Board of Education Board Meeting 01-27-2026

001I am reconvening into open session Township High School District 113 regular board meeting on Tuesday January 27th 2026 at 7 p.m. The recording secretary will now call the roll Mr. Heineman here miss lupa Mr. Nieder here. Mr. Braza Mr. Brunk here Dr. Elliott Schermer Miss Monsavayas here. Mr. Polanski here. Ms. Newman here. I'd like everyone else who is present to identify themselves executive secretary Katherine Anderson chief human resources officer deputy superintendent Karen Ritter assistant superintendent for curriculum instruction and assessment Karen Warner chief communications officer Tanya carner assistant superintendent for student services Jose Medina executive director facility management Ali behind the assistant superintendent finance Hallie Fleischer principal at Highland Park High School Will Dwyer principal Deerfield High School Ron Casper i'm chief information officer Mira anti executive director of diversity equity and inclusion Shayla holland superintendent

002May have a motion to approve the agenda as presented So moved is there a second Any discussion hearing no further discussion. We'll proceed to a vote. All those in favor say aye Aye, all those opposed say nay the motion carries We'll now move on to board reports and the first is up is my president's report We were we were trying to have our iasb Workshop last week and it has been rescheduled I know rameen is working on dates. Um, and so our hope is that we'll be in the first part of february And thank you guys for working with rameen on the dates and looking forward to being able to have us all gather As this is our first board meeting for the new semester I did want to take a moment and draw attention

003to the fact that this is an exciting transition time For our seniors doing their last semester For our staff who are retiring also looking at their last semester And at the same time our incoming freshmen are becoming more and more engaged in our school So it's a wonderful time of beginning and ends. Uh, and I just wanted to to note that The district and the dea have had three collective bargaining sessions since our last board meeting during these meetings We discussed articles four through seven ten Sixteen seventeen nineteen and twenty and our next meeting will be on february 12th I was gonna say of 2026, but that would be obvious Uh, so that concludes my president's report finance and facilities committee report finance Two main agenda items. The first is Request for proposals for architectural

004services. So we received Information on various firms qualifications earlier this month We'll be sending out invitations later this week, right? Uh to firms to Provide additional information we'll be conducting interviews during the month of february The intent is to make a selection the last week of february and this will be coming up to the board for discussion item March 17th, okay, correct You're going to be sending out some information if there's any board members who want to participate in that in that process So watch for that The second main agenda item was we got a presentation from baker tilly Regarding the financial statement audit for the year ended june 30th 2025 That report was actually issued back in october. We got a presentation earlier tonight We had a fairly robust conversation on conventions surrounding revenue

005recognition in cash versus accrual and And uh, and those kinds of things, uh, if anybody has questions, uh, please call ali Great And uh, but uh, we got unmodified opinions, uh, no material weaknesses related to our eternal control system So that was all positive news on that front. Great. Thank you Ed, red Okay. Yes. So I went to the meeting last night. It was the legislative dinner brad schnider spoke Um, and he gave an overview of the work that's being done in the on the federal level to try to maintain programs Tough work, but they're working on it um one thing that Occurred is that there was some changes to the wording associated with the objectives of ed red Which are we've all gotten the emails from them and saying what those objectives are about

006world language and mcat funding but the part where it says law enforcement procedure for off-campus stuff where they're trying to make sure that Kids are taking care of appropriately from our perspective when they're not in school Uh, that's been changed to ice activity resources and guidance Is the new objective of ed red to try to get better guidance from the state and more consistent guidance So that we don't have each school district kind of trying to figure out what to do on their own Uh, so they're looking for better guidance from the state. Okay Great. Thank you very much. I now will be moving on to administration reports. Dr. Holland. Yes. Good evening everyone i'm going to start with uh The incident that occurred yesterday at dhs Unfortunately yesterday we experienced an emergency incident at

007dearfield high school, which entailed a bomb threat message Left on an office voicemail on sunday pertaining to monday The message was discovered after the school day began Um, I just want to state when things like this occur We always contact law enforcement and work with them to determine the risk level and validity of the threat We have emergency operating procedures that provide guidance and we partner intimately with law enforcement to consider consider the time frame um for more extensive action There are times When the district or law enforcement has more information than is indicated in our communication We may have information about ip addresses traceable numbers in their location Access and use of our facilities and other relevant information that sometimes along the way in our conversations and decision-making processes Decreases the level of threat

008Decision-making is never taken lightly in these situations We rely on valid and credible information to assist us with determining the level of risk of a threat To all of our safety and security Unfortunately, we live in a time when swatting calls are prevalent and very common across school districts Often coming in waves at any time someone can make calls or post something that can compromise the safety of our district And we are responsible for determining our response. I am grateful that this was not a credible threat Even so it is an important step in our efforts to maintain the safety of our district To have protocols in place to have a team debrief of our incidents, which we have done Effective debrief Processes debriefing processes includes discussions regarding obstacles Challenges and corrections to implement and

009enact moving forward Some of the areas that are immediately being addressed across both schools Are the expectations and management of messages left on various office phones? These are additional steps that will be implemented the creation of transcriptions of messages left as voicemails to our main phone lines emergency flags associated with the content of those messages Using ai to signal an immediate notification to specific teams to review seven days per week around the clock office staff expectations for timely review of messages with contingency plans for absences Or the assignment of backup support These are the biggest shifts we will be making based on what we know about the details and management steps that we're taking regarding this specific incident I'm not sharing this information at all to minimize how anyone feels about the management of the

010incident I'm sharing so that everyone is aware of the considerations that go into decision making And also actions when managing an incident in real time with the support and coordinated coordination of law enforcement We will continue to take all possible steps to continue to implement measures and to improve our efforts To better ensure that we maintain a safe environment across our campuses Last week we shifting last week. We launched arts alive sessions for students at dhs I'm not going to say too much because i'm sure they're part of the other reports we're going to have But we did this in alignment with a phased approach To building and maintaining excitement and interest in the art to dhs. There's been a priority to collaborate with dhs leaders Students and staff to determine what the arts alive

011a live festival is going to look like at dhs Making sure that their student voice staff voice Um and that it becomes what that school community or those that school school community Prefers it to be in addition to the sessions that took place across courses this past week In the spring there will be a large community event and other opportunities for continued engagement I really enjoyed participating in some of the experiences last week and appreciate the leadership of dr Russell dr. Dwyer and tamra jenkins and their ongoing efforts communication and commitment to providing An enrichment learning opportunity For our students, so thank you for that I want to give just a brief update on true north the new governance structure for true north was implemented this path this month The current 18 member superintendents now

012make up the executive committee and we meet monthly So in the past we talked about the reorganization of true north And that the governance structure was going to change and that change would be implemented in january. It is now in full effect the governance board meets quarterly And just as a reminder the governance board includes the liaison for our board of education Jenny lupa, so she'll be meeting quarterly. I'll be meeting monthly with superintendents Um, we had a meeting on january 5th and our next meeting is actually tomorrow with the executive As a part of the implementation of our strategic plan, we're conducting communications audits I know a lot of great information has been sent out and opportunities for Participation the in-person and virtual focus group phase is nearly complete With just one remaining this

013week. I want to thank all of those who gave their time to participate We know that it's not always possible to have a time that works for everyone So we'll continue to be launching an online survey component very soon So please look out for that when that information information comes out We really value your input and encourage everyone to participate and I would like to thank karen Warner for your leadership in this area I know it's been a huge undertaking but you've been persistent and I hope that we get the feedback that we're seeking So, thank you Thank you Next item is foyers. Yes So up on the screen lists all of the foyers that were completed since our last board meeting Fantastic And then we're moving on to your reports. The first is the

014strategic plan update for goals three and four Yes, so every month we've been giving An overview on our progress regarding Um our five areas of focus for our strategic plan last month we Presented goals one and two this month. We will be focusing on strategic staffing and family and community partnerships and so We'll launch right into strategic staffing. Dr. Anderson All right Thank you Goal three is centered around strategic staffing and it's specifically to hire retain and support a diverse staff to cultivate innovation collaboration and shared accountability This approach not only enhances workplace culture, but also strengthens organizational performance and community connection The first strategy is to enhance staff capabilities through focused professional development initiatives Empowering them to cultivate inclusive and engaging learning environments and you will see that highlighted in the slide For reference

015this slide also includes the overall goal Four goal three the smart goal and the key performance indicators from our previous presentation So where are we at with this strategy? As you might recall tied to professional learning is providing an evaluation tool and process That allows for assessment of staff practices and supports for their growth So since the last report we have been engaging in piloting the school leader evaluation plan for assistant principals Training of the new danielson framework for administrators and feedback sessions for non-licensed staff member roles regarding evaluations Professional learning and mentoring and we'll talk about that in the next strategy as well the mentoring piece So for the school leader evaluation plan Recall that last year we piloted the school leader evaluation plan for principals So this is an extension of the work

