001good evening everyone thank you all for coming I would like to call the order of Thursday February 20th 2025 community unit school district 95 Board of Education meeting Kate you call the roll please dr. Pinter this is Warren here this is Dan agar here mr. 18 here mr. Goldberg here mr. Have here Miss Maloney here if you all rise and please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance thank you all again for coming this evening a few brief announcements before we get to the main part of our program which is I'm sure why you're all here I first want to thank my appreciation to Natasha and Lisa for attending the celebrating our staff at Spencer Loomis this morning and our breakfast the board that was very kind of you ladies to do that something we
002know we really like to do as a board member also this is bus driver appreciation week so we're certainly grateful for all of our bus drivers I mean I've got to tell you they they do some amazing things especially when we have challenging weather conditions there's road accidents etc so if you see your local bus driver please thank them for all that they do for the for the community I'm also exciting excited to announce that we have four lakes are a school students that have identified as national merit finalist that's a really big deal right to have four of them from our school is fantastic so we'll be honoring them during one of our meetings in the month of March it's fantastic also this week was our film festival we held the K through 12
003film festivals held at the pack and I want to send a thank you to the district 95 educational foundation for supporting our students in this way we also appreciate Marcel Graham's expertise knowledge and commitment to ensure that it's a successful event there were many winners acknowledged during that evening but I want to congratulate Tyler old Brett on five years and five years of earning best in show Wow congratulations to Tyler his senior at Leicester High School yeah that's an amazing accomplishment okay having said that I know the reason I think most all of you are here is this is the time of the month where as a board we get to recognize those students those staff members those parent volunteers that make district 95 the very special place that is so as a board member
004this is really our favorite night of the month to do this so what's going to happen is first mrs. Malik will run a film that'll be acknowledging all the members and in the honorees tonight once the film is concluded the board members will assemble over to your left and mrs. Malik will get up and reach read each name again if you'll please come up and receive a token small token of our appreciation both board members and you can assemble here the center of the room there'll be pictures afterward when that's all done there will be cake for everybody and please stay around have some cake so mrs. Malik please run the film good evening welcome to the district 95 monthly board awards where we are pleased to recognize students and adults representing the vision and
005values supporting the district 95 mission to empower every learner to achieve personal excellence we begin tonight with our student of the month from the young adult center Griffin Koppel every day Griffin comes to school with enthusiasm kindness and a strong work ethic Griffin is a leader in the classroom and has really stepped up this year in taking on more challenging roles he has pushed himself out of his comfort zone and is excelling in every aspect when Griffin is not in class you'll often see him at various LZHS sports throughout the year cheering and supporting his friends if he's not at a sporting event or in class he's usually talking about all the latest Chicago sports congratulations Griffin we're proud of you Tessa Campobasso Lake Zurich High School 11th grade the global studies department is thrilled
006to recognize Tessa as she exemplifies academic excellence through her dedication to mastering the Spanish language consistently asking thoughtful questions and putting in extra effort outside of class to achieve her best her collaboration shines as she fosters an inviting and supportive classroom environment ensuring that both she and her peers maximize their time in Spanish Tessa's perseverance is evident in her willingness to challenge herself and continuously improve above all she treats her classmates and teachers with respect creating a positive and enriching learning space for all Shruthan Khandavidi middle school north eighth grade Shruthan is a shining example of what it means to be a district 95 student demonstrating exceptional talent dedication and community spirit he is a wonderful percussionist for the band and can often be found assisting his peers in the section his talent goes beyond
007the classroom as he has performed multiple times with a historical music group demonstrating his deep appreciation for music's cultural and historical significance Shruthan goes above and beyond typical classroom expectations immersing himself in enriching experiences that broaden his understanding and appreciation of the arts Amelia Flack middle school south seventh grade Amelia has consistently demonstrated what it means to be a responsible and hard-working student whether it's completing homework or participating in class discussions she approaches everything with dedication and a positive attitude Amelia's strong sense of responsibility extends to other areas of life her balance of hard work respect for others and positive energy makes her an outstanding role model for her peers Amelia is also known for her kindness and friendliness she's always willing to lend a helping hand to her classmates and create an inclusive supportive
