001I call the September 28th, 2025 regular meeting of the Board of Education to order. Kate, will you please call the roll? Ms. Timm. Here. Mrs. Warren. Here. Mrs. Danniger. Mr. Goldberg. Here. Dr. Pinter. Here. Ms. Maloney. Here. Mr. Aitian. Here. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, the Republic for the under God. Ms. Danniger will not be joining us this evening for personal reasons. Good evening and welcome. Before we begin, I would like us to take a moment to pause and recognize the tremendous loss recently experienced in the Berwyn School District. Our hearts and thoughts of comfort are with their students, staff, families, and community during this very difficult time. While we carry them in our thoughts, we are also reminded of the
002importance of coming together to honor and uplift the bright moments within our own district. This evening, we have the privilege of celebrating several of our exceptional students, a dedicated staff member, and a remarkable volunteer. These moments are among my favorite parts of serving on the board, as they remind us of the heart of our district, the people who inspire us every day. It is both humbling and energizing to acknowledge individuals who not only excel in their own right, but also represent the many outstanding students, staff, and volunteers across District 95. Alicia Tim is going to speak to us a little bit about an opportunity for learning that she had. Yeah. Hello, everybody, welcome. So excited to celebrate the great people in our district tonight. I went to a training for board members this weekend, as
003I'm the newest and only new board member this time around, and it was called Super Saturday, and they had three concurrent trainings throughout the state of Illinois, so I headed down to Naperville, and one of the best things, learning moments for me, was a 30-year serving board member said that the biggest room is the room for improvement, and I thought that is amazing, and I am going to try to remember that every time. I have new opportunities to learn from my community and the great trainings that our professional organization offers, so nice to see everybody. Mrs. Maloney, I do want to, since we have an audience, I just want to remind folks that our Board of Education members frequently go to events and learning opportunities outside of the typical workday, on weekends, et cetera, and
004so I had the opportunity to attend with Ms. Tim. It was an awesome event, but I just want to thank the Board of Education because you put a lot of time and energy into the role, and we just really appreciate you and your time. Thank you. Ms. Malik has prepared a short celebration video to share. Mr. Nardiello, please play the video. And welcome to the District 95 Board Awards. It is a great pleasure this evening to introduce students, staff, and volunteers who truly represent the values and the vision that support the District 95 mission to empower every learner to achieve personal excellence. Tonight, we begin with our Student of the Month Awards. Leanna Fabczyk, Lake Zurich High School. The Lake Zurich High School Science Division is pleased to honor Leanna as an excellent student in
005chemistry honors. To begin the school year, Leanna has shown her ability to manage many tasks with a busy daily schedule, exemplifying her goal-oriented mindset and resilience. She has enrolled in many challenging courses and is heavily involved in extracurricular activities, such as soccer. During office hours, Leanna can often be found working collaboratively with other students to complete classwork. Carter Nadsen, Middle School North. Carter is one of those rare students who makes an immediate and lasting impact on a school community. Carter comes to every rehearsal and concert fully prepared and present, demonstrating leadership and often is the first to volunteer for tasks, frequently stepping up without being asked. This was demonstrated during a concert last year when he completed all cleanup duties while his teacher was still speaking with students and parents. Carter embodies leadership, responsibility, generosity
006and kindness in everything he does and he inspires those around him. Olivia Villegas, Middle School South. Olivia has consistently demonstrated excellence in both academics and extracurricular involvement, particularly within our band and choir programs. A dedicated and passionate music student, she has not only participated actively in these ensembles, but has also taken on roles that showcase her leadership and commitment to excellence, such as the Jazz Program and ILMEA. What sets Olivia apart is not just her pursuit of personal excellence, but also her character. She is kind, welcoming and supportive of her peers, contributing to a positive and inclusive environment wherever she goes. Johnny Tomeino, May Whitney Elementary. Johnny displays many of the portrait of a graduate characteristics on a daily basis. He is an effective communicator, advocates for self and others and is growth oriented. He
007embraces challenges as opportunities to learn, continuously striving to improve and inspire others to do the same. Johnny is a global citizen. As an example, he learned about threats that turtles in our own community face. He conducted research and created an informational sheet sharing actions that May Whitney students could take to save the turtles right here in Lake Zurich. Natalie Chun, Isaac Fox Elementary. Natalie's specials teachers are proud to recognize her as she approaches every specials class with perseverance, curiosity and creativity, always eager to learn and grow. Her ability to communicate with kindness and respect makes her a positive leader among her peers. She listens carefully during group activities and adds her voice with confidence, helping her classmates feel supported and successful. Natalie embraces challenges with a growth mindset, showing resilience and responsibility. Through her positivity
008and strong character, she embodies the district's values and mission, preparing herself to be truly future ready. Ashlyn Christensen, Sarah Adams Elementary. Ashlyn is an active listener who shares her ideas thoughtfully and always respects the perspectives of others. Ashlyn shows empathy and finds common ground, helping to create a classroom where everyone feels welcome. She takes responsibility for her actions, includes others and collaborates well with her peers to solve problems. Her persistence is remarkable. Ashlyn never gives up when faced with challenges and she often asks for more challenging work to push herself further. Her curiosity and love of learning shine through every day and inspire those around her. Adrienne Avila, Seth Payne Elementary. The Seth Payne specials team is thrilled to recognize fifth grader Adrienne as a student who consistently demonstrates respect, responsibility and a positive attitude