016that had previously been started And as a part of this process apes are still observed as they had been previously But there's more enhanced focus on personal reflection and broader administrative knowledge and skills The previous framework that they use really Speaks to the role of a principal and so this ensures that their work that they're doing in their individual roles really is put to That we're able to focus on that specifically It also enables a principal team to work more collaboratively, especially as they're pulling data and setting goals in terms of danielson everybody's favorite District why danielson training for administrators has occurred both in person and remotely during additional and Prescheduled ac bam and dlt meetings. These are leadership meet leadership team meetings that we have within our district You will see a snapshot of

017the danielson framework on the slides Have to look really close They have incorporated inner rater reliability calibration to promote more consistent evaluation practices and better support staff growth And that has already been implemented the domain four evidence collection tool has been refined To be more systematically capturing professional responsibilities and inform higher quality of feedback for educators And that has also been rolled out to our lsms In addition administrators have begun a structured study of each domain In the updated danielson model to deepen their understanding of the revised rubric language critical attributes and enhancements across the framework So it can be used as a clear more actionable guide for teacher growth Then in terms of feedback during structured feedback sessions with non-licensed staff members We have utilized purposeful questioning to gather valuable insights about evaluations professional

018learning and mentoring And you will see an example of some of the questions that were asked during those sessions as you can imagine We structured these um sessions, but it often really took a life of its own based upon what staff were able to share about their own experiences So what new learning has taken place you will see some examples of what learning Has taken place on this slide. The first example of work is taken directly from our administrator workshops regarding danielson In discussions with administrators. We have recognized the importance of common language Such as domain four document or looking ahead to how we talk about the rubric language and rate each component Further we have identified the need for ongoing professional learning not only for administrators But also staff now into next school year

019as it relates to the evaluation plans and rubrics As it pertains to ensuring all staff have an understanding of how they are evaluated But better yet how the tool helps them to grow professionally and that really is the purpose of the strategic of the strategy In terms of the non-lsm feedback session We are learning that there is an absence of non-lsm roles specific evaluation plans that are tied specifically to professional learning And while plans may exist for some roles they may not fully capture the knowledge and skills necessary to perform each job To that end our work has emphasized the amazing staff we have at district 113 And their desire to learn grow and develop and that the district has an opportunity to provide thoughtful role specific professional development throughout the year Our next steps

020for this strategy include ongoing professional learning for administrators Tied to the school leadership evaluation plan and danielson And this is an example of the book that all of our building and district administrators have as it pertains to danielson And through this work we will begin preparing for a rollout to staff with learning modules for a 26-27 school year implementation date We will also be creating a template for non-lsm evaluations And our district administrators are already starting to pull together evidence Basic samples and considering staff feedback so that together we can consider the important components of the evaluation process In addition to the evaluation rubrics and the pd that's tied each of those plans All right, uh the next Strategy for goal three is to develop and implement staff mentorship programs to foster retention And encourage

021adaptability learning and growth Again, you will see that the goal is listed the smart goal and the key performance indicators Since the last update several key strategy actions have been taken First, uh, we are working with our mentoring coordinators for lsms to learn about the changes that they have had over the years Assessing what has and has not worked and that's key because we're looking to that program to help us with forming Non-lsm mentoring programs, of course our mentoring coordinators are already thinking about adjustments that they might be making To the curriculum for future years And as previously shared we have focus groups for our non-licensed staff members who have been held to assess um So are sorry who are where we are assessing the needs of these individuals The opportunities that we can provide

022to them as we onboard them and provide them support as they come into our school community And finally, although it wasn't originally to be a part of this goal work. We implemented a new orientation program so the The learning that has taken place There is a recognized need for more systemic data collection and assessment to understand how lsm mentoring efforts affects staff experience and outcomes at this point while we Know based upon anecdotal information that our mentoring program has been successful. We don't have a lot of data to really support that other than that qualitative data non-lsm staff interest shows a clear desire for mentoring opportunities and Not just for our licensed staff members This serves as again qualitative evidence that the implementation has raised awareness engagement and expectations for support beyond the licensed staff

023member group And speaking with them many members of our administrative assistant group. They have already been working to provide this informal mentoring Despite that it hasn't been formally rolled out. So it does exist but we want to formalize that process and they're looking forward to that creation So in terms of next steps We are going to create an lsm mentoring satisfaction survey So we want to start to collect that data that we believe that we know the answers to but we want to formally collect it We also want to create a draft for non-lsm mentoring We would like to define pilot program goals and expectations Design mentorship structure tailored to each category talking about meeting frequency and topics to be discussed Knowing that it is very different for non-lsm roles because there are so many

024different roles within that group And then we want to create orientation guides meeting templates Feedback forms and being able to market this to all of our non-lsm And I will now turn it over to miss ante who will be talking about goal four Okay, good evening. I'm excited to talk about and update you on our community and family partnerships goal four one of the things I was thinking about is I was preparing to present was A metaphor as you know I like to think very visually and I was thinking about the work of the board and how we often talk about the dance floor And that the positionality is then to be on the balcony And so this goal really thinks about how our partnerships can be both Kind of spliced into the invite The

025accessibility to that dance and then actually getting on the dance floor. So very different proximity But I want to use that metaphor as I engage you in this discussion of the goal four With the three strategies this being the first creating meaningful opportunities for stakeholder input and involvement in district and school efforts and initiatives I want to remind you that the kpis are really around ensuring that we are able to measure inclusivity That we're able to look at intentionality and the representation of our communities within these opportunities so Our work since the last time we updated you has been very much centered on looking at the Communications through the audit so we've not only hired our firm, but those Focus groups has started. I think we've had scheduled over 25 of them And so there's

026been a lot of work that has taken place so far around that Uh audit and we have also then begun to examine how we can build these systems to bridge How we monitor engagement and how then that informs the events that will come in our near future? One of the things that has become very evident as you can see in the action step that third one is what we do to Refine the design of the event when we get that information So I want to tell you just a quick story about that. This has to do with the learning that we've been doing So, um, I can take you back to mark bracket in that event Which was pretty powerful and one of the things that makes it powerful is that it is accessible to

027our community It's a free event. Um, we provide also Accessibility on a physical level as well as linguistic and so we've had For that event we invited an interpreter hired an interpreter to come in person And I was there to be a part of a host and learn but also to examine that process and part of what I learned was the in-person Mechanism is you know a person talks into she talks into like a phone There's a little cone over her mouth and then people are sitting really close to her the technology I don't know all the intricacies, but it requires somewhat of proximity If you think about this the sound then is also very audible to people who may not need that interpretation And the people who are receiving it there's a little bit

028of a desire to not put Not let's say inconvenience anyone so they're seated in the way back. There's a Also, there was no communication something that I didn't think about to tell everybody that this was going on And so there were some people who thought the woman the interpreter was on her phone That she was talking during what was supposed to be, you know, very focused and respectful We'll call it a meeting but you know talk and I noticed the energy there there's miscommunication There's some uncomfortability. I bring all of this to your attention because what we decided to do Well, matt wallace found this really cool new technology Interpret that which allows then the Interpreter to be virtual. So for instance, the technology would be hooked up to the microphone This would send a

029direct feed to the company where the person is located And then the user would download the app Have their own smart device and then be able to use their own headphones to hear very clearly and at the you know Decibel that's necessary the interpretation of that particular event They could then sit in the front of the room or wherever it may be and not worry about that Interaction with people who don't need it. And so that really helped us learn a lot about the accessibility and the complexity of that and so we're taking that and trying to map that on to future events the other thing that I think is really important here is that and Cathy pointed this out to there's still a great need to understand more And for stronger data systems to

030be built so that we can collect that information We do have a tremendous amount of opportunity for growth within this area Oops wrong screen And what we're thinking about in the sense of next steps and you'll have to pardon me. Well, it's okay Is that we? Want to figure out how we also Um Scale this up So this is an important piece of our work is that we don't want to just go event by event but we really want to create a system practice of our accessibility of our Ability to create these meaningful opportunities and one way is to really get that evidence And that information from our families and so i'm putting in a shameless plug for our five essential survey Which is one of the ways in which we do collect that information

031You can see through their theoretical model that the outcomes from students are improved by the level of involvement of our families And that is one way in which if you go back to that kpi that we are also looking to gauge our own success around this strategy Mayor can I ask you a quick question? Yes, please go back one side. Um, yes I was curious for stronger data systems engagement. Do we have the tools in house to do that? And we just need to to gather the data or do we need to find tools I think both I think we need to create them It's not that they're so highly technical it's that we need to be really mindful and responsive to the event or the Experience and not create a generic set of questions

