001[Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] thank you foreign [Music] thank you [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] thank you [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] thank you foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] thank you [Music] thank you [Music] foreign [Music] I'm ready all right the board met sorry a closed session previously on the exception C1 C2 and C11 um nc21 I like to call to order a recall to order the Tuesday September 12th Waukegan Public School Board of Education meeting if I could have a roll call please Mr McBride yes Miss Gonzalez Mr riddle president Miss Hannah Miss Fabian president miss lensing present president president Ewing yes we do have
002a quorum so miss Gonzalez is participating by phone due to uh work which is an allowable exception the board has already published it on her participation at both the closed and the Open session with that I like a motion to go back into open session so Move Motion by Mr riddle second second by Miss uh Fabian all in favor signify aye aye any opposing a we're back in Open Session um I'm going to ask Mr Christensen if you be so kind as to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance so I do want to First welcome you all for coming this evening to Waukegan Public School Board of Education it has been an exciting time here at the beginning of the year as we are back into the full of things it's a month in
003school already which is is crazy but we appreciate the efforts of all those involved um just a couple housekeeping things or thank yous first is uh last weekend September 2nd we were able to take a group of students down to the football classic uh so it was a HBCU college fair as well as the football game so uh major kudos to all of those who helped to support that initiative and Endeavor it was a long day I started at 7 30 we didn't get back till about 10 but the kids had a really good time so we appreciate everybody who made that happen and excited to see more events like that happening in the future as a reminder we board please keep your calendars clear we'll be reaching out to make sure that we can
004schedule a closed session event with our iesb rep so there was not a time for this first week and I know we were out at a conference for the remaining four days of the week so we'll be looking sometime in the next two weeks when the ISB rep is available and you all schedule allows obviously we got Homecoming coming up so there's a week of fun and exciting events please follow the district's Facebook page and the Waukegan High School Facebook page to learn how you can get involved and support with that I'd like to move forward with item 6B which is the student board member report uh thank you president Ewing uh for this current meeting I reserved the balance of my time for the student board member policy discussion thank you Angela uh hinojosa
005we have our Spotlight on 60. [Music] I am proud to be a principal of Carmen Buckner Elementary who is piloting full day Pre-K we all know that research consistently indicates that full day pre-kindergarten programs offer a wide range of advantages that positively impact children's cognitive social and emotional development this school year I have two wonderful teachers who are ready to take on the challenge and implementing this full day pre-k program foreign I think we are doing a good job with the community because a lot of parents need this service and we have a great balls for the children so I am so excited children that are in pre-k have a lot of benefits one of them is that they are ready for kindergarten they are exposed to a lot of vocabulary they have a lot
006of books they know some basics of Science and Math so they are very functional so my first expectations is teaching the kids behaviors and how to behave in a classroom setting because this is their first introduction to the school setting so I like to make sure that they know how to socialize with friends how to use their words and express themselves then we get into the academics and we merge that with the social emotional learning to make sure that they're understanding the way to socialize with friends when they're expressing their knowledge on letters or on numbers or on anything they're working on their favorite part of the day I would have to say is when they arrive to school because they're very excited to see the teachers both me and the other teacher in the
007room they always come in and hug us and they're very excited to do their name because they feel accomplished that they were able to do it so the parents communicate with me they're very excited for four day Pre-K because it not only helps them adjust with their work schedule but they feel that the students are getting acclimated to the school environment and they feel that they're not complaining about going to school they're wanting to go to school now [Music] is [Music] all right [Music] I wrote my daughter Olivia in pre-k where she had turned three her first year in pre-k was only a few hours it wasn't enough for her to expand her mind academically now we're transitioning to doing a full day Pre-K it's gonna be a lot greater I mean if she learned
008so much just in a few hours coming to school for pre-k her first year I can imagine how much more she's gonna learn her second year as a full day student it makes a big difference it really does I am so excited to be bringing stem activities to our Pre-K not only does it bring out creativity collaboration empathy perseverance and some Integrity it helps them develop the 50 protocols for how to solve any problem in life with a all-day Pre-K and with a regular instructional period I already see those little synapses forming and all those brain patternings working to develop the best foundation possible for an amazing generation to help take over our world [Music] full day Pre-K enables a more comprehensive curriculum that includes art music physical education and Hands-On experiences so we're really
009proud to be the first in Waukegan Public Schools to be implementing this and we hope to see it grow next year thank you [Applause] all right superintendent Placencia board president Ewing members of the board I want to take this opportunity to thank the two or three people who made this possible Roz Harrison where are you there she is [Music] and of course our two pioneering teachers Miss Dina Garcia and Miss Sonia chuga who are being Brave and Bold and making this happen so I just want to give a moment of opportunity to thank our wonderful teachers at Carmen Buckner for doing this thank you I saw Dan Navarro oh yes and our Encore teachers Miss Navarro Mr Jones in music Miss pollen in art and Miss Lindsay Payne NP all right all right good job
010yeah [Applause] no you said I just had one you said that you hope it grows and um you're just one scoop right yes that has the full day correct okay um well basically we have to work out this is our first year doing it so we're figuring out the Kings we're working them out we're going to figure out how to perfect them for next year and for you know throughout the year um transition certain transitions walking down the hall to the lunchroom Pre-K students experiencing the lunchroom with kindergarten and other students that's a whole right you know ordeal it's a it's a project so we're getting better at it as time goes as well as going to Encore so yeah right we're working and and you're you're hopefully we can get another school two schools
011with this with everybody preschool or expand.com all right very good good job good job I just want to make a quick comment as you're making your way back to your seats um I am selfishly jealous because this is what I was looking for six years ago so I'm very excited for the community to have a public school option for these very important formative years so keep up the great work and I agree let's get it expanded thank you thank you all right we have a set of minutes for approval uh we have approval of the minutes uh for the special Open Session board meeting for May 2nd 2023 um and these are coming back because we didn't have a enough members who were present to actually be able to vote for it so I'll take
012a motion to approve item 8A approve on the minutes a special Open Session board meeting May 2nd 2023. so moved motion by Mr riddle seconded by Mr McBride any comments corrections to the minutes uh only board members that were present uh that are currently still in attendance tonight are Mr riddle myself and Mr McBride roll call Mr McBride yes Miss Gonzalez well president Ewing yes so uh you technically you still want to call everybody my recommendation for those who weren't here would be the past Mr riddle Mr McBride Miss Gonzalez Mr riddle yes Miss Hannah um so abstaining because I don't even know how we could vote Miss Fabian yes Miss lensing pass president Ewing yes item approved motion carries so again the majority of voting members have voted into affirmative Miss Anna and again
013it's a technicality but we want to get them approved for the record but unfortunately that was the evening that we only had myself Mr riddle Mr McBride and Miss Callahan Wozniak who was no longer a board member uh item next item is item 8B approval of the minutes of the Open Session board meeting for July 25th 2023 motion to approve motion by Mr riddle second by Miss Lindsay in the uh comments or questions on the motion corrections to the minutes uh I guess all in favor signify any opposed Nate Minister approved item 8C approval of the minutes of the special Open session for August 10 2023. motion to approve motion by Mr riddle second by Miss Fabian any comments questions corrections to the minutes all in favor signify what I I any opposed name Menace
014are approved we now have our opportunity for public comment as the sheet comes forward just a reminder each public speaker will get three minutes unless you need translation services then you will get six minutes to allow for the translation we do ask and want to remind all the speakers of Civility we do also ask that you refrain from mentioning student and staff member names in your remarks with that the first name on the list is Maggie hinojosa uh and then I'm going to call you an order so three at a time Maggie hinojosa Pat bookovich and Randy sabeki so I'm gonna do it in Spanish yeah so if we can get a translator all right and so there's six minutes on the clock so whenever you're ready uh and just as a reminder as the
015translator Gets Ready is this is opportunity for public commenters to speak to the board uh Administration will take notes uh we are not able to respond so we will listen whenever you're ready my name is bengost okay so good afternoon everyone my name is Maggie I am a proud graduate of Waukegan Public Schools my four amazing children are also enrolled in the Waukegan schools in Australia so I come here today to express formally and publicly my worries about a problem an actual problem in our in our district Solutions okay so I would really like to believe that we are advancing quickly to find solutions for all of our problems as a district instead of appointing with fingers and blaming others is so it is not a secret that Jack Benny and the rest of our
016schools have long-term substitutes that are assigned to cover um to cover long term I'm sorry long term yeah so long-term Subs in order to cover the positions that are currently um not built uh and in terms of the teachers that are affecting our community is so we are all we are all aware that some of these long-term Subs are retired teachers and because of that for those teachers they are only allowed 120 school days without altering their retirement plan is so we all know that our students need a stability consistency and Trust um yourselves and all of us we would not be here today if I were not for those teachers that helped form to who we are today Senora Placencia is so miss Placencia I would like to direct personally and I would like
017to know what you are doing as superintendent as a district to go forward with a current law that is known as the program for the return of uh right to return the right to return the right to return for retirees please take note that there are only a hundred days before these teachers have to leave their classrooms Studio Fondo okay um our children they deserve the best more than what we are currently giving them please let me know when you are available and your schedule in order to do a meeting between yourself and I and any other parents who would like to assist so we could talk about this further is please remember the wise words given by our grandparents only when we take from society and we don't return back nothing left will be
018nothing left will be bird s oh okay I'm sorry it's right here okay while we only take from society and not give anything back there will be nothing left to harvest for the future thank you mentioned next name on the list is Pat vukovic and miss volkovich your time will begin whenever um yeah when you restart speaking okay um I have two concerns tonight number one I attended the wrap around Center informational session last Tuesday the school board's attorney made a statement that both surprised and offended me and a few of the other attendees she said the families in this community are disorganized this was her way of explaining why so few people responded to the needs assessment survey which was on the district website I live in this community as do did the other
019two non-non-district attendees I am not disorganized and it surprised me that this was coming from the person who cannot get meeting minutes approved or foia's out on time once again my husband was waiting for a foia that should have arrived by five o'clock yesterday and this morning had to send out a reminder to the board attorney and the board president and several hours a couple hours later he received at the foia that he should have received before second I don't know if how many of you saw last week there was a news report that said that 12 Chicago Public School Employees were fired or resigned from their school administrative jobs for applying and receiving coveted money from the PPP loans even though they lied on their application for the loan their misuse of federal funds
020unrelated to their school district employment caused them to lose their jobs let's go back to the alleged forgery of financial documents by an area superintendent in District 60. if this is true and I don't know that firsthand and the misuse of these funds was actually committed within her job description I'm wondering why this person is still employed here if you'll remember last year there was an employee that was let go you fired her and then you reconsidered the firing and ended up paying out a settlement so if this other administrator from last year is gone why is this one that allegedly did something similar is still employed here thank you thank you Miss Milkovich what have you started speaking Mr sabeki all right so I just passed out uh a pamphlet of pictures I took
021at open house at Jack Benny Middle School I want to know as a parent of kids that go to this community we talk about mental health you look at those pictures and you tell me what the problem is with those pictures this is the condition of one of our middle schools wires exposed hanging out the walls holes in the walls brand new ceilings that we spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to put in stained from leaking pipes you tell me how this school passed an Roe inspection before the school year these are all violations and a lot of people don't know our local code Code Compliance officers and our Fire Marshals have no jurisdiction in our schools even though our kids go there they have no jurisdiction they can report it and it goes back
022to the regional office of superintendents office it goes back to Roe so you tell me how these past inspections is this why we want to keep people out of our schools from people that know what they're talking about because it's pretty funny this was after the last board meeting before this board meeting and they're already over there they have those wires pulled they're pulling this stuff off the wall they're painting all because I said something if I didn't it'd still look like that so I'd like to know we talk about what Ms just said about disorganized this district has disorganized and it's been like that for a long time very unprofessional and we fight amongst it we don't listen to the community we don't it's not about the students when we sit here and talk
023about students first and all this we put 12 million dollars over at 214 Washington Street but we have a school looking like this Mr McBride when you ran I remember you brought pictures of rusted cans out of date cans and stuff to show everybody and you you were on the pass board members when you got elected so I would like to know from you what you think of these pictures and this is in our buildings this is the only District that I know where the employers are told what to do by the employees and dictate you only have two employees but they tell you how they want to tell you how long you can talk you have to notify them if you want to go to any of the schools and what for you or
024the employers you guys dictate that second before we walk out we spent a lot of money on school IDs this is my son's school ID for Jack Benny Middle School what's it missing a picture why is this we spent lots of money so why are these being handed out to students with no pictures so that means any student can use these anyone can go into buildings with these because there is no pictures and my last thing in my 12 seconds also at that open house and this is directed towards Miss Fabian do you represent the school district when you're there as a board member or isbe because why are you handing out isbe business cards in that District business cards for teachers to contact thank you Mrs Becky next three names are Peter Rivera Anthony
025McIntyre and Elizabeth Rivera in that order so Peter Rivera is first yeah time will begin when you start speaking Mr Rivera if teachers and coaches are leaders how can they lead in a good example making false promises telling players that if you are going to be committed you have first right to top teams as an adult an adult teacher or an adult coach does he or she have a right to bully a player when a parent sticks up and stands up for his or her son daughter yes what are some of these things that I can bring up to you are past history just a year ago but yet they continue to happen today not much has changed no I have a lot of friends I came into this country migrated just like you I
