Westchester 92.5 Board Meeting - Apr 16 2026

001Good evening. I'd like to call to order the uh April 16th, 2026 regular board meeting. Can I get a roll call, please? >> President Wowski, >> here. Vice President Boy >> here. >> Ortiz here. McFersonson Neil >> here. >> Heritage >> here. Sanchez. Also present are Dr. Seni, Miss Delako, Mr. Grass, Mr. Kayata, Mr. Leen, Miss Moran, and Miss Pisca. Thank you. If you guys would join me in saying the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> I need a motion to approve the agenda as presented. Move >> by Cynthia. Second >> Jared second. Any questions or concerns? >> Roll call vote, please. >> President Boyd. >>

002I Neil. >> Hi. >> Ortiz. I parich. >> I. >> President Wesowski. >> I four eyes. Vote. Five. Five. Five. I zero nays. Two absent. Sorry. That's all right. Motion carries. >> Excellent. Uh, audience comments. >> You have one. >> Hello. My name is Alex Angelone, current Westchester Middle School u music teacher, uh, former Westchester Public School student. So, I'm very happy to be back. Um, so part of my role as the music teacher is also directing a musical. Um, so we've been working for the past five weeks now um on The Little Mermaid Jr. Um, the students are doing a wonderful, wonderful job. I couldn't ask for better students who are just so dedicated, so excited, and who match my energy and my occasional craziness and running around. Um, so I just wanted to

003personally invite all of you to our show. That will be May 7th and 8th at 7 p.m. and May 9th at 2 p.m. Um, and I thought what better way to do so than to give you a little taste. So, if you're going to join us under the sea, we'll give you a little experience first. under the sea. We want the man from under the sea. We are the hook. You don't have to worry. That's why it's hotter under the water. The sea excited. Thank you for coming, giving us a little taste. We know you guys have been working hard. um every day after school. Um and I know those are long long um I've had some of my kids participate in the musical before, so I know it's a long long night, a lot

004of work. Um even this is just Cats, but there's Kurt who obviously come in who helps with um all the sets and the set decorations and your parents and the commitment your family members are giving. So, thank you. The musical is a highlight really of the middle school year. Um, I haven't missed one in a really long time. So, um, I know the board members will join me. Um, and anyone out there watching our video, um, community members, we invite you all to come out May 7th, 8th, and 9th. >> So, thank you guys. >> Thank you. Nice big group. >> It is a nice big group. >> I love a little mermaid. >> Choreography by uh Miss Posco. >> That's awesome. So fantastic. Um any other audience comments? Hop that. Right. All right. So,

005next to um I'm going to flip these a little bit. We have district achievements and school students of the year, but I want to do the district achievement first because there's just a few of them. Um I just want to we want to give a shout out to the Westchester Middle School math team for the outstanding job that they did at um the PMSA math competition. Um we had uh team placements and individual placements. So a real nice job of uh representing us at the PMSA math competition. Um second the BIPAC the bilingual sorry parent committee um hosted their first right gathering. Um it was a polei competition and it was a lot of it was a lot of fun. Um there were three families who um volunteered to uh create their families uh recipe

006and then the uh everyone voted on it. So kudos to everyone who participated but then especially the Hernandez family who were was this year's winner. So well done. Thanks for helping everyone organize that. And then um last uh just a big thanks to our uh teachers who are giving their time for the advanced learning uh learners training. Um your commitment uh to go above and beyond to help this program grow is appreciated. Um and we are grateful for you giving up your time and talent to help with that program. So with those, the one everyone is excited about here, we have our school citizens of the year. So these um wonderful students were nominated by their individual schools. They um were recognized at the West 40 um Scotty Awards, which is very exciting. And then

007we'd like to just take the opportunity to recognize them tonight. So for each school, I'm going to read the um nominees first and then the winner. So for the uh Westchester Primary School, the nominees were Jennifer Mayha, CJ Crump, Nicholas Oreza, Tessa Juna, Zachary Zelelesco, Anthony Parkinson, Colin Craig, Lucia Spencer, Armani Moasa, and Francesca Galves. So those are our nominees. And then our winner this year was James Thompson. I don't think he's here tonight. Um but I'll read a little bit about um James from his nomination letter. James is a second grader who is a positive role model to other students. James is motivated to learn and rarely gets discouraged. If he is stuck, he will try it several different ways first and then he will ask for help. His positivity is contagious and his

008excitement for learning motivates everyone in the classroom. Congratulations to all of our nominees this year. So congratulations Dave. Then um our Westchester Intermediate School is Pablo and I do not Susie >> Guerrero and he is not here tonight. So um oh I forgot the nominees. Sorry. The WIS nominees were Sophia Boosezelli, Aurora Cruz, Axel Gullen, and Stella Velis. So, Pablo, I'm going to read a little bit about him. He is respectful to everyone he encounters, treating teachers, classmates, and school community members with genuine kindness and consideration. Whether participating in the classroom or roughing on the soccer field at recess, Pablo embodies the spirit of teamwork and compassion. He always strives to do his best and improve our school community. Po approaches challenges with a positive solutionoriented mindset. He represents the very best of what a

009student citizen can be. Compassionate, responsible, and dedicated to making a positive difference. Congratulations to him. And in Westchester Middle School, our nominees were Mia Dil, Emma Garcia, Liam Gonzalez, Grace Lazero, Leila Laundry, Caitlyn McMahon, Gabe Meyer, Rachel Mitchum, Jaylen Oita, >> Oita, I did not take Spanish. Can you tell? Darius Rainey, Brianna Ruiz, Hopeel, and Dante Williamson. And our winner was Rachel Macham. Rachel, come on up. My honor, I'm gonna read a little bit about you. Rachel has grown into herself in a positive way over the last two years. She knows kind she shows kindness towards others by spending many study hall periods helping in math class. The students look forward to the days that she comes and requests her help in their small group. She exhibits leadership qualities and is a positive role model

010to her peers. She supports her friends and follows her passions without fear of judgment by others. She is an active member of the band, has been on the math team, participates in chorus, and has recently assisted in the main office with PA announcements. Congratulations to Rachel on being named the Scotty for Westchester Middle School this year. Oh, that's not her. It's James. Hello. That's all right. Rachel, here we go. And we'll take a picture with you. Come up and join us. Sister, go ahead. >> Sister, >> next one. How about the second picture? Want to see the second one? >> No. Go ahead. No, you go in front. >> I hold your feet. >> Here we go. I can hold on your phone. >> Congratulations. >> It's always the youngest ones, right? >> Can I

011just add one thing? >> Yeah, please. >> Actually, two things. One with the the announcements. It was kind of one of those things where we just had where it was like one day you want to do announcements. She's like she did them and like I want to do them again and so it's become the thing and then unfortunately Mr. Cookie is out for the rest of the year. So I've gone to morning announcements. So I like the morning drive now. So the the fear is that we're both going to be replaced now. So she the other thing I do want to share is the proviso west Scotty uh was a former uh WS Wilson. So when uh she was presented, I saw her after the event and I said, "Let me ask her." Yes, Mr.

012>> That's awesome. >> She was she was pretty excited. So it was nice to see another student being recognized. So I remember Ryan. >> That's awesome. What was the name again? >> Ryan Wilson. >> Oh, nice. >> If you ever go to the McDonald's, if you ever She works at the drive-thru at the McDonald's right there in uh >> in Hillside the one. Nice. That's awesome. >> Cool. Um, congratulations guys. >> You guys are welcome to stay but we understand if you would like to go home. Thank you for being here. Uh, so next uh I need a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. >> Moved by Whoops. I'm on the wrong page. Cynthia, >> I'll second it. >> Where is it? >> No, that's all right. >> No. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

013Down here. Okay. Sorry. Uh, there was Cynthia and Rose. Okay. >> All right. And tonight um on the consent agenda we have uh the regular board meeting minutes open and close session of March 19th personnel report which includes a par profofessional retirement a third grade teacher and a groundskeeper hire approval and a speech language pathologist resignation. We also have the calendar amendment to resend the unused emergency dates. Any other questions or concerns for the consent agenda? >> All right. Roll call vote, please. >> Neil, >> I paritch. >> Hi. >> President Wesowski. >> I. >> Vice President Boyd. >> I. >> Five eyes. Two absent. Zero nays. >> Motion carries. Okay. Now uh for the time for a little bit of organization of the board since it is April. Um so first we have the

014election of board officers um for the vice president um for a one-year term. I would like to make the motion um that uh Stephanie Boyd I'm trying to write and talk at the same time. somebody uh who be nominated for the position of vice president of the board of education. Um are there any other nominations? Okay. Uh so the motion is for Stephanie Boyd to be nominated for the uh position of vice president of the board of education that nominate nominations be closed and unanimous ballot be cast. The vice president will serve a one-year term concluding in April of 2027. So, I made the motion. Can I get a second? I'll >> second. >> Thank you. Roll call vote, please. Her >> I vice president boy. >> Yes. Okay. Yeah. >> Neil, >> hi. >>

015And Ortiz. I have eyes, zero nays, two Fs. >> Motion carries. Congratulations and thank you. Uh, next we have the, uh, secretary. I'd like to open the floor, which is, uh, for nominations. I would like to nominate Rose Ortiz. Any other nominations? All right. I'd like to make a motion that Rose Ortiz be nominated for the position of Secretary of the Board of Education that nominations be closed. Anonymous ballot be cast. The secretary will serve a one-year term concluding in April 2027. I made the motion. Can I get a second? >> Second by Stephen. Sorry about Steph. Um, roll call vote, please. Sorry. President Wowi. Hi, Miss President Boyd. >> Hi, >> Neil. >> I Ortiz I Pitch. >> Hi, >> five. I zero Naz. >> Motion carried. All right. And then next we have

016the representative appointments. Um, thank you everyone for agreeing to do um to do something. I know that um some of us have gotten into a groove and have uh found um found some nice work on it. Others are um you know agreeing to to try something new. So I appreciate that. So, um for the legislative representative appointments, I would like to appoint Cynthia to continue doing the um uh the legislative reports for us and including um any reference to um the bill I can't remember right now, the schoolhouse wrap um bill of the block. Any other videos you want to share with us? Any fun tidbits? They are um they have they are fun to read. So, we appreciate the work you're doing. Uh, then the ISB delegate and alternatives. Um, unless someone wants to

017speak up and take the ISB delegate, I'm I'll go ahead and do it this year. Okay. Um, so I'm going to appoint myself to be the delegate and then Tashanda has agreed to be the alternative for that. Um, Desanda has also agreed to be the Westchester Chamber of Commerce representative again. I appoint her and then the community relations. Thank you. Cynthia has agreed to continue on that role. So those president has appointed Cynthia in that. And then Rose has agreed to continue in the West Cook governing board representative. So, we appreciate you continuing to do that work. All right. Um, next we have Did I miss something? >> I I just appoint those, right? This is for the calendar. >> I'm looking at you. Yes. >> Oh, sorry. Are you you said for the calendar?

018>> I just make the appointments for those positions. Right. We don't need a motion. >> Okay. But the next motion is for the calendar. around. >> Okay. All right. So, thank you. Um All right. So, can I get a motion to open discussion for the approval of the 2026 2027 board of education meeting calendar as presented? Moved by Jared. Second, >> second by Cynthia. So, I just want to point out that there was a slight I think this was shared last meeting asformational and we made a slight change um to the to the July meeting. We moved it back a week cuz both Stephanie and I are going to be out of town and we thought that's really setting you guys up to be short staffed for both of us um to uh not be

019there. So, we did adjust that one just down to the following week. So hopefully that doesn't have a conflict for anybody else. >> Yeah, the 23rd is the correct date, but last time you saw it, it was a different >> 17th. >> A different date. Yeah. >> Yeah. Any anything any other concerns for anybody. Okay. Uh roll call vote, please. >> Vice President Boyd. >> Hi. >> Neil, >> I Paritch. >> Hi. >> President Wesowski. >> Hi. >> Five eyes. Zero N. Motion carries. All right. So then action items with discussion. I need a motion uh to open discussion for the board of education to approve the bills claims in the amount of $315,600.75 and payrolls in the amount of $1,14,915.88 into authorized payments. by Cynthia. >> Okay. >> Second by Rose. >> Uh Dennis,

020anything you want to highlight there for us? >> No, nothing out of the ordinary there with the bills. One thing I would note categorical payments, state of Illinois run little slow. So probably about a payment behind. >> Okay. open that >> and if can you remind me because I know this has happened before. If it happens to come in the next fiscal year school year does that is that I mean it's not ideal right >> so typically there is a lag of one okay payments one does flow over the next year so it happens every year okay two flow for the next year it does slow everything down and it takes the state a while to start catching up it's not ideal >> thus far I have not had a year we've actually did a

021payment Okay. >> Okay. >> Any other questions for Dennis on the on the bills or payroll? Okay. Roll call vote, please. Ortiz. I president. >> Hi. >> Vice President Boy. >> Hi. >> McFerson. >> Neil. I >> five eyes, zero nays, one absent, one of >> motion carries. All right. Uh, next I need um a motion to open discussion for the approval of Baker Tilly Virtual Crops LLP engagement letter to provide auditing services for the fiscal year 26 school year. Move by Rose. I'll second. Um I know the letter was in there with um would you say a slight increase? How would you categorize that? >> Modest. Anything you want to highlight for that? >> Pretty uh in line with what I was anticipating from them. Baker Tilly's been our auditors for over 25 years.

022A great job for us. increases in line with expectations recommendation for approval. >> Great. >> Any questions for Bill or Jennis on the audit engagement letter? >> Great. >> Um, roll call vote, please. >> President Wowi. >> Hi, Vice President Bo. I >> McFerson I. >> Neil, I Ortiz I. Six eyes, zero nays, one absent. Motion carries. These next ones always come at this time of the year and we're excited for them but sad for the district. So, we have a few retirement resolutions here. Um they're two separate motions. Correct. >> Yeah. One is just certified staff and the other is support staff. >> Perfect. So, we'll do the certified staff first. So, um I need a motion for the board of education uh to approve the retirement resolution for certified staff member Nancy May.

