President Harden, before you begin today's meeting, I would like to read a few announcements. Good morning. Welcome to the April 8th, 2026 agenda review committee meeting. Before we start the meeting, I would like to share a few safety points and next meeting announcements. Please note
that the primary exit and entrance to the boardroom is the door which you use to enter this morning. If you're leaving the room, please use this door. The restrooms are outside the boardrooms to your left. During the meeting, we ask that you keep all aisles and exits
clear. If you need any assistance during the meeting, please wave the attention of one of our security officers. Mark your calendars for the upcoming meeting. The next board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 23rd, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. The meeting will be held
at 42 West Madison Street Garden level boardroom. For details on how to register to speak or observe at the meetings and to learn about the speaker lottery process, please visit the Chicago Board of Education website at cpsb.org.
If you have any questions about registration or public participation, please contact the board office for assistance. Please be advised of an update to our posting procedures regarding meeting notices. Moving forward, we will include weekends and
holidays when calculating the 48 hour public notice period required prior to any meeting date and time. All notices will continue to be posted and made continuously available in accordance with the Illinois School Code and the Open Meetings Act. Board will continue
to ensure that our community receives timely, transparent information and remains fully informed regarding all scheduled board meetings. Thank you for joining us today. President Harden, we are now ready for you to begin the meeting. >> Good morning everyone. Welcome to the
Chicago Board of Education Agenda Review Committee meeting. Today is April 8th, 2026. I'm President Shan B. Harden. On behalf of my fellow board members, thank you for joining us today. We're holding today's agenda review committee meeting in the boardroom at the CPS Loop office, 42 West Madison Madison Street Garden
level. I'd like to note that the board members and senior leadership are physically present in the boardroom. Register speakers may join us in person or virtual if they've opted to do so. And register observers are joining us in person. The agenda review committee meeting of
Wednesday, April 8th, 2026 is hereby called to order. Board secretary, please call the role. >> Member Smith, >> present. >> Member Lopez, >> present. >> Member VeZ, >> present. >> Member Bole,
>> here. >> Member Wallace, >> present. Member Kuster >> present. >> Member Pope >> here. >> Member Rosenfeld >> here. >> Member Rivas >> present. >> Member Brown. >> Yes ma'am. >> Member Rio Sierra who's joining us
virtually via Zoom. >> Present. >> Member Bannon. >> Member Biggs. >> Present. >> Member Blae >> present. >> Member Zachorn here. Member Deberry,
>> present. >> President Harden, >> present. >> 16 members present. We do have a quorum. >> Member Bannon, >> present. >> 17 members present. We do have a quorum. I'd also like to recognize Dr. Meline
King, interim superintendent, chief executive officer. Elizabeth Barton, acting general counsel. Charles Mayfield, chief operating officer. Thank you. The order of meeting will be as follows. We'll begin with the election of the vice president. Public participation discussion of public
agenda items will vote on the public agenda items. Discussion of agenda review committee meeting items 1 through 5 will then go into recess. Reconvene from recess. There'll be discussion of agenda review committee meeting items 6 through 12. We'll go into cold session.
Reconvene from cold session. And then adjourn. Uh before we begin with public participation, the board has an important opportunity to name its next vice president. And as you all know, we are all a volunteer uh board and I first
want to just recognize my colleagues for the time and commitment that they put into ensuring that the board carries out its official business. Uh the vice president is critical to our efficiency, our effectiveness, and our success as a board. And as a vice president, the the
role calls for presiding over meetings in the absence of the president to ensure the board can function without interruption, facilitating collaboration and coordination amongst all of our colleagues, and overall supporting effective decision-making and strong
governance that ultimately creates positive outcomes for the students we are so honored to serve. So with that being the first item, I'll now open the floor for nominations for the office of vice president. And please remember that each nomination requires a second to go
forward. I'd like to accept nominations for vice president board of education. >> Chairman. Yes, sir. Um I'd like to nominate uh Dr. Angel for the position of vice president. >> Is there a second? >> Second.
>> Second. >> Mr. President, I'd like to uh nominate board member Yinia Lopez for vice president. >> Second. >> Moved a second. >> Is there a notion a motion to close the
nominations for vice president? >> So moved. >> Is there a second? >> Second. Thank you. I'll proceed with a roll call for the motion to close nominations for vice president election.
>> Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. >> I. >> Member VeZ. >> I. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope.
>> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. Member Brown. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Member Rio Sierra. >> Hi. >> Member Bannon. >> Hi. >> Member Biggs.
>> I. >> Member Blae. >> I. >> Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 16. I zero naz. This motion is adopted. We will now proceed with the elect the
selection of vice president pursuant to board bylaws one-5 2B2. If only one board member is nominated for vice president, the president declares that candidate vice president. If two or more members are nominated, a vote for each candidate will be held. We'll now proceed with the
roll call for the election of vice president. Board members, please state your name of your preferred candidate when your name is called. Member Smith. >> Member Yinia Lopez. >> Member Lopez.
>> Member Lopez. >> Member Valz. >> Member Valz. >> Member Bole. >> Member Yinia Lopez. >> Member Wallace. >> Member VeZ.
>> Member Kuster. Member Yenia Lopez, >> member Pope, >> member Valz, >> can you say it into your mic? >> Oh, sorry. Uh, member Angel, >> member Rosenfeld, >> Yania Lopez,
>> member Rivas, >> board member Gananiel Lopez, >> member Brown, >> board member, >> member Rio Sierra, >> board member, >> member Bannon, >> board member,
>> member Bigs, >> member Lopez, >> member Blae, Oops. Dr. Angela, >> member Zachor, >> member Angel, >> member devel.
>> We have nine eyes for uh memberz as vice president of the board. We have seven eyes for member Lopez as vice president of the board. Member VeZ is vice president of the Chicago Board
of Education. >> Congratulations Dr. BL. Does his seat change whether the Z >> take your ID and go? >> I got the hot seat ready for you. We'll now proceed with today's public participation session. Thank you for
joining to share your comments with the board and in compliance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Public participation, sometimes referred to as public comment, is the portion of the board meeting or hearing that grants district stakeholders the opportunity to address the board with their concerns
and comments. Note that public participation is the time for the board and CPS senior leadership to listen and hear from you rather than a time for dialogue with board members during or after your remarks. And while we can't discuss personnel matters, public participation is a key component of
transparent governance. And it provides us as board members as well as senior leadership an opportunity to listen to everyone who has signed up to speak. This board takes equity of voice seriously. And while we may not address your comments directly during public participation, CPS leadership is always
present at our meetings and are able to address concerns as follow-ups after the meeting. As a district and as a board, we also have many other spaces for authentic dialogue. For example, each and every one of our board members host board office hours so that we can have a
conversation. Please use our website cpsbia.org if you want to meet with the board member during office hours. We encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity to meet with board members outside of a board meeting. Thank you for your attention and consideration. And as a reminder, union representatives will be
allowed 5 minutes to speak before poll participation and any elected officials will be given 5 minutes to speak after the conclusion of poll participation. Board secretary, please share the rules of poll participation. Thank you. Before I share the rules, I do want to note for the record that
member Lozano has joined the meeting virtually via Zoom at 10:45 a.m. Thank you, President Harden. Members of the public who register to speak were given the option to attend in person or v via an electronic format. For those
who prefer to attend via an electronic format, they were given information to access this meeting by dialing a number and using their phone. We did this so that speakers with limited or no access to the internet or who may have weak internet connection could still participate using their phones. Also,
members of the public may submit written comments for board of education meetings via the written comments form on the board's website at cpsboe.org or mailed to 42 westmadison street garden level. Written comments received between the day the public agenda was posted through 5:00 PM the day after the
board of education meeting will be submitted to the board and published within five business days on our website at cpsb.org. Speakers, please listen while I provide directions for public participation. I will call your name and number when it is when it is your turn to speak. For
speakers joining us virtually, as a reminder to unmute, please enter star six. Once you hear your name, please state your name for the record. I will then start the two-minute timer. When there are 30 seconds remaining, I will inform you so that you can proceed to conclude your remarks to allow for the
next speaker to begin. For anyone standing with the speaker, note that in order to comply with the city's fire code, please stand along the glass partitions on the mark spots to keep the aisles clear. Thank you. President Harden, before we begin calling speakers
from the speakers list, we do have union reps who would like to address the board. We'll begin with Jackson Potter, CTU vice president, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. Jackson Potter, vice president, Chicago
Teachers Union. I wanted to share a couple of perspective points on the voucher resolution and then um May 1st, 2026. So, there's a saying about
allowing foxes to enter hen houses, and Donald Trump is attempting to do just that, closing the Department of Education. His Secretary of Ed visited our state to lift up religious private schools that discriminate against black
students, trans students, students who are undocumented. The first lady is promoting robots to play replace teachers. These are the folks uh who are chief sponsors of a voucher program and
the unpredictable aspects of it are more likely to hurt than help. Governor Bashar of Kentucky voted recently um against his state joining the voucher program because he knows the value of public education and how this will take
funds away from schools for the many instead give resources to the few. If you look at what is likely to occur, look no further than Florida or Arizona or Texas where vouchers do more to support wealthy families and children and undermine public services in
schools. They open public dollars to be used less accountably. We already have seen this with the charter industry like Spiro, Epic, Asetto. They've even used public school dollars to purchase diamond rings in Florida. It's blown a
hole through their budget in the magnitude of $270 million that just vanished. Um, you know, schools are having to consolidate and close in states that have allowed this to go unchecked. And endorsing Trump's programs might be good for comproller
Susan Mendoza, according billionaire donors and, you know, people who hate public education, but it's bad for CPS and it's bad for democracy. The state already owes the district $2 billion. We have a billion dollar deficit projected
for next year. Uh we need to create more revenue and opportunities to advocate together collectively with a shared voice, not poke holes that are even bigger in our budget than currently exist. So hopefully you do the right
thing and vote unanimously in favor of this. Um, and if not, you know, it raises the question of whether you truly want to defend, protect, and represent public schools at all. Um, so the stakes
are very high. Uh, additionally, on May 1st, that's an opportunity to share our collective voice, engage in civic action. Um, according to national organizations, we are on record to have three times the number of actions in all
50 states this Mayday. It's gotten a big boost with the no kings marches, which were historic. Um, we have committed at CTU to ensure that no student programming, you know, whether it's a play or a field trip to Great America,
you know, where seniors have their day in in the amusement park or to close stuff in DC would be disrupted. And we'll work handin glove with the district to ensure that that um will be in place. So that is our commitment. We also committed to make sure it has no
loss of instructional time. This was something we talked extensively about in negotiations and then it was undermined. The rug was pulled out from under us and you know I don't think anybody um currently on the board or the superintendent is to blame. It it is the
predecessors who, you know, did not make good on those lengthy discussions at the bargaining table. And this is an opportunity to do right and make sure we're all on the same page and, you know, speaking in a shared voice around how our students and families need and
deserve this opportunity to engage in the things they care most about. just today, the Chicago Federation of Labor, SEIU, all you know, State Council and the locals here across the city, Indivisible, uh, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Refugee Rights, the Illinois
Labor History Society signed on for this day of civic action, economic blackout, going against, you know, the Trump administration's attack on our city, ICE out of our cities, out of our schools, out of our churches, ensure that our democracy is preserved and advanced.
Yeah. And finally, you know, to tax the billionaires and millionaires so we can fund our schools. So, this is within our wheelhouse. We even have um members and administrators who want to keep schools uh available to the public for programming on that day to learn about
voter protection, the 14th amendment, how we can, you know, continue to advance the uh ability to vote and not deny it for so many people where it's at risk currently. Thank you for your time today. >> Thank you for your comments. The next
union rep is Caroline Rutherford, CTU Charter Division Vice Chair, who is here in person. Good morning, members of the board and CEO King. Congratulations, Dr. King. We look forward to continuing to work with you to put students, teachers, and
families at the forefront of CPS decisions. The Shy Arts community continues to fight to maintain the conservatory program we have built over the years that creates a pathway for Chicago's young artists to have successful careers in the arts. CPS has told us over and over again that funding
has to be found to save the conservatory and our school. But CPS does not seem to be serious about this goal. The parents, students, and community members of Shy Arts have committed to partnering partnering with CPS on fundraising. However, there is nowhere for us to send
fundraised money. We have been told we can donate money to the current Shy Arts Charter School or the Shy Arts Foundation. So, we can give money to the people who decided to close the school and there will be no guarantee our school can even access that money next
year when we transition to CPS. CPS officials have not responded to the parents request to create a place for donations to go for next school year. We will partner with you on filling this with money if you create a safe space to
keep it until next school year. CPS recently gave a presentation highlighting their investment in the arts and their desire to lift up the arts even more. So, the first move after your commitment to invest in the arts is to dismantle the top arts program for students in the city. We believe there
is a real path to maintaining the conservatory program at Shy Arts with a combination of CPS funds, grant money, specific school designation designations, and philanthropy. But we need time and support from CPS to make it all happen before any decisions
are made to dismantle the school and fire all of our teaching artists. The new principal of Shy Arts is currently interviewing the academic staff to maintain their positions for next year. The same teachers who are consistently advocating for their school are now having to interview and beg for
their jobs with a principal who is telling them that keeping the conservatory is essentially hopeless. The principal is creating a schedule that eliminates our teaching artists and the conservatory program. And he is meeting with the current staff to work on the details of the plan that will destroy their school and interviewing
them for the jobs they've been doing for years. If he does not like what they have to say, he can simply not offer them a position. We want to ensure that staff who are advocating for a full conservatory model are not targeted by not being offered a job for next year.
