001About ready to begin. Oh, look at that. All right. I Didn't think it happened that quickly. I figured we'd need like 30 more seconds to get this thing done on time What do you want me to use this thing? I can't call it to order tool 7. I jump the gun This is what happens when the kids table runs the show tonight, but I'm here. I'm usually the George I'm all right boos. Let's call this meeting to order happy. All right, like please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands Mrs. Clifford, I please have a call attendance George fever, I'm here Michael Engel here Carl Borchers here Joel Finfer here Stephanie Peters here Robin clique Julie
002Clifford here. That's six present one absent and Is there anyone present who wishes to make a public comment? Hi everyone. I'm Jenna Garcia president of the PTO I just wanted to come to thank all of you in the audience as well as board members for Supporting our first ever Hawthorne Hoptoberfest, which happened this last weekend Thank you. Thank you. Thank you to all of the board members who won Attended to helped volunteer and Three just helped tell your friends family neighbors about the event. It was an amazing success. We're excited to have it again next year Lots of great positive and constructive lessons learned One George we will make sure not to have it on a long weekend next year Because there were definitely people unable to attend because it was a long weekend. So
003Thank you, thank you. Thank you. Just wanted to say that and as a thank you each of you are getting a Hawthorne Hoptoberfest tumblr and a big Which Jessica has for you for after the meeting? Thank you Can somebody move him please? Are there any announcements this evening? All right at this time we're gonna turn things over to the recognition committee. So Carl take it away. Thank you, George Good evening and welcome everyone. This is our first recognition of this school year It's a moment. We always look forward to because it allows us to celebrate the individuals who set the tone for learning leadership Across our community and at Hawthorne So we begin our recognition this year by recognizing Kaitlyn Satan from Hawthorne School of Young Learners Kaitlyn was nominated by Nicole Baccarello internomination Nicole
004shared Kaitlyn exempt exemplifies the highest standards of edgy of dedication resilience and care in a role as an educator She continuously goes above and beyond ensuring that every student she works with has the opportunity to thrive both academically and emotionally What truly sets Kaitlyn apart is her unwavering commitment to her students success She works tirelessly to create individualized strategies for each child ensuring their safety while promoting their academic growth From implementing personalized systems to maintaining a classroom atmosphere Conductive to learning Kaitlyn has shown an extraordinary level of resourcefulness and creativity She not only meets the needs of her students, but she anticipates and proactively addresses challenges Ensuring that each child feels valued and capable of success Her dedication extends far beyond classroom management Kaitlyn regularly goes out of her way to foster relationships with her
005students Organizing lunch time lunch bunches where she connects them with outside with with them outside of the classroom setting Her nurturing approach and commitment to building trust makes a significant difference in her students lives Kaitlyn is a reflective practitioner who actively seeks feedback and engage with her mentors to improve her practice continually striving for excellence It is rare to see someone so self-motivated to grow in their role But Kaitlyn's humility and drive make her a model for others to follow Through her hard work dedication and tireless advocacy for her students Kaitlyn has proven herself to be an indispensable asset to HSYL When we informed HSYL principal Jenna Stern of Kaitlyn's recognition, she wanted to also include the following Kaitlyn is an outstanding teacher who consistently goes above and beyond to do what is best for
006her students all with a smile on her face She continually challenges herself to dig deeper learn more and grow each day Kaitlyn's remarkable ability to know every student by name and need reflects her deep commitment to their success She is a true team player who leads by example inspiring both her students and colleagues through her dedication positivity and professionalism Kaitlyn on behalf of the board of education. Thank you for your extraordinary impact to our students your colleagues and our district as a whole Please come forward to receive your certificate in our appreciation Next we recognize Gabrielle Kogol who was nominated by Jenna Hirsch for her outstanding work as an educator and advocate for students In her nomination Jenna shared Gabby goes above and beyond for each and every one of our students She inspires and
007encourages them to achieve their highest potential In the classroom Gabby is unafraid to try new things takes an extremely active role as co-teacher She's always ready to jump in and ensure material is accessible for all students She makes sure students feel safe welcome and ready to learn moreover Gabby is an extremely strong advocate for our students and is always or sorry is constantly finding new ways to aid their language acquisition skills From sourcing alternative texts and assignments to crafting a newcomer curriculum for her resource classes to modifying assignments and lessons To creating anchor charts and visual aids Director of multilingual learning. Ms. Nicole Maryfield-Coy reached out to us and asked us to include the following Gabby has been an incredible asset to middle school north and to our multilingual learners In the year and a
