00127th 5:00 p.m. Can I get a roll call? >> Yes, you can. President Sterling >> here. >> Vice President Thompson >> here. >> Board member Mcnite >> present. >> Board member McKenna >> here. >> Board member Carlson >> here. >> Board member Johnson >> here. >> Secretary Meeks here. >> Pam Cook, recording secretary. >> Roy Yarro, superintendent. >> Shelley Whitner, human resources. >> Michelle, curriculum and instruction. >> Jason Bloom, communications, community relations. Josh Fran, business and operations. All right, everybody stand. You did a good rest of [clears throat] 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. >> Dr. >> we got to approve the agenda first. Oh, >> you're right. >> Trying to jump ahead. Can
002I get a motion to approve the agenda? >> Motion. >> Second. >> Um, Vice President Thompson, >> I. >> Board member Mcnite. >> Hi. >> Board member McKini. >> Hi. >> Board member Carlson. >> Yes. >> Board member Johnson. >> Hi. >> Secretary me. >> I. President Sterling. >> Hi. >> At this time, Dr. >> Thank you. Uh the mission of the Harlem Consolidated School District as a vital part of the community is to help diverse learners realize their limited potential by providing an educational program dedicated to academic excellence and development of strong character in a safe and respectful learning environment. >> I have four public comments at this time. Tom C. >> Thank you Mark. actually going to go off script a little bit which is going to make my daughter nervous but um
003I was kind of looking at the 3 million that were in debt for the budget or however you want to say it and then I was looking at the census and um there's actually like off of census 16,800 households in the Harlem school district. You divide that out by the 3 million that's $175 thou $175 a year. Then I started getting things going through my head like a Sarah McGlin video about less than 50 cents a day for you can save two schools, you know. So I'm like, man, this is ridiculous. For $175 at households, we can keep the two schools open. You know, how much of the of the community knows this, you know? It's like just letting them know. I haven't seen a a comprehensive survey come out to anybody. Is it available?
004I mean, you say you you went and you had all these options and you're looking at all these options. I've yet to see anything ever come out about where, you know, just something's come out about this is where we are, but nothing's come out about how how about these options other than we're closing it and we're moving on. You know, 40 years ago, um, tomorrow actually is the challenger disaster. I remember being in school for that mainly because one of the teachers in my school was the uh backup for Christopher McAuliff. If she didn't go, my my teacher would have gone. And I remember sitting in that classroom in fifth grade. Shows you how old I am. But um sitting in there and that started me thinking that was a unique situation because my classroom
005was a fifth grade and sixth grade classroom that was pretty much combined together. One large room, half a wall. and we would come together and we came together and we watched that tragedy unfortunately. But I remember sitting there in in that unique space and I'm like this is something completely different. It's not the run-of-the-mill classroom. Why can't we look at different things that are out of the box, not just closing uh classrooms, closing schools, there's different options out here. Just think outside the box. We can partner with uh different businesses. Henik is huge. It's it's starting to grow. it would be in their best interest to maybe partner with the school board or school uh district and maybe say, "Okay, there's different STEM things. They're trying to keep uh families in the community because it
006only benefits them. There's Woodwork. There's huge companies that could possibly partner with the school district. Have we looked at any of that? If you need somebody to um help you out with that, I'm I'm sure you guys will have my uh information. If you guys need brainstorming anything, I mean, I'm sure there's other teachers, there's other professionals, there's other parents, put together a little committee and start brainstorming other things outside the box. The last thing, you know, I started looking about the huskys and um you know, the husky pride and we're stronger together. It reminds me of a wolf pack. My daughter is huge with wolves. The things with a wolf pack is as they're traveling, if there's anything that's any wolf that's uh uh like older, younger, maybe injured, they don't leave them behind.
