001Ready? Okay. Good evening everyone. I'm going to call the February 23rd, 2026 board of education meeting to order. Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> here. >> Miss Khan, Miss Martin, >> here. >> Miss Nolan, >> here. >> Miss Schwarz, >> here. >> Miss Thomas, >> here. President Owens >> here. May I have a motion to move into close session to discuss individual student disciplinary matters pending probable or imminent litigation, 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 or legal council for the public body. The purchase or lease of real property for the use of the school board. The setting of a price for the sale or lease of real property owned
002by the school board. An internal audit control weakness. Identification of potential fraud risk areas. Known or suspected frauds and fraud interviews. Collective negotiating matters between the school board and its employees or their representatives or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. Review of close session minutes and individual student matters. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Miss Kurr, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> We're in close session at 5:32 p.m. Heat. Heat. N. Get down. Heat. Heat. Hey. Hey. Hey. I'm happy. Heat. Heat. Don't Heat. Heat. Here we go. Hey. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. down. Hey Hey. I feel I love you. Heat. Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat.
003Hey, hey. Heat. Hey. Hey. Heat. Heat. N. Hey. Hey. Hey. Okay, good evening everyone. I am going to resume the February 23rd, 2026 board of education meeting. If I could have everybody stand as they are able for the pledge of >> allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisibley andice for all. >> Thank you everyone. Okay, the first item on our agenda for this evening is strategic plan report. Dr. Johnson. >> Thank you, President Owens. Uh this evening, the first strategic plan report is the chat GPT update. Lam Stovich, deputy superintendent of instruction, Rola Tariq Muhammad, coordinator of strategic initiatives, Dr. Richard LeBron, TE Middle School principal. Sophia Lopez, Highland Elementary School fifth grade teacher. Siguse Zerbeski, I'm sorry, I got kind of
004a thumbs up on that. South Elgen High School Beacon Academy teacher and Valerie Albbuk, Tuft Middle School English language arts teacher will provide the board of education with an update on chat GPT. Thank you, Dr. Johnson. Good evening, board of education members. Thank you for the opportunity to provide an update on our adoption of ChachiPT Edio for staff. We'll begin with a brief overview of of imple implementation progress, adoption data, and staff feedback. that my colleagues, a principal and three teachers will share how they have experienced the pilot and how they have integrated the tool into their daily work. In October, the board approved the adoption of Chad GPT edu for staff within a U46 controlled staff only workspace. This allows staff to utilize AI to support instruction, operations, and communication while keeping U46 in
005control of its data and usage while complying with state and federal regulations. Since October, staff participation in CHP edgedu has been paired with structured training. In order to gain access, staff are required to complete the AI 101 Canvas course, which launched in October and is still ongoing. The course covers the basics of AI, practical use cases, and prompt design, district AI guidelines, and core chat GPT features. This was followed with several professional learning opportunities for teachers, social workers, and instructional technology building coaches. Later this week on February 27th, we are hosting two sessions specifically for teachers focused on practical use cases in their classroom and on time-saving strategies like drafting family communication. Beyond centralized sessions, instructional technology building coaches have been instrumental in translating this into daily practice. After receiving their November training, coaches began
006supporting sitebased implementation with the focus on helping teachers building a foundational understanding of Chad GPTEDU to support everyday classroom instruction, professional duties, and responsible use. On this slide is an example from Miss Sophia Lopees on Highland Elementary School who organized play dates to support teachers in her school. Through the admin analytics dashboard in chatp we are able to monitor usage trend and overall engagement patterns. In November over 600 staff members joined the workspace after completing the required AI course. Now in February, we are at over 756 trained staff members who are using the tool and have shared more than 36,000 messages this month alone. When we reference total messages sent, that means the number of prompts staff entered in the chat GPT AGU space. Each message is one question or request submitted by a user.
007The analytics dashboard highlights several of the most common applications including coaching and instructional planning, collaboration with colleagues, providing feedback on lesson plans, and designing professional learning. We also conducted a survey of staff using chatedu to better understand how the tool is being is being used across different roles, its perceived impact, and what additional support may be needed. We received over 355 responses representing 47% of the staff using the tool. Over 80% report using chatuptedu at least a few times per week with nearly one-third using it multiple times per day. This level of frequency suggests that the tool is becoming embedded in the participants work routine rather than used occasionally. Nearly 80% of respondents rate egu an eight or higher on helplessness which reflects the perceived practical value of the tool. When it comes to time
008saving, over 70% of respondents estimate saving between 1 to 5 hours per week and 28% estimate saving 3 to five hours weekly. These time savings allow teachers to review the evidence of student learning to give them feedback and create supports to help them progress with the most common uses purported by respondents being creating instructional materials, lesson planning, brainstorming, class activities and differentiation. Now I would like to invite Dr. Richard Lebron to share the experience of TE Middle School. >> Thank you Miss Derek and thank you board of education for having us here at TE Middle School. We launched AI professional learning to strengthen standards aligned lesson design while remaining grounded in Illinois learning standards and our district approved curriculum. AI is positioned as a planning support tool that enhances teacher thinking not replaces it. This
009work reinforces our instructional clarity model and our school for rigor and equity practices. It helps teachers to generate ideas, strengthen alignment, increase rigor, and refine differentiation while maintaining full professional judgment. In terms of professional development, we began implementation with first year teachers in November and then we expanded to all staff due to early success and positive feedback. We continue offering voluntary department specific sessions before and after school. Currently 44 staff members are actively participating in the pilot and eight additional staff members are completing on boarding. 67 out of 74 staff members have received AI training and this level of engagement reflects both interest and commitment to improving instructional practice in in terms of implementation highlights. Our focus has been on teachers evaluating and adapting AI generated lessons rather than using them as written. The planning