008half that i've known her she's consistently shown what it means to be a thoughtful and effective leader Gabby goes above and beyond to truly above and beyond to support multilingual students ensuring that they not only access the curriculum But truly thrive in it She collaborates seamlessly with teachers across content areas offering strategies and insight that make instruction more inclusive and meaningful for all learners She is also an advocate for placement for students working in collaboration with building leadership to make decisions that best support the student She is proactive with our multilingual families ensuring their transition to msn is seamless and that they are well informed about their child's education Beyond her expertise gabby stands out for her kindness honesty and genuine commitment to others She has consistently supported professional learning and plc discussions with her
009colleagues advocating for and supporting teachers in Providing support for students in all content areas as well as whole school pd with the ml team She opens her classroom to colleagues for observations models press practices and differentiation and helps teachers tailor instruction and assessments to meet every student's needs Professionalism is matched by her warmth. She supports everyone with care thoughtfulness and integrity Gabby's leadership and heart make her not just an outstanding educator but an inspiring colleague and friend This year gabby continues to go above and beyond by helping mentor a new middle school ml specialist Ensuring she has the tools and information available to support students. Bravo gabby. Thank you for all that you do to support our students Gabby on behalf of the hawthorne board of education. Thank you for your creativity your leadership and
010your deep commitment to student success Please come forward to accept your certificate and our appreciation And lastly we have a very special recognition. Um, unfortunately this gentleman's not here, but that never Stops us from still recognizing people publicly in this forum for all they can hear so We'd like to recognize Dave anderson who was nominated by dolce martinez the principal secretary at the school the school of dual language When we reached out to dolce to ask a few follow-up questions. She couldn't stop raving about. Mr. Anderson She even mentioned she'd be holding back tears tonight So it's with great pleasure that I share her nomination Mr. Anderson is in his third year of volunteering at the school of dual language Every thursday he offers support to any grade level in need working with students who
011require extra help or enrichment in math He is natural at helping them problem solve and work with them on their current math skills Beyond math. He's very flexible and always ready to lend a hand with ela Whether it's leading a small reading group supervising an activity or offering support as students work He goes above and beyond by volunteering as a mystery leader Helping this with classroom parties And supporting the book fair Students always look forward to working with him his enthusiasm and readiness to engage fifth grade skills and make him a valued presence in any class The students enjoy it when he's there and beyond the classroom he extends his kindness to the office staff even treating them to snacks His dedication and generosity make him a truly appreciated member of our school community and
012we are so lucky to have him at dual And mr Anderson at hawthorne we truly believe that our volunteers support learning encouraging social development And it's strengthening the emotional connectedness for both students and adults Volunteering in our schools creates meaningful bridges between home school and the broader community Mr. Anderson, you exemplify the spirit in your connection and service and we are incredibly grateful for the impact you make each week Thank you again for your time and dedication and we look forward to awarding you with your certificate and showing our appreciation And that concludes this evening's recognition. All right, let's get to some reports. That's what you guys are here for, right? Actually, would you like to take a five minute or short recess in case anyone wishes to Yeah Wishes to if you guys don't
013want to stay for the rest of the business meeting. You're free to go It'll take a couple minutes I thought about it Okay Sorry for the awkwardness in this dismissal. I'll get better a quick president's report tonight on behalf of miss clique Um robin will be sending actually in your your folder. You got the 20 25 Resolutions report we'll go over that at the next meeting Um, so take a look and decide if you agree or disagree with the recommendations of the ias iasb um, i'll be the delegate for the assembly and we'll uh vote on behalf of the body as to our decisions when we decide and thus concludes The vice president's report Mr. Finfer ed red you have one. I do just a couple of quick things Today is the end of the
014uh, first half of the veto session and for those who don't know the veto session is where the legislature just Goes back over some things that they might have missed or never made it to a vote And then on the 20th ed red has its kickoff luncheon Which is sold out and we have 15 legislators showing up. So it's possible that we'll get their attention there That's it Thank you, joel Mr. Angle cedal report. Yes, our last executive board meeting was September to 18th. The last governing board meeting was august 6th. My update tonight is about the tuition reset for cedal Over the past years stakeholders shared perspectives regarding the cedal tuition process and the lack of clarity on changes I'm, sorry charges and or cost sheets and commenting on unfairness for some districts beginning