023>> Move by Cynthia. >> Okay. >> Second by Rose. Any questions or concerns? >> If we go down, does that mean we have to stay? >> Right. Can we? She's lovely and my kids have had her since uh I said these are always tough ones, right? You're excited for them, but um the district will miss them. >> Um roll call vote, please. >> Vice President Boy, >> I McFerson >> I. >> Neil, >> I Ortiz I. >> President Wowski, >> I zero, one absent. >> Motion carries. Next, we have um a motion for the board of education to approve the retirement resolutions for sport staff members Ethel Brown, Karen, and I never say her name right. Please tell me. Karen, Cvestnica, Cvestica, and Lisa Satro Gordon. I'll make the motion. Second. Second by Rose. Any

024questions or concerns on these? I meant to add up the collective amount of years that they have all three have worked in the district. It's pretty intense in intensive. And I think uh I don't remember where Ethel works. What building is she in? >> Is Yeah. So is PS and and bus. So hitting some good ones. Roll call vote, please. >> Mcerson. >> Neil. >> I Ortiz. I Paritch I >> President Wesowski I >> Vice President Buen >> I >> six I zero Naz one Hson >> motion carries and we will celebrate them at the district dinner as well. >> All right. Um next I need a motion uh to open discussion for the approval of the summer construction plan as presented. Move to move by Tashanda. Second by Jared. All right. You got a

025PowerPoint for here for us, right? Oh, no. Just a memo. >> Sorry. I wish I could increase I want to use the touch screen. >> Yeah, it doesn't. >> It doesn't touch screen. It's so weird. Even though we have touch screens, it doesn't the way >> nicely with it. >> Huh? Play nicely. >> Yeah. I thought there was a way we could one time I was able to pull it out up there to make it bigger, but I have to pull it out somewhere. >> Increase it up there. >> Make it bigger. Oh, yeah. Just right here will help a little bit. >> Okay. >> My eye. >> Excellent. So these are just um every summer there are projects that do not meet the bid threshold but exceed the amount that the superintendent is authorized

026to approve. Um so this summer uh staff has identified the following projects for consideration. So, we have the WIS door project, the middle school roof repair, which was the um maintenance grant, and then the WMS windows, which was also part of the maintenance grant, the WMS exterior window recocking maintenance grant, and the WMS interior door hardware replacement, which is the maintenance grant. Um, and the middle school exterior power washing, which is also part of the maintenance grant, and then the WIS projector and whiteboard replacement, which is not part of the maintenance grant. Um, anything you want to highlight there for us, Janice? >> So, as you guys saw, a lot of the work that we're doing this summer is related to maintenance band. That's something we applied for. There's a $50,000 dollar for dollar matching.

027So, think of some 50. we have to spend 50. We go slightly over uh in the estimate. Just don't know by the time we get that as we're applying. So, we have a little cushion just in case a little bit less, but all in all came in right around that $100,000 mark. The WA door project, we started this project a few years ago. We're at WA as first floor. We got done with the first floor. We came over here middle school all the doors here at the middle school very slowly a few doors at a time just project them up to our expectations including these doors right here in this very room. Um so you can see these are are the newer doors that we're putting in. But this door over here on the other

028hand is is a door that was sound. There's nothing wrong with it but the hardware doesn't match what we're putting in elsewhere throughout. So do you have some money rushing to do the maintenance the hardware but now we're moved into the second floor at WIS for a course of a year doing a couple of doors come W second floor those doors have a grill at the bottom of the door that the concern is it's very easy to kick the grill in and replacing the doors put it in the nice solid wood doors uh very sturdy handles almost doors at W the second floor W the ones that were we're going after and replacing those those are probably from their useful life that she concerns that we're going around >> and if I my memory is

029correct I can't remember which building it was at but there because some inconsistency with with the keys. So some of the hardware switch over might make them all streamlined. >> Is correct. So W currently operated on a separate master key of the other two buildings. So administration and we had two master keys other buildings and as we're going through and replacing those everything one master. Any other questions for Dennis on these projects? We feel pretty confident that these are going to be able to to be done in the summer. >> Uh the door project will will be something that goes on the entirety of the >> okay >> just a couple of doors above make sure the quality is up to what we're looking for and set the doors. Um I'm told and he has

030followed through on four separate occasions told me that the projector project will be done over the the course of the summer and then the rest of the projects modest construction for this upcoming year just realistically utilizing >> nothing huge. Yeah. >> Any other questions for Dennis? What? >> Neil Neil. >> I Parish. >> I was >> I >> Pearson >> I z motion carries eight. Oops. Too far. Okay, I need a motion to approve the lunch program contract as presented moved by Rose. >> Second by Cynthia. Anything you want to highlight um for us there? It's a pretty standard contract. We wrote the bid documents a couple years ago. Actually got utilized by the state of Illinois with example of how to write the documents. So the contract itself goes forward very nicely from year

031to year. It's already been predetermined what the increase is going to be based on PPI food away from home. Um, only thing that I would point out with that is that this coupled with the next contract that you're actually going to approve would trigger an increase. >> It would say that one more time for me. >> They will trigger an >> And did we already approve the student fees? Okay, that's next time. Okay. holding off on that one specifically because I had to see where these um particular the launch one line where it was going to fall after I get both contract there's a calculation that I utilize not an increase for the upcoming school year then when I do determine the increase I try to make it such that I can cover increases for

032a couple years I don't want to be >> so where are we at now I see it deducted out of my my my account but I I can't remember now >> $450 and that's with milk right and what's milk only sorry >> I want research correctly >> okay >> we'd have to increase both milk and the lunch oh and the breakfast What is breakfast at these days? Do you know? >> Uh, any questions or concerns? And where are we at with um having to go out to bid? >> Very good question. It's year two. >> Year two. Year two of >> the results >> of you get five. >> Five. That's why I thought it was two. Five. Any other questions? Okay. Roll call vote, please. >> Or I Paritch. >> Hi. >> President Wesowski.

033>> Hi. >> Vice President Boyd. >> I Neil. >> Hi. I zero. Motion carries. And then for the next one, I need a motion for the uh board to approve the milk contract as presented. >> Move by Jere. >> Second by Desashonda. >> I know you kind of covered some of that, but anything you want to highlight for that? So with the ML contract the dollar amount comes very close to not the new dollar threshold that we have 35,000 doesn't come close however I do still reach out to other schools that I know buy milk independently not from prairie farms just to kind of benchmark them from year to year there was a number that came back hey this is incentive for the school district I will go out seek others however I reached out

034to foods or something cost. >> Okay. Any other questions for the mouth? Roll call vote please. Hi. President Wesowski. Hi. >> Vice President Boyd. >> Hi. >> McFerson. >> Hi. >> Neil. >> Hi. >> Ortiz. I six eyes. Zero naz. One absent. Motion carries. All right. Next, uh, staffing plans. So I need a motion to open discussion for the approval of the 2627 staffing plan as presented. Moved by Rose. I can second. >> Bill, anything you want to highlight there? Oh, this is what we presented in uh last month and everything stays no change in FTEES and the only thing is just in middle school the fax program putting a pause for a year and over the summer and next year we we'll figure out what we're going to do in that uh class but

035we'll be looking for input. So yeah, >> and then this change is just the section changes, right? >> Section changes. >> So seventh grade is going from four to five based off of the kids the number. Yeah. >> The bigger group. >> Yeah. Any questions or concerns? >> Roll call vote, please. President Wlowski. >> Hi. >> Vice President B. >> Hi. >> Pearson. >> Hi. >> Neil. >> Hi. >> Or I carage. >> Hi. >> I motion carries. All right. Uh, next I need a motion to open um discussion for the strategic plan as presented. Moved by Cynthia. Right. Second by Desanda. Right. Do you have a presentation for us? I do. They're right. >> You guys have it. And uh you have these. >> It's right here. >> Shiny new laminated strategic plan. >>

036Just a quick presentation. Okay. Oh, >> I almost stole your thunder. I was going to give a shout out to the people on the committee, but I look at looked ahead and that's part of your presentation, so I will not. >> There we go. So, believe it or not, this plan is going to be from 2026 to 2031. That's great. >> Some of us may not be in that room in 2031, but the important thing is that um >> you know, we're always planning for the future. >> So, as you see um this document through the help of West 40, through the help of our team, the different feedback and there's team members I'll get to in a second. uh we have created this document that is going to be our our guide for the

037next five years. Next slide. Yep. Next slide. That's just the strategy and the monitoring. Go. Next slide. So I want to talk about a few things about uh this strategic plan and really the importance and kind of the significance of why it's even on your table. Um this isn't isn't a document. A lot of times, you know, if there's ever criticism about strategic plans in any district we've ever been in, I've been in many of the people on our teams, um, it's something that sits on a shelf >> and it doesn't get revisited too much. Um, but this document is going to be for the future. This is how we're going to make decisions. And symbolically, this document will be at your table every month. um because it is going to guide the things that

038we're doing. This is our commitment to taking an action. Uh the plan only matters if if it changes what we do. So, we're going to see how this we'll see how this shows up in classrooms, in leadership def decisions, how we allocate resources, and how we measure success. There are clear priorities on here. Uh key thing here, we're not trying to do everything. And you have to remember this is a five-year plan. So we we are not going to try to complete everything in year one. There is very specific what the task force is working on as action plans right now. Like some things we're going to target right away like in the summer for the first year, but we have time to get there. We had a solid plan 5 years ago and I

039I don't hate to say the excuse of keep saying co but it did throw us off. Like we tried to implement that, right? we were getting ready to go and then it was like boom for like two years we had to pause and then we had to figure out like so many things we had to go back and try to support a lot of things that weren't in the plan. So we honored a lot of the goals of all the goals and then we just tried to revise some things that are important. Um so we've identified a few things that matter most and we're going to stay focused on and that's how we're going to get results. There is clear ownership. Every priority that we have has people that are responsible for it, not just

040committees, but it's individuals who are accountable for moving the work forward. And there's clear accountability. This is where we're going to raise the bar. I do have something exciting to show you, which is going to be about our accountability. It'll be coming soon. I mean, in this presentation, but we're going to be able to measure progress regularly. We'll report it transparently. Um, and we will address gaps directly. If something's not working, we're going to adjust. If it is working, we're going to scale it. Next slide. So, here was a strategic planning team. Two of your very own were on this team, Dana and Cynthia. Thank you. They attended every meeting. Um, they were in groups separate from each other. So, they had voice. They were involved. So, there is students here. There is administrators here.

041There is teachers. There is board members. That was our strategic planning. >> Oh, you know what? The kids aren't listed, but there were kids there. >> Yeah, there were kids. Yep. >> Well, Rachel was >> Yeah, Rachel was >> I think she was. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> I'll put them in there. My bad. >> That's all right. But the kids were great. >> Yeah, the kids were great. >> Yeah. >> Next slide. So, then we had community. We had a community uh community voice, right? like they they were able to see um they met with uh they met with West 40 for a session. They were able to give us some feedback and and we did take that feedback here. This was the group that was there. Um and I shared this back out with

042them like all the steps we were sharing. I was sharing back that u as we were progressing. Next slide. So here is it's just like very clear um roles, right? So the staff's responsibility is to execute on daily instruction and monitor results. That's also with the with the building uh administrators. Administration meaning uh whether it's principles or district administrators, our job is ensure alignment and removing barriers. So if we have different issues, if there is if we're seeing, we have to take care of that. And then the board, the board, your main role is to hold us accountable for outcomes. So you will see results. I mean, this is the way I want it to be because then we'll make sure everyone is being honest. You're saying, "Hey, let's give update." You know, like you'll

043see it. Um, and how we're going to do that. Next slide. What we've been asking for, we've been talking about what we want to see. This was something that really important. So quarterly reporting, clear metrics, vis visible progress, no fuzziness on the results. Can you click on that link? Will it let you? >> I think we just need a permission. I gave her another link and I will show you. So if that doesn't work because it was a PDF, but I gave her another link. >> It'll be there in a second. >> So this is a work. It's not live. We are still doing some things behind the scene. We're loading things in. But come July, this is what will be an imple implementation dashboard. So it has every goal, every strategy, and you'll see

044if we're on track, if we're at risk, if we're off track or not started. Like I said, some of these strategies will not start next year. So we'll be very clear on what we're starting >> and then we'll be able to discuss. So you can see like that's you know Jacob was building this out but you could just see overall status complete um there's things we have to tweak but then you know you could go along you see the tracker there instructions along the bottom. So there is different things but this will be live on our website but then we will present out quarterly and and you can see like what >> they got the leads. >> Yep. Yep. So you'll see who who the lead is and um >> you know what we're working

045on. So everything is very uh >> transparent, open and honest, right? Like like I said, it's it's like the goal is to hit you to meet things that we say are in our plan. Now that will be to our challenge, right? Like, so we may uh Stephanie may go to the greatest professional development in the world and it may be some really cool thing. We just have to make sure like is it in our plan? Like where does it fit into our plan? Like we've got to really resist against trying to bring more stuff in because that's where people start to get frustrated and that's where we get off track. Not to say that it's not great. Maybe there's an avenue for it to tie into the plan. We just have to communicate that, right?