Board members, we need your support in creating a place to send fundraising, in forcing CPS to be serious about all funding streams for the school, and in working creatively to find ways to maintain the school as a real investment in the arts in CPS. I would like to also
share a few things about one of our alternative high schools, Youth Connections Leadership Academy, YCLA. a YCCS school on the south side of Chicago. It is a dedicated group of teachers, adviserss, and office staff, and they've been in contract negotiations with YCCS for a few years,
and we believe we are down to a few final issues, but we need support from you. YCCS says they are committed to not providing a single day of paid parental leave. Even though CPS has a policy of 12 weeks of paid parental leave, they're
demanding educators agree to cut their pay, which is already well below standards across the city. If we want even a few days of paid parental leave for members who want to grow a family, YCCCS needs to hear from CPS that how they treat their employees matters and staff at YC Y CLA should have access to
paid parental leave. It looks like you will also be voting on a proposal for another charter operator to close the school, specifically YCCCS Pentoha. You cannot vote on this without a single conversation with the school community.
There has been no notice to anyone. Is that what you want to sign off on? And finally, I want to lift up former Aspiro students and staff. Students have all been transferred to new schools, and we are grateful for the support CPS provided in transferring them. Now, we
have to ensure those students are successful. The transition has been incredibly stressful for many students, and they need counselors and youth interventionists who know them and their needs. They need help from their AP teachers so they can prepare for AP exams. You'll hear from a former Aspira
counselor today about how students are struggling, as we predicted. It's time for CPS to urgently hire as many qualified Aspira staff as possible to ensure a successful transition for our students. CPS did a great job. >> 30 seconds remaining.
>> Ensuring every student chose a school to transfer to, but that was only possible because of the dedication of these educators who worked to support the district's needs to step up and make sure each of those students is actually attending their new school and they're getting the support they need. Let's
also ensure former Aspira educators, students, CPS principles, and officials, and CTU collaborate to ensure Aspira seniors get to have a special graduation event together. They deserve no less. You have partners, but the district has
to choose to move forward and decide these students are worth the effort. Thank you very much. >> Thank you for your comments. The next union rep is Tyrone Dowel, CPAA executive secretary, who is here in
person. Uh, good morning board members. My name is Tyrone Daell, secretary of the Chicago Principles and Administrators Association, and I bring greetings to you from our president, Kia Banks. Our first order of business today
is the worthy and often unre underscored and unrecognized assistant principles in our district. Our assistant principles are our thought partners, our additional channels of communication for our students,
community, staff, and parents. And they are not simply our right hand, but they are our support in the most hectic of times. Our assistant principles are the next man up for leadership roles in our district and our schools. And how do we
currently acknowledge our best assistant principles? We give them more work and more responsibility, but yet our assistant principles continue to show up for our learners and our families daily. And for that, we say thank you to our assistant principles.
So undoubtedly during this assistant principal appreciation week, we're going to take some photos. We're going to give some kind gestures and words. And that's what appreciation week typically looks like for our assistant principles.
But board members, you will have the opportunity to properly recognize and respect the professionalism, expertise, and dedication of the assistant principles in our district. In the coming weeks, the time will surface
to demonstrate how you respect our assistant principles who are our valued partners and they provide stability in our schools. And you also you've just de demonstrated that you prioritize stability
and your recent decision and leadership that has illustrated just what our district needs, stability. Stability is gained by building relationships. Stability is gained by strengthening the channels of communication.
And I referenced that our assistant crit assistant critical assistant principles are critical thought partners with us. Not simply thought partners for us, but with us. They're not an afterthought or an add-on. We exchange ideas. We
brainstorm. We process outcomes and concerns. And that ultimate decision will lie with principles, but we intentionally and proactively solicit our stakeholders. We expect that you will also
intentionally and proactively solicit and engage in the engage all of your stakeholders inclusive of CPAA in your decision-making process. Remember, principles have a vantage point that you
do not have. Even with educators on this very board, the responsibility of leading a school right now looks different than it did in the past. So, this is what we are asking. This is what we are expecting moving forward.
Include school leaders, both principles and assistant principles in your decision- making through our union voice. respect the roles of all of the labor partners throughout the district and uphold the agreements that are already
in place. This is how we ensure that school leaders have the clarity and support they need to do the work well. This is what real appreciation looks like. And this is how we will create the stability our district, our learners,
and our scholars deserve. Thank you. Thank you for your comments, President Hardin. We are now ready to call registered speakers from the speakers list. And we'll begin with the Hogan Elementary School group, Esther Pomanki,
speaker number one, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. >> Hello. Uh my name is Esther Pomerinki and I want to begin with gratitude for the recent meeting of CPS leadership with Hogan and North River. Our
community has been fractured and this is a necessary step in the healing process. But true reconciliation will only happen when the underlying issues have been resolved and they have not. DPS moved North River into the Leland building
knowing full well that Hogan was growing and that North River wanted to be more than just an overflow option for Albany Park students. But they did it anyway. Why? Well, you'll hear in a minute that CPS is hoping overcrowding, ice raids,
and suburban flight will solve this imminent problem so they don't have to. Enough. Enough with the band-aid fixes and kicking the can down the road. Enough with the excuses and the finger wagging and enough with these performative processes with
predetermined outcomes. Our neighborhood needs reconciliation. And for reconciliation to happen, Albany Park needs creative solutions and an actual plan forward. So, here are a few to get you started. I've heard there's a newly vacant asphira building on North
Milwaukee that could give North River the freedom to flourish. I have also heard that there is a community generated solution to Hoggins overcrowding somewhere buried in 20 years of dust and resentment. For reconciliation to happen, Albany
Park needs real leadership. Leadership that is brave enough to admit their mistakes. >> 30 seconds remaining. >> Courageous enough to elevate community voices instead of engaging in covert scheming and backdoor deals. Dr. King Board of Ed, I'm calling on you
to invest resources in understanding and surveying our community. Bring our Albany Park schools to the table to talk like reasonable adults about what the Albany Park community needs to thrive. Build a sustainable long-term plan with
stakeholder input. Or we could just see each other again in a few weeks. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Tiffany Harvey, speaker number eight, who is joining virtually. Please enter star six to unmute.
>> Hi, I'm the Hogan LSC chairperson and a parent. Five months ago, CPS denied our collocation request, explaining only you're not crowded. Last week and several dodge boonas later, the truth is out and it's an utter disregard of CPS's strategic plan which promises that every
child can rely on their neighborhood school as a strong option. On November 20th, before the denial, Portfolio gave you a memo about our request. I'll attach the relevant portion to my written comments. Far from being neutral, it shows clear favoritism and
deference to North River's previously concealed desire to expand over Hogan's mandate to service its attendance area. Here are some highlights. If Hogan gets increased capacity, it could encourage our growth and decrease inboundary enrollment at North River. Instead,
let's move students away from neighborhood schools in direct opposition to CPS's strategic plan. vague plan that engage other Albany Park schools to divert their students to North River. Giving us adequate space now eliminates the only future safety
valve to put us on controlled enrollment later. Why on earth would we wait that long and go there again? Perhaps our crowding will subsist due to Albany Park's high percentage of Latino and immigrant families being targeted by ICE. The memo admits that there's a gap
between CPS data and community sentiment and that using the correct formulas, Hogan would have a higher utilization rate. Bizarrely, it claims a structural repair of $8 million to the Leland building needed no matter who remaining is a cost of collocation.
Only 15 non-school community members were surveyed before the denial. Only four opposed collocation. There are repeated mentions of responsiveness to the North River stakeholders, but regarding Hogan, only the potential negative of our persisting advocacy. It
says we should explore root causes of our crowding. Well, that's simple. Hogan can only comfortably fit 50% of its attendance area students, while the average school in the Northwest region enrolls 69%. CPS's solutions will keep it that way. We are incredibly
disappointed that CPS continuously refuses us access to the building created to fix this capacity mismatch. The truth unfortunately is conclude your remarks. >> Please do better follow your strategic plan and support our growth. Thank you.
>> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Rachel Lara, speaker 21, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. Hello, my name is Rachel Lada and for the past 14 years I have been a pre-K teacher at Hogan Elementary. In that
time, I have seen our neighborhood school grow immensely. I have taught rounds of siblings, cousins, neighbors, and more. As a first step in formal school experience, my classroom has been a point of pride for our largely immigrant community who live in our Albany Park neighborhood and have taken
steps towards being part of and learning in a neighborhood school. Each month over the past year, you have heard from Hogan families, staff, and community members at board meetings, through written comments, at portfolio team meetings, and more. Our message remains clear and steadfast. We call on CPS to
invest resources that address the drastic space concerns at Hogan and invest in a long-term solution that supports our ever growing community of learners. When the portfolio team held a community meeting earlier this year, our auditorium was bursting with community members who wanted to participate and
advocate for the needs of their students. For students to not have speech sessions in loud, bustling hallways. For a minuscule room off the noisy cafeteria to not be creatively converted into a classroom where no one could possibly learn. For art to be celebrated and explored not limited to
the tools on a cart that is pushed in and out of classrooms all day. For more than 100 years, Hogan has been an Albany Park community school. Today, despite the decades of disinvestment from bureaucratic decision makers, our school remains a bustling, thriving neighborhood school that serves the
Albany Park community, including our most vulnerable populations, preschoolers, English language learners, and a large population of students with disabilities. Even today, alumni from decades ago who reach out to share their memories of childhood growth and community. They understand the
importance of a neighborhood school for the neighborhood kids. Our families have been advocating for their children's needs for decades. They are an integral part of the backbone of this city and their children deserve a school that gives them the space to learn, grow, and thrive. Thank you.
>> Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from the Howen Elementary School Group is Eileen Katigan, speaker 27, who's joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. Good afternoon. Um, my name is Eileen
Katigan. Uh, I bring a unique perspective to this discussion as both a 24-year resident on Avers Avenue and a current employee at Hogan Elementary as a special special education teacher as of last year.
From my home, I've watched this neighborhood grow and change, including the transition of my local tennis courts into the current North River site. Inside the school, I see daily how our current space constraints impact our ability to serve our current population,
as well as potentially serve the 1,700 students who live in our attendance area. My connection to the Leland site is literal. It is visible from my bedroom window, but my concern is for the neighborhood children who currently cannot be accommodated in our main
building. The Albany Park community originally advocated for the Leland Build building to be a neighborhood middle school. We're simply asking that CPS finally honor that intent as the overcrowding crisis persists. If we do not secure the space, our school faces
continued instability, overcrowded special education settings, and the loss of essential arts and music facilities. For years, Hogan's utilization rates lag behind nearby schools as the live here, learn here philosophy, a core tenant of
the CPS strategic plan, struggled to gain traction. However, with rising demand for space at Hogan, CPS is now obligated to expand local capacity. Us utilizing a portion of the Leland building building provides the most logical solution for creating the
necessary neighborhood seats. We must approach the Leland building acquisition with a true sense of urgency. Your advocacy is an investment in the future of our neighborhood. We need your help to secure the space of our students
and to build a stronger foundation for the families of this community. We're seeking your help to benefit future generations of our neighborhood children. By securing the Leland site, you aren't just solving a space issue. You're fulfilling a long-standing promise to the families of Albany Park.
Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next two speakers are from Illinois Network of Charter Schools. Lori Turner, speaker number two. >> Good morning, board members, President Harden, and Superintendent King.
Congratulations. My name is Lorie Turner, and I'm here on behalf of INKs and the charter community. I want to speak today about charter sustainability and how both structural policy choices and delayed renewal decisions are
contributing to instability. Charter public schools are navigating the same challenges facing the district. Declining enrollment, rising operational cost, and increasing student needs. These are systemwide realities impacting
school sustainability. Charter sustainability specifically is shaped by the policy conditions set by CPS, including renewal practices and funding. We have heard repeat repeated claims that charter
closures are the result of financial mismanagement. That is not what the data shows. The core issue is structural. Chronic underfunding over many years. CPS's own data shows us that charter
students are funded at roughly 83% of what districtrun schools receive for students. Both district and charter schools are facing rising cost. That is a sustainability challenge that we should be solving together. We cannot
talk about equity without acknowledging this gap. Charter schools serve high percentages of lowincome kids and students of color delivering strong academic outcomes while operating with fewer resources. Yet, when they struggle
under the same pressures as district schools, the response is often blame rather than partnership. That does not serve students. Renewal policy is a critical part of this conversation. Charter renewals have now been delayed
until May, creating unnecessary uncertainty. Schools are forced to plan, hire, and retain staff without clarity about their future. That instability directly undermines sustainability. We all want the same outcome, sustainable
schools and high quality options for CPS families. The charter community stands ready to partner with you to build a system where renewal policy and funding policy works together to support long-term success. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments.