015in the summer of 2024 A comprehensive multi-layered approach was developed to address those concerns And those were the formation of a tuition restructuring advisory committee consisting of district special education administrators and business officials who indicated interest in being involved And the steering committee which consisted of district superintendents The primary purpose of both committees was to engage in an informed and collaborative process To develop and recommend a clearer and more equitable tuition billing system The committee reinforced the importance of structuring the bill so that it reflects direct costs indirect costs and administrative costs The direct and indirect costs of cedal programs would be paid by the districts based on actual usage Reflecting the number of students in each program The remaining administrative costs generated substantial additional examination six different new tuition models focusing on the administrative
016costs using district eav District enrollment and average daily enrollment in all cedal programs as the basis of cost calculations were reviewed After extensive analysis the advisory committee recommended the following tuition structure for administrative costs district eav 25 percent district enrollment 25 percent and ada 50 percent The formula was determined to be the most equitable of the options The steering committee reviewed the recommendation from the advisory committee and concurred In addition the cedal executive board favorably reviewed this recommendation at their september 18th meeting The recommendation from both the advisory committee and the steering committee will be formally presented on october 23rd to the cedal executive board During that meeting for approval if the executive board approves the restructured tuition model. It will be brought to the cedal December 3rd governing board meeting for review and approval
017The intent is to implement this tuition model for the 2026 2027 school year This works in favor of district 73 due to the low district enrollment in cedal programming At our november 13th d 73 board meeting i'll be looking for consensus from the board I don't believe a roll call vote is needed but more just transparency in getting a consensus So when I go into that meeting in december, I can vote on behalf of us and vote in favor of that Model So i'll be presenting this again at our next meeting. I'll bring it up again if there's any questions feel free to reach out But the intent is we'll get consensus for me to go into that meeting and be able to vote on behalf of us Our next executive board meeting is october
01823rd and our next governing board meeting is december 3rd Thank you, michael All right site and facilities We had an action-packed meeting last week You'll see some of the fruits of that tonight. We're gonna we're gonna go through our summer projects 26 27 review. We've got Later in the agenda, so I won't say anything else about that right now We also discussed our upcoming um rfp for custodial vendor selection Um, we're moving to an rfp this time which should allow us to have more say in the selection process We already have vendors who are looking at Uh going through the rfp with us and we will be dealing with the facts of the selection in early 2026 We also discussed our 2026 2027 activity and registration fees. Those will be coming to an upcoming board
019meeting For a transportation update we continue to work with lakeside on traffic flow on aspen for both middle south and Town line both sides of aspen during morning drop off We're also putting some attention towards student behavior to support lakeside and what they need to make sure that our bus behavior protocols are followed And then lastly, we've got a pretty sizable food service update Families from the south campus were invited to attend an informational session on tuesday october 9th with the quest Approximately a dozen parents joined us The quest representatives did a wonderful job in sharing information about the national school lunch program how it works what we offer each day And how it supports healthy eating for students parents had the chance to try some of the food Including veggies fruit salad wraps and
020roasted chickpeas the group enjoyed the event and uh learned quite a bit Did you know there's a fresh fruit and veggie bar available every day There is a share table for students to play quest place quest provided food items They don't want so others can take them And tasty tuesdays are when the staff staff shares samples of new food So students can try things before they buy and they don't waste that lunch money We'll meet again next month Before our november meeting and that concludes the site and facilities report Uh julie or joel is there a wellness committee report there is uh, we met on Uh tuesday this week Uh just took the time to review the five pillars that make up a whole child just as review that is um being healthy safe engaged
021supported and challenged And continue to make sure that we are implementing things within our school that help build up to these different pillars um We also talked about um The wellness policies and making sure those were up to date, but no major changes there And also took a look at some of the different behaviors That we've been tracking over the years Uh, what we have found is compared to last year a lot of numbers Did go down as it pertains to Uh things like disorderly or disruptive behavior Um, so because we've seen a lot of that kind of plateauing at a nice low We are moving on to viewing some new metrics this year Uh things such as unsafe behavior threatening behavior and disrespectful behavior So that way we can think about ways with our
022community of students and faculty and how we want to address these things And keep driving those down to zero um Yeah Thank you julie How about akita 73 report there is also an update there So just a reminder the gulf outing is officially scheduled for june 5th Um, we are always looking for sponsors. Um, many different sponsorship opportunities We are also looking for Any of our local community or families they want to contribute to donations for our lot for our auction that happens online Um, so if you are a season ticket holder and have some tickets you might want to give away Uh, you have a cabin. Maybe you're willing to give up for a weekend Um, or even if you just have a local business that offers a great service uh open to all