032But we'll use the goals and the people who created the event to inform what it is We're asking of the people um, and as well as the format sometimes it's just not the best to send out tons of surveys And so we might be able to triangulate other pieces of data that we agree will speak to that particular Event or engagement. Okay. Thank you Okay, oh and that's February 3rd. That's very soon. Um that that uh, the five essentials will open So our second strategy creating and promoting high quality multilingual and culturally responsive resources for parents and caregivers Is what we're arguing is needed to foster that engagement And enhance the family score partnership I think that's also a really key piece for us to um think about as we look at these kpis which

033are all around accessibility Understandability and usability Have we? Taken this work since the last time we gave you our update There have been I think many steps taken but a couple that i'd like to uplift here are the invitation for focus groups, I think that small level in personal virtual but Ability to have conversations around topics such as this has been really important We've had some and we have created some feedback loops within surveys to ask for people who would like to participate in them in addition When we think about this The staff that we have have a lot of skill From linguistic multilingual to the areas in which they do their work with students To inform us and help us to review our own resources and to really begin to create An assessment around

034those so we've put together a task force. We'll be starting those meetings This arm in february and i'm excited to really Be able to get a better handle on accessibility Now understandability We're going to really lean into and standardize the use of parent square What's I think? Beautiful about parent square is that it helps us to up What I would call our game or our own kpis we've talked about making sure all Information is in the five top languages of our families that are preferred it Or in our district really and we're lucky enough to have over 36 different languages spoken within our community Well with parent square we can reach all 36 of those different languages The translatability is built in and that gives us a great reach that we didn't have before So

035now the focus is on standardizing our communication and using that platform As regularly as possible So I really think and that's a I put that in the middle because that's kind of where the lessons have learned and that's really something That we're learning how to use it Even building a survey within parent square takes a bit of a learning curve and how we construct that compared to Let's say our google forms which give us a different set of analytics so Taking us to the other pieces that we're learning is that one we have a tremendously high consistently High open rate of dogma of communication. I think our question is so when Do the users do our community and families find it? useful Why do some families or caregivers open a Document, let's say it has

036a survey in it and then don't take the survey Or when they're at an event and they're engaging in something Is the information meaningful does it help them leverage whatever their next task? Whatever it is they're trying to do and I think that area we're trying to build more Assessment around so that we understand that process one of the things that's also really important for us is that We are looking to Take what we learn with that task the task force that I talked about within the sense of staff and what we're learning about resources and then parlay that into a resource hub or new steps in making sure that we're actually Providing multilingual culturally responsive communication to foster that engagement so Listen for that in our next update The last strategy for part of

037goal four is to really foster and develop that outer community of What we'll call our partnerships And these are organizations throughout our community And i'll be showing you a few a few in a few minutes, but i'll have to tell you that You know this because you're on the board, but I feel like even in this position I should know this but there are so many partnerships out there and organizations that this Statement doesn't even begin to um, I don't think express or get to the depths of this The the goals are excuse me the key performance indicators are also there to help us keep in mind that we Can ensure that these partnerships are purposeful and and have impact and so this is really an important piece of our work And to that end

038the the work that i've done and those who have been working on the The team with me has been to really continually map out those partnerships Because I as I said, there are so many And to really be strategic about it. I've also started meeting directly with our different partners not to Double up on what others are doing but to really be strategic and be a unifying force within Those partnerships and then to look for amazing opportunities. I'm you know, this is Of course, i'm the champion of this but i'm really just on a team with so many As we think about our community and technical ed and our pathways we think about our work with advisory with all Focus on the arts all of these things are part of really This goal and what

039is really important that i've been picking up on And it's it's just beautiful is that people are ready our partners want us To get this part together so that we can tap into everything that they have to give our kids really This is about elevating the success and the growth of our students and they're very eager to do that And the quality of that relationship is something that keeps coming up i've even given out a survey asking just to create a baseline About what are their interests in the sense of the communication they receive or how often we meet And that's one it's a very small end right now as you can see i've met with maybe there's seven different partnerships, but It's starting to become a theme I'm also understanding something really important here,

040which is that our student success is is so Interdependent and I know it's You know something someone can say but i'm really starting to feel it on these partnerships Within how we extend our school into our communities and how we bring our communities into the school and so this has been really important work for me the oops I guess that's not there, but let me just tell you this i'll go back because it's better to see this than the last piece that I want to add to this is that The work that we're doing and that we're learning from these opportunities is Going to help us as we move forward through as and I said this before throughout the goals So here's what i'm offering a we have an invite And we are making sure

041That people know that there's a dance and we're making sure it's translatable and that it actually tells them that they're valued And that they bring value, but then is it accessible is the dance? You know possible to come into the space and to actually enjoy that music lastly and this is where these teams are coming in Can you dance? And that's where we're doing some things where we're creating projects new opportunities together And we're finding that that the partnerships are growing even greater in that area so Enough with my metaphor. I'll stop here And thank you for your time and ask if you have any questions. Anyone have any questions? Yeah I do want to note I know the board has been talking with dr holland about some of the ways we'd like to see

042some of the strategic information And I personally want to say thank you. I I feel like this presentation And it's really almost a nuanced change, but I found it Easy to digest and to understand And so thank you very much for taking our feedback and and really showing so quickly a response to it Thank you for asking should you be Working with board members periodic to talk about different organizations or groups that you might work with for example the three business Chambers of commerce that are in our district something along those lines So your question was will I be working with you to do that? We have a lot of contact. I would love to as a group Yes answer. Yes As long as we stay on the balcony I will come up there and

043get a couple suggestions Good point there's some institutional knowledge too around the table great point Um, okay moving on to our next report common bell schedule implementation presentation. Yes, so the next two presentations just highlight some Large changes that were implemented this year There'll be brief presentations, but we wanted to follow up to let you know how things are going and what we're learning Of course every big change is a learning journey So what we're sharing right now may be slightly different by the end of the school year based on an overall analysis, so I'm excited for these presentations. The first one is common bell schedule So more like a check-in. Yes, this is what the students stayed for Thank you for having us today to talk about the bell schedule We will be talking

044about the form of bell schedules to kind of establish where we've been Review the new bell schedule Identify stakeholder feedback in our next steps All right, so these might look familiar to some people since 2004 Deerfield and Highland Park high schools have each independently developed and implemented their own bell schedules without district standardized criteria For staff hours instructional minutes homeroom periods or daily start and end times While Deerfield High School maintained the same schedule the one that you see on the left Throughout this entire period excluding the pandemic year Highland Park High School adopted a new schedule following the pandemic the establishment of the initial collective bargaining agreement in 2023 between the board and the DEA marked a turning point where both parties Recognized the shared commitment to fostering equitable educational opportunities for all district

045students through a common bell schedule and this included establishing district-wide standards for instructional minutes and resource allocation In pursuit of the school a committee was convened in october 2023 To develop a common bell schedule for both schools And while the committee prepared for the 25 26 school year during the 24-25 school year both schools piloted a unified schedule adapted from the Deerfield High School model ensuring equitable allocations of teaching time Homeroom periods supervisory duties and collaborative planning minutes across the district In developing the new common bell schedule the committee engaged in continuous feedback from students and staff And through this feedback the committee was guided by several key themes values and practical constraints That reflected both educational best practices and our community's needs In terms of class minutes stakeholder feedback revealed a clear preference for

046incorporating both shorter and longer class periods into the schedule The consensus centered on shorter sessions of 40 to 45 minutes Paired with extended periods of 55 to 60 minutes And this dual approach balanced the benefits of focused efficient instruction with the opportunities for deeper exploration Hands-on learning and project work that extended blocks make possible In terms of start and end times stakeholder feedback identified a desire to have both regular and late start days during the week Further there was a desire to have a start time as close to 8 30 as possible Given the importance of adolescent sleep patterns supported by current research In addition, there was a desire to have the end time no later than 3 10 to accommodate our robust athletics programs In particular with two campuses for Highland Park and ensure

047students can participate fully in extracurricular activities without scheduling conflicts In terms of homeroom and lunch homeroom had the least consensus of all the aspects of the bell schedule Likely because this component was lived differently across the schools To that end it was recognized that students needed time built into the schedule to connect Recharge and build community along with dedicated lunch periods at least 30 minutes Which ensure each student has a lunch regardless of their class schedule In terms of staff collaboration a desire from staff was to have at least 70 to 90 minutes of staff collaboration time per week Because effective instruction and service implementation depends on effective collaboration With the district-wide implementation of plcs a synchronized schedule would enable staff across both campuses To plan together share strategies and maintain consistency in curriculum and

048assessment Strengthening the educational experience for all of our students throughout the district And lastly tech campus integration The schedule needed to accommodate students who attend tech campus by enabling them to take four full periods at their home school In addition to their tech campus coursework ensuring these students have access to the same breadth of educational opportunities as their peers And here we are 2013's common bell schedule Beginning with the first day of student attendance in the 25 26 school year a common bell schedule was fully implemented across both high schools Based on the themes values and practical constraints that we I just went over you will notice that for class minutes I feel like i'm going back to my principal days where i'm explaining the bell schedule to people Um class minutes there the anchor