010emphasizes alignment to Illinois learning standards, increasing rigor through Marso's taxonomy and designing inter interdependent student task and intentionally using board approved curriculum resources. Department specific sections were requested by staff because they recognize the practical relevance and instructional value. In terms of some of the impact that we have observed, we're seeing clearer uh clearer alignment between learning targets and standards, stronger coherence between targets and classroom activities, and more intentional use of curricular resources, particularly in math. Teachers are designing more interdependent tasks aligned to our instructional clarity model and many report increased confidence in lesson design and instructional clarity resulting in more purposeful instruction. In terms of our plans for a future moving forward, we want to continue department specific AI planning support, ensure staff completing on board on boarding requirements and expanding our focus on differentiation,
011deeper alignment of uh to our instructional claim model and alignment to the U46 strategic plan. We want this to be equitydriven instructional design. Our goal is to cons continue refining this work so every lesson remains intentional, rigorous, and designed to move all students forward. Now, let me introduce Miss Sophia Lopez. Good evening. I'd like to briefly share how I'm strengthening student support and engagement in my classroom by combining U46 resources with thoughtful instructional planning along with strategically using chatgpted edu as a tool to personalized learning generated targeted scaffold and provide students with timely feedback that deepens their thinking. In literacy, I use the fontes and panel reading and writing mini lessons and word study resources to build strong foundational skills. I also incorporate patterns of power to help students understand how grammar and conventions function
012within writing. For social studies, we use SAB's easy bridge, which we intentionally integrate into our literacy and writing units. Rather than teaching subjects in isolation, students read, write, and analy an analyze historical content in connected meaningful ways. What has strengthened this integration is using chat GPT as a professional planning resource. It helps me efficiently connect SAB social studies content to reading standards and writing task, making the integration between content, literacy, and writing cohesive and purposeful. It also supports the development of academic and domain specific vocabulary and clear language targets for each lesson, ensuring students have the tools to discuss, explain, and write about their learning with accuracy. In math, I rely on Eureka math to ensure rigor and cohesive coherence across content area. It supports the creation of team-based performance task that intentionally progress throughout
013a lesson and unit. These task encourage collaboration, application of knowledge and deeper understanding over time. It also helps in structure instruction using the workshop model, many lessons, guided practice, collaborative work and reflection. So learning remains active and student centered. I want to be very clear the teacher remains in the driver's seat. I am the instructional expert making the decisions about curriculum differentiation and student needs. Chat GPT does not replace professional judgment. It enhances it. It serves as a thought partner in lesson flow and development, allowing me to streamline planning so I can dedicate more time to analyzing student work, providing feedback, and directly supporting my students. Ultimately, this approach strengthens rigor, increases engagement, and supports high quality instruction. Most importantly, it gives me more time to focus on my students growth, confidence, and academic success.
014Thank you. At this time, I would like to introduce Mr. Sergio from Beacon Academy. >> Distinguished Bor members, I'm Sergioski. I go by Mr. Sergio. and I teach digital media technology 1 and two and digital media production at Beacon Academy in South Elgen High School uh to almost 120 students from freshman to junior year. My students don't just complete digital media projects. They produce news stories and run a full live broadcast in a functioning studio environment. That means every class period operates like a small production company. I manage 15 studio positions rotating roles of varying class sizes all while aligning instruction to district approved curriculum and visual arts standards of perceiving producing and practicing. Uh from the beginning of this pilot program, chat GPT has been an instructational support tool that allowed me to work
015more efficiently and more responsively. It helped generate creative prompts aligned to standards. It assisted in formatting and refining rubrics. It allowed me to adjust reading levels and assignment complexity in real time to meet diverse learner needs. Importantly, it does not replace instructional design or professional judgment. I remain fully responsible for curriculum, assessment, and student learning. What it does is reduce the time spent on formatting, restructuring, and repetitive uh drafting. So, I can focus on feedback, differentiation, and student growth. In career and technical education, flexibility is critical. Enrollment shifts, production roles change, and live broadcasts requires quick pivots. AI support allows me to adapt without sacrificing rigor. When used responsively, Chat GPT enhances instructionational effectiveness, supports differentiation, and prepares students for the technological landscapes that they will enter after graduation. in my classroom. It has strengthened
016teaching, not replaced it, and it has improved flexibility in a program that mirrors real world media production and its challenges. Thank you so much. And now I would like to introduce next speaker, Valerie Albuk of Tuft Middle School. >> Hi, I teach seventh and eighth grade language arts at Tuft. I use chat PT GBT as a tool to strengthen rigor depth and engagement of the learning experiences for my students. You'll see that I upload curriculum materials for a lesson and ask chatbt J GBT to generate tasks that meet very specific criteria. I prompt it to create tasks at analysis or knowledge utilization levels of the taxonomy. I also ask for tasks that are interdependent and require students to receive and respond to peer feedback. In other words, I'm not asking for worksheets. I'm asking it
017for higher level thinking tasks that push students to analyze, apply, collaborate, and revise. Here is how I here I outline how this work supports my work as an educator. Chat GPT helps me strategically scaffold learning so that my advanced students are challenged while students who need additional support have clear structures in place. It supports our district's instructional empowerment expectations by creating interdependent tasks, tasks at a higher taxonomy level and engaging and tasks that require students to respond to feedback from me and each other. One important point again that you've heard is that we remain the instructional decision m maker. Chat GPT is our planning partner. I have revised tasks and further adapted them for my students based off of what it said. Here is a concrete example of impact. Originally I had an assignment that