046So that's um what I want to see and then I think what this could help with. So by the time we get to the state of the schools, you guys are so up on what is happening. It's not like oh my gosh like so it's it's like you guys are getting information along the way. So it makes those a little bit different. So that's my presentation. I'm I'm excited and it is a it it's it's a challenge because like I said, this is something we don't want to see on a on a sit on a shelf, but it's like I know you guys will hold me accountable to it, which is is fine because if I'm held accountable, that means that trickles down, right? Like so everyone will know this is what we're doing. So

047we approve it tonight. I'll communicate it in the next couple days, but this won't start till July one. >> Sure. >> Okay. And so then there'll be another iteration of announcing >> questions. Excellent. >> We'll collect these, but I don't want you guys to take them because then you don't Oh, I forgot it. So, we'll take them and we'll bring them back. >> Use it as a place. >> You can use it as a place. you thought through sorry have you thought through rollout plans like what do you envision for like rolling this out to the staff before July one like just >> yeah no rolling it out like that and then and then using our our our teams and our buildings to go through this to you know we have our um we have

048our meeting with the SIP teams this is going to be a really good opportunity to go through there >> and then just in my messaging and I think it's important when we message to staff you know when we're when we are talking to them re referring like hey we're doing XYZ because this connects to goal one strategy four like and I started that before but then like you get off >> well we you guys have been doing that I mean our goals were from the original goals and you guys have been doing an excellent job of putting that in the um admin reports right >> and I can tell you and candidly like we had a conversation and I had a conversation with principles because for their evaluations they're doing goals, but like but sometimes

049it's like well they got this goal then they got that goal they got like we just need to all be on the same goals and it just needs to be very clear like I want them to focus on these things. >> Yeah. >> Right. Not you know they're doing their own stuff but then it just is like well then which is which and then even throughout the year something may come okay now I need you doing this but then that takes them away again. It's just about being clear and focused. And what about to the community? You think >> that will be Yeah, that will be like, you know, blowing it up. That's using one of our things is parent square. So using it there. Um I I think that when we have our open

050houses, yeah, >> it's really important. Make copies of this, you know, you could make this stuff, >> right? And put up, you know, we have poster makers to put up. But then again, like I said, for principles to communicate this in their messages for Stephanie for Marine when they're meet with, you know, we put it the taglines at, you know, the mission division on the bottom of our of our, you know, our names and it just it's like just putting it out there and I think even like when we're in meetings, when we have our these meetings, >> we talk about things even you guys are able to to connect it. So, it just that's the communication. So, if someone's watching on tape or they're here, they're hearing it all play in. >> Awesome. >>

051All right. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Very good. >> Yeah. >> All right. So, any questions before we vote? >> All right. Roll call vote, please. >> Vice President Boyd. >> I Neil. >> Hi. >> I zero, one absent. Motion carries. I don't think you guys will miss places. If you do, you get one free and then after that it's it's $2 for >> put it with our name tag, right? >> It's like the ID. >> All right. Um I need a motion for the board of education to approve the recycling of of electronic items as presented. >> Move by Cynthia. Second. >> Second by Rose. know there is a memo attached there um but just uh recycling outdated and non-functional um electronic equipment that is beyond repair and no longer serves a purpose

052uh to the district. Um so an effort to responsibly dispose of the items um will you know they have partnered with the certified electronic recycling vendor. I know Jacob's not here, but any any questions that the other administrators can attempt to answer? >> They mentioned this before our last meeting. Now it's coming up. Yeah. >> Okay. I just want to remember. >> All good. >> All right. Roll call vote, please. >> Miss Pearson. >> I Carich. Hi. >> President Wesowski. Hi. Vice President. Hi. I motion carries. Now for the one that's not so fun. U I need a motion to open discussion for the approval of health insurance options as presented. >> Moved by Stephanie. >> Second by Jared. There obviously is an attachment here for the insurance committee um review and recommendations. So um

053as a reminder there is the district insurance committee um that is uh triggered to meet. Um so they met and reviewed the projected increases in the health insurance costs which are not going down I think for anybody anywhere. Um, so the committee reviewed the plan design options to offset a portion of the increase and um, Dennis, do you want to highlight anything that happened in that discussion? Under the terms of the agreement, the committee is required to identify ways to reduce the increase by 40,000 or approximately 1.69%. >> Yeah. Good evening. >> Good evening. >> This was uh I don't think a fun process for anyone with the percentages that were listed up there. I think it was pretty clear to committee that this was not a exercise. Um so they did go through they

054they really paid attention to detail. they uh really went through and it took a very objective approach to it looking at both the age gold for single coverage prescriptions really doing their due diligence. I think I went back to see about four or five times with different requests from the committee. Uh we met a total of three times one additional virtual. So there was a lot of collaboration, a lot of questions. We have a shared drive that we all put documents in. and they can access some of them. They can see this information so they can see what I'm getting from EVC and look at it remotely before we even have meetings. They did come with two recommendations. However, the final recommendation for the PO has not been received back yet from seed that I

055kind of go through and give you an example of what they're looking up with me. These are what we get on the screen. Unfortunately, I apologize that you don't have access with any documents, but this is what it looks like for the committee. They get options. It tells them what percentages this would reduce the the overall cost by. And again, 1.69 is what we're looking to get. So, they they like this option here that was highlighted. Um, they didn't like some of the other ones just due to some of the out of network increases, but the one thing they don't like is that it's 2.81% and not 1.6. 69%. >> So they were not favorable. What they have asked from EBC and this is what they want to go with is this number here, $2,000.

056This is what's driving the increase. They have now asked EVC to leave everything else in this loan, but push that $2,000 down as far as they can get it so that they're 4.69. And that is what they want to bring to this board. So that's what I put in there. I don't know like we're going to land right at the 1.69. 69%. I don't know what that number is going to be, but it'll be somewhere between the 1,600 that it's currently and $2,000. >> It's currently at 1,600. >> Okay. >> So, we're going to push that as >> close as we can get it. And that is their option. Uh for the HMO, it's very similar, but uh we don't >> What plan is this here? >> What's that? >> This the PO plan. >>

057This is the PO plan. This is the one that you said that that the option that they chose is a $28,000 savings >> uh approximately. Yes. >> Okay. >> Uh 1.69%. So I'll walk you through a little bit more of what I do with this one so you guys have good understanding. So the first thing I need to do in order to determine what do we have to do here is I have to determine the actual cost for the year and then make their increases to determine how much we need to get down to. So the way I do that is I pull the February just for medical only calculated for the whole year. come up with the total dollar amount. Then I split it between HML, come up with their respective percentages to come

058up with how much it has to reduce it. So I can see that the decrease is going to be the $28,000 here for the PO nearly $12,000 here for the HMO, 1.69% needed for both of them respectively. Just a really quick calculation to determine the overall cost decrease that we have to get to. So once we have that I know the percentages that we have to get to and that number will change from year to year based on increase based on bill you know so there's there's variables that do go into it but that's the number that ultimately we're looking to get to then take that to the committee provide that tool come up with a list as you previously seen of all the different options out there uh directly received some underwriting from EBC

059a little frustrated with EBC this year because the first message I told them I said that's the number we're looking to get. Yeah. They provided the options that hiring and I told them I said nobody >> is going to pick those options. Why would you even provide those to me? Like I can tell you right now a 3% income decrease. Yeah. Nobody wants that. So, uh I was a little frustrated with them. Even going back and forth a couple of times some of the options they were come back with were just not appealing to them. I'm going to have a little conference call with them after this because I know without a doubt that next year we're looking at again insurance. So this this process isn't ending. Um so that's >> how the calculation works,

060how we come about coming up with the numbers. >> We all00 get a little trickier right there because if and I apologize. I was really hoping that I would have got the actual numbers. Did you see So, I held off on uploading the memo until today. Had I gotten the numbers, I could have taken the part out about there about not having it or the actual numbers, but I still don't have the numbers. I'm hoping to get them soon. In all fairness though, I did just ask for them. There's a quick turnaround that I was asking for for them. And then underwriting does take one to two weeks to get those numbers back. So the little bit more complicated part in there is I am asking the board to only implement the change on the

061reason behind that is there's significant cost benefit to the board of education ability if you choose the HMO it's likely to cost so by implementing changes on the BPL not implementing them on HML, we're going to naturally bring people over to the HMO plan. If we do increase both of them, which the court has the right to do, um my concern is that they may drive people the other direction. That's going to be counterintuitive what we're accomplishing. Sure, it's a big cost to a lot of people. I understand it's not a an easy decision board of education. However, I do feel there is enough information to make a vote. I just don't know the way you'll vote. Um, in regards to the BPO, I know that we don't have the exact number, but I know

062it's going to fall somewhere between the 1,600 to 2,000. It will get to 1.69%. And it will achieve the savings that we have to achieve per the collective bargaining agreement set forth. >> So, let me make sure I understand this correctly. So the the the CBA requires us to meet and try to reduce it by the 1.69 which is like the 40,000. Correct. Um so the committee does that exercise but the board does not have to implement all of those recommendations from the committee. Correct. So we and I I know in the past years we it's been a small enough amount that we felt like we can you know um cover that ourselves right like we haven't um >> we've waved it for some time I wouldn't say it's been small enough just due to

063the co that was going on >> I you know administration administration has come up with a recommendation >> and so for this one what we're doing is we're ex would be accepting the PBO change, but we would not make any change to the HMO. So, we're not hitting that 40,000. >> We'd be hitting the 20. >> Okay. So, we'd be in that is still fine with the CBA because it says we we have to do the exercise, but we don't have to hit the 40,000. >> Does that make sense? Did I explain that? >> We waved we've been waving it. We never have had to implement it. The reason we did the CDA in the past though is we didn't want to set the process and say waving it practice like we were doing the

064CBA because we were saying while we're waving the exercise we're not going to implement any changes it's still our right to do this private agreement. >> Okay. Looking at the cost differential between the cost of HMO your family one person changes over from your age or gap very very close to getting changed at all. That's why I'm recommending for page. We need to have a safe plan for people to go to that's costefficient for the board of education. So providing insurance coverage at reasonable cost to employees. I get it. It's not the PO. It's not the the plan that most people would probably want to have because it gets that choice you want. But it is still health insurance through prospect shield. Very good insurance. And it's more affordable for >> and we Yeah, we

065obviously cover a higher amount of that premium. >> And I have a question. >> Yeah. >> So for this change, this is only a projection, right? We don't have an actual amount of savings. >> You said that you didn't have enough for >> Oh, no. >> the plan. >> It's not a projection. 69%. No, I know that percentage, but the monetary amount cuz you're saying here 28,000 in savings. That's a projection or that's the number that you know we would be safe. >> That's the number we know based on that. >> What projection? I would say within a 2% margin of error, but I wouldn't >> because we >> we haven't finished the fiscal year >> because we don't know that people coming and going to right like people coming in might choose we're guessing

066at what they would choose right for their the new hires for example >> open enrollment could change slightly acid you can't postpone it. Sure sure. >> So this is the best method for the cat project. >> Yes. Okay. Go ahead. Yeah. Can you go back to the other screen? >> This one? >> No, the I think. >> Yeah, that one. So, >> and there are many more options they had to choose from. And unfortunately, when it comes to this, there's only so many places that the committee could go to actually achieve savings. You're going to have deductibles, you're going to have out of pockets, you're going to have out of networks, you're going to have co- insurance, you're going to have prescriptions, hospital visits. There's just only so many places we can look to get

067savings. If I can pause for a second, Cynthia, I think this was the number he doesn't have yet by from >> determination. >> Yeah. So, we know this this number here is going to be between 1600 and 2000, >> but we don't know where. >> Okay. So the question that I have been so this is just the change for the PO right okay um and then the other option for the HMO plan um adjust the office visit to 30 and the primary care to 40 or for specialists um what are those numbers right now? No. >> $20 each. >> Okay. >> So, the co I'm sorry, the the co-pay is $20 for primary care now and $20 for specialists. And so making increasing these was the committee's recommendation, but administration is saying we're we're recommending

068not making the change for the HMO. Correct. >> Yes. To uh achieve a greater cost savings to the veteran. That would be >> because that's the majority of where majority of our >> majority of our people are. >> Okay. >> Last measure. >> Okay. But the HMO plan overall is more affordable for the district. So the goal is to encourage people to go that way by keeping it as as affordable as possible. >> That would be the plan. >> Okay. >> You're looking at I have it in the memo. Let's say it was like $8,000 difference between HMO family and >> if it was nine >> 9,000. So it's a significant savings of >> Yeah. contract. >> So, Dana, what you said was that the insurance committee was recommending to do the >> They want

069to do both. >> Well, because the insurance committee jump in anytime, but the the insurance committee doesn't want to do anything, right? But the the there's clauses in both of the contracts that if there is um an increase of over >> what is it? So it's a scale increase but it goes up to I believe 4% gives 40,000 and that's where it stops. So it's >> riggers that the district insurance committee has to meet and that the district insurance committee is made up of people from both uh unions as well as non-union members. >> Invite the non-union but we had no representation other than myself. >> Okay. >> And then they sit down and go through the exercise of coming up with it. So then they their task is to come up with choices that

070get to that um the the 40,000 increase that they need to do. So that's their task. So they said to get to this 40,000 we think you should change this on the PO and this on the >> So that's what the insurance committee is recommending. Oh >> because they have to get to the 40,000. save. >> So then, but Dennis is recommending only the changes to the PBLO. >> Correct. >> But would it both? >> It would save us more money. Yes, it would save us more money, but I think I'm putting words in your mouth, so correct me if I'm wrong. It would make the our insurance looks maybe not as competitive of other districts and it would maybe push people from the PO or the opposite from the HMO to the PO which

071in the long run would cost us more money. >> Am I close? >> So we have the option of just paying >> Yeah. >> or nothing. >> We we've been doing nothing. We can eat. We've been eating. >> We've been eating it for a long time. >> This will be the first time that we would make any adjustments. >> When we went to negotiate when we went to negotiations, we were talking about taking it out. >> Remember, >> that was a whole thing that they they didn't because they were wondering, >> you know, what it meant if it was out. They had >> uh Sorry. Go ahead. I think. >> Yes. >> So it it didn't it it's still there. >> With caution though if the board does decide to wait it make sure to