008atmosphere in the classroom Sarah Allen May Whitney Elementary fifth grade Sarah embodies the district's portrait of a graduate through her exceptional qualities she is an effective communicator always expressing her thoughts clearly and listening to her peers with respect Sarah shows great respect for herself and those around her creating a positive environment in the school community additionally she is not afraid to take risks in her learning demonstrating a strong desire to grow and improve her character shines through as she consistently shows empathy for others making her a great role model for her classmates we are proud to have Sarah representing the district's values and vision Jacob Ortega Perez Seth Payne first grade as a student in the first grade bilingual classroom Jacob consistently demonstrates a strong eagerness to learn not just in one language but in
009two the remarkable growth he has shown in both confidence and academics has been truly inspiring to witness Jacob approaches challenges with perseverance and sets high expectations for himself his hard work and determination are evident in the pride he takes in his accomplishments always celebrating with a bright smile and a high five to his teacher he shows a remarkable growth in his confidence himself and in the academic aspect he faces challenges with perseverance setting high expectations for him and celebrating achievements with a smile and making a gesture of a lady of five in addition to the academic aspect Jacob is an active and involved member of the class and participates in discussions collaborates with his classmates and helps Jacob really personifies the main values of the district's mission. Congratulations, Jacob! Jasmine Lavrov, Isaac Fox, first grade.
010Jasmine is consistently a kind and caring student. In class, she is one of the first students to help others, and she always comes to school with a smile. Jasmine puts a lot of effort into her schoolwork, from her handwriting, which is fantastic, to her resilience in math and English language arts. Jasmine's perseverance has led her to become a great leader and role model in the classroom, where she contributes to the positive environment. Congratulations, Blair Williams, Sarah Adams Elementary, Kindergarten. Blair radiates positivity and warmth. Her giant smile is not just a greeting, it is a beacon of kindness that sets the tone for the day. Blair makes it a point to greet everyone with a hug, compliment, or words of encouragement, ensuring that each of her peers feels valued and appreciated. What truly sets Blair apart
011is her incredible empathy and dedication. She embodies patience and inclusivity, consistently reaching out to ensure that everyone feels welcomed in the classroom. Best of all, Blair knows when someone needs a friend, and she won't hesitate to make their day brighter. Nora Kern, Spencer-Limus Elementary, Kindergarten. Nora is an exceptional Kindergarten student, known for her kindness and empathy. She actively includes her peers in any activity, ensuring that everyone feels welcome. Always ready to help, Nora shares her materials and assists classmates with tasks. Through her genuine interest in learning and cheerful attitude, she helps to create a positive classroom environment. Nora's respectful communication makes her a role model for her classmates. She is a joy to have in class. Moving on to our adult recognitions. Melissa Kincaid, Middle School South Volunteer of the Month. This is Melissa's second
012year as the PTO Treasurer. She keeps everyone on track, going the extra mile to help people with reimbursements and funding. She keeps the PTO books balanced and always seems able to make the requests work to support desired activities. Most notably, she was instrumental in reestablishing the PTO's tax exemption status with the state. It took countless hours providing paperwork from the past and researching to complete this task. Melissa also chaperones events and donates so much to the success of the PTO and school activities. Middle School South is honored to have her working to make school activities enjoyable and accessible to all. Marco Britto, Spencer Loomis, Staff Member of the Month. As building custodian, Marco goes above and beyond to ensure that the school is clean, organized, and safe for everyone. His attention to detail, consistency, and
013his positive attitude are greatly appreciated by all who interact with him. Whether it's ensuring the cleanliness of work areas or classrooms, quickly addressing concerns, retrieving lost balls from the roof, or always greeting others with a smile, Marco has made a significant impact on daily experiences at the school. His reliability and commitment don't go unnoticed and the Spencer Loomis staff feel incredibly fortunate to have him as part of their team. Thank you, Marco, for your outstanding contributions. Your hard work and dedication make a difference every day. Congratulations. Okay, good evening, everyone. Thank you so much for being here. As Mr. Goldberg stated, I'm going to call up each one of our recipients tonight. We'll ask that you come up and go over to the board members, take your certificate from them, and then line up in