049day that is monday on the left hand side has 40 minutes While the cycle days following that are 55 minutes long The start time is 8 20 on wednesday and friday And a later start time of 8 40 on monday tuesday and thursday and each day has an end time of 3 10 Home room is 15 minutes twice a week while there are three dedicated lunches each day at 30 minutes And there are two 40 minute staff collaboration periods each week Finally the schedule is designed so that periods one through four are always at the beginning of the day While periods five through eight are at the end of the day with a start and end times that support the tech campus schedule And that's why we have cycle days like one six two seven

050and so on This common schedule aims to strengthen the district's educational framework and in multiple ways by enhancing student experiences aligned with our shared values Facilitating deeper collaboration and coordination among staff Improving operational efficiency across both campuses and fostering stronger community connections throughout the district So what do people think? While the bell schedule had been reviewed with students last school year It is through their lived experiences with the schedule that we can assess the impact of the schedule Prior to winter break students at dhs and hphs were surveyed regarding their experience with the bell schedule Explicitly sharing their satisfaction with the schedule and what is or is not working with the bell schedule A little over 40 percent of students completed the survey with 39.1 percent satisfied to very Satisfied with the schedule 40.9 percent

051neutral and 19.8 percent dissatisfied to very dissatisfied When asked what they liked about the schedule or what was working a high percentage of students 59.3 percent Specifically indicated that they liked the start time followed by the end time class length and the number of periods per day Even students who indicated that they were dissatisfied with the schedule often cited these structural pieces as positives Digging in further with the option to fill in the blank students provided more clarity about their selections For example by explicitly stating that they like going to school at 8 40 or later there In terms of their dislikes or what is challenging many students 43.8 pointed to lunch periods and homeroom being concerns in particular There is a concern about lunch periods being too short. They're currently 30 minutes or overcrowded

052during certain lunch periods While for a homeroom comments were conflicting with some students wanting more homeroom time where others wanted less Students also further elaborated on issues such as start time indicating that they preferred either the 8 40 start time Or the former schedules 9 14 late start time The principal advisory groups provided further insight into the student experience by highlighting an additional challenge With navigating when and how clubs and activities meet each week Currently most activities seem to be meeting on monday morning and that presents a challenge for students in multiple clubs I am going to turn it over to dr. Dwyer miss fleischer to talk about stiff feedback Thank you So next slide we administered a survey an open-ended survey to staff to figure out Based on their feedback what was working and

053what are some possible areas of improvement? First, we just want to note that from an administrative point of view What we do think worked really well this year was implementation fidelity In terms of staff really taking students through a scaffolded approach to getting used to this new bell schedule beginning with last year And in general the communication around the changing bell schedule of both buildings was incredibly It was incredibly clear And it was multifaceted so people knew what was coming They were starting to get ready for this bell schedule last year when we knew exactly the way it would look And we really appreciate staff's efforts to make sure that all of our learners adjust to a changing schedule Which could be a possible barrier for some in terms of executive functioning Positives in regards

054to what staff reported were the class length and structure people really appreciate the 55 minute periods and allowing for Formative assessment and instructional pivots and enough time to be able to get through a whole cycle lesson Also people appreciate an anchor day the fact on monday all teachers get to see all of their classes to start the week was a major positive Having a later start time was also positive for teachers and the chance to be able to meet In collaboration before students begin in the school day Home room the reduced frequency from four times a week to twice a week was a positive And lastly staff found the consistency and predictability of the new schedule including consistent end times The rhythm of the week and the structure where morning classes would always remain in

055the morning And afternoon classes always remain in the afternoon was another positive dr. Dwyer Absolutely In the areas of what's challenging the first is the collaboration time or the time that our plcs meet Currently that 40 minute window on Tuesday and Thursday is deemed by some To be a bit too short to always be as productive as it might want it to be Additionally, it also creates a bit of a rush at that time from the end of the plc To get to a first period class on time to teach and to be prepared and be present for the students also, while a lot of our feedback really valued the intricacies and the different Parts of the schedule there is some issues in terms of just the complexity of it That at times it can

056cause a little bit of confusion and a little bit of where am I supposed to be but I will say Second semester seems to be starting very well with that part of it So some of this is I think our lived experience as well, too Next is some around homeroom again, not 100 consistent just like with the kids But some desire to see that time be a little longer Instead of 15 minutes 20 to 25 minutes perhaps giving more time for staff to connect with kids Check in and individualize some of that feedback that they're able to give them Next is the specific elements regarding when clubs activities or other scheduling feeds can meet So knowing that monday is when a lot of those times funnel It does make it challenging for both kids and

057sponsors to make sure that those things are fitting in In that window of time. Otherwise the other late start mornings our teachers are occupied with the collaboration time so other than that There's a lot of satisfaction but a lot of areas and things that we'll continue to reflect on and look for areas of improvement All right in terms of our next steps Just to reiterate the new bell schedule was designed to honor the themes values and constraints That were identified during its development. However, there are still opportunities for us to strengthen it further And so in particular as we've gathered this feedback, we know that we need to do a review of lunch scheduling There are various strategies that we will try to utilize When we go through this process in particular We will be

058reviewing how classes are split into periods four a four b Five a and five b because those are what actually dictate who is in lunch each of the lunch periods So we want to make sure that we can as much as possible to even out those lunch periods We will also continue to review and adjust meeting days and times for clubs clubs and activities We know that this is important. So having our Activities directors working with club sponsors to really figure out what would work best for All of the clubs and seeing what clubs Activities our students are involved with so that we can have more opportunities for our students to engage in more clubs And then finally we are going to explore more ways to maximize our staff collaboration time So that's going to

059entail us taking a look at what are other opportunities for us to have them meet Whether it's throughout the day or really taking a look at what is A part of the agendas that we have as a part of plc work So we're looking forward to working with our staff to make sure that time can be utilized to the fullest extent Okay. Thank you Any questions questions? I know it's a very complex matrix of challenges um, I just wanted to call it since this was You know partly an effort to make the two high schools consistent Were there any differences in feedback that we got in between the two high schools in terms of the experience? We talked a lot about staff feedback and student feedback But did we get anything was there anything different

060in terms of in terms of just the responses from the two different communities? In our surveys, we did not ask for a differentiation between deerfield and highland park and their responses but i'll say more on the qualitative side our students at highland park who Especially our seniors sophie. You've been through four bell schedules. That's your fourth And so they are looking for consistency And I think even if there are small issues with the bell schedule their their response to us is we just want it for a few years so we can Have stability. Am I correct in saying that which may be different than deerfield who might be more critical not having experienced as much instability with bell schedules In terms of staff, I think our staff feedback is pretty Similar and the one difference

061I would say is possibly homeroom just the length of time at which homeroom has Been implemented at deerfield is multiple decades for highland park. It's still In its burgeoning stages. We're in year five And so uh their varying opinions and that usually means that our staff either want more of it or less of it But not what it is And whereas deerfield's a little bit more comfortable with where they currently have homeroom And that's why I would say are the major differences. Would you add anything? Yeah, absolutely I think there's consistency around their perceptions around the plc time on tuesday and thursday For deerfield that was a contraction of homeroom time So there's definitely more desire to have that that time to connect with that consistent group of kids on a more regular basis The

062current common schedule is more consistent with the deerfield model Previously, so I think the adjustment and growing pains have been a little less for us At dhs and I think we saw that with some of our staff One major advantage that we're finding and having a common bell schedule is the ability especially as we're implementing Plcs the ability for plcs to meet across the highway They're increasing their alignment work. And so that's been a major positive and just being able to Increase the time that they have together whether it be through institute days or through plc time or through specifically designed Work time between the department chairs that going forward will be a major benefit I think to increase that alignment and sharing of instructional ideas Great Thank you. Thank you Thank you very much

063Uh, the next report is the cell phone device implementation report Can I assume that the survey that went out covered both of these topics Because it has the exact same number of respondents And so I just was like either that's really really odd or It was on the same survey. Yeah, so it went all out together and then yeah separated it Which is another question actually we do have and too bad all of the kids minus two awesome people left because Um, this is very much. I'm sure top of mind Um, all right, so we get to give you an update on our cell phone policy And really thinking about very similarly to what has been said what's working what's complicated. What do we continue to monitor? Until we want to walk you through where

064we were Where we are and where we're thinking of going Next slide, please Um at the core I want to remind us of our work around what we're calling our cell phone policy is student engagement and well-being It's not compliance and control Um, and while I want to remind you also we were taking Steps to build well-being and student engagement before any of this started We also knew that the cell phone provided a really important lever for us And we wanted to think about how we could have an even greater impact In the area of well-being and student engagement. And so I put this in front of you because this is one of our Posters that are up on our screens around our rooms and really exemplifies a lot of the research that went into