072do a CPA so we don't forgo our right to do this. >> Okay. >> Yeah. We when we have done we've done memorandum of understanding. So yeah, we we can if we the board feels like we want to eat all of the increases, you know, we we can we can I think, you know, shield some of it and not, you know, all of the um because it's it's going up more than 40,000. So we are in we already are taking some of the increase. So it you know my I hate to increase it. I know my personal one is increasing. You know, whatever we can do to keep it from not increasing entirely would be great, but I know that it's it's hard to sustain this, >> especially with all the other costs that we're

073experiencing that are going up as well. So, there's got to be some >> Would you mind going back to the PO option? And we don't do a high deductible thing here, right? >> We do, but we don't have the on. So the motion now is continuing as presented which is the administrative recommendations. So if we want to do something different we would just rework the motion which we can't do. >> Thoughts? >> What do we need to vote on today or >> uh I believe so right? >> Yeah because we have open enrollment but it's May 1st. Yeah, I just think about how it affects the families of the people on the plans. I biased. I have an HMO and it does save me personally money and it hasn't really limited me in any ways

074and I've gotten all the services for me and my family that I've needed. So, um I I don't I'm not opposed to that option of leaving the HMO on the PO to incentivize people to switch because if we only get like was saying if we get one or two people to switch we've got >> for someone and I'm putting you on the spot. If we that's what we do. um thinking about the change in the office visit co-pays or the specialist co-pays. So if they're $20 each right now and they were to go up $10 each to $30, I know that wouldn't give, you know, get us the full savings on this recommendation. How um how much would that weigh into someone's decision? I know you can't speak for everybody, but >> wondering is that

075such a substantial increase that >> think it would it would be that big of a deterrent. >> Okay. >> To to it was your question like to move to a PO. >> Well, just in terms of because I'm thinking about each family too and also thinking about, you know, the PO families as well. if we were able to make maybe a moderate increase in the HMO plan and some increase in the PO plan so that it's not all on the PO folks but not so much that it deters people from away from the HMO. Um, so I was just trying to get an idea if that co-pay change from 20 to 30 would be such a big deal um that it might be um cost prohibitive for families. >> And the majority of our employees

076are on a PO. >> That's correct. which you have to be mindful of also that the PO in the long run cost the district more money over time now and over time it's going to cost us. So um I think he had talked about that before >> and what has been a change Dennis in the last five years from EPO to H >> I'm sorry >> it's important I think it's three you know the the change because it hasn't you know we have seen more people go to HMO in the last >> Oh okay couple years >> there's been some people I mean the the cost is really the determinant here so you can see $118,000 is how much cost is on the actual PO and 50,000 on the HMO. So of that $168,000 February

077bill, third on HMO and two/3s are on the PO. Um you mentioned about putting the burden entirely on the PO, but it's not entirely like that because we are separating out the cost between the 50 and the 118. So when we say 1.69% 69%. In order to get 40,000, you'd have to have 1.69 from both. >> Okay. >> The incentive by leaving the HMO alone hopefully will drive people from the PO to the HMO, which is why I've made the recommendation of leaving the HMO alone. If we raise them both together, would that potentially deter people? I don't know. It's >> it's a a shot in the dark that and it has worked in the past. So in the past we had nobody on the actual HMO plan. >> I first started here. >> So

078we couldn't do we did this back in like 2017 2018. We we went through the exercise and we actually approved it and it was the PO only because we had no cost of the HMO. >> People naturally started flowing to the HMO because we were increasing the PO. The hope is that if we do it again that we're going to see more cost savings to people. All it would take to go from H or PO to HMO will beat that 12,000. >> Your question is good because if the HMO copay does go up and people do like, oh, I switch to PO, then it costs the district even more and all of the savings from this is wiped out, >> right? >> Tough call. >> Thank you. Sorry. >> So, I think I'm not quite

079understanding. So, I know we are trying to decrease by 1.69%. And I think you said something uh that it will be on both sides like it will be 1.69 decrease on HMO and 1.69 decrease in PO. So how does that happen if we don't make any changes to the HMO? >> So we split the bill up. This is $168,000 February bill. >> These are the projected increases we got preliminary. So if we project out this is the monthly cost in February times you know the increase this would be the new monthly cost* 12 gives you the annual cost. We do the same thing for the PO 40,000. This is the percentage that if we only did this one which is the PTO we're going to get won't get the full 40. We did both we'll

080get the full 40. If we do just the one but we get two people that go from PBO to HMO we'll be back $9,000 savings for a family >> the premium >> so we would incur we would we would get to our number four >> I got you on the back so it's technically there is no automatic decrease >> of the HMO but if you get at least two people to come from PO to HMO then it's a greater savings >> okay so That's what I was trying to understand. If there's a if we're trying to get 1.69 um decrease on both, I wasn't understanding how that could happen if there wasn't any increase on the original. >> Can you remind me the the the premium shares? I know it might differ with the from

081the different unions. >> 5% and they are both the same all the unions. >> Okay. Single coverage, the employee pays 5%, the board of education pays 95%. And for f anything above single coverage, it's 29.5% 70.5 by >> so go ahead. >> So in previous years we have run it for 45. We've eaten the cost. >> We've eaten the >> uh all of it. So, not just the 40,000. Yeah. Whatever the increase, >> whatever the cost is, we've eaten it. >> Okay. >> Since I've been on the board, >> has it been that long? >> I have not I have not I don't recall 2019. >> That's when we got on the board. >> Well, there you go. I was like, I can't I have not made that adjustment >> and we came on on

0822019. So we've been fronting more than 40,000 say the 168 if that's the number every year we've been fronting with 168 168,000 >> every year. >> Well I don't know every year >> but I don't know what the amount is but I'm just >> whatever the amount was we've been covering it. >> This is a substantial increase. We have not seen an increase of magnitude total tenative increase based on the numbers we have is comes to the 196 829 22 cents. I'm sorry I missed that. >> $196,82922. Again, that's a projection. We don't know the actual >> like we won't know until the end of the year and even then we need to know changes. >> So, it's it's a lot of moving pieces. What we do is we keep taking that February bill projecting

083out to come up with a consistent metric for this. So we are definitely even if we approve you know the the PO only change we are still absorbing you know whatever you want to say the full cost of the increase. >> Yeah. >> So yeah so if we just did the PO we would be saving approximately what the increase would be. Um >> what is >> the like the 16.8 increase is that right? So what you projected the February bill um the tenative increase is 16.8 and when you carry that out that gives one is 16.4 for HMO the increase for PO 16.8 eight and our anticipated cost would be 196,000. >> Yes. >> Right. Okay. And if we just did the PO change, we'd be saving about 28,000. So that cuts down the amount

084of increase we would have. >> So we'd be paying an an extra like 2,000. Because if you're if you're saying that the difference between 168 and 196 that's about 30,000 that's 28,000 right? >> Well the 168 is just the federal bill that's all that number represent. >> So 196 is if I took the February bill projected out the new February bill >> this would be next year's >> but I'm just looking at month like monthto month. So if the new February go so if we just did the PO the gap between 168 and 196 would be covered. >> No because this is a one time. So it would actually be 196 less than 28 would be your increase here. if we did 196 plus but less than 40 now your increase comes out at 156

085for >> okay >> so this is the increase that we're projecting for the whole year so next year's insurance will roughly cost us around $200,000 >> right >> we're going to save potentially $40,000 off that 200,000 roughly around 160 if we just did just the PO increase would come down by 20,000 >> that's what I was seeing Yeah. >> So, if we're looking at the orange and the projected of 196 and we just do the PO increase, the gap between 168 and 196, which is roughly 28,000, we wouldn't be that increase wouldn't hit us as hard. >> Well, these numbers are they're not released once monthly once a year. So >> this is a one time saving. >> So on on one month, >> you're going to take this number off the total increase for

086the year >> which is this number, >> right? >> So if it's orange, >> so if this is what we're paying for February, right? Right. Yes. >> And this is what we're projecting because of the increase or the anticipated increase. This would be what we would pay for >> one month, >> the next month, >> right? >> Just one month out of 12. And so then multiplying that by 12 to six, >> right? >> And so out of this whole number, we're only taking >> 28,000 off if we approve this one. >> That's correct. >> Got >> I think we may be able to save more if we left the loan. >> Yeah. But I can't imagine if everyone knows that prices are going up and if we increased the co-pays for the HMO, which

087would still give us a greater savings, I can't imagine someone on HMO then going to a PO when it's like a $9,000 jump. >> But you got to ask yourself, is the difference going to be enough between the HMO and the PO to drive people to go to the HMO? That's ultimately what what our goal is >> should be, >> right? >> But what if there So I'm guessing what or what I'm trying to ask is with the 12,000 approximate um $12,000 savings for the HMO is that So the gap between the two is about 9,000. What would the gap be if we did this increase for capital? >> It'll still be 9,000. >> So, I guess that's why I don't understand why someone would come from a PO to or from an HMO to

088a PO even if we did the increase in the co-pays. >> They won't. They probably won't. But what we're he's also saying on the flip side of that is the people from the PO are not going to go over there. But if it's a $9,000 savings >> to the district, not to them. >> Oh, so that's what I'm asking. What would be >> there's no incentive. >> But what what's the difference in price for a family on an HMO plan versus on a PO plan? That's what I'm wondering. Because if by adding or um if by taking the PO plan um or the recommendation will save the district $28,000. On the other screen, it looks like the U family only was $1,000. And then the second number that we're trying to we still don't know

089is going to be somewhere between 1,600 and 2,000. That's a huge difference for a family. $400. But if we take the recommendation for the HMO plan and increase the office uh visit co-pays, what would that increase look like for a family? >> And that's so the deductible is changing, right? >> Right. So, but that so the deductible, but overall, what does that look like for a family? >> I mean, >> it's going to vary by the size of the family. >> But isn't that the same as true for a PO? Doesn't that isn't it determined by the size of the family as well? >> This is the PO. So then now you're talking the actual workings of insurance and you know with PPOs you get no coverage until your deductible is met. So you pay

090100% of all expenditure. So if you're a single person you go to the doctor you pay 100% of that. With the HMO >> Mr. Neil can >> you pay a $20 co-ay and that's it. >> Which goes back to my point. If you're only paying your $30 co-pay or your $40 co-pay, however many times you need to go to the doctor, the difference for a family with an HMO is that $10 to $20. But for a PO family, we're looking at potentially somewhere between around $400 increase. So that's what I'm saying. I can't imagine someone on an HMO plan with a $10 to $20 increase for their office visit then saying I'm going to jump to a PO when there's still going to be that that huge gap. That gap is not changing >> and

091it would be a maximum of 400 on the deductible, right? >> We don't know what it's going to be. We don't know where it's going. >> So, it's between zero and 400. But I can't imagine, that's why I was asking you like what it would look like. Um, >> so when I started here, we didn't have anybody on the HMO. It was the increases to the PO that drove people to the HMO. >> My concern is that if we start touching the HMO, will we drive people back? Is it going to happen? I don't know. >> I just going to drive anymore. >> Yeah. >> Right. That's another big concern. If we're talking about potentially $9,000 per family that migrates over to the HMO, do we really want to take the chance of making a

092change to the HMO to get a modest savings and get a >> Well, I'm not saying not do the PO, but I'm just saying that increase for families within PO could be substantial and if we didn't necessarily increase it by um the recommended, you know, amount I don't know what that would end up being and try to make the savings. >> That's why we had the committee that went through and >> Right. But you're recommending not doing anything on >> Right. So >> strategic to save the district. >> No, I get that. I'm just >> that's just a huge increase for a PO increase and I get you're trying to incentivize people to go to the HMO but >> but even if he so so just to clarify even if he we did both PO

093is still going to get the same increase >> right but I'm saying >> is not going to change >> right and so that's what I'm saying but we still save more we would save 40,000 instead of 28,000 and that modest increase for an HMO family >> feasible. >> It's I mean I don't think it would be I don't know each family but because everything is increasing there may be an expectation or understanding that office visits may go from $20 to $30. So, if the district can save more money by doing both, and that still would be an incentive for people on the PLO to go to the HMO because that $20 co-pay or that $30 co-pay there, they would be saving a lot of money. So, that's what I'm saying. if we're going to increase

094it, or at least what I'm trying to think about is that $400 potentially increase on PO families with a modest increase on HMO families could still incentivize PO families to go to the HMO, but the district gets an additional $12,000 savings by doing both. >> When when do you anticipate we might have the exact number from East P? was an E >> Ecolog. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. >> I know just looking at option number one up there that it's probably going to be somewhere between 17 >> 17 and 1,800. I I just I was curious if we knew the exact amount, would that make it better? So, I mean, I guess that is an option. We could wait, but that does mean we would need to have a special board meeting >> if we get

095the numbers. >> I can tell you the rationale as to why they chose option three. >> It's because they felt that a single person with a $1,000 deductible and a family deductible, not double that, was not fair to single coverage people. So that's why they opted to go with that particular >> What are you guys thinking? Do you feel like you have what you need to vote now? You would rather have the exact number? >> I think I have enough. I don't need the exact. I think my biggest thought is whatever that number ends up being for the PO families is what it's going to be. But the district could save more money by also making that modest increase on the HMO um plan. And I don't we can never know for sure, but I

096don't see that increase being so high that someone from a PO wouldn't consider going down to an HMO. And it because that it doesn't seem so high of an increase to the HMO if it saves the district 12,000. So are you I don't want to put words in your mouth but like you are thinking that you would go with the committee recommendation. >> Yeah. >> Anybody else have thoughts? >> I mean it's not great for anyone. >> No. No. >> Yeah. >> Not not good for anyone. I'm leaning that way to >> the committee recommendation just because I think it's the majority of our staff is on PO uh that should still get some increase or some savings by making a like a feasible increase to the insurance you know 20 $20 co-pay is amazing