018was for stu students to fill out a notecatcher and discuss. That task checks for understanding, but it stays at a relatively low level of thinking. Using chat GPT, I re I redesigned the task. Students researched the effects of pesticized organic food or food deserts on people's access to healthy food. They rec they created organizers that show environmental, economic, and social impacts. They worked interdependently in teams, gave meaningful feedback to one another, and revised their thinking throughout the process. The result was a noticeable shift in depth. Students developed stronger expertise in their topics. They were able to apply their research to real world situations. And when it came time for the assessment, they drew on their own knowledge, demonstrating an authentic understanding. The impact is not just better products. It's stronger thinking, richer discussion, and greater
019student ownership of learning. I see chat GPT as a tool that helps me raise the level of rigor while still meeting the needs of my students. It allows me to design tasks that are more collaborative, more analytical, and more aligned with real world applications. Thank you. Back to Rola. >> Thank you, Miss Albuk. Based on adoption data and staff feedback, our recommendation is to continue the early access program through December 2026. This timeline gives us the opportunity to keep monitoring adoption, evaluate impact and adjust training as needed. In the fall, we will provide an opportunity for additional staff to join the program after completing the required professional development. Thank you and we welcome any questions. >> Thank you for the presentation everyone who participated in the discussion. Uh do board members have questions at this
020time? >> Don, thank you for the presentation. Um I have a question on slide five. Um so on slide five it shows number of users per month and messages sent. I'm assuming messages sent is the questions input into chat GPT. Is there a way so um like for February for for the part of February that we have had it's showing 36,000 total messages. Do we have a way of collecting the types of messages sent so that we can see if there's duplicates? Like for some reason, do we have 50 teachers all asking how to create a literacy project on the very same topic? Can we see how many are just help me with an email? Like is there a way to identify overlapping uses? And I ask because while this um we're on a free
021proposal at this point, I'm assuming this is something will likely come forward in the future with a cost attached. And especially given our earlier um committee looking at projections and finances, I'm in my head I'm trying to figure out ways to look at ROI on this and how do we best utilize AI? Is that a license for a teacher? Is that a certain per building? So I think for me at least being able to see repetition and questions and how it's being used can help analyze that and kind of help me as a person who struggles with AI a little bit and the use of it kind of move forward with this within our district. So currently the the like admin analytics dashboard doesn't give us the opportunity to see um in specifically like if
022there is any overlap. Um I can go back and check if there is an opportunity that our is team can maybe actually dig deeper and be able to uh get back to you with this information. >> Thank you. Additional questions uh Sue and then summary. So thank you for the presentation. Um I think all the teachers mentioned that they were still in charge which as as it should be. What do you think chat GTP's weakness or or not weakness but where have you been had to make the most modifications with from with what you've gotten back from would you say? I think >> can we have you >> I think um the the biggest issue that teachers have is how to write a prompt into chat GPT >> and understand what it needs to ask
023for. When I help my staff with chat GPT, um, a lot of staff members will type in something like, "Help create a task for lesson five." And I have to tell it, it doesn't know what lesson five is. You have to upload it. So, how to be specific about what you're asking for, what prompts to put in. Um, Dr. Lebron at Teft has given us um, documents that we can upload for our departments with the curriculum, the timelines, the, you know, state standards. So once all that's uploaded, just being and maybe coming up with a bank of prompts that teachers can use would alleviate a lot of the issues that I think are h happening in our early implementation. >> Thank you. >> Summary. >> Thank you. Mine are more just based on the survey.
024Um I saw that only what there's like 47% of respondents to the survey. Is there a way to require everyone using it to kind of as kind of to you know to respond so we can kind of understand the data a little bit better for everyone that's utilizing chat GPT. >> Yeah. So 47% of the pilot participants uh like responded to the survey. um responding to to the survey is supposed to be part of the like um having access um to the tool. So we are trying as much as possible to like keep uh like clarifying the expectations and like keep asking uh for everyone to respond to the survey. >> Okay. And then on slide what is this? Um six no slide number eight I see that there's eight um 8.5% not noticing any
025noticeable time savings. Do you think that could be attributed to what you were talking about just they're not possibly prompting it right and is there an intervention to go in to talk to that cohort of teachers how to use it better? >> Yeah. So we we are continuing to like as part of also of the survey we asked uh respondents to like let us know what type of support they need and we are like using this to plan the professional learning that we're offering. So as part of this for example on Friday the two sessions the three sessions actually that are presented are part of this is like to support teachers with like how can they do better prompting but also what types of times saving strategies that they can use um using AI and
026also how it can help them for example for the different instructional um tasks and accordingly we'll continue also doing that with all the professional learning in order to support like everyone Additional questions. Shondaanda, >> thank you for the presentation. I think I have two questions. Um the first one is on slide 26. Um where uh the third bullet point provide an opportunity for new participants to join the pil pilot in the fall. How many participants are you anticipating? And and remind me how many how many free do we have? We so we have un unlimited um free um access. However, we agreed that we would provide opportunities for up to 10,000 participants. >> Okay. So, in the fall, are you um opening up to 1,000 more or just kind of a smaller? >> I think