065the work that we did And that would be from working with our peer schools working with the national data that's out there But also very importantly within our own community of staff families and students on surveys and focus groups and what we know is that Limiting cell phone use was desired amongst Really all those student bodies or all of those bodies may be less around the student body if you go to the next slide, please So with that in mind we developed a pretty comprehensive plan to ensure that the success of the policy Would be lived and we intentionally implemented a very comprehensive set of structural support So while a policy is one Structure the real pieces here. I want to draw your attention to are everything from a set of rules that were explicitly

066shared with students and families before they even started the year this year as well as Really, I would argue, you know these pockets are also a visual reminder of what the routine will be when kids enter a classroom and And We instituted a social contract that would be signed in homeroom So this is a great example of homeroom where all students were could sit with their staff Their teacher whomever was running that space and really helped to understand the why behind this because again, this wasn't a punitive We want to lock down your communications. This was how do we increase your engagement your learning? And your growth within these classroom spaces or we'll call them learning environments And so this buy-in was pretty important to happen at the beginning of the year The other piece

067is that we worked with our tech ron and In really building out a referral system in ic because the tools that our staff would need to monitor and to help You know if there were to be an infraction or just let's argue to support our students to behave in the ways in which they have Essentially agreed to then we wanted that to be as easy as possible as well So that would be another structural support within the system that we created to make this as easy as possible So with that in mind How's it going turn this over to our principals and they'll tell us what? Has been said So in order to measure our progress with regards to implementation fidelity in the impact on student engagement and well-being We administered three surveys one survey

068to the entire student body through homeroom and that had about a 50 completion rate between the two schools We also administered one to the staff with an opportunity for closed and open-ended questions With a similar completion rate of just above 50 percent and finally one to our senior principal advisory committee leaders With a hundred percent completion rate for more qualitative and open-ended feedback The first question we asked was related to implementation fidelity from the perspective of students We said in how many of your classes are all students expected to follow the no-sell bell-to-bell policy 72.4 percent of students said in every single one of their classes and then 22.9 percent of students said most of my classes which told us that there was a high rate of fidelity of implementation We saw a lot of

069consistency across a similar question to our staff How often do you enforce the no-sell bell-to-bell policy 80.2 percent saying always 18.5 percent saying almost always With again almost a 99 percent response rate of high fidelity So a lot of correlation between the answers from both students and staff about the level of implementation fidelity Did you get a sense of what the barrier was to? Having a higher percentage of of fidelity to doing it To having the implement like you know is 72 and 80 like it's 80 between the two is that success We we're looking at it as success because again in some of those spaces Some of those are unique spaces where sometimes the physical constraints don't always allow for the cell phones to be as Consistently put on a wall Additionally, we know

070that there are some spaces where the use of a phone is less obtrusive and more productive than the use of a Chromebook for example a science lab where you need to time something or if you're creating a video As part of something you're going to upload as a project using the phone for that instructional purpose Does make much more sense than the chromebook would that make sense? Just like a Survey research practice like if we're doing something if we do a follow-up on this in the future It might be worth asking what subject you teach or something like that. You know for the staff so we could tell whether that's you know, if if if I if I looked at this and I saw that the The rate was 95 in math and english and

071social studies and you want to be in the other situations It was it was in areas like that that you're referring to then That you know, that would make me feel a little better about about the 72 or 80. We're on the same page So we did ask what subject you teach in what building you um instruct in for the staff We're not reporting on that But that was good internally for us to see patterns and be able to follow up for accountability purposes Thank you We also wanted to know how we were impacting student engagement and well-being So we asked students in comparison to last year and this is self-reported How would you rate your engagement in class now that we have a district no sell bell to bell? We found the majority of

07248 percent just below the majority said that their engagement is absolutely the same And it's interesting to find, you know to think about what possible biases were embedded into this question 17.7 percent said that does not apply to them because they were freshmen so that seems about correct, although Tells us how many freshmen took the survey and then 7.2 percent Stated that their engagement is much higher But really we saw the majority of students saying that there's very little impact which is different than staff So this is where the level of self-awareness from staff to students maybe starts to diverge Our staff commented very heavily they saw Much more engagement. So the preponderance of answers were 46 much higher engagement followed closely by a 41 engagement being somewhat higher so you can see that 87

073percent of our staff are saying the kids are much more or somewhat more engaged Since we've gone to this consistent policy across the board. So it's very encouraging information to see from there So with the open-ended questions We found more anecdotal and qualitative feedback and what students started to Explain to us is that the policy has led to noticeable improvement. This is really from our senior principal advisory committees noticeable improvement in classroom focus students report that removing those tactile distractions like Vibrations has lowered the barrier to concentration which makes sense This has fostered a stronger learning community with increased peer collaboration and deeper social interaction during lessons and even during transition moments They also explained the unintended consequences and circumvention that was happening We are seeing a trend of digital substitution where students pivot to

074non-academic tasks like I look at sophie and she's like I didn't do that. No, not saying you in general like gaming or google chat on school laptops So that's an a new um Circumvention that we're seeing additionally some students practice policy evasion by using decoy phones We're finding out to keep their actual devices suggesting that for some the desire for connectivity outweighs the deterrent there We're also Our principal advisory committees talked about social and emotional well-being that the impact on well-being is nuanced There are some that feel less anxiety in a sense of relief from having those constant notifications While others feel social friction feeling stressed when they can't reach out to support systems during the day Which tells us more about the kind of emotional regulation and coping strategies. We need to explicitly teach

075This often leads to a rush where students check out early to stand by the storage units possibly disrupting or Having anxiety towards the end of a lesson There were some proposed policy refinements. Remember this is from our senior advisory committee members Students recommended shifting from policy shifting the policy from a restriction to a reward Specifically, they suggest senior transitions allowing 12th graders more independence to practice college level self-management and merit was that you ethan and merit-based flexibility Where privileges are earned through academic standing or responsible behavior? So there is some desire to be able to Utilize these self-management coping mechanisms as opposed to having us just take the distraction away We also saw interesting themes emerge from the open-ended responses from our staff First there was a lot of thanking and encouragement for the consistent

076enforcement a lot of thanking from administration And from the district level that this was one policy for the district and it was being consistently enforced It just makes it easier in a classroom to not feel like you're the only one knowing that My period and the next period in the next period will have the same expectation But in that because our implementation fidelity has been so high Now there is even more of a spotlight on the small spaces where some of that might be or the times When a student may use a decoy phone those become more obvious So a lot of encouragement to continue to expand the enforcement and of the implementation of this policy Additionally, we saw the same theme with our staff that they're seeing some of the behavior now that it's

077away from the phones It's going to chromebooks. It's going to the devices that they have in class So things that might have happened previously on their cell phone are now happening on their chromebook. So more questions ideas and thoughts about how we may begin to also limit some of that as well, too uh now Funny enough that our seniors had an idea about possibly giving some flexibility or more Opportunity to have some of that screen time staff actually went the other way and wonder about expanding the policy But really a lot of it out of a well-being For the students thinking if our goal is to keep To limit the screen time and make sure that we're reducing those anxiety inducing things that we know phones can produce Do we need to think about not

078doing this in? Hallways not having cell phones within the school trying to have even more of that time that kids can be free from screens Or those social media influences Obviously logistics play a big role in anything when we talk about it But that is definitely a sentiment that some of our staff are expressing and finally flexibility and exceptions similar to what I talked about Appreciating and wanting to continue to acknowledge and carve out space for the times when maybe it does make sense for them to use their phone Or to think about times and opportunities for them to use it Responsibly and in an adult manner that eventually they will be expected to be able to exercise Okay, i'll keep this short I want to just also say that I did check with our

079deans on Different circumstances that may have come up to see if kids needed to use the faraday pouches if you remember That was one of the highest level consequence and really we've had very few I mean we're talking at each school like five or less or fewer. So I think that's just a really important thing to keep in mind So you can see many of our takeaways and the principals really did a great job presenting all of the data What I want to remind us is that we are moving next year to All chromebooks for all grade levels. And so while we're seeing the chromebook being used possibly as a loophole It will be decreased even more given that we will a lot of that's still happening on those devices that are not chromebooks and

080it kind of begs the question about as we Begin to really think about our practice and always our kids are so brilliant and they adapt and change and therefore Than we do too And so I think that the biggest takeaway is that this is not a static landscape that our policy is not that Static either and that we will continue to ask these questions to review our data and update policies and practice as need be so We'll stay curious. Thank you great Any other questions? Fantastic. Yeah, i'm sorry. I'm sorry a couple of questions Um so and this is more more common than a question, but I think the big takeaway for me listening to this was um, You know first off I'd like to commend the administration for implementing this and executing this and