097and you don't see that anymore you know so it's like well it's coming I know it's coming. So 20 to 30, you know, okay. And again, you know, it's a shot in the dark that maybe this will push some people and maybe not, then, you know, for me personally, I'm looking towards the insurance committee. >> Okay. >> Jared, Tiffany Wless, Stephanie, what are your thoughts on this? >> I'm leaning towards the administration's recommendation. only because I'll say the only reason why because I like the idea of keeping it flexed for the hopes of on the back end maybe getting two, three or four over there and we're going to recover that 12,000 and some if we keep it at that flex and then also the fact of we have not made a change to any

098of them in since 2019. >> We've eaten the cost. >> We've been tell and we've been telling them like hey we don't know what next year is going to bring. We don't know what next year. We kept we said that openly >> to the committee and they were very appreciative. >> One would be an increase, right? Like I mean it's Stephanie. Do you think that if there was an increase to the HMO plan that folks that are on the PO plan still wouldn't consider switching over because that's still like $9,000 savings? >> Well, I'll say this to be honest. even with the the change, if you think about it, if you like a PO, >> no matter what the cost is, you're going to keep the PO. >> That's really the the bottom line. >>

099And then so what we probably are looking at is more people that are coming in that are new >> that'll be more going towards the HMO than we actually would do the PO anyway cuz I'm a PO personally >> and so I don't care what the cost is. I just have that comfortability which is a to a certain extent now a false comfortability because there were a lot more restrictions from an HMO perspective in the past but now it's kind of seeming like they're coming more closely closely aligned so they're not as many restrictions as there were before from HMO. So, even if um if we're sort of trying to incentivize um new hires or new folks new to the district, do you think that if we increase the the HMO plan um by that

100$10 to $20 for the office visit that those newcomers would be more inclined to go to the PO? >> Maybe, maybe not. I think that's what I'm having a hard time with, right? >> Because it doesn't seem like such a substantial increase. And I know that that's, you know, privileged to to say that. Um, but with everything rising and having a co-ay increase by $10 or $20 for specialist, it still seems like you would be saving much more on an HMO plan. Um, and if we did get one or two people to switch from the PO to the HMO, even with that modest increase, then the district is saving even more than the 40,000 that's projected. >> I could I would say that I I think you make a good point. I think if it

101were if it were me, I'm on the PO, it goes up 400, I'm paying out of pocket, so my deductible is not, that's going to make me very much consider the HMO, >> right? >> But I think even even more so, if I was on the fence and I was like, "Oh, the PBO keeps going up, but for some reason the HMO is staying steady." That would be a I mean, like you're saying, it's not a big factor. No, that's a good point. Yeah. >> Be like something in in consideration. >> That's a good point. >> Like maybe this trend will continue where HMO will hold. I don't and and it I think it depends on people's life circumstances like you know something changes. I don't need this type of coverage now. So there could

102be people my point is there could be people on the fence Yeah. >> that are like well I can actually go to an HMO now because my circumstances and this is going to push people. >> Yeah. >> But you Yeah. It's just it's almost negligible. But it just you know you don't know. It's like it could be that. But that's a good point. I didn't even think about with, you know, somebody coming in and seeing, okay, Him hasn't increased. >> Yeah. >> Um, and I I'm leaning towards admin plan. Um myself I know like I have had I've had both actually to personally but like you know at the end of the day the the uh if they're already at 1,600 I know potentially going up to 2,000 is $400 and $400 is $400 but

103also with the unfortunately the way I'm personally on a high deductible plan so those deductibles look really low to me but uh they um things are so expensive that like one incident could hit my, you know, like or one or two incidents uh could make up that, you know, that $400 where, you know, like it almost feels like $1,600 deductible to $1,800 deductible. I mean, it's so expensive for anything to happen. Um, I guess I I'm not opposed to taking the um committee's recommendation, but because we haven't um made big increases, we haven't been absorbing it. I I do like the admin's approach of >> leaving one >> leaving, you know, absorbing half of not half, but you know, only part of the required 40. I don't know. It It's It stinks any way we

104cut it, but if we can >> absorb a little bit more, I'd I'd like to try. That's me. >> So, I would be the admin. >> Yeah, I I would be the admin, I believe, as well, just because we've I've seen you guys work so hard all these years to make sure that we haven't had to raise it and kind of suck either way. for insurance. I mean, >> I'll take that. >> Listen, >> we all have >> things going up. >> So, are we leaving the motion as is >> or do we need the motion is the admin? >> I'm trying to be political and stay neutral. >> I know what's happening over there. >> So, it depends on what he says and whether or not we can make the change. >> Right. Right.

105So right now the motion to go with what? >> The administrative recommendation. >> So if you say no, then we have to and then we'll do a special meeting. >> No, no, we wouldn't because then we would be able to vote on the committee, we could we could y, >> but we were just trying to see from a numbers perspective. leaving the HMO in the hopes that we >> So yeah, the motion would be to do the admin or we can change the motion to do the committee or we could do a motion to table until we have the exact number and then we we would have to have a special meeting in order to get what we need before May one. Because it's before May 1. >> Yes. Yeah. It'd have to be tight

106because you need it by May 1st, right? >> We hope he gets like he said his underwriting. >> So, we would love to do it tonight if we feel comfortable, but I don't want to push anyone. >> Yeah. >> Tonight. >> Okay. Do like Love is Blind and just wait till the altar to make it. >> Okay. There comes the jokes. >> It's the witching hours. >> I got him now after a couple years. I know. >> He's like, "Yeah, hey, whatever." >> Give him a candy. >> So, the motion >> the water. >> The motion on the table is for the board to approve the health insurance option as presented with the administrative administration's recommendation. >> Move. >> Okay. It was moved by Stephanie and seconded by Jared. >> Okay. >> Um, so I

107just need a roll call vote. >> Yeah. And roll call call vote is starting with Jared this time. And that's just the way it went through all of them. So >> Jared, >> she does rotate it. >> She do rotate it. >> Yeah, it's hilarious. Ortiz I paritch. >> Do I have to say I or you can say? I'm sorry. Was that a name? It was a name. President I. >> Vice President Boyd. >> I. >> McFerson. >> Nay. >> So, we have four eyes, two nays, and one absent. Motion carries. >> That's good. >> Thank you. >> It's okay. I get too stuck. >> It's a tough one. It's a tough >> none of it feels good because none of it feels good last point >> almost. >> So, no more voting. We're done

108with voting for the night. Uh discussion items with no action. We have a hiring practice um presentation. >> How do I follow that? >> I feel like Dennis a couple presentations tonight. >> Yeah. Okay. Um, this is a conversation that has been um, ongoing, but uh, most recently I had, you know, a conversation with Cynthia, with Desanda. We were just kind of revisiting our hiring. So, we looked at, um, the practices a couple weeks ago. I sent you a bunch of different documents. I'm not going to talk to all those documents I sent you, but the overall theme is just the importance of hiring. Cool thing is that little strategic plan in front of you. Goal three, attract and retain a diverse, dedicated, and passionate staff equipped to address the modern learning needs of all

109of our students. And and uh last night, you know, I met you guys have been hearing about the the modern needs of our students. So, it is super important to get staff that are able to handle the different challenges. Um, so this hiring for impact is gonna align right to our strategic plan. Next, this is super, you know, important. Hiring, uh, in my opinion, I I remember hearing this back from a a leader when I started out, like the the greatest gift you'll ever get is an opening. This is your opportunity to bring someone in. Amazing. Um it is one of the highest leverage decisions we make as a district and I think even in your own work in your own jobs like getting that opening is this opportunity. Um so every hire impacts instruction

110it impacts culture uh and it impacts student success. So this is not just HR work. Um this is core to our mission. Next slide. Um so our strategic plan is clear. We must attract and retain a diverse high-quality workforce. This presentation we're going to um go through some of the things that we're going to be implementing. So currently we do have a process. It is consistent. It is fair. It meets requirements. But it is not yet fully aligned to the level of intentionality of our strategic plan. Um and what that calls for. So our current hiring PRA process, we have internal postings. Um we have public job postings. We externally recruit through partners which are a lot of times our universities. We do screenings, we do interviews and then we do board approval. So this

111is how we currently operate. Um it is a solid process but it's largely reactive. Next slide. So a teacher I wanted to put this in this came up in a in a past uh board meeting about retention rates and you could see from 2017 to 2018 it's a little blurry but you know we've been hovering I think it was lowest right when I got here in in 2017 it was 86.4 and then it went up 90.4 4 90.2 90.4 90.5 like right around 90s 91 90 and so the way they look at retention rate is like the number of staff that you had last year to this year in the average. So you know like retirements um are you know because if you're filling a position that is then considered you know it's it's like

112a one for one. So, but like resignations or or not renewing people, that all plays into your retention rate. But you could see like the question is like so we still are retaining a majority of our staff and I think anytime we lose one and and we we could talk about when I had that favorite person. You guys just said it tonight with the retirement like losing that one person is is bad. Losing the teacher and then when you see like in their comments I'm leaving because you know it might be a money thing. Sometimes it's moving out of state. Sometimes it's changing careers, sometimes it's a promotion, but nonetheless, you know, we do, you know, our our rate isn't huge, but we have to start thinking about who we're bringing in. So, next slide.

113So, there are things that we're doing um well, we do have a clear process. We have structure. It's consistent. We have fairness built into the system and that that foundation matters. Um however, there are some gaps. So, next slide. um limited proactive recruitment. You know, we uh are limited like we go out to certain places, we try going to job fairs, but it it is limited. Um we're not maximizing the diverse pipelines. So, if we're talking about diverse candidates, there are different pipelines, different organizations that we have to take a look at or just be strategic with specific universities and being very clear about what it is that we are looking for. Uh, ironically today I was talking to um ISU uh in in in very specifically in their special education department their director and

114we were talking about they have a program for paraprofessionals that get from paraprofessional to teaching certificate and it's really geared around special needs right learn LBS1's which is super important. So, we were talking about um one of the people in their programs and um I was saying like, "Look, I have an opening." And she's like, "Well, can you do me a favor? Can you share with me your openings because I will in turn give it to all of our people that are graduating soon." So, it's like that kind of connection like we we're talking ISU, we take student teachers. It's been awesome. But to have that kind of connection is huge because people are coming out looking for jobs and every district's in a different position. So it's like those kind of being strategic with

115them and then our partners at like Concordia, Elmherst in the city colleges like those are the people that I have to you know get more strategic and who we're going to and really expressing our needs. Um ownership isn't clear and that is just like okay so who is responsible for this particular hire? Like is it the principal? Is it us? So, it's like being very clear about like look, you are you're having a team, you're going to train a team. Um, we're going to go through like what the expectations is that having that conversation so it's very clear when they interview people and then who it goes to when it's there. So, we're going to get clear with that. And then data isn't is right now not driving decision. So meaning like looking at the

116diverse candidates or looking at um you guys had talked about like one thing we're going to start is tracking how many apply um you know how many we interviewed. What were the reasons why you know like we have to get down to that so then we can be like okay we had four people apply or 10 people apply. We only brought in X. Why did we only bring in X >> To interview. And then like if we did like then what was the reasons we didn't bring them or or we did bring them? What didn't we you know like why didn't they get hired? What was the followup like? So we have to have data driving um these decisions. So >> I'm sorry. Well you also include like what their um certification endorsements. >> So

117a lot of times like that is like those are some things like people apply for positions and sometimes they're not truly >> looking at what the position is they just see opening start throwing, >> right? So we'll be like and especially in middle school is this is where it happens a lot. You'll have a math opening, someone will apply, you look at their certificates, they don't have a math, >> so that automatically keeps them out like they applied. So like, oh well, why didn't you bring it? Well, then it's very easy to say like, >> well, I would assume I'm making an assumption here, but if someone has multiple endorsements, even if it's not or something they're they're uh applying for that, that would obviously maybe give them a a boost of being able to

118come in to interview, right? If they have interview them if they don't, >> but not for but for the specific for like math if it's math specific. Like yeah sometimes you know we in in middle school we are usually very specific about just math right like in in intermediate it would just be K through five. >> My example was like let's say we have an EL teacher opening or we just have a classroom teacher opening but someone who's applying for the classroom teacher also has their EL endorsement then that would clearly be someone we would be interested in bringing in >> prior like we try to get them as a priority priority >> like it says ESL um preferred that's the word. >> Okay. Okay. Okay. So next slide. So I think the thing for

119us it's what what we must change what I'm seeing as I show you some numbers what we must change is instead of waiting for candidates we've got to actively recruit them. >> Um we've got to be really keeping our ears at a grindstone and looking for candidates like I told you about pair of professionals that we know have teaching degrees teachers that we know are graduating that we know that they're going to be in a position that we potentially are going to have. we've got to go after them. I've got to go to the universities and now like I'm doing and getting ahead of that like we're not I don't want to wait until June. We always wait but like we're already like you know I know we're interviewing today for uh this week or

120and next week for the for the the position in this building. We have interviews for speech tomorrow. Like we don't we want to be ahead of the hiring process, >> right? Like when you wait then that's Go ahead. Go ahead. So, I just had a general question because I was thinking about like the when you're saying about anticipating and being prepared. >> Yeah. >> Um, >> what does do teaching or internships look like? Like what are our numbers there or do we have some kind of set number there? I think that if we start to even allow kids to come into shadow from the colleges that are not yet teachers, teachers aid type of internships that that will draw a diverse group especially if they're going from the city colleges >> and then also they'll