023sorts of Ideas or even if you're just a family and want to just donate gift cards. We are open to accepting those as well um also Be as jenna from our pto had emphasized we had our hoptober fest Which was a great success? But really couldn't have been done without all the support of our volunteers, especially coming from our pto So, um, if you did attend, please remember to fill out the survey that was sent out so we can continue to improve on these events Thank you julie Now we've got a presentation. It's time to turn things over to mrs Jennifer aiken assistant superintendent of business finance and business operations to present the fiscal year 25 audit presentation Good evening I have kevin smith here from assess on auditing. They did our 2024 2025 audit
024in july All right. Thanks everyone for having me. Um, so as we come out each year, just kind of go over How the audit went and where some things ended? Um, and then if there's any any changes for anything, um So first field work went very well. Um as usual got everything we needed got everything timely. Um, everything went very smooth there Um as far as each year we go through your internal controls look at things like your cash receipts processes payroll processes things like that Make sure there's nothing in there that we would suggest that fixing or maybe adding Um, nothing that came to our attention that would need a management letter. So no management this year. Everything seems to be in good shape No issues there. No significant journal entries things like that
025um As far as the report itself you guys got the best opinion you can get on the cash basis It's qualified because it is cash basis. It's not gap. Um, but it's the best opinion you can get on the cash basis So that's normal that happens every year um new standards then So the report itself is going to look fairly similar to how it's looked over the last few years There's there's no new standards this year that affect you affected you guys on the cash basis There was a new compensated absences standard, but that was only a rural district. So that did not affect your your district at all um As far as financial highlights then so each one of the funds then Um, our total governmental funds were down about 3.9 million to just
026about 53 million Which was mainly due to the capital expenses out of the capital fund this year. So that was planned. Um, no no concerns there Um the general fund you're sitting at about nine months current year expense right now Pretty consistent where it's been probably the last four or five years. Um, so you guys have been pretty pretty status quo there The o and m fund is down Um, but that was due to the 2.5 million dollar transfer you guys made to the capital projects fund to fund those those projects That fund usually is pretty self-sufficient on its own for some of you that have been here a while If you remember that fund was actually quite high, um, and you guys did have a plan to spend that down Um, so so this
027was planned um The debt service fund then so you guys are about eight months there, um, which has been pretty consistent over the the past few years Transportation is a little over five months last year. That was down to about two So that's that's making improvements and getting into a better spot. I'm rest at about six, which is good Capital as mentioned earlier you guys have specific projects you build up that fund for Um, so it's not really a good fund to look at by months as far as um, how much is in fund balance You guys have that there for specific purpose. You're going to spend it based on your capital plans. Um, so so no issues there Torp funds at about 13.5. Um That's been again a plan to bring that fund back
028up that fund was actually negative a few years ago So so this was actually a good spot for this to be in now um Government-wide then so government-wide is where you get into your guys's fixed assets your long-term debt things like that Those all come out of the books then so for for this year There was an increase there of about 4.4 million Pays 19 of the report gives you a breakdown of how that's different from the decrease We just talked about on the funds generally has to do with your fixed assets and your debt. So when you guys Have your capital projects as an expense on the funds When it goes to the government-wide it's a fixed asset and they're going to depreciate it over time So there's fluctuations with that when you guys
029have more capital projects and depreciation it makes that number go up um on the same same token Debt is an expenditure on the funds when you get to the government-wide it reduces the debt So then that's no longer an expenditure. So that's those are the main reasons for for the difference in that number Um, but again page 19 gives you a good breakdown and it breaks all that stuff out for you Um, as mentioned earlier then footnotes are generally the same just updated for current year numbers There were no new standards this year. So nothing out of the ordinary there um, the only other thing I wanted to mention is Everything is done. Um But everything is sitting undraft Um based on the compliance supplement. So you guys have a single audit Federal government has
030to issue a compliance supplement each year, which says specific things that we have to test They don't think anything's going to change but they have not issued that yet Obviously everyone's in shutdown So it's going to sit out there for a little while longer until everything is actually finalized once it's finalized and we can finalize everything But until then we can't issue the final report So isb is aware isb knows what's going on isb has been notified for every district that we have this for Um, they were given a list yesterday with the october 15th due date Um, because there also is no longer an extension with isb anymore Um, i'm sure some of you are aware of the bill that came out this year They were going to push everything to february They ended