007What they do with that wolf is they put them in the front. And then all the other wolves, the strongers, the alphas, they're behind and they push them forward. They go at their speed. Talk about a a great opportunity to be husky pride in a wolf pack. You you might have some hurting dis hurting schools, hurting classrooms or whatever. Put them in the front force. Go with them. Have them push them forward. Don't just leave them behind. I mean, we're the Huskys. We're Husky pride. Why don't we show it? Don't leave your pack behind. It's all I'm saying. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> Kayla. I'm going to ask if I can stand here cuz I I don't know that I can walk there. Um I am coming to this in a situation where I
008feel like it's important to say I have no skin in the game. I I feel like the decision's already been made that the building I work in is not going to be here next year. And that will be the second time in three years I found myself in a position of being homeless in our district. Um, and my responsibility is not to a building, it's to the kids of our district. So when you look at the options that you have, we've taken the one that's the most fiscal offh because it was the most severe. it was the one that that really everybody couldn't handle and two remain and from a person who's been in both scenarios as a teacher. I have taught in what is the prototype of the sister school and I have been
009in our neighborhood schools and there is a very clear option on which one offers our students the more support and we are able to meet our mission to unlock the unlimited potential of the most amount of our kids and that's with the sister school option. I'm not saying it's everybody's favorite, but if the money is off the table, this is about the kids and it should always be the primary thing. You guys have echoed that and I appreciate that because at times that message got lost. Um, so if you're looking for what one services the most amount of our kids, allows us to utilize the most resources to meet the most needs to work on those AR Illinois report card numbers that people are very concerned about as unless you work in a classroom and
010you understand that that's a reflection of a kid on a day that we decide that's the measurement of their learning. the one day they took it. But I if you're looking for what meets the most amount for our kids, what gives the most amount of our kids the opportunity to succeed, it's in a way that we can give them the most resources, and that's the sister schools. So, I just encourage you to think in terms of that. >> Thank you, Jeremy. Yes, sir. >> You guys want to say >> uh I'm here for several reasons. Uh first, communication. Uh yet again, we have a scenario where something major happened more than a month ago and the district as a whole was not communicated with. In this instance, it's a pedophile uh with a younger kid
011on a bus. December 10th, this mess started in nothing. As a person who actively busts pedophiles, I put on a sidearm, a bulletproof jacket, and I leave that little girl in my spare time. I don't get paid for it, and I've successfully done that 137 times in our community. Uh, sorry, I'm a little emotional. Um, as a person who bust those people, if they've messed with one kid, they've probably messed with multiples. It's just the way they are. Um maybe this was communicated to parents of the kids on this particular bus route, but as I've been told, this person has been on numerous bus routes. I don't think those other people were communicated with. Uh would the district have ever communicated this had the news not went viral today and uh over a month later
012and people shared it like crazy and then all of a sudden we got an email. Um I'd also like to point out that this actually relates to the decision you guys have in front of you because with these other this other non- neighborhood scenario, you're going to have kids on the bus longer. You're going to have kids um young kids by themselves without the older kids. And it's a proven fact studied. these younger kids are less likely to tell on a trusted adult that makes those kind of gross decisions [snorts] as the colleague that you guys got rid of did. Um, so you'll have numerous buses carting around only younger children, more opportunity for somebody like that. Uh, back to my original point though, I'll say it till I'm blue in the face. Communication, communication,
013communication. Part of the district's mission statement is a safe, respectful learning environment. Communication is part of respect. And everyone aware of a danger, both past, present, and future and able to talk to their children about it is being safer. So, are we safe or are we CYA? And lastly, as far as the voting tonight goes, the community has stated they do not want scenario three or four as a majority. Both parents and I saw a lot of teachers. I know at least half the board listened to that and understood that. What about the rest? Please make the right decision tonight. >> Thank you, sir. Lette Hoffman, >> I know tonight is the big um evening and I um I always have a real difficult time hearing and I had called to see if you would
014actually have some microphones and but there I understand you don't have any. So, for the sake of those to um avoid any misunderstanding or twisting of words, if you all could speak loudly and maybe I know I might think like I'm shouting now, but I just think um when we're back here, I can't understand a word that's being said. It's very mumbled and so I respectfully appeal to you. If you when you're the conversation, could you just speak a little louder so we could avoid any misunderstandings? Thank you. >> Thank you. She wasn't talking. [laughter] >> Administrative report. >> We [clears throat] don't have any administrative reports. >> All right. As of right now, we have the recommendation to approve the building closure of Maple Elementary School and Olsen Park. Is there any communications, comments,