026went through the school system here proud of me the culture that I am and where I graduated from but it breaks my heart to see what our kids and I have now through the years I have Community friends all over the place in the North Shore I have friends over there that tell me hey let's put something together and let's work something there in the Waukegan and they're not even from the Waukegan School District and they're willing to help me to do a program sports related but for what for the mental health of these kids and to prepare them for college yet I have it blows my mind that a coach is going to belittle allow volunteers to speak and belittle the players and yet these players are so passionate about wanting to play that
027they are willing to shut their mouths and not say anything if you were to openly speak up and talk to these students to these athletes talk to them where they feel safe and comfortable where they can open up to you you will hear their hearts and you will hear their frustration so you tell me how socially they can adapt to anybody and everybody else around I have been able to connect Bridges between Waukegan to the North Shore and the unity has happened but yet when you have a coach when he separates players no and this coach last year even made a comment to another District conference coach I don't even want to coach these kids I can't I don't like coaching these kids because they're they're not even um eligible they don't listen if they're
028not eligible why do you have them on the bench this was last year ask me what's going on this year according to a player that's on the bench there may be some players that are not eligible there so why would it why would a player want to go through the wall for a coach that's not there for them so in close you know say just like in that one movie Remember the Titans attitude reflex leadership these kids have a very poor leader in front of them Anthony McIntyre and then uh would be Elizabeth Rivera time will begin whenever you start speaking Mr McIntyre it is important to me that I stand before you all to make a point very clear that point is that I do not have a price tag on my neck the
029amount Foundation is not for sale for some reason there are those out there in the community as well as some staff members here in the district who have questioned this which I find insulting there are also some out there who believe that slavery still exists or that I will be paying a debt to society until I die for a crime I did not commit 30 years ago which equals free labor neither is true we have proven ourselves time and time again throughout this and other school districts to be effective with our youth effective with gangs affected with de-escalation yet contrary to some belief we have not been compensated for any of it any of it this District picks and chooses when we have value we do our work on behalf of those who need it
030who need help in the community I speak up about issues that I believe require my voice when I am silent best believe that it is with purpose no one whether a Community member a city official School Board member or superintendent can sway me from a position that I feel strongly about an attempt at such will end in simple failure that said we extend the continued handle partnership to wps60 in any way that they wish to accept it on behalf of the young people and the staff members rather that be working with base program in Middle Schools or with student Outreach to help with students who need extra supports with the dozens to whom we advocate for or simply the occasional call to assist specific staff members all that we require is respect the very respect
031that all of you expect for yourselves I am no enemy of this District I simply am a friend to truth and fairness on another note I have had an intimate relationship with the criminal justice system for decades I know a crime when I see one and a crime has been committed by your area's superintendent why is this why this has not been turned over to law enforcement is actually no surprise to me it reeks a privilege and favoritism forget a higher standard when will you hold your staff to the same standard that you hold the children and their families for me MS vukovic she says alleged I'm not saying alleged I'm telling you that it happened I know it happened and for me this board should be doing something about it it's a poor example
032that you give to the community at Large thank you Mr McIntyre that's a bit Revere as the translator come for us can we set the clock to six minutes one sec okay they're ready God bless you all right I'm here as a moment and I'm here to raise my voice for myself right now he is considered one of the best soccer players but not just for her but not only for him but also for his teammates foreign and I don't think that that is correct and that is not just now that is occurring from last year so I was able to talk to him and the only thing that he did was start bullying my own Sonos and I don't think it's fair especially if the students are trying to better themselves through soccer is
033there are many students that are high Achievers just so they could have at least a minute of playing soccer so I've already done it at the school but I'm here to ask what you are going to do because I have asked at the school and they have said that they are unable to do anything because I'm the only parent that has complained no no other parent or student has done so you think that by me raising my voice I'm a problematic person I don't think I'm a problematic person because I consider myself to be a mother that would do anything for their children and there are currently three students and their baby there may be many more but that they are afraid to perform that they are scared to raise their own voice and defend
034themselves foreign my son is one of the students um because there are currently two students that have a chart in their jerseys because they don't want to deal with that coach and my son is one of those that wants to to raise his voice for his teammates I know that I'm not the best mother but I know I'm not the worst and what I'm doing is for them to have a good future and for everything to go right for them no so it hurts me to see that my son who is passionate about soccer about wanting to leave soccer because of this one person and I tell him no the only person that can take anything away from you is God considering is please I do ask that you take this petition that I am
035asking you as I think that you are above the schools if you are unable to help me then where am I supposed to go next I figure I have to get help somewhere else in order to help these students eStudio is so I know that there are many of the students in the team they are not only High Achievers and academics but they are in this team so they're not involved for example in drugs or gangs or doing bad things out there medication foreign I have been told by other individuals who have laughed in my face I'm saying that they weren't going to do anything but what I told them is that there's a first time of everything for everything and I'm here raising my voice please I beg of you to please help those
036students because I don't want these students to steer off on a wrong path due to this person may God bless you all as well as myself to give me peace thank you next three names are Angel Beltran Amy Montalbano and Christiana Hannah in that order so Angel Beltran hello good evening um to everyone my name is Angel you heard my name my son has been waiting seven years to reach the high school so he could play in one of the six um Innings but he hasn't played in any um my son has been doing all of his schoolwork and doing well in school just so he could play but he's only sitting on the bench for what he comes home and he comes home crying and um he's just frustrated and he doesn't even want
037to go to school that is all thank you thank you Mr Belcher next name is Amy monteblano foreign members of the board superintendent I'm Amy montebano president of the Prairie Union I just wanted to take this opportunity to publicly thank you guys for the ratification of our new contract this contract represents a strong Foundation one that was built by both the union and the administration it is our hopes that we will continue to have open communication as we grow with our new contract the goal of our Union is to be respected and treated as the professionals we are to support all students and earn a livable wage and this contract is a road map to do just that on behalf of my union we would like to invite you all to the union hall to
038review the terms of the contract that are important to us and to have a greater understanding thank you thank you Miss matabano next name for Christian Hannah good evening everybody tonight I have a lot to say so bear with me and please talk to me after if I go too fast but tonight I want to address um first the superintendent one of the two employees that the board is responsible for this is a public call to action for the board to address the conduct and provide appropriate coaching for her conducts I was contacted by several staff members about her disregard and disrespectful demeanor from which I was told she walked into a school building she did not speak to anyone at all despite walking past multiple teachers and staff members and an AP she walked
039up a flight of stairs stayed for a few moments came back down disappeared for a short amount of time until she was seen backing out of the parking lot in her car I believe this is an appropriate conduct for a leader of this District the same leader that stood in front of a pack crowd of Staff members at wisefield saying that she was excited about this new school year and how everyone was supported and respected and how we're here for one another superintendent where's that energy that you had at weissfield where's the energy that you had when the cameras were on shouldn't the head of the suit of the district be somewhat professional and lead by example I exit each and every board member up there representing the community address their employee with appropriate actions
040about her inappropriate conduct next I received several calls and text messages regarding taking away student and taking away teachers and staff lunch lines and designated areas for teachers and staff to eat and break a lot of the times there isn't enough time for staff members to leave the building to get a meal on their break especially when there are events that cut into their lunch time such as behavioral issues are fighting bring back the lunch lines and designated areas for the support and show support for teachers and staff members lastly at the last board meeting I heard the most absurd thing that I've ever heard from a board member the board member said and I quote I hold my comments and I don't say nothing because if I say something instead of 10 we may
041go until 11 or even longer he was speaking about the timing of the board meetings and how long they go unfortunately the business of the school district does not stop because you're tired or unwilling to perform the duties in which you were elected to do if you're not saying anything or withholding your questions ideas suggestions or anything for the betterment of this District what is your contribution why are you sitting in the seat during the time you also mentioned that you as the board members are doing a disservice to District 60 by staying long hours I would like to say no sir you are doing a disservice you're doing a disservice to this District keeping your mouth shut for the sake of time how is how is doing that representing the people that elected you
042for this position and if your opinion of this meetings that are going too long and you reserve your voice thank you Miss Hannah rayon Edwards and then Phil mioni are the two final names so in that order so Mr Edwards the time will begin when you start speaking I come in peace I'm not going to scream and holler tonight but I think maybe I should start putting on a suit and tie and then maybe I'll be taken serious too right every time I come here um I'll be having so much I want to talk to but then when I get to listening to others it besides me off track Amy I appreciate you coming tonight speaking speaking on behalf of the work you guys did to get the paraprofessionals to contract but I'm gonna need
043you unions to start speaking for these teachers how they're being treated how they underpaid and a lack of support it's disgusting and that right there is what affect our kids because when they're hurting they ain't gonna take it out on them they're going to take it out on them babies and the babies is feeling all of that if I arrived a bank I'm going to jail if I sign a check that don't belong to me I'm going to jail and I'm asking each one of you board members and any staff in this district and I'm not understanding because I've even talked to the police and they telling me that I can't even press charges on this area superintendent that forced the HR signature that's unacceptable are y'all worried about a lawsuit and we always talk
044about race is not an issue but I'm starting to wonder really is it because I remember Dr Hillary and I'm saying a name because I have permission I remember her and I remember how we talked about it how we prolonged it how we dragged it and then y'all got this woman up here talking about this community disorganizing she's supposed to be working for us the nerve of her who we don't know is doing anything because she seems to can't keep the minutes intact I got a 17 year old cousin his name is Tyrique Lester he deaf he'd be 18 Wednesday y'all ain't did nothing he don't know nothing and we still got Dr B in charge of the special education for what what is he doing how many of his staff have y'all talked to
045the no to even know him that big old long email about all those things about him that didn't just come out the sky y'all those come from for your requests and he's still working what what message are y'all sending to potential employees and you wonder why we don't have none dear we we dropped the houses because we said we was too heavy on Administration have we counted the administration today is this why we can't pay our teachers what they're worth them security guards they making 17 20 an hour and then kids is messing them up but y'all don't want to give them 25 30 an hour and they do more work than any of y'all and anybody in that Administration because they got to deal with them babies every single day y'all owe us something
046better than what y'all giving us seriously Amanda Patty needs to be thank you Mr Edwards final name and do want to remind or ask that speakers are refrain from mentioning staff members names or comments Mr mayoni uh good evening my name is Phil mioni I'm a parent teacher and Community member and I'm sorry Mr mioni I if we can start his time back I do want you to use the mic just because it's being transmitted online okay foreign I said my name is Phil mayony I'm a Community member teacher and parent s I'm gonna give you back your minute because your timer didn't do it right but I will say this that's how many teachers who have expressed concerns in this District feel about how their concerns have been met meanwhile the charter school and
047the old Kmart keep getting bigger the first commenter mentioned long-term Subs currently there are over 150 positions in the teachers contract that are unfilled by full-time teachers why you should know the answer because I know I do I'll have more to say after Thursday's negotiation session thank you Mr bioni this concludes our public comment thank you to all of those who came out and who spoke superintendent took notes and team members are here and back in order to address concerns next item is our consent agenda there's only one item so there's no real reason for a consent but we have item 10A approval of the phase two purchase of items for the digital Equity Grant thank you do you need a motion to approve yeah well yes if I can get it back boy president
048do you need a motion I do I'll make a motion to approve that well I need the recommended action one item I'm sorry superintendent just from a protocol you can read it it's only one item the academic Ally uh yep uh it is the recommendation of the administration at the Board of Education authorizes superintendent or her designation proof phase two purchase of items for the digital Equity three Grant the total cost of phase two purchase says 74 130. Mr riddle motion yes motion okay second by Miss Fabian any comments questions on the motion roll call vote Mr McBride Miss Gonzalez Mr riddle yes Miss Hannah yes Miss Fabian yes Miss lensing yes president Ewing yes I have improved motion carries we're now at purchases and contracts so we have item 12 renewal of Stepping Stones
049formerly EBS vendor management contract do we have we got to read the recommended action this is purchasing contracts these are separate items this isn't a consent agenda it is the recommendation of the administration at the Board of Education authorizes superintendent or her designee to approve Stepping Stones formerly known as EBS vendor management contract to manage the hiring billing and regulation of costs for service contract vendors at an estimated cost of three no 300 3 million two hundred thirteen thousand dollars Mr riddle a motion to approve as the emotion the action is recommended by the superintendent motion by Mr riddle second by Miss Fabian he comments the questions on the motion yes go ahead uh Miss uh Hannah and then miss Leslie well this this to me is um is just appalling it's absurd this is
050outsourcing our services and we wonder what is going on with um with um with our districts uh staff in terms of why they feel devalued because we're Outsourcing and bring in people that are going to be getting paid more than our District staff this is absurd and I will not I will not be supporting this and it becomes to me through my experience the Outsourcing that is happening has never happened in our district before and we are Outsourcing everything and we wonder why people come to the podium and say that they don't feel valued and everything else this is something three million dollars unbelievable Miss Lindsay um so can we have whoms responsible for the hiring process come to the podium so I believe that's Dr bubble it's not Mr Figueroa Dr B is this