121get an idea to see what it looks like. So once they graduate they might be incentivized to come here if they like that experience when they were here. >> Absolutely. that that is so the one thing um and just a personal strategy. So when I was a principal in the city I average eight student teachers a year and that was my bench like those eight became subs they became teachers and that was just what we were doing. I had a connection with here it seems like and this is about being proactive like going to the university because I have a list of teachers that want student teachers. A lot of times we're waiting for the universities. Hey, do you have somebody? Do you you know we need we need and it's sometimes specific like do

122you have a second grade teacher? We need them to observe but we wait for them. I want to go to them and say what we do have a lot of is people doing observations. A lot of students coming through to do observations from the different universe. >> How long is that versus a >> so that is like for usually it's like a semester the student teaching is usually like it's semester or it's like hours right? So it's like 30 hours. observation is only >> observation isn't but the student teaching it semester and what we've been really fortunate the last couple years the diversity in the student teachers has been pretty awesome and that is what >> what is our benchmark though like you said for CPS do we have a benchmark what is our number

123>> for for student teachers no but that's where we could be more secure like we want to average like at least one in every building or three in every >> is there a basement like you'll take as many as you can take but you know what you need because it is a lift for the teacher. So, first of all, you also have to have certain requirements for the teacher. The teacher has to been in a classroom for a couple years. They have to be in good stand, you know, like. So, you can't just >> put someone in there. >> Well, we have a large number of of teachers. So, even if we said that, could we set some type of mark to say we're going our goal is going to be to try to get

124at least five student teachers in a year. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? >> Yeah, we could we could set the we could absolutely set the mark. And it a lot is it's it's about kind of the way I I spun it to my you know teachers because it's a lift for teachers right because you're doing they're telling you're doing I'm sorry >> it's voluntary and sometimes schools give incentive like the universities they'll give them credit >> but it is a lot of work for a mentor teacher right so they have to um you know they're spending a lot of time talking planning >> have people coming into rooms observing And then there's a point when they hand off. >> Right. Right. Right. >> Right. And so sometimes it's that that kind of like losing

125that control to give this Yes. >> But the way I spin it is like it's an extra pair of hands in a classroom. So now when you're doing small groups, it's like you got one >> Yeah. >> a student teacher who's going to be a certified teacher working with a group. You're working with a group. More hands on deck. Then you know student teachers, we like to use them in the recess cafeteria like they help out. So, I think we should probably >> be more strategic in that area. I know that you do it. I'm not saying it's not being done, but I would like to see what that looks like for this upcoming school year that we put some kind of target. We may not meet that target. And then also maybe do an

126assessment and get feedback from the teachers so that we already know how many teachers are interested in having them. And so, that'll be better. >> And I did pull the teachers so I have the list. I And I did it like last year, but I could update it cuz you know, >> teachers have changed. Yeah. And and and their lives change. So then they might be more open and then you know you have people coming in. >> And I really like and I don't know >> um are are we doing for student teachers is it only from the universities like they already have to be so close or are we doing it even from like standpoint of if we're doing a city colleges they might be trying to >> go towards it but they still

127have so many more years to go. So >> would that be observation then >> if they were coming from the city college? >> Right. And so sometimes too the way that like when I was a student teacher I think a lot of times they try to put you close to where you live too. So you try to get people around here because if they're coming from so far like that's that's a challenge. But yeah the observations um it's just about reaching out to once you tell universities like hey give me all your student will they got to hear like I said it's it's about going to them instead of coming to us. >> Wait two questions to follow up on Stephanie. Um, can you explain more for the non-educators in the room like where that

128falls and where does obser in in a typical teacher education four-year program where does observation >> usually in the beginning like in their right when they get into their college of education the student teaching is the last thing they have to do before they come certified >> some by clinicals. Yeah. >> Right. So, it is the last year the la it's like their senior year or like last and I think they actually do it like some do it all year, some do it for the semester >> like depending on what program you're at. If you get them all year that's awesome. Sometimes they got to stop and but sometimes too like some universities have like on Fridays they got to go to the university because they're taking class or on Wednesday like whatever. So you

129work with >> I'm just curious what is our relationship with Triton? It is. It is decent, but they're a two-year. So, you're not getting a fouryear. >> You're just getting for observation. >> Yeah. You don't you need you need to go from a four-year. It has to be from a four-year university. >> No, no, I know for the student teacher. I just was still under trying to understand like our our relationship with them. >> Question. Um, >> when you pulled the teachers before, do you have like a rough number of how many said they would be interested? >> I think it was about it was about like a third. Oh >> yeah, >> there was a good but it was like do you want to do you want to make observations? Do you want a

130student teacher? I think it also what we could do >> is I could be a little bit more instead of just putting out a poll. It's like hey Stephanie >> I see you in a classroom you got a lot of talent. I think you should >> like I think it's better than just an email because some people might not read the email some people may not but it's like if I see something in somebody like >> hey this is a really good opportunity there's a lot of plus I know it's work but think about what you can do and the people who have then taken getting them more to be like >> hey I had one this is what it was about talking at a at a meeting like I said the person that we

131hired tonight >> was a student teacher here we you know, but they went back he went back to school this year and but took a pair of jobs. So he was getting his masters and then >> so but he was like I want to teach and but he then was inside like and we also have a couple student teachers or one student teacher now that is interested in in a physician. So like if I could build our own and get these these and um Miss Maine was a student teacher here, Miss Le was a student teacher here. So there are people that were student teachers that or also students here. And then >> my my other I'm sorry Ros's got one too. She's been waiting. Go ahead. >> My second question um I'll put you

132>> um what kind of relationship do we have with Dominican because it's closed. It's an HSI you know just wondering >> Dominican and that's that's something I could explore. My relationship, our relationship here is like Concordia, Elmherst, ISU have been our three main. I do have relationship with City College, but I want to reopen it because they're wide open and they usually tend to go to CPS. UIC has a connection with CPS. It's like a deal. Yeah. Like, and I have really tight relationship with people at at um at uh UIC. I'm actually like a mentor for people who work at CP. like they use me as the superintendent out here just to like be their their >> kind of mentor through the university. I'm like, "Hey, give me some student teaching like, "Oh, we're

133with CPS." So, that's always our their challenge. But yeah, but you do you have any connects at at Dominican? >> Um, possibly. And then um I didn't see it on the list, but I was just thinking of um other schools that are sort of out this way. Um >> like there's Aurora. Sometimes we get some from Aurora. Something from Benedicting. So I >> like there's kind of some one there kind of some oneoffs. >> Um but it's all about >> revisiting >> North Park's in the city. >> What's the one? It's >> North Central. Yeah, >> that one too. >> Yeah. >> I'm going to go to Rose then. Sorry. Then Rose and Stephanie. >> I was just wondering I'm not sure how the testing works and stuff once people are done student teaching. I'm

134not sure how that works for them, but doing some kind of incentive in time once we get a good flow going through to maybe get them to come back if we're in need or especially maybe uh alums if we've seen how their work work ethic is here as a student teacher maybe coming up with something to help kind of pull them back. >> I think it's kind of cool to see our kids come back. I think it's you saw Miss Antony who was >> like I love that. >> And I think too another thing I want to be strategic on is when we're interviewing people if we like them they just didn't get the position to say hey >> why don't you come and sub for us. Yep. >> Because we have leaves >> and

135that's another way that I build people like you just always you got to have the bench, >> right? >> Um and and so some of the stuff we have been seeing how many stuff do we have right? Probably more than we've had in a in a while. >> Yeah. >> Now whether they're coming every day, but some of them were like, "Hey, you know, >> let's do it." >> So I'm going to I'm going to keep Oh, we got another question. >> I Steph, do you have a question now or do you keep keep going? >> I have a question >> now. >> Yes. >> Okay, go for it. And then now >> got one more. So my concern with that and I know like I said was you all are being very diligent about

136what you're doing and I've seen a lot of changes even since I came onto the board. >> That was something that I was really pushing for that we still are may not be tapping into just because of proximity >> a diverse school. >> Yeah. >> That's why I was looking at the HSI. >> You know what I'm saying? We're still not hitting that. And I don't know what the right answer is. Yeah. But I feel like that is something that still is missing from a proximity proximity perspective and how do we kind of you know >> and and usually the the city colleges are they have a more diverse >> that's what I was thinking about but then like you said they're just observations they can't be >> but no they actually become student teachers

137just it a lot of them go to the to CPS because they go to a city college you got to live in a city right >> so for them it's easier to get a job in CPS as a student teacher than to come here. You got to try to convince them what and and that's and the difference between a city college and Triton is Triton's a two-year. City College is a four-year. >> They are four years. >> Yeah. >> What's the four year? >> The city school of bachelors. >> Which one? >> City colleges. >> You talking about Malcolm X? Yeah. >> I don't think they were four years. >> Do they have a partnership for the the education degree? to do. Sorry. >> Do they have a partnership with someone to do the four-year

138education degree? >> But usually they do. >> Yeah. >> You so I know like say for example Trident might have Governor State is their partner. >> And that was a school that you know Governor State >> that's on my recording. I mean we've had we've tried to >> govern state >> been a challenge governor state is one we've but it's been you know consistency sometimes a lot of times you're getting different people north northeastern is another university that I you know when we started this journey >> and it was like the people who were working with the program >> with us yeah but as I show you and when I show you the numbers about the diversity then that's it becomes like where our strategy has to be >> one last question is and this

139is following up to Dana's question um trying to understand so if it's a two-year college those students can uh observe >> I don't know if >> no I don't know I don't know I I think it's it's more like usually with whatever university that they're at it's like in the beginning of their journey >> okay >> the observations are so like we'll get a lot of stu like uh education um students like from Concordia, from Elmherst and they'll come >> they're already in the education program >> because they're going into it or they're taking a class that requires it. Yeah. A lot of times they're in education program. So then you hope that they come back and be a student teacher if you're like like there is like kind of a a rotation people coming

140through >> because I was just wondering um for the two-year institutions if any of those um individuals may be >> like on the PR track and if we get them interested then as they go through their four-year education to become a teacher they're still yeah connected with us. So there yeah there's some there there's there's some there's you can go to the next slide. >> Yeah. >> The long game. Is that what you just said? Yeah. >> So we want to expand our outreach to diverse pipelines. We want to build partnerships and we want to actively uh recruit candidates. So we want to expand, like I said, we're going to expand how we recruit some of the things that you're talking about. You're giving me some good ideas too. it is to revisit even to

141Triton cuz like sometimes too these universities two years they sometimes have like these extended programs where they can get because there are teacher shortages are >> governor state is definitely one of them that's how Michael got his degree >> Brighton and then through Governor State so and a lot of them have multiple alignments but I know for one I I think this is an important thing and this goes to kind of this isn't like I'm not you I don't have I have an interview training Um, it's a document that I created because I want our interviews to be very structured across the board, across all, you know, across all buildings, focusing on instructional quality. So, we change up the questions. We have like a demo lesson that we want to see them doing. We want

142consistent teams. Really important that you have the same team of people. It's it's only fair. If you're interviewing five people or six people, you want the same team. So they got to commit to doing that. Um and candidate voice we want it we want it u prioritized. I think you know one thing that came up about bias and and I I don't have it in here but I just you know when we talk about bias um you know everybody in a room has bias right and and and that isn't the issue but the issue is when it goes unchecked. So, we've got to train people to just even just to call it out. And a big way it shows up in interviews is when it shows up like as a gut feeling or say someone

143is a good fit without evidence. Oh, I like them. >> They look good. Well, if it's not in evidence, then we are going to not like we're going to push. So that is going to be like we talk about a leader that would be who's ever leading that team is like okay you like that they're good but tell me more about them explain what that's about. So we'll have a process for the teams that we are focusing on the quality what they talked about their experiences and focus it on the candidate verse oh I kind of like them or oh my gosh did you see what they were wearing you know like that's a biases that show up and like so we don't want to you know >> scoring without evidence >> right so it's

144super important next slide so like I said each hire has a responsible leader there's clear expectation And most importantly for you guys there's like an ongoing review so we can talk about so you guys may ask like okay you did after your hiring cycle like in the summer you know in July in August like I share with you here was our positions here was I mean Laura's already been working on a on a on a spreadsheet >> you know and so it'll just so you guys could just kind of look and see like okay you guys had you know this position open you had 20 hires out of the gates we could say like it would be really probably really clear to that that kind of like 14 actually were qualified to do it. So

145then you could see like well if you only had 20 you only you know well we were only starting at 14. We didn't start at 20. We interviewed this kind of the reasons why you know there's certain things that we see sometimes that like just disqualifies someone from from even you know and so it's just being um honest but then looking like okay did we did we do enough? Did we reach out to the you know what did we do? So, it's just ongoing review and like I said, it aligns to the strategic plan. So, it's in that it's it's in that tracker anyway. So, we're going to track the work, diversity, candidate quality, hiring outcomes, and we'll report this. You'll see progress, not just hear about. So, you're actually going to see the numbers

146and not just, oh yeah, no, we had a good interview, you know, like so, >> you know. So, um, next slide. As I said, it's phased work. So in 2026 we're building a systems by 2027 we'll have this fully implementation and ongoing refinement. You know we are going to start you know this summer. Yep. And so the timeline I mean we are not filling positions. We're building you know a diverse workforce that directly impacts our students. Um and just bringing it together. This is how strategic plan becomes real. So I just wanted to share some current data in Illinois. So you could see that in Illinois 80 to 82% of the teachers are white, 9 to 10% are Hispanic, 5 to 6% are uh black, and 2 to 3% are Asian, and then multi-racial issues

147like less than 1%. You could pull up the next slide is our district. So we're kind of in line with that. You know, it has changed. You know, in 2016, we're at 92% white. Slowly but surely, we're increasing our numbers. Um, not, you know, not as fast as I would like, but it is it's it's with the state air, but you, you know, you could see that we've hired more from in 2016 4% to 12% African-American teachers. You know, that number's kind of stayed, you know, but and and we, you know, we talk about if they see themselves and their students, it makes a difference. And you know, it's interesting like our paraprofessionals are like they're almost like 50% diverse. Um, >> and you know, some of our lunchroom staffs that you know, our student