031up not doing that, but they also then forgot to put the extension wording back in so there is technically no extension anymore Again, isb is aware of it. They know what's going on with it. Everything's updated in iwas which is the online portal for everything So everything's fine. There's no penalty or anything like that But yes, everything's going to be sitting out there until the federal government issues that compliance supplement But again, everything's done finalized in good shape. No issues there. It's literally just waiting on the federal government at this point So that is it for me unless you guys have any questions Any questions from the board? No Mullen, thank you. Thank you. Thank you Once adam has his seat back We'll turn things over to him That's adam palmer assistant superintendent of human
032resources to discuss our substitute compensation Thank you and good evening. Um For providing me an opportunity tonight to present About our substitute compensation review This presentation was created collaboratively with jennifer aiken We're here to share information about our substitute teachers Who pay a vital role in supporting our students and staff each day? In addition to reviewing key data and trends we'll also be sharing a recommendation to increase substitute compensation To ensure hawthorne remains competitive with neighboring districts Our goal is to recognize the essential contributions of our substitutes and strengthen our ability to attract and retain them I'd like to start with an update of our guest teachers During the 2024 25 school year. We were pleased to welcome 39 new substitutes to the district Since august we've been able to add eight new guest teachers
033Additionally in august about 30 guest teachers attended an orientation event Which is a great turnout that reflects strong engagement A special thanks to megan goldman for leading the professional learning that took place in august And we continue to have a building substitute assigned to each school as well As you know substitutes are essential to the daily operations of our district They fill last-minute absences and provide continuity during long leaves According to a red rover study the top four reasons substitutes accept assignments include the school's proximity to their home the pay rate Subject area or grade and relationships that they have with teachers and staff Compensation clearly plays a role in the recruitment and retention which is going to be or is a key focus of tonight's discussion Just as note hawthorne last increased our substitute
034pay back in 2021 And given the competitive market, we believe that it's time to review these rates again Mrs. Aiken and I reviewed substitute pay across peer districts to understand how rates compare As shown in the table hawthorne's current daily rate is 120 While the average among nearby districts is 137 For long-term assignments hawthorne's rate is about $228 a day compared to an average of $245 This data shows that we're below market in both categories which impacts our ability to stay competitive This chart shows our fill rates over the past three years and into the start of this school year As you'll see our average fill rate hovers around 65 Percent the data highlights the ongoing challenges of finding available substitutes and issue influence by both availability and compensation So based on the data and
035the peer comparisons Mrs. Aiken and I recommend the following adjustments for the board's consideration tonight We propose an increase to increase the daily rate from 120 to 135 dollars a day Increase the long-term rate from $227.98 to $249.39 Which aligns to the ba zero step one of our current teacher Contract which is typical of other surrounding districts These changes will better align hawthorne with surrounding districts and recognize the value of our substitute's work Importantly if it proved these rates would be retroactive to the start of this 2526 school year This means that substitutes who have already worked for the district this year will receive retro pay for the difference For example if you subbed for us this year and was paid the 120 rate We would go back and pay you the additional 15 for
036each day that you sub We believe that these adjustments will make hawthorne more competitive and strengthen our substitute pool Thank you again for the opportunity to share this information again. We Sincerely value the substitutes as essential service providers for our students and staff and at this time Jennifer Aiken and I would be happy to answer any questions that the board may have Sorry, I actually do have one quick question. So with the change happening kind of let's call it mid-year How do we make sure that eligible subs kind of get the word that we are increasing our rates so that they would Kind of gear towards us versus other districts I think that would be a partnership with our communications. Okay, and we will make sure that we get that out in multiple formats. Awesome
037Any other questions from the board? No, thank you adam. Thank you All right Now back to mrs Jennifer Aiken to discuss the managed service provider additional service the 2025 tentative tax levy And the 2026 2027 summer design and development projects Good evening again The business office has three discussion items for board consideration. Um, the first one is the impact or managed service provider addendum impact networking met with Dr. Hannigan adam Dr. Sophie and myself in mid september And shared with us their initial observations now that they're in our network As a result of this discussion impact identified four critical areas requiring additional support Beyond the scope of the original agreement those include jamp administration to improve software development software deployment and patch management across district devices IT glue documentation to consolidate and organize all technology
