001to resume the April 28th, 2025 board of education meeting. If we could begin by having everybody stand as they're able for the pledge of allegiance. Thank you everyone. The first item on our agenda tonight is a notice of public hearing school district U46 waiverss. Dr. Johnson. Uh thank you, President Owens. Um this evening, administration will present following information regarding waivers. Uh the requested waiver will allow for elementary physical education to take place less than the required three days per week in grades 1 through six due to physical space constraints. Okay. So that'll move us to item number nine public hearing. I will declare that the public hearing is now open and my understanding is that we will have a presentation. Correct. So we do have uh administrative representatives who are going to come forward to
002the deis this evening. Uh so we have Lela Mtoritch, deputy superintendent of instruction, Brian Tennyson, assistant superintendent for teaching and learning, Celia Banks, director of curriculum and instruction, and of course Tracy Jakitis, our coordinator of student wellness and physical education to present and explain the waiver, answer any board of education questions. So we uh are moving next year to well the state mandate is three days of physical education for students in grades K12. Uh we currently have two days of physical education for kindergarten and one day for students in grades 1 through six. And next year we are moving to three days for students in kindergarten and two days for students in grades 1 through six. we would love to have three days for everybody. And we looked at those numbers and um kind of
003analyzed what kind of impact would that have to safety, instruction, um facilities, and we came up with having kindergarten with the three and one through six having the two. And with that move, I would say probably se our sites will have two classes in PE at the same time in the main gym. And they will also have a class of PE in cafeteria or multi-purpose room. If we were to add that third day for 1 through six with sixth grade still being in the elementary school and just the current facilities we have, three4 of our schools would have to run three classes in the gym at the same time, which is 90 students. And it at that point it's just it's too many. It's not it's not safe. We're not really able to teach the
004curriculum, assess our students. We have this amazing curriculum that we have brought to the board and you've approved over the years and we want to make sure that we still do that with fidelity and having three classes in one through six. We're just not going to be able to do that. Thank you. Are you ready for board questions then? Okay. Board members have any questions? Sue? Um, a couple questions. When you say there there could be two classes in the gym, would they be two different teachers or that that one teacher be doing both classes? We will have if we have two classes, we will have two teachers. Okay. And we are also um the guidance is that if you have two classes in there, they are both the same grade. So, it's two first
005grade. So, those teachers are going to we have created some uh team teaching or co-eing guidance. what does that look like um for next year that we're going to share with our elementary teachers? And my second question is, do you think when we move sixth graders into the middle schools that we may be adjusting things again? I would love to adjust things. The challenge The challenge is right now three4 of our sites are doubled up. Okay. and removing sixth grade is it might be six classes. I I think it should be re-evaluated at that time like what could we do K2 three you know we we should absolutely re-evaluate and increase that as much as possible I I don't think having analyzed it it will be able to go K6 with the current spaces that
006we have but could we do K2 primary is three days I mean certainly something to look at thank you any other questions Don so more of a statement than a question I want to thank you for how well you laid out this document for us because you guys really mapped it out and so that we could really understand like what the real issue is in the schools and the space constraints. So that that helped a lot. Thank you very much. Um your document also addresses uh House Bill 1358. So as part of my little board work for this year, I've been trying to watch those a lot, paying more attention to the state mandates. I do know at this time it has stalled. Um, thankfully it sounds like they might be listening to concerns that
007districts have. Um, I know I've been uh following the IASB updates and trying to keep an eye on it. Um, so hopefully we get lucky on that regard and either it stays stalled or changes are made so that we don't have an issue a couple of years from now when we have to roll back. But I just wanted to address that because you guys brought it up so I just gotten an update. So, but thank you so much for this very clear document. You're welcome. Any other questions? Okay, thank you. At this time, we will move to comments from the audience regarding this particular subject. Correct. And we have no comments from the audience pertaining to the presentation of the waiver. Okay. And I will declare the public hearing closed. That brings us to uh
008the next item on our agenda which is strategic plan report. Dr. Johnson. Thank you, President Owens. Uh this evening we have the pleasure of hearing from our students and their update uh from our U46 student summit that occurred earlier this spring. So at this time I'm going to welcome our students. We of course have Mahita Ratakanda of Elgen High School who will be uh joining our our um all of our our students this evening and we'll help get some additional chairs. So we'll make sure everybody has enough space there in just a moment. Um Thomas Aman of Larkin High School, Danvby Dandepani of Bartlett High School, Logan Ayat of South Elgen High School, and Lenor Navarez who is our representative for the Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory uh committee will also speak about
009the Isby Student Summit. Uh so they are here to provide the board of education with a report and uh we were we're going to turn it over to uh Makita to begin for us this evening. Good evening board of education. Today the superintendent student advisory members would like to present our findings and our recommendations from our annual student summit. Our presenters are myself, Mitha Radakanda, Logan Hyatt, Don Deani, and so this year was our first or our 9th annual student summit that took place about a month ago on March 27th. There was a great turnout with about 220 students participating from all seven high schools in order to ensure authentic diverse voices were being heard. Our superintendent student advisory committee worked to come up with questions for the topics student identity and connection, personal postsecary
010opportunity and success, student safety and well-being, and academic opportunities. Now, we're going to take a deeper dive into each topic. I know the first topic is student identity and connection. Our biggest takeaways from this topic were that students from the summit believe that opportunities must be known about to achieve a greater student voice in their school. Promotions such as clubs like principal student advisory board and student independent advisory board can help these students share their voice. Our students feel strongly representative and have a that have said that annual multicultural fests that have appeared at four out of the five high schools have helped them feel more connected to one's culture and identity within their school and community. Students have spoken and have said deans, teachers, and other faculty members are seen as trusted adults who
011can reach out to as methods of support. And we we and what I'm what I'm doing here in like this, you know, side side conversation, we're able to drive the presentation on the laptop that's at the DEA. So, I think if you hit the enter um or the arrow at towards the bottom, we should be able to to move it along at at our pace. [Music] Sorry to interrupt. Uh our next topic was post-secondary opportunity for success. So the main three ideas were a lack of knowledge and then avid activities and promotion in early years. So many students expressed that their opinion was programs were not promoted enough earlier in high school and it was mainly focused for upper classmen and they emphasized that post-secary opportunities should be available early in high school so that