The next speaker, Jessica Rafino, speaker number 13. Good morning, uh, President Harden, board member, Superintendent King. Congratulations again. My name is Jessica Rafino. I'm the director of charter school growth and support um, at Inks and I'm here to represent families and students in
charter schools. If the district wants to achieve sustainability, charters have for all schools, charters have to be part of the equation. Charter school sustainability goes beyond individual school performance. It is directly shaped by the district's own policies over the last 30 years, including
renewal practices, decision timing, term lengths, and very importantly, funding equity. When I started working at charter schools, the funding was 75 cents to the dollar. And I know some other representatives that are here from other organizations were there at that time, too. So, it was 75 cents 15 years
ago, and we're now talking about 83 cents. So, in 15 years, charter funding has only increased by 8 cents. That is a huge gap that we have to address directly. Illinois state law requires that charter schools be funded between 97% and 103%
of per capita tuition. But in practice, charter schools in Chicago are still being funded well below both the dis peers and the um excuse me, well below both the district peers and the level the law intended. The gap continues to
have real consequences for students and school stability. If we're serious about financial sustainability for students, we have to address this. Second, term lengths matter. Short, uncertain renewal renewals create instability. They limit long-term planning, weaken financial
stewardship, and ultimately impact student outcomes. >> You have 30 seconds. >> This is not longer, more predictable renewal terms for schools um that are meeting expectations and support better operations and result in in better results for students. This does not reduce accountability. It pairs
accountability with stability. If we want sustainable charter schools for students, we have to create sustainable policies on funding renewal and combine accountability with stability and fair oversight with fair funding. We stand ready to partner with you and welcome the opportunity to continue the
conversation. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. The next group of speakers are from Chicago High School for the Arts. David Blicks, speaker number three. Hi, my name is David Blick. Two weeks ago, I won my second Joseph Jefferson
Award for theater excellence. I've appeared on stages of Chicago Shakes, Stephen Wolf, Goodman. Um, I lecture on Shakespeare in Verona, Italy. I am a theater professional, a working artist, and a leader in my field. And for the last 16 years, I have been teaching acting, theater history, and stage
combat at the Chicago High School for the Arts, preparing my students for their careers. Stage combat is the craft of telling a violent story safely. So much of our storytelling, from Shakespeare to superheroes, involves combat, some sort of violence. And uh uh
Shy Arts is the only school that teaches a full semester of stage combat, let alone two. Last summer, I had the joy of seeing one of my former students appear in the new Superman movie. And last fall, I got to go to off Broadway to choreograph violence for three of my former students in a play written by another former Shy Arts alum. This is
the work that I'm preparing my students to go get hired for. STEM schools prepare students for employment in scientific fields. Militarymies prepare students to enter the military. CTE schools prepare students to enter the trades. Shy arts prepares our students to enter the professional field of the
arts. Success requires an understanding of craft and how the business works. and Shy Arts Conservatory staff teach exactly that, scaffolded through a 4-year curriculum. The arts is a bigger part of America's GDP than transportation. It is our second largest
export. It's a viable professional path, and only the Shy Arts model teaches elements of our craft that lead to careers. CPS has noted any funding for arts programming, which means these pre-professional courses cannot happen. If the conservatory is dismantled, this
scaffold comes crashing down. Dismantling the conservatory erases opportunity. We need you to invest in the professional path uh and show as a district that the arts are a viable future for our young people. Our students need you to commit now before CPS moves forward with a plan to
eliminate our teaching artists and our conservatory model. Please act. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Alisa Fernand, speaker number 12.
Hello, my name is Eliza Fernand mix Eliza to my students and this month I celebrate four years of teaching the 9th grade sculpture 1 class at Shy Arts. I also teach firstear college students at the school of the art institute of Chicago and I have been a working artist
for 20 years exhibiting my work in galleries, museums and film festivals, performing on cross-country tours and attending artist residencies. Being a teaching artist is a dual career. I learn from teaching and my students
learn from my real world experiences. A part-time position allows me to do both. I also went to an arts high school where I made lifelong friendships and was taught by working artists who offered me a post-secary and professional education
that I pass on to my students. Teaching at Shy Arts has been a dream come true for me. And as a freelancer and adjunct, this was my most stable job. But in this transition, my colleagues and I have been strung along with no definite plans
for the future and treated as if we were expendable. The culture at Chy Arts thrives because of part-time teaching artists like me who work as mentors and eventually peers with their students who go into the same fields. We cultivate possibilities and
opportunities for our students. And it works because of our unique schedule. Sculpture is not taught in most schools because of the scale of projects and the volume of materials and 30 seconds remaining. >> Three-hour classes give us the time to explore,
make big messes, and clean them up. My students have agency in their studios. They know where materials are and how to take care of tools. They learn in their first year of high school what most students don't learn until college. I prioritize my students solving uh
problems creatively and feeling a sense of expansion and achievement. The current CPS plan to reduce our conservatory is not expansive enough and it is not a creative solution to get to what we need. We need the three-hour conservatory model led by teaching
artists who are paid for their labor and their expertise. My expectations for 9th graders and what you are offering us. Please match our achievements with the school that we deserve. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments.
The next speaker is Lexi Sakal, speaker 19. Good morning. My name is Lexi Sakali and I'm a teaching artist at the Chicago High School for the Arts. I have taught sculpture at Shy Arts for the last four years. One year ago, I began developing
our student wood shop, a resource that has been erased for most schools. I designed everything from the budget to the workts. I spent months of 13-hour days building shelves and installing tools and safety mechanisms and organizing materials. And then the students showed up. In addition to
developing and teaching new curriculum 5 days a week, I authorized over 100 students to safely use the new tools in our classroom. And together, we learned how to care for and maintain this space. Together, we raised over $8,000 from private donors to fill our empty supply
closet. And together, we built the systems and structures to keep this space safe and functional. What started as a never-ending to-do list of safety signage and drill bit organizers and phone calls about tool warranties evolved into a community of students I could rely on to show up at the
beginning of lunch every day and ask, "What can I help with today?" We finished the wood shop and it's full of art and students from across all five conservatory programs. We were in the woodshop together when we received the news of our school-f facing closure and we were in the woodshop together after
every schoolboard meeting for the last 6 months. The wood shop was built by students and teaching artists who came in early and stayed late. It has become an integral part integral gathering space in our community and it deserves to be saved. We invested in this space because there was demand for it. Now we
can further collaboration across all disciplines. >> You have 30 seconds. >> Set design for theater, building canvases for painting classes or constructing displays for gallery shows. We have done so much in our inaugural year and we are just getting started. It is so important to commit funding now to
Shy Arts so programs like this can persist. I'd like to formally invite you all to tour our new wood shop so you can understand how much work we've put into building this new community resource. Save our wood shop and save Shy Arts. Thank you. Thank you for your comments.
The next speaker is Avery Vernon, speaker 20. >> Hi uh members of the board. My name is Avery Faren. I'm a creative writing teacher at Shy Arts. I'm a working fiction writer and editor. I hold two master's degrees in writing and
publishing. I've spent my entire life learning how stories are built, how voices are shaped, how art survives in the real world. I want to begin by saying this plainly. I'm here because I love my students and because I believe deeply that what we do in the
conservatory matters. In one of the five classes that I teach, my junior students produce a national literary magazine called Levitate. We are currently preparing to launch our 10th issue. This year, they received nearly 800 submissions from writers all over the world. 800
high schoolers in Chicago are reading, evaluating, editing, and curating real work from a global pool of writers. There is no worksheet for that. There is no standardized test for that. You cannot drop something like Levitate into a traditional classroom and expect it to survive. And you can't pause a literary
magazine for a few years and expect 800 people to just come back when you're ready. If you remove the conservatory teachers, you are telling students that lived experiences and expertise do not matter. that passion is optional and that art is expendable when things get complicated. You will be taking away
mentors who model what a creative life actually looks like and breaking the bridge between public education and the provin the professional arts community that Shy Arts was built to sustain. For so many of these kids, this program is survival. It is the place the first
place that they are taken seriously for doing what they love. Many of our students arrive unsure if they are allowed to take up space as writers at all and then they come to Shy Arts and suddenly their writing is the first time they've ever felt seen. For some, it is
the reason they stay in school at all. We need you to clearly commit to continuing this model for our students and staff. Otherwise, our school has not been preserved as you have resolved to do. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from Chicago High
School for the Arts is Jesse Livingston, speaker number 30, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. Jesse Livingston, please enter star six to unmute.
>> Sorry, can you hear me? >> Yes, please proceed. >> Can you hear me? >> Yes, please proceed. >> Wonderful. Hello board me. Hello members of the board. My name is Jesse Livingston. I am a social studies teacher at Shy Arts currently transitioning into a CPS school. I want
to be very clear. Our school's success comes from the combination of our amazing office support staff, academic teachers, and teaching artists. We are one unified community. We work together to support the whole child. And that model is what makes our school unique,
effective, and worth considering and choosing, which you all did. Right now, only the academic side of that partnership is being openly and financially considered by our new CPS administrative staff. Without a full commitment to our teaching artists, you're not maintaining the shy arts that
you made a commitment to. You're dismantling it. Families notice this. The uncertainty we all sit in is actively, daily impacting our enrollment. students sit down with their families making hard decisions about transferring
or they live in uncertainty. This instability will be the end of this beautiful art school as you know it whether you choose down the line to fund it or not because students and families need to see commitment now or frankly yesterday. How can we expect students and parents to stay at our school when
the very thing that defines it are being taken away? Continuity is exactly what our students need and deserve during this transition. Many of us are being asked to demonstrate years of rebuilding and of relationship building and specialized work and a very limited
interview time. This makes it difficult to fully represent what we bring and raises concerns about whether the existing community is being meaningfully considered in decisions that will shape our future. >> At the same time, families and staff are ready to step up. >> There is a willingness to fund raise, to
support, to fight for the school. But not only have we not received financial commitments from CPS, we also have asked for and not been given a pathway for independent fundraising from CPS. We're not asking you guys to build something new. We're asking you to fully fund and protect what already works. The full
model, the full staff, the full community because once this is dismantled, it cannot simply be rebuilt with a future budget adjustment. Please don't let that happen. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next two speakers are from the
Academy for Global Citizenship. Annette Martinez, speaker number four. Good morning. My name is Annette Martinez and I'm a communications professional from Argon National Laboratory and I'm here as a board member of the Academy of Global
Citizenship. I'm here to advocate for their 10-year charter renewal. AJC AGC is uh a special school. It's located on the southwest side of Chicago near the Midway Airport area, an area which I grew up in and uh
completely understand the community needs. It serves as a beacon of hope there. It students see themselves reflected within the school, within the community. Um their students are held to high expectations. But not only that,
that school is focused on growing future leaders and growing future leaders that are not only um striving for academic excellence but also looking to improve the community the communities in which they come from.
As a board member of AGC, I oversee I I take that commitment very strongly and I look to hold the leaders of the school accountable um ensuring academic accountability uh ensuring strong financial
sustainability and also um ensuring the students well-being. AGC is very it's stable and financially viable right now. Um they maintain strong reserves. They've
>> 30 seconds remaining. >> They've never had to ask CPS for any cash advance. Um and they want to plan for long term. As you know, as leaders, it's important if you want to have a successful future, you've got to plan three, five, 10 years in advance. And so
that's why I'm here to advocate for their 10-year charter renewal. I would ask that the board please approve that for them so that they can continue to be the beacon of hope in that neighborhood and continue to grow the leaders of the future. Thank you.
>> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Jesse Inigas, speaker 26. >> Good morning me uh members of the Chicago Board of Education. Uh, my name is Jesse Enigz and I am the co-founder of Back of the Arts Coffee Company. I'm a li lifelong resident of Back of the
Yards, a parent of an AGC alum, and a board member of Cultivate Collective. I am also the son of Mexican immigrants who grew up understanding firsthand the challenges our communities face when access and opportunity are limited. At
Back of the Arts Coffee, we don't just sell coffee. We build relationships with coffee growing communities across Latin America and beyond. My work connects a neighborhood on the southwest side of Chicago to communities across the world. Every day I see how deeply
interconnected our local lives are with global systems. What makes the Academy for Global Citizenship so powerful is that it does this same work through education. AGC helps students understand the world beyond their neighborhood while staying deeply rooted in who they
are. At AGC, every eighth grade student has the opportunity to participate in an international service learning experience. When students travel to places like Guatemala, where some of our coffee is grown, they see where products come from. They begin to understand culture, labor, and global
responsibility in a real and tangible way. AGC gives students the kind of global understanding that many of us did not have access to growing up. This goes beyond academics. It builds awareness, empathy and leadership. My business depends on global understanding and AGC
is preparing students. >> You have 30 seconds remaining. >> Agency is preparing students to succeed in that same interconnected world. This is how we prepare the next generation of Chicago leaders. For many black and brown students, ACC expands access, exposure, and real world opportunity. It
expands what young people believe is possible for themselves. As a parent, a business owner, and community member, I respectfully ask you to grant agency a 10-year renewal so this work can continue for our families and our neighborhood. Thank you for your time.
>> Thank you for your comments. The next two speakers are regarding the school voucher resolution. Stacy Silver, speaker number five. my mask off. Um,
good morning. In preparing for today's remarks, I've reviewed the work of Jonathan Kosel, a giant in the field of education policy who has spent the better part of his 89 years writing and speaking about education inequality.
In principal magazine, published by the National Association of Elementary School Principles, he wrote that quote, "Vouchers in my belief represent the single worst most dangerous idea to enter education discourse in my lifetime." That was back in 2007.
Why did this leader in educational policy oppose private school vouchers? Aren't vouchers supposed to level the playing field for people who don't have the money to pay full tuition at private schools? Let's look into the window of one of those private schools, one that
received over $200,000 in vouchers in a single school year. That's 2022 to 2023 through the now defunct Invest in Kids Voucher Program. This is a Jewish day school in Chicago that my own kids attended.
One of our children was falsely accused of being a bully and was told that if he didn't confess, he would have to leave. So, he left with only four months left in 8th grade. The school admitted that they had no substanti substantiation for their charges. This was the subject of his college
essay. Now 23, he maintains that he hadn't done anything wrong. Unlike public schools, private schools are not part of the government. So there are no constitutional guarantees of due process. It later got back to our family that a school administration
that believes that >> 30 seconds remaining. >> There's a fine line between between doing the right thing and pleasing a donor. The same school told us about another one of my children in fifth grade that they didn't know he could read. Wasn't that their job? Spoiler alert, he could read. There are no
standards, no guarantee of credentialed professional teachers. And there are teachers and administrators more concerned about securing big donations and educating children. And at what expense? The administration accused this child of swearing at the science teacher and gave him an inschool suspension for
two days. Except they forgot to tell the science teacher. At conferences, she asked what we were talking about. She said it never happened. He tested well. >> Please conclude your remarks. >> I I really want to say this. He tested well. He got into Lane Tech and he got straight A's. Today he's in the second
year in a PhD program at Northwestern University in geotechnical engineering. Praise to Lane Tech for kindling his interest in learning in learning and spurring him on to do great things. Jonathan Kel warned us that private
school vouchers would aggravate not alleviate inequality in education. Our family is exhibit A for how this happens. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Cassie Crestell, speaker 16.
