad, congratulations. Yes. Super. Thanks so much for being here. Yep. Thank you very
008much. Thank you. You could take off. Go ahead. Go ahead. Thank you. I wanted you to hear that though from the superintendent. Thank you. Have a great night. Great job. [Laughter] Continuing with tonight's recognition, I'd like to celebrate board member Steve Furantino as an established board leader. The Illinois Associate of Association of School Boards or IASB has named District 300 Board of Education member Steve Fantino as an established board leader. The IASB recognizes individual school board members for the time and effort they put toward participating in its learning and leadership programs and events. Points are awarded to the members based on the activities they undertake. Established board leader is the first tier of recognition at the IASB that the IASB provides through its points program. District 300 congratulates Mr. Fantino for attaining established board leader
009status from the Illinois Association of School Boards. At this time, I'd like to present Mr. Fantino with a framed certificate and congrats again. [Applause] For tonight's staff recognition, we'll be celebrating Administrative Professionals Day tomorrow, April 23rd. As a reminder to those of you who haven't hit up the story yet, administrative professionals day. And I would like to just take a minute and recognize all of our incredible administrative support staff. Our administrative professionals play an essential role in supporting the daily operations of our schools and our district. Their organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to handle unforeseen challenges greatly benefit our students, families, and staff members. On behalf of District 300, thank you to our administrative support staff for the invaluable contributions you make every day. They are critical to the success of our district,
010and we are truly grateful for all that you do. [Applause] At this time, we'll Oh, go over to good news. Oh, am I wrong? I jumped ahead. Sorry. Go ahead, doc. Okay, go ahead. Okay. Thank you. Uh, I'd like you to put your thinking caps on, please. If you remember some of you, if you attended board meetings before CO and then attended board meetings after CO during CO uh the statement that I have read countless times, I developed that because of what was transpiring during CO in the audience and uh things have been a lot calmer now and if you have watched any of our board meetings, you have noticed sometimes I just kind of look out and I ask you everybody going to behave and they will and then I don't read them. But
011that's why they were developed because you have to have for new board members who are going to be sworn in in a couple of weeks, you have to have decorum. You have to you have to be able to run a board meeting. You can't have people standing up yelling, screaming and everything. So that's why we did this and I appreciate Todd for what he did during during COVID and everything. So that's why so tonight I'm not going to read the rules of the quorum. There's no need to because I realize everybody's unbehaved for crying out loud. I mean, we're here to do the work of the district. We're here to recognize kids and we need to press forward. We really do. And this is not political. This is simply we have a meeting and we
012invite the public and just behave. This is our classroom. That's our classroom. Okay. Any questions? No questions. Here we go. Perfect. We're going to jump down to uh public part uh yeah public participation I do believe now we've had two people sign up for public participation. I will call you up to the podium individually. You all know the time limit. If you have any questions feel free to ask me and I'll be more than happy to answer them. I'll call you up individually. Our first speaker this evening. Let me put my glasses on. Mr. Dr. Mike Williams. Three minutes. I gave you three. Thank you, Dr. Scarpino. And I understand you put your glasses on, but my last name is William Son. So, um, he he didn't read Oh, Mike Williamson. I'm lead 300's president,
013also member of the IEA and the NA board of directors. Um, and I'm not here to speak tonight about about all of the various important things I normally do. actually here to speak tonight about the outgoing board president. Um, it is a responsibility in my office to do a bit of a sendoff for uh board members that go quietly into the the after, which is I don't know about quietly, but he's going into the after. Um, and so I have a few things I want to share with you about board president David Scarpino. Um, those who've been around for a while know that at one point I did a send off for Shelly Mackey who's back there somewhere. Um, where I told all of the, you know, secrets from when she was a kid about
014like how she let the frogs out at South in 1991 and all that stuff. And there'll be some things like that in this. So, you know, pay attention because here it comes. By the way, there's Park View shirts up here just just so you're aware. And we'll explain that in a minute. Um, but I do want to start with, you know, he didn't read the rules. And the reason he didn't read the rules wasn't just because these meetings have gotten enormously better and thank you for imposing rules. But it's also because he didn't want me to remind you that they're not allowed to engage with me while I talk about it. That's part of the rules. So Dr. Smith, you have that right. You gabble him down if he starts because here it comes. So
015um I just want to point out I'm wearing a a purple tie today. I didn't dress all in purple. And that has to do with part of Dr. Scarpino's history. He claims Hampshire, but he's only a little Hampshire. Only a little Hampshire. And for those of you from Hampshire, and I asked Susie Copat, so I've got it. I've got this, right? But he's only a little Hampshire because a lot of his tenure was in Wisconsin. I'm just saying you're not going to do Wait, you can't engage me. Never mind. All right. So, that's just the starting point. But my first impression of Dr. David Scarpino was when he was a district administrator in the role that I think Mark Wetzel is in now. And I came into my classroom one day and he rolled into