012freshman and sophomores can explore their post-secary opportunities or pathways in the future. Our next topic was AVID activities. So AVID should be promoted for post-secary success beyond organizational and secondary support. AVID currently many students have expressed focused on notetaking and other methods that were helpful post-secary, but it also should focus on the pathways to that post-secary career. Many students wanted an opportunity an opportunity to explore their career and also to have these resources available to students who are not just in AVID. Because of our magnet activities, many students who are in thesemies have restrictions on their electives. And so they believe the curriculum for AVID should be more open to students who are not able to take these courses because of restrictions within them. And lastly, promotion in early years is essential for success. Students
013oftentimes do not worry about their college and post high school opportunities until their junior or early senior years. And so by having these opportunities such as scholarships, summer programs, and internships made available to freshman and sophomores, it gives them time to form a four-year plan for the future for success. Now, with regards to our students safety and well-being, many of our responses talked about some individual safety concerns that were common throughout most of our comprehensive high schools. Um those included our parking lots which have um many traffic issues. While uh these are simple infrastructure issues, it is uh um good to note that these exist in many of our schools as well as within our schools are ID policies and scanning systems. I know some schools have rolled out um places where they're having checkpoints
014where they scan IDs which helps monitor who is in our buildings. Um but that is something to note that could be uh moved through all of our schools as well as inside our schools are rule enforcement. This was noted heavily in some of our um responses where there might be some uh moments where there's a lack of discipline um in our schools which is key to note as well. Um but on the positive side uh we did find that there were a lot of attendance goals and incentives that align with every minute matters and I can personally say that there are many incentives that have boosted our attendance rates at our school. So that's a positive. Um and then finally uh school safety communication. Um with the events of some emergency situations I think transparency
015is what students are looking for um in moments where there is uncertainty. um for staff and students um but to train us in these situations could help that. So finally for our last topic that was academic opportunities. So one point of concern was the transition between schools. So more specifically between middle school and high school. One common idea was the need for shadow days and more opportunities for middle schoolers to connect with high school life. And so by emphasizing career interest and promoting all the ways that middle schoolers can get connected, a more seamless transition would occur. By allowing these middle schoolers to get a chance to immerse themselves in what high school life is like based on their passions and interests, students can begin planning for their future early and walk into high school
016with a plan. One of the most common points of concern throughout the entire student summit was the need to eliminate our lottery system formies. Students stated that without stricter requirements that include merit and passion depending on the academy there have been significant drops in the academy sizes since the lottery system has began. By reinstating the prerequisites that for themies students would be more prepared to take on the greater demands that the academy students have to deal with. Not only are teachers having to scale back the difficulty of content due to the lottery system, but it's also taking away opportunities from students who have may have been far more qualified to be in a certain academy that would ultimately be a stronger foundation for their future. And finally, the last common thread that we found was
017the necessity for course pathways. With increased meetings with counselors, students can begin exploring their career options earlier on, whether that be college, trade school, or military. By creating pamphlets or online resources with all the clubs, classes, and opportunities that align with each specific career path, students would have a more organized way that they can have their pathways laid out for them. Even by including a U46 alumni info section for those down each career path could be extremely helpful for students who are still unsure on about their future and want some firstirhand feedback. There was also talk about increasing elective options for certain career choices and life skills that are important for adulting beyond just AVID. These could include financial literacy classes or communication ones. And that concludes our presentation on the U46 student summit. Thank
018you. So at this time I want to introduce Lenor Navarez who also uh this year our addition is that she uh again is part of the Illinois State Board of Education student advisory council and they also hosted a student summit that school district U46 students participated in as well. So I'm going to turn this over now to Lenor. So good evening members of the board of education. Thank you for the opportunity to for me to give an update on the first in-person student summit that took place at Illinois State University. I am Lenor Nvarez, a member of the Illinois State Board of Education Student Advisory Council and I had the privilege of being part of the mental health group during the summit. There were many subtopics that were discussed aside from mental health such as
019um education options and counseling, student engagement in school, schools, curriculum and resources, but today I'll be focusing on mental health. I opened up our session by welcoming all participants, setting the tone for an open and inclusive conversation. I emphasized that this was a space where students could speak freely about their experience and share their thoughts on the crit critical topic of mental health in schools. We wanted to ensure that everyone felt comfortable sharing their concerns and ideas knowing that their voices were being heard. Once everyone was settled and ready, we began to dive into the heart of the conversation. So as part of the mental health group, our discuss revolved around three main areas that students felt were crucial to improving mental health support within schools. First being access to mental health resources. The the
020first and most pressuring issue was the need for greater access to mental health resources within schools. Students expressed that they often don't have enough access to trusted adults within schools or mental health professionals when they needed help the most. They emphasized that having more counselors and school psychologists available would make a very a huge difference. Many students also highlighted the importance of creating spaces where they could go for support without feeling judged or stigmatized. They they expressed the need for a more visible and approachable mental health network in schools that students feel comfortable reaching out to. The second is reducing academic pressure. Another major concern that came up was the overwhelming academic pressure students are put under. With the increasing demands of coursework, extra extracurricular activities, and preparing for the future, students shared how difficult
021it is to manage their mental health while also trying to meet high academic standards. They expressed that they there needs to be more understanding and support for students who are struggling to balance their academic responsibilities with their emotional well-being. There was a collective call for less pressure and more emphasis on promoting mental health alongside academic success, including incorporating more flexible learning options and support systems that recognize the mental health and emotional challenges students face. And finally, mental health education. Students were eager to discuss the need for better mental health education. Many expressed that mental health is not a taboo subject in many schools and they they want more proactive education about mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Students want to offer students want schools to offer more resources on how to manage
022these challenges and develop coping skills. Additionally, they called for school programs that teach students how to support their peers and reduce the stigma around surrounding mental health struggles. Mental health education is seen not only as a way to help those who are struggling, but also as a tool to build a more supportive and empathetic school community. We had a survey for students to answer at the end of the session that of the question, do you think your school properly addresses your mental health struggles? A couple direct quotes from the student was a couple direct quote that the students wrote was no because once you get past five mental health days, they will email home and in some cases take away prom. They think you only feel bad for a couple days. Another one said no.