>> Hi, I'm Cassie Crestell. I'm a CPS parent and executive director of Illinois Families for Public Schools. I'm here to urge a yes vote on the voucher resolution. Opting into the Trump administration new federal voucher program would harm Illinois's public schools, including CPS. The first choice
of Illinois families with children is a well-resourced public school located where they live and play. Public schools must educate all our kids. Students with disabilities, English language learners, undocumented students, LGBTQ plus students. Private schools do not serve all kids. They discriminate and exclude.
And all voucher programs divert tax dollars to private schools, which aren't subject to the same oversight as public schools. If students leave public schools to use vouchers, districts lose funding directly due to the loss of per pupil funding and also indirectly when they can't rapidly produce fixed costs
like building maintenance or staffing. In theory, the federal voucher program might cover some individual public school students expenses. We've seen public school voucher programs elsewhere and like all vouchers, they hurt education equity. A study of one in Arizona showed that the wealthiest quarter of public schools received more
than five times as much money as the poorest quarter. More importantly, under the Illinois Constitution's article 10, education in public schools through the secondary level shall be free. And under federal law, students with disabilities have the right to a free appropriate public education. The costs of public
school in Illinois, including things like tutoring and after school programs, should be paid for through tax dollars directly appropriated to school districts through the legislative process and elected school boards. School funding shouldn't depend on tax credit gimmicks subject to 30 seconds remaining of individual wealthy
taxpayers and unaccountable third-party nonprofits. Vouchers will never be a path to achieving full fair funding for public schools. Board members and an underfunded public school district should be the strongest advocates for keeping school vouchers from returning
to Illinois. Please make sure there's a vote on this voucher resolution today and please vote yes. Thanks so much. Thank you for your comments. The next group of speakers are from Youth Connection Charter Schools,
Lean Jackson, speaker number 15. Morning. Waiting for my students to come up there. All right, I think we're ready. Good morning again, everyone. My name is Lean Jackson. I am the co-founder of Circle Foundation, which is nonprofit, a local
nonprofit that launched Innovations High School in 2009 in partnership with Youth Connection Charter Schools. First, I would like to congratulate the new board CEO on her new position. I learned of your position on a Facebook post that one of my old students posted honoring
you um for all the work and dedication you have. And that student, of course, is a graduate of our school. I know hard work pays off and so congratulations. Today, we're here to talk about our hard work um that we do at Innovations High School.
Sorry, I missed my point. Okay. I'm also here to share um some concerns we have with our charter school renewal process. Innovations High School is right across the street from you guys. Uh we were originally in Bronzeville. We moved to Fuller Park and then we eventually relocated downtown. Since our inception,
Innovations has successfully graduated over 1,700 students who were at um off track and dropped out. We've done this by exposing them to new ideas, new environments, strong academic and social emotional support, job development
opportunities, mentoring, and an innovative approach to arts integrated curriculum, as well as a competencybased model. At Youth Connection, we are the leaders and the specialists in Chicago when it comes to truent and at risk
um students. There's no other model in the country like ours. I've been around the country and there is none like it. one that's built on um locally uh community based organizations and a charter that is also locally community based. We have several concerns with our
charter renewal process that we believe both are restrictive and inequitable. As currently written, the new framework limits our ability to be innovative and responsive to the needs of our students. Without that flexibility to adapt to our students needs, we are basically setting them up for failure, giving them the
same thing that they had in the past. Since our charter's inception, YCCS has graduated over 27,000 at risk and dropout students. Imagine if those 27,000 youth did not get their diploma where they would be today. We committed >> your remarks.
>> We're committed to building a strong collaborative relationship with CPS and we hope you guys can help us to work out the problems we have with our contract. Um, we invite you guys to come out and see our campuses and we invite you guys to work with us on a successful renewal
process for our charter. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from Youth Connection Charter Schools is Jacqueline Diaz, speaker number 29, who's joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute.
Good afternoon. My name is Jacqueline Diaz and I've been a receptionist and registar at YCLA for four years. I am speaking behalf of myself and co-workers who could not attend today. After years of negotiations between CTU and YCCS, we are asking for agreement on two key issues so we can finally reach a fair
contract. First, paid parental leave. CPS offers 12 weeks of paid leave while YCLA offers none. and they refuse to offer even one day of paid per parent leave to staff. That sends a painful message to staff that starting or growing a family is something we must handle alone. Parents should not have to
choose between caring for their child and financial stability. Providing pay shows that employees and families truly matter. Parents should not have to choose between bonding with their newborn. I need the following students to make their way to the shared office
>> with their newborn child and maintaining financial stability. Just part of >> supporting families straightens employees and stronger employees create stronger schools. Even a few weeks of paid leave would show that YCCS truly values the people who dedicate their time to raising the children of others.
Second, YCLA has proposed reducing the number of evaluations required before placing non-instructional staff on remediation. An evaluation system that does not treat employees equally is not something we can agree to. Employees should be provided ample opportunities
to improve. The process should support growth, not create fear. We care deeply about our work and our students and we are asking for a fair contract that shows the same level of care for staff. Please remain afford. >> Thank you.
>> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Katheria Salgado, speaker number seven. I'm sorry, Katheria Salgado, speaker number seven, who's joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute.
Good morning, members of the board. My name is Katyas Salgado, and I am a parent and local school council representative from Roberto Clemente Community Academy. I want to begin by recognizing interim interim principal pointer. Her leadership has brought stability, focus, and continuity to
Kmeni during a time when our school has needed it the most. Despite ongoing challenges, she has kept our school community grounded and our students supported in our work moving forward and we thank her for that. However, I'm here today because our school community is being held back. The principal selection
process at Kmeni has not stalled due to the lack of readiness and commitment from our local school council. It has been delayed by intentional actions that prevent the process from moving forward. Specifically, the repeated failure to include the principal selection item on
the local school council meeting agendas has blocked the council from fulfilling its legal responsibility. I would like to be clear, this is not a procedural oversight. This is an obstruction. That obstruction was made unmistakably clear at a recent local school council meeting
when the current chair walked out intentionally breaking quorum. As she exited, she stated in Spanish, which translates to, "I'm leaving. I'm walking out because I think this is a joke." That was just not disruptive. It was re revealing. It demonstrated a
willingness to shut down the process entirely rather than allow the council to move forward with its responsibilities. Breaking quorum is not leadership. It is a deliberate 30 seconds prevents governance and silences the collective work of the council. In addition, misinformation has been shared
with this board regarding the state and actions of the Kmeni local school council. The reality is that the council is ready. We are prepared. were willing to do the work required to select strong permanent leadership for our school. Any narrative suggesting otherwise is inaccurate and undermines the integrity
of our council. Our students and families deserve better than delays and dysfunction. Clemeni needs stability. Clemeni needs leadership and Kmeni needs a process that is allowed to move forward without interference. We're asking this board to recognize what's happening
>> and to act in support of a fair, transparent, and timely principal selection process. The local school council must be allowed to carry out its responsibilities without obstruction. Our school community is ready to move forward. We thank you for your time.
>> Thank you for your comments. The next group of speakers are from Aero Schools. Speaker number nine, Stephanie Gomez, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. >> Good morning, members of the board. My
name is Stephanie Gomez and I'm a parent and an advisory council member at Esmeralda Santiago Elementary, one of the Asser schools transitioning to CPS in the fall. Throughout this transition process, families and staff have been left with more questions than answers.
Communication has been inconsistent. Timelines and expectations have shifted without explanation or even notification. Opportunities for meaningful input have felt limited, rushed, or procedural rather than genuine. The process should be guided by
one fundamental question. What is in the best interest of Santiago students? A principal shapes school culture, supports teachers, and directly impacts student success. When the hiring process is strong, students benefit. When it is not, students are the ones who pay the
price. Unfortunately, that student centered focus has not been clear. When a process lacks transparency and trust, it becomes difficult to believe decisions are truly being made in the best interest of students. We were told this would be collaborative, but it has
not felt that way. We were told our voices would matter, but it is unclear how our feedback is being used, if it's being used at all. It seems like the problem is we don't have a local school council, and as a result, there is no clear structure to dictate how advisory
councils run. We resemble an LSC, but we have no real voice like those on a local school council. Aren't we supposed to have a voice? When members of a school community feel unsafe speaking honestly, it raises serious concerns about whether this process is truly serving our
students. This is not about any one principal candidate. It is about whether this process reflects the values of equity transparency and accountability. Our school community deserves a process that prioritizes students, includes genuine input, and clearly communicates how decisions are
made. Right now, many of us are struggling to trust that this standard is being met. I urge the board to strengthen the oversight of this principal hiring process and recommmit to a process that puts students first consistently and transparently. Our students deserve nothing less. Thank you
for your time. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is Leticia Asdo, speaker number 11, who's joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. Buenosauricio Brighton Park.
Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Brighton Park. Volunteer particip for that. We'll have our Spanish translator translate the statement. >> Good morning. My name is Leticia Asseo
and I am a proud parent at Aero Brighton Park. I have three children who have attended this school. My two older sons, Adrianne Al- Mauricio, were among the first students when the school opened and both successfully graduated from Brighton Park. Now, my youngest
daughter, Anela, is in second grade, and it is very important to me that she also have the opportunity to continue and graduate from the same school. Brighten Park has been a very important part of my children's academic journey. All of my children have done well there
and I truly believe this school deserves an extended charter renewal so it can continue providing the same opportunities to other families in our community. I choose Aero because the other CPS schools in our area were overcrowded and I was looking for a school that could
better meet my daughter's needs. Brighten Park is also very close to our home which made it an easy and practical choice for our family. My daughter loves her school. She has built strong relationships with her teachers, enjoys participating in clubs
and school events, and has made many friends. She is happy, confident in herself, and doing very well academically. As a parent, I stay very involved in the school community. I volunteer at events like field day, school dances, the
winter festival, and the book fair. I also help with teacher appreciation day each year. I am a graduate of the Padis Compromitos program and I participate daily in parent patrol to help ensure our students safety. I also attend workshops and meetings
throughout the school year. Being part of this school community has been a wonderful experience. I have always felt welcome and the teachers and staff truly care about our children. They build strong relationships that make the school feel like a family.
Thank you for your time and for supporting Asetera Schools. >> The next speaker is Esmeralda Delgado, speaker 17, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. >> Hi, good morning members of the board and Dr. King. Congratulations again and
we look forward to working with you. My name is Esmeralda Delgado and I am a parent and an advisory council member at the Esmeralda Santiago Elementary. As our school prepares to transition from a to CPS this fall, I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the lack of transparency, respect, and
communication we have received throughout this process. This transition should be guided by one question. What is the best for our kids? But unfortunately, a student- centered focus has been missing. A principle shapes schools culture, supports teachers and
directly impacts students success. When the hiring process is strong and inclusive, students benefit and we seen that with Miss Reissi. But when it's not, the students are the ones who pay the price, and we don't want that. Throughout this process, families and staff have been left with more questions
than answers. Our community trust has been has been broken. There has been inconsistent communication and lack of meaningful input from the advisory committee members, parents and staff. Our ask is simple. We need someone to
oversee this process. This board agreed to keep the culture of the school intact. We do not believe this is happening. Please come talk to us. It's April and there are now multiple lost months of smooth approach. The points
and important school structures are on tough. We have invest our time and our tears into saving this school. You guys remember this. We are as >> we have 30 seconds remaining >> only to feel this but we feel disrespected by the very system taking
us in. It has been incredible difficult to fake the loss of our principal. I'm sorry. Knowing she won't be there in Agus to welcome our amorotes as she calls them with the warmth they deserve is heartbreaking. And we want this trans
this transitions to feel like a continuation of our community, not for them to break it. We are not looking for a fight. We are looking for a seat at the table. Our opinions matter because this is our children's future. We ask that you provide oversight of this
principal hiring process and move forward with the interview process in a way that tr truly honors the Santiago community. Thank you and we love you, Miss Swissy. >> Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from schools is Viani Vargas,
speaker 25, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. members of the board. program. Visit particip. We'll have the statement translated. Good morning members of the board of
education. My name is Vani Vargas and I am part of the Aero Idar School community. I am the mother of Gabriela Garcia, a second grade special education student who is excited and motivated to attend and belong to Idar School every day.
Gabriela wakes up happy each morning, eager to go to school. When she has medical appointments, she asks to return to school immediately after the doctors attend her. She never wants to miss an opportunity to earn her prizes. Her academic performance is strong and her
teachers along with the entire school staff are always ready to support her needs. As a mother, I feel welcomed at the school. It feels like part of my family to me because I've had the opportunity to get involved in different programs
and take part in various workshops that teach us how to support our children academically and guide them towards college and many other topics. We have frequent visits and community resource tables. I am proud to volunteer and participate in school events such as Christmas
celebrations, children's days, dance with dancers with moms, Valentine's Day, the field day, and more. In addition, I serve as a leader in the BC and title one. My daughter and I are proud to be part
of the Asetto School Network. However, we feel sad and often frustrated because we must renew constantly and we'd like that to be every 10 years. As members of this community, we deserve the opportunity to choose what we wish and
deserve. Please help us with that dream. Thank you. >> Thank you. The next two speakers are from Aspira of Illinois. Stephanie Diaz, speaker 10. >> Good morning. My name is Stephanie Diaz
and I proudly served as a school counselor at Aspira for the past seven years. I stand here today not only as a displaced employee but as someone who remains deeply connected to her students. I want you to know that unsurprisingly our students are struggling to adapt to new schools,
unfamiliar faces, and a sense of loss they never asked for. Every day I receive emails from our former students asking for help and guidance when I should be receiving emails asking about recommendation letters and exciting updates. Others are writing to me asking
about transfer options for next year because they feel like they don't belong there yet. Students are already planning to leave not because they want to, but because they feel disconnected and unseen. Losing our school's home mid- semester is traumatic and these students
need the support of many adults who know and they trust. I also stay close connected with former co-workers who are now at receiving schools. They share how heartbreaking it is to see students on their rosters who registered but have not attended a single day of school.