016that classroom, scared the nonsense out of everybody, but taught my kids how to read in front of a board and how to speak in front of a board. Few weeks later, when we had the occasion to speak, well, I say it's probably a year later when we had the occasion to speak in front of a board about some changes that were going on, people kept saying, "These crown kids are incredible. That Williamson sent him here." And I was like, "No, that was actually Dr. Scarpino. He's the one that trained him to do this." Thank you for that. Thank you for what you did for those kids. Thank you for what you've done for our kids. And now to the fun part. Um why the Parkview shirts are here. So I got a Parkview shirt and
017Dr. Scarpino didn't. He was upset. Therefore, he got some light up shoes at Deacy that he wore around. If you haven't seen these, see them. I think they're actually classed as like a a a massive hazard by the school system. Casey, you got me. Remember this. Casey, you got me. Casey's got me. Wait, wait. Oh, there it is. So, how did that happen? So, anyway, he has these light up shoes like FEMA actually called and asked him to take them off because he was, you know, scaring kids and then that you could see them from space and there was but that was but he still didn't have a Parkview shirt and we went around on this bus and I was talking to Kathy. was, you know, Kathy Balazar and I were talking, but really I
018was just putting my Park View shirt on. This, by the way, is that shirt from a couple of years ago, which you I mean, it's Park View Crew because I'm Park View Crow. Are are you Park View? No, you're not. So, and there's actually some other Park View shirts, but I you know, so he he makes a big deal out of all these shirts. One day, at one point, Jen Nolan said to me, "What could I do?" And I she's from Hampshire Elementary, of course, and I said, "We'll get him a Park View shirt." Okay? And that didn't happen. So, I want you to know that tonight I went over to Park View and I got you a Parkview shirt. There's one little problem. It was I mean, it's slightly laundered, but but I I
019figure you can do something with this Barbie shirt cuz this is what you get, right? I didn't bring you one cuz it was undersized. You wouldn't believe what I tried to get an extra small. They didn't have it. I got mine already, Mike. Oh, you don't say. Anyway, um it was interesting to me that we were able to share these laughs on the bus going around to schools as we were doing the tour letting my members and members of Desend DESPA know that they were being nominated by their buildings for foundation awards. It was a power thing to powerful thing to go around with someone who honestly I I gotta be like I can't use the words you normally would use for but just scared the teeth out of me when he was in my
020room that day. And I'm like why is that man here? But what he was really there to do was teach my kids how to do a thing I was trying to teach them how to do. And that was before he even got here. Then he got into the board. He started doing this work. Still scared people but not like he did when he was an administrator. Just ask. They'll tell you. Right. and then moving into being in buildings and making sure that buildings feel the presence of the board, feel that the board has interest in what they were doing. You heard him say it earlier tonight when he said, "I was there and we were really impressed." You heard him say it earlier tonight. Okay? You put yourself in the spaces and you've made people
021feel your presence. And not like the scary way you used to when you're administrator, like in the I'm really here. Um, and again, only a little purple because really you were everywhere. Always everywhere. Thank you for what you've done. Thank you for what you're doing. Thank you for what you will do. And stop pretending you're going to run and get back on the board because he's been doing that lately. Notice everybody, please look up there if you're not already. He's wearing pink tonight. We don't have any schools in pink. I don't know what that's for. probably is going to go ahead some not for profofit or something that makes sure that things work out for kids. But thank you for all this. Um, and I just want to point out one last thing. I gave
022you so much time to gabble me down and you just forgot to do it. So, congratulations on your retirement. And since we didn't restart, I am going to say one further thing. I also want to thank Mr. Thomas for his service on the board. I haven't gotten to know you the way that I got to know David. And that's mainly because you didn't show my classroom and scare the teeth out of me. Thank you for that. By the way, we had an excellent exchange earlier today, though. So, if you really are doing Let's work because we're we'll have some other connections later then. But, thank you for your service and what you've done. Ladies and gentlemen, board members do important tasks for us. They keep our kids educated. They make very difficult decisions. My whole
023job is to make difficult decisions and I don't want to do what this group of people does. So, thank you for being here and doing all that. And thank you for the two of you for stepping up and for stepping forward onto whatever you're going to do next. And there you gave him all that warning and it took him that long. Thank you. [Applause] Yeah, I know. I know. Our next speaker, let me put my glasses on. Arlene. Oh, boy. Jubial. It's Arlene Jubil. Arlene. Okay. Yeah, there. Thank you. You all pictures. Oh, okay. So, yes. So, I'm Arlene Dubiel and I think I emailed all all of you yesterday and since then a lot has happened. So, I am the current president of the Jacobs High School Music Boosters and we have some funds
024that we want to spend, but we need assistance. So, um the pictures that I gave to you, it is a project. We have two practice rooms that are located within the orchestra classroom in Jacobs 3 in um at Jacob's High School. As it is, the students are not allowed to use these practice rooms during class time because they're not soundproof. We have funds. We would like to get these rooms to be soundproof. We have a um a quote for new doors. They would be glass doors so you could see through them, but we need to have them installed. And that would mean bricking up the existing window if you see in the pictures. um and replacing the frame and replacing the existing door. And so we've been working with um Mr. Matthew Bennett and Mr.