009toward learning. Adrienne serves as a student house leader, motivating and encouraging his fellow Revere housemates to dream big and helps to teach them that nothing is out of reach with dedication and hard work. He is also a member of Dragon Runners Club and currently participates in the Seth Payne Chorus and fifth grade band programs. The Seth Payne specials team is thrilled to recognize fifth grader Adrienne Avila as a student who consistently demonstrates respect, responsibility and a positive attitude toward learning. Adrienne is a student house leader in her school and motivates and encourages other students in the house to dream big and teaches them that nothing is out of reach if there is hard work and dedication. He has also been a member of the Dragon Runners Club and currently participates in Seth Payne Chorus and
010fifth grade band programs. Congratulations, Adrienne. Jamie Protasio, Spencer Loomis Elementary. The first grade team is pleased to recognize Jamie as an engaged, hardworking student who enters the school each day with a smile on her face. She is a caring and compassionate friend, helping others solve problems with gentle suggestions and always making sure her classmates feel included and valued. Jamie consistently demonstrates what it means to be safe, responsible, respectful and incredibly thoughtful. She stays focused on her goals, putting forth her best effort in all that she does and leading with kindness and integrity. And now we move on to our adult recognitions. Sarah Adams is thrilled to recognize the longstanding support of Fred and Megan Martin. They have volunteered their time in countless ways, including as room parents for parties, supporting PTO events and chaperoning field
011trips. They are a familiar and valued part of the school, well known to many staff members and students. Beyond giving their time, the Martin family through Martin Enterprises has generously donated field day shirts year after year, helping to build a culture of inclusivity and belonging. In recent years, students have even had the opportunity to design these shirts. Thank you, Fred and Megan, for all you do for the Sarah Adams learning community. Simone Galati, Middle School South staff member of the month. Simone Galati is a passionate and dedicated learning support coach who exemplifies a commitment to excellence. She brings a deep knowledge of teaching strategies and consistently supports staff in refining their practice to meet the diverse needs of students. Simone's ability to build strong, trusting relationships allows her to serve as both a mentor to
012teachers and an advocate for students. She models lifelong learning, always seeking new ideas and resources to share with colleagues. Whether she is collaborating on lesson design, guiding professional learning or encouraging students to embrace challenges, Simone's positive impact is felt across the school. Finally, we move on to our special recognitions. Tonight, we are proud to recognize these medalists from the 2025 IHSA Girls Track and Field State Meet. Arusa Bisofa, Discus, first place state champion. Shotgood, seventh place. Alice Kotelnikova, Discus, fourth place. Paulina Krupsky, 800 meter, third place. Four by 800 relay, fifth place. Summer Fabczyk, class of 25, four by 800 relay, fifth place. Avery Muir, four by 800 relay, fifth place. Celia Blalock, four by 800 relay, fifth place. Kendall Flournoy, class of 25, 200 meter, seventh place. And we are also proud to recognize
013these medalists from the 2025 IHSA Boys Track and Field State Meet. Connor Strauss, class of 25, triple jump, fifth place. Cameron Libby, 800 meter, eighth place. Congratulations to all of our district 95 board award honorees. In a moment, we will conduct our presentation of award certificates. I have a few directions to provide for this recognition. When your name is called, please come up to the board members who will be lined up to the right near the table. Once you are presented with your certificate, please stand between the tables in front of the room so that we can capture some photos right through here. Once we finish all the award announcements, we have several as you know, then each of the parents will be invited to enjoy some cake and take pictures. At this time, I
014ask my board colleagues to join me at the award table and would like to invite Ms. Beechich and Dr. Galt to introduce and recognize. Thank you. Good evening. I'm very excited to be here this evening to acknowledge all of our award winners. I'll go ahead and start with our students of the month. We have Leanna Thabsik from Lake Zurich High School, grade 10. Carter Madsen from Middle School North, grade seven. Olivia Villegas from Middle School South, grade eight. Natalie Chun, Isaac Fox Elementary School, grade five. Johnny Tumano, grade five, May Whitney Elementary School. Ashlyn Christensen, Sarah Adams Elementary School, grade four. Adriana Villa, Seth Payne Elementary School, grade five. Jamie Protecio, Spencer-Lumis Elementary School, grade one. On to our adult winners, volunteers of the month, Megan and Fred Martin from Sarah Adams Elementary School. We
015have our staff member of the month, Simone Galati, Middle School South, congratulations. Okay, at this time, I am gonna ask Dr. McArdle, if you can take a picture, I'll get them organized. That would be awesome. And then once, oh, Erica is here, nevermind. Once we get them organized and we take our own pictures, then parents, we promise to give you an opportunity to come on up and take some great pictures for yourselves. And then we'll do the next one. All right, parents, how hard is it? How many times do we have to walk through? Stay right there, we're getting pictures. Stay right there. We promise we'll get you all done, don't worry. Okay, we're gonna move on to our special recognitions of the night for Lake Zurich Girls Track and Field State Medalists. We have
016Arisa Bisofa, and Alice Kudalinkova, Paulina Krupsky, Avery Muir, Celia Blalock, Summer Babsic, Kendall Flournoy. And for the Lake Zurich Boys Track and Field State Medalists, we have Cameron Libby, and Connor Strauss. Okay, we're gonna take a quick picture. I want parents to take a picture. And then please enjoy some cake at the back of the room before you leave or you stay, more than welcome. All right, please enjoy some cake over the next few minutes and then we'll come back and restart our meeting. And you are welcome to leave or stay for that meeting. To your seats. Administrators and board members, please return to your seats, thank you. Kate, is there anyone signed up for public comment? No, there is not. Thank you, the next item on the agenda is the consent agenda, Dr. Galtz.