027it's just to go up to the So, we have about 700 and something right now. So, about 200 and something more people if they are interested in participating. Okay. And then we would re-evaluate at the end of the pilot in December to then determine what the next steps would be. >> And do you have any idea? Did you survey people who like really want to use it, but they're kind of afraid to use it because it's tech, it's AI, or or with the prompting, they're like, you know what, that prompting seems like it's going to be a a steep learning curve. Do you know how many people may want to use it but aren't because of that? Uh we had a couple of people actually at the beginning of the pilot who reached out to
028to both Rola and myself who said, you know, they originally signed up and said they wanted to be a part of it, but then they're like, "No, we're, you know, we're okay. Just give my spot to somebody else." And so, um, but interestingly enough, none of them were teachers. And so, um, we still have some additional digging to do and research to do to to find out what kind of is preventing people from from going in. Um, and we can definitely work on that with our steering committee and and do some focus groups. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Any additional questions, Sue? >> Just one one quick question. Are we seeing more uh secondary teachers or elementary teachers or is it divided pretty evenly? >> I think it's divided pretty uh like evenly. Um, and
029we're hoping that that's actually what we're also hoping for that everyone would be able to access it and use it um and really utilize it in their work. >> Okay. Thank you. Smarine. >> Oh, okay. Sh. >> I have one more follow-up question. Are you seeing um staff and specialized student services use it? You know, a lot of staff, teachers or um department heads or things like that? >> We actually do have a breakdown of the teacher positions. We can get you that as a followup. >> Okay, that would be great. Thank you. >> Anyone else? >> Okay, thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay, we have another strategic plan report. >> We do the second strategic plan report tonight's facility planning update. Dr. Anne Williams, deputy superintendent of operations, will present to the board
030of education an update on facility planning. Good evening. You could bear with me just one second. My other half isn't here to do the technical part tonight, so I'm on my own. Thank you. >> Good evening again, and thank you for another opportunity to provide the board of education with an update on our facilities work. Um, tonight we have an update for you as it relates to construction in progress, construction on deck, and two groundbreaking ceremonies that will be coming up in the very near future. We're going to start with our middle school projects. Starting with Kimble, work continues at Kimble and the addition is now largely under roof and really beginning to take shape. As you can see from the images shown here, current work includes completing the roofing, mounting the remaining rooftop HVAC
031units, and finishing exterior framing around the captorium. Inside the building, we're advancing finishes and coordinating some fine design refine final design refinements to ensure the spaces function the way our educators need them to. We're also evaluating a new program, a few rather program related adjustments for the library tied to the maker space, ADA accessibility, and how the library can flex when needed to preserve collaboration space. The project remains on schedule for completion in time for the start of school in August. There is a substantial amount of work planned for this summer, and we will take full advantage of the long summer break built into this year's calendar. We are confident in our team's ability to execute the work safely and efficiently and look forward to opening the doors to Kimble students and staff in the
032fall. And with that, I do have a short drone video. No, I don't. I have two short drone videos for my next two schools. So, I'm going to go to K Kenyon Woods next. The Kenyon Woods edition is moving into the final phases of interior completion, flooring installation throughout classrooms and corridors is progressing steadily. Crews are actively installing the active walls, doors, and hardware, and building signage across the new addition. The active walls in particular will significantly enhance flexible learning spaces for students and staff. We are planning for the physical opening between the new addition and the existing building to occur over spring break. That timing allows us to min minimize disruption to students and maintain a safe and orderly transition. As originally planned, the remaining site elements, improvements within the existing bus turnaround, and
033targeted renovations inside the existing building will take place over the summer to support the full transition of classes into the new spaces. So overall, Kenyan Woods is in a very strong position. The project remains ahead of schedule and well positioned for a smooth transition in the new year. And now I have a drone video. Okay, on to Legacy Middle School. Construction continues at Legacy Middle School, including erecting structural steel and decking, pouring concrete, and installing loadbearing masonary walls. Upcoming milestones include completing structural steel in the third story in the three-story building, finishing the final geothermal drilling, and starting to install exterior face brick. The team took advantage of the favorable weather that occurred last week and the project remains on schedule with substantial completion anticipated for late fall, leaving us plenty of time to move
034in and have the building building fully ready to welcome students and staff in August 2027. Again, we have a short drone video that shows you our progress. Heat. Heat. Okay, next up is Century Oaks. Um, following full permit approval from the city of Elgen, crews have been meaning make been making meaningful progress on the classroom addition located on the north half of the property. Concrete foundation work is complete and loadbearing masonry continues as the spokes of the addition rise steadily each day. Heavy electrical preparation is underway and will continue over the next several weeks. Structural steel installation is targeted to begin shortly thereafter. Site utility work remains active including new water man connections, storm and sanitary sewer work and required electrical reconfiguration. Geo geothermal well drilling operations are mobilizing this week and will begin immediately.
035From a schedule standpoint, this project has been tracking slightly behind earlier projections. However, we anticipate regaining significant momentum in March as multiple f as multiple work streams come online simultaneously, including steel, utilities, and continued masonry, allowing the team to accelerate overall progress. Again, the recent mild weather worked in our favor and productiv productivity increased almost 100% when our workers aren't contending with the extreme weather. So, we're closely monitoring sequencing of this project to ensure we meet our delivery timeline without sacrificing quality. And I believe I have one last video. Okay, Last but not least, our final update is on the new elementary school to be built in Elgen. On Monday, February 4th, the Elgen planning and zoning committee voted unanimously to recommend approval of our plans to construct the new elementary school at this location.