025Steven Budnick at Jacob's High School and they've been very communicative and supportive of this project. But of course, you know, there's only so much they can do. As a parent and as music boosters, we can do more. So that's why I'm here today is to alert you to this project that we want to see completed. to let you know we have the funds to do it. What we need is assistance um in figuring out the installation with the money and the timing. It's quite possible that we could pay for the installation, but we need estimates. Um since I sent a message to all of you, um others at the district were alerted. Thank you for that. Um this morning we had Lamp Construction come to the school and we should be getting a quote from
026them in the next two weeks. Um we also had Mr. John Mikl from D300 facilities. He's going to visit D3 um sorry Jacobs High School tomorrow to look at the project to see the scope and could D300 actually do the project or do we need the outside construction? So, at this point, um, everything is going well and I just want to say thank you. I look forward to working with you and I will hopefully send you another update pretty soon and the hope is that we can get this done um within the next school year. So, right. Thank you very much. Thank you. Okay, board members, good news. Gview Elementary named Promising Practice Practices PLC at work at work school. GFW Elementary was recently recognized by Solution Tree as a promising practices PLC at work
027school for its initial success in raising student achievement. Promising practices schools are recognized for building a strong foundation based on PLC or professional learning community concepts. In addition, these schools must demonstrate implementation of PLC concepts for at least one year and provide clear evidence of improved student learning over that period. District 300 would like to congratulate GU principal Pam Hill and school staff for earning this honor. High school students convene at Jacobs for youth advisory council meeting. State senator Don Dwitz youth advisory councils recently convened at Jacobs High School. The group includes students from throughout the region including Dundy Crown Hampshire and Jacob's high schools. During the event, students were engaged in a discussion about national concerns and ways to solve them. In addition, the gathering included the con continuation of preparing a mock bill
028for a simulated committee hearing. The youth advisory council began work on the mock bill in the fall at Judson University in Elgen. Dundy Crown class supports community crisis center in Elgen. The women's studies class at Dundy Crown High School recently hosted a successful donation drive for the community crisis center in Elgen. Students in the class collected 824 diapers and 101 packages of wipes, listening the following comments from instructor Miss Amanda Gracius. The girls planned this drive, advertised for it, and wrote announcements. I'm very proud. District 300 congratulates the Nundy Crown women's studies class for hosting an impactful donation drive. Dr. Smith, superintendent report. Mr. Adrienne Harrises, if you could come up. We're going to tag team this one. I don't know if my clicker's on. So, um just as as you know, I introduced um
029my three anchors earlier this year, student voice and leadership, professional learning communities, and strengthening partnerships. And I am excited to announce today that for the TW 202526 school year, we'll be looking to um create a superintendence advisory council and we will be inviting students from each of our three high schools. And so you can see here we're looking for 12 dedic dedicated student leaders um an opportunity to provide their voice based on the important issues that we need to address within our schools and within our system. It will be a direct line to me and the members of my office. Um, and it will allow us to innovate and drive just a force ahead for our students and just continue to figure out what inspires them dayto-day. And so I chime in just so that
030I'm not up here. Good. Go ahead. Um, really quick, if you flip to the next slide. So, who can apply? Basically, it will be open to any nth or 11th grader. And not that we want to exclude our 12th graders, but they won't be here obviously because all of them are graduating. um how to apply. There will be an application form that actually we're working uh with some of our staff to push out through schooly. So, it actually should be a popup for every kid so that every kid gets access. That was uh paramount. Um and at the end of the day, one of the things we're very mindful of is kids understanding we we are in a generation of kind of what what do I get out of this? Um, and so a couple
031of big things. Obviously, number one, you get the opportunity to work directly with the superintendent and kind of provide some input uh from your lens as a high school student, but this is also a great opportunity for them to be able to identify things on their application or their college resume in terms of leadership. Uh, schools right now are often looking for kids that that are exhibiting leadership within schools. And what better way to say that I've worked directly with the superintendent in D300 to kind of shape the future of the school and the school district. So very powerful tool. We're hoping that a lot of students apply um and we'll whittle that down over the summer uh so that by the start of next year we're ready to go. All right. Just wanted to
032make sure I wasn't just looking. We wanted to put that out there tonight as we're looking to start get that open and um allow those um applications to be open through the end of the school year. Yes. and uh get moving on that for August. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Next, Mr. Anthony McInn will come up in another tag team effort, vision 2030. Good evening board members. Good evening Dr. Smith and good uh good evening to the members of our community. Tonight I will provide an update on framework called vision 2030. Later in tonight's meeting, the board will have an opportunity to adopt a resolution in support of Illinois vision 2030. So prior to that, I'll provide a brief overview. Vision 2030 is a vision for the next decade. It's aimed at enhancing K12