051your recommended item thank you okay that's all it's just all they know outsourced yes Miss hunting um can you just help me understand why there's a need to use this service to fill positions it was my understanding that Department should be hiring out because I'm going to Echo the same sentiments but to save time not repeat them so can you explain that for me sure again I want to thank Miss Hannah I thanked her before for bringing this issue up it is a concern we prefer to hire staff regardless of related service teaching Etc we prefer to hire them through the district each one of these related service areas are in a state and National crisis there aren't enough for anyone to go around I've unfortunately had to use Contract Services in the three districts
052I've worked in we cannot do the work without these staff I'm not sure I'll call Outsourcing we're bringing people in to work with our students many have been here for many years and we've been doing it for decades before I was here and we've been using EBS as one of the the groups that we use we use many different vendor groups to provide we can barely provide the services we need to now due to this shortage I have my staff looking at resource fairs recruiting and universities and building Partnerships this year as a mandate and a directive for me to for them to work to get staff to come and work for Waukegan but right now we can't service IEPs without these critical staff many of whom like I said have been here for a
053long time and are dedicated to our children and so it's not ideal I don't like it right but I can't do my job and my staff can't do their job for our students with disabilities and others they help other students as well through mtss and otherwise without this it's unfortunate that that's where we are in education with teachers related service medical professionals but that's where we are the universities and us and the Educators and the board and the governor need to start doing something so I appreciate you asking these questions because it needs to be out in public right this is a crisis and we cannot continue to do our jobs like this so I have I have three follow-up questions and because I understand we have a larger item I'll keep it to that
054so what do you see as the Director of the department as reasons why people are not choosing Waukegan where I believe we were the leader in this field why are they not choosing to come to Waukegan the thing I hear the most is money and again I'm not hearing it firsthand right this is often for my coordinators or other related service members I know that staff have left for ten to twenty thousand dollar raise I can't control that that is that is the primary reason and there are some people that prefer to work with contract companies for various reasons I can't speak for them flexibility they don't need benefits whatever that is um I could do an anonymous survey Maybe I don't really know that it's my business to do that but we can look
055into that but I would say predominantly money whether coming in or going out and so those young staff members may not come here and there is a shortage we are competing with the surrounding districts in Chicago who pays a lot more so I'm just gonna Echo back what I told Mr Figueroa in a prior meeting based on the information I'm getting and it's not just specific to Waukegan but it's other areas as well money is not the main contributor as to why people are leaving so I'm just going to recommend that maybe it's a conversation you have with a superintendent or your direct supervisor on this Anonymous survey to understand that climate because I I think that's off base um I do also wonder was this proposal run through the diversity equity and inclusion department
056or someone to do an equity review to look at the salaries that they're getting through the contract Service versus through the district because if they're going to leave the district just to get hired by this contract company to get more pay or other benefits that it would entice them to go that route that creates a conflict of interest I've not run it through with a diversity and Equity we do not have that I know of employees who've left and then been hired by the contract companies if there are please tell me I'm wrong and let me know I'll talk to those companies but I am not aware of any at least during my tenure when you have one group is favored you're either creating resentment or you're creating that issue where people are going to
057leave um I don't disagree but Dr Publix can I chime in here um we don't set the pay from the outside agency right and can you give the rationale of why we're going with an outside Agency for these positions and the impact if we choose not to or if we choose to a couple things one of the things that this particular contract addresses in Vendor management isn't is the ability to regulate contracts across multiple vendors we can choose other vendors because through procurement we need to get people in but we prefer to do it where our rates are regulated and so we try to keep costs down and try to keep them the same for the very some of the very reasons that you just mentioned between district 7 contract stuff one contractor making say
058whatever 65 and one making 70 why is that because they're from a different company or whatever right so that's one reason and to answer question um why do we do this we do this to provide services for students students with IEPs nursing Services we don't have many but psychologists which we're running short on we don't get a lot through contract if we do not do that we will have students who do not receive speech language Services Social Work Services Psychology Services and counseling and assessment nursing Services whom I'm missing OT we're down one we're working on bringing someone in for that and people are retiring and we need to replace right the natural progression of people working retiring and hiring new folks and and we're trying to do that we're working on um items with
059uh for the psychologist example increasing with the psych interns in in working with them for incentives I cannot provide services for children if I don't have the staff we will be mired and due process and compensatory services that will cost way more I Kathy and I can talk but one due process that we win could cost us several thousand dollars should we lose it might cost us a Year's service for two related service staff I'll ask my fourth and final question so um you noted EBS so just to be clear this was EBS and it has now transformed into Stepping Stones through their company's management of the company right general terms correct so how long have we been using this type of service within the district the vendor management contract precedes me so this is
060my fifth year my the 2020 we had a renewal of the contract with EBS so it had been previous to that I'm going to make an assumption it was three years so three six about six six to eight years now okay and before that I'm not sure I'm sorry okay I know we've used EBS previously to that but maybe not a vendor management maybe we did I'm not sure but we did have their employees so what strategies have been discussed worked on theorized to try to move away from this vendor service and instead have a department where it it entices new hires to come to our district sure and like I said we do have things in the new contract with the psychologist to and to increase um hopefully increase the attractiveness of the district
061for interns as far as intern pay and I'll say it wrong pay scale step or Lane I am not a full member of the negotiating team right now with the teacher contract so I and I couldn't mention it anyway so that there's bargaining teams for that um like if they ask I'll give my two cents but so so that's addressing some of those incentives um my team like I said we've been starting to more actively work on recruiting we went to nasp last year that's for the National Association of school psychologists I went to issue with my coordinators for speech language Pathologists I know HR is working with us to collaborate on on paying to go to recruiting fairs National and state associations my team has started a group within them to look at with
062universities we should partner with there's a thing called handshake it's a has it's getting on University job lists when we post so we're working with HR on that um again those associations universities job fairs Etc I've mandated my team to do that like that's we're working on a goal that they have to make two contacts that's that's the best way I can do it and try to provide a department that is um excellent and working conditions that are great but we know and I think you were alluding to this there are a lot of stressors out there and I can tell you one of the groups we work great together I think we're very honest they're transparent transparent with them said if it continues to get worse just from a staffing level right just from
063a staffing level they're ready to walk and so if we were to lose contract employees that help them do their job and stress them more there's no amount of money extra we can throw at them they're gonna walk because they have to have that work-life balance they need to not be stressed all the time and and as you said it's not just here it's elsewhere um so I you know I think that's a real concern I have a question yes Miss Hannah what was your Staffing um when you first came in I don't have the exact numbers I can go back and look but we did have a significant numbers especially of speech language Pathologists um we had several social workers as well and I'm thinking of one or two psychologists that I can think
064of by name so I don't have the exact numbers but I can look into it but we had we basically had full staff no we were short we were short hmm we've never fully been staffed with social work here or Sykes we may have been fully staffed with speech language Pathologists but many of them were contract and OTS and PTs were filled but we had a retirement and it's been very difficult to get those that type of Professional Medical Professional to come and again a lot of them aren't coming to schools oh Christian was the implication of voting no yeah so I think from a process and procedure standpoint Dr bubbles superintendent one of the requests that I know I would have is making sure that as long as these uh positions are worked by
065a staffing agency that they are continually reposted right so is that currently processing procedure Mr Figueroa and I apologize can you grab a mic does someone have a microphone and back for those people that are listening remotely as he does that I can say that I did check them today and all of them I believe are posted I do get notifications if they were to close um again like a great staff one of the related service providers said he noticed it had closed I emailed HR and we got it posted right away right we can go on continuous posting for any position in the district and normally the supervisor will let us know and we will coordinate with them yes I would like to add that I became a principal of North Elementary in 2003.
066I had EVS speech pathologist contractual from the outside working at North school at least let me say I spent there at least 13 years so let's add seven so that will put us in 2010 with a private companies providing some of the support in Staffing for vacancies in Waukegan Public Schools and that's one so these are your speech pathologists I remember explicitly um was a contracted service okay but in terms of social workers and those are the people that's fairly new I will say we have an increase in vacancies in that area number one it was created also because last year we had six new positions because there were some grant money for that and then this year we have some resignations so they combine effect of that is that we have a larger number
067of vacancies in that area and so uh my final question it is so I want Clarity around that just process and procedure that we're continually hiring as long as we're using a Staff Agency we talk about individuals that have been with the district even through a staffing agency for a number of years I do want to make sure that we are given other opportunities to those that may be external candidates that are looking for those roles so I appreciate the clarification on that and then um my only other point is the risk that if we don't do this is that we would be considered out of compliance by not providing these supports correct significantly are we out of compliance now there's some areas we're looking at providing compensatory services to students yes yes so we
068are so this would make it worse yeah yeah it would make it significantly worse all right Mr President I would like to add that when the professional staff in the diverse department is attending professional development fairs or any type of professional development State meetings or anything like that we're asking we're really coordinating that they just don't just attend but that they also let me know what the fees or any information regarding us being able to buy a space or a table so they we can showcase Waukegan Public Schools and make an effort also to recruit regardless if HR is involved or not if they are attending this professional development meetings they should be able also to represent the district for some hours in one of those tables thank you so uh there was a request
069superintendent uh you guys can take that back to the staff to address the overall climate it's not the first time that we've heard concerns so I am staying at because I don't want it to be swept under rug that pay may be an issue but there may be some other issues that we can actually put things in place to make it a more attractive climate overall and I believe that was board member of lensing's uh main point it is a significant cost but the significant cost is offset by we're not paying District employees that we would have to pay in order to do these Services right so it it uh and I want the kids to get the services but I do want us to make sure because we all have said it now and
070so we all agree that it's much better to have these individuals as District 60 employees and so I want that to be our goal and I would like superintendent just this I'm not instructing you uh in that way but what I am saying as a board if we talk about goals right and we talk about vacancies is putting goals around vacancies and bringing that number down is something that we can come back and Report out is because if we if it's I don't know I'm not even going to say a number if it's 10 today right is it going to be 5 next year and we can be able to then report that to the community as tangible growth so I think what Miss uh and I don't want to speak for Miss Lindsay but
071I think what the board is saying is we want to see movement towards closing the Gap and so you talked about things that you're going to be putting in place in order to address that as a boarding board member I could not in good faith not support this as a stopgap measure but I do want to make sure that we are continuing to try and bring these people into our district uh and then just Kathy I did not uh see it when I went through it and it could have been my oversight but just one of them is an anti-uh I guess poaching Clause right so in the same way we can't hire their employees there should be language in there that prevents them from hiring our employees and that would address the concern of
072at least to work with what's happening now to work for district 60. so if you find incidents of that give us a name because we want to address it with the vendor because if we have to switch vendors and offset that again if it's happening it shouldn't be the same way we can't recruit from them again you're bringing it Forward give us names and we will make sure that we have it addressed uh Miss Lindsey final point because I don't see anyone just point of order how long the contract floor just to refresh people's memories it's one year correct uh we can terminate this contract upon notice I believe it's 60 or 90 days and is there a penalty to that no not the way I read the contract thank you I did check several
073times on that thank you Mr McBride yes Miss Gonzalez Mr riddle yes yes Miss Hannah no Miss Fabian um due to the implications of the lack of services to some of our most vulnerable students I would have to say yes Miss lensing I really don't like being forced into a situation and that's what I feel this is so along the sentiments of Mr uni or Mr Ewing and uh Miss Fabian I will be voting yes but I have high expectations that these strategies are seriously looked at so we can close that Gap so we're not having the same conversation next year I understand that from Mr Figaro's perspective giving that Insight that it's been around since 2003 2010 not quite sure that it's been a component in our district but we need to look for
074ways to minimize that and make all of our departments attractive again president Ewing yes for the previous reason stated item approval motion carries we are now at item 12b approval of asbestos abatement at aoec Rooms 23 and 24. it is the recommendation of the administration to prove the proposal from Midway Contracting Group LLC in the amounts of 31 100 for a vessels abatement at aoec in rooms 23 and 24 to support classroom Renovations for future student use motion to prove motion by Mr riddle second I heard Miss Gonzalez first any comments questions on the motion yes go ahead Miss Hannah um this is a um a 31 000 contract so did that mean that it did not go out forbid Mr Moulton good evening members of the board superintendent staff and Community um so for