015questions that you guys have at the time? >> Okay, I'll I'll move to vote. Can I >> go ahead? That's what this >> I just wondered I know I had asked and I didn't I got a response on one of them but not the other and I wondered why Windsor was possibly not chosen over Maple versus not not for good reasons or bad reasons but just if there was a difference between major difference between Maple Windsor one is you know not much further from the other Windsor is an extremely busy road so I didn't know if that had anything to do with possibly choosing Maple over Windsor but it was just a just >> when we looked at um the schools, you know, unfortunately that are, you know, up for consideration for closure, um we
016looked at, you know, Maple, particularly where it's located um and being able to um you know, once that decision, if that decision, if this decision is made tonight, maybe disperse the kids more evenly, you know, across the district. So that's why, you know, make sure to >> that's kind of my favorite. I just got a quick question. So, we're talking about closing [clears throat] um Maple and Olen. Is that the only thing we're voting on? Are we voting on options one four at this time or how? >> No, that'll be right after that. We will then just talk about uh that that can be done by consensus. >> Right. Gotcha. So, this is just closing the two schools, right? >> Correct. >> Very good. Thank you. >> All right. Can I get a motion to
017approve the building closure of Maple Elementary and Olsson Park Elementary for the purpose of district consolidation? >> Motion. >> Second. >> President Sterling. >> I. >> Vice President Thompson. >> I. >> Board member Mcnite. >> I. >> Board member McKenna. >> I. >> Board member Carlson. >> Yes. >> Board member Johnson. >> Hi. >> Secretary Meeks. I [clears throat] >> All right. And now when we go we talk about the uh options we had options one that was move forward in option four. Can I get consensus for where you're at one or four? >> I'll speak first. I've stood on ground. I am for option one. No surprise to anybody that's been to any of these meetings. >> I'm for number four. >> After going back and forth quite a bit, I have to go
018with one. >> I'm for four. After going, you know, going over everything, talking to people, listening to my heart and mind, I'm going with number one. Man, I've got a whole written thing and I'll I'll post it later. Uh, this is tough. Um, the community and all the outpouring and information and feedback had me going back and forth to what did the most good for our our kids and collectively for our kids. Right? There was no path that did the best for everyone. Everyone had valid concerns and you judge those and you wait those and in the end the best for our future has to be for [clears throat] this isn't easy. Um but I would preface it with in 2019 2020 a plan was put forward that uh at that time I believe closed
019schools moved uh it was a building of a CTE building moved sixth grade up moved fine arts all that and at that time the the district chose no that was with the utilization study showing where we're And over that time we still went with with the way the utilation study has gone has proven to be true. Um but over those five years a CTE building's been built. Uh sixth grade has been moved up and it's working. So by by my choice tonight I would say doesn't end sister school idea. I would say you [clears throat] guys will give you time to come up with a better or longerlasting future plan. But at this time I'm going to vote for one for consensus. neighborhood schools. >> Any announcements and discussion at this time? >> I think
020we're going to discuss >> what's I think we've all said. >> No, I just >> It's heavy. It's It's hard. It's heavy. It's It's >> you know, and and you know, from here we move forward and and you know, this is what our new district is going to look like. and we're going to support it. I'm going to support it. I hope the community supports it and we move forward and we make Harlem better than what it ever has been. And you know, in times of adversity is sometimes when the best things happen. So >> yeah, I I don't think either of these options were bad. Otherwise, it would have been a much easier choice. >> Like I'm saying, I don't see I don't see it being an end. I just would like to see
021a more formulated plan. >> I And I and and I think part of this right everyone's reacting and I think we're reacting the same way. I put a lot of faith in this board. I think we had very civil conversations overall to get to this point and we're I mean we're knowing where this vote is landing as of right now just like everybody else. So, um, yeah, I'll have more to say after everything just kind of it's it's been it's been a long road to get here and now we put it on the administration. You're going to get this thing done. You know the steps to take now. Give us your options. And this doesn't end with you guys either. Like, we have a path. The community still needs to be just as involved. We're
022going to keep reporting on how this is going. I want your feedback by email. This doesn't stop with one change, right? Like we showed the community that we are. We showed the importance. We did a hard choice of closing building and that got kind of hidden with all the the the the the circumstances the right path to go but we showed and I love the stories of all the great teachers and didn't matter the path and it doesn't matter the buildings. Those stories are still there. They're still going to do great things for our kids. The walls are going to change but they're teachers. It's in your DNA. They're going to do some amazing stuff for our kids. Our kids are still going to be amazing. So, yeah, I'll have I'll have more to say,
023but uh yeah. Sorry, I got no way to end this. Go ahead. >> Back at you, Mike. >> Can I uh get a motion to go into executive session to discuss employment of personnel 5CS120-2C1? >> Motion. >> Second. >> [music] [music] >> Heat. Heat. >> [music]