023Some teachers really do care, but the maj majority know. My school had said even if we were kind of sick, we should be in school. And I think that is so damaging when you're s when you're sick and you and you need to rest not just push through. And finally another one said no students may not feel comfortable speaking to the adults provided unless said adults reach out to students. In closing the session in closing the session was a powerful meaningful exchange of ideas. It was clear that students are deeply passionate about improving the mental health support systems in their schools and are eager to see change. The feedback we received will be used to help guide future initiatives and discussions about mental health resources in Illinois schools. And currently, we are planning to go
024to Springfield next month to speak with the board of education about these topics. Thank you again for your time and consideration, and I look forward to continuing to work together to create positive changes in how mental health is supported in our schools. Thank you so much for the presentations. Um, I I can't tell you how valuable we all feel this information is because, um, hearing your voices is is something that doesn't happen on a daily basis. Um, and so, uh, just thank you. Thank you for all of the work and all of the the input. And I know it's a it's a it's a lot of work to gather that many students and that that many, you know, voices and and ideas coming at you. So, thank you for the presentation and for being able
025to distill that down for us. Do board members have any comments or questions. Ju just a quick one. First of all, thank you for your presentation. You always have great suggestions and we really appreciate them. Um, one of the items you brought up and this is a little ironic is having more um emphasis on programs for post-secondary success and how to better communicate them. I've wor I've worked with alignment collaborative and their frustration is they have all this stuff they're offering and they don't know how to communicate communicate it. What what would you tell them in terms of how to better reach high school students? Uh so one of the things we brought up during the student summit was the every minute matters messages. A lot of students feel that they don't check their emails
026when I know we have a school newspaper and a lot of the information that gets put through that they feel their parents check but the students themselves don't check. but having it go to their phones through messages through the every minute matters may be something that could potentially help a lot of students. So sending a link instead of just a wall of text, a link to a pamphlet or online document could help promote these programs more because I know that a lot of the staff is doing what they can to provide many opportunities for the students. But by having a digital way for students to access it anywhere, anytime, it could really help promote these programs properly so students can put in their own time to learn about them. Thank you. We'll share that with
027Nancy. We'll do anybody else. Okay. Thank you. You Thank you. Hey, the next item on our agenda is public comment. Dr. Johnson. Thank you, President Owens. Uh this evening uh we do have two speakers. So coming forward to give us the uh rules of engagement is Brenda Gomez. Good evening and welcome to the board of education meeting. We are now at the public comment portion of the meeting. Attendees wishing to make a public comment in person or via Zoom tonight were asked to complete a request to speak form in advance. Those who chose to speak via Zoom were provided with a webinar ID number to call in promptly at 7 p.m. tonight. As always, speakers will be given three minutes to share their comments. The board listens to the speakers but does not respond to
028individual comments. The board um listens to the speakers but does not respond to individual questions or comments during the meeting. A written response will be mailed to the speaker if requested on the form. Public comments may include the speaker's student name if you wish. All public comments must refrain from mentioning any other students protected personal information and name. If your public comments include other students information, we will need to end your public comment at that time. Those who provided a public comment but chose not to speak publicly in the meeting were asked to submit an email to board-46.org. Those emails were posted on the board agenda for public viewing. Foreitude. Fore information. Gracias. Our first speaker tonight is Teresa Panuse. Good evening. Good. Good evening everyone. My name is Teresa Penuse. I'm a fifth grade
029Ignite student from Gumbber Elementary in Streamwood. I'm here to tell you about Miss Popp, my previous health teacher at Timber Trails. She was diagnosed with kidney failure. In fact, she wanted to be here tonight, but she had to she had to complete her 10 hours of dialysis. In fact, she does this daily every day after a tiring day after work. Miss Papas, even though I only had her for a year, has always come into her classroom with a positive attitude. Even with her daily with her dialysis, she has she's always supportive of every student and has created a fair, safe environment for all students to feel comfortable in. Even a student of hers had registered to become a kidney donor and hope she could give a kidney. This one action defines how much Miss Papas
030means to her students and how much they've imp she's impacted them. Some friends of her has have also set up a fundraiser for her which helped a lot with the cost. She's just an amazing teacher with a friendly personality. I have come here today in hope of the board of education spreading the um the aware more awareness of her condition and her search for a living donor. Um if you would like to learn more, you can um Google ABC7 Chicago timber trails kidney. Um thank you. Thank you. And our next speaker this evening is Dan Palmer. Good evening. Good evening. Been to probably a thousand different board meetings in my life, all on the village side. this first time here and uh being two years retired, I've already got a headache being in a meeting.