017Okay, for the consent agenda this evening, I have the acceptance of the treasurer's report, approval of the bill's payable list, approval of the district activity bill's payable list, approval of the personnel report, including employment of non-certified staff, change of non-certified staff, resignation of non-certified staff. May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as prepared and presented by the administration? So moved. Second. Thank you, Doug, thank you, Peter. Are there any questions? Kate, please call the roll. Ms. Maloney? Yes. Dr. Pinter? Yes. Mrs. Warren? Yes. Mr. Aitken? Yes. Mr. Goldberg? Yes. Ms. Timm? Yes. The next item on the agenda is the superintendent's report. Dr. Galtz. Thank you, Mrs. Maloney. This evening, I have just a few items for the Board of Education as we did meet last week. So the FOIA report is
018included within the board agenda as typical. You did have a communication regarding cell phone concerns and a request to potentially change the practice at the middle school level to include the complete removal of the use of student cell phones during the day. And so we do have a meeting with that individual. And so I will continue to keep you updated. And then we did participate in a facilities and business services board committee meeting this evening, had some really great conversations. We started with the summer construction update. The field house project is now complete. And so that space is now being utilized. The culinary arts project came in. There's a couple of different pieces to this. $40,000 under budget, which I know the Board of Education always likes to hear. We are gonna have some contingency
019dollars returned as well as some other potential returns related to civil engineering, landscaping, et cetera. We're looking at probably around $250,000. So we're very excited about that. And then additionally, we talked about the high school D-Wing and had a short update as it relates to that project. Really shared an updated design this evening. We did have some visitors from STR and lamp construction. We talked about the cost increase. I'm sure you saw that within the fund balance analysis. So that's about $500,000 over what we had originally projected. Please recall that those projections came about 18 months ago. And so today it's about $6.5 million. The board member who was there this evening, Mr. Goldberg, who serves as our chair, did ask that the administration continue to work to reduce costs where we can. However, he
020was mindful of the fact that we want to make sure that the space is adequately set up for its intended purpose. And then we had an opportunity to speak about some financial assumptions. We discussed some key levers. Dr. Romano showed some initial information. And so we'll continue to have some conversations related to this, but really looking at CPI at about 2.5% over several years, EAV 0.5%, interest on investments anywhere from 2.5% to 3.25%, depending on the year. And then he really just right now has state funding and grants, which are at the federal level, to remain flat. So good conversation. Mr. Goldberg, I will turn it over to you if you have anything to add to my report. Thank you, Dr. Galt. I'd just like to thank our team for working diligently to put this
021together, and certainly to our partners, LAMP and STR, that showed up this evening. We have, I think, a very good discussion on the second floor. I think we recognize it's a very important project. It's the project that was left off of the referendum. It was the next thing we were going to do if we had more referendum dollars. So the fact that we're able to fund this project now is a great thing. I think it's going to be a wonderful space. We're asking the administration and our build partners to look at ways to possibly rein the cost in a bit if possible. We certainly don't want to, in any way, shape, or form, make sure the project gets all the things that it needs. But I do think there may be opportunities for us to
022look at some cost reduction. But it's going to be a beautiful space. I'm super thankful. Also, once again, thankful to Dean for putting up with my myriad of questions on the financial modeling going forward. I think we have a good path forward to do some additional modeling so the board can get a better idea going forward of what some of the options are going to be in the ramifications of some of that possible spend down. So thank you. Thank you. And then just had a couple of additional items. The first are just really important dates. And looking at those dates first, starting with tomorrow evening, I am hopeful that some of you will be able to attend the alumni event at the high school. Excited about that. Certainly our community partners, first responders, and the
023board recognition on October 17. You won't want to miss that. And then our joint annual conference, I spoke earlier about learning opportunities. And this is just a really great opportunity for all of you to come together and learn under one roof, so to speak. D95 has the foundation has. Can we go back to one more important date? October 8, the board is being recognized. Correct. We want as many people to be there as possible at the Lakes Division meeting. And we are registering folks who sign up. All right. And then our district 95 foundation, the birthday box packing event has been established. It's going to be from, and I should have put October 6. It's Monday, October 6 from 5 to 8 PM. It is taking place at our high school. So if the board
024wouldn't mind making a note of that, it would be great if you could contribute to those efforts. That would be an opportunity for you to come together as a group and volunteer alongside the foundation board, as well as some students who will be participating in that event. And then lastly, just wanted to give an update. We typically at this time of year, we spend time at each one of our buildings and talking specifically as it relates to school improvement. As the board is aware, you will receive school improvement plans from each of our building leaders over the next couple of months. We're still waiting to get some more information from our state and hoping that they're going to be providing us with most of that information in their typical timeline. But we'll see. Just wanted
025you to know that I have been just very, very impressed with each one of our school teams. We had an opportunity to speak with teachers, as well as other individuals who serve the buildings and certainly our building leaders. They're working very hard on behalf of students to ensure the work that we're doing is going to help our students grow and learn at the rates we would want them to. So very excited about that. This just outlines some of the things that we're focused on. But what the board can expect that might look a little different when we talk about their third goal is that it's going to be aligned to our portrait of a graduate. As you know, we are focused on operationalizing the portrait, making sure it is a part of our culture within
026our district. And so you'll hear them speak a little bit about the work that they're doing to ensure that our students are able to become effective communicators, global citizens, advocates for self and others, future ready, and growth oriented. So I'm excited for you to hear more about that when they come to present to you. And that's all I have this evening. Thank you, Dr. Gault. Moving on to reports to the board, Ms. Visich provided the compensation report postings and reports within the board agenda. Board members, are there any questions for Ms. Visich? All right. Thank you, Ms. Visich. The next item is school day transportation information. Dr. McArdle, please share with the board any transportation information. Sure. Thank you. So as we discussed at our August 28 board meeting, we are embarking on our second