036The proposal will be heard by the full city council this Wednesday and we are optimistic about moving forward with the final steps of the local approval process. Assuming continued progress through permitting and zoning, the project will go out to bid in early March and with a recommendation coming to the board of education to award bids anticipated in late April and early May. As part of the demolition process, required environmental abatement will occur will occur in accordance with state and federal regulations. Administration anticipates bringing a separate recommendation forward to the board of education at its next meeting. The final sequencing of demolition and new construction will be confirmed as we move fully through permitting. However, our goal is to begin demolition and early site work mid year. Substantial completion is currently targeted for the first quarter
037of 2028, which would position us to open the school in time for the 2028 2029 school year. And I don't have a drone video since we haven't started, but I do have two groundbreaking ceremonies to talk to you about. Um, first we will celebrate the Larkin High School Stadium groundbreaking on Tuesday, February 24th at 3:30 p.m. And while this is not a Unite U46 initiative, this project represents a significant investment in student experience, school pride, and community engagement. The following week on Tuesday, March 3rd, at 3:30 p.m., we will hold the groundbreaking ceremony for the Glenbrook Elementary School project in Streamwood. This project reflects our continued commitment to modern, equitable learning environments across the district. These ceremonies are important not just because we are breaking ground on construction, but because they represent visible progress under
03846 and the trust that the community has placed on us. We encourage board members, staff, families, and community partners to attend as we celebrate these milestones together. That concludes my presentation for this evening. I'd be happy to take any questions that you have at this time. >> Thank you for the presentation. I know a number of us are looking forward to the opening or the groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow. Um, do board members have questions soon. >> Just a quick question. Are we running into any supply problems with all these projects? Uh well um I wish I could tell you that we were not, but just today I received an invoice that references tariffs that I will need to look into a little bit further. So we haven't seen any delays in actual shipments that are a
039direct result, but this is the first time I've seen the T-word come across my desk in their invoicing. >> In other words, we owe more money. >> I'm sorry. >> In other words, our our bill just got bigger >> a little bit. >> Okay. Okay. >> Any other questions? Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. The next item is comments from the audience. >> Thank you, President Owens. This evening we do have uh public comment. >> Good evening. We are now opening the public comment portion of the board of education meeting. Those who completed a request to speak card will be called to provide comments in the order in which the cards were received. Online participants have been provided meeting access via Zoom. Written comments emailed to board-46.org have been posted to the agenda
040for public viewing. To ensure that all comments are heard, speakers must comply with the following procedures. Individual comments are less than three minutes and comments may not mention the name or personal information of any student other than the speaker's own child. Please note that while board members listen to speakers, they do not respond to comments or answer questions. Thank you. participual. Our first speaker this evening is Crystal Eridando. Good evening. My name is Christa Ardando and I am here today to ask the board for help changing dismissal and supervision protocols for all students. Last week, my six-year-old son was released from Loris Park supervision without an authorized adult present. My child walked home, was unaccounted for, and missing for 20 minutes. During the search for my child, the secretary informed me that the police were
041going to be notified. However, when speaking to the principal, he informed me that they were never called. The principal also informed me that there is a student code of conduct and that we are now in February, insinuating that my child should know better by now. Being told law enforcement was contacted when they were not undermines the trust in the school's communication during a serious matter. Although the principal assured me that a missing child does not happen often, one time is too many when it comes to the safety of a young child. The frequency of such incidents does not lessen the seriousness of the potential risks involved. That being said, I would like to note that the street that the school is is on connects two busy roads and the traffic is always terrible with only
042yield signs everyone seems to ignore and only one crossing guard. I've noticed that other schools in our district that are not on a main road have stop signs, two crossuards, and even public and even police presence. I would also like to note that there are 73 registered sex offenders within a two-m radius of our home according to the LG PD registry. The response by the principal led me to look into the safety and supervision protocols at all elementary schools in our district. Out of 38 schools, only Clinton Elementary School had safe dismissal procedures easily found on their websites. Lords Park, on the other hand, states that students are to be picked up promptly at dismissal at 210 and that there is no supervision after school beyond 2:25 and tell our children to seek out staff
043members if they do not see a family member. I find this to be a problem for young students. I say this to bring awareness to what my six-year-old was released to while in the care of Lord Spark. It is my understanding that the district's attendance campaign is every minute matters. I do believe that every minute matters. Every minute that my child's teacher did not notice he was missing matters. Every minute that my child walked home alone matters. Every minute that police are not notified in these situations matters. My son matters. Every student matters. I'm asking the board and administrators to work together for a change in dismissal and supervision protocol for all students districtwide. I thank you for your the for your service you provide to our community and thank you for your time. >>
044Thank you. >> Our second speaker this evening is Jonathan Medina. Hello, my name is Jonathan Medina. Um, I'm I am bringing to your attention an issue involving the Bartlett Police Department handling of B of body cam footage related to an incident at one of our schools. While juvenile information was properly redacted, the department also redacted the faces, the names, and audio of all adult public school officials who were performing their official duties. Illinois FOYA and the law enforcement officer warned Body Camera Act do not authorize redacting the identities of public employees acting in their official capacity. courts and the attorney general public access counselor have repeatedly affirmed that public employees have reduced privacy expectations when per performing public duties. These redact redact actions prevent meaningful public oversight and obscure the actions of school officials during
045an incident involving students. Transparenc Transparency is essential for maintaining the trust between families, staff, and the community. I have com submitted a request for review to the Illinois Attorney General Public Access Counselor, and I am hopeful that the matter can be resolved cooperatively. I wanted the board to be aware of this the issue as it directly concerns the conduct and accountability of school personnel. Thank you for your time and attention. >> Thank you. >> That's it. There are no further comments. Thank you. >> The next item on our agenda is other business board member and superintendent update if necessary. Do board members have any updates they would like to share soon? >> So last week I had the honor of attending the SRO appreciation breakfast. It was very well attended. I think all of our
046SRO were there as well as some community policemen who also uh work in our schools. So thank you to them all for what they do. >> Anyone else? And I know uh Sue and Kate and I were at the uh years of service um ceremony on Thursday night. Um so thank you to all the staff members that that participated and especially writing the um the bios and putting together um a great uh picture show of of all of the the uh recipients that we had there that evening. Um it was a really really nice evening. So, thank you for the participation in that. >> Yeah, I will I will echo your appreciation. Uh, it was a really a fun evening. So, thank you to our community and community relations team. Uh, this year, as President
047Owens identified, the inclusion of the slides I think made it really personal. Uh, and definitely a lot of time when you realize that you're recognizing almost 70 individuals to do that, but it was really fun to see. and thank you to human resources for all of all of the efforts to make that a a celebration. So great evening. >> Okay, the next item on the agenda is foyer request. Dr. Johnson. >> Yes, thank you. This evening there are 14 freedom of information act requests available on the public domain of boards and they will be moved to the U46 website later this week. >> Next item is a February 23rd, 2026 finance committee meeting. We did have a finance meeting uh prior to the regularly scheduled meeting this evening to discuss the five-year financial projections. Um