031Uh anyway, my experience at our village board meetings, there's usually people being given awards or there's people yelling at you. I'm I'm going to do neither. Um but uh I'm going to go in a different direction. 1958, my parents moved to Streamwood from the south side of Chicago and uh I grew up there. Went to Woodland Heights, Teft, and Everton High School. theft was a junior high back then, seventh, eighth, and ninth grade. Um, my high school uh reaches back to uh streers and such. All sorts of good things. I made a lot of good memories there. I think the statute of limitations is up on my fellow classmates, but I still won't give them up. Um, anyway, uh, the reason I'm here is u, I want to tell the story. I was helping my
032son. He bought a house about five years ago. Helped him put up some ceiling fans, wire, headwired in the attic and uh finished his basement ultimately. And he asked me, he was ask me how I learned all this stuff. There was no YouTube back then. Um and it led me to recall a class I had back in high school uh actually junior high, ninth grade, but tuft nonetheless. Uh world of construction. They had industrial arts, I had wood shop, I had metal shop. Um I didn't have drafting. some of my friends did. But world of construction was significant to me. It still sticks in my head and I find myself fond fondly recalling that. I even went out and found a book on eBay that looks familiar. Published in 1970. Uh pictures are fascinating. It's
033about the time Sears Tower and Hancock replaced the credential building as the tallest building in Chicago. But anyway, um book is 1970 vintage. Um in junior high in high school, I was probably your C student. I'm not going to be one of the people that will show up at your meeting next week in the top 2%. Um, a slow starter as they might call it nowadays. Um, I did go to college uh during my law enforcement career, finished all my degrees, associates at Elton Community College, bachelor's degree at Aurora and a master's degree. Um, I got through it. Um, so that was my track. Um the reason I'm calling it to your attention is probably uh think about some of the students like me. Um not everybody is going to be at the top end
034of things. I know the ship has sailed on industrial arts in uh schools and uh the indust and teaching that kind of thing, but maybe um some kind of avenue for kids that uh can get into some of the trades. Uh and you you may already be working in that direction. I know we need plumbers. I know we need electricians and the and the salaries are darn good. Um that and that's mainly the reason I'm here. I just wanted to share that story with y'all. It uh it resonated with me. I didn't realize how much until my son was asking me about it. So, thank you very much. And uh I'm out of your hair. for anybody. Hi. So, I'm going to try to get better about covering what we do or at least I've
035attended um in between meetings. So, in the last two weeks, and this time of year is really busy, so that's why I'm trying to be better off at this. We had our groundbreaking for the new middle school in Elgen. So, that was very exciting to attend. I think if you have missed it, I'm pretty sure the district has posted pictures on um social media. Um I want to thank the villages of Bartlett and Hanover Park. They had their annual breakfast and it's always interesting to attend and hear what the different villages are doing and um just work on continuing to build that relationship. I also was able to visit Kimell Middle School to see how our construction is going and our renovations there. And I want to thank all of our uh staff over there
036for dealing with the construction as it proceeds. It'll look great when it's done. So, ideally, it's worth it for everyone. And then lastly, um I have been following the IASB kind of monthly updates when it comes to state laws and mandates. Um our last update was this past Friday. It's just online on Zoom. So if any of the board members are interested, you can always sign up for them. Um they are so for those we talk a lot about um mandates. Currently they are watching 73 um House bills and 31 Senate bills that would all affect education. Um several have passed. Some of the big ones that we had concerns about have stalled recently. So, I've been trying to um I'm attending that monthly on Zoom trying to keep up with it. I continue to
037think that, you know, keeping an eye on how we reduce those mandates is a good thing. So, just and if anyone had questions about that, I can send you the link so you can check the ISB up the IASB website. Thank you, Shauna. To add to um some of the events that board member Martin mentioned, I attended the United Black Scholarship dinner um this past Saturday. It was a wonderful event celebrating all the different students, phenomenal students of excellence um not just in our district, but across other areas, other suburban areas and schools. And um it was just really great to highlight and see the scholarships that they earned and hear about what their plans are post high school. Um and I'm sure Dr. Johnson will probably mention it as well. So, Veronica, so in
038addition to all those many of those events uh in the last couple weeks, I also attended the superintendent scholarship event which was just incredible. We actually have at least one of the recipients here tonight. Um that group of students is just uh in so inspiring to listen to and to see all that they're doing. Um these are all for those that don't know these are you um typically first generation students to be attending college and they you know we have a group that works with them and then they we uh get to learn all about them and then network with them and the evening was just incredible. It was a two or three napkin evening meaning we didn't have tissue so we had to use napkins. Um it was inspiring and I I encourage everyone
039to attend it next year just because these students are amazing. Anyone else? I also wanted to thank the United Black Scholarship Committee for um putting on another wonderful scholarship dinner. Um and it is amazing to hear all of the the stories and and congratulations to all of the students that receive scholarships uh from that committee and from the various organizations that contribute. I'm sad that I had to miss the the superintendent scholarship um dinner and the um and the uh the breakfast at at Bartlett um because I was not feeling well. Um but I look forward to that next year for sure. Dr. Johnson, if I may. Uh so I I also want to just thank I want to thank our community and thank our individual donors and sponsors as well as our our large
040donors and sponsors to all of these events. It is a great evening, morning, whenever the event occurs that we get to recognize students and our um their achievements, their growth at any point. But we can't do that alone. And so I really appreciate first and foremost of course our team in U46 who make all these opportunities possible to support our students, but I also want to thank our community members. Um and that again, you know, going to these events, it really cuts across the 11 communities, the three counties, there are people there uh as representatives of business, of education, of their own personal families, of faith, and it is it's truly uh just a wonderful opportunity to see the communities come together to celebrate our students. So, that's that's awesome. So, thank you so much
041for everybody who has supported uh the United Black Scholarship funds and the individual scholarships as well as the U46 Foundation in supporting the superintendent scholarship. And then the other event that I want to highlight, and this one's fairly fairly new for us, uh but through the Illinois Principles Association, they also had a leadership breakfast last week and we had 12 students who were also recognized at that breakfast. So, uh, again, just a wonderful way to celebrate our students and our staff members and their families, of course, many of who are tuning in tonight or here in the audience as well. So, thank you. Good. Our next item on the agenda is for your request, Dr. Johnson. Uh, this evening we have five Freedom of Information Act requests that are available on the public domain of