That absence reflects something deeper. A system that is failing to meet our students where they are. I continue to encourage them through emails on those difficult days supporting them however I can through a screen. But I and other Aspa educators should be there besides
them. I should be helping them navigate this difficult transition. CPS must take immediate action to hire our displaced counselors and educators who already know these students in order to help with this transition. That trust and connection can make the difference
between a stu student graduating or giving up. Right now, our students are not just changing schools. They've lost their sense of belonging. When a student stops showing up, they stop asking for help or start planning their exit instead of their future. That is not a
student failure. That is a system failure. Place us where our students are. Let us do the work we were called to do. Not from behind a screen, but besides them where it matters most. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments. The last speaker from Aspira, Illinois is Claude
Holmes, speaker number 22, who is joining us virtually. Please enter star six to unmute. >> Good afternoon, members of the board. My name is Claude Holmes Jr. I've been an educator at a spira for 15 years. And while I'm grateful that our students
from the Spirit of Business and Finance and Early College have been successfully transitioned into their district schools, I cannot ignore the ongoing crisis for staff who have dedicated their lives to serving them and are now left without employment. The Spir executives made reckless decisions that
brought us here. and CPS, who was responsible for their oversight, chose to ignore our warning signs until a crisis arrived for our families, students, and educators. Therefore, I urge this board to take immediate and meaningful action, streamline, and prioritize the hire
hiring process for display staff to ensure that they are given fair opportunities to continue their work with their students within the district. Most importantly, a guarantee that they are able to transition without any loss of pay or benefits. Anything less would
be a disservice to those who have given already so much. So far, CPS schools took in over 500 students in the last month from Aspir schools, and those students will pay the price if CPS decides that it wasn't that it was that it just isn't worth it to
provide students any continuity at their new schools. This is an option right now in front of you. So, it is a decision. You can decide that the district owes our students the stability and support that is possible. Or you can say that it just
costs too much to increase retention, to prevent dropouts, and to make sure that there are at least a few teachers and staff who know these students. >> You have 30 seconds. >> Our educators showed up for our students every day. Now, it's your time board to show up for them.
>> Secondly, I want to address YCCS Pantoa, which is currently run by Spir. And as I see on today's agenda that this board will be voting on whether to approve the closure of Pantoha, I want to make clear that no one has told the Pantoa community about this possibility. And it
is unthinkable that after all of the school closures and all of the harm that we have seen done to students, families, and staff this year that there will be a possibility of closing a stable school without one word to families, staff or the union. Please do not on another
charter operator traumatizing another school community without any input from that community. >> Thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your comments. The next speaker is John Weaver, speaker number 14. Good afternoon and thank you for the
opportunity to speak. My name is John Weaver and I'm an organizer at Educators for Excellence Chicago, an organization that represents over 8,000 Chicago teachers. I'm here today to urge this board to place the mental health resolution on your next meeting agenda. Educator mental health is foundational
to student success. Our research demonstrates that when educators are supported, students are more engaged, feel safer, and achieve at higher levels. The adults in front of the classroom shape whether a student shows up, participates, and believes if they can succeed. We must be serious about
supporting the people in front of our students every day. See, over the last few months, we've had conversations with many of you, and we've been encouraged that board members such as Representative Custard, Kuster, Bole, and Brown, to name a few, have expressed support and enthusiasm for this resolution. And yet, to date, this
resolution has not been introduced on your agenda. While we acknowledge that CPS has done some work to address student mental health, there are still clear gaps for educators. Educators are not adequately supported, do not have evidence of aligned resources, and those that are provided are reactive in
nature. The current CPS structure lacks coherent strategies, clear metrics, and accountability. I'm holding hundreds of petition signatures from educators who are demanding you prioritize them individually and collectively. This resolution is a solution. It adds
transparency and acknowledgement. It establishes a systemwide commitment to align efforts across departments, set clear goals and metrics, and ensure resources are used equitably and efficiently. And most importantly, it creates accountability. >> That's the role of this board to set
direction, to ensure oversight, and to hold the district accountable for increased outcomes for students. >> We're spending a lot of time debating difficult issues, and this shouldn't be one of them. So, I urge you to put this resolution on your next agenda and make Chicago a national model for how large
urban districts support educators and in doing so deliver better outcomes for students. So, listen to your constituents and make hundreds of the hundreds of educators supporting this resolution. It'll be the easiest decision to make today. Thank you. >> Thank you for your comments.
And the last speaker from the speakers list is Wendy Weinearten, speaker number 18. As always, before my timer starts, I just want everyone to know I'm here on a no paid day. I took a zero day today because this is too important not to
discuss. And congratulations, Dr. King. I'm so grateful you're here for the long term. Good afternoon, members of the board and CEO Dr. King. I stand before you today to address a systematic failure in how
this district compensates our elementary athletic liaison, the very individuals who serve as the athletic directors for our youngest students. While these professionals have remained unwavering in their commitment to our students, the district's handling of their stipens has
been frankly unacceptable. To understand the depth of their frustration, we must look at the timeline of the last two years. School year 24-25, our liaison worked the entire year without receiving a single dime for
their promised compensation. They were not made whole until this current school year, fall 2025. The season has come and gone, and it has been total silence. Those payments weren't issued until February 6th, 2026,
well into the winter season for fall stipens. And our current crisis, we're now just 35 school days away from the end of the school year. The winter season is long over. The spring season is well underway. Yet, there's zero communication on how or when these
professionals will be paid for their work. We call these educators professionals, yet we do not treat them as such. Expecting staff to wait months and in some cases over a year. You have 30 seconds. >> Contractually obligated pay is not a
clerical oversight. It's a breach of trust. These liaison are the epitome of selflessness. They are the architects of our feeder program and the backbone of the score program. They sacrifice time with their own families to ensure our elementary athletes have programs they
deserve. But we must ask ourselves what happens when they decide enough is enough. When these dedicated teachers finally say, "I can't justify taking time away from my life or a district that doesn't value my labor enough to pay me on time." Where will our programs
be? We should be incentivizing our staff to take on these leadership roles, not providing them with a cautionary tale of why they should stay away. I'm asking the board for a clear public commitment to resolve all outstanding stipens
immediately and to establish a transparent, reliable payment schedule moving forward. Let's start treating our liaison with the same level of respect they show our student athletes every single day. Thank you. Thank you for your comments. >> You have in the packet from other
liaison who weren't able to make it today because they haven't been paid. They can't take a no- paid day. Um, and I'd like to set up a meeting with all of you with high school athletic directors and elementary athletic directors because we need to make a change in order to progress in our public school
athletics. Thank you very much. >> Thank you for your comments, President Harden. This concludes public participation. Thank you. Before we proceed um with board members making uh comments, uh I I do want to address a couple of points
that have come up and then afford Dr. King an opportunity to address as well. The the first being with uh the charter renewals. Um you know, this board does not do any rubber stamps.
uh it spends a considerable amount of time combing through lots of data, lots of information to make informed decisions. What's clear is that there's some challenges
ahead. We've experienced far too many mid-year school closings and it's very concerning to this board and as such we'll continue to take the time necessary in order to make thoughtful informed decisions around renewals. So I
just wanted to push back on the notion that we are unnecessarily extending the the charter renewal timeline. It's absolutely necessary that we do the evaluation and we make good decisions and we don't and we learn from the past
and what's occurring uh so that we don't have a reoccurrence of what has happened thus far. And so I just wanted to state that for the record. It's very troubling to continue to have divisive language that suggests that this board is not conscientious and supportive of
charters. That's absolutely not the case. uh we'll continue to work feverishly to move forward, but don't be wedded to a timeline that does not give us the ability to do a thorough evaluation that we need so we can make sound decisions. Dr. King, you want to
add anything to that? Yes, I wanted to add I wanted to speak specifically to Shy Arts and I wanted to just reiterate the commitment of the district and the board members when they um decided to bring transition Shy Arts
over to Chicago public schools. Words are very powerful and we do center students which is why I believe the board made the decision that it did in each of the scenarios with the closing charter schools.
For Shy Arts, we spend hours and is never about dismantling the program. It is only about how do we ensure that the students that attend Shy Arts have stability moving forward. That is the
primary goal. And second, we have to ensure how do we ensure that the school retains all of the uniqueness and the beauty that is communicated here while chart while transitioning from the Illinois charter school code to the
Illinois public school code. It's a messy and it's a long arduous process and the the runway that we had was not sufficient and I know it doesn't feel good. But I want to assure you that everyone within Chicago public schools, the district and the board members, I
think I can speak safely to include board members. It is to ensure the stability so that those students that enroll in those in the future have stability in completing an arts education. So our goal is not just to
meet in the moment, but is to meet go extend past the moment that we're in. So, I just wanted to reiterate that we are fully committed to the Shy community and ensuring that there is stability moving forward and making sure that we can honor the program to the greatest
extent possible with the transition from an Illinois charter to an Illinois public school. And I want to just reiterate what the parent said. I think it was Elmerell Delgado. This is an extension and a continuation of community and we're welcoming Shy
Arts into the community in the context of the greater Chicago public schools. Yeah. And I'll just add that the board office continues to be equally as supportive. Uh I've met and spent several hours with the current leadership Dr. Feast. Uh he's
outstanding. He's going to be a great leader for the school. Uh so our commitment to making sure that shy art stays uh is is strong and and so any narrative that suggests otherwise is just factually wrong. So with that board
members will now open the floor up for questions or comments on RS1 resolution on school voucher programs as listed on the public agenda. Are there any comments or questions from the board? >> Board member Rosenfeld. >> Mr. Chair, I move to postpone the motion
indefinitely regarding 26-0408-RS1 resolution regarding the Chicago Board of Education's position on school voucher programs. >> I second the motion. >> President Hart, I do want to note that before we um take the motion to postpone
indefinitely, we need a motion and a second for the item itself. >> Understood. >> Can we have a motion? >> So moved. second. >> It's been motioned and second. >> So then we can proceed with um now the
motion that board member Rosenfeld um motion for postponement of the item indefinitely and there was a second on the floor for that motion. You can now open the floor for discussion on that. Member Paul,
>> I don't want to discuss member Rosenfeld. I'm so I'm sorry. Uh what I want to say about member Rosenfeld's motion is that this is an extremely important issue that has come before us. This is a
time-sensitive issue that has come before us. The idea of kicking the can down the road on such an issue indefinitely totally diminishes the power of this resolution. We are in a situation right now where
$30 billion dollar has been spent on a war in Iraq in just five weeks where $ 59 billion was spent by our federal government on Operation Midway Blitz attacking mostly innocent people throughout our city, particularly on the
southwest side. How can we even consider the idea of not being opposed to a program that is being proposed by this president with his intentions to destroy the Department of Education and to
murder innocent people, to arrest and detain innocent people, and to attack the people of the United States, the children of our future? How can we even think that there might be a reason to postpone opposing a program that allows
people who make over $200,000 a year, three times the amount of money that is the average salary in our state of Illinois? How can we think about allowing people like that to take our
tax money and use that tax money not for what our responsibility, our charge, our public good is, which is to educate all children, to educate LGBTQIA children, to educate black and brown
children, to educate poor children, to educate difficult children, to educate children with learning differences, to educate children of all religions, Jewish Muslim, etc. How can we even think that this president who is willing
to apply public monies to schools that openly and blatantly discriminate, how can we not oppose a voucher program initiated by that president? I call for an opposition to board member Rosenfeld's proposal and for the
immediate passage of our resolution in opposition to President Trump's tax voucher proposal. Thank you. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Um to Cassie and Stacy, I agree with everything that you said. Um I will Yes,
I do. I will always defend and protect public schools. Um, I love public schools. That's why I volunteer 40 hours a week on this board. I would never ever support anything that
divest funds from public school. And I even agree with a lot of what board member Pope said. Um, and that's not why I put forward this resolution. I put forth this resolution because it's all politics. It's a politically
motivated resolution and politics don't belong in the boardroom. Um, I'm asking to remove this because it doesn't belong here. It belongs on our legislative agenda. It belongs in Springfield. It's
up to the governor to make this decision. I invite every board member to join me next Wednesday in Springfield to talk to the governor to ask him to oppose this. This isn't about the bill. I'm not going to get into federal politics or any other politics because
that's not what we do here. I'm student centered. I want to talk about learning, student voice, chronic absenteeism, student safety. That's what I want to talk about here. I will never ever support a resolution that is simply
politically motivated. It's not our job. If this resolution passes, I'll abstain because I want don't want to be part of anything politically motive. I'm going to stick with motivated. I'll stick with the governance. That's our job. That's
what we're here to do. So, this isn't even about the resolution. I will never ever ever do anything that devests money from Chicago, from any public schools. I've been an advocate for my whole life. This doesn't belong here. It's political. It belongs on our legislative
agenda. Let's go down straight. That's what we keep saying. Let's go build relationships. Let's go talk to the governor and ask him to oppose it. All all power on this one lies with our governor. We have nothing to do with this.
>> Member Brown. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um yeah, I I don't know if I could like disagree more with with what board member Rosenfeld said. I think um the reality is
um for many of us in this room, everything is political. Um everything is political. Um, and if you understand, uh, remember three years ago, we didn't
have an elected school board, and there was fierce opposition to having an elected school board. And everywhere in the United States where you have mural control or state takeovers are districts that serve primarily black and brown children. That's not an accident.
If you go to New Orleans, they don't have the right to elect their school board for a reason. You go to Camden, New Jersey, they don't have the right to elect their school board for a reason. So everything is political. Vouchers,
nowhere in the world has vouchers produced equity. They were born in Chile after the murder of Aende. And when Pinocha became the the the the dictator of of of Chile,
he hired Milton Freriedman from the University of Chicago who came with his students and enacted the first voucher nation in the world. And Chile is one of the most inequitable countries on the planet earth. If you
compare Chile to Kuba, there's no comparison with the effectiveness of education. This board is divided because this board is political and I'm not running from it because we have different interests. We we come from different ideologies.