014the middle for some pictures. And then at the end, after everybody's taken pictures, we'll have some cake. Okay, so unfortunately, our first person of the evening is from the Young Adult Center, and he couldn't be here tonight. But let's give a big round of applause for Griffin Koppel from Lake Zurich High School. Tessa Campobasso from Middle School North, Shruthan Khandavidi from Middle School South, Amelia Flack. Our May Whitney Student of the Month is Sarah Allen. She could not be here this evening, so let's give her a round of applause. From South Payne Elementary, Jacob Ortega Perez from Isaac Fox Elementary, Jasmine Lavrov. From Sarah Adams Elementary, Blair Williams. From Spencer-Lumis Elementary, Nora Kern. Volunteer of the Month is from Middle School South, Melissa Kincaid. Our Staff Member of the Month is from Spencer-Lumis Elementary, Marco
015Britto. And we had one student from last month who might be here this evening. Yes, she is, thank you. From Isaac Fox Elementary, let's recognize Adriana Schmiel. Okay, so we're going to organize these folks. We're going to take a picture first, and then we'll invite you to come up out of your seats and take some good pictures, okay? Okay, parents, feel free to come up and take pictures. We're going to keep smiling, right? Keep smiling. Are we good? I see one camera up still. We're good? All right. Okay, you're welcome to go back and let's have some cake. Thank you. Stay if you'd like. I certainly won't blame you if you don't. All right, Kate, do we have anybody sign a public comment? No, we do not. Thank you very much. Okay, next up is
016the consent agenda. Dr. Gold. Thank you, Mr. Goldberg. This evening, I have for you the approval of the Apple annual purchase, approval of minutes from open Board of Education meeting held and closed session held on February 6, 2025, the acceptance of the Treasurer's Report, approval of the bills payable list, approval of the district activity bills payable list, approval of the personnel report, which includes employment of certified staff, employment of non-certified staff, change of non-certified staff, resignation of non-certified staff, resignation of certified staff, and stipends for February 20, 2025. Thank you, Dr. Gold. I need a motion to approve the consent agenda as prepared and presented by the administration. May I have that motion, please? So moved. Second. Thank you, Eileen. Thank you, Peter. You call the roll, please. Mrs. Warren? Yes. Mrs. Danniger? Yes. Mr.
017Aitken? Yes. Mr. Goldberg? Yes. Mr. Have? Yes. Mrs. Maloney? Yes. All right. Thank you very much. Next up on the agenda is the superintendent's report. Dr. Gold? Thank you. Several items this evening for you. The FOIA report is in the agenda as typical. We did have an awesome donation from Sundeck of Illinois and Company, and they provided $1,000 to our Lake Zurich High School boys basketball team to support that group. And then I was going to just kind of go over facilities. We had a wonderful meeting this evening. We talked about many things. We did talk about our design build project and gave an update. I'm just going to keep going if that's okay with the board. Sure. Okay. Gave an update on how we're doing in that regard. And so what the board can
018expect is that we did select a company, so we selected performance services. As the board knows, they've done some work for us in the area of solar and happen to be in the audience this evening. So want to recognize them. Thank you for being here. We did have some conversation about the dollars that came in were originally, they're a bit over the $600,000, but we have been in conversation and we know that with some tweaks, we're going to be able to get that price down where it should be and within budget. For summer 2025 work update, Mr. Erstad provided some additional information as it relates to how we're doing preparing for that summer work. So the field house, as you know, that we have many things going on. So we have contracts in hand ready
019to go, three ROE permits for construction to expect, and then consideration, we're also giving some consideration for some wallpads because ours currently are a bit due for replacement due to some damage from regular use so that we would typically see as well as their aging. And so as you know, Mr. Erstad is very good with the budget and he is trying to get that included within those dollars as well, and I appreciate that. Our AC work is on schedule for the Tonelli Gym. We did talk a little bit about culinary arts. I just want to remind the board that as we start moving forward with that project, that it is likely that either in the spring or in the fall, we'll have to have a little bit of time where we're going to hold class
020in a different area so that we can complete that project. So right now we're just having conversation with the high school on which direction that will be. Kelly, can you say how long we expect that to be for? I actually cannot, but I bet you Mr. Erstad can for us, so if you could borrow a microphone. Anticipation, Mr. President, is an additional two to three weeks. Okay, thank you. High school felt very comfortable in providing instruction at a different location. The DOOR project is on target, and then we did talk about our audit services RFP. Just to let the board know, we have two individuals that are representing you as we go through that process. We have both Mr. Goldberg and Mrs. Warren, who typically walk through the audit process with our auditors, and so