075this particular project we did receive four proposals this is the lowest of the proposals received for this scope of work proposal or bid proposals Miss Hannah okay um so uh and what is with bids right um the proposals come with requirements as well right yes ma'am the bonding the insurance all of that stuff right yes ma'am okay yes okay and where where they did this company from um I would need to look at the attachment I know this company has worked in our district prior to get the specific location I mean they are a state-based company in Illinois but they've done some abatement for us in the past they have but we can confirm their residence and present that back to the superintendent for the board that's really not thank you um the thing is
076I just want to make sure that all of their paperwork is in order yes ma'am okay and when are they going to do this work so go ahead uh that just uh quickly with that one I know for the sake of time but if you want to answer that question I mean it's the attachments all of that go ahead yes um so they have a tentative start date of October 9th but their start date is subject to board approval they have not started yet right but what I'm saying okay is it okay during that time that's when students absolutely and so it has to be you know protected during evening yes and all of that yes ma'am proper protections uh will be set in place and this work is going to be happening in the
077evenings this is not going to be happening while school's in session right now you already know okay once you mess with asbestos it's floating and so even though you're doing it in the evening that next day students and staff has to come back in that building so what is the plan where we're going to be protecting those uh those people from floating asbestos sure so if I could provide a little detail on that and what I'm going to reference is kind of our standard procedure because we've had to do some emergency and some routine asbestos removal during the day as well as in the evenings we set up a containment area we have negative and air machines that will exhaust the air out of the room these rooms are on exterior walls of the building
078so we will have those containment areas set up at the conclusion of the project we take multiple air samples which are required by idph to ensure that the air quality is good prior to occupancy so we will be doing the work in the evenings that is the schedule that is the plan and there's multiple multi-layer campaign containment set up to make sure that there's no cross-contamination with the rest of the school okay so that is our plan with this project as is consistent with our other asbestos abatement projects okay I just want to make sure that it's going to be safe for students and staff yes ma'am absolutely thank you uh Mr riddle well it was just it's not that important but I see that we need these two classrooms is that because of expansion
079at AOC is it because of these rooms are going to be used by the junior rotc's they were presumably not used presently Etc yes so um the plan is for expansion for student use for the JROTC program in the spring semester they're not currently utilized by students we have some storage we do have some staff but in order to have full occupancy for student use we need to take this step good thank you all right roll call vote Mr McBride Miss Gonzalez just hold yes Mr riddle yes Miss Hannah yeah Miss Fabian I just want to say thank you for investing in aoec and yes I'm just cleansing yeah Safety First yes president Ewing yes I improved motion carries we now have uh item 13 B and there was already a request so we're going
080to read that motion it is the recommendation that the Board of Education accept the administration's recommendations to approve the appointment's retirements extensions and accept the resignations and bond on schedules f1002 with the exception of certified Staff Schedule x a one South Latinos Barger the print is very small who will be voted on separately l949 and g660 motion to approve second motion by Mr riddle second by Miss Fabia all right roll call Mr McBride yes Miss Gonzalez yes Mr riddle yes Miss Hannah yes Miss Fabian yes Miss lensing yes president Ewing yes item approved motion carries and now we have an item two or do we have a we need a second bro yeah instead of making it much now so uh Mr riddle can you do a motion to prove okay okay so um okay
081so I make a motion to approve uh the um individual listed on Personnel schedule f1002 third name as an mtss teacher a second motion by Mr riddle second by Miss Gonzalez any comments or questions on the motion um I have I just have a comment um I am you I'm opposed to this um just because some information came that brings a lot of questions and concerns In fairness and Equity um so I I just have to make that known thank you Miss Lizzy Miss Annie you said you wrote it broke up Mr McBride yes Miss Gonzalez yeah Mr riddle yes Miss Hannah no Miss Fabian yes Miss lensing no president Ewing yes item approved motion carries we are now at the we have one administrative appointment at this time I'd like to introduce Dr Kevin
082Brown who will who previously served as the high school High School academic chair over social studies at the Washington campus he will now serve as the assistant principal at Jack bunny middle school with the starting salary of ninety five thousand dollars congratulations Dr Brown on your new appointment [Applause] all right thank you superintendent next up we have our financial reports we have item 16a the ratification of the first processing in September 2023 board bills manual check request payments and Old National Bank insurance payments for the period of August 16 2023 through September 5th 2023. it is the recommendation of the administration at the Board of Education ratified the first September 2023 processing of board bills manual check request payments and Old National Bank insurance payments for the period of August 16 2023 through September 5th
0832023. the accounts payable board payments for the period of August 16 2023 through September 5th 2023 totals 4 million three hundred seven thousand nine hundred forty three dollars and seventy five cents the manual check request payments for the period of August 16 2023 through September 5th 2023 total one million three hundred twelve thousand twenty eight dollars and twenty eight cents though National Bank insurance payments for the period of August 16 2023 through September 5th 2023 total 2 million two hundred nineteen thousand seven hundred fifty two dollars and 35 cents motion to approve motion by Mr riddle second by Mr McBride any comments or questions on the motion yes um the um I I vetted the um the financial report and I am seeing a pattern of um spending that is very Troublesome to me and
084maybe not to other people but it's very Troublesome to me and um so there and there's also items that are on the financial report that I have uh questions about I am still um still in the process of going line by line with the with the financial report and so um I will not be voting in support of this um today I know bills have to be paid and the other board members will will pass the um the motion uh but at this time I cannot any other comments or questions roll call Mr McBride yes Miss Gonzalez yeah Mr riddle yes Miss Hannah no Miss Fabian yes Miss lensing no with similar concerns as board member Hannah president Ewing yes I've approved motion carries we're now at Item B open to hearing on FY 2324
085original budget it is a recommendation at the board of educate education through its president of the board officially opened the hearing on the original budget as prescribed I make a motion that we open the hearing motion Bob Ms Hannah second by Miss Lindsay any comments or questions on the motion all in favor signify with aye aye any opposed nay we are now uh have an open hearing so just as a protocol uh this has been open uh I've turned it over but if there is a specific question related to the budget for the community this is an opportunity for you to ask that question Mr President you want the parties present to ask questions no not first I just was making the point that they would be able to because it's a change in procedure
086for a typical board meeting okay thank you okay good evening Mr President ladies and gentlemen on the board superintendent Placencia this is our budget meeting for the 2024 budget as a precursor I'd like to make our staff as well as our community members here and those at home we're looking at us on TV aware that we've had three budget planning meetings in the process in order to get to this point also we've provided public notice in the paper and that document is attached in the documentation you have for tonight's meeting for the public that I could do it online where we've published the awareness for the community that we'll be having tonight's hearing also the last point I like to make is we also have published the ISB document as a component of tonight's meeting
087so that's also available for product review Lee can I add the first slide please let me get the wrong presentation little technical glitch we'll begin here in a second we start with the philosophy that we want an equitable budget a budget that supports the needs strategic needs of our students and also the instructional process and operational needs the superintendent's commitment is indicated for the public and for your review as a component of tonight's presentation focusing on a strategic planning process this is a system we've utilized for the last eight years we no longer roll over budgets each year we examine from an instructional and operational sense what are we going to do why are we going to do it which are the resources you have teachers involved with the principals at school level you have
088the department heads involved they uh their materials and their submissions are vetted for the by the deputies and then that's even shared as with critical friends in the strategic planning budget committee prior to that becoming a isby document that's been shared with you across the budget workshops next slide pleasely next slide thank you the strategic planning process focuses on four basic principles transparency I've spoken to that a little bit we want to make sure that teachers the department heads the community and use board members see what is going along in the budget process and that is published through the budget workshops that's used as an educational instrument to ensure you as board members in our community are made aware secondly equity we've seen the picture where the kids are watching the ball game each at
089a different level they have different needs so Equity drives to the needs of the students as opposed to have everybody have an equal piece thirdly sustainability we don't want to willy-nilly buy items or purchase services or employ staff we want to make it a cognitive eyes open deliberate and long term if needed commitment of resources resources follow the need and each year those needs are examined and finally return on investment we want to make sure that what we spend our money on we spend wisely next slide please this is essentially a process you start from left to the right you can see our strategic excuse me our district priorities research-based pedalogy instruction we Embrace diversity and Equity all leading to Student Success our goals an umbrella if you would a stable budget we're maintaining the
090pulse of what is happening so that we can also monitor expenditures and revenues to ensure we can optimize our dollars for our students and for our needs we talked a little bit about the strategic planning process you're all very familiar with that as board members it's a process where we examine within the schools within the Departments within the divisions and with our critical friends in the community they look at it from a different perspective so that we provide the best possible services to our students with consistent processes within our system and consistent policies that do not cause confliction we feel we can reach our goals and finally the far right you can see we wish to reach measurable outcomes that we have metrics that we can prove that we are making progress here for you
091in the community a few of the highlights across the budget process you'll notice we began in December well ahead of this budget year you can see the timelines I'm not going to read them for you but I will highlight a few budget plans are placed together at schools and departments they're reviewed they had a timeline in February again well ahead of the budget year you can see the budget workshops and we tried to keep the board in our community aware as the budget changes I.E specifically any changes in state funding things of that nature and the challenges that we've been provided we make sure we include that in our budget assumptions which refines the budget to give you the best possible product we've noticed it for our community we want to be transparent we also
092have had a review period for a month where people from our community can come in and ask to see the USB budget or talk to us about strategic planning process and we were available to talk to them and finally we are here tonight for the formal adoption of budget with that I'm going to yield the floor Mr Chen will follow me and Mr Louisa will go over some numbers that you've seen before and some of the community members may have but we have the most up-to-date information for you again the entire isbe document is available as an attachment for tonight's presentation thank you as a reminder to the board and community members I am going to ask if you have a question please write it down to allow for the presenters to get through the
093information thank you Mr Lattimore good evening board president members of the board superintendent community and colleagues so as the title of the slide says why are we here well this is the adoption of the District budget for the 2023-2024 school year the budget is the financial translation of the district's strategic plan the ultimate goal is to direct Financial Resources towards addressing priority areas of need that will produce the greatest return on investment next slide please a budget development committee was convened on April 21st 2023 to review the FY 24 budget requests as received from schools and administrative departments this meeting served as one of the Platforms in which feedback and questions from committee members is gathered in addition to the public budget workshops that the business office conducts committee members included school board members Mr
094Ewan and Miss Hannah parent and community members school principals and District leadership the meeting was held via zoom and facilitate facilitated by Mr Marvin bembry a lauded life coach motivational speaker and former corporate executive with extensive experience and large-scale strategic planning next slide please thank you as Mr Lattimore stated I will reiterate the pillars of the strategic planning process foreign which are district-wide collaboration prioritization of goals and corresponding action steps and supporting resources and sustainability as the illustration on the slide demonstrates each of these essential elements are needed in order to make the process work next slide the district aims to produce a strategic plan and corresponding budget that is fiscally responsible transparent inclusive and Equitable and that comprehensively addresses our our greatest areas of need Mr luosa will now continue the presentation providing an
095overview of the financials thank you Mr Chen and Mr Lattimore good evening everybody this next slide is the um property tax extensions the last two year on the left side it's the tax year 2022. on the right side was tax year um keeping the taxes level over on the right hand side top right we have pending tax receipt not included a revenue 260 000. that came from an email that we received from Anthony Vega the county clerk and he had noticed that there were some undistributed monies for many of the county governmental organizations he had mentioned to us he sent us an email noting that our piece of the pie was 260 000. we have started to receive those we received we're getting many daily deposits towards the end of August and into early September
096so we've started to receive those Monies we haven't received all 260 000 yet but we've we've received a good portion of that uh next slide please the uh this is the a pie a pie chart on the education fund Revenue projection uh we have a local revenues made up of property taxes and cpprt which is Corporate personal property replacement taxes that's considered local and uh those are the major sources and that uh local total is 52 million four hundred fourteen thousand uh it's noted in the top right hand portion of that slide the federal is over to the top left 53 million 454. and some of the major grants from that national school lunch program School breakfast program title one two and four grants Ida flow through lip lips which is title III Medicaid and
097Esser basically the sr3 grant oh and state state is revenues projected at 138 million 326 000 uh most uh mostly made up of evidence-based funding and some funds coming from Early Childhood grants and special education claims so next slide please we'll go through the operating fund projected fund balance this is uh this is where this is a slide where our financial profile is built from and it contains education fund fund 10 operations and maintenance fund fun fund 20. Transportation fund fund 40 and working Cash Fund 70. we have an estimated beginning fund balance as of July 1st of 2023 for the educational fund of 82 million 621 000. we've projected revenues of 244 million we've projected expenditures 268 million and so we have a deficit of about 24 million dollars and so that would drop
098our estimated fund balances of June 30th 2024 from 82 million to 57 million 964 000. operations and maintenance starting with a beginning balance of a million seventy thousand projected revenues 12 million 317 000 projected expenditures 13 million three hundred and estimated fund balance 768 dollars Transportation 7 million seventy three um a thousand for estimated fund balance revenues 15 million expenditures projected at 16 million for estimated any fund balance 5.9 million and working cash beginning fund balance 27 million projected revenue is 211 000 estimated ending fund balance 28 million the totals of all four of those funds are noted in the far right with a grand total uh fund balance at the end of June of 24 91 million 927 thousand the other funds is on the next shelf slide we have Debt Service fund 30.