038documentation for shared access between hawthorne and impact Staff augmentation to provide on-site engineering assistance support two days a week for troubleshooting and collaboration As well as impact network control This will monitor remotely and manage approximately 750 mac workstations These additional services will enhance operational efficiency and strengthen the security and reliability of the district's technology infrastructure Does the board have any questions about the impact addendum b, right? The next item the business office has to discuss is the 2025 tentative levy This evening i'll be presenting an overview of the tentative 2025 levy this overview will explain the purpose of the levy the process we follow The financial factors and the recommendation we are bringing forward for board consideration As you know property taxes are the largest source of local funding for the school for illinois schools
039The purpose of the levy process is to ask the county for funds to run district operations The process starts with the levy. That's the official ask for the amount of property tax revenue the district needs for operations Next the county calculates the extension which is the approved amount actually billed to taxpayers The final extension might be a little higher or a little lower depending on how much new property is within the district boundaries Finally the county collects the tax and sends the district the distributions Which is the money the district actually receives from the county after taxes are collected So simply put the levy is the ask the extension is the approval and the distributions are the funds we receive If we look back at 2024 as an example The levy or the ask was
040fifty five point four four million The extension or the amount that the county approved came in at approximately fifty five point one two million The distributions or funds received are still coming in and will be complete by mid december 2025 It's important to know that the small difference between the levy and the extension is completely normal It reflects the typical adjustments the county makes Once the eav or property value estimates are confirmed The business office follows a set timeline to meet all the required deadlines In september the county shares the property value estimates In october the business office prepares the tentative levy and presents it to the board for discussion In november the board holds a public hearing and votes to adopt the levy In december the business office files the levy with the county
041In march the county sets the final tax extension This ensures the process remains transparent and compliant There are six key components to the district's annual levy Because lake county is tax kept the levy on existing property can only increase by the prior year cpi or five percent Whichever is lower New growth or new property values within district boundaries are not limited to the tax cap The county reassesses all property every four years The most recent reassessment happened in 2023 The district must disclose fund balances or cash reserves each year Certain funds have statutory rate limits or max rates which cap the amount that the district can ask for Because the equalized assessed valuation used for the levy is based on estimates The business office safeguards the levy To protect the district from estimates being too
042low Cpi or the consumer price index is a vital component of the levy process Because we are tax kept county We are limited on the 2025 levy to the december 2024 cpi which was 2.9 percent This chart shows the 10-year trend in cpi You can see that cpi spiked in 21 and 22 And it is coming down We won't know what december is until january new growth Is estimated at the county right now to be nine million the district is Increasing that slightly to 15 million And that is to safeguard the levy in case the county's estimate comes in a little bit higher than what they are estimating Lake county reassesses property values every four years to comply with state law This ensures fairness and keeps assessments aligned with current market values The fund balances
043versus expenses is a new slide this year This is called the miller ratio. It's a new financial reporting requirement in illinois That requires school districts to calculate the three-year average Of expenditures across three specific operating funds And compare that to the current fund balance This ratio measures the district's cash reserve to expenditure capacity For our district the miller ratio sits at point five two Indicating that existing reserves could cover just over half of a year's expense maintaining a healthy Reserve balance is essential to ensure financial stability operational continuity and long-term fiscal sustainability Especially in times of delayed revenues or uncertain expenditures Debt service obligations are totally built into the levy Our referendum bonds from 2018 require approximately 7 million annually The final payment for those referendum bonds is anticipated in 2038 So we've put this
044all together the financial impact For fiscal year 2026 our total local revenue was budgeted at 61 million Of this the levy provides about 56.7 million. That's nearly 93 percent Of local revenue and about 80 percent of our total revenue Importantly 84.45 percent of these levy funds Support salaries and benefits directly tied to the people who make our educational programs possible As a reminder fiscal year 26 is the first year of the newly negotiated hea agreement With approximately 1.5 million of new money Allocated towards salary and benefits For the 2025 levy the business office is recommending or an ask of 57.63 million based on the 2024 extension and applying the december 2024 cpi of 2.9 percent The calculated levy Would be approximately 57.2 million This assumes no new property within district boundaries However, when we incorporate