021it made sense to us that they participate in that project. We have selected three firms to be interviewed, and then our intention is to bring the board a recommendation in March for approval. Financial management system, we are in need of upgrading our Skyward system. We did look at another one, and that's not the direction the administration would like to go, so we'll be bringing some more information related to that, but we have no choice. We need to upgrade. It's time to upgrade. We spent quite a bit of time talking about food service, and so I know the board has been anxious to get some information as to how did we do? We changed our vendors. How is it going? I can say to you that it's going quite well. At the high school, Quest Food
022Management Services has become our new partner. We've seen an increase in homemade items, and so the students, of course, like that. Makes our food taste better. We have action stations, which essentially are made-to-order items. The students did come up with a name for the coffee shop. It will be called the Bear's Den, and so now they are working on a competition for a logo, so excited about that. We have been fully staffed in our program since day one. If you were to walk over there, and I know several board members have been in and out of the high school, it is continually, it doesn't matter what time of day I go, it's impeccably clean. Really want to congratulate the team from Quest as well as our students for their efforts in that area. Kelly, my
023feedback, my informal survey of some students that I work with, definitely the food is 100% up a notch, and the french fries are very good, by the way. One thing I've heard is they don't feel that the coffee shop has the same level of service that it had, and from a perspective of the choice of bakery goods. Apparently, as I understand it, the Jazzmen's made their own bakery goods, and these are brought in, and so I think the coffee is okay, but the feedback I got was, yeah, the bakery goods aren't quite what it was. I've given that feedback to the food service manager as well. Okay, great. Thank you so much. I know Dr. Romano is also taking note of that. Appreciate it. The survey data shows increased sales of 9.65% over last year,
024so definitely our students are engaging. Additionally, for our free and reduced meals have also increased almost to the same percentage, and then some of our Quest Choice meals, which are lower priced meals, have dropped some, so we're working on that. And then 92.27% of our families rated the program the same or better than last year, and of that, I believe 56% rated it somewhat better or much better, so when you get into the finer details. 62.46% of our families rated the prices of the meals reasonable or very reasonable, and I know at one of the sip-and-chats we did hear that the price of the meals were more expensive than last year, and that might be a concern to some families. So we're continually looking at that, but as you know, the cost of food has
025increased greatly, and so I do still believe that our costs are, right now, as reasonable as we probably can get them. In March, the team is going to be bringing forward some cost recommendations, so the board should expect more information on that. Witson's, which is our K-8 partner, they've had some great successes as well, and so substantial increase in participation, most specifically at the middle school, 48.43% increase at MSN, 82.7% increase at MSS, and then just a slight increase at the elementary level. And so those are really, really good numbers. We've increased the variety of meal choices, and if you were to go to either one of the buildings you would see pretty significant lines, kids want to purchase meals. We've been really responsive to any type of dietary or allergy need, and that also
026extends into some of the catering that they provide. They're always thinking about the individuals that they're serving and what their needs are. They also have been fully staffed. I want to remind the board that the National School Lunch Program, which is what we must follow for K-8, their contracts require renewal every year. We are anticipating that we enjoy our partnership, obviously, when you look at the percentages, and so it is very likely that we will be bringing back some recommendation to remain with our current partner. And then just really want to celebrate some things across the district. So we had an orchestra clinic for high school students at NIU, and you'll see a couple of pictures there. So our students not only learn within our classroom, but they're able to experience some learning outside of
027the classroom. Thank you to Mr. Yucanellis. Our Bare Voices group had some singing experts of love songs as part of the candy gram sales at the Valentine's Day last week, and so want to thank that group. Joey Meister was selected to sing the National Anthem at the IHSA Boys Basketball State Finals in March, so congratulations to him. That's a really big deal. And then we have a couple of other awards that I want to celebrate that just came in pretty much hot off the press. So our Young Adult Center team, they received an award of special recognition from the Illinois State Board of Education, and so we're able to recognize some educators across the system who have demonstrated exceptional teamwork as they've helped students and families across the board. So congratulations to the Young Adult