081the multiple presentations We've had on this. I think it's been, you know, really well thought through And implemented and obviously based on what we've seen it seems to be going very well With fidelity to how it was planned I do think in light of what we're seeing with the chromebook use And you know the the shift to other devices that you know as we move forward on this we should be thinking about This not just you know cell phones in a vacuum, but the role of technology in the classroom more broadly Um and thinking about what that means I mean there's there's this is an issue that you know, there's new research studies coming out about it every day You know, this is being talked a lot about Um in terms of the impact on

082kids of just having what is it like to have that screen in front of you? How much is it really valuable to take notes on a screen versus take notes with a pencil and paper with a pen and paper? And so I guess I would just encourage the administration as we continue to revisit this, you know, and i'm not saying we should You know stop all chrome bookies tomorrow or something like that, you know, you know, we should we should be Thinking about this more holistically not just about the cell phone itself But you know when we come back, you know for a future presentation on this whether that's I don't know when the next check-in is going to be six months from now, you know, whatever But let's think continue to think about what

083this means Um holistically what the classroom experience looks like do need to make any more shifts Does that mean you know a chrome book? Maybe should only be out when it's for a specific classroom purpose versus them being a lot all the time I mean, I don't know what the answer is But I want us to just make sure we're continuing to ask those questions And you're continuing to update the board as we think through these issues because the stuff's not going away, right? You know, we can we can as we've seen we can take that cell phone out of a kid's hand It's not going to change the fact that technology can be an immense distraction and an immense tool for learning, right? Depending on how it's being used. So yes Thanks Thank you

084Moving on to excellence and effort reports from our principals Dr. Dwyer. All right. Thank you so much So i'm really excited for tonight's report as there are so many positive things happening at dhs right now on january 14th We welcomed our soon-to-be warriors and their families to campus To continue the important process of becoming ninth grade students The evening included multiple informational presentations from staff and students performances by our music ensembles and opportunities for families to visit with representatives from each of our academic departments For me the highlight of the night was definitely hearing from seven different senior speakers Talk to our eighth graders and their families about the incredible experiences that dhs has to offer We are now looking ahead to april 13th when we will host the same group For an evening dedicated

085to showcasing the many incredible extracurricular activities that we have at dhs as well Together these two events represent just a few of the very intentional important steps that we take to ensure That all our soon-to-be warriors feel welcomed and supported as we begin the crucial transition to high school It's one of the most important transitions in all of education. We want to make sure they feel very supported One group that has been incredibly instrumental in this work is our counseling department They have been working incredibly hard all year and especially since returning from winter break to oversee the many registration steps That take place at dhs and every high school Ensuring that they meet individually with students when possible and to verify course selections is a significant undertaking each year And I continue to be

086impressed by their dedication and teamwork as an entire department Shifting gears into some extracurriculars on january 21st our wrestling program hosted hyland park High school in both boys and girls wrestling in addition to it being a great traditional rivalry The evening included a salute to our first responders from both deer field and hyland park municipalities The night featured a complimentary meal for firefighters and police officers from both communities. We did it at Shift switch so we made sure that everyone could come by and enjoy a meal And there was also a video expressing our gratitude to the local heroes And I have to say that I was the most entertained when the fire chief gave a speech and referred to the police department as the junior varsity It did not go over well The uh

087that expression of gratitude last week did prove very timely as yesterday Our community was made aware of the non-credible bomb threat that dr holland mentioned and I do want to personally thank the members of the deer field police department Who worked hand in hand with us as we investigated and resolved the unfortunate situation? Their professionalism and support were greatly appreciated Yesterday, we also hosted our first heart of a warrior event yesterday morning The breakfast ceremony recognizes students who embody self-awareness collaboration empathy Adaptability agency and purpose this week's event honored 12 students each nominated by one or more departments Students and their families heard the many what powerful reasons for each nomination? And we even managed to pause at the end for a group photo of all the kids which is quite a feat at Approximately

0888 30 in the morning I really want to thank the committee members lisa amstutz robin corelitz jake ricin and anny roth And buffy saleh for their work. I also want to extend a very special. Thank you to our assistant principal Dr More for his leadership and vision for making this program a reality And finally, I want to take this opportunity to really formally thank our incredible building and grounds department I don't know if you guys have noticed but it's been cold And there's been snow and they've been incredible They have worked tirelessly over the past two weeks to keep our buildings and campus warm safe and clear This time of year always brings weather related challenges This past week has been a lot and their hard work has been very evident and we're really grateful

089to them And that concludes my report. Thank you Good evening. I'd like to also extend a huge Thank you to our building and ground team and i'm going to add for both Dr Dwyer myself to our security teams for their incredible work during this past the past few weeks The our security team braves the frigid snow and cold to direct traffic And ensure the safe entry and exit for all of our students and staff so we have deep appreciation for their work Building and grounds and security. Thank you Last friday We kicked off our charity drive month with an assembly And there's a unique beauty in watching our students step up and lead with such vision and heart Their dedication is truly the heartbeat of this movement along with our student activities office and co-sponsors

090mrs Silber and mrs burghoff This year we are supporting propellacure And we stand in solidarity with the students and staff in our own hallways who navigate the challenges of crone's disease on a daily Basis I encourage everyone to visit the charity drive website to find your own way to get involved I've already experienced the giving back firsthand by taking advantage of the babysitting evening this past saturday It gifted me three precious hours of a quiet house I didn't really know what to do with my own thoughts But more importantly allowed me to see our students shine as they entertained a crowd of children with such creativity Patience and love even when dealing with my two boys Who were determined to make sure that everyone knew who their mom was Though they were quickly humbled when

091a seven-year-old girl candidly responded. I don't really care and I don't even know talking about I'm so proud also to share the success of our recent giant welcome This event is designed to do one thing as dr Dwyer talked about and that is to take the nerves and unknowns of eighth grade families and transform them into excitement And to build trust that we will take care of their most precious gifts Our goal this year was to build a mental model of high school life Replacing the unknown the clear vision of what it means to be part of our giant family The energy was incredible. We kicked things off with our highland park high school marching band and we had a day in the life video that gave Students and families a first-person look at their

092future going period by period seeing what hallways look like what the cafeteria looks like We featured also a student panel and I want to say thank you to brody valeria caris and lucy who gave authentic advice alongside powerful performances by our latin dance team and jammers while our students had First-hand experiences with fine arts and career and technical education We will be inviting families back on april 30th for our athletics and activities fair But the most significant change this year was a direct response to feedback from our pto Caregivers and district administrative team in a move dreamt up really by our counseling chair jennifer giannopoulos We pivoted to in-person registration Instead of a digital only transaction our incoming Freshman families sat down face to face with counselors and administrators By priority by prioritizing a handshake

093over a login We were able to answer those big questions in real time and truly build a foundation of trust We were officially ready to welcome the class of 2030 home I want to also take this moment to thank all of our counseling team who are working tirelessly to register close to 1300 students in a month's time Staying with that theme of transition But on the other end of the spectrum our spanish senior seminar students are currently serving as a bridge for these incoming freshmen Our seniors have been working on a project called los humanos de hpa hs Where they interview one another about the meaningful impact of being bilingual But they didn't stop there this group from the class of 2026 including sophie Created a video series for the incoming class titled the things

094nobody told me about highland park high school They cover everything from the seal of biliteracy to how to find a true sense of belonging within the school it is powerful to see our wisest oldest students reaching back to guide our youngest Finally I want to highlight the behind the scenes work of our professional learning communities Where our teachers are showing a deep commitment to meeting students exactly where they are and stretching them in english Our sophomore english team is focused on instructional precision They're currently auditing writing techniques and using choice boards to help students transition into their podcast project This work isn't just about reading It's about research media literacy and connecting deeply with the text just mercy In science, our teams are laser focused on their department improvement goal to increase act proficiency Our

095science plcs and physics biology and chemistry have launched a data inquiry cycle Using a refined student work analysis protocol These teachers are moving beyond standard grading and they're doing a granular item analysis To pinpoint exactly where students are stuck allowing for targeted adjustments that directly support growth and scientific reasoning Whether it's a senior student sharing their story in spanish or a science teacher analyzing data to improve test scores And sense of achievement and growth The heartbeat of highland park high school remains the same which is partnership and excellence always. Thank you. Thank you And now moving on to our student reports miss matzavayas, would you like to go first? Thank you Good evening everyone today. I'll be sharing some updates on what's been happening around hphs recently First I want to talk about snow coming

096week, which which took place From january 6 through january 9. It was a really fun and energetic week that led up led up to our winter pep assembly Throughout the week students participated in spirit days starting with slumber party day followed by show your hat day adam sandler day And ending with class colors day where we where each grade showed their pride Along with spirit days. We also had lunchtime activities in the cafeteria throughout the week including ice skating Air hockey build the bear flip scene books and conna candy We wrapped up the week with our winter pep assembly pep rally in the giant gym which featured performances music games and recognition Of our winter varsity sports team and student groups. They had an amazing band there Awesome It was a great way to bring