033education in Illinois and it prioritizes future focused learning including what students will need to know and what they'll be able to do so they can excel in a rapidly changing world. Vision 2030 has fostered collaboration and unity among many educational organizations across the state. These include the following. And vision 2030 was developed by these eight state education associations, including the Illinois Association of School Administrators, the Illinois Principal Association, the Illinois Association of School Boards, the Illinois Association of School Business Officials, the Illinois Association of Regional School Superintendent, Superintendent Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity, the Illinois Alliance of Administrators and Special Education, and to the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools. Illinois school code has doubled since the year 2020 and vision 2030 states that schools are required to abide by numerous
034mandates. Part of vision 2030 is to reform that mandate process to ensure the implementation procedures promote flexibility and local decisionmaking. Vision 2030 sets three clear foundational pillars and we'll briefly review each of these three. The first pillar is future focused learning. And this pillar emphasizes reshaping schools and classrooms to prepare students for the evolving world and economy. And that includes promoting future-driven skills that allow for more college and career exploration, enhancing student safety and well-being, attracting and retaining a high quality diverse educator pipeline, and promoting curriculum and instruction flexibility to meet the unique needs of local communities. The second of the three pillars is shared accountability. This focuses on moving beyond traditional standardized tests to create a fairer and more effective way to measure student success. This includes reforming the Illinois assessment system to be
035a timely and useful measure for student proficiency and growth over time. Reforming the current accountability system to provide a local flexibility for identifying indicators that create a more holistic view of student success. and reforming the mandate process to ensure implementation procedures that promote flexibility and local decision-making. And then finally, the third pillar is predictable funding. And this calls for long-term sustainable funding for public education to ensure that excellent resources and learning opportunities are available for students. And this includes protecting the integrity and funding of the evidence-based funding formula, establishing equitable statewide funding sources for capital and safety needs, and enhancing financial flexibility for all school districts. Through these main pillars, vision 2030 seeks to accomplish the following key goals. They want to keep students safe. They want to keep high quality educators in front of
036students. They want to enhance postsecondary success and improve measurements of what is working. So in essence, Illinois vision 2030 is a roadmap for policy, legislative, and fiscal changes that are intended to create a more supportive, equitable, and future oriented public education system in Illinois. More information in the plan can be found at illinovision2030.com. And later this evening, the board will have the opportunity to adopt a resolution in support of 2030. And just to connect, if you were able on the board to attend the um triple eye conference in Chicago in November, they launched this at one of the keynotes. And since then um uh just over 500 districts in Illinois have adopted um vision 2030. Thanks, Anthony. Thank you. Okay. Board discussion item number 10. Uh we have board committee reports. Board operations committee. The
037next board operations committee meeting is Monday, May 5th at 4:30. So it's not our usual Tuesday. It's Monday, May 5th. Um we encourage everyone as always to attend those because a lot of what we vote on tonight is discussed in detail at that meeting. Superintendent Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee. Um, we're scheduled to have a a demo of the tool with the company this this week. So, we'll be able to give you some more information at the next meeting. Board policy ad hoc committee. No. Okay. Board member handbook committee. Miss Atler and I met again this last week and we are very very close to completing the first draft and it's just a draft that'll have to be then reviewed by our peers uh before it's adopted but probably on target for having that done um
038the first week or second week of May. So item 10.2 board discussion any board member have anything they would like to share or talk about? Mr. Mr. Thomas. Good evening. First, I would like to thank God for giving me the strength, dedication, and energy to serve on District 300's board of education. I also want to thank my wife for allowing me the opportunity to serve and provide guidance and support to all of our students and community, the superintendent, Dr. Smith, fellow board, members of community. As I stand or sit here before you tonight, I do so with both reflection and resolve. Serving on the District 300 Board of Education has been an honor, a challenge, and above all a responsibility I would I didn't take lightly. Being the first African-American male to sit on this
039board is a distinction I carry with deep pride, not for a title, but for what it represents, progress, possibilities, and break and breaking barriers for those coming after me. This journey wasn't always smooth. I didn't expect it to be. Leadership rarely is. And when you stand for equality, truth, and for students who too often left understood sometimes, you'll face resistance. You even encounter dirty politics, whispering agendas, and moments that make you question why you chose this path in the first place. But I know why I came. I came to serve. I came to represent voices for far too long, for far too long was ignored. I came to bring prosperity, to challenge the status quo, and to make sure that our district reflected the diversity, strength, and brilliance of every student who walks our halls.