028Center team, really proud of you. And then we have somebody within our ranks today who's been awarded a special award. Dr. Lauren McArdle received the award of Meritorious Service, and those really are given to administrators in districts who've gone above and beyond, and so want to recognize, I know the board is always proud of Dr. McArdle's work, but just want to recognize her for her exceptional work. We did have a Valentine's Day dance that was sponsored by Joni's Closet. It is a fundraiser. Mr. Have, I'm sure you recognize one of the photos on the screen. Thank you for attending. I too was there, and so enjoyed that event immensely. So they raised about $21,000. There were about 600 individuals in attendance, and if you ever wondered, you can fit that many individuals between the cafeteria
029and the gym. It was an awesome, awesome event. Everyone there was full of smiles, and so very proud of the work there. Thank you, Mrs. Malik, for all you did to support the team. So it was a great event. And then want to remind the board of a few calendar items again. So our gala is coming up. I know that I had an opportunity to speak with Mrs. Warren, and you did receive a communication from the foundation. And so just would be interested to know in the very near future if the board has ... Oh, everyone's going to come. Okay. All right, great. I will see you there. So that's awesome. So again, just an awesome event that will help the foundation to raise funds, and there's going to be a little twist this year,
030so a little surprise that's going to come that I think is going to be awesome for our district. So I'm excited about that. We have another sip and chat coming up at the end of March, so March 21st, right before spring break. We'll be going over strategic planning part two. anybody can come with any questions or any comments that they would like to make. And then pitch night, we always look forward to that. Mr. Goldberg, I know you will be in attendance. I hope that to see other board members there. Excited to see what the kids have come up with. And then the Lake County Awards are at 5 p.m. is when it starts. Dinner is served at 6 p.m. That will be at the Lake County Fairgrounds. I really, really hope that the board
031is interested in attending. We will have two student MCs this time at the event, so you won't want to miss that. And that's all I have for you this evening. Thank you, Dr. Galt. So this evening, we do not have any reports to the board, so the next item up is discussion without action, the first item being the JMF annual expense. Okay, thank you, Mr. Goldberg. The JMF is an annual expense for us. It covers about 8,900 of our devices made up of the iPads, the MacBooks, the Apple TVs, and the iPhones that the district supports with systems management, inventory security, endpoint security, and then the entire kind of app store controls that are built into each one of our devices. And looking at it compared to last year, a slight increase, very slight increase
032in price, even though we did need to ensure and include in our application to them a number of devices, because we do also ensure the 8,900 devices, and then there's other pieces that go with the device descriptions. So our total quantity, not of devices, but of a piece of their service and their software that we buy exceeds the $10,000 or the 10,000 unit amount, we do get a significant, we continue to get a significant cost reduction from them. So we put that forth for your consideration. Any questions for Dr. Zara on this matter, folks? Okay, I think you're still up. The next item is the Apple… You are, and this is kind of the part two to the Apple annual purchase when you approve the student devices at your last board meeting. These are our
033staff devices for new staff or any existing staff who are part of the four-year obsolescence replacement cycle here. And this one actually came in slightly under last year's bid, we're ordering four less devices than last year, but the unit price dropped $20 per unit. So we are happy we got the order in when we did, and put that forth for your consideration as well. Any questions for Dr. Zara on purchasing the Apple laptops? Yes, I think at one time you mentioned, I think, one of the previous meetings, at what point do, what's the cycle for re-evaluating, whether we remain with Apple or at some point evaluate different vendor, and it's not, I mean, obviously this is fine, that's what we're going to do this year, but I… And that's for school year, the mobile learning
034initiative is up for review next school year, the 25-26 school year. And so as part of that mobile learning initiative plan, it will include how to roll over the devices that we already have, because we know it would be extremely impactful to make a decision and say we're going to implement that decision in the first year K-12 across the board. So that's why we continue to, we continue in our obsolescence cycle while planning for a new one. So you can expect, essentially, that we're going to be talking about that next year and making some decisions, and those decisions will affect what plan we put forward to the board. So it's coming, essentially. Okay. Thank you. Mary, I have a question. So we're buying a relatively small number of Apple laptops, and are most of these