148advocates, like we try to, you know, mix it up. >> This is teacher. Oh, yeah. >> This is just Yeah, this is just teacher only. But here's the next >> That's a Yeah, >> that's impressive just in that 10 years. >> Yeah. um where we're going and that's without right >> this plan of being more focused than >> so four roughly four out of five teachers are white >> and you know in in Illinois but here is the this is the very interesting kind of kind of brings it together so I did a little bit of research right now there are between 5,000 and 8,000 candidates of color enrolled in a program but they say >> in Illinois >> but they say by the time that they graduate only 3,500 to 5,000 are likely to

149compete. So Illinois workforce ends up around you know less than 20% of the teachers um statewide. So there is nowhere near enough this is nowhere near enough to meet the demand um and a significant portion you see never even make it into the classroom. So this is not just a I mean this isn't this is a math problem, right? like it's not just a it's it's it's not just a hiring thing. But that's why we could be more strategic like when I do get candidates that are are diverse trying to invest in people in the in the in the beginning trying to get them in here just to see what we're about. It can make a difference. So it it's work, but this is the work, right? So, like I said, if we start getting

150um more strategic and more, you know, purposeful, I think we could see those numbers even change. But like it it had to be like I don't ever want us to to it's got to be quality. Like I don't want to just take people because of you know it's got to be quality. It's got to go back to do they do they do they possess the skills? Are they disgust? Can they exhibit the skills that are for our students? So, >> I know we asked questions while we went along, but does anyone have any? >> I have I have another question. And like I told Phil that I really appreciate him >> um taking this seriously and you know looking at the hiring plan and >> and tweaking it for the better, right? I know you

151guys are already doing good things, but I'm wondering if you can walk me like walk me through what it looks like when an application comes in cuz you're saying >> it's going to have an own when the applications come in. Who's looking at the application? >> So the principal or the teamly like so marine for if you're talking speech is responsible for hiring speech teachers along with the principal. So >> in in the building and then I'm still looking at it because I just like to keep the numbers but she'll conduct >> when you say looking at do you mean like does >> Oh I'm sorry. So we have a we have a system I'm sorry we have front line it's a frontline it's electronic system. >> We get things when it when a resume

152is or an application is >> comes through >> and it sometimes if it doesn't if you don't get it you're still checking every couple days. So it's a central part and then that point is get directed to whomever department. >> Well they you know they Yes. And they have access like marine like you're here that's good. So you have the just the speech so you have access to it. You're looking at it. >> Yes. Yes. So I have three applicants for an open position. So I reach out to a team of people to see um I screen the applicants first. Of course I read all their material and then I usually email the applicant. This is what I did for the interviews tomorrow afternoon. Emma the applicant to set up a phone screening and uh

153I discussed with them about our school district and about the role and I asked them about them. So if if we both mutually agree we carry on an interview. I email all the current speech paths principal and then teachers who work with that speech path. So at Oracle teacher, the speech cluster teacher, general ed teacher and invite them to participate in interview panel. We like three to five people to be part of the panel. So there'll be five of us tomorrow afternoon, 3:30, 4:15, and 5:00 interviewing those three candidates. We have questions that um from Bill's presentation that are based on the Daniel model for therapists that we will each each um interview e will um ask three questions one from each of the main >> and that's consistent for all >> that's consistent and

154then the team always knows is something that's important the team that's on it they they know that they are they're making a recommendation but ultimately it lands with leader the principal the team lead the superintendent. So then they you know they will um check references once they find a candidate they'll check the references they'll make the colleague are you interested and they'll check references and and they'll know who there they'll you know we try to do be thorough about that. Um, if the references check out, then we call them back and then I meet with them and I do like a just kind of a I'll just ask them certain questions and then we move forward to to hiring. But the thing like right now, like I said, I think that that what we haven't

155done with the team and the team has the the questions and they are taking notes and they are they know that they're making a recommendation, but it's about being strategic and and deliberate and talking about the bias. we haven't had that conversation before. So sometimes there might be an oh my gosh I like this per and so it's teaching the team how to interview. >> Um we do like to add staff because they are the ones that are working with them and you want to have staff voice like >> so so then we get the application admins are looking at it if they're if they have the qualifications then they're reaching out to them to do a screener. >> So there's different teams is what you're saying >> there's different teams. So like Yeah. So

156like for she's going to have team but like at PS if it's a second grade opening she's going to pull in specialists. She'll pull in step >> I usually so I go I work with the principles for the screeners. >> Yeah. >> So me and the principal will meet we have 15 applicants. We look through and then we push through the top eight and then it goes to the team from there. >> Yeah. So a team would be so if it's a second grade opening some second grade teachers be there the specialist you'll have ESL you'll have a sped teacher like you want to have different voice and you want to have but then that group is they know that that group has to stay there >> throughout so if you have interviews Monday Tuesday

157Wednesday they got to be available like you can't have because then at one person not there right >> it's like well then how did you you weren't able to really truly >> so there's different teams but per candidate it's the same team >> yes right >> and then I saw on here that we're training. >> It's per position. >> So if you can't come to all of them, you can't you have to be there for everything. >> Okay. >> And then if there's so in a building like just say is they have they have a third grade opening and a fifth grade opening >> and one day that or you know a couple days would just be the third grade team and then the next day it'll be the fifth grade team. The third grade

158team wouldn't be in the fifth grade team. Right. You're going to have that. And um what was your your second piece was um >> different teams but consistent or different team per you're going to have different teams throughout the school because you're just >> and you don't Yeah. And you you know you're getting volunteers based off of sometimes it's in the summer and so you're like hey I need four people to be here who can make it you know. So yeah like you don't it's not just like a set three and you want to give you because each team has five teacher you know each grade level has like five. So you want to give you know equity. You don't want just the same people doing it all the time and some people can't do

159it. But what I said is that that the teams are now the process moving forward is when I you know I I was presenting this to you but like I you know once you go then I would meet with the principles and meen and Dennis and Stephanie and like this is what we want our train our team. know when that team meets >> for the first time before the candidates even come in they're going to go through this stuff and be like this is what we're going to do here's the questions this is how we're going to roll and then they'll understand and the principal or the the team lead will be watching for when they sit down and they discuss after the candidate leaves I really like their dress you know what >> that

160is you know you got to push to let's let's root it in in evidence what did you see what did they say and so then then people are really paying attention and and you'll work through that. >> So really just fine-tuning the process that's already >> make it about >> and making the data the support giving us the data to provide the support is is really really good. I can appreciate like uh Cynthia said all the work that's been done um me being here from 2019 to now I've seen a lot of changes. I said, I think what I uh always have had a little concern about is the retention of the minorities and how that look what that looks like. And I just would think in general for some teachers because it's not only

161just been minorities, it could been like some of the millennial teachers come in and they've been phenomenal. And I wanted to fight Phil one time, one of those young ladies left and she was not a non- minority, but she was phenomenal. But, you know, we know some of that is driven by money and better, you know, getting the experience just so they can go to one of these larger districts and different things like that. But I would definitely want to see on the flip side once we do get those teachers in, whether they're minorities or not, what that first year of mentoring, training, and all of that kind of cultivating and nurturing looks like so that if we do have someone that comes in that's younger and are we partnering with us on a regular

162basis to make sure that we're kind of >> really bringing them along to fill them and >> I don't know if you know like but Right now what we do is we do have a Laura started this year we have a survey that goes out to those to the new people three times a year and it's just you know it's it's opportunity for them to to fill things out. It's not mandatory, but it does give us an idea like do you feel supported? What you know, what areas need to do can we get better at? Go back into the the days of getting trained like with Stephanie. How could we've made the first that that first week better for you? So, we're trying and we're looking at the exit tickets. We have a different we

163used to do it like um pen and paper and we would just give it to but now we make it Google to make it easier. So then I have it and we you know we're going to collect those to see like when people leave like what's the reason and then we could share that out and you know >> I've got Rose then I'm good >> that was one of my side questions that are we still doing exit interviews so we're just doing it online >> not interview yeah it's exit doc it's like a it's a it's a >> question you feel like you get good feedback from that >> I feel like I feel like they yeah they're they're honest if they If they do it, they're honest, right? So, I think >> when this

164system is pushing these uh applicants to first the principles of each school, >> it's it's again a principal. >> Stephanie, you're part of the whole >> Stephanie gets Stephanie and I and I think I think we get Yeah, I think we all have. >> So, you're helping screen with the principal from the beginning seeing all the applicants. Okay. >> Thank you. >> Yep. And I'll be like, you know, and I'll get on like, hey, did you see that applicant? Did you see the applicant? and sometimes but they're really good at like going through and be like yeah they interviewed but they applied but did you see that they didn't have or they're graduating in three years like >> we also put in their notes like if we do bring them in we'll say you know

165brought in interview or if we didn't have people who were qualified doesn't have ESL endorsement or doesn't that way we don't have >> Sure. So the the one thing I do want to say and this is this goes back like this was I sent you guys this a couple week there was like three or four documents and it it's part of the uh the hiring thing but I I um the training but I just want to be really clear it's like going to be a non-negotiable practice moving forward and every score that is with that rubric it must be backed by written evidence. >> Yeah. >> Um evidence that's connected to the rubric. So fit alone is not going to be acceptable like so if you have two candidates they have similar candidates interview says

166oh I just like them more. no clear evidence tied to the role, then that that like that's making a decision based on comfort and not on competence. We want competent. We talk about having an excellent teacher, what that looks like. So, we want to get candidates that are are there. And I think if we do more work on the front end, then we don't have to worry about trying to make changes once they're here cuz it is it is a lot of money to rehire people, right? and retrain and and not just money that comes up in money. It's just like the the time the you know so >> I got to sh then Cynthia >> um Rose sort of asked um what I was wondering um I think this is fantastic and I'm really

167happy to see all of this >> um in terms of that first screening I'm happy to see or hear that it's um multiple folks because that's one area too even if you're just checking you know for you know certification or like you know that they meet the >> um standard eligibility qualification So that that might but anyway um maybe we expand that first screener um group um just to review so that we have um one the burden isn't just on you guys but maybe that group is five people. And so when we're looking at, you know, the seven applications that come in and we're saying, "Okay, everybody agrees that they meet all the qualifications or if there's a priority, you know, we prefer the ESL um certification, but one >> doesn't have it, but they

168have other, you know, things. Let's make sure we bring that person in, too." Um so I think that might be a good way to start to and have consistency at each level um or each stage. So we have you know the first line of screeners would be the admins and the fourth lineer. The second line it would be the team to conduct the phone interview you know or at least a couple people on the call and then you know the full five people. Um I think essentially what I'm saying is um not leaving it to one person at any stage. >> Yeah, >> that's one way that we can check you know the bias. Yeah, >> the unintentional bias too. >> Yeah. >> Great. Good. >> Oh god. >> So So I'm just still wanting

169to envision the process. Right. So they're in for an interview, right? What does the scoring because I know you have some the scores on the rubric. How would the scoring work? Is it is it out of four points? Is that what I >> It's out of four points for each domain. So what if you have two candidates with three points >> or do you know what I mean? Like what >> the I guess. and then they come back for a second interview and then you'll they'll have like a a lesson where they'll they'll teach >> or present or they'll talk about you know and then you kind of see them in action and that's what I really want us to move towards us. >> Me too. Yeah. >> Yeah. And but I want that consistent

170in all the build you know like that's why you know but like some like sometimes like I said sometimes some people are doing it not you they are coming back for a second you know interview especially when it's close like that and you make the choice and then sometimes it's like you got to like hey I I got Tashanda and Jared and I'll be like I like them both. So you might, you know, you don't ever tell I don't tell Jared no because I got to get a commitment from Oshonda, right? So if Tashanda says I accept, then I call Jared and be like, "Hey, you're great. Would you want to sub or you know >> this is it? You know that we're going to go a different direction. We thought you're awesome, but you

171know, keep your phone, you know, because sometimes then to shame, we've had people back out then I got a call back to Jerry, you know." So you want >> resignations and then we >> it's important too that another piece is just a personal piece is just >> making sure we're treating people with respect. >> You know that's why I like to meet with them even if it's it's like a a kind of a right of pass but it's like I know they're always freaked out like what are you going to ask me? But it's more like hey let's just >> I'm you know you're going to see me be in your room don't freak out and >> you know but and then Laura gets to meet them too and then it's like boom. So then

172the final piece is then they get with Laura >> and she goes over everything because then you got to get them clear. They got to get fingerprints. They got to get everything. They get their documents and then you talk about the first, you know, that teacher orientation. We give them that date, the calendar. >> Um Jacob gives them access to the internet and like and if it's curriculum wise they want to get in. So it's just >> Yeah. >> Oh, can I just I just want to add one more thing to mind. um in the at the conference at the IAXB conference in the presentation that they offered they have a slide there which I'll send to you and it also has some uh >> locations that are not even colleges they have the I

173think I said this last time these which is the Illinois Alliance of Black School Educators and the Illinois Association of Latino Yeah, you know, and so I'll send that >> Yep. to reach out to see if they Yeah. Hispanic Association of Colleges. >> For sure. Thank you. >> Um the applicant portal, does it allow for like a blind review so that all you're seeing is the person's qualifications or um you know, education. >> You know what? I don't think we I I think it like you're asking like would you if you'd see the name, right? like can you can you just and maybe but that's something maybe that we do for the >> the the staff >> I think for us I don't think we can hide the name we're screen right now >> yeah

174but maybe for the staff that's something and that just kind of takes out that bias like it was just you know >> you don't know their name and then you just >> and they upload their >> they upload their resume usually too which is like separate PDF so if you're looking at that or their transcripts you're like >> so they have they had to upload a bunch of their certificates, their resume, their letters of recommendation. We have an online application they have to complete. >> Yeah. >> So, it's it's a pretty >> Yeah, I wasn't sure. >> But what we don't know, we don't know. It doesn't talk about, you know, you don't know race, you don't you don't know gender either. I mean, you just, you know, that's so you look at a name,

175you're like, "Oh, okay." But you don't know. And that's so that's something that it's going to be hard to track, too. Like I don't I don't I don't think for us to like get into like I like oh I had x amount of candidates like because I I can't assume. >> Yeah. >> You know. >> Yeah. That was something that we built into the process for um Northwestern but it was much different because you guys are getting all of these >> like all of like a packet. But I was just Dennis, you could uh come up with like one of the, you know, computer systems with the data that you can remove all that information from so we can do a blind review. >> Just add to your next, >> right? >> Exciting work and

176it's tied to our strategic plan. So this is the work and like I said, you guys >> moving forward, you know, data is going to be your best friend cuz you're going to see a lot of stuff. >> You like data? >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Great work. >> Love it. >> Um information items. So correspondence. There isn't anything right. >> Okay. >> Um and then FOYA request. Um there was a couple in there. Thank you for handling those. Um board presence report. I am going to be short. So, I did um reach out to the IASB field rep. So, I'm going to be working on getting a date for our u self-ealuation training. Um I think the they've got sort of step programs they offer. They're pretty like flexible that they'll work with you.