099Municipal Retirement Social Security fund 50 capital projects fund sixty tort fund 80 and Fire Prevention and life safety fund 90. we're noting the estimated fund balances for Debt Service 924 thousand projecting revenues 5.9 million expenditures 4.1 million estimated fund balance 2.6 almost 2.7 million Municipal Retirement Social Security uh 1 million 379 000 beginning balance revenues 9.3 million expenditures 9.1 million estimated fund balance 1.5 million capital projects we have an estimated fund balance beginning 7 negative 17 million 367 thousand projected Revenue 20 million 96 000 projected expenditures 24 million 0.96 000. estimated ending fund balance negative 21 million three hundred sixty seven thousand seven eighty two Ard fund we have an estimated beginning fund balance negative 763 thousand projected revenues 5.2 million projected expenditures 4.3 million estimated ending fund balance 134 000. and Fire Prevention and
100safety 3.7 million beginning balance projected revenues 1.1 million projected expenditures 3 million estimated fund balance one million 869 000. the totals of those five funds are over on the right side negative 12 million 0.78 648 estimated fund balance going down to an estimated fund balance of negative fifteen thousand fifteen million one hundred thirty nine thousand eight sixty five if we shoot to the next page or next screen that will combine the the last two slides together on one page the operating funds total and the other funds total and on the right hand side we have a grand total estimated beginning fund balance 106 million projected revenues all funds 313 million 819 000. projected expenditures by fund all funds uh 343 million 517 and estimated ending fund balance at June 30th 2024 76 million seven hundred
101and eighty seven thousand foreign the next slide will note the breakdown of the expenditures totaling 343 million 517 that was shown on the previous slide and we're breaking it down between salaries employee benefits purchase Services supplies and materials Capital outlay other objects non-capitalized equipment and grand total and then we've got the funds going across from 10 through 90. total by object salary is 153 million 169 000. employee benefits 32 million purchase Services 69 million supplies 25 million Capital outlay 32 million other objects 28 million and non-cap Equipment 2 million 949 for a total 343 million dollars shown another way on the next slide is by function and also by fund we have uh same total of 343 million dollars broken between instruction Support Services Community Services payments to other districts debt services and provision for
102contingencies and then we have the funds of course going on top from left to right total instruction 158 million Support Services 166.9 million Community Services 3 million 228 000. payments to other districts and government units eighty thousand that Services 3.6 million provision for contingencies 11 million grand total 343 thousand that's a summary of the budget document that that we have filled out and I believe that uh you have also the ISB document that notes uh the numbers in Greater detail so coming up for any questions if there are any um just some kind of questions but it's still regarding the budget um um the the lunch program thanks to um thanks to the isby journal I found out some information and um I'm just wondering is okay that we're supposed to be getting if we're
103in compliance and certified in our lunch program right and we're supposed to be getting six cents extra for each lunch served okay right now um is that money contained into um our um our budget for our revenues I don't know if the extra six senses but we do have revenue of course projected in international school lunch program right okay and I that would kind of I guess be under um under revenues wouldn't it right it would be revenues correct correct and so um okay because I have to go further with that but this is not the time okay okay but I um and also another question I don't know if we have received any kind of remember the well kind of impact they uh impact piece impact fees you know developer fees um have we
104had any of those I've not seen any in at least the last two three years last two three years correct okay okay so nothing in the budget with that correct oh nothing the other thing in terms of It's a small dollar amount right very small right and do you know about the six percent total because I know what to know about that six percent yeah I mean not six percent six cents I do not know about the Sixth Sense okay but we can look into that okay and that's that's aside from yeah the re the lunch reimbursement okay okay do you know if that would be like a separate source of funds or no it's it's in addition Incorporated with National School lunch yes okay yes okay yeah there's a great article in the uh
105School Board Journal okay this Edition and that's where I've been uh found out about it it's gonna give you an app I'll check with Alicia Williams and okay I'm sure that uh if we qualify for it uh uh they'll automatically pay us that right we should be getting it with the claims that we file each month right right and so um we get reimbursed right for all of our students that are participating in the lunch program right periodically we're audited right and so we have to track uh how much money that we're making for feeding our students and we're not in the business of making a profit right so currently and we've disclosed this publicly that we do have monies in advance about a million or so uh dollars that we have to spend for
106food service because we can only retain about three months of expenditures on hand anything over that we have to return it back to the state okay okay and we just recently went through an audit uh what is right and and I I'm talking in terms of like the budget the budget thing here yeah that's a question for with the budget yeah so what we what we uh project with revenues we don't do one-to-ones because timing of receipts right so we look at our Revenue to see what the trends are in terms of delays and receipts of revenues and those type things and that's what we have in the budget document so you might see when you won't see it like that but let's say we say we're going to spend two million dollars in Food
107Service I might not put two million dollars in Revenue in there because sometimes our reimbursements from the state are not timely so I might put 1.5 in there it all depends on how quickly I'm seeing that the state is reimbur forcing us so I don't think that that is really a concern for us in terms of whether um we're not able to cover our food service I think that we're well able to cover Food Service expenditures right but you mentioned the acronyms the CR yes where a number of years ago when Walt Dottie was here we applied for the program where 100 of our students are considered free and reduced lunch that was uh that we called that back then I think provision two or so yeah provision two yeah right so we're a part
108of that okay okay but we still get our reimbursement we do thank you board community staff and audience all right at that point then I'm going to ask for item six still move to item 16b and ask for a motion to close the hearing or FY 2023 2024 original budget so moved motion by Mr riddle second by Mr McBride any comments questions on the motion all in favor signify with aye aye any opposed knee the hearing is closed now we have item 16d which is the adoption of the FY 2023-2024 original budget it's a recommendation at the Board of Education approves FY 2023 through 2024 original budget as presented on the official Illinois State Board of Education is the document which are summarized on and attached for ease in review any comments or questions on
109the motion yeah um I just want to say um thank you finance team um we couldn't do without you all under Miss Polk's leadership the district has stayed solvent it's gotten emotional because see I know where we were and where where we've come from and I just want to just say thank you all for um sustaining us where we are maintaining where we are and um I'm praying that in the future whether I'm here we're here whoever that we still can say that we are a solvent School District so thank you so much thank you Miss Hannah I won't be able to point uh but Miss Hannah speaks for the board and her thanks uh this is always a very clever process uh it's never it's never a fun process but I do appreciate the
110finance team for always being willing to work with the board at the end of the day Miss Polk say I'm gonna do what you tell me to do [Laughter] and so uh we appreciate your your candor and your commitment for the entire team to make sure that we are physically solvent so that we can continue to serve our community and the students of District 60. so thank you Board of Education with that roll call vote Mr McBride yes Miss Gonzalez yes Mr riddle yes Miss Hannah yes yes Miss Fabian yes Miss Lindsay yes president Ewing yes item approved motion carries I got everybody if if I did not receive committee requests from you I did not assign you a committee because I am assuming that you did not want to be on one for everybody
111in the world don't try that am I on the budget committee I asked we can talk about it offline so committee reports delicious reporter do you have WS report Miss Hannah no I I I I want to know what committees have been put on wasn't going into it it was an email I asked multiple times to have information I sent you that okay so if delegates report do you have one Miss Hannah uh no just that um I know that Mrs Jasmine sent out the um the notice regarding the of fall and um if you have it like me um would apply to her to make sure that we get uh registered and everything for the lake stand up and to where we have the cube conference coming up um this week and um it's
112going to be very interesting very informative and very meaningful thank you Miss Hannah we got item 17c which is super intense report due to the time I did ask that uh it be held because I do want to get to Mr Hannah hosa's presentation that we weren't able to finish but if you want to just mention what it was about so the board is prepared yes um all right the presentation tonight was going to be on the teacher vacancy grant that District 60 was awarded which will award 775 thousand dollars each year for the next three years this money will help us focus on Recruitment and Retention it would allow us to help our paraprofessionals go back to school and pay for that also pay mentors teachers receiving their Master programs etc etc teachers receiving
113certification in ESL or are there lb1 but we will put that on information at our next student achievement meeting if there's further questions thank you all right so these items have been presented for information these are first reading sport please review the plan as of right now is to bring those uh items back for a second reading at our next board meeting so I know we um all gonna be busy this week but please try hard next week if you have questions comments corrections to get those to myself and miss vanderpart um and those are on recruitment selection appointment and then we also have board policy 5008 which is the remote educational program and it's a first reading so oh business we got 19a wps60 versus Jewel at all case number three what was that
114colon [Music] [Laughter] one dash cv-09521-settlement I squinted too I squinted oh yeah no worries but do we have I'll go ahead and read the recommended action superintendent it is recommended that the Board of Education approve the settlement agreement in the form presented by The General Counsel and authorized the board's president the board president to sign the agreement Mr riddle motion to approve motion by Mr riddle second by Mr McBride any comments or questions on the motion so are we getting this money or are we paying this month paying it no I'm just joking I'm just I'm sorry I'm joking I'm joking I'm joking oh this is the case that we were part of a multi-district litigation it's the plaintiff she is it's not all here um so the settlement proceeds we will we will be
115getting okay and so we have okay okay thank you and so are we going to earmark this money specifically so it just don't get put in the pot Miss poke so we can do something else with it we'll we'll bring that answer back to the board of education at another time I have captured the question Miss Polk and we'll get it to the board yeah because we could put that toward WISE field ah roll combo Mr McBride Miss Gonzalez yes Mr riddle yes Miss Hannah yes Miss Fabian yes Miss lensing yes president Ewing yes item approved motion carries uh and then I just want to for the record uh Miss Gonzalez uh joined us by in person at 9 00 pm uh we are now uh here to finish our conversation around the student board
116member proposed policy so we had 19B if we can get the presentation up so we can walk through it it is and we do can we go to new business first we didn't have any new businesses so I want to go through this it's already 9 19 and Mr Hannah host has been waiting if there's new business that you want to bring I'll just ask that you email myself in a superintendent well you bring that's why it's on the agenda sir to be able to bring it now well new business is business that wasn't previously discussed so if it was a new business item like this item was or a discussion it was going it was underneath it it would be under new business and I'm not talking about talking about it now right but
117put so talking about it or requesting it should be an email go ahead Mr uh Alexis good evening uh board president superintendent board members colleagues community members and uh student board member Mr hinojosa so if you guys will remember last month in in August as the presentation States we left off I believe it was on slide eight so we had gone through the first seven slides the last thing we had discussed though did not receive board concurrence on I believe there was going to be discussion or you guys would uh talk to president Ewing was about rank voting and so we're going to go on to the next Parts um and again this just for a review Mr hinojosa had worked with board member lensing and board member Gonzalez on some potential changes to the
118student board member uh policy and some of the changes would uh go into what the responsibilities of the student board member are potentially Deputy student board members the voting process and such so in the first couple slides if you'll recall we discussed some of the current processes as well as some of the administration's recommendations we're going to just kind of try to quickly go over some of these last slides um the first one talks about a succession plan and in the proposed policy it talks about a detailed succession plan including students being able to take votes to potentially replace the student board member uh in reviewing it with some of the things and you guys can see there is um there's currently not a succession plan in place one's not being recommended recommended for the
119sake that it's the role is it it's uh it's a one-year appointment ends in an advisory role I mean ultimately if we get to the point where we see that the student board member isn't fulfilling his or her duties if there's problems with attendance if something comes up where these things have come up and they can no longer serve in that function we always have the option of offering it up to the individual who was the second place finisher depending on the time of year obviously in April or May that's more feasible than say November when there's only maybe a month left in in the term and maybe that's not the most feasible way to go about it so that's the recommendation uh you know so that's something that the board would have to decide
120on I don't know if Mr you and you wanted to do it like we did previously where there's any discussion on that or if we just move on let's say go through them and then we'll go back and kind of just okay yes sir no Congress you know kind of get consent yeah next part was the the length of the term on the next slide uh right now as you all know the student board member starts from January to January it's a one-year term uh there was discussion in the policy about um two parts one do they want to move the term to August um and have it serve kind of along with the school years and two make it make it a two-year term so the recommendation is that it remains a one-year term
121and that's uh partly to allow other students have an opportunity now ultimately for students in say Victor's situation or in I believe the last time we had a sophomore elected was in Raven's situation you'd have the option to run for a second term um if they choose to but by making it a two-year term that's kind of disqualifying maybe your current Juniors from running and we know that a lot of times it kind of takes students some time to kind of gain their voice kind of gain their confidence maybe they don't find that until junior year as a sophomore they may not feel comfortable uh running for student board member or representing the student body and so we wouldn't want to disqualify those Juniors from doing so also um like the last part says yeah
122if a sophomore is elected they would have the option to run for the second term but the recommendation at least on our end right now is to maintain that one-year term with the option that students like Victor would have the option if he wants to run for a second term there's nothing disqualifying him from doing so uh next part is the Deputy position that's something that was discussed and also giving some duties and some authority to a potential Deputy student board member and so the board would need to decide as they want to create the deputy student board member position to serve in place of the student board member when the student Burberry is not available in a meeting or does not as we discussed earlier reasonably follow through with responsibilities so the recommendation based