040There were times when being the first felt heavy. There were moments where I stood alone. But I never let that stop me because I wasn't standing for myself. I was standing for every young person in this district who needed to see that yes, someone who looks like them, speaks like them, and dreams like them can lead. I'm proud of what we've accomplished during my time here, not just for policies or programs, but the mindset shift that conversations were started. this discomfort we faced head on and the doors we opened. I've leave knowing I left this board and district better than I found it. To my fellow board members, thank you for the time we stood united and for the times we disagreed with respect. Growth comes from both. To the community, thank you for your
041trust. Your voice kept me grounded. And to those who have tried to silence, discredit, distract, thank you, too. You remind me just how necessary this work is. Even though I wasn't reelected, I am not stepping away from the work. I will continue to advocate to lead and to fight for the kind of education that uplifts every student, no matter where they come from. Thank you. Thanks, Mr. Thomas. Before I read my farewell speech, there is a person in my life that I want to recognize. My wife Jill, I call her JD. For 50 years, we've been married for 50 years. She has given me the strength to soldier on both in work and in our lives. Her unwavering support has been the cornerstone of all of my achievements. The challenges we faced, the victories we
042won, and the memories we created were all enriched by her steadfast presence. JD's dedication and love have truly been the guiding force behind everything I have done. She is my rock, my confident, and my greatest source of inspiration. I could not have accomplished all that I did without her by my side. Her strength, compassion, and unwavering belief in me have been the pillars upon which I have built my career and our shared life together. As I look back, I am filled with immense gratitude for her support and love. JD, if you're watching, you have been my partner in every sense of the word. And my journey has been so much more meaningful because of you. I love you, JD. As my time of service to District 300 comes to an end, I want to thank
043you for a wonderful 20 years. When I first came to the district in 2004 as your associate superintendent, I was excited to visit each of the schools and classrooms so I could see and hear firsthand all of the wonderful and exciting educational lessons and activities taking place there. I wanted to see how the buildings and grounds were maintained, not only for athletics, but in general. I was not disappointed with any of my visits. Over these 20 years, I have met thousands of employees and students. The employees passion, professionalism, dedication, and commitment were clear to me. You each took pride in your job and wanted to do your best. I appreciated it then, and I still appreciate you today. Education is more than just imparting knowledge. It is shaping futures, building character, and inspiring dreams. Seeing
044and hearing children grow from prechool and learning their shapes and alphabet to high school is something that truly moves me. It is a reminder of the power of education and the endless possibilities it holds for every student. The thousands of students I have met from preschool through 12th grade touched me the most. Witnessing firsthand their development over the years is a profound experience, one that touches the heart and inspires the soul. The transformation from inquisitive preschool children to young adults in high school ready to face the world is remarkable and profoundly moving. Fast forward to 2017 when I was first elected to serve on the board of education. I continued to visit schools and classrooms and remained extremely impressed with what I saw and heard in our schools classrooms. The dedication and commitment from teachers
045and support staff that was in place when I first arrived in 2004 continued. The pride in each of you doing your respective jobs continues to be evident every day. Each of you remains dedicated to the improvement of instruction and to always doing what is in the best interests of the children in your charge. Thank you for soldiering on and in challenging times, too. Serving as your board president these past several years has brought a tremendous amount of pride to me. Thank you for the thousands of remarkable memories you each made for me that will last a lifetime and for the opportunity to serve our district. I will always cherish my time here in District 300. Thank you for everything. I appreciate it. Uh, do any other board members have any comments they want to make
046at all? I want to jump in real quick. Dr. Smith, tonight I have the privilege of recognizing two exceptional members of our board of education that you just heard from, Dr. David Scarpino and Mr. Emanuel Thomas. It is with deep gratitude and admiration that I thank them for the outstanding service to our district, our students, and our [Applause] community. I'm not done yet. First, Mr. Emanuel Thomas. Mr. Thomas was appointed to the board of education in 2020 and elected to a full term in 2021. With more than three decades of public service, including time in the military and serving the US Postal Service, Mr. Thomas has brought a deep sense of civic responsibility to his role that has deeply benefited our district. As a parent of a graduating senior at Jacob's High School, Mr. Thomas