097our school community together In addition to these events, I want to briefly share an important takeaway from our recent pack conversations We had around belonging. We've realized that belonging isn't just a feeling it's shaped by how classrooms function day to day Some classes feel like genuine Genuine learning communities while others feel like a job where students are checking boxes for us belonging Means feeling safe enough to be real ask questions and take risks without fear of being judged We identified four key signals that help create This that sense of belonging intentional peer connections where a peer where participation doesn't depend on confidence or popularity learning that actually Learning that actually requires collaboration. So classmates become resources for one another teachers who can read the room and adjust when students are stressed or suck And come

098on ramps to class that give students time to think before being asked to speak Our biggest takeaway is that while strong teacher to student relationships matter The structures that help students build relationships with each other are what truly shape our sense of belonging Small intentional choices in the classroom can make students feel seen as people not just students Moving on I want to highlight our theater department tickets for the upcoming production of Les Miserables went until yesterday The show will run from february 19th through the 21st at 7 pm. I encourage everyone to buy some tickets Better see you guys there For our sports updates our boys varsity wrestling finished 11th at the csl tournament while our girls wrestling team placed 6 overall in conference Boys basketball also had a strong week earning for earning

099a close 45 to 43 win against buffalo grove Finally, I want to update Finally, I want to wrap up and update on our charity drive, which just started this week We are this year. We are supporting propeller cure for krone's disease Upcoming events include takeout tuesdays vintage pop-up shops Cupcake decorating game nights bake sale the 24 hour run and taste of hp and play for purpose These events make it easy for everyone to get involved in sport and support a great cause I hope to see you guys also support, you know, check out the website Overall, it's been a great to see so much participation school spirit and meaningful student voice at hphs. Thank you Thank you. Mr. Polanski Good evening everyone. Um, I would first like to thank you guys for the day off

100on friday I really needed that extra two days to study for my math test so, um Yeah, what's it e-learning? Um, I think so I hope you all had a nice relaxing holiday season and new year Dhs is starting the second semester strong Recently our fine and applied arts at deerfield have been flourishing through the launch of arts alive The art day and the fine arts assembly These programs are critical to celebrate and show off the work that our students have done in the arts throughout the year Arts alive is a semester-long celebration of art at deerfield high school that highlights the amazing things that happen in our fine arts program This includes things like certain work student workshops students working with professional artists different exhibitions and collaborative projects And then last week we had

101our yearly fine arts assembly where students gathered in the auditorium to watch a series of videos and performances of Our dance team orchestra jazz band and much more Finally earlier today was ap art day, which was an annual event celebrating our ap art students and the hard work that they've put And their hard work throughout the year During all lunch periods ap art students were in the student union painting drawing molding clay and much more Unfortunately, that also meant that my lab partner wasn't in class So I had to do stuff in bio today Some other extracurriculars that we are wrapping up are girls gymnastics and girls basketball where we recently celebrated our graduating seniors Additionally our warrior dance team qualified for the state championship this past weekend And they are performing on friday this

102friday And then while winter sports are starting to end our spring sports are starting up including boys and girls track and field Which is a no-cut sport focus on having fun and personal improvement and boys lacrosse I would also like to take this opportunity to advertise boys gymnastics Because my coach asked me to and it's um, it's a no-cut. It's starting mid-february. I'm not biased, but it is the best sport um dhs and hyland park Are a combined team. So if you guys know anyone you can send them my way and i'll convince them to join the team Um, so overall it's been cold but an exciting start to the new year So, thank you Thank you very much Okay, moving on to section eight, which is policies with updates. I'm sorry. There is no

103one for public comment That's why i'm moving beyond public comment. No one's registered Um next we'll be moving on to policies the following policies in section eight Were reviewed by the policy committee on december 9th Are there any questions on any of the policies listed in this section a through w? I would like to note As a follow-up from our policy committee The work of this team we had conversations around different demographic groups The terms that were utilized across our policies and we did some work to do an analysis of our policies To come up with some consistent language As well as to honor the contextual nature of the policy so for example, um Some of our policies require Us to mention specific groups in different ways or particular ways and so, um, we now

104collectively have more of a An understanding of the language and the why behind it. I just wanted to name that So, um from our policy committee meetings to right now policy language has been clarified With a rationale behind How different groups are named so just wanted to name that Okay And then section nine are policies that were only updates with references and footnotes So those policies only have those changes. They were also reviewed by the policy committee on december 9th Are there any questions on any of the policies listed in this section nine? Okay, great. They will come back then at our next meeting for action moving on to discussions First the first item for discussion is the external audit for the fiscal year ending june 30th 2025 All right, i'll just i'll just give

105a Brief introduction this this evening nick cavalry who's our partner with a bigotry audit firm zero to present the results of the district's fiscal year 2025 audit These results were previously shared with the finance committee. It happened before the board meeting and tonight's presentation is Intended to provide the board with a review and opportunity for questions. All right. Thank you And there this is an action item later in the agenda Well, thank you for having me here tonight As previously mentioned I did go into to detail in this presentation with the finance committee But i'll take any questions at the end. I'll just kind of provide a high level overview We we completed our audit procedures and issued our reports on october 23rd of 2025 which is consistent with prior year completions of the district's

106audits Our scope of the audit is fairly robust We provide assurances over the district's annual comprehensive financial report the illinois state board of education's afr documents There's several other reports that have to go to state agencies Consolidated year-end financial report a schedule of expenditures for federal awards and then we conduct a single audit for the usage of districts federal awards and render a report over internal control and compliance matters in accordance with governmental auditing standards So we complete all of our audit procedures and our responsibility is to render opinions on the district's financial statements The type of opinion that we rendered on the annual comprehensive financial report is an unmodified audit opinion That's the highest level of assurance that you can receive that the financial statements are presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles

107The auditor did not have any scope limitations disagreements with management or the application of accounting principles ultimately a clean audit consequently, we also rendered unmodified audit opinions on the illinois state board of education's afr the consolidated year-end financial report and Currently, we're in a draft status on the schedule of expenditures of federal awards I'll talk a little bit more about that in future slides But ultimately we fully anticipate rendering an unmodified opinion on that document as well Couple of quick screenshots here, you know an annual comprehensive financial report before I walked up here is 132 pages in length it's a a behemoth of a document and and ultimately very I think get lost in it if you're not familiar with the document But there's a couple of pages that I just always want to point

108out to the board The community is really the balance sheet of the district's fund level financial statements Which are on this particular slide and you can see, you know, just from looking at it the district continues to retain A healthy financial position. There's really no issues or concerns that were identified During my review of the district's financial statements So the balance sheet really presents your assets your your liabilities and your fund position And then ultimately the one schedule that I really think is is something of importance to look at if you grab this document Shows your income statements, um, and you'll have your funds presented in column format the amount of revenues that were recognized the amount of expenditures That were incurred and and recognized in the financial statements and then a category right at

109the bottom Called other financing sources and uses and that category for fiscal year 25 is really primarily used for the accounting of transfers between funds that Ultimately the board is approved and then also for the bond proceeds that were issued during the year associated with fire prevention and life safety bonds Ultimately looking at your your operational funds I think collectively on a gap basis your ed accounts o and m Transportation illinois municipal retirement fund and working cash collectively were within about $77,000 of our operational revenues piecing with expenditures a slight decrease across those funds So needless to say i'm a healthy set of financial statements For fiscal year 25 One of these slides here. We just wanted to draw some attention to the district's self-insurance You maintain an internal accounting system for the self-insurance account.

110Ultimately that activity is consolidated Within the general fund for external reporting purposes, but that particular activity for your your self-insurance plan experienced an increased claims and You know ultimately your estimated expenses were outpaced by your actual experiences and ultimately the fund reserve for that particular group of I guess insurance claims was reduced by about 1.4 million dollars in fiscal year 25 That's not something that i've typically seen in the past I think this is definitely an anomaly year from prior years But just something important for you to understand took place during fiscal year 25 Um the the district's single audit, which is a federal compliance audit that we perform is not fully completed yet and the reason for that is because the Federal government releases what they call compliance supplement and that document is what

111all the auditors in the nation are required to use to conduct this work That document was issued in draft form and wasn't finalized until around thanksgiving And as a result of that we were able to perform our procedures using the draft information But weren't able to finalize our audits because those rules weren't finalized yet and we're still subject to change So we fully anticipate being able to complete that we have more documentation We have to perform in our files to make sure that we appropriately addressed From the draft to the final and all the consequent reviews that took place after that But based on all the preliminary work that we've done to date I don't anticipate any changes to take place. Um, the district expended about 1.9 million dollars in federal awards The program that

112we audited as major was the special education cluster or the ida program which was about 1.4 million dollars The testing procedures that we performed got us to about 69 coverage 20 percent is what's required and we're ultimately on uh going to Render an unmodified audit opinion regarding compliance with the use of those award dollars and that no Internal control matters were identified during the course of that audit as well And then last but not least is part of conducting a governmental audit We're required to assess your internal control environment for the design of conducting our audit And if we identify any risks in that process we'll report those to the governing body and also to management I'm pleased to let the board know that again for another subsequent year We did not identify any material