And until we're able to have honest, grownup conversations about why we have the positions we have, then we'll we'll play this game like, you know, I don't want to do politics. Well, if you don't want to do politics, then then you know you shouldn't be on
the school board because everything here is political. The fact that there are people talking about we're going to have to close schools next year, not understanding the terror that it unleashed in black neighborhoods particularly, like that's digestible to some people,
right? I I want the public because what I'm saying right now is for the public. I want the public to remember people's positions in times like this. Remember who fought to make sure that our young people were not traumatized, who fought for those
parents from Aetto when they were falling out in front of us, who fought for them, and who were willing to let those schools shut down. Remember that because this elected school board, our
responsibility is not just to CPS. Our responsibility now, we are elected. Our responsibility is to the people in our communities. We are we are an accountable body. We are elected officials. Even those of us that were appointed in this cycle, this
body is political. So, I just want to offer that, you know, and also a lot of these policies are not new. You know, people sometimes we pontificate as if we're saying something new. This is 2004, 2005 repackaged,
remixed. You may not know that because you weren't around, you weren't doing the work at that time. But if I understand everything correctly, for for many of us that have been on this front line, this is not new conversations. vouchers. The notion that that Well, I'll stop if
I understand everything correctly. I appreciate you, Mr. President. Yes, sir. But everything is political. >> Member Bole. >> Okay. Um, you know, I I I read the resolution.
I I first became aware of it on March 26th, uh, right before our special board meeting. And um then it got pulled from the March 30th board meeting and I was glad because I needed time to study and
to learn. Um, first thing I did was kind of contact the board office because I was trying to understand if is is was this a way to perhaps add something to our legislative agenda because we had gotten a draft legislative agenda in
December and I have emailed a couple times asking if you know if we have a final legislative agenda was was this like being added to it? um and it it is it is not and even if it's voted on it doesn't
necessarily mean that it will be part of our legislative agenda. So I I was trying to clarify that part and then I started reaching out to some experts um in the city. I asked um Nelson at the fund because he's a great researcher to
give me both the pros and the cons and he did a great job. Um he listed the points of the supporters and the opponents. Um, I talked with some of my colleagues
and, you know, read articles that I could get my hands on and um, I listened to the advocacy groups that, you know, support the resolution and I got a bunch of emails uh, for
people that like the fed federal tax credit of the $1,700. Um, so I mean before being asked to make a decision on this, I wish that I could hear from our
governor and his team like why is it taking them so long to make a decision? I know that I think it's like 29 states have signed on to it. Three have said no. Um, what are they rolling around with? Like I I feel like I have to trust
Springfield a little bit. Um, and I and I kind of wanted to know cuz I'm the board gave us um four dates to pick to go down to Springfield and I chose April 15th and so I plan on going down. So I on the 15th and I wanted to know like
where where do we stand on this? How how am I supposed to talk to uh our our legislators about this? I know that the the US Treasury has not yet established the final rules for um the scholarship granting
organizations. And I was wondering when I was reading like there there was talk about public schools could benefit and I didn't want us not to be able to grab some of that benefit if if we had
an ability to maybe put back some of the out of school time programs that you know like we lost our tutor core and we lost um you know like BAMW programs and we only have two safe havens on the south sides. I, you know, thinking, is
there a way we can benefit from it? And I, and I understand if we opt out, Illinois people will still be able to get the tax credit, but they just have to give to an organization in a neighboring state that um, you know, has
agreed to it. I I I feel like um I'm still learning about it, you know, and it's very complex, which is probably why Pritskar hasn't made a decision yet, I'm guessing. Um so I'm probably going
to have to abstain as well because I feel like I don't know all the ins and outs on it. Thanks for listening, >> Member Smith. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Uh yesterday
I had to visit a community where a student uh was unfortunately uh shot and killed as he was running to the safest place that he knew to get away from uh his
attacker. And the safest place that he knew to run was his school. And this student was a student that gave me earlier in the year a tour of his school. And the thing that he loved most about his school was the gardening
program that taught him how to grow his own food. I got video with me and this student who was like, "Yo, this gardening program at this alternative school changed my life." And I realized that, you know, I went to Southshore. I didn't make it out of Southshore cuz
Southshore didn't have a programs in the '9s, not the Southshore today, didn't have a programs to sustain the potential that I had. I had to actually get my diploma from an alternative school. 14%
of this board's time is spent discussing students and student outcomes and what grows student improvement. 54% of our time is wasted on politics and government things. And I'm not saying politics ain't important, but what are
we doing as a board when we only spend 14% of our time talking about student outcome? Uh we just had someone come and talk about mental health and here we are talking about a resolution that isn't even in a legislative agenda and
somebody who had a me a mental health resolution is still waiting on this board to address mental health. We have a black student success plan that we've been working on for a whole year and still don't have anything significant to
bring to the community about our black student success plan or our five-year strategic plan. uh you know, $500,000 per sustainable community school and we still can't get data on how uh
sustainable community schools are helping student improvement, but we want to talk about Chile. We want to talk about South America. We want and I'm not Look, I go to I go to Cartahena, Colombia every year. I could tell you a lot about South America. Just
got back from Peru. has nothing to do with students at Southshore. Has nothing to do with student improvement. So, I get it. These these these geopolitical issues get us going. We all want to talk about it. We see it on the news. My oath
here is to the students of Chicago, Illinois. And to tell the governor how to do his job. I I trust in the governor. I voted for JB Pritsker. He he probably will run for president. He
knows how to go at Trump, what to do and not to do. But I think we should bring a legislative agenda that includes the black student success plan and the five-year strategic plan and how are we going to get this $2 billion that was just spoke of. We had a leader last uh
board meeting that came and spoke highly political right here at the at the podium and talked about who was supporting who with what money and who's going who they're going to support. Everything is political. When are we going to get to the students?
Thank you. And I'll be abstaining because this is not about student improvement. Thank you, >> Member Biggs. >> Yeah. Um I'm happy to vote to make clear that public money should only ever be used for public goods. Um there are also several timely issues before the state
legislator right now that have a profound impact on public schools and on our district specifically. We're more than halfway through this legislative session and this board has yet to be allowed to vote on a legislative agenda to make clear our priorities. I'm concerned that we're missing an
opportunity to present a complete agenda to both clearly oppose vouchers and to ensure full funding of mandated categoricals for our most vulnerable students to ensure full funding of our evidence-based funding formula uh that will support schools across the state.
So, President Harden, I would like to understand when the board will be able to vote on a full legislative agenda in support of our district. >> You would like to understand that? >> Yes. >> When the board has developed it, >> but that's off topic now.
>> So, what's before us now is discussion on the voucher. And so, >> Mr. Mr. President, I called a question. I don't have a question. >> Yeah. So, let's stay on topic and if you have other matters you want to bring to the board, you know how to do so. Member
Blaze. >> No, I'm calling the question. Um I'm calling the question. I I think we should vote on the uh different resolutions that's I mean the different proposals that's been presented. We could talk about this all night. >> I appreciate that. I do want to afford
the opportunity for those who've been waiting to speak. Mhm. >> to offer their perspective. Given the significance of this, I I would like member Blae to offer our comments. We could then take it up at that point. Do you want to defer your comments?
>> I'll be quick. I um It's interesting that the members who were elected are pushing back on politics. um every opportunity that they get, they
mention that they're elected. They feel some kind of superiority to appointed members and now they're like, "Politics in in this this boardroom is crazy." Um >> nobody's trying to tell um Governor
Pritsker what to do, but we do as a board need to establish our priorities. this will get you to where you want to be is if we have these conversations and we establish what's important to us. Um, so I think these are this is this is a
this is a very important um conversation to have and we should have it honestly and not play around with it saying, "Oh, that's politics. I have to abstain." Saying that you won't talk about an issue that people elected you to talk
about. Now that's politics. And that's all I'll say about that. >> Member Kuster. Uh, thank you, board president. Um, I think I think we're confusing um
politics and legislation. And I think yes, I agree. There's a lot of things that are politics. There's a lot of things we do here that are politics. There's a lot of different conversations we have that center around politics. I think what we're trying to do here is establish the correct avenue in which to
have this political conversation. And you know, Debbie, you and I had a great conversation about this specific topic and I I said that I would support this, but similar to board member Bole, there's been a lot of outreach from community, I would say 50/50 for and
against this for me. Um, and I have had conversations with a lot of people that know a lot about this. And the more I have thought about this as well, I think we need to establish what the correct avenue for this political conversation is. Is it to take a vote here today or
is it to go down to Springfield and have this as a conversation as part of our legislative agenda? In my conversations that I've had with legislators, they are looking for partnership. They're looking for us to come down and they're looking for us to collaborate. And this to me is
a wonderful example of being able to do that. Since the governor has not made a decision, we are afforded the opportunity to come down in partnership and have these conversations and establish what we believe. And I think
we all agree in this room on on what we think here, but be able to have these conversations and say this is what we think from the board. It is a political conversation. It is establishing the correct avenue by which to have it. And I do agree with board member Rosenfeld
that the correct place to have this conversation is in our legislative agenda instead so that we are partners at the table and partners in the discussion rather than telling what we think is best and establishing those
relationships with our legislators. >> Member Lozano. >> Yes. Um Dr. Anelis Springfield. So, first and foremost, I wanted to congratulate Felicia to Dr. is that he's
now our vice president. But I agree with both of these arguments. I believe that we can vote here and go to Springfield. Why can't we do both? And I think we need to do both. You know, we make a statement as members of the board, our
position, and we make it strong, united here, and then we go to Springfield loaded, you know, we uh uh with with that. So that's what I think is the proper way to deal with this, not walk away from it, to take it on here, have
the discussion, uh, so that we can hear from our different colleagues how they feel about this and then take it with us to Springfield. Gracias. >> Thank you. Um, public dollars are for public schools. Point blank. Period. And
we are the stewards of those public dollars. Money pays for what we give our students. So, this is about the students. It is making my head explode to think that some of my colleagues think that we should not make our position clear to
the governor in this manner. Of course, we should do so. We need to take every possible step to ensure that our students and our schools get all the resources they deserve. This attitude that we're hearing plays right into the
hands of Project 2025, right into the hands of those who don't support public education. We have an obligation to do everything we can, including pass this resolution, to ensure we don't give up any money, and instead fight for every
dollar our students deserve. That being the end of comments, I'll just close with this brief statement that this is exactly what this forum is for is for us to have debate and discussion, offer the various perspectives. I think member Lozano hit
it right on the head. There's an opportunity to do both uh to establish the board's perspective. Uh that's what leadership is. uh there's there's nothing to state that we have to wait that we use the opportunity, the platform, and the weight of our decision
to help direct and say to the governor, here is what our beliefs state um as critical stakeholders and representatives of the city. He looks for leaders to make statements around what their values are that helps inform
ultimately his decision. Uh so I don't see there any fault in this board establishing its position while also adding it to its legislative agenda. It just underscores the importance. Uh so with that, we'll proceed with the vote
on the public agenda item. Board secretary, please proceed. We have two on the table. Let's let's address the first first and that is >> correct. Before I proceed with the roll call, I do want to note that member Lozano, who joined virtually at 10:45,
is now in person as of 10:54 a.m. and member Thodakura has joined virtually via Zoom at 12:21 p.m. I'll proceed with the vote on the motion to post postpone indefinitely 260408
RS1 resolution regarding the Chicago Board of Education position on school vouchers program. Member Lozano. >> No. >> Member Smith. >> I member Lopez.
>> I. >> Member VeZ. No >> member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> Nay. >> Member Kuster. >> Hi. >> Member Pope.
>> Nay. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. >> No, ma'am. >> Member Rio Sierra. >> Nay. Member Bannon.
>> Nay. >> Member Biggs. >> No. >> Member Thorakura. >> No. >> Member Blae. >> Nay. >> Member Zachor. >> No.
>> Member Deberry. >> No. >> 11. I'm sorry. Seven eyes's 11 nazs. This motion failed of adoption.
The motion has failed of adoption. I'll proceed with a roll call on the resolution as it was posted on the public agenda. This is uh 26408 RS1 resolution regarding the Chicago Board of Education's position on school
voucher programs. >> Is there a motion? >> It was already motioned and there was a second. It was motioned by member Brown, seconded by member Bannon. Member Lozano. >> Yes. >> Member Smith.
>> Abstain. Member Lopez. >> I >> member VeZ. >> Yes. >> Is that a yes? >> Yes. >> Member Bole. >> Stain. >> Member Wallace.
>> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Abstain. Member Rivas. >> Yes.
Member Brown. >> Yes. >> Member Rio Sierra. >> Hi. >> Member Bannon. >> Hi. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thorakura.
>> Yes. >> Member Blae. >> Yes. >> Member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. 15 eyes, zero nazs, three abstensions.