177you know, the the thought that we Stephanie and I I think so, but Stephanie and I definitely talked about is really maybe seeing if we could frame it around like we have this brand new strategic plan. So, how do we as board members use our role to um you know, help with this, but like you know still still honor the the dance floor balcony as they talk about, but like how can we really be an active part in in um following the dashboard. So, I'll work on that. More than likely, it will be a um a special meeting just so we don't overwhelm ourselves at a at a regular one. Um, and then that's for closed. Um, she's not here, but we wanted to wish a belated happy birthday to Gina, whose birthday was yesterday.

178So, wanted to add that um in there. Um, I believe the the um RSVPs are closed for the district dinner and the uh celebrate Westchester. >> The Celebrate Westchester. >> Well, I probably could um >> I don't know that anyone's clamoring for it, but >> would probably be my very very very last deadline. I already cut the chat for chamber recognition dinner. I could still >> So I did you get my email? >> Yeah. So I I don't have you for chamber but I have you for recognition. >> Correct. >> You get my email? >> I didn't. Okay. Cuz I'm like the board. >> Did I email her or >> I don't Yeah. Just to cover if you reply. I do not get any emails that are at BOE. >> And I know and then

179I had to switch it. >> We figured it out. I was like, "Oh my god, this is so embarrassing. If I don't respond in like I don't know 24 hours, I probably didn't get it. Like I'm pretty good at >> It's a It's a weird thing and I don't know why it's set up that way, but the BOE like if she sends reply back it doesn't go back. >> It responds best to BOE. It's like usually what I do is I bl usually blind you guys so that you guys can't reply all. Yeah. So, I don't know if that's like >> So, maybe just when you're replying to Laura forward, you know, like do it that way. >> So, let me just say I am the queen and she knows it to the last till

180the last minute. >> Yes. For the >> Yes. So, she she wrote me anyway. I'll do that. Look, I'm poor boy. >> All right. Laura, >> Laura, if we if there's an email sent that were addressed to board of education like that they were hoping something got to us but it was going to you or to someone first. Does it not come to us if it's like a CC copy? >> I don't >> if they're using the board of education. >> It'll go to us. >> It'll go to all of you but >> it doesn't go to me. It doesn't go to them. Not to them. >> But we get it. >> Okay. We so like if someone writes a letter and it's uses the BOE at SD94 I did recently right >> so it

181goes to all of us I will respond on behalf of the board um >> sometimes like you'll forward to me and it's something related >> because I know sometimes when we're in there as a group >> part of it >> they don't automatically >> oh I don't >> what day is the dinner >> I did and it was Okay, cool. >> So now I check when I hit that it's just going to not everybody. So it's two Thursday. So like that. >> So it uh let you know let us know um by I guess >> she said today. >> Today let us know and then we will >> I may do a yes. >> I was going to say you already know >> for the district recognition. We will have a little job to do.

182So I know I know share with you sorry >> by myself. >> So those are my uh board president's report >> legislative. >> Yes. Okay. And luckily it's there's not a whole lot for the legislative report. >> Ready? There's not a whole lot for the legislative report. Um, like last month I was getting a legislative report like every week and I was putting it together and I'm like, "Oh my god." So I I just want to give you some of the the most important information, right? Because and I was talking to Phil, too. There's so many bills that they're proposing federally and state, you know, and it's kind of scary because some of it is like, you know, you have to have an adult diaper changing station, you have to, you know, get these 504s

183done on time and you have to do all these things, but they don't provide the funding for them. But we're not going to panic yet because I, you know, it takes so long for them to go through and the House and the Senate and, you know, some of them may not even get passed. So, the first thing that I'm going to mention is the state budget where the state board of education is asking for a funding increase um for property tax relief. They're requesting 50 million specifically to help lower the burden on homeowners and for the transportation costs because right now, you know, they're making us, you know, do the stuff with the buses. and we're asking for 151 million to cover those costs so that we don't have to pull money away from our

184teachers or books. Now, if we're going to get it, you need that thing, but um and then the technology in the classroom. Um you know, there is the debate going on for AI and social media. So, the proposal would allow a complete opt out of classroom technology. Um and it would require teachers to provide a paper and pencil version of every single lesson. That's the proposal. And just so you know where IB stands. Um that here's theirs. We fully support student privacy and agree we must limit screen time. We are act advocating for a balanced approach. So that means that we want to protect our children's data without losing the modern digital tools that prepare them for the workforce and college. >> Um that's it. Those are those are the most important things going on.

185>> Thank you. Awesome. >> Did you want me to tell about she, you know, um Cynthia asked about like when all these bills end up going to effect like how do we get or the laws how do we get aligned? One particular one was the the change in evaluation. So the last year at the I think it was like well actually ended up happening in the summer they changed the way teachers get evaluated and um they took away the student growth piece so they made it optional. So our school, our district, we met with our parent team and we met over the summer and we finalized we took we made the decision to not include the student growth along along the lines with the with the new um bill that passed. We met with our

186teachers in um right when we came back in August like Stephanie updated. Usually the process is we anytime a teacher is getting evaluated like teacher's getting evaluated for next year you always meet the Wednesday after spring break. So just a couple weeks ago we met for next year's evaluation because last year we hadn't had any updates we had to wait. So her bigger question too is like when all these bills finally when you see what happens like how the heck do you you know get in line? How do you even know? So there's a couple things. there's press that comes out, right? And that and that is a big guide to update us on like what you need to do now. So, you'll see that's when Laura starts updating policies. The other thing is we

187go to uh HLK has a conference in like October and they go through like the binder of just the things that you have to do and Stephanie comes back freaked out like, "Oh my gosh, we have to do this. We got to we got to change, we got to get in line, we got to and so then we we have to scramble." That that is you said it. They say like now the way that um uh the the state legislature is there's like 4,000 bills coming across. It used to be only like a couple hundred, but it is a lot. And where the IASB fights back is when it's unfunded mandates. So they want you to do X, but they're not helping you pay for it. And so we will get and I don't know

188if you guys are on those emails, but we'll get these updates like, "Hey, take action. Vote against it." right now the biggest one it's going through the biggest one it's going through is is um unemployment for all of your um pair of professionals in a summer that's a huge one and what I you know what what was told it was like >> wait to the allow them to >> collect unemployment yeah so that they and and the the Brent Clark who was the head of of the um the state like the school boards he said that is the most he's been doing this for a long that is the most um expensive >> mandate in the history of that he so he he said as many people voted to oppose it that to so he's

189like he doesn't think it's going to go anywhere because so many people oppose it because it will really >> put a strain on district that we just not expecting I mean so >> it's something to keep an eye on when we get the call to take action we take action we'll fill out notices yep >> and in the legislative report. Um I I've been making like tables because there's just so many bills. Um and I like I said, I don't want to necessarily panic anyone with all of the ones because there's so many. But I did um there are tables there and they have the bill and they um have you know basically the gist of the bill and I IASB does particularly particularly talk about the ones that you know are requiring more funding

190that we don't you know we don't have it's like wonderful idea it's great let's pay the paras but we're struggling to pay them as it is you know so um and then there was one more thing that I missed here in my um in my uh report is that there is a bill called SB 2914. This was a call to action um that was going on. If the teacher right now, if the teacher isn't meeting the district standards, we the board can you know we have the power to remedy or termination or whatever. This bill would allow um the warnings to be appealed outside so to a third party. So basically >> taking power away from >> you basically taking the power away from the board but also you know it's more legal, you're going

191to court, it's going to take longer, it's going to um cost more. So that is in there right now. That was a call to action. And so they were meeting today at 3:00. So hopefully get a report and see if you know. >> Let me look and see if they do something like that though, right? um if you need to do an event rating like if you guys Yeah. made a decision that is that for a rating. Yeah. So it it would it would add a layer to >> No, this this is for um like u >> removal or a notice of remedy like right now we do that right if you know there is an an issue with the teacher or whatever they come to us and >> they could always appeal rules if

192they asking this would this would it wouldn't even come to you it wouldn't even come to you in the beginning they're going >> it would be a third party who doesn't know that's what I was waiting It's power. Gotcha. >> Got awesome. Thank you. >> Okay. We don't need >> ASB West. >> They have they had their meeting last week on the 9th. You sent a nice recap out and I did not receive one. So, I don't know because I didn't attend >> which I was hoping I still would have received it. So, I'm going to email her. >> Did not get anything. So, nothing right now till the fall. >> Okay. >> Uh, superintendent report. I'm so sorry. Board representative reports. Anything on this? >> I do. Okay. Well, maybe Phil should. >> That

193way I don't. >> No, go ahead cuz I I Stephanie just threatened me and I'm steal. >> I'm going to say one thing. >> Uh well, uh Jared and I were at the talent show last night and it was phenomenal. There were so many kids, so many parents. Um and you know, I talked to Miss Menone afterwards and I'm, you know, I was just telling her, "Thank you. This is an amazing job." 47 acts. >> Yeah. you know, and but it went by, wasn't it smooth? Like it, you know, it was like >> that's what I heard 30 seconds or you know, but it you everybody got up there and Miss Monton was like, um, you can't cut anyone. I'm social worker, you know, so I, you know, special shout out and props because it

194was so cute and it was so well put together, you know, and they had a little script and, you know, it was my first talent show and um, so just a big shout out to her. Um and then or her and everybody that was involved cuz it's not just her, it was Miss Kramer, too. >> Um the spring showcase over at WPS um was really cute where the primary sings their songs and >> it was themed this year. So all of the teachers decorated their classrooms and kind of went all out. You know, Miss Nev had on her little um like they were she was like a little fish or something and then Miss Kinci across the way had on like you know 70s glasses and Miss Tamala and Miss Majuski. I went in there.

195It was like >> black light. >> Yeah, it was really cool. So >> that was really nice. And then our pastries and uh pastries and parents at the book fair. There was just such a big turnout at the uh I didn't go but my friend was like are you here? It's crazy. you know, there's a line out the door for the book fair and so I saw some of the pictures and it's just nice to have a >> have such a good turnout. You know, we're seeing a good turnout in the spring showcase, a good turnout at pastries and parents, a good turnout at the talent show. So, it's good to see that we have the >> family involvement, the parental involvement, you know, it's was just very nice. >> So, that is good. >>

196Sorry. No, you're good. You're good. So, um, really quick, tomorrow our seventh graders are going to Springfield and they are meeting, uh, Speaker of House Welsh, who I was able to work with his office to get them, and they may or may not be going down there to tell him about that unemployment. No, >> they're going. No, but they're going to get to meet him. They have two groups going through. Um, he can't meet them both, but he's going to meet the 11:30 group because there's two groups that are, you know, they're going to split up. But it's awesome. it'll you know be and he's coming here um in May to talk with the the students. So that's cool as you said like those uh to you know those events but then next week is

197you know now this is like you know all the fine art so it's concert week you know you got a concert at WIS you got a you know it's a I think it's a chorus then you got here you got the band >> then the play >> then you got the play >> uh the musical >> um we have the fifth graders transitioning there's like a parent meeting they the student it's like the ceremonial the fifth graders come over here and they see everything so there's A lot of traditional things happening in the next couple weeks. We do have a half day next Wednesday. Uh institutees our last one and then on uh don't shoot the messenger but on Monday >> the three of us will be at um the we have a one proviso

198meeting at at uh proviso with all of the feeder schools, all the boards. And then just one last thing, thank you because uh you guys were at the meeting, but you know, we were able to take calls too, right? Like we were calling them, you know, like so that was very good. Thank you for that for >> being >> it was tense for me >> on on the clock, you know. Very cool. >> We can talk about >> Yeah, we can talk about more of that, but I'm just just thanking them for doing that. >> Awesome. Administrative reports, they are all such a wealth of information. We have a few of them. Um, any questions for the ones that are here or any ones that we want to ask questions of? All right. Um, so

199I need um a motion for the board to retire into close session to discuss the appointment of claimment compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees. Uh, litigation where an action against affecting or on behalf of a particular public body has been filed or is pending before a court or administrative tribunal. um in collective negotiating matters between district and its employees or their representatives or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees and student disciplinary cases and matters related to individual students. >> Moved by uh staff >> by Dana. Any questions or concerns? >> Roll call, please. >> President Wesowski. >> Hi. >> President B. >> Hi. >> Pearson. >> Hi. >> Neil. >> Hi. 14 I peritch I >> six eyes zero nays one absent motion carries 857 Seven.