113weaknesses and internal controls and that there were no instances of non-compliance with laws or regulations that were identified During the course of our audit I'd be more than happy to take any questions at this time I know you guys this is your second time through the presentation. So No, great. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Thank you. Have a good evening. Thanks Okay, the next discussion item is the annual renewal of the agreements regarding the receipt of developer subdivision contributions and indemnifications Is that you ali? So i'll I'll present that so we usually have to do uh, have this approved every Every year these are impact fees primarily collected from the development and unincorporated lake county We haven't collected those in a while, but we have to do in case if there are

114any development than in corporate areas. So that's Pretty much sums it up And this is an action item later into the agenda tonight Any discussion in regards to this? Okay Moving on transportation vehicle plan So this plan is being presented as a follow-up to a conversation we had or a presentation that was made earlier in the school year There has been a lot of thought given into an updated plan based off of Um downsizing and a replacement plan There's also been a lot of conversations just coordinating processes and making sure that We have some procedures in place to hold ourselves accountable for the use of vehicles and their upkeep As well, so this is a follow-up To what was previously presented with additional information based on the feedback that was given at our board meeting

115And we will take action on this too later in this agenda. Yes, and so brandon haze is here to Provide that update Thank you So tonight we're requesting board approval for a revised vehicle downsizing and replacement plan along with adaptation of standardized administrative procedure with district vehicle use So the goal is to modernize the fleet reduce the total number of vehicles lower long-term costs And improve safety consistency and accountability across deerfield and highland park high school So what changed since we initially presented this? So initially the proposal included six minivans two SUVs and one sedan With an estimated cost of three hundred and ninety three thousand The revised proposal is a result of feedback from the board regarding reducing replacement options Exploring rental alternatives and restructuring the utilization of our non-school bus fleet So after

116reviewing two years of actual vehicle usage data and incorporating a deeper dive into gathering feedback from athletics student services department chairs security special education department Administration and our mechanics we refine the plan so the revised proposal includes four minivans one compact hybrid sedan and one activity bus Reducing the acquisition cost by sixty one thousand while maintaining service levels So we evaluated renting vehicles using historical usage data over both buildings So over a five-year period renting would actually cost approximately eight thousand more than purchasing So ownership remains the most cost effective and predictable approach In the event a rental is needed The requirements necessary to rent a vehicle are outlined in the vehicle use procedure An added bonus is the ability to resell any vehicles that are no longer needed By vehicle usage history that will

117be monitored via gps So we are requesting three things first vehicle purchases four vans one shared use van at each school one security designated vehicle at each school The compact hybrid sedan would be for driver education and a replacement of an activity bus the oldest activity bus at highland park high school second approval of disposing of 17 legacy vehicles with an average age of 12 and a half years With sale proceeds applied directly to offset the purchase costs And third, which is just as important the adaptation of updating administrative procedure for vehicle use So the a short breakdown of what is in that procedure is who is authorized to use a district vehicle The required training that includes online self-paced training courses behind the wheel training Specifically for the use of activity buses and driver

118record review So their driving act abstract would now be required to be submitted online beyond a driver's license currently Which vehicle types may be used for which purposes the distance the passenger and approval limits Prohibited uses so safety expectations including a driver and road view dash cameras Which we have on all of our school buses currently with the ability to track and respond to the driver behavior Um as far as it even can speak to you if you're not wearing a seat belt I'm just a sort of added note there. Um, it standardizes our request through existing systems Creates a clear approval chain and ensures consistent enforcement across both schools So the financial impact the total acquisition cost is approximately 332,000 And we estimate 153 And proceeds from the vehicle sales of the 17 legacy

119vehicles Resulting in a net cost of roughly 179,000 There is no net fiscal impact for fy 26 And annual impacts in subsequent years are modest and already planned in addition We anticipate approximately 25,000 per year and maintenance savings due to newer more reliable vehicles and less vehicles Also, this plans result in a net reduction of 12 vehicles While improving reliability and clarifying how vehicles are used Our fleet partner has advised that a january approval is necessary to secure pricing reserve production slots and ensure Delivery this summer possibly or in time for next school year Delays could result in approximately a 10 higher costs and reduce availability So in summary the data driven cost conscious plan reduces fleet size Strengthens control of a formal procedure improves safety and avoids unnecessary future costs Is there any questions

120about any of this? Thank you for taking the time to go back through and figure out a solution that you know made sense For running the business as well as fiscally. So thank you. I also want to commend you. Um We had several meetings um following um the board meeting and Just like the proactive approach like you laying everything out really seeking the feedback of the staff at the buildings who use the And district administration who use the vehicles for a variety of purposes I also think it's important to build the confidence and trust of the board too when they're taking action the fact that Clarified protocols are in place to ensure safety but also appropriate use of the vehicles Um, I don't know the overall plan was just really thoughtfully done. So thank you

121Thank you Great Um, we'll now proceed to action items It is recommended the board of education accept the annual audit for the year ending june 30th 2025 as submitted by baker tilly virtue uh kraus May have a motion to approve the recommendation So moved. Is there a second second? Is there any discussion? Hearing no further discussion a roll call vote, please Mr. Nieder. Aye. Mr. Brunk. Aye. Mr. Heineman. Aye. Ms. Newman. Aye. The motion carries It is recommended the board of education approve the agreement regarding receipt of developer subs Subdivision contributions and indemnifications as presented may have a motion to approve the recommendation. So move is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Hearing no further discussion a roll call vote, please. Mr. Brunk. Aye. Mr. Heineman. Aye. Mr. Nieder. Aye. Ms. Newman Aye, the motion

122carries It is recommended the board of education approve the purchase of electric bus charging equipment from Cummins Sales and services in the amount of thirty nine thousand five hundred and fifty eight dollars and eight cents May have a motion to approve this recommendation So moved. Is there a second? Second. Is there any discussion? Hearing no further discussion a roll call vote, please Mr. Heineman. Aye. Mr. Nieder. Aye. Mr. Brunk. Aye. Ms. Newman. Aye. The motion carries It is recommended the board of education award the contract for the ev charging infrastructure project to power link incorporated in the amount of sixty three thousand three hundred dollars May have a motion to approve the recommendation. So moved. Is there a second? Second. Is there any discussion? Hearing no further discussion a roll call vote, please. Mr. Nieder.

123Aye. Mr. Brunk. Aye. Mr. Heineman. Aye. Ms. Newman. Aye. The motion carries It is recommended the board of education approve the statement of completion for health life safety amendment number 17 For work completed in 2024 at Highland Park High School. May I have a motion to approve the recommendation? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Is there any discussion? Hearing no further discussion a roll call vote, please. Mr. Brunk. Aye. Mr. Heineman. Aye. Mr. Nieder. Aye. Ms. Newman. Aye. The motion carries It is recommended the board of education approve a vehicle downsizing and replacement plan and adoption of a standardized administrative procedure governing school-based use of district vehicles Suburban's activity buses and yellow school buses may have a motion to approve this recommendation. So moved. Is there a second? Second. Is there any discussion? Hearing

124no further discussion a roll call vote, please. Mr. Heineman. Aye. Mr. Nieder. Aye. Mr. Brunk. Aye. Ms. Newman. Aye. The motion carries It is recommended the board of education approve the closed session minutes that are to remain closed I'm, sorry. I'm having really hard time seeing all of a sudden Closed or open from August 5th, 2025 through November 18th, 2025 is presented It is further recommended that the board approve the destruction of the closed session audio recordings from September 11th, 2017 Through july 16th 2024 as presented may have a motion to approve the recommendation So moved. Is there a second? Second. Is there any discussion? Hearing no further discussion a roll call vote, please. Mr. Nieder. Aye. Mr. Brunk. Aye. Mr. Heineman. Aye. Ms. Newman. Aye. The motion carries The next item Is the consent

125agenda items including the consent agenda will provide to all board members in advance and made publicly available as part of the meeting agenda A board member may pull any item for separate consideration. Does a board member wish to pull an item off the consent agenda for separate consideration? May have a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented So moved. Is there a second? Second Great and I will give the bill report. Thank you, Ali. I Reviewed three bills Thread house custom apparel camp jeff and apple computers All three were aligned with what I expected all the paperwork was as expected Is there any other discussion? Hearing no further discussion a roll call vote, please. Mr. Brunk. Aye. Mr. Heineman. Aye. Mr. Nieder. Aye. Ms. Newman. Aye. The motion carries there being no further business.

126May I have a motion to adjourn the meeting? So moved. Is there a second? Second all those in favor say aye. Aye. All those opposed say nay The motion carries this concludes the business of the township high school district 113 board of education for the evening at 8 51 pm Thank you for your time and participation