048that presentation is is made available on the district's website. There is a link in the board docs um site. Uh Miss Carter, did you want to give just a really quick overview of the as chairperson of the finance committee? >> Sure. So, it was a great presentation. um went over five years of expected revenues and expenses. Um there are things to be concerned about obviously at the state level, at the federal level, but I think our our our district is doing a great job of keeping an eye on things and and making sure we stay fiscally stable. So, >> yeah, and there's a lot of of information available on that um presentation. Um so, I would encourage anyone to to go out and and take a look at that. >> Okay, moving along. Uh the
049next item is consent agenda. Dr. Johnson. >> Thank you, President Owens. On the consent agenda this evening, personnel report and workers compensation cases, minutes of board meetings, December 15, 2025. Termination of PAL vias bus driver route. Resolution for the disposal of surplus personal property instruments. Resolution for the disposal of surplus personal property damaged furniture. Bid plan operations Larsson Middle School domestic water piping replacement project number 508-25 contract plant operations 2017 standard form of agreement between owner and architect studio GC architecture and interiors contract renewal specialized student services onetoone nursing services change order operations unite U46 Kimble middle school additional scope >> are there any items that board member members would like removed from the consent agenda hearing. None. May I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as read into the record? >> So
050moved. >> Second. >> Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> Motion carried. >> Next item is discussion action. Dr. Johnson. >> Our first item, itemized bills for February 23rd, 2026. Robin Cornellison, executive director of financial services, will respond to questions from the board of education regarding the attached bills. Administration recommends the board of education approved the list of bills in the amount of 33,851,181.75. May I have a motion to approve the list of bills in the amount of 33,851,181.75? So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions? Okay. Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >>
051yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> Motion carried. >> Okay. >> The next item is board policy updates. >> Ready? >> I am. >> We have a very long list that is going to get read into the record by Miss Olsen. >> Thank you. uh at uh two board meetings ago, you'll recall that there was a presentation of um the group of press policies. I will read into the record the press policy recommendations that we will be adopting as provided by press issue 120 and then there are four additional policies that we will vote on separately to describe action being taken by the board pertaining to those specific policies. Uh, I present to the board policy 2 col 120 regarding
052board member development. Policy 2 col 150 regarding committees. Policy 2 col270 regarding discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, and national origin prohibited. Board policy 3 col 10 goals and objectives. Board policy 350 administrative personnel other than the superintendent. Board policy 360 administrative responsibility of the building principal. Board policy 4 col10, fiscal and business management. Board policy 430, revenues and investment. Board policy 4110, transportation. Board policy 4140, waiver of student fees. Board policy 4150, facility management and building programs. Board policy 4160, environmental quality of buildings and grounds. Board policy 41 170, safety. Board policy 4190, targeted school violence prevention program. Board policy 5 col10, equal opportunity employment, non-discrimination and minority recruitment. Board policy 5 col 20, workplace harassment prohibited. Board policy 590, abuse and neglected child reporting. Board policy 5100, staff development program.
053Board policy 5120, employee ethics code of professional conduct and conflict of interest. Board policy 5 col 185, family and medical leave. Board policy 5190, teacher qualifications. Board policy 520, terms and conditions of employment and dismissal. Board policy 5 col 220, substitute teachers. Board policy 5 col 280, duties and qualifications. Board policy 5300, schedules and employment year. Board policy 620, school year, calendar and day. Board policy 640, curriculum development. Board policy 6130, program for the gifted. Board policy 6135, accelerated placement program. Board policy 6140, education of homeless children. Board policy 6160, English learners. Board policy 6220, bring your own technology BYOT program, responsible use and conduct. Board policy 6235, access to electronic networks. Board policy 6240, field trips. Board policy 6260, complaints about curriculum, instructional materials, and programs. Board policy 6270, guidance and counseling program. Board
054policy 6280, grading and promotion. Board policy 6300, graduation requirements. Board policy 6310, high school credit for non-district experiences, course substitutions, re-entering students. Board policy 6 col 315, high school credit for students in grade seven or eight. Board policy 620, high school credit for proficiency. Board policy 710, equal educational opportunities. Board policy 770, attendance and truency. Board policy 7130, student rights and responsibilities. Board policy 71 140, search and seizure. Board policy 71 150, agency and law enforcement requests. Board policy 71 180, prevention of and response to bullying, intimidation, and harassment. Board policy 7190, student behavior. Board policy 7250, student support services. Board policy 7290, suicide and depression awareness and prevention. Board policy 7310, restrictions on publications, elementary schools. Board policy 7 315, restriction on publications, high schools. Board policy 7340, student records. And finally, board policy
0558100, relations with other organiz organizations and agencies. >> Okay. May I have a motion to accept the recommendation of the administration to adopt the amendments to the board of education's policies as outlined in IASB press issue 120 and as stated into the record. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions or discussion? Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> President Owens, yes. Motion carried. I also present to you board policy 4 col 80, accounting and audits. You may recall that the board had requested that there be additional language to address uh language uh regarding the date of audits being provided, including requiring that the board be given an
056update in December of each year on the progress of the audit. that uh language has been added to uh the board agenda and um is specified and pulled out separately describing that it has been updated with that language for the board. >> Okay. May I have a motion to accept the recommendation of the administration to adopt the amendment to the board of education's policy for sorry policy 480 as outlined in IASB press issue 120 and as suggested by the administration. >> So moved Second. >> Any questions or discussion? >> Okay. Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin? >> Yes. >> Miss Nolan? >> Yes. >> Miss Schwarz? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> President Owens? Yes. >> Motion carried. Thank you very much. >>
057Next, I also present to you uh changes to board policy 660 curriculum content. The board of education discussed at the previous meeting uh where this was covered that they would not be utilizing the optional language that the uh preference was to use the default language which would permit the opportunity for administration to make determinations regarding optional curriculum and inclusion uh but would not require it by board policy. >> Okay. May I have a motion to accept the recommendation of the administration to adopt the amendment to the board of education's policy 660 as outlined in IASB press issue 120 with the default language. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions or discussion? Okay. Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >>
058yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> Motion carried. I also present board policy updates to policy 6 col210 addressing instructional materials. During the previous board conversation on the subject of board policies, there was additional discussion by the board that we would like to change the language to permit the superintendent or designate to recommend to the board of education adoption of textbooks and other instructional materials. That language has been added and included in the board materials. >> May I have a motion to accept the recommendation of the administration to adopt the amendment to the board of education's policy 6 col210 as outlined in IASB press issue 120 with the additional language and as suggested by administration. >> So move >> second. >> Any questions or discussion?