042Bordex and will also be available on the school district U46 website later this week. Next item is consent agenda. Dr. Johnson. Thank you, President Owens. This evening on consent agenda, we have personal report and workers compensation cases. Minutes of board meeting February 24th, 2025. Termination of Betty J. Bass, driver's assistant. Termination of Diana I. Estrada, food service assistant lead. Termination of Alexander G. Garcia, food service technician. Termination of Victor P. Quavvis bus driver route. Uh bid plant operations. Bartlett Elementary School emergency generator installation. Clinton Elementary School emergency generator installation. And Hillrest Elementary School emergency generation replacement project numbers 65325 and 92925. Bid early learner initiatives department. Early learners furniture bid plant operations Bartlett Elgen Larkin South Elgen and Streamwood High School's backs stop replacement project 2072-25 bid plant operations Highland Elementary domestic water piping replacement
043project 902-25 bid plant operations Bartlett High School pathways phase one automotive and engineering and phase two culinary arts and healthc care science renovation project number 210-25 bid plan operations Coleman Elementary School roof replacement project number 686-25 proposal plan operations Vermeier brush chipper proposal plan operations hilltop elementary playground playset replacement proposal plan operations prek playground playsets and servicing and surfacing sorry contracts renewal information services Microsoft licenses contract information services Google Workspace contract information services mindsite fornet firewall and building permit one larkin high school roof U46 project number 274-25 thank you Dr. Johnson may I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as as uh stated so moved second any discussion or or I'm sorry Can I retract that motion? Um, is the motion on the table? Uh, the board would be able to have you
044retract the motion if uh you'd like to uh pass a resolution to retract that. Um, or you could fail it and bring a second motion. Was there an item motion to vote? I did not ask if there was any item to remove from the consent agenda. So, if we could all vote no to fail the motion. Let's do that. So, uh, do we have a first and second on the motion? You do. Okay. So, roll call. Miss Kerr, uh, no, I guess. No. Miss Martin? No. Miss Nolan? No. Miss Schwarz? No. Thomas? President Owens? No. Fails. My apologies everyone. Is there any item on the consent agenda that anyone would like removed from the consent agenda? Hearing that, may I have a motion to approve the consent agenda as read into the record? So moved.
045Second. Roll call, please. Miss Curt, yes. Miss K. Yes. M. Yes. Ner. Yes. Yes. Miss Thomas, yes. President, yes. Motion passes. My apologies again. That brings us to discussion action. Dr. Johnson. Thank you, President Owens. Our first item, itemized bills for April 28, 2025. Dr. Frank Williams, Assistant Superintendent of Finance, will respond to questions from the Board of Education regarding the attached bills. Administration recommends the board of education approve the list of bills in the amount of $27,47,559.98. May I have a motion to approve the list of bills in the amount of 27,47,559.98 cents? So moved. Second. Any questions for Dr. Johnson or Dr. Williams? 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. So our next
046item is the recommendation for the 2025 2026 student advisor to the board of education. Members of the superintendent student advisory council, Makita Ratakanda of Elgen High School, Thomas Aman of Larkin High School and Logan Ayat of South Elgen High School uh will join me in recommending the two finalists in order of preference to be the 17th student adviser to the board of education. Okay. So, before I uh read the motion into the record, we'll have the presentation from the students. You can proceed when you're ready. Good evening, Dr. Johnson, Miss President Owens, and members of the board of education. On behalf of the entire Superintendent Student Advisory Council, let me thank the board for this opportunity to be involved in the selection of the student advisor to the board. This was a process that we
047took very seriously. Like us, I'm sure that you'll find that the two finalists for student advisor to the board are both outstanding candidates. Either of them would be an excellent addition to the board. The process of selecting the student adviser to the board has been just one of the important tasks we've worked on this year. The process we followed was completely student driven. However, we do want to thank Dr. Johnson, other members of our administration to support and guide us through providing um re resources for this year's um recommendation. Um in the winter of this school year, our high school principles were asked to solicit nominations for the position which were submitted to the school's principal advisory committee and then after that the committees for from each school were given until January to select the
048names um that were to be submitted to be the two student nominees for each school along with the following information. um a letter letter of recommendation from a faculty member or principal. The student's transcript that demonstrates their candidacy and good standing and a student well-written essay which explained why the student would be a good nominee for the position as well as a resume highlighting their accolades and um extracurricular accomplishments. We received a total of 10 student nomination packets that were complete and submitted by the deadline including students from each of the following high schools. Bartlett, Elgen, Larkin, South Elgen, Streamwood, and Dream Academy. The meeting we held to narrow down the candidates concluded with the decision to interview five candidates based on their strengths they each possessed. In March, the Superintendent Student Advisory Council interviewed
049all five candidates. During our interviews, we looked far beyond student performance in narrowing our list. Our goal was to select those students who could represent the voices of our high school students and who had the inner drive to make a difference. Based on on our based on our review of each candidate and the interviews we conducted, we are recommending recommending to the board of education in order of preference our two finalists, Danvi Dandini from Bartlett High School and Ashna Gandhi from Elgen High School. I'm I'm gonna have you I think move ahead on the slides. I think if we're able to drive them. Oh, those are scripts. Yeah, I think we just read that whole script. Oh, okay. Okay. Bandit Dandani, a junior at Bartlet High School, began her U46 career 12 years ago when
050she was a kindergartener at Hilltop Elementary School. As a junior in Bartlett High School, she exemplifies academic excellence by ranking in the top 2% of her class. Her passion and drive for creating an inclusive and responsive educational system for all students has only grown stronger after witnessing how life's challenges can be transformed into meaningful opportunities. As the next student adviser to the board of education, Doni is determined to make sure her peers voices are always considered when it comes to making decisions about their futures and in shaping the education system that serves us all. Danv is a well-rounded, self-motivated young adult. As the founder and president of Thread Together, which she turned her love for crocheting into a vehicle for community service, she taught over 30 participants and partnered with the National Association of Down
051Syndrome. Together, they donated 100 crocheted pieces to local hospitals uh sharing a vision of giving back. She also demonstrates her dedication to leadership as the vice president of health occupations students of America. She also launched a mental health awareness campaign, delivered an award-winning speech on youth mental health, and raised $1,000 to reduce program costs for her peers. Whether tutoring students, balancing two jobs, or participating in Perry Initiative program by providing mock orthopedic surgeries alongside surgeons and medical students, Donv consistently demonstrates empathy, patience, and the willingness to serve. Her desire to pursue a career in orthopedic medicine is not only to make a lasting impact but also advocate for the mental and emotional well-being of others which reflects her holistic approach to leadership and service. Donv's unique perspective, unwavering dedication, and collaborative spirit will benefit the