035for the staff directly or for programming? The ones included in this report are strictly for staff. Okay. So 75, by comparison to our total staff, is a small number. Is there an issue supporting, obviously, the preponderance of laptops are Windows-based. We have a small chunk of Apple laptops. Is that an issue for you guys supporting those? Well, actually, for us, it's not, because all our building-level techs, many of them worked at the Apple Genius Bar or the Apple Store. So we are very fortunate that the devices deployed throughout the school have people that come with years of experiences of doing that. So we've had the dual platform here in Lake Zurich for a very long time between Dell and Apple, and so far, we've been able to maintain them both. And so it doesn't sound
036like you're seeing an increased desire from the staff to get Apple laptops? No, I will tell you that from when we first offered them, Apple's four years ago was the first time we offered them a MacBook, that every year the percentage of those choosing like a MacBook over Dell, the gap lessens. And so for this year, going into this year so far, it's about, I would say, they said 40% up to maybe Mac choosing 40, 50, 50, 50. It's getting close to that 50-50 mark. Do we still allow the staff to buy them after we're done with them in four years for like a dollar or something? They can buy them for a dollar at the end of their obsolescence cycle. Yeah, that's awesome. It's a wonderful thing. Okay, thank you. And then, Mr. Goldberg,
037we would like to ask permission to place both of these on the consent agenda for the next board meeting. Anybody have an issue with that? Any board member? No? That's great. Wonderful. Okay, next up is discussion with action, the first item being the award of the contract for design building services. Okay, we're pleased to be able to have a conversation this evening about this process, as well as the components of what it was for. So let me start off with its purpose. We had two primary areas. The original was the servery for the high school, and to provide a significant upgrade to that, which would complement all of the hard work that's happening with regards to Quest and the new changes that have gone in with that service. We then also added in as a
038discussion concrete flooring below the field house. And so those are the two components of what this project is really going to be about. So the process itself is a unique and newer methodology for schools. It is not new. It's been available for use in the private sector for years and years and years. And so what it is, is it eliminates or it changes the process. So specifically what happens is that you'll have an organization that starts off with a design, and then they will go and build it. Currently what we do is we design it, bid it, and then build it. And so because there is an architect associated with the overall process, with the organization, we believe that there's efficiencies. Some of those are financial, but a big portion of it is the speed
039at which we can move on projects. So for example, we're able to move much faster with the two components of this process or project because of the fact that we've got one provider for all the services. We also have one point of contact. So if there is an issue, we don't have to have one group pointing fingers at another group. There's only one group, and that is the provider of the design-build support. That being said, I want to kind of give a quick shout-out and thank you to our committee members. We had a big group, Dr. Gall, we had Mr. Lyle Ersted, we had Dr. Lambert from the high school in representing that team, Mr. Blomquist, myself. And then there was another party at the table. So FGM Architects, because this process requires us to
040engage with an architect group that would not be a part of the actual project in itself. So we had selected FGMA. They were with us through this process. They were a participant in the review of the submittals, the submittals themselves. We had two very strong current partners, people that we work with and know well participate in the process. Camp Construction, as well as Performance Services, and Dr. Galtz already mentioned in her report where we're headed here. And that being the case, we knew that this was going to be close. And the point totals, as you see in the board packet, were very close. And again, that's to be expected because we had two very good partners. That being said, the administration is prepared this evening to bring a recommendation for Performance Services. Mr. President. Thank
041you. So I'll need a motion to award a design-build contract to Performance Services, Inc. in an amount not to exceed $600,000, exclusive of a contingency to be held and controlled by the district, the amount of $50,000, for the services described above and to authorize Dr. Romano, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations, to execute all agreements pending attorney review and approval. May I have that motion, please? So moved. Second. Thank you, Natasha. Questions, folks? Please, go ahead, Ann. With respect to design-build, and I'm bringing in experience from a long time ago, so provided this hasn't changed, it is important that we, the district, which would be the owner, not have a, basically, a construction manager that's employed by the district. So for instance, if Lyle's involved in the project, he can be basically the chief communicator.