123upon the school code is that we remain with one student board member given the school Court states that the board May appoint a student board member and so the way it's read is that it would be one student board member um and I know we had discussed with Victor some of those other responsibilities with the student board member or the deputy student board member as we're working to get the um superintendent student advisory commission back off the ground that's something I know Victor is very passionate about that we're looking to get moving kind of once the board decides what this policy is going to look like because that's going to determine some of the responsibility there that's something that I know there was some discussion about having some authority over should there be a deputy
124position um other ones there's some additional duties the administration supports the expansion of the responsibilities of the student board member that were laid out in the policy there's some things where the uh Victor and miss lensing and miss Gonzalez would like to see some additional responsibilities including uh you know laying it out that the outgoing member swears in the new uh student board member some information in there about um how the student board member May create welcome packets May solicit student feedback which is something that they that they already do there's really not a lot in a policy right now that kind of lays out what a student board member does and so a lot of this stuff here um is kind of in line with what Victor and past student board members have done
125and it would essentially be put into into writing um and then the last part I believe my the last slide is the we ex we do support the expansion of the responsibilities to include some of the following um assuming there's board concurrence provided participation is not a favorite student board member school or attendance at the student Boardman may be invited to serve on some superintendent committees or assist an association of students to participate on committees and in keeping with the board administration's commitment to having hearing from a variety of voices the student board member May sit on no more than two committees that's something that you know is uh been spoken about in the past in addition to attending regular board meetings also they may be invited to address middle school students around student engagement
126and governance once a year I know that's something past student board members have spoken Telemetry students they've spoken to middle school students I know the principals have you know been excited to have them into their building to really showcase them and where they've come from and how they could be great role models for students so that kind of sums up some of our recommendations based upon the initial reviews of the proposed policy Miss vanderbrook if there's anything I'm missing and I realize it's been three weeks since we last discussed this so I'm hoping everybody can remember back then or you took time and watched that YouTube video today to refresh your memories but otherwise um Mr hinojosa if there's anything that what you'd like to expound upon before we turn it over to the board
127to have a discussion please feel free um I would say I do got a good amount of stuff but I want to first ask the board do you want to go through Section through section or do you just want me to just go in general and just say what I thought about it and just I guess my opinion on it um okay then um let me pull up this slide I guess going back up to section the succession plan yeah I think we'll start with that first because we already discussed the last two slides about like policy and stuff like that what would it be exactly but um I would go off and say first that we did discuss saying that because this position is like advisory in nature there is really no need for
128a succession plan but in Mr Alan Jackson's point he did State a succession plan it's just not set in stone and that's what we want to do here right we want to have a set succession plan because at the end of the day being able to have concrete plans of if something happens we have a document saying that's exactly what happens we don't leave it up to chance or anybody's second nature saying oh it doesn't say anything about that we could choose whatever we want to do right whatever the plan that Mr Elijah said if for some reason I can't do my position anymore we go to the second person that got the second amount of belts that's still succession plan it's just not set in stone that's still the same thing so personally for
129me I still feel like a succession plan whatever nature it is it may not be similar as the one that we wrote in the policy but having still a succession plan set in stone so we don't have to go back and forth and argue oh should this person have the right to this or have a legitimacy because they got the second place votes or should we give it back to the students because they're the ones that voted and they have the power to choose who sits in this chair I feel like just having that set of set in stone plan is just common sense and having that set um continue continuity of position right um we'll go now to the next slide um term length Okay I was racking my head a little bit about
130this one specifically right and I have notes Here um the recommendation of the um the administration is stating that obviously having only one term would be more beneficial quote unquote because obviously there are students that are Juniors or Juniors that may not get the chance to go into this position and I understand that fully right but I feel that it's kind of one-sided and I feel more monolithic because we don't let freshmen do it and who's to say they're not prepared either because I was a seventh grader and obviously I'm a different situation right like I'm just someone else but obviously there are students like me in middle schools that want to do these positions and my teachers freshman year were like oh you should totally run for this you should run about this when
131the application comes out and I had to very very kindly remind them that I can't run for this yet so obviously we have the idea of one term but we don't let freshmen's do it but we consider Juniors out of the picture if we do two terms right and I feel like just because of a great classification doesn't change the fact that there's other students that still want to do this right and to the fact that it's two terms that leaves other students Out Mr Alan Jackson did they make the point that there are other student opportunities that are coming up first the superintendent sport right that's another student government's position I'm working with ap audience at Brookside to create a Waukegan High School student government right this is not going to be the only
132position that deals with student governance and every single one of those three institutions this C that board and that Student Government all going to work interconnected as time goes on just because we didn't let a junior if a sophomore wins this election and goes up to their junior to their senior year and that Junior didn't run doesn't stop them from running in the superintendent's board which is one term each and the student government which is planned to be one term each and there is suiting governments within that so at the end of the day I still don't see how to term is a bad idea and it also comes back to the point that one year is not enough there's a lot of stuff that you want to do and you spend about two two
133to three months trying to figure out exactly how you do this job and then you have about what five to figure your stuff out and because how bureaucracy works and how slowly that takes time through the equity process and stuff like that you don't really get a lot of stuff done having two years gives you the chance to really set into stone what you want to work on and if you still did enjoy those two years then well sorry but obviously I feel like two years is still essential because we still have other opportunities for students this is not the only one there's going to be more as the time goes on and also because we still want students to have a concrete plan this is not just some seat that you sit here and
134look pretty obviously there's stuff that you need to do for this right but that's just my opinion on the length term if we could go on to the next slide okay the deputy question yes the school board does State the Illinois school code does state that it's one student a student and just thinking about it that just means a student right but if we look at other school districts just a great example the Community High School District 128 which encompasses Vernon Hills and Liberty Bill they have six three from each high school that serve on their Board of Education and I don't think you know is B is going to come around and say why is there six right I just don't know obviously general counsel if I'm getting anything wrong obviously let me know
135right but obviously if Liberty Bell in Vernon Hills which are really good Great Schools right got six members three from each High School mind you right I don't see why we can't do two right just I'm asking I'm basically asking just generally for one more person I'm asking for six because that's just a lot I don't know where we're gonna fit everybody within this area right six people it's already kind of crowded but um I just feel like just because this states that doesn't come to question that we still interpret it any other way other school directors have done it before Liberty Bill does six and Vernon Hills does six so I don't see why we can't right and it also comes to the question that this job is kind of lonely honestly right and
136it's like you wouldn't want to have someone to work right beside you knowing how this process works and knowing that you got someone to help you out right because I could talk to Joanna as much as I want but she's in college doing her own thing she can't be helping me out 24 7 or I could go contact isab and be like oh can you tell me how this work Works he's busy he has his own life to deal with he's done with high school his era was over right and just having someone that is voted with you as a ticket and still voted as a student board member still giving the opportunity still important right having someone that you could just confide in because the president has a vice president right we're not asking
137him to say uh we you shouldn't have that right and I just feel like having a deputy is just import it and other school districts do it so we're not being breaking any tradition and I don't think any legal code obviously that's the to the point of the general counsel but that's just my opinion um if we could go on to the next slide obviously this section is just encompasses a lot of things that I that we have wrote in the policy and there's some other stuff that I do want to point out um um I'm trying to look through those other point is obviously I just agree with the administration on some of this stuff right obviously creating welcome packets Inauguration being on committees that's all stuff that we agree in that the position
138should have more uh meat to it and being able to do more stuff obviously the policy that me uh miss lensing and miss Gonzalez wrote has more extensive points that weren't added here just obviously I feel like just for my idea because it's just Simplicity but obviously the board does have that document to look over and see what other items are in there obviously like having like a provincial boat basically an honorary both stating that it's not put in as like an actual vote but it's just recorded into the minutes as the student's opinion that's one thing that wasn't added here that I feel is very important um but other than that I just feel like that aspect of basically agree with the administration that we just should add more to this position than what
139we have right now right and I'm just going to make a quick comment on something that I feel is important because uh me and Mr alley jackets have a little fight over this one specifically what we want to do about this and I asked them last year about a debate and his obviously he has stated before that obviously students don't may not have like the voice yet to do stuff like that and I agree that to a point and I'm gonna bring it up again because I still feel like it's important I feel like obviously does the administration does bring good points about the process and the debate I can't agree to the idea that the ranked um that's ranked Choice voting never mind I'm reading on the wrong thing um obviously just having a
140debate I feel is important because at the end of the day students are not really well informed of these positions honestly and don't really have that election vibe that uh vice president Hannah talks about right about having like this big day and big like season that just talked about politics and brings that Civic engagement that we all want in our students right having a debate would bring that aspect into it right and if obviously the reason of student doesn't want to participate in that obviously we have other items right we could have videos we could have essays we could have Town Halls you don't have to be in front of 300 students that's not something we're going to force you to do but obviously still having that option of having 300 students sitting in the
141auditorium and having all the candidates talk about their policies and what they think they should do in this seat is important internet and obviously having that sign of communication having that campaign aspect that's because that's what I did and well I'm sitting here today so I will tell you that it works to a point right and all politicians do it and anyone that wants to get into that political realm understands that that's something you're going to have to do and obviously this is a good a good safe uh boundary space that doesn't bring all the nasty stuff that comes into politics right and here it's a little bit more easier to like really learn that stuff here and more mold it into something else right as you get older as somebody who ran for 8th
142grade president I don't know which was a nastier campaign just say like high school politics is kind of weird drama but I'm sorry but obviously that's just my recommendations but obviously there's more to that policy if that's what you want to discuss but obviously now it's you guys that could discuss whatever I just said and I could clarify any points or bring anything up if you want very quickly I do want to commend Mr hinahosa for uh one reaching out to the board members putting forth the policy to move the discussion forward um you know your time on the board even thus far has definitely every board member brings something different to the role so we really appreciate um the level with which and the thought and care that you've given to this policy presentation
143and even if we don't take all your recommendations that is also politics is uh is you govern through consensus yep you you govern through consensus but I think there was a lot of good information that was presented and put forward so I'm gonna go I saw Miss Lindsay's hand and then I know the the administration is just looking for direction because they're going to help draft the policy that's still going to come back for because I think we did have consensus that the board wanted a standalone policy that we get to for on that yes I believe so well I think we did so we wanted a standalone policy I can reconfirm with the board I don't want to and then once we have that it'll be brought for for a first reading with whatever
144the suggested hard years of this conversation I have another opportunity if they disagree or want to make another case to kind of state it but miss Lindsay um I just want to first thank you that was a lot of work and a lot of follow-up with citations or examples or reasoning and I think that's so very important as you're trying to put this stuff forward so great job um secondly there was some concerning language with um the PowerPoint or presentation I just want to ask that we're not using definitive language when we have components that are up for discussion so when you say it is a one-year term well it's on the table to expand that to two years so when you say that it is this um instead of it is currently this it
145gives an implication that maybe we should keep it that way um and then I I don't think you meant fight with Mr alizakis but there was a like a conversation or a debate right I'm using this is lingo just for the record just just gen Z lingo for the record y'all why would Nick all the time for the record he didn't do that I know but you know the word fight on a national scale I'll just leave it at that we debate yes um so there were a couple pieces oh so with regard to the debate I like how Mr hinojosa you expanded to say it doesn't have to be a debate it could be a presentation and the main goal of that component was informed voters right and so if it I I don't
146want to throw these kids to the Wolves by not having a set list of questions that they can prepare for right because we're not expecting them to be full on politicians again you're a great example but we don't want to Define you as the example right we want a variety of voices so some sort of way where all of the candidates can present that information prepared ahead of time so that they do it in a safe environment I'm going to Echo again the importance of rank choice I get it it's not done nationally I get it that it might take a little bit more effort but I think it's the most Equitable practice um with regard to the concern around two years and it is interesting and I I do wonder if legal or someone
147else has comments about Libertyville and Vernon Hills having multiple but we do have two campuses right and so it's going to be hard for one student board member to be the voice of both of those three campuses I apologize aoac that is my fault we have three campuses um so when when we look at these pieces in my mind if we don't like the two-year term because it eliminates opportunities for others an alternative that we could as a board consider is possibly saying you come in as you're voted in for a deputy with the intent to grow into the student board member position that way you are gaining traction for how the process works you can have a mentor you can have someone to collaborate with and have a support in place and then when