This resolution is adopted by the board. >> President Harden, there are no further items on the public agenda. >> We'll now proceed with the potential board reports to be considered at the April 23rd, 2026 regular meeting. And after each item is presented, board members will have the opportunity to ask
their questions and make comments before proceeding to the next item on the agenda. Board members, we will begin with the following education items numbers one through three. Starting with number one, authorize the second final renewal agreement with various vendors to
provide professional learning services. Good afternoon, President Harden and members of the board. My name is Dr. Jacob Stefen. I'm the manager of professional learning from the Office of Teaching and Learning. At the April 23rd board meeting, we are recommending that
the board authorize the second and final renewal for the district's professional learning services vendor pool. This request covers 60 pre-qualified vendor partners who provide critical professional learning supports directly to schools as well as to our central
office and network teams. It includes a variety of services such as PD workshops, consulting and coaching for our teachers and school leaders. This pool was established in 2021 to ensure quality and coherence in the professional learning services provided
by vendors across the district while ensuring schools have a vetted list of trusted professional learning partners that can support the diverse needs of schools in a district as large as ours. These vendors have been selected for their ability to support the district's instructional vision around high-quality
curriculum implementation and effective instruction that leads to a rigorous, joyful, and equitable learning experience for every student. Every vendor admitted into the pool underwent a rigorous vetting process, including questionnaires and a detailed review of submitted artifacts to ensure
a demonstrated track record of success, alignment to the district's instructional vision, and an ability to work with large districts. Additionally, we track the ongoing performance of these vendors, and I'm pleased to report that of the 60 vendors recommended for renewal, they maintain a high average
satisfaction rating of 4.67 67 out of five as rated by the school principles and central office department heads who rate their satisfaction when receiving purchase order orders in Oracle. As part of this renewal, teaching and learning is not recommending changes to
the $10 million per year not to exceed limit for the vendor pool, although historical and anticipated future spend fall far below that limit. Maintaining the current limit will allow schools and departments the utmost flexibility within a fiscally constrained budget
environment so that schools have uninterrupted access to highquality professional learning services if the district's internal capacity to provide professional learning supports were to change. If the renewal of this pool is not approved, schools and central office departments would be restricted by the
$35,000 annual preventtor cap, necessitating a competitive solicitation process for each pro project that exceeds that amount, which would delay access to essential vetted professional learning services for schools, networks, and central office departments. Thank
you for your time and for your support of our educators professional growth. We're happy to respond to any questions. Member Zach. >> Uh thank you. Uh thank you for your presentation. Um I have several questions actually. Can you say uh what
percent of the vendors are specifically supporting Skyline which we understand to be our you know our primary or preferred curriculum. Um, Skyline is one of the supports that our vendors provide and we can get back to the specifics of what percent of the
vendors provide Skyline support for you in writing. >> Okay. Um, I guess I'm wondering that question um because you know we have people in the departments um who me looking at those departments it says
they provide professional learning. I can say I as a science teacher went to tons of professional learning in skyline provided by those and I'm just wondering um why we don't just rely on them to provide the professional learning around sky at
least skyline. Thanks for the question. Although certainly that is a function of our central office teams to provide the professional learning support about Skyline and we do have universal offerings available to our schools that uh schools can opt into. Some schools
also seek additional professional learning support that can be more tailored and targeted beyond what we as a district centrally can provide. And uh when schools are seeking that support, they use the list of the vendor partners to find partners who can provide those services to them.
>> Okay. And I'll just ask one more and maybe email you the rest. Um so I saw on the list that um Lego Brand Retail is one of the companies and I'm trying to understand what professional development they're providing because when I went to
their site uh none is listed. I'm unsure about the specifics of that vendor, but we can of course follow up with you in writing. >> Mor Rivas, >> uh, I don't actually have a question. I just wanted to acknowledge that I began my teaching career at UIC College Prep
with, uh, Dr. Stefen when he was a chemistry teacher there. So, very happy to see you here at the board. Thank you for your presentation. >> Item number two, amend the renewal of the youth connection charter school agreement with conditions.
Good afternoon board members. My name is Molly Mlechek. I'm the director of authorization and school options in the options network in the office of network support. >> Good afternoon. I'm Dr. Bridget Swinson. I'm the acting chief of the options network.
>> We are recommending, excuse me, recommending the board to amend the board report that authorizes the charter agreement with you youth connection charter school or YCCS at the April board meeting. We are recommending two amendments. The first amendment is to
relocate the Chadam campus from its current location at 9035 South Langley Avenue to a new facility at 4017 South Draxel Boulevard. The lease for the current Chadam facility is set to expire in June of 26 with no option to
renew. So, the move to the Kenwood community provides a larger, more modernized space with improved classroom configurations, also a gymnasium, um, which overall enhances the learning environment for these students. YCCS and
Youth William, sorry, Williams youth services, which is the community management organization for Chattam, explored the possibility of relocating within the Chattam community, but were unable to find a site that adequately suited their needs. So the relocation is
intended to ensure the educational continuity for the students following the June 2026 lease expiration. The options network and YCCCS will partner through the fall of 26 to ensure a seamless transition for the start of next school year. Chattam Academy is
expecting about 41 students to graduate this year. um about 45 students to enroll and transition to the new site with about 10 students that would transfer to other YCCS campuses and the options network will collaborate with Chattam and YCCS to identify the best
fit schools and ensure a smooth transition for those students. There are no financial implications for this item for CPS. Um, but if not impro approved, YCCCS would likely be forced to close the Chattam campus and this would cause
a significant disruption for approximately 55 students that would lose access to this resource of um and the option school setting. Uh YCCS has proactively engaged with students, families, staff, and community
members about this relocation. Um through this outreach they've secured documentation and support from the school community locus local business leaders as well as the um Alderman Robinson of the fourth ward. Additionally um any family that prefers
an alternative to the new site is guaranteed a seat at any of their other campuses. On March 9th, they sent out a a survey to students and parents to get feedback um and understand what the concerns are specifically related to transportation. Um in turn, there
they'll be providing bus cards for all students. Uh they've also identified a target group of students for which it might not be safe to tr um to ride on the bus and will be providing van services at a pre-identified pickup and drop off locations. They've conducted
several town hall meetings to provide updates and answer questions. They've invited families, community members, and elected officials. They held one on March 18th at the current location. And then at the new location, there'll be another one on April 28th, as well as
March 13th. Overall, the responses and feedback from students and families and the community members have been very positive with many parents expressing support for the new location. On January 6th, they sent letters in both English and Spanish to notify the residents and the businesses within a fourb block
radius. And all staff at this point have been notified and have expressed their intent to continue employment at the new location. The second amendment we are recommending is to approve the self-closure of the Aspira Pentoha campus at the end of this
school year. I want to be very clear that this would be a preemptive approval which would serve to provide mutual consent of a self-closure in the event that the YCCCS board decides to close. So the YCCCS board is currently
evaluating the continued operation of the Aspira Pentoha campus. Preemptive board approval from CPS would ensure that there's ample time for transparent communication with students and families. And this timeline would allow us to effectively support student
transitions to new school environments in the event of a closure. The approval for this self-closure of Aspir Pentoa is contingent on several stipulations. Should YCCS fail to adhere to the stipulations, the approval for the
self-closure would be rescended and YCCCS would be required to continue the operations of this campus through the 2627 school year. The stipulations are as follows. One, the CPS board, sorry,
the YCCS board must vote to close the Aspira uh Pentoha Attendance Center no later than April 30th, 2026, which is their board meeting. YCCS must provide written confirmation of its intent to discontinue operations of the Espira
Pentoha campus no later than May 1st of 26. YCCS must provide a comprehensive communication plan for families, a student transition plan, and a campus windown strategy no later than May 1st, 2026.
And YCCS must guarantee seats at its other 16 campuses for for all aspirin students who do not graduate at the end of this year. There's no financial implications for CPS for this item. However,
um YCCCS's decision decision will largely be based on their assessment of Aspira Inc.'s ability to remain financially viable and to continue to serve as the community management organization of this campus. So if the
CPS board does not provide mutual consent and if the YCCCS board elects to self-close, this would put YCCS in a position where they could face significant financial obligations and barriers to continue operation of this
campus without the support of Aspir Inc. which would ultimately in uh negatively impact the resources and funding available for their other 16 campuses across the network. We acknowledge that many of the Aspira Pentoha students and families have
expressed concern and are worried about the future of their school. By providing mutual consent for a potential closure in April, we're ensuring that we will have ample time to communicate with students and with families, address their concerns, and ensure supportive
transitions if that is in fact necessary. Apirtoa currently serves 182 students. This includes several that have transferred from Aspira Early College and business and finance. Uh this includes 118 seniors which leaves
about uh 64 students that would be impacted by a potential closure. I will now open it up for questions. Any questions or comments on item number two? >> Yes, sir. Member Browns. >> Um,
thank you for the presentation. Um, that is uh this full disclosure that's for the board. That's the former Grant Memorial A&M church. And um we used to do summer programs there every year. So it's like sad that the
church closed down. Um when you say you all have had community meetings you are you mean do you mean with like institutions in the community or you talking with the parent body of the students that go there? >> So YCCSN youth will Williams youth
services has held these town these town hall meetings. So they have invited community members parents elected officials. Um I know they they've shared a couple letters of support from community members. I'm not I would have to look to see like h uh what the numbers of each group that attended, but
all of those groups were invited. >> I may I make a recommendation that you all speak with the Kenwood Oakland Community Organization that's in the heart of the Bronzeville community. >> Sorry, you said Kenwood. >> Kenwood Oakland Community Organization
just as a major stakeholder in that area. Yep. Absolutely. >> Member Lopez. >> Thank you, board president. Just to confirm, this is something that was it sounds like it was from the operator coming to the board asking for this
request. >> Um are you talking so the the Cadam relocation? So that was submitted through the application for amendment process uh which we release every year. So if there's anything like a relocation, change in name, all a lot of
other things. So we ask for um a lot of responses. There's a large application, we review it, continue to have meetings. So the Chattam relocation was um submitted through that. Um given the
recent um situation with Aspira, Inc. uh we wanted to kind of get in front of what may happen with Aspira Pentoha. Um, knowing that this is a a YCCCS board decision, um, we just want to ensure that there's ample time for
communication to students and families. >> And maybe I misunderstood some of the public comment we received earlier today sounded like there was confusion among the staff of nav not being aware, not having information. Again, maybe I'm confusing different campuses right now.
I just want to hear more about this outreach and what's the impact on the staff and also those students. Um I'm glad to hear at least there will be some fans for some of them and for the campus change. Uh but any information from the
outreach uh or anything else that you have from the community, it will be helpful. Um so you'll have to forgive me. I wasn't uh watching the board meeting for the earlier comments. I believe that may have been innovations that was here, which is a different campus. Um, they're
actually located across the street. Um, so all of the the stakeholder engagement that's taken place for Cadam, which is began months and months ago, has all been very positive. Um, like I said, there's letters of letters of support from the alderman, from local business
leaders. Um, and they've gotten a lot of positive feedback from parents. Um there hasn't been a ton of engagement around a potential Aspira Pentoha closure just because it's very up in the air. Um
yeah, I wasn't here earlier for the other comments. So if I I mean happy to answer any other questions, but I believe that was the innovations campus that was here. >> Okay, I'll cross check my notes just if I can interrupt. There was a virtual caller who originally commented on
another charter but mentioned that this was on the agenda and that staff members that there were some people unaware that this was uh potentially potentially happening. So that's what board member Lopez is referring to.
>> I'm assuming this is for Aspira. No. Yeah. Pentoha. Pentoha. Pentoha. Um I mean I would have to talk to YCCS about this again. I mean this is their board decision. Um
CPS would simply be providing mutual consent. Um so their board is working with their stakeholders working with Aspirit Inc. to understand what their financial situation looks like. Um, so we can follow up with YCCCS and make sure that there's clear communication
that goes to their staff um and that you know everyone's aware of this possibility. Thank you. Because I think that's important um one that this is something that we are being asked by the operator and also that the staff and the students
those impacted understand what this means to them. Thank you. >> Member Bannon. Yeah, I just wanted to clarify the policies and procedures when we talk about closing schools and just or the potential of closing a school.
Um, I'm trying to understand how the if there are any set procedures for this. Do did YCCCS reach out to CPS to request this um uh mutual uh closing agreement
or were did CPS initiate it based on some red flags or how does that work? >> Great question. So uh in their contract it states that in order to close a campus there must be mutual consent by their board and by our board. Um
we don't really know what the YCCCS board decision is going to be regarding Aspir Pentoha but given the recent closure and the financial um situation with Aspira Inc. uh this is just a preemptive proactive attempt to ensure
that um one they had enough time to make an informed decision to gather all the information about whether they want to continue partnership with the Spirit Inc. and continue the operations of the school while ensuring that uh we can also provide timely communication to our
students and parents because so we uh at the beginning when um everything was being discussed about the other Aspira campuses, we sent them a letter asking for a decision regarding the Pantoa campus by March so that our board can
make a decision by April. they responded to say that they needed more time um to make an informed decision. Uh we didn't want to wait till May for our board to provide that mutual consent because that's just not enough time for students and parents. Um so this is really just a
proactive way to ensure that students and parents have timely communication about the future of their school. >> Understood. Thank you. >> Member Brown. >> Yeah, I just realized that Grant Memorial is not closed. So this would be
like a collocation cuz I know they have they have their main building and then they have the activity center right next to it where there's a gymnasium. So you all will be like colllocating the space. Is that the proposal >> you're talking about for Chadam?
>> No 417 South Drexel >> building. Yes. Where it's moving to? Yes. Yeah. So it'll be like a collocation. Okay, thank you for your presentation. >> Thank you.
>> Item number three, authorize the commencement of public comment for the comprehensive non-discrimination harassment and retaliation policy. >> Good afternoon um board members. Uh I am my name is Elizabeth Mendoza Brown, chief title nine officer in the office
of student protections and title n and equal opportunity compliance office. I am here with um my colleague uh and OSP policy adviser Bonnie Wik who will present our item for consideration. Hello. Uh my name is Bonnie Wik. policy adviser in the office of student
protections. And today we are recommending that the board authorize commencement of a public comment period from April 24 to May 25 on a proposed amendment to the district's comprehensive non-discrimination, harassment, and retaliation policy.