027iteration of school day work. And with that, we know that there are also transportation considerations as part of that process. And so early on, we wanted to bring some scenarios forward to the board for review and initial input, feelings, considerations. And so I'll briefly overview the options that are outlined in the memo. And then we'll turn it back to Ms. Maloney for questions. Scenario one, middle school pickup times. This scenario was derived following our analysis of potential route optimization options. We did discover a small group of students who had pickup times earlier than was originally designed. And so this option is designed to address that. Of note, should the board express interest in pursue shifting from a three-tier to a two-tier system, this option would not be necessary long term. So I did want to
028make note of that. The second scenario is operating a zero hour at the high school level. So as we start to dig in and explore schedule options, this could be a scenario that the committee wants to bring forward and explore. So if we were to provide transportation for students who did not have their own means of getting to a zero hour, so before regular high school busing began, the conservative estimate is that it would be $390,000. So two routes on the north end, two routes on the south end. We don't have a good way to predict how many students would be interested in the zero hour and or require transportation. So I do want to underscore that this would be only for students that did not have another means to get to a zero hour
029or access a zero hour until we started rolling out communication, opening up registration processes, things of that nature. And it would also be dependent upon how many courses and which types of courses the committee would bring forward for recommendations. So for example, some high schools around us operate PE only, some high schools operate PE and science lab classes. So it would really depend on a couple of factors in terms of the how many students might access the support. Also of note in looking at our neighbors, typically districts that operate a zero hour do not offer transportation for this class. However, if we chose to forego the transportation option that does present an equity issue for students who don't have means to get there on their own. And so then they would not be able to
030take advantage of the zero hour opportunity rather in opening up another spot in their schedule during the day. And then scenario three last but not least is shifting from a three tier to a two tier system. This question, this scenario came up the last time we did school day work. And so bringing forward updated numbers for reference, there are two very different options included in the memo. One includes bringing all of the transportation in house. The board should be aware that this is in alignment with longer range, longer term transportation goals that have been previously shared. The more feasible and operationally achievable option for the proposed 27-28 school year rollout would be contracting, which is an estimated $2.7 million. And so with that, I will turn it over to Ms. Maloney for any questions. I'm
031gonna go around the board for questions. Alicia, do you mind if I start with you? I think it's pretty self explanatory. So thank you for doing the research to figure out our options. It's always important to look at those, so thank you. Thank you. Dr. Pinter? I agree. I feel like I know which one I'm standing with right now. So I'm good. Lisa? So I guess I'm curious how much of a need there is for zero hour. Antidotally, I know there's quite a few seniors that have quite a few study halls. So adding yet another class period, I guess I don't see the argument for doing that yet, and I know that's part of the bigger project. So I hesitate to vote on that until I know why. And we're certainly not asking for any
032sort of voting or anything this evening to clarify just initial thoughts, reactions, and how the board might want to proceed exploring the transportation pieces. That zero hour would be, should the committee want to explore going from a nine period to an eight period day in order to increase instructional minutes. That could be a way for all students to clear a period and still have the opportunity for maximum elective selection. Let's say I want to take more science and math than is required. I want to be in band and choir, those sorts of things. And so this is not saying that that's the direction the committee is going per se, but if they were to explore something like going from nine to eight periods, again, to achieve that instructional minute increase objective, this could be a
033way to offset some of the concerns for stakeholders around I'm gonna be more restricted during my day and what I can take. Right, and I think that's part of your bigger project here is seeing how many kids, if you were to go nine to eight, are affected by that. What is the need? What is the demand? Because that's my concern. And is zero hour are these classes? So my exposure to zero hour with my children has been it's only one day a week or two days a week to facilitate a lab timeframe for a science class. So I'm just sort of curious if that's another option that's not as many children that have to be transported. And I personally am concerned that as a parent, I would have to commit whether I'm using the bus
034or not because yeah, I'm fortunate enough to have a car that in theory my child can use, but if we're down a car, that's the car that's going and now they're gonna need a bus, which you're seeing in your normal transportation. So that's sort of my thoughts when I get this, but I think I need to see the data to prove there's a need for it before. And I guess the larger question really is about the committee needs some direction from the Board of Education. They need to understand whether or not the Board of Education is going to be willing to commit varying levels of funds to transportation in order for them to know what their options are. They cannot do this work without understanding if the board wants to commit additional dollars and about
035how many additional dollars you would be willing to commit. And I think there's definitely a difference between if the committee, and this is a really big if, we have no idea what the committee is going to recommend at this point. So if they recommend looking at a zero hour, this is the cost that could be associated with it. If they look at other options with start time, end time, and they request that, what is the board's appetite for spending those kinds of resources and dollars in that way? And so that committee is, what we don't want is we don't want that committee doing a bunch of work thinking that the board might be okay with spending additional dollars on transportation, but then you're not. And so we can't send our committee members chasing different opportunities
036if the board does not have appetite for that. And I know we talked a little bit in teaching and learning about this. And I know one of the board members had shared, well, that's a lot of money. I'm not sure we would be willing to invest that. And that seems like that might be a logical recommendation or decision for the board. But I will say to the board, there are other districts in our state who've made different decisions. And they have, when we talk about competing interests, this was an interest that was a big interest of theirs. And so they did it. And it was more than $2 million additional to their overall budget. We need to understand if our board of education is wanting to go in that direction before our four leaders continue