045that estimated 15 million in new property the levy projection increases to 57.63 million This approach ensures the district can capture all available revenue and maintain its ability to meet future financial needs That concludes the presentation. Thank you for your attention I'd be happy to answer any questions I have one question on the the miller ratio which you mentioned was a new metric but By chance, although it's new is there any Guidance on what a good benchmark. What a good ratio is Does it vary by size of district? Is there any any guidelines for us anything for us to compare that at 52% too? Isby recommends one year in reserves As the auditor shared we usually set at around nine months We're only looking at those three operational funds the auditor shared all the funds with
046you this evening Um, but we were just looking at those three because that's what the miller ratio is We are sitting at about nine months, but I can I have to show you the miller ratio, which is 0.52 and But the comment about is be On the miller ratio, right? Yeah, so on that one Okay, that's just helpful for us to be able to understand that articulates and reemphasizes why our ask is beneficial to help us Get close, you know aim to be closer Yes And our last discussion item this evening is our 2026 summer projects I have vp and annie here this evening, um We are requesting board consideration to move forward with the 2026 summer projects tentatively scheduled at middle school south each year the district Puts aside 2.5 million dollars in the
047budget for building improvements The site and facility committee reviews the district five-year facility plan to determine those project priorities At this time the committee recommends refreshing the library and front office at middle school south to enhance functionality safety And the overall learning environment The design team is here this evening to share preliminary design concepts for board review and consideration VP and annie if you want to come up for a quick minute Thank you for having us. This is our favorite season, right? We get uh, you know pumpkin spice latte and we also get the plan for next summer. So Thanks for having us here. I i'm vp. This is annie We are the team that's going to bring the same magic that we did at middle school north to middle school south with the renovation
048of your office and library, so She brings the beauty and I just bring maybe the brains to the project. So Um the front office the idea is to enhance your security by adding a pass-through window for badges and then also the goal is to kind of Create a better flow for the front office as well as moving the nurse's office more towards the uh, Back so it's more accessible to the students in the front Okay, the concept of the library is now to kind of bring it kind of like once again kind of a refresh Bring in that nice warm wood feel right? You know maintain the openness so that you can still have nice sight lines from the circulation desk As well as bringing in multiple team rooms along the perimeter and then bring
049in flexible furniture. So You know, we're looking at new carpet looking at new ceiling designs you have really nice high volume and And really bringing in warmer colors and making it more of a kind of a liven up the space a little more, right? Um, also with the you've got the nice brick look that was very popular into you know, 2000 so the goal was kind of bringing that wood to lighten it up and make it more welcoming So once again to refresh, um, we're going to be a makeover It won't be extreme makeover when it comes to budget But we're going to make it we're to maximize the budget and make sure it looks really really good for you guys. So Any questions on kind of design or concepts? You guys will be back
050at the next meeting with Drawings for folks to see yeah So the next meeting the goal would be uh approval to go out to bid so uh time with lamp will be here Perfect, um to present those options and then be able to go out to bid The goal is to be have the documents available for bidding in december and then approval in january so that we're ready for summer Work starts the day the students take off. Yeah, exactly. All right, this will finish all in the summer, right? Yep. Perfect but george just to clarify are the um the renderings the drawings part of the The bid brought like when we see those like what you're visualizing that's part of the bid packet yeah, so between now and The next board meeting will create designs
051rendering so that you can see it and then from there We'll build construction documents that the contractors will be able to bid on. Okay. Thank you And based on what we're working with in The south library because of just the original design of it. This is mostly just furniture and fixtures, right? Yeah, yeah, we're gonna revamp some of the rooms right you have some offices that were in turn some team rooms, right? Get some more visibility into the rooms. Okay. We're very fortunate with structure in middle school south It is a very structured structured library Right, there's no infilling the slab right reusing. Oh, yep reusing mechanical systems as well That's gonna be kind of your longest lead time items, right? So it's really a nice refresh and so focusing on painting ceilings and kind
052of revamping that Creating zones with the furniture Yeah in creating spaces for students to work together and we're doing kind of that lab space or the like that Classroom in the back. Yeah Like a flexible classroom that now we didn't adequately discuss lowering the library middle school south To match the former experience of middle school north, but I think you said you wanted to raise the roof Right Any other questions for The team. All right. Thank you guys. Look forward to seeing you next month. Thank you. Thank you That brings us to uh, dr. Hannigan. Do you have a not ever report this evening? Sorry for asking I've never seen anyone so excited to go to a consent agenda All right, that's next tonight's consent agenda consists of board meeting minutes from september 18 2025