059>> Don, >> I do I I thought I understood this one. So I think I need clarification. So, looking at the question and answer section on the bottom of page two, are we um of that section that says required question one and it says has the board adopted the alternative language like what I guess I'm confused as to what's being included. The recommendation of the board in the previous conversation was to adopt the language which would be the underlined section. However, in discussion with the board last time, there was um additional clarification by members that they would like it to not just be the superintendent approving the selection of the materials, but also the superintendent or designate. The or designate is what this board would be adding in addition to what press is providing the
060option of the press language would be the regular black and white underlined text. Can I ask what we do now? Because I'm reading this and I think I'm now confused on what I'm approving. Like so I'm reading the underlined part and it says the superintendent or designate shall approve the selection of all other instructional materials and I I think I need clarification that that is not changing how we currently approve curriculum. >> It is not um okay I I believe we currently approach the matter by having um the superintendent overseeing all um textbooks and instructional materials. However, you will see uh very frequently my colleagues on the education side are the ones who are standing before you at the podium at the deis uh providing information about the textbooks and instructional materials. >> So that
061would continue. >> Okay. Correct. So we bring forward a recommendation on behalf of administration which typically also includes uh vetting and review by committee work in school district U46. It's an extensive process, >> right? So, you know, by by that proxy noting that um seeking input and support and direction from the experts who are closest to the work and then recommendation is vetted by administration and we bring that to you with evidence to support why we're making that recommendation. >> No, that is perfect. The underline I was the underlined section specifically was throwing me off that somehow it was changing our process. So, I just I just needed confirmation before I voted. This is to make it inclusive of the process we already have basically by adding the designate right so that there aren't any
062forward >> that that is the that is accurate. >> Thank you. >> Any additional questions? >> Okay. Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> Motion carried. And finally, I bring to you board policy 8 colon30, visitors to and conduct on school property. You may recall during the last discussion that we had on board policies that we uh reviewed our practices and determined that they did not align with what was previously written in board policy. We do not typically require that visitors return their badges. We require that they comply with checkout procedures when they are exiting school buildings. And so the additional change that's
063being recommended here is to comply with our current practices. >> May I have a motion to accept the recommendation of the administration to adopt the amendment to the board of education's policy 830 as outlined in IASB press issue 120 and as suggested by administration. >> So moved. Second. Any questions, discussion? Okay. Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> Motion carried. Thank you very much. >> Thank you, everyone. I know that's a long list of policies to go through and keep track of. Um, but I appreciate the the discussion um around many of them and we'll revisit policies in another couple months. >> Yay. >> Uh,
064next item is elementary math curriculum and resource proposal. >> Thank you, President Owens. Uh this evening, Brian Tennyson, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, and Amy Anente, math coordinator, are available for questions regarding the elementary math curriculum and resource proposal. Administration recommends approval of the elementary math curriculum and resource proposal in the amount of $4,96,280.51. Requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the education fund. and the cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 fiscal year. >> May I have a motion to approve the elementary math curriculum and resource proposal in the amount of 4,96,280.51 and provide authorization for district administration to execute related documents. >> Second. >> Any questions for our panelists? >> Okay, roll call, please. Miss Kirk, >> yes. >> Miss Khan,
065>> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> Motion carried. >> Our next item, 2026 2027 school fees. Dr. Kyle Vonzy, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, and Robin Cornell, executive director of financial services are available for questions regarding the attached school fees. Information on student insurance, school time coverage, 24-hour coverage, optional 24-hour dental is posted on the district website each July. Administration recommends approval of the school fees for the 2026 2027 school year. >> May I have a motion to approve the school fees for the 2026 2027 school year? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any questions for our panelists? >> Okay. Roll call, please. >> Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. Miss Martin,
066>> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, >> yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> Motion carried. >> Okay. The next item on our agenda is other business employee matters. We have DUI grievance number 01-11-25. Step three grievance. May I have a motion to deny Dwey grievance 01-11-25? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? Roll call, please. >> Miss Kirk, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> abstain. >> Miss Martin? >> Yes. >> Miss Nolan? >> Yes. >> Miss Schwarz? >> Yes. >> Miss Thomas? >> Yes. >> President Owens? >> Yes. >> Motion carried. >> The next item on our agenda is work session resolutions. >> Thank you, President Owens. First is a resolution authorizing designation of a person or persons to prepare the fiscal year 2027 tenative
067budget. Dr. Kyle Vanchesy, deputy superintendent of operations and Robin Cornell, executive director of financial services will review the resolution authorizing designation of a person or persons to prepare the fiscal year 2027 tenative budget. Administration recommends the board of education approve the resolution. Do board members have any questions? Okay, thank you. Next is a resolution authorizing the submitt of serious safety hazard findings to the Illinois Department of Transportation. This resolution is required annually by the Illinois State Board of Education. The attached resolution confirms that district administration and the transportation routing team have completed a comprehensive review of all newly established attendance boundaries for the 2026 2027 school year. These locations will be submitted to the Illinois Department of Transportation once approved by the board of education and students who reside within the designated areas during the