052board and the students she represents. It is our honor to present Don Vi Donapani as our candidate for the 2025 2026 student adviser to the board of education. Next, Ashna Gani is a U46 student since fifth grade and she's a valued member of Elgen High School. Currently serving as the president for both Elgen High School's Distributive Education Clubs of America, DECA, and South Asian Student Association, SASA. She brought the first ever culture show to Elgen High School and is the co-founder of Elgen High School's inaugural international fair. Her gifts and talents are reflected by her volunteerism and internships with a medical technology and IT consulting company. Additionally, she teaches at a dance studio and is the secretary of the Red Cross club. Ashna is an outstanding individual with leadership qualities and a passion for making
053a difference in both her community and her school. It is our recommendation to appoint Ashandi as the 2025 2026 alternate student adviser to the board of education. Let us emphas emphasize again that each candidate we interviewed would make an excellent student adviser to the board of education. Um it is our deepest appreciation going out to the students who were nominated and agreed to participate in this process. And finally, we'd like to acknowledge the hard work of the Superintendent Student Advisory Council for dedicating additional time of their out of their schedules to review applicants uh and conduct these interviews. Thank you. Thank you so much for the presentation and I'll I'll echo the appreciation to all of the students that participated in this process. I had the the pleasure of um meeting the students in this
054process um very early on just to give a brief overview of the board of education. Um, and it takes a lot to put those resumes together and application packets together. Um, and to nominate, you know, put yourself out there to have this position. So, thank you to the two that are here today with us and to the other students that participate in the process. We really appreciate the the interest and the the drive to have a leadership position in this district. Does anybody else have any questions or comments for the students? John, I don't have any questions. I want to um I didn't get a chance to meet all of the students who were in the process. Want to thank everyone. I just in case it was hard to understand the resumes of the two
055students that brought come before us are insane. Um the fact that the two of you were able to do this many things while juggling like your actual classes that you have to do while you're in high school is insanely impressive. Um, so I just I want to congratulate you both and and I'm sure all the other resumes probably looked very similar to this. So I just it's just a real highlight and uh appreciative to what our students are actually doing in our schools now and this is just super impressive. So congratulations to you both on everything you've both been able to achieve. Anyone else? Okay. So, I will need a motion to approve Damba Dandepani as the 2025 2026 student adviser to the board of education and Ashna Gandhi as the alternate adviser. So moved.
056Second. Any questions or discussion? Roll call, please. Miss Kerr, yes. Miss Khan, yes. Miss Martin, yes. Miss Nolan, yes. Miss Short, yes. Miss Thomas, yes. President Owens, yes. Motion carried. Thank you and congratulations. Hey, the next item on our agenda probably is not going to top that. However, be close. We will move on to item number C. Our next item, high school career and technical education childhood education curriculum resource proposal. Celia Banks, director of curriculum and instruction, and Dorene Roberts, coordinator of career and technical education, will be available for questions relating to the high school career and technical education childhood education curriculum resource proposal. And may I have a motion to approve the high school career and technical education childhood education curriculum proposal with a estimated implementation cost of $378,237.74 and an annual consumable estimate
057of $3,1764 for each year thereafter. So moved. Second. Any questions or comments for the panelists? And I apologize that I said that this wouldn't top the last agenda item, but you know, this is what we're all driving towards, right? Correct. Any 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. Okay. The next item is the high school career and technical education culinary arts curriculum resource proposal. Our our team again remains to uh uh be available for any questions relating to the high school career and technical education culinary arts curriculum resource proposal. May I have a motion to approve the high school career and technical education culinary arts curriculum resource proposal with initial implementation cost of $397,511.73
058and an estimated cost of 73,66 I'm sorry 73,76675 for consumables each year thereafter. So move second. Any questions or discussion? Roll call, please. Miss Kirk? Yes. Miss Khan? Yes. Miss Martin? Yes. Miss Nolan? Yes. Mort? Yes. Miss Thomas? Yes. President Owens? Yes. Motion passes. Thank you. Thank you. Uh the next item on our agenda is other business employee matters. This is the due to grievance number 01-01-25 step three grievance. May I have a motion to deny the due to grievance number 01-01-25? So moved. Second. Any questions or discussion? Roll call, please. Miss Kerr, yes. Miss Khan, no. Miss Martin? Yes. Miss Nolan? No. Miss Schwarz? No. Miss Thomas. Yes. President Owens. Yes. Motion carried. Next item on our agenda is other business. Dr. Johnson. Thank you, President Owens. Uh the next item is the investment
059report for the third quarter. Dr. Frank Williams, assistant superintendent of finance, will present the attached investment report for the third quarter and will respond to questions from the board of education. Okay. Good evening. Third quarter investment reports for January and through March highlights the district's investment strategy and portfol port portfolio performance. The portfolio totaled $787.5 million reflecting a 13.65% increase or about 94.5 million from the previous quarter. This growth is mainly due to the issuance of the bond, the $60 million bond in February and tax revenue received from Cook County throughout the quarter, which actually totaled about 78 mill 78 million. The district earned 8.8 million in interest income income from its investments throughout the quarter. The third quarter's investment mix shifted to 40.2% in the liquid from 25.2 in the previous quarter and to
06059.8 8 in the fixed from 74.8 8 primarily driven by the deposit of the bonds. Once the bonds arrived in February, the bond funding arrived in February, then we took our time to analyze exactly how we wanted to invest that to make sure that we had cash that was available today, plus investing it to earn interest so we know what the projects are coming up in the future. Overall, the portfolio remains diversified with investments in CDs and agency securities, commercial paper, corporate debt, municipal debt, liquidities maintained through our money markets at PMA, Fifth Third, JP Morgan, and PFM. Each of those offering competitive returns to make sure that we have the flexibility to obtain cash when needed. Attached to the board packet, you will find detailed reports from these institutions that provide further insights into
061the district's adaptive and strategic financial management plan. regarding our investments. Sorry. Do board members have any questions? Okay. Thank you. Next item on the agenda is work session resolutions. Dr. Johnson. Thank you, President Owens. First item is a resolution amending the current administrator's employment contract. Trisha Olsen, chief legal officer, and Mark Moore, assistant superintendent of human resources, will respond to questions from the board of education regarding the attached resolution. Administration recommends the board of education approve this resolution amending the administrator's contract and benefits document. So, we have the resolution in front of us. Mr. Mort, did you have anything that you wanted to add to the paperwork we have? The only changes to the contract are updating dates. Uh the benefits document, we increased the life insurance, but those are the only changes. Any questions?