042But the communication arises and goes through Lyle, but he should not have any construction responsibilities, managing the project responsibilities. The reason for that is that should we find ourselves on litigation, which we certainly hope we do not, then a district employee then is brought in a counterclaim. And we don't want that in construction defect litigation at all. So our role, the district's role, cannot have any decision making, any decision in what construction technique we use or whatever. It can be he's chief communicator, and we can make decisions about what we want, and we control what we want as the owner, but we don't make construction decisions. And that's particularly concerning in design-build. Thank you for that. We'll keep that in mind. And we are going to be working through scaling the project, unique components of
043that. So we'll make sure that we set this is what we want, and the pricing is set, but we'll then hand it off for them to do all the construction decisions. Right. The key phrase to use is, what do you recommend and why? And then they can recommend, and we can either accept or reject their recommendations, but we don't say, how about you do it my way? You can communicate, I like this way better. Do you recommend that? Constantly goes back to their recommendations. Thank you. Thank you, Eileen. Kate, will you call the roll, please? Ms. Maloney? Yes. Ms. Warren? Yes. Ms. Danniger? Yes. Mr. Aitian? Yes. Mr. Goldberg? Yes. Mr. Have? Yes. All right. Thank you very much for that. Thank you, Kirk, for coming this evening. We really appreciate it. Okay. Next up
044is the Vision 2020 resolution. 2030. 2030 resolution. 2030. There was a 2020. There was. We did that one. You did. We've already discussed this. I sent information to the board. The 2030 policy has three key pillars that I've shared. It's future focus learning, shared accountability, predictable funding, and I guess at this point it would just be if there are any further questions. I think, Dr. Galt, I've polled all the board members. They've seen the material. All the board members are in agreement. This is something that we should support. Great. With that, I'll ask for a motion, a motion to approve the Vision 2030 Illinois resolution as presented and to authorize its submission to the appropriate legislative bodies. May I have that motion, please? So moved. Second. Peter, thank you, Eileen. Any questions, folks? I do
045have a question. First of all, you know, I spent some time reading this again, and I think they did a really good job. And even some of the comments like from the southern tip of Illinois, they had people from the southern tip of Illinois all the way into Chicago focusing on that. And in the track record that they have had with Vision 2020 having some results, sometimes you think those efforts by institution and education across the state are just platitudes, but it's great that they had results. So we're hopeful there. And, I mean, I was particularly interested in the future focus learning where they talk about recruitment and retention of high quality diverse educator workforce. The one thing and, you know, and career learning and enhanced student safety, so all of the items I think
046are very laudable. My question was, you know, it was a little unclear to me what happens next. It just says to present it to appropriate legislators, you know. So maybe you could provide a little bit more detail if you have it. So Dr. Clark was able to attend one of our later or our recent superintendent meetings. And I have the notes from that I went to part of it. And so essentially, it acts as an opportunity to help us with our legislators making decisions that are aligned for what the state wants to see over the next several years. And so it really is a document that helps to highlight here's where we would like to see decisions made so that we're more unified in that approach. So again, the shared accountability, I can tell you
047the Illinois State Board of Education and Dr. Tony Sanders is already in route to do some work in this area. So for example, there are many focus groups and opportunities to provide feedback as it relates to the accountability system across the state. Unfortunately, there's not anything that's real close to us, but about an hour away. And so we're able to provide some information that's going to, again, help them to make decisions around assessment and accountability. So one example would be something we've talked about around the table is the SAT and the cut scores being much higher than they are for any other state. Typically, they go with what the company recommends as the cut score. We do not do that in Illinois. So there's some conversations specific to that. And again, this just provides essentially