053closed session minutes from september 18 2025 an expenditure report from october 16 2025 an amazon expense report from october 16 2025 A master card report from august 21st 2025 the treasurer reports from august 2025 and a personnel report featuring eight new hires Five resignations four leaves of absence and two changes of status Does anything need to be taken out and voted on separately, uh, can you please take out 7.1 and 7.2? All right Can I get a motion to approve 7.1 and 7.2 from the consent agenda? Second. All right motion by michael seconded by was that you joe? Carl, thank you All right Julie, can I get a roll call vote, please? Carl borchers. Aye Joel finfer. Aye michael engel. Aye stephanie peters abstain julie cliford. Aye george fever. Aye That would be five ayes
054and one abstention Those pass Can I please have a motion to approve the remaining consent agenda items as presented? second All right, that's a motion from michael and a second from stephanie Julie, can I get a roll call vote, please? Joel finfer. Aye michael engel. Aye carl borchers. Aye stephanie peters. Aye julie cliford. Aye george fever. Aye. All right motion passes six. Oh We're flying now Let's turn things back to dr. Hannigan to review the first action item on tonight's agenda Thank you. Mr Feavitt as I shared at the last board of education meeting the policy subcommittee convened on september 5th to review updates across multiple departments Which were incorporated in press issue 118 and 119. There were a total of 34 policies reviewed by the committee Department heads presented their updates at the last
055board meeting We are seeking board approval to update the necessary policies and iasb's press issue 118 and 119 Be more than happy to answer any questions or turn it over to my colleagues to the right. I think we're good All right Mrs. Aiken, would you like to review the action items from the business office on tonight's agenda? Yes, I would thank you The first item is the purchasing cooperative agreement The business office is requesting board approval to participate in the illinois together purchasing cooperative This is a newly established consortium that allows member districts to access competitively awarded contracts developed by other participating districts So after the last board meeting discussion, I reached back out to get some answers Participation is completely free. You don't have to pay anything to belong to this club There is
056no obligation to serve as a lead procurement agency or to hold a contract if we don't want to There is no purchase requirement So we could look at all these contracts and say no, thank you and we could go out to bid on our own contracts if we so choose And then membership can be terminated with 30 days notice So whenever we decide we don't want to be part of this anymore. We can bow out with 30 days The business office believes that joining the illinois together consortium Will provide the district with access to high quality contracts and create opportunities for meaningful cost savings through shared purchasing power Are there any other questions about illinois together that I can answer? the second Action item this evening from the business office Is the business and facility
057departments are seeking board approval to apply for the school maintenance project grant or we call that the smpg This is a state matching program that funds building maintenance and repairs for summer 2026 we anticipate moving forward with the floor replacement at middle school south as part of the overall summer project Although I was going to read this the grant application window has not yet opened but it did open today So I can officially say With board approval we can start the process tomorrow Does the board have any questions about the smpg grant? And my last item this evening the business office and technology departments Request board approval for the proposed addendum to the network services contract with impact Addendum b would cost approximately $18,000 per month as presented Does the board have any questions about
058addendum b with impact networking? Right. Thank you so much All right folks. Can I get a motion to approve policy press issue 118 and 119? All right, that's a motion by michael second by joel. Can I have a roll call vote, please julie Michael engel Aye joel finfer Aye julie clifford. Aye carl borchers. Aye stephanie peters. Aye george vivet. Aye Motion passes six zero Can I now get a motion to approve the purchasing cooperative agreement? Second All right, that's motion by joel seconded by stephanie Julie roll call vote, please michael engel. Aye joel finfer. Aye julie clifford. Aye carl borchers. Aye stephanie peters Aye george vivet. Aye Motion passes six zero Now could I please get a motion to apply for the fiscal year 26 maintenance project grant so moved second Motion by carl seconded
059by michael roll call vote, please julie joel finfer. Aye michael engel. Aye carl borchers Aye julie clifford. Aye Stephanie peters. Aye george vivet. Aye Motion passes six zero And lastly, can I please get a motion to approve the managed service provider additional service? second Motion by joel seconded by stephanie julie roll call vote, please carl borchers Aye joel finfer. Aye stephanie peters. Aye michael engel. Aye julie clifford. Aye george vivet. Aye Motion passes six. Oh At this point i'll turn the meeting back over to our superintendent. Dr. Pete hannigan Thank you We have received five four requests since our last board of education meeting which are identified in section 9.2 of the board agenda Are there any additional topics the board would like to discuss? Anything for a future meeting? Hearing none with no further
060business to discuss. Can I please get a motion to adjourn the open meeting? second motion by joel Seconded by carl all in favor. Aye and Motion passes. Thank you. Good night