037to lead them down that road. So I guess that's where we're at. And I get that. But I would argue this is like any other curriculum discussion. When you're saying you wanna spend all this money on project lead the way, why are we doing it? Because that's the way education is going. This is the way we need to go. I don't know, is zero hour the way we need to go? I think there has to be some work before I sit there going, is it worth $400,000 a year to add a zero hour? I personally don't know if there's a need for it yet. And so that's sort of the chicken and the egg problem here. I think for us, Mrs. Warren, it's more about that's an equity piece. So if we did go to
038eight periods and we did survey students, and these are a lot of ifs, and they said this is what they wanted, and a lot of districts offer an early bird, if we did that, I understand that you're not, and you're not voting today, but you're helping us to understand might you be willing to put $400,000 or might you be willing to put millions? We need to understand that. I get that, I get that. I do wanna clarify the zero hour in this particular scenario would be a five day a week situation. Five day a week situation. And so it is a daily class period again to offset a period later in the day where a student is able to open up. I get that there's a student survey of what they would like, but I'd
039also like to see a study of what they have done previously that supports that we need that full array. Because when I'm hearing seniors have four classes and lunch and three study halls, I sort of sit there going, well, then why are we putting a zero period in? I don't know if that's prevalent or not. I don't know what the numbers are. And that's, I think, the data that has to be looked at also as part of. But if that's the right thing to do, then we figure out if that's the best interest, then we spend the money there. I balk personally at the going to a two tier. I think that's a lot of money to be investing in something like that. And I know there's arguments both ways, but those numbers start getting
040really high in light of everything else that we're doing. That's exactly the data we're looking for. We're looking for you to help us to understand. We might be willing. Because my concern is we're getting really close to 50 when we start adding that into this analysis of doing everything. And I know it's totally conservative because it's assuming you're doing everything today, but when those numbers get that close and we have no wiggle room for a lot and there's ongoing additional costs too, that's what. We also felt that it was very appropriate for us to have this conversation now rather than later because as Mr. Goldberg said this evening, we need to better understand all competing interests, be able to understand how we might spend fund balance. But we also need to understand if we were
041to change the way in which we operate our transportation, that is a yearly cost. That doesn't go away. And so we have to be thinking about that as we think about our budget. And also escalates with time. It does. And so we just wanted to make sure. So that helps me to understand where you're at. You might consider supporting transportation for zero hour, might, depending on the data, but you're not excited about two plus million dollars into the future. That's what I hear you saying. That's what I need to know. Thank you. And I get concerned. We've been so incredibly fortunate and I applaud the administration that's involved in hiring bus drivers that we have been able to keep our buses running. And as we've seen and we've had to now move to using our
042vans and bring some more stuff in house, that gets to be a harder and a harder challenge. And then when I add this to it, I just, I'm like what's the straw that breaks the camel's back that this model gets really hard to execute? And I think we've had a huge success with it. Every time we've talked about, do we outsource transportation, I'm hearing the benefits of having an in-house far outweigh outsourcing. And so that's another fact. It's not just the money, it's the actually being able to perform what you're promising to do. And that's the last thing I wanna do is fail our kids or our families that we promise something and then we're like, oh sorry, we can't do this. Doug. Thank you Eileen. Thanks for all the work on this, I appreciate
043it. Couple of things, the $30,000 to fix the route problem, so I think it's a dozen or so students that are affected, I'm 100% for that. I think if we can get those kids to get 15 or 20 minutes more day of sleep, it's worth $30,000 in my humble opinion. So I'm all for spending that $30,000, we can afford that. Seems like the right thing to do. It seems like it was kind of an error on our part anyway. So we should probably rectify that. In terms of the zero hour funding, I think Mrs. Warren was exactly right. We don't have the data yet to make that decision. I'm definitely interested in hearing more about it. I'd love to hear student voice in this in terms of the interest in the zero hour. I think
044it's connected to the school day discussion as well, right? So if we decide, for example, that we're moving to eight periods and there's gonna be a greater need to have that zero hour to pick up some of these other things, well then the interest might spike and we might go, you know what? It's not a bad idea to do. I'll point out, however, though, that Dean's current estimate for next year is a surplus of like $500,000. So we don't have a lot of extra money to play with in the budget right now for ongoing expenses. That's an annual expense. Just to be clear about it. It's not a one time, it's annual expense. But I think it may be worthy of the investment if in fact we see that we make a change to school
045day and there's a demand for this zero hour. I think we should give due consideration. As it relates to outsourcing to bring, to get us to a two tier system, we just can't afford it. We don't have $2.7 million a year to spend. If we decide we're gonna do that, then something else has to get cut to the tune of more than $2 million, which is a lot of money. So while on the surface it doesn't sound like a bad idea and there's undoubtedly some benefits to it, from a financial perspective, today where we're at, we can't afford it, right? No question about that. So if it does become something that's critically important to our community and to our families, then we have to look to cut $2 million somewhere else to make it all
046work, which would be painful. So I think there's more to come on this. But for today anyway, 100% I'm in. Spend the 30K, fix the routes. It's only fair and reasonable to those kids that are sacrificing some sleep for this. And I think I'd be, I'm absolutely interested in a deeper conversation on the zero hour once we understand school day and the impacts that school day could have on the demand for the zero hour. Then in terms of the two tier, I just don't see how it's affordable right now. Thank you. Thank you, Doug. Peter? Well, thank you so much. I mean, at the previous meeting, I had asked for the committee and the administration to do this, to give us some data about this. And I'm thankful, and I am thankful of all the
047people that put time and effort to make into this work, because it's not something that you just pick out from the air. So I appreciate the work, and I appreciate, and the second thing that I would say, obviously, this is the first time we're talking about this, the analysis, the first meeting. So it will take a while to digest it. But I understand Dr. Gault said, you want some signals earlier rather than later, ideally, probably it would be something that we discuss during January, during the financial workshop, as one of the commitments that we make. But it seems like the committee might need a little bit more of the sentiment of the board to some degree. The work of the committee is actually going to be completed in December. Yeah, I understand. Yes, the committee,