148it's your time to be the student board member um you have the most direct voice if we do have a succession piece in place whether we have three two or one um I just want to Echo the need that we should have students re-vote because as the year goes on while that may have been someone's second choice or it may have been the total second choice things happen in people's perspectives and opinions change throughout the year based on different experiences and they can be more informed so I just want to say if we do have a succession and we need to replace someone I would advocate for another vote and Miss Langston you do have a point there right and we did write in the policy a referendum if like students really don't like the
149student board member for any reason and they want to change their idea and want to put someone else they have the mechanism of creating a snap election and having someone else fit the rest of the term so just for the record uh Miss go ahead Miss uh vanderbrook and I see a couple hands so I saw Fabian first and then I see you Mr riddle quickly on the question of the other schools this isn't going to be a satisfactory answer I'm sure it's the lawyer's answer most likely nobody's challenged it and brought it to anybody's attention that's that's the best I could give on that uh missed Fabian okay um just for me knowing that there's over 4 000 students in the high school and you have one representative I would rather keep it a
150one-year term and not have them go for a second year because it does take away an opportunity from someone else it's just such a I mean it's a one out of four thousand right and so to have somebody do that twice and not give a voice to somebody else to me is it I would rather keep it as a one-year term um but that's just me I do um so when we used to do our our superintendent student council to your point we used to do middle schoolers and high schoolers and that is a way to get that voice in and I think that's what you're looking for is trying to get capture the voice of um you know younger students and give them that leadership role and uh that platform worked really well because
151those students came in discussed issues and I think that's something that um I'm hoping that it does come back and that'll be a way to then give that opportunity to more people and that might be a way to also build maybe somebody up to kind of follow into this role afterwards and support just Port of sorry point of order to clarify So when you say the one-year term to give other students opportunities are you advocating for student board members not to be able to campaign again run again right okay um just a couple of points on it and it's just mine um as well again just to express my opinion I liked what the uh recommendations of the district were I also like the student board member role guidelines that that are published here I
152thought they were very good um I I also favor the one-year term I think the um but I do like uh Mr hinojos's idea about the two campuses and I think it would it would help in many ways because you you'd be offering that opportunity to a junior and a sophomore and there as he mentioned it gives the the board members a chance to talk to each other to talk about what's going on um and and to solicit ideas from each one of their campuses um so I think it would be vital for us to hear um and I think it could easily be accommodated and if it was challenged we'd deal with that but but in the meantime I think it would be something that we could do I think it's an important issue
153for this board to consider because we want to hear the voice but I but again what I agree with Miss Fabian one year is all I think a word member should serve I wouldn't want to put a also a limit on somebody that has to say oh my gosh I'd do it for a year but I don't want to have to be going in for two years I want to try something else so I I still think we should keep it as a one year but I strongly recommend as Mr hinojosa said that we need to hear the voice from both campuses and it gives the opportunity well we can say AOC but that person is available on that campus to go over to AOC you know so I think that could be accommodated and
154as far as some of these other details like um the the selection process you know whether the whether they're going to do a debate or they're going to do a presentation I think that should be left up to the principals in the campuses to decide so you know that can be adjusted we don't want to put that down in in even the succession plan I think just as a recommendation of what we have I think is fine we don't need to it would be different for instance if a board member had to leave right at the beginning of the year they just started in the position maybe they got hurt or they left moved out of the district you know you may want to then go back to the student body and and do the
155whole process again but if you're talking about it just the last month or two of the you know of their term leave it the way their recommendation is don't set it in stone you know leave it flexible for those are my recommendations thank you Miss Gonzalez thank you Mr hinojosa for bringing us forward go ahead um so I appreciate the discussion that the board has had and I appreciate Victor for bringing it forward and um trying to expand the role of the student board member because I think um you know and and a lot of people on the board Miss Hannah especially um bringing it up you know maybe in a previous administration about the importance of student voice um has been something that we talk about but don't actually um maybe practice and and
156and really act on um I I know that we've had significant efforts in trying to get student input but um you know the fact of the matter is that Victor right now like Joanna before and you know all these other people before are their representative and um I during some of our conversations I wasn't in agreement with every single recommendation and I and you know Mr you know Jose knew that um because part of it is political and you you know you create consensus and you can um concede where you can kind of meet in the middle so my hope for this would uh was primarily for it to be a learning experience so what can we do you know what can the administration actually feasibly act on um but how can we actually make
157the experience much more tolerable and favorable for our students because you know I don't I don't have kids um yet maybe question mark But it I mean to Victor's point it is isolatory being a board member is isolatory and if you don't have someone that you could really confide in who knows how the board meetings go knows the kind of issues that are brought up and how difficult it could be to process them um you know me personally I thought oh my gosh like how could one student do it let alone two or seven you know several others um so I I salute Victor and being ambitious and wanting to um propose the term to be longer um but uh you know if if the consensus is that the term remains one year but we
158have more students I'm all for that um because I think you know it's already been mentioned we've we've heard the critiques before constructive and valid that one student can represent the whole student body and you know now it's harder because the campuses aren't shared they're they're divided by their grades um so that would be my leaning and I am in favor of the election um the debate presentation um we don't have to decide in in policy and written word how it goes but um I I think if we set guidelines and this expectation that this is something that the students can look forward to every year um that this is something that our school staff um Can can kind of support you know not unlike the mcfoot challenge now that we do that um I
159think it would help us create a pipeline of leaders locally because I don't want to be doing this um forever uh that we can really rely on and what what Waukegan really needs right so yeah that's how I'm leading yeah um thank you Victor you're very impressed thank you um and um I'm so glad that you are brought forth the fact that you all want more than one because from the beginning I tried to get to one for each campus so hopefully um we could do that but I do want to stick with the one year and um I really want that um that big hoopla election for the kids so that they can truly experience you know what we went through you know it may not be on the grand scale that we do
160it uh but no money involved no budgets involved right one slide or presentation right but it would give them the experience and um even the thought about having to answer questions off the cuff you know the the quick thinking every it's a learning experience and so um I certainly hope that we whenever the policy is made up that we do add that in the um in whatever the rules Rags whatever okay but um this is really exciting especially because I I couldn't even get it at first and I want to thank uh superintendent Placencia for even entertaining the thought to bring in a student board member and so I thank her for that okay and so look we can we can do this we can do this so uh to the question of ranked Choice
161voting Mr alazakis and I think with the right choice voting and I think Mr hinojos uh will support this idea put it to the students the way that you implement rate Choice voting today is you get a majority of Voters in order to agree that that's what they want to move to and so again I don't want to add a lot of work but I I'm trying to like even though it's just a quick survey right is because it's one thing to say we want to move towards ranked Choice voting but to the point it may be where ranked Choice oh ranked oh ranked your Top Choice so that's what is being recommended and we talked about some of the struggles their software that does it if we really want to make that investment right
162uh but I do think like I'm not someone who is convinced that ranked joints voting is a bad Progressive but uh I just would say I would want to give voice because I think it is more of a discussion and it could be a learning opportunity and really to encourage that voice to see if you could get it but yeah that's something that I'm not like I'm open yes Google I'm open to it it's not a no for me um there is a point to rank Choice voting that Mr Alan Jackson is a point that how that would be done on Google forms exactly and originally I was like yeah there's a point to that and I was trying to figure out how it's done and then I remembered that Google forms it can do
163ranked Choice voting you do you can put it in there and just say boom boom boom that doesn't do it it's just a lot of extra math that's basically what it is I'm sorry but it's probably gonna be a lot of math but obviously it's like it's like you can't put it in Google cloud in Google forms because an organization I work for first off first election was a software system but then I don't know what happened and they did a Google form and people got elected they're serving right now so I think it does work on Google forms right and um it is possible just it's good it's a little bit more complicated a little bit more math but since since when was life ever easy right it's just like it's just stuff you
164need to do right and um I feel that I just want to point back to miss Hannah's point about like the big hoopla election cycle type of thing the it does connect to the August framework there's a reason why I said an August framework there's a reason behind that because it's kind of awkward that you run in in December you get a you go in the middle of finals and then you go no that was a very stressful time because I was trying to do finals and also running for this position think about that no yeah but that's what that's that one that's the reason why it's well that's why I didn't want it in January because you run from January to January the entire summer and then you come back and you're like questioning
165stuff and then you're like wait should I run all over again so like August fits that framework at the start of the school year and it fits back to the superintendent's um commission that brings those leaders in and it makes that framework because it brings middle school students into that it's also decided in August more specific August September time frame and the new Waukegan High School student government whatever we call it would also have those elections in August September having those three options like that having those middle school students having that presentation in May coming in and the high school population you got those three options pick one which one you want run for all three for all we want right but you have those options off the bat and let me just say this
166too because I'm thinking uh because the student board member in my mind right was supposed to be the voice of all the students and I know Joanna was very good about spreading from elementary middle and then high school she did all of that and I don't want us to uh just think that this is just for the high school the student board that's a very good point is to represent the school the students and all I know is Joanna had a excellent she was practicing excellent and I think so I want to add to it because I see a lot of hands and it's 10 o'clock so the handpiece is I think what the superintendent just like we do as a board seven of us represent 89 000 people 100 000 if you believe the
167under count so yes there's always going to be a disadvantage of those who make the decisions versus those that they actually govern uh so I think the superintendents and the committee is where you can get more of a student voice and one of the recommendations is that the board member that actually be a job and a task is the Deputy would be the president of that board so that responsibility is given to them I don't know if we support the deputy as much yeah just an example I've been bored I don't want to make that decision but what do we support a deputy or is the recommendation that we try and do a second member I thought we couldn't do it no no the state code our student board member has given us other school
168districts who have other near multiple campuses most people are encouraging student voice and so the school code hasn't been changed because it is an advisory position there's very little risk to having to can we clarify that I mean that can change okay so I think we need to clarify two things right because a key component you know now because of the law we can't right at least in Illinois is that we cannot have the students vote even right honorarily okay that's off the table we agreed on that um second thing is that and and Victor and I and like the three of us we we have concerns about the language of deputy and what that meant but we wanted parody that's what we agreed is that if if it's going to be a student board
169member they could vote their conscience and if you guys disagree or whatever if that's the if that's the consensus that that individual had level footing right it could be student board member number two it doesn't matter so um yeah I just wanted to clarify that so it's not um lost in that yes yeah Mr riddle so my yeah my my uh opinion would be to definitely not have a deputy that has to then serve another year you know that they sit there and can't really they're not really a board member they're just a Dev or an assistant we're going to call them no I would say two equals one from each school so they're a board member they serve one term and that's it they're over it's not it's not a it's not a learning
170procedure for them it's a real they're real a student board member I agree so I understand why we can't have them vote I think that's just while it is a very valid legal term I think conceptually we're using that term so I wonder if it's just they give their perspective before we vote right so they can and it's not a vote and it's just like the students want this or the students would find this helpful because it's not an official vote but it's still giving that moment for that voice to understand where the students fall in the bigger picture in the original intent they were always able to most student board members choose not to and I don't necessarily and I'm gonna be honest my concern is it at London it's only us here right
171it's people who watch it on YouTube is uh my concern is that even as adults we don't always behave in the best way and so when we're taking contentious votes right and then we are having or they feel that they have to provide or pick a side related to a contentious vote that that puts a lot of pressure on our support I wouldn't say it's required but I would say we should provide an opportunity of would you like to provide your perspective I would say that's in our house not for each item we don't do we don't we don't point out to it we've gone through a whole meeting and the only time we talked to Mrs hinojosa is with what he brought so that's my point is that we're not giving or making space
172for that opportunity for him to take or decline so while that is a concept in the intent yeah he'll jump in time to time but I think as the adults we should set the example of do you have a student perspective on this item that's already in our policy it's in our policy I'm not practicing I know but we don't have to change the policy we don't I I agree with with the president we don't want to require that person to vote we don't want to call it a vote I feel like I wasn't listened to in that moment no I heard you I heard president Ewing yeah on the budgets yeah and uh concerned about the budget I think that's what what this is making space and sometimes you may not yeah you may
173not speak up if someone is not intentionally called or you don't feel like they had an opportunity so while it's allowed we can and I'll be honest is I don't call it out again we have someone in Mr hinojosa who I believe is not uncomfortable speaking of if he has a comment yeah but there are other board members who may not and so we want to be more aware I do is like I just know again we've had some very contentious meetings and so like hey what do you think about this and then based on what because yeah I know yes so uh making spaces and remembering or reminding board members that you can even if you're not voting if there's something that you want to say the only time that you have to present