047brought both a personal and practical understanding to our schools. His voice consistently reflect reflected a genuine commitment to putting students first. His thoughtful contributions, commitment in continuous learning and participation in board governance and anything that we were working on helped shape meaningful discussions and thoughtful decisions over the past five years. Mr. Thomas, your dedication, service, and voice to this board have made a difference. You have represented the families of your township and our entire community with care and integrity. Thank you for your dedication to District 300. And I want to extend a special thank you from me as you took a chance on me just short time ago in that December when you voted me into this seat. and I am grateful that you took that chance on me and I look forward to continuing
048to work together. I would also like to extend my thank you to Miss Deborah. Um, and let's give Mr. Thomas another round of applause. Well, Dr. David Scarpino, president of the board of education that we all call Doc. Dr. Scarpino was elected to the board in 2017 following an already distinguished career in education. more than 40 years of service across three states in multiple leadership roles, including superintendent and principal mentor. In district 300, Dr. Scarpino, as he mentioned, began his journey in 2004 and later um became I'm sorry, I skipped ahead. Let me back up. um in 2004 as associate superintendent, principal of Hampshire Elementary School and has retired in 2015. Dr. Scarpino's contributions to District 300 are truly immeasurable. His leadership has been defined by his remarkable work ethic, unwavering discipline, and his deep
049passion for ensuring every student and every staff member has the opportunity to succeed. He's never hesitated to ask the tough questions, to dig into the details, and to advocate for the good of this community. His drive to help make District 300 stronger has been constant throughout his time in the district. Dr. Scarpino, thank you for your lifetime service to public education. Thank you for your passion, diligence, and dedication to this community. Your leadership has helped guide District 300 through pivotal moments and your impact will be felt for years to come. I also want to say thank you because you too were a part of taking that chance on me. And just one little story. Um when I started over at Carpentersville Middle School as principal, I used to walk the halls at Meadowdale. um on
050school visits with Doc. And if you've ever been to Meadowdale, you know how great Meale is. Just that warm elementary school feel. When I started at CMS, I was walking the halls and it was a different feel. And the moment I knew I would be tied to Doc for some time in the future was when he looked at me and said, "Yep, this isn't your school yet, but it will be one day." And I took that on as a challenge. And so if you wanted to know how our relationship is, it's kind of like, what's the next challenge, Doc? I'm just waiting to hear. What's the next challenge? And so from that day forward, the stories that we have to share, um the support that you've given me, I am forever grateful. And I was
051happy to see JD here tonight and extend my thank you to her as well. And so at this time, please join me in thanking Dr. David Scarpino again. [Applause] I got one more thing. You guys now need to step down to the front of the podium like you do to everyone else. [Applause] I'll turn it over to any board members that want to say a few words. I'd like to say a few things. It's hard to follow up all of that. Holy cow. Um, so I I'll be really short. Dr. Scarpino, your service to D300 has been varied and vast. I value the opportunity to experience working with different leadership styles. And I just want to say thank you, Dr. Scarpino, for the growth and insight I experienced working with you. Now that you'll be
052unencumbered by your board duties, I hope you'll enjoy countless golf days and endless good times with your loved ones. Emmanuel, thank you too for your service to the D300 community. I hope you feel like your time as a board member has presented both an opportunity to share your insight and experience and one that has provided you with valuable insight and experience. Truly fulfilling community service work should do both. My best wishes to you and your family as you enjoy whatever comes next. Thank you. Thank you. Go ahead, Christine. Um we're going to go online. Um yeah, to follow everyone else's is hard, but I just so I also keep it short. Um David, thank you so much for your mentorship in this um sharing your vast experience with us as a board has been invaluable.
053Um because you bring so much insight in from education in general to to the board and that was that was very helpful when we had to make tough decisions for sure. So thank you so much for your service and we will miss that insight when you're gone. Um uh Emanuel, it's been great serving with you as well. you two have shared your voice and your perspective and again that has also been very valuable to me as a board member to hear from varying perspectives as we've discussed you know some difficult things. So thank you for that and thank you for being open to sharing sharing all that openly with us all. Um best wishes to you and your family as you move on to the next thing as well. Okay, I'll let ladies go first.