048in as far as this is concerned, there are some other topics that they deal with as well. This is just one of the topics. So they could put this aside if they want and focus on the other topic. Is that a fair statement, Dr. Gault, or not? I'll let Dr. McArdle answer, but no. So what I would say is, for example, if the sentiment of the board, and this is why we're bringing it early, right, if the sentiment of the board is, within our current budgetary parameters, two tiers is simply not feasible right now, that would actually cut out a lot of considerations that the school day committee might make, and then that would alter the recommendations that would come forward in December. So what we're trying to avoid, to piggyback off of Dr. Gault's
049point, is that the committee spends a lot of time and effort researching different types of schedules and how this could work or that could work, and it's simply not gonna work within our budgetary and transportation parameters. So that's okay. We just wanna be able to lead and direct within the box that we can operate in. Got it. So while you've heard so much sentiment on the tier three, and you know, Dr. Gault mentioned in our teaching and learning committee, somebody said, we just don't have that money. You know, I was one of the, I mean, I said that. We just don't have the money for scenario number three. We just don't. It's, so that, from my perspective, that one is, at this time, I'll caution and say at this time, it's because we have so
050many other competing priorities. Who knows? You know, I strongly believe in the idea that kids should not be tortured to get up that early, especially in middle school, and we know that the negative effects it has on learning, the emotional state, just, you know, they become, frankly, they become cranky. So I really think that one day in the future, we should really look at it. Unfortunately, that's scenario number three. At this time, before the competing priorities, it's not the right time. So that's my sentiment on scenario number three. Scenario number one, I know some, there was some thought, well, it's 30,000 a year. I'm not 13 students, except, I think if we're gonna change something, we gotta change it where it really has a significant impact. So for me, if the 13 students have some
051grave concerns, then we could consider that, but I could go either way on that one. You know, it's not, it's not, I think if we're gonna, again, I'll go back and see what I started with, even at the last meeting, if we're gonna impact student time and the time they get up, we wanna impact more than 13 if we could. So I do wanna add something to that. With respect to the relationship between scenario one and two, if the board decided or gave input that scenario one, it's a very, very small number that would be impacted if that scenario were implemented. Scenario two could then be implemented with the cost of scenario one. Right, it would be free. So zero hour could be operated for $30,000 if we did not do one and two. I'm
052hearing that scenario three at this time is likely a non-starter, and so then it would come down to input about one and two. Yeah, and as to scenario number two, I think, you know, as some of the other board members have indicated, they would like more information in it, and I guess I'm in that board as well. But I understand it impacts some of the other decisions that the committee is making. So I'm, you know, I'm open to that. I'm open to one, too. I just think on the face of it by itself. But on the face of it, it doesn't seem to be a significant thing. I'm not. You know, if I'm one of those students, I would really think it is. So I'm, you know, I'm sympathetic, but I just need some more
053information. Well, and to the board member comments about that analysis, for example, Mrs. Warren referenced, you know, how many students do we have by the time they hit their senior year are taking far fewer than seven periods during their day, right? That will be part of the committee's work in terms of looking at that data, as well as getting stakeholder voices on potentially certain schedule arrangements once we get a little bit farther into the work. Any reason why I am hesitant to go about scenario number two is just the money. You know, we've been, every meeting we're here, we're hearing about the competing priorities. So you wouldn't... Here's another one. Yeah, you wouldn't find me enthusiastic about all of the priorities. There are some priorities for me that are perhaps more urgent or that we
054could address now. And there are some priorities perhaps we could address later. So I think for scenario number two, although it may be something to consider, you know, with all the other priorities that we have, 390,000 a year is, you know, it's still a good chunk of dough. So those are my thoughts. Understood. All right, my thoughts. I could be persuaded to support scenario number one. I do think 15 minutes sleep for a middle schooler makes a difference. Just the whole attitude and whatnot. 15 minutes could make a difference for a middle schooler and it isn't that much money. Like I said, I could be persuaded to support scenario number one. Zero hour, I actually feel like could potentially be an excellent idea because what I think, we are pretty united in our belief that
055we want more minutes in math. So dropping down to the eight period schedule makes sense for that. I defer to the work of the committee, but I think that makes sense for one of the goals that we're trying to achieve. And the consequence of that is losing opportunity to take some classes. So for those students who are, you know, are fretting losing the opportunity to take class, it's a solution. So I once again could be persuaded to support scenario number two. I would not be able to be persuaded for moving to two tier period. Thank you. Oh, Alisha. Both of us actually. Okay, Alisha, go for it. I just have a, it's like an off topic topic, but it's about the work of the committee. And I have just heard in the community this idea
056of block scheduling for the high school. So I'm just throwing that out there. I don't know, I think it would be good for more concentrated study time for like, you know, without as many transitions throughout the day with all the periods and we'd have more time for math and they could put a whole 90 minutes to classes. That's just, I wanted to share that with the board and all of you guys. I would never vote for scenario three, I don't think, because there are competing interests that I think are actually beneficial to our district in the long run and that are aligned to our sustainability plans and our return on investment to our taxpayers. And then I'm not certain about scenario one being a huge, huge impact, but I do understand middle schoolers and 15
057minutes of sleep also. But, and I don't think, I was thinking about scenario two, or just with the zero hour, I'm thinking if there's two routes, like one on the north and one on the south, I think those kids might be on the bus a long time. That's why the estimate is for two and two. And then depending on the number of students, again, who require the transportation, that could be lower. So it could be 10 students on the north end and 10 students on the south end who can't get themselves to school and perhaps we could operate one and one, one on the north end, one on the south end, and then that estimate goes down. At this time, we just don't have the students identified who might wanna take advantage and then the