174is not just doing the student board member time and so that is the concept but when it says not practices we don't stop and pause and go Mr and also do you have something to contribute and so maybe more consistent reminders uh and encouragement is definitely possible so to Mr Riddle's point then it's on a policy issue it's a protocol issue and so how do we then create a protocol and maybe it's Mr hinahosa or future uh you know student board members will call out like email you or the board president to say I would like to speak on item 18a or whatever 20b so that when that time comes we do create space for them because I wouldn't want to put any anyone on the spot either it's like yeah do you want to
175talk on this now um so I just I think maybe we create a protocol to be able to better support the policy right and I think our guidelines it's the student board member role guidelines actually addresses that under board discussion it says you are permitted to participate in board dialogue at meetings on issues regarding student concerns curriculum activities when recognized by the board president so the president has asked in the past this baby into saying that it hasn't been so I'm saying that as the board chair I will remember to make sure that I am going to miss San Jose in the mental health Mr and also sends me his uh presentation on time every Monday or Tuesday before the meeting so if there's been a host of things that you are like hey I
176see this policy or something and you want to comment you know you can always send me that email but also always feel okay and comfort pointing that way so I'm supposed to be like hi like I need to say something right and I just want to say that obviously that perspective of letting me talk when it comes to some stuff right and like if there's something curriculum wise that's urgent that I think I need to talk about just me personally I'm just gonna talk about myself for like two seconds I'm gonna say yeah I need to talk about it but obviously I do understand some students and it comes back to like not finding your voice right and not like maybe just sit here and they're like yeah anyways I'm gonna go do something else
177right they're like on your phone or something else like that and just some students it's like that and that comes to the question of the provincial vote obviously you can't vote right and it's just called like that because California calls it like that but it's called like that it's just like like just an example what that is exactly I don't know if we like really explained quote unquote what it actually is like that's when it comes to miss lensing's point that you ask us what we think of the object because that's obviously that's why we're here right you get our perspective to at the end of the day vote on what you think you need to do right and that francovo states in the California code and obviously for us there's nothing in our code
178that states that done it just says that I can't vote legally right it's just I can't go on that thing as a decision Factor if it's four four that turns into five that that's how the motion carries right it's just saying on this specific object if you were given that vote if you were legally required to vote what would you vote what would be your outcome so it's put into the minute separate from that it's like putting the bottom but it says exactly what that is right it's like I'm not legally voting on anything so I don't know how specifically that's against the code because I'm not voting at all I'm just put in my opinion if obviously we could change the name right it doesn't have to see profanity although it could say something
179else right obviously it's just language at the end of the day and obviously we want to model more modern things like California who are going to pass sooner rather than later A provision that pays this position actually and pays spended items like in travel and stuff like that which you know California just goes above and beyond and everything right but that's just how California is and if we want to move towards the future as we always say about empowerment and vision and movement the time is now we can't just like decide oh no only like five years later we're like oh the school code changed let's do it now like when we had the chance to make the foothold and we have a chance to show the rest of the state that this is what
180it should be we should take that as our chance instead of waiting for someone else to do it we gotta cause good trouble like it's really that simple I don't know how to like put it any other way y'all but like that's just my opinion on that fact thank you Miss uh Gonzalez um close out the discussion yeah um two things I think personally I and it's hard to see you Victor but maybe for the preferential vote we can task uh you to work on that at the state level because you have that representation and those committees right um and and that's a question I'll be putting up to the state superintendent but that's another conversation so so that's your big task um I think you know if we have consensus on one thing um
181that we could technically get in trouble for I would I would go with the one thing versus um the two but um so I'm gonna give you homework but like um so you know it's about meeting them I'd rather work on changing the policy right right right and that's the learning experience too for for people who come and you know they have concerns too like I'd love to do some stuff and get you know Volunteers in the community that you know have records and things like that school code state law um and and the second thing is um in regards to the protocol that was mentioned earlier I would encourage that to be a part of the the welcome welcoming book or the the welcome packet yeah um because you know those are things that
182you know it doesn't have to be like a student handbook and something Hefty but I'm already working on that so like you know yeah right right so that's another task that Victor can help with or the next person um but just so that it ties into something concrete that they receive um interesting um so in terms of consensus because Kathy and I are going to be sitting in our offices in the next couple days did they agree on this do they agree on that I don't remember what are we going to put in this policy so where do we have definite consensus and maybe Miss vandenberg's A better note taker than I am that we could begin to build off of one year two students yes so one year I could agree that that seemed
183to be a consensus and the two students is not abnormal I've seen it in many Districts The District in which we've modeled our program after I'm not going to put them on blast has three so it exists um two right now three to be the leader anything else that we do have the consensus on I I know the final performed from the upper so maybe a sophomore in a junior from the upper yeah I still feel that the Freshman could do it if they if they go through it year to year I will say is what we kind of thought about with structure in that Mr hinojosa is we want students especially freshman year to be concentrated on freshman year yes and the same thing with seniors is yeah you're trying to get ready to
184go to college so it's not a I understand your logic and I'm like you if the if the student and their parent and the voters the students are saying freshmen I think you can do this role why are we arbitrarily deciding but I think still even as adults we're trying to say all right you probably shouldn't be running the campaign your first week at the Freshman Center right right and so that is is part of the logic behind it I wonder if to create space for those that are a bit more ready for the role if there we could have an exception procedure that they follow maybe they get recommendations from their middle school teachers that this is a student they can handle it they're ready for it right like they have people that would
185vouch that yes they're capable to maintain both because I mean I remember my freshman year and my experience in Readiness was different from others right so to his point I think if we have some sort of criteria that is set to say if as a freshman you want to run you need to do this extra level because we need you to focus on this so if you have some sort of gauge to say you can handle both like your first year of high school and doing the board member role then I think it should be made possible and that's what the student presentation like that time is for right to discuss that thing like months in advance so if they do want to do it you got those months to think about it obviously you
186have some time during the summer like when you're not doing something you have that time to think yes I'm just sorry uh that's my question I guess because for me um if we're thinking about this as a January start term then that's given a freshman and some time to acclimate but if we're thinking about it August or September do they really know the building no no the high school to really talk to that Elementary Middle School can I speak to the timeline because it's I know it's strange to think because this it feels like the school year just started we start next month in picking our new student board member that process starts every October because in October is when uh the students start to get the information about the position what the position is
187about we usually have the uh all the paperwork the essays all of that do I know it's right around triple I each year so it's like that second or third week in November we'd like to give them three four weeks to get all that together and then after Thanksgiving we go with the vote like where the students vote and then we have the board interviews either in late December or in early January so keeping in mind that the process comfortably right so we're not getting students to go go go rush rush get your uh essay questions done get your letters of recommendation we it's an eight week process so if we're talking about appointing in September we're talking about starting a process in July and I know Victor checks his emails in July but I
188don't know to that point yeah I get what is it and that's why I that's what that student presentation is for like I can't stress that enough at this point right that student presentation in May is very essential because it introduces that Student Government aspect from three levels the school the district and the superintendent right giving that stuff maybe just just a suggestion to keep it in that August timeline having that stuff in May giving that stuff at that point they have the summer to do it because obviously a lot of people during that time do other stuff but at the end of the day you have a lot of free time during that time for a lot of students right not everybody but obviously some students could fill out during that and you still
189got time during that August framework that you're reminded this is that stuff because you did send like a bunch of emails during like September October and November to like yeah the timeline is like you need to like hurry up right I still don't see how that's any different in this situation without you given you're actually giving them even longer to do that stuff during the summer where they can actually think like this is my presentation this is what I'm going to debate like you're giving that time to plan and I feel like that's essential in a situation like this that you're giving them the chance to have this hoopla celebration of like Civic engagement in government right and that's the point that Miss Hannah put out right and I feel like that just brings us
190all in a little bow tie package yeah so uh it's 10 15 y'all uh we gotta all right so miss uh we're gonna bring back a first reading it seems like there's still not direct consensus uh but we have a lot of guidance and some some at least you guys get that that's helpful the heart the conversation has been helpful we'll sit and chat about it look at our notes we'll come back with a first reading proposal and I know Mr al-zaga is that you are on a timeline so I'm going to propose something that I think will be a decent compromise uh but uh we can talk about that um so with that then I'll go to board member time no board member time Miss Fabian foreign I'll try to be brief I just
191want to say I'm excited about the teacher grants I was a para who received a grant to become a teacher and so I know that'll do amazing things for our district because I was a product of that I firmly believe in that um again on a teacher on a Paris salary it's kind of hard to pay for you know a bachelor's level degree so I'm really excited for that but I also want to say hopefully I see the community out this weekend Sunday for our the other independencia parade at 10 o'clock which our students will be participating in and then also next Friday with our homecoming it's Friday night which is the new exciting thing so um hoping to see the community out for our fun parades Miss Lindsay um awesome so yes there's two
192parades on Sunday so there's the earlier one and then I believe the next one is at 12 30. Waukegan Police Department did put out a note giving some rationale around some of the restrictions so I just encourage you go to social media there's information out just have a safe enjoyable time I'm sure it's going to be exciting um I am also very excited to be attending my first Cube conference um so I am curious to see how we're going to communicate some of our key takeaways as a board from the conference to the community so they can see what sort of insights or perspectives we're gaining from this professional development and then I would just like to say that there were some concerning comments during public comment time and so I just hope that the
193the board's going to be kept up to date as we're looking into some of the situations some of them pretty serious and unfortunately they didn't leave their contact information for us as board members to reach out directly so if we can be kept in the loop for all of those concerns that would be greatly appreciated have a great night everyone Miss Hannah okay I just um I I just want this is for superintendent and for um Mr Moten um I want to know why why did we stop uh having the staff lunches staff lunches were being served at the schools that made it convenient for the staff not to have to leave campus and um I want to know when that took place who where who who directed that to be eliminated and uh was
194that um was that truly um thought out because um all our staff were right there on campus they could eat and it wasn't free they had to pay for their lunches and they paid for their lunches but we need to put that back into the school um that that was something that has been there forever and why would we take that away for uh staff to have to leave the campus it kind of puts a lot of liability on us too they're leaving out for lunch and they get an accident we're going to be liable because they're going out for lunch okay because that's been made a part of the school day now I could be wrong but um I would really like to know and if I I didn't answer to this I don't
195need this to go in one ear and out the other because I have been asked about this by multiple staff members particularly well no at all at the middle schools at the high school why do we take that away from the staff yeah so if uh we can make sure that that email and that information is given out to Miss Hannah and the rest of the board members and then if there is a need or concerns by the teachers that we make sure that it is addressed Mr McBride Mr riddle yeah um likewise I'm very excited about our teacher vacancy grant that we just received and I want to thank our district everyone who had something to do with that with us obtaining that Grant I'm also very pleased that our board um uh approved
196the budget it was and I want to thank everyone that worked very hard to continue to plan for this district and and keep us keep a balanced budget as we've done over these past years and keep us in the in the black instead of the red and thank you everybody that that's participated tonight Miss Gonzalez um I have a couple things I wanted to um give a shout out to all the teachers that I met at curriculum curriculum nights at Washington and Brookside um a couple weeks ago um I saw a lot of families at Brookside and I thought it was an exciting time for people to learn the building and to see some other teachers um I was a little disappointed that there weren't as many families at Washington I know some teachers that
197didn't have any sign ups but we encourage them especially first year teachers because you know students start working start supporting their family sometimes parents Guardians have multiple jobs but I just wanted to reiterate that you know um your students education is not important when they transition into high school it's also as they're transitioning out right and so every step kind of matters um so I hope that in future events more people can show out I know the timing is um difficult um but I encourage board members to make it out too um because I learned a lot and we have some really cool teachers um so I wanted to highlight that the equity advisory council is also soliciting applications for new members so if you're interested in being a part of the council look out
198for our application it's on the district website we need more representation from parents and community members and I look forward to seeing everyone at the parades I want to say thank you superintendent Mr Moten for our new chairs oh yeah yes thank you so much they don't look you know raggedy yeah it's look on camera yeah so we weren't here when we to see our faces Mr Moten yeah all of us were like oh yeah so thank you thank you 10 23 thank you to all of those who came out follow the comments we appreciate your passion for Waukegan uh and our students but that I'd like a motion to adjourn go move second by Mr riddle second Miss Gonzalez all in favor signify what I I any opposed nay meeting is adjourned thank you