054No. Okay. Well, tonight's a a very special and bittersweet night. Um full of thanks, congratulations. Um the administration uh prior to the meeting, had a very nice reception for our two outgoing board members. And you could just feel um that those things those those feelings from staff uh the the amount of principles that were in the room uh it was palpable. It really was and that was due to both of your your uh great service. Mr. Thomas, I've enjoyed u sitting literally next to you for the past several years. Um and I'm going to miss that. Emanuel has a servant's heart. He comes to our meetings to serve with joyful heart and as an independent thinker. He was appointed uh by the board to the board of education on November 10th that Mrs. Smith said
055and he assumed the seat vacated by Mary McNicholas who resigned in that that October. One of the things that I recall during the interview process, well there are two things really. A very impressive background and resume. I I just it blew me away and years of service. And second, the depth of your answers to a many very very difficult questions. I don't know if you felt they were difficult, but I thought they were pretty intense. Yeah. And you just did amazing. So, I thank you for all you have done serving both our country and our D300 community. I wish you nothing but the best. I know one thing, you'll now have more time, especially on Tuesday nights, to make that long and tedious drive to Iowa to watch your son playing basketball. And I know
056you'll enjoy and be very proud every minute of it. Congratulations, Dr. Scarpino. Dr. Scarpino, as we've heard, has been a hardworking and tireless educator, administrator, and board member to our community for over 20 years. He served our country and our school district with passion and honor and led us through some very, very difficult, challenging times. I recall sitting down with him in the uh winter of I believe it was 2017. I was the vice president at the time. It didn't take me long to realize that Dr. Scarpino would change the board's culture a great deal and he did. He worked hard. He placed a great deal of emphasis on decorum, on structure, and on strong leadership and also solid communication. One of the things that I enjoyed um is our school visits. Dr. Scarpino, as
057you heard, was very was and is very passionate about school visits and I soon after my first one with him and I think it was one of the ones that we did our surprises um to the staff and I saw the joy that it brought you and it was pretty clear to me that you did that for these reasons. So David, I thank you for all you've done serving both our country and and the community and I w wish you nothing but the best. We'll miss you on Tuesday nights. God bless you. Um just wanted to say um to Dr. Scapino, just want to thank you for your service to D300. Um you have left a legacy that um for everyone to follow. Um, look, I mean, wishing you good luck in in in everything
058that you do next. Um, to Emanuel, thanks for the inspiration um, and paving the way for myself. Um, I really appreciate what you've done for the district and also wish you luck. Thank you. Thank you very Okay, moving on. Items for discussion. We have one item for discussion this evening is 11.1 consolidated district plan. Any discussion board members about the consolidated district plan for 2025 through 2026? No questions. Okay. Moving on to item number 12, the consent items under $35,000. Do I have a motion to approve the consent items under $35,000? So move. Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? Mckendi I. Thomas. Scarpino. I. Lamar I. Burket. I. Furantino. I. Motion passes 6. Thank you. Item number 13, consent items over $35,000. Do I have a motion to approve the consent items over
059$35,000? Move. Second. Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? McKenzie. I. Lamar I Burkett I Fantino I Scarpino I Thomas Hi. Motion passes 6. Thank you. Item number 14 are the roll call action items. 14.1 approval of Elgen Community College CTE course articulation agreement. Do I have a motion for the approval of the Elgen Community College CTE course articulation agreement? So move second. Any discussion? Board member. Uh madam secretary, would you please take the role? Mckendi I. Lamar I. Thomas I. Fantino. Hi. Burkett. I. Scarpino. I. Motion passes 6. Thank you. Item 14.2. Approval of financial and professional development management services contract renewal. Do I have a motion for the approval of the financial and professional development management software contract renewal? So moved. Any discussion? Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? Scarpino.