048a structure to help hopefully our legislators to make decisions. Right. So we have this framework. And so from time to time, we'll provide them to our legislators. But even in the different pockets of the state, when they interact with our legislators, they use this as a tool to continue and to have the effort go forward. But there's no- They will. And one of the other things that's important is following this meeting, should you approve it, we will place District 95's name essentially on a map saying that we voted. This is the direction we want to go. And part of that is to create a large positive constituency behind this document. So then that has some better weight when the legislators are making decisions. I hope that makes sense. No, I got it. Okay. Right. Well,
049thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you, Peter. Please go ahead. I have to say when I read through the report, first of all, kudos to these committee members. I know our local president of our Lake County Division was part of this committee. What they put together was amazing. And actually at our last Lake County Division meeting, we met with local legislators. And one of our legislators is a former teacher. And they really talked through when these kinds of educational bills come to the floor, unless they have a close relationship with the superintendent that they're texting questions, a lot of them are looking for guidance. And it was sort of interesting. She's very effective because she is a former teacher. There's several former teachers there. But I also go, you can't take all our teachers to be
050our state representatives because we need teachers too in the classroom. So she's looked to as a point of reference for a lot of people. But when I was reading through this, I think it really gave some very strategic ways to be looking at legislation that comes before you. Even if you're not familiar with the way a school district works, it really was concrete steps of things that you should be thinking about. And maybe this needs to happen first before you do this, or here's the effect of picking A versus B. So I think this actually can be a very effective tool for a lot of our legislators because as I've learned being on the board, you really don't necessarily understand how a school district works until you get into it. Either working as an employee,
051a staff member, an administrator, or on the board. And so it was really, when you really get into the meat of what they were talking about with steps, I thought it was incredibly effective. So it was nice because it was basically answering the question that the legislators were bringing up when we were going, why do you do this or why do you do that? So it was really good. Anything else, folks? Okay. Roll, please, Kate. Mrs. Daniger? Yes. Mr. Tatian? Yes. Mr. Goldberg? Yes. Mr. Have? Yes. Mrs. Maloney? Yes. Mrs. Warren? Yes. Okay. Item C has been pulled from the agenda for this evening. So with that, I will need a motion to move into closed session for the following three reasons. One, the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, or performance, or dismissal of specific employees,
052specific individuals who serve as independent contractors in a park, recreational, 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, a specific individual who serves as an independent contractor in a park, recreational, educational setting, or a volunteer of the public body or legal counsel for the public body to determine stability. However, a meeting to consider an increase in compensation to a specific employee or a public body that is subject to a 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 120-2C1. Secondly, litigation, when an action against, affecting, or on behalf of the particular public body has been filed
053and is pending before a court or administrative tribunal, or when the public body finds that an action is probable or imminent, in which case the basis for the finding shall be recorded and entered into the meetings of the closed meeting. 5 ILCS 120-2C11. Lastly, student disciplinary cases. 5 ILCS 120-2C9. May I have that motion, please? So moved. Second. Thank you, Eileen. Thank you, Natasha. Call the roll, please. Mr. Aitken? Yes. Ms. Maloney? Yes. Mrs. Danniger? Yes. Mr. Have? Yes. Mrs. Warren? Yes. Mr. Goldberg? Yes. We do not expect to take action coming out of closed session. Thank you very much.