062Okay, thank you. Our next item is the resolution declaring the need to continue usage of temporary classrooms. Sheila DS, executive director of facilities, will present the attached resolution and updated summary list of mobile classrooms that will be used in the FY2026 school year and will respond to questions from the board of education. The FY2026 temporary facility reports are attached and contain a part one and part two. Administration recommends the board of education approved the resolution declaring the need to continue usage of temporary classrooms. And again, the board members have the resolution in front of us. But Miss Downs, do you have anything that you wanted to add? I do not. The only new mobile that is listed this year is the one at Clinton. Otherwise, this is a repeat of the mobile from last year.
063Okay. Any questions? done. Do we anticipate um large changes to this over the next few years as we change our boundaries? We absolutely are going to assess but yes, we do anticipate the need for mobiles to be reduced. Thank you. You're welcome. Any other questions? Thank you. Thank you. That brings us to work sessions, bids, and proposals. Dr. Johnson, thank you. Our first item is a bid for operations Unite U46 Kimble Middle School project abatement phase 1B and 1 C. Brian Lynholm, chief of staff and Dr. Anne Williams, deputy superintendent of operations will present the attached proposal summary and will respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends award to the lowest responsible bidder CEC Environmental Incorporated in the amount of $282,025 including partial alternate number one and full alternates number two, number
064three and number four 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? Anything that the panel wanted to reiterate from that? Okay. Thank you. Next is a bid operationsite U46 Kimble Middle School project electrical and technology infrastructure. Our team rem remains at the day to respond to questions from the board of education. administration recommends award of the lowest responsible bidder low voltage solutions in the amount of $639,616 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. Where members have any questions? Sue.
065So you mentioned the -ate program. Does that do we get reimbursed for some of this 640,000 from the -ate program? Absolutely. U roughly 80%. Oh, that's good. Okay. Any other questions? Okay. All right. Next bid operationsite 46 New Elgen Middle School. Um Brian Lindholm and Annne Williams remain at the DEAS to uh present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends awarding the following bidding packages to the lowest responsible biders in the total amount of 67,427,140 in addition to the award of alternate one in the amount of $16,68 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. going to read all of the recommended bidder biders into record. Premium Conc Concrete Incorporated, $4,870,000. Midwest Masonry Incorporated, $6,985,900. Affordable Welding US Incorporated, $5,824,000. Strob Builders Incorporated, $2,818,450. Strawbuilders
066Incorporated again 2,578,450. Strawbuilders incorporated again $1,497,450. Adler Roofing and sheet metal incorporated $4,144,700. H&Z Fireproofing Incorporated, $57,884. CAD Contract Glazing Incorporated $2,454,500 Security Builder Supply Company 1,142,190 LJ Morse Construction Company4,198,845 K andJ Painting LLC $573,680 E and K Companies 1 449,750 H2I Group $260,50 CCI Floring Incorporated $163,700 H2I Group $58,175 Strob Builders Incorporated $236,450 H2I Group $500,197 Great Lakes Hotel Supply Company, $766,694 TK Elevator Corporation, $165,000 Absolute Fire Protection Incorporated, $588,400. CR Leonard Plumbing, $3,46,750. Low Tech Mechanical Systems, $6,969,000. High Power Electric Company, $12,350,000. Burger Contractors Incorporated, $1,297,000. Abbey Construction Company Incorporated, $759,25. Twin Oaks Landscaping, $820,000. total of 67,427,140. This expenditure will be charged to the capital projects fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2024 2025 through 2026 2027 fiscal years. Do board members have any questions, Don? So, I
067have a two-part question. Uh so I mean everyone knows about the tariff situation and it's coming and going and um the real effect that that can have on material costs. So one um do what is the average percent we have in each of our bids to cover contingency costs? And two, who is controlling that? Is that all being approved by us or does our GC have full control over that? Those are great questions. Um, I can get back to you with the exact amount of the contingency, but I can tell you that we provide direct oversight over um, the contingency and we attend meetings on a weekly basis as it relates to the allowances allocated to each bid. We are personally approving those for anything in excess of 50% of the allowance for each individual
068bid package. So, we are providing oversight as it relates to that. Um there is nothing clearly identified in all of the bids specific to terrorists because of course at the time that this was put out um that was not in place, right? Um but I do want to also mention that the total project cost is closer to 100 million when you add in the previous bid. There are a couple of bids that were held back and you add in the soft cost associated with the architectural fees, the construction fees, the furniture, all of those pieces is closer to 100 million in total. Thank you. You're welcome. Any additional questions? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Our next item is a bid food and nutrition services food service equipment bid number 344. Aaron Noak, director of food
069and nutrition services will present the attached proposal summary and will respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends award to the lowest responsible biders Samtel and Sun Incorporated in the amount of $21,494.97 and Trrimark Marlin in the amount of $343,582.99 for the total amount of $365,77.96 and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged the operations and maintenance fund. The cost is included in the budget for the 2024 2025 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Next item is a bid plan operations warehouse roof replacement project number 2073-25. Sheila DS executive director of facilities will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends award to the lowest responsible bidder, Alder Roofing and sheet
070metal incorporated in the amount of $742,325 and 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 2024 2025 through 2025 2026 fiscal years. Do board members have any questions? Thank you. Next is a bid office of schools elementary supply kits. Dr. Annetta Seavo, assistant superintendent of schools will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends award to the lowest responsible bidder poly supply company incorporated in the amount of $599,688 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 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions, Sue?