0682026 2027 school year will be provided free transportation services. The district will request reimbursement from the state for transportation services provided. Marcy Murphy, director of transportation, will present the resolution and will respond to questions from the board of education. She is also joined by Beth Laapa. Administration recommends the board of education adopt the resolution authorizing the submitt of serious safety hazard findings to the Illinois Department of Transportation. So, this is round two of the of the uh uh safety hazard findings. Do board members have questions, Kate? >> Um yeah, I have a question. So, Otter Creek on is it Hops there? I guess it is right on the corner there's a brand new um apartment complex and like they don't have to cross the road. They're on the same side as Otter Creek. Um, do
069have we determined whether or not there's going to be any students who will be attending GD Creek in there and how will they get to school? >> We would look at that and it would be determined if there was a safe walkway along and then we would have to do a hazard study on that to see okay speed, the number of cars that would travel down that and if that is a safe walkway. >> Okay. Yeah. If you guys can make a note to do that. It's a relatively new complex and I think several of the apartments are still um vacant. >> Okay. >> Um but like a sidewalk would do it. >> Solve the problem. >> Yeah. Like it wouldn't have to. It probably be cheaper than the buses. >> It would be >>
070but um >> as long as it meets the criteria because we would look at that as as far as the speed, how many cars travel and all that. We would do a a study on it as well. >> Okay. Awesome. Thanks, >> Sue. The these Thank you. These are all elementary schools. Do we do the same thing for high school and middle schools? >> Absolutely. Round three, you'll >> round three. Round three. Yes. >> Absolutely. >> Any other questions? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Awesome. Thank you. >> Our next item is a resolution approving Shy Bond of Treasure. Dr. Dr. Kyle Von Schneesy, deputy superintendent of operations and Robin Cornelison, executive director of financial services will present the attached resolution proving shy bond of treasurer. Administration recommends the board of education adopt the resolution. >>
071Any questions on this resolution? Thank you. >> That brings us to work session bids and proposals. Dr. Johnson. >> Our first is a bid operations unite U46 Legacy Middle School offsite roadway improvements. Dr. Anne Williams, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends awards the lowest responsible bidder, Schroeder Asphalt Services Incorporated in the amount of 1,577,281. Requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the capital projects fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 and 2026 2027 fiscal years. >> Are the questions for Dr. Williams? >> Thank you. Next is a bid procure procurement 2026 2027 Hawk Hollow Middle School Furniture. Robin Cornellison, executive director of financial services, and Denise Smith,
072procurement coordinator, will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends award to the lowest responsible biders. Frank Cooney in the amount of $5,19860. Garvey's Office Products in the amount of $46,74. School outfitters in the amount of $1,979.88. School specialty in the amount of $16,43722 and Warehouse Direct in the amount of $18,621.80. 80 for the total amount of $88,941.50 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the capital projects fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions on the proposal? >> Thank you. Next is a proposal plant operations, McKinley Elementary School Emergency Repair. Sheila DS, assistant superintendent of operations and David Shoemaker, environmental and sustainability coordinator will present
073the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the proposal from Weaver Consultants Group in the amount of $77,4315 and Northwest Contractors Incorporated in in the amount of 38,16458 for the total amount of $115,59563. Requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the operations and maintenance fund. >> Do board members have any questions? >> Next item. Proposal plan operations educational services center emergency repair. Again, our our team remains to present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the proposal from Weaver Consultants Group in the amount of $36,82 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the operations and maintenance fund. >> Do
074board members have any questions? >> Thank you. >> That brings us to work session contracts over 35,000. Dr. Johnson, >> our first is a contract renewal financial services investment consulting. Robin Cornellison, executive director of financial services, will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the contract renewal from RVK Incorporated for a three-year term with two optional one-year extensions in the amount of $356,000 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the education fund. cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 through 2028 2029 fiscal years. >> Do board members have any questions on the contract? >> Thank you. >> Next contract renewal human resources employee benefits consulting services agreement. Dr. Anne Williams, deputy superintendent
075of operations and Mark Moore, assistant superintendent of human resources will present the attached proposal and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the contract renewal with Alliant Insurance Services Incorporated in the amount of $250,000 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the education fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 through 2027 2028 fiscal years. >> Do board members have any questions on this contract renewal? >> Okay, thank you. >> Thank you. Next, contract renewal plan operations, landscape maintenance. Ashley McKini, assistant director of plan operations, and Nick Korn, coordinator of grounds, will present the attached proposal and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the contract renewal with TNT Landscape Construction Incorporated
076in the amount of $374,581.73. Requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the operations and maintenance fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions? >> Thank you. >> Uh last item, contract operations contractual services. Dr. Kyle Vonzi, deputy superintendent of operations and Sheila DS, assistant superintendent of operations will present the attached proposal and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the contract with Bruce Phelps in the amount not to exceed $150,000. Requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the operations fund. Cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 and 2026 2027 fiscal years. Do board members have any questions? Summary? >>
077I have a couple questions on this. I'm I'm not against the contract or anything. Um, is this a full-time position because this person lives in Wisconsin? So, I was just trying >> This is a part-time position. >> Parttime. Okay. And then is this just kind of we're just a little bit short staff to be able to manage everything appropriately. >> Yeah. The scope of this project is pretty extensive for operational team and the person that we're bringing on board has extensive logistic operational uh systems in place to help us to do this move. Does that answer your question? Okay. Any other questions? >> Okay. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Okay. That is the last item on our agenda. I will take a motion to adjourn. >> So moved. >> No, nobody wants to leave.
078>> Second. >> Roll call, please. Miss Kerr, >> yes. >> Miss Khan, >> yes. >> Miss Martin, >> yes. >> Miss Nolan, >> yes. >> Miss Schwarz, >> yes. >> Miss Thomas, yes. >> President Owens, >> yes. >> We are journed at 8:25 p.m. >> Thank you, everyone.