058students from that group who wouldn't have reliable transportation daily. Another option, I don't think that the board we're not there yet in terms of this level of discussion, but there are districts, like I said, that operate zero hour without transportation. And so that way. And like you said, it is an equity issue. Yeah. I don't know many kids wanna go to school earlier, so. And I do know that you need more information about that, but I also want the board to know that the committee is operating under following one, our mission, but two, our values. And so really holding close to our values, one of our values is equity. And so I do wanna remind the board that the committee will be operating under that direction. So that zero hour could be an option that
059impacts a very small number of students for the transportation, however, is tied to the equity value. Thank you, Alicia. Dr. Pinter? I just have one really brief question, but I was just, as you were speaking, it made me think about if we increase and have the zero hour, and if we're increasing the number of minutes at the high school, let's say we end up doing that, wouldn't that affect some of the extracurricular activities? So this option might actually keep more of an ability. I'm just concerned, this is my concern, is are we gonna get rid of the arts? I don't think we're gonna do that, but would it decrease art classes or drama or something like that if we increase the amount of minutes of each class? This scenario would make that not really as
060much of an issue, correct? That is the idea behind the zero hour. If we were to shift from a nine period, if that is the recommendation or a recommendation that comes out of the committee for consideration, going from a nine period to an eight period would increase the number of instructional minutes daily per period, and then the zero hour option would effectively be the ninth period before the start of school, and that would still allow that range of flexibility for students to select additional courses during the school day. So in your view, out of the three of these, do you think scenario two would be the one that would protect those types of classes the most? So in terms of preserving student agency and number of classes that they have access to during the school
061day, scenario two's the only one that addresses that particular factor. Well then I'll tell you right now that's the one I'm 100% for. Kelly, that assumes every child is using every period to take a class, and so reducing the number of class periods would affect them, but not every child is taking advantage of every period. But out of the three options, this is the one that protects the extracurriculars the most, am I correct? So I answered your question around elective and additional course selections. Extracurriculars. I mean electives, I'm sorry. I said that incorrectly, but I'm concerned about, to me it's extremely important to have the ability for students to take those types of classes. And so I'm worried that if we, and not that anyone has said this, but in my mind, I'm like if
062we're going to increase the number of minutes per classes, what is going to disappear? And no one's talked about that. I'm not saying that's happening, but it is a concern. This is the one that protects it. So there's a variety of scenarios based on stakeholder feedback, based on previous board member questions. This one is the one that is most aligned with a potential recommendation from the committee. The other ones are more about feedback that we've received previous around middle school start times. So I mean there's another opportunity too. The other opportunity is we have a neighboring district who has lengthened their periods and lengthened their school day. So there are other opportunities to preserve that, but I think we're getting ahead of ourselves because this truly is the committee conducting research and figuring out whether
063or not it's lengthening the periods in the school day, whether it's making a zero hour period, whether it's taking a look at the block schedule. So there's many different options that they have right now. And I guess what I'm hearing, because my job is to figure out consensus, what I'm hearing all of you say is that you are comfortable potentially having a conversation up to the cost of less than $500,000. You are much less comfortable looking at anything that would have a yearly price tag in the millions. That's what I hear you saying. That's not what I'm saying. You're not, so I wanna make sure I'm understanding. What I'm saying is there's more to it than the money. I mean money matters, but I just wanna make sure that in this whole process, we're not,
064you know what I'm saying? We're not losing out on our kids having the ability to take like art and drama and all these other fantastic classes and our teachers that are fantastic, that teach these classes, I'm sure are concerned about what I'm talking about too and they're people. So there's a lot of other variables for me. I think money is really important, but also I wanna know about all these other potential, like you know. And it sounds like Dr. Pinter, you are actually aligned with your board colleagues though and that you might have a different why for why you're interested in entertaining scenario too, but it sounds like to Dr. Galt's point, that gives us really good information in terms of what we can take back to the committee. But I think Dr. Pinter went
065a step further than every other board member. Her step further is that she would entertain option three if it meant keeping access to the same number of courses. That's what I hear you saying, unless I'm misunderstanding. Scenario thing, I just wanna make sure that we are not getting rid of certain classes and in teachers positions because of a scenario that we choose. Like that's just what I wanna know. I wanna just make sure that that question is answered before I vote for anything. So we're not voting on anything tonight. Oh, I know. Yes, correct. And we haven't even started as a committee the schedule work. And so just to bring us back to timeline for this, for example, were the board wanting to entertain scenario three? For example, I heard the feedback. It sounds like
066we're not going in that direction. Dean would need that information in January of this year for a potential August, 2027 start. And so to allow the board to have enough time to digest and have dialogue around that, that is also part of the reason why this is coming so early. The other part of that, the other arm of that is that we are on the 24th next week having the first committee meeting where folks are really starting to dig in and look at schedule options. And so what I'm hearing is that with our research looking at data a little bit more deeply, a zero hour could be something that might be entertained by the board should that be where the committee lands. Yeah. And so that's why we're bringing it right now. We certainly are
067looking at all stakeholder pieces of input in these discussions and then the committee work. I can't tell you what the committee's gonna bring back in December, but we, like I said, we wanna be able to direct them and give some parameters so we don't get too far down a road not to make a transportation pun and then it not be feasible. And I think you've got good information. Yeah, can I say one more thing? I do wanna echo a little bit about what Dr. Pinto was saying although it's outside a little bit of the context of the transportation decision. But I mean, I had made a comment about that a couple of meetings back when we were talking about the day something has to give and we haven't talked about what it's gonna give. And