071Um, a couple questions. Is this being paid for by title one funds? So that's why it has to go to title one schools. Now we have lowincome students at nontitle one schools. Are they on their own? That is accurate. Uh we are also looking at um the supply kits that we currently have that we might have some extra supply kits and so we have discussed that we would allocate a certain number of supply kits to non-title schools to support students who have needs. Okay. And then another I I understand if it's title one money we can't then spend our own money because it's supplement not supplant. I've had that told me many times over the years. But I do have a question about you have a list of supplies for the that that we'll be
072buying. Will other schools non-titleman schools have use the same list or will they be able to have their own lists? They can have their own list. Okay. So they may not be as extensive and Okay. Exactly. Okay. Thank you. Any other questions? Thank you. Thank you very much. Our next item is a proposal plan operations picnic pavilion phase 2 Elgen High School Memorial Field. Sheila DS returns to present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the proposal from Game Time here of Cunningham Recreation in the amount of $173,71524 and 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 2024 2025 fiscal year. Do board members
073have any questions? Thank you, Melissa. Oh, sorry. Okay. Um, you mentioned that you we're also working this into Larkin High School as we develop their plan. Are South Elgen and Bartlett going to get something like this eventually? We are. So, that's the goal is to make it a standard for all of the high schools. Okay, good. Thank you. You're welcome. I also before you leave this down, I just want to say thank you again um for making sure that we have two picnic tables that are um ad ADA accessible. Um that's just great that we have a lot of we have folks that use wheelchairs and having that um ability to sit at a picnic table is huge. That's great feedback and I we'll continue to try to make sure that our spaces are as
074accessible as possible. As accessible as possible. Absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. Any other questions? Okay. Thank you. Next is the proposal curriculum and instruction character strong, Dr. Latrice Satway, assistant superintendent of equity and innovation. Michelle Chapman, director of post-secondary success, and Celia Banks, director of curriculum and instruction, will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the proposal from Character Strong in the amount of $32,686.85. Requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged the education fund cost is included in the budget for the 20252026 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions. Okay. Thank you. That moves us to work session contracts over 35,000. Dr. Johnson, thank you. President Owens. First is a contract renewal curriculum and instruction Britannica
075education subscription. Brian Tennyson, assistant superintendent of teaching and learning, and Jacqueline Johnson, coordinator of literacy and libraries, along with Celia Banks, director of curriculum instruction, will present the attached proposal summary and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the contract renewal with Britannica Education in the amount of $75,44922 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 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions? Thank you. Next is a contract renewal curriculum and instruction learning a toz. Our experts remain to present the attached proposal and respond to questions from the board of education. Administration recommends approval of the contract renewal with learning a TOZ in the amount of $1,839,300
076and requests authorization for district administration to execute related documents. This expenditure will be charged to the education fund. This cost is included in the budget for the 2025 2026 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions? Okay. Next is a contract renewal curriculum and instruction Scholastic Classroom Magazines. Administration recommends approval of the contract renewal with Scholastic Classroom Magazines in the amount of $174,788.24. 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 2022 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions? Sue, just a quick question. Are these actual magazines or are they the online online ones or both? It's both. They get the actual magazines. So, we're doing that preschool through 8th grade and then they also
077have the digital access because the digital ones seem a lot more interactive and had a lot more going on. So, then also we have the e-reading and the print reading. Okay. Thanks. Anyone else? Thank you. Next, we have contract curriculum instruction. Better Lesson. Administration recommends approval of the contract with Better Lesson in the amount of $266,000 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 fiscal year. Do board members have any questions? Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Okay, the board of education does need to move back to close session. So may I have a motion to move into close session to discuss individual student disciplinary matters pending probable or imminent litigation the appointment employment
078compensation discipline performance or dismissal of specific employees specific employee I'm sorry specific individuals who serve as an independent contractor 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 by the school board. An internal audit control weakness. Identification of potential fraud risk areas. Known or suspected fraud and fraud interviews. Collective negot 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 Kerr, yes. Miss Khan, yes. Miss Martin, yes.
079Miss Nolan, yes. Miss Schwarz, yes. Miss Thomas, yes. President Owens, yes. We're going back into close session at 8:14 p.m. Thank you, everyone. May I have a motion to adjourn the meeting? So moved. Second. Roll call, please. Miss Kerr, yes. Yes. Miss Martin, yes. Miss, yes. Yes. Miss Thomas, yes. Yes. We are adjourned at 8:56 p.m. Yes. Yes. Just my bag dropped. It's almost May. I don't understand how that happened. Yes.