060I. Thomas, I. McKini I. Verentino I. Lamarca I. Burkett I. Motion passes 6. Thank you. Item 14.3, approval of recreation drive intergovernmental agreement. Do I have a motion for the approval of the recreation drive intergovernmental agreement? So move. Second. Any discussion? Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? Thomas, I. Scarpino, I. Lamar, I. Furantino, I. Burkett, I. McKini, I. Motion passes 6. Thank you. Item 14.4, approval of student discipline case number six. I need to read the resolution here. Board of Education administrative placement under student safe school program motion language for today. Motion to place student number six at Oakidge School pursuit to the regional safe school program as established by ILCS 5/13A of the Illinois school code for the remainder of the 2022 school year, the 20226 school year, and the first semester
061of the 2026 2027 school year for violation of board policy 7 colon 1 190. Specifically, engaging in any kind of bullying or aggressive behavior that does physical or psychological harm to another student or urging other students to engage in such conduct. Prohibited conduct specifically includes any use of violence, intimidation, force, noise, coercion, threats, stalking, harassment, public humiliation, retaliation, bullying, or other compar comparable conduct. and engaging in any activity on or off campus that interferes with, disrupts, or adversely affects the school environment, school operations, or an educational function, including but not limited to, conduct that may reasonably be considered to endanger the health or safety of students, staff, or school property. Upon return, the student will be administratively placed accordingly. Do I have a motion to approve student discipline case number six? So move second. Any
062discussion? Madame Secretary, would you please call the role? McKendy I. Lamar I. Thomas I. Burkett. I. Scarpino. I. Fantino. I. Motion passes 6. Thank you. Item 14.5, approval of student discipline case number seven. Motion to expel student number seven, pursuit into LCS 5/10-22.6 six of the Illinois school code for the remainder of the 2024 2025 school year and the 2025 2026 school year for violation of board policy specifically using possessing, distributing, selling or offering for sale any illegal drug or controlled substance or cannabis. Drug paraphernalia, including devices that are or can be used to ingest, inhale, or inject cannabis or controlled substances into the body. engaging in any activity on or off campus that interferes with, disrupts, or adversely affects the school environment, school operations, or an educational function, including conduct that may reasonably be
063considered to endanger the health or safety of students, staff, or school property. In the event the student completes a drug counseling program, the student may return at the start of the second semester of the 2026 school year. Upon return, the student will be administratively placed accordingly. Do I have a motion for the approval of student discipline case number seven? Move. Second. Madam secret uh any discussion? Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? McKenzie I. Thomas I. Garpino I. Fantino I. Burket I. Lamar I. Motion passes 6. Thank you. Item 14.6 approval of vision 2030 resolution. So moved. I have to read it. Sorry. I had to do that to you one more time. You had to do had to do it one time. Had to. Here we go. Resolution in support of Illinois vision
0642030. Be it resolved by the board of education here and called the board of community unit school district 300 here and called the district Kain Mckenry Cook and Dalb counties Illinois as follows. Whereas public education plays a defining role in ensuring equal opportunity for children in Illinois and throughout the United States. And whereas it is our collective duty to ensure that every student regardless of demographic or geographic identity has equal access to a quality public education. And whereas we believe that strides need to be proactively made to face challenges and continually improve our public education system. And whereas there have been three areas of prioritization identified as integral integral in improving our public education system. future focused learning, shared accountability, and predictable funding. And whereas future focused learning should address promoting future-driven skills that allow
065for more college and career exploration, enhancing student safety and well-being, attracting and retaining a high quality educator pipeline, and promoting curriculum and instructional flexibility to meet the unique needs of local communities. And whereas shared accountability should address reforming the Illinois assessment system to be a timely and useful measure of student proficiency and growth over time. Reforming the current accountability system to provide local flexibility for identifying indicators that create a more holistic view of student success and reforming the mandate process to ensure implementation procedures that promote flexibility and local decisionmaking. And whereas predictable funding should address protecting the integrity and funding of the evidence-based funding formula, strengthening public education through pension reforms, and establishing equitable funding sources for capital and safety needs. And whereas it is imperative that any education improvement proposal for comprehensive change must
066be developed and supported by not only the education community but in collaboration with families, communities, businesses and others whose priorities reflect the best interests of the students. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Community Unit School District 300 Board of Education, George joins with the Illinois Association of School Administrators, IASA, Illinois Association of School Boards, IASB, Illinois Principles Association, IPA, Illinois Association of School Business Officials, IAS BO Illinois Association of Regional Superintendent of Schools ARS Superintendence Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity SSD Illinois Alliance of Special Education Administrators AAS and the Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools. AIRSS in supporting the vision 2030 education improvement policy. And be it further resolved that the community unit school district 300 board of education urges the Illinois general assembly to approve the necessary legis legislative
067changes to implement the recommendations under the three pillars of education improvement as contained in the vision 2030 policy. This will be adopted this 22nd day of April, 2025 by a roll call vote. Do I have a motion for the approval of the vision 2030 resolution? Miss Lamar, go right ahead. So moved. Second. Here you go. Any discussion? Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? Lamar, I. McKenzie, I. Burkett, I. Thomas, I. Fantino, I. Scarpino, I. Motion passes 6-0. Thank you. Item 15, close session. Do I have a motion to go into close session for the purpose of discussing one, the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body to paren one. Number two, collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives or deliberations
068concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees to par 2. Number three, litigation 2 parenthesy 11. and four, student disciplinary cases. Two, parenthesy 9. And finally, five, security procedures, school building safety and security, and the use of a personnel to respond to an actual, a threatened, or a reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public, or public property to par. Do I have a motion? Second. Madam Secretary, would you please take the role? Thomas, I. Scarpino I. McKendy I. Lamar. I. Fantino. I. Burket. I. Motion passes 6. Thank you. We'll be in close session. We're not going to make a decision afterwards. So thank