068what you're hearing is a sentiment at least that when we think about that, you know, I'm all in support of giving more minutes for math. Definitely am. I'm support of what we have to do in that direction. But I'm also sensitive about the impact it has. And if the impact it has involve certain options and classes for our students in certain areas that we know that they are interested in, then we should put other things on the table to lessen that type of impact to our students. Which is what, if I, I don't wanna put words in your mouth. That's exactly what I'm saying. I think that's under that, that's why the zero hour is important. Why are you asking for it? And if it's in a bigger context, then I think you might find
069a lot more receptive ears. That's all I'm gonna say. And you know, you have a lot of information and you heard a lot of comments. No, that was great. We appreciate the feedback. Thank you. I think you know what to do. Thank you. Thank you. The next item is discussion without action. Mrs. Stallion, please share with the board a brief summary of your report on the new course level for 25-26. Certainly, thank you. So what you have before you is a request for discussion for two new courses. As it is outlined here, our public speaking course is currently coded as a dual credit course. Unfortunately, the hiring process did not allow us to hire someone with dual credit certification. So we do need to change that course from dual credit to honors. We bring it
070to you early because students will be requesting their transcripts for early college entrance. And so we do need to have a new course so that we can update and give them proper transcripts. Conversely, in our partnership with CLC, we were able to get dual credit for our PLTW engineering course, which just came through recently. Parents did know when they entered this course that there was a probable opportunity for dual credit. Everyone in that course has requested the dual credit. So once we get through our discussion and we bring it hopefully to consent and vote, then we'll be able to change that course code on their transcript and offer them a dual credit. We recognize that this is something that we have to plan for in the future, as we know dual credit courses are very
071contingent upon the teachers that we're able to hire. So you can expect that you will get a batch of course codes coming to you for all of our dual credit courses so that we will be able to pivot between an honors and a dual credit course for all our current dual credit courses based upon any unfortunate situations where we lose a teacher and are unable to hire a certificated teacher for dual credit. Thank you. Are there any questions? Lisa. Just more a comment. I know this came up also when we started dealing with the Automatic Advancement Act that we were missing some levels of courses. Didn't we have to add that we made sure we had college prep honors? So I would encourage you to really look at the course booklet and make sure even
072if it doesn't run, we do need to be sure that we have all these levels to accommodate not only this scenario but also what we saw in advanced placement. And I think it just helps down the road. I know there's been concern expressed sometimes when we added AP classes that we took away the honors option so the kids really only had a choice of college placement or AP, which is a huge expanse. And there is a need for that in between. And so having it available I think also helps with students taking the appropriate course. So thank you for making this change. Thank you, Lisa. Anyone else? All right. Our next item on the agenda is discussion with action. The Lake Division proposed a bylaws revision and election of division officers. Dr. Gull, please share
073a summary of the request for consideration. Thank you, Mrs. Maloney. I did receive communication from two board members as it relates to this shift that the Lake Division Executive Committee is recommending. What they're recommending is to move from two to four directors at large. So that's a part of the vote. Additionally, they did provide a slate of officers and as I pointed out in the communication, Mrs. Eileen Maloney is also listed now as part of that slate as a director at large. And so based on their recommendation, I do think this is the direction that makes sense for our board and the boards in Lake County. And so really just want to provide you with the opportunity to make that a reality. And I think we need to, the one person gets to vote from
074the board. So one person does. I did not select, I did not ask you to select that person because we have several individuals who are willing to attend but I do know things come up. And so what I didn't want to happen was for us not to be able to vote because somebody ended up having to be absent for an emergency. So I do think we're gonna be fine. There are several of you and I think just to be flexible and the individual who actually cast the vote is the best way to move forward in my opinion. Okay, so may I get a motion and a second to direct the District 95 representative to vote to approve the amendment of the Lake Division bylaws as presented and to vote in favor of the 2025-2027 Lake
075Division proposed slate of officers on behalf of the District 95 Board of Education. So moved. Enthusiastically second. Thank you, Doug and thank you, Peter. And are there any questions? Congratulations. Yeah, thank you. I don't have a question though. It says two director at large but it gives them authority for four. Is there something I'm missing there? No, currently there's two. There are two already. Two and then they're gonna bump it up to four. Okay, so the two that have been voted on, the other two are not up for. The bylaws have been changed. Yeah, the bylaws. Yeah, in the spring they'll be adding two more. I got it, now I got it. Thank you, thanks for the clarification. If it passes. It will. Kate, can you call the roll? Oh, I'm sorry. I'm waiting to
076vote enthusiastically. Kate, can you please call the roll? Mrs. Warren. Yes. Mr. Atian. Yes. Mr. Goldberg. Yes. Ms. Maloney. Yes. Dr. Pinter. Yes. Ms. Tim. Yes. All right, we are going into closed session for the following reasons. Security procedures, school building safety and security, the use and the use of personnel and equipment to respond to an actual, a threatened or a reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public or the public property. 5 ILCS 122 C8, the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees, specific individuals who serve as independent contractors in a park, recreational or educational setting or specific volunteers of the public body or legal counsel for the public body, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee, specific individual who serves as an independent
077contractor in a park, recreational or educational setting or a volunteer of the public body or against legal counsel for the public body to determine its validity. However, a meeting to consider an increase in compensation to a specific employee of a public body that is subject to the Local Government Wage Increase Transparency Act may not be closed and shall be open to the public and posted and held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. 5 ILCS 122 C1 as amended by Public Act 101-459. May I have this motion? So moved. Second. Thank you, Doug. Thank you, Lisa. Kate, please call the roll. Ms. Maloney? Yes. Mr. Atian? Yes. Mrs. Warren? Yes. Dr. Pinter? Yes. Ms. Timm? Yes. Mr. Goldberg? Yes. We will not be taking any action after the closed session this evening.