Amending the policy will bring the district into clear compliance with the Safe Schools for All Act, which was enacted in August 2025, which codifies protections for immigrant and newcomer students and families, and requires that schools adopt a compliant policy by July
1 2026. CPS's policy already prohibits discrimination and harassment based on the actual perceived immigration status or national origin of a student and of an individual that the student is associated with, which includes parents
and family. However, after consulting with the law department and considering the needs of our current moment, we are recommending the amendment to clarify and so strengthen these protections. For example, we added citizenship alongside existing immigration status in
the list of protected categories. And we are expressly stating that no child may be denied a free public education through secondary school based on immigration or citizenship status of the child or of their parent or family. We also added examples of prohibited
conduct such as actually disclosing or threatening to disclose citizenship or immigration status. and we will link to the safety and security procedure for reviewing and authorizing requests by law enforcement to access schools and facilities. Uh I want to note that the
link is not yet live. These procedures are being reviewed for compliance with the requirements of the new law. Um and what we can share is that the starting point is the procedures um that were put in place in fall 2025. separately. Uh the proposed amendment
updates definitions of sexual harass uh sexual assault required by title 9 to align with revisions published in June 2025 by the national incident-based reporting system. So for example, fondling now comp more comprehensively addresses non-consentual sexual
touching. Because of the July 1 policy adoption deadline, OSP was granted a waiver from the standard policy revision process. Under the waiver, substantive revisions are narrowly restricted to those that are legally required and stakeholder engagement is not required.
And for both these reasons, we're not able to open the policy up to a more comprehensive review like we would do typically. Um, however, we did feel that it was really important to proactively communicate about the revision. And so to that end, we've met with the student
civil rights advisory council members, cause and dreamer club students and staff sponsors and the office of school counseling and post-secondary advising that oversees those clubs. Um, OME safety and security, the office of equity and face. The amended policy
continues to support the district's vision where every student has a rigorous, joyful, and equitable education um by ensuring access to all of our priority programming from early learning to post-secary success and by clarifying protections for immigrant
students and families at a critical time. We aim to design fair policies and systems in alignment with the CPS equity framework. Finally, while there are no direct financial implications, failing to maintain a comprehensive and updated policy could expose the district to
legal liabilities if a student or their parent or guardian is directly or effectively denied equal access. Thank you for your consideration and uh we're happy to take any questions. >> There don't appear to be any questions.
Thank you for your presentation. >> Board members, we will continue with the following equity item number four. Authorize the renaming designation of schools. Good afternoon, President Harden and members of the board. My name is Evan
Helina Kovar Rubius and I serve as the acting chief equity officer in the office of equity. The office of equity is recommending that the board approve the renaming of Marine Leadership Academy to Military Leadership Academy.
I introduce to you our subject matter expert, Rachel Parnell, program manager in the office of equity, who leads the naming and renaming process, and Dr. Laura Leone, chief of network
14, and Pedro Basa, principal of Marine Leadership Academy to answer any questions. >> Thank you, Evan. Good afternoon, board members. I am Rachel Parnell, >> equity program manager. >> In 2024, the Marine Leadership Academy
community was asked to rename the school by the United States Marine Corps. >> After their engagement in the board approved process for renaming, including hosting community stakeholder meetings, the board of governors approved the top three names for consideration. They are
number one military leadership academy, number two Ames Leadership Academy and number three Logan Square Leadership Academy. If not approved, the requested action from the US Marines will go unsatisfied and inaccurately imply that
the school's affiliation with this branch of the US armed forces. The cost of renaming will vary based on estimates of the marquee and other items such as murals and sports uniforms that have to be re rebranded to reflect the new name.
>> The effective term of the new name will be July 1st, 2026. The Marine Leadership Academy School community leveraged the CPS equity framework dimensions of of inclusive partnerships, resource equity, and liberatory thinking to choose a name
that reflects their values and commitment to the US military and all of its branches. Pursuant to the established community engagement commitment as outlined in the renaming and naming policy, four public meetings were conducted to facilitate
community input regarding potential names for the marine community. These meetings occurred on November 20th, 2024, April 1st, April 16th, and May 1st of 2025. At their June 4th, 2025 open meeting,
the board of governors approved the top three, as mentioned previously, 11 to1. This renaming is connected to the district's five-year strategic plan by emphasizing both school connectedness and communities. We thank you for your time and attention and will now welcome
any questions. >> Member Reus. Um, I was just wondering, um, when we do make a name change, are we allocating funding in that moment to make these things happen? Um, the reason I asked, I actually drive by, uh, what is now called Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Elementary School, but the Columbus Marquee is still outside of the building. So, I'm just wondering what what is the turnaround time to make those things change? >> Um, it is a multi it's a multipleyear funding system. Um so depending if the school uses TIFF funds then it happens
faster as opposed to using capital funds. Um as of right now due to budget constraints um the work with capital is a little slower. Um and so as each school has to bid and have multiple estimates for mares before we can make
an actual choice as to what's best for the school community. Member Lopez. Thank you. U somewhat similar to board member Rivas. Uh regarding the cost and I believe you said it will vary depending
ideally I would like at least an estimate because not sure if that means half a million dollar you know $30,000. I think it will at least uh give us a better idea of what it means. And two, um, this is more related to overall with
when a school wants to change their name or a school community would like to change their name. I know my understanding is that it varies depending if it's a school managed by the district, whether it's a charter school. Um, but for those that are managed by the district, what is the process in particular? I am asking
because I know the back of the arts community has had conversations regarding the SSA Travis campus of potentially renaming it by again some community members that have brought this up just so they're informed of what the process will look like if they do want to move forward.
>> Um to answer the first question, each school feel fills out a cost benefit analysis depending on the renaming depends on what needs to be changed. So um there's marquees to uniforms to the gym floor. So it depends per which school and how each school is branded.
Um we can share with you the costbenefit analysis form in which school principles and leaders fill out to know which things need to be changed, which things remain the same. The renaming process is five steps. The first step um they are initiated by the LSC. The LSC or the
board of governors must approve a renaming before it goes forward. Next, we move to community engagement with four public meetings um in which students, staff, community members can all nominate a name. We do several rounds of voting. The top three names um
go to the LSC again for approval and then we bring them to you for new schools and renamings. >> Thank you. >> Um and to the Chavez question, um they had an emergency meeting on the 23rd. their LLC voted nine to zero to move to rename and they are in the nomination
process with communities and schools and staff now. >> Member Smith. >> Yes. Um I have a few questions. one uh as the naming process uh was uh going into effect, was the board member of
that district uh notified and included and how that change would take place? That's one. And then my second question is I know it's going from Marines to military. Uh but is anything about the school changing? Uh does the school have
a JR JOTC? uh uh will the school uh be focused more on uh recruitment? You know, is anything about it because it's going to be named military? Is any priority about the school changing other than the name? And
then number one, was the uh how are board members in those districts included in the process? Thank you. >> Um I don't have information. Megan Hoger, good to see everybody. I don't have the information about the board member being included. Um, but I do
oversee Jerotc and this change was at the request of the Marines based on their protocol of using their logo in their name. Um, and so we did not want to lose the support of the Marines as the branch. Um, this is a full military
academy school and I'll I'll let the principal um add that add to this too. The Marines continue to be the branch that's supporting the full wall-to-wall military school. Um they really uh have copyrighted their logo in their name and
have specific um ways that they use it and and speak about it. >> So to answer the question, nothing will change. Programming remains the same. It's really a pathway to post-secondary success and the families are fully vested and they chose military
to keep um or to demonstrate alignment with that. Uh it really is the fabric of the school but short answer nothing will change everything will continue and Marines are still supporting. >> Thank you. Yes sir. >> Because I have a I I have a high school in my district Carver Military High
School. It's a great high school and uh I expect you all are doing similar good work. Thank you. Carver will remain because it's a person and not a branch of the military. Um the board um actually the LSC kind of drives
the renaming process. So um the board members would receive um notification of a potential renaming from their either board of governors, their LSC or their school principal. >> Thank you for your presentation. >> Thank you.
Board members, we we will continue with the following talent item number five. Amend victim's economic security and safety act VESA. Good afternoon, President Harden and board members and Dr. King.
Congratulations. Um, I'm Carla Kirkling from the Talon Office, Executive Director of Healthcare and Benefits, and we are recommending an amendment to the Victim's Economic Security and Safety Act, also known as FASA policy. This is a mandated update driven by new
state legislation and approval is required to ensure CPS remains in compliance with state law. The core change strengthens FESA protections by explicitly protecting employees from retaliation such as being
fired or denied employment when they use employerissued equipment to document incidents of domestic sexual or genderbased violence. It ensures employees retain access to these relevant recordings which supports
survivor safety and evidence preservation. Crucially, the policy remains balanced. It preserves our ability to comply with legal obligations and take action against an employee for legitimate
unrelated performance or conduct reasons. This policy update is essential for supporting the Be Well employee wellness and well-being initiative. It directly reinforces our strategic vision of connectedness and well-being. By
affirming the safety and well-being of staff who are survivors of violence. By protecting staff and addressing this undue burden, we are creating a more secure and supportive staff community. This aligns with the CPSA framework
through the dimension of fair policies and systems by addressing an undue burden on employees who are survivors of violence. The required public comment period concluded from February 27th, 2026 to March 27th, 2026 and we did not receive
any public comments. We seek your approval today to finalize this necessary statemandated mandated policy update and I will open it for questions. Thank you. Have a rest of your afternoon. >> Thank you.
This concludes the first p portion of the board reports on the public agenda. We'll now move into a short recess. Member Biggs, you have a motion. MO3. >> I move that the board take a 30-minute recess. >> Is there a second? >> I second. >> Thank you. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lozano. >> Yes.
>> Member Smith. >> I. >> Member Lopez. >> I. >> Vice President BZ. >> Yes. >> Member Bole. Yes, >> member Wallace. >> I >> member Kuster. >> I >> member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld.
>> Yes. >> Member Rivas. >> Yes. >> Member Brown. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Member Rio Sierra. >> Oh, she's not on. Member Bannon. >> I >> member Bigs. >> I. >> Member Thorakura.
>> Stop. >> Yes. >> Member Blae. I >> member Zachor. Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 17 eyes, zero nazs. This motion is adopted by the board. This meeting will
now go into a 30 minute recess. Meeting of the board of education is reconvened. Board members will now proceed with the second group of potential board reports to be considered at the April 23rd, 2026 regular meeting. After each item is presented, board members will have the opportunity to ask
their questions and make comments before proceeding to the next item on the agenda. >> Board members, we will continue with information and techn technology items number six through 8 and begin with number six and seven. The subject matter expert will present on those two items.
Six, authorize the first final renewal agreement with Sentinel Technologies, Inc. Seven, amend the first and second final renewal agreement with Sent Sentinel Technologies, Inc. for Information Technology and Security Systems Management, Monitoring, and
Maintenance Services. >> Good afternoon. I am Kyle Austin, director of network services from the Department of Information Technology Services. I'm here to ask the board to authorize the first and final renewal for our firewall licensing, maintenance, and support services with Senel
Technologies, Inc. This agreement ensures uninterrupted coverage of the district's existing next generation firewall infrastructure, including enterprise cloud-based security services and associated licensing.
These services are critical to maintaining the district's cyber security posture and ensuring secure access to educational and operational technologies platforms. Implications of this agreement is not approved, the district would face heightened cyber
security risk, including increased public sector entities. A lapse in support and licensing could result in discredited firewall performance, delayed incident response, and compromised internet access that directly affects the digital learning
online assessment and core operational systems. This agreement is to maintain a resilient and secure technology environment for all users across the district. Our equity focus is resource
equity and a secure and stable technology infrastructure is foundational to equitable access to learning and services. By maintaining and supporting our firewall system, we ensure that all schools regardless of school or neighborhood receives the same
level of protection for digital learning tools, student data, and critical operations. This investment upholds the district's commitment to digital equity, safe learning environments, and data privacy
for every student and teacher and staff member. Our visual connection is m modernizing of our technology and systems. This renewal sustains the district's modern cyber security infrastructure by ensuring continuous
firewall licensing, maintenance, and support that protects critical systems, safeguard students and staff data to enable secure reliable connectivity across all schools and administrative sites. Our key performance indicators is
99.995% of uptime. Our proposed span is not to exceed 3.1 million. Any questions? >> I don't believe we have any questions. Thank you. Next item on our list is the
authorization of amendment to extend the first and second final renewal agreement for information technology and security system management monitoring and maintenance services with Signal Technologies Inc. an increase not to
exceed. This contract provides break fix support and operational maintenance for the district's core network infrastructure, wireless infrastructure, and critical security system. uh school and data centers. Services
includes the support of 15 plus physical firewalls, 10 plus virtual firewalls, 550 plus routers, 30,000 switches, and 18 plus thou 18,000
plus access points across the district along with incident response services. This agreement also supports infrastructure in the district's colllocation and dea disaster recovery environments that is hosted that host our internet connections and phone
systems and provides 24 bytes 7 365 support for our network monitoring and security systems. Implementations of this agreement is not approved. Without this contract, the district faces serious operational and
security risks. Delays in response to network or security issues could disrupt the instruction and impact our safety of our students and staff. The lack of the monitoring and incident response services would increase exposure to cyber threats and data breaches
potentially leading to extended outages. heightened recovery costs and financial losses over the next two fiscal years. Our equity focus of course is equity is resource equity. Our focus is on our
focus is on resource equity ensuring all students have access to essential technology and safe learning environments. This contract supports critical network and security systems that enable reliable and secure learning environments across the district. By aligning resources effectively, we
promote equitable student experiences across all schools. Our vision connection is modernizing technology and systems. This amendment ensures continuous management, monitoring, and maintenance of the district's core network and security
infrastructure, enabling reliable, secure, and monitoring technology systems that support infrastructure and operational across all schools and data centers. Our key performance indicator for our core network security and safety availability with 99.9%
up uh time relatability of our security systems on-site support and data data collocations. Our proposed spend is not to exceed 5.1 million. And you can also see that our whole spin has decreased because we have
also we uh reduced our spend with our m our maintenance provider by bringing services back in house. >> Does that conclude your presentation? >> Yes. >> Reus. >> Hi. Um so both both of these items are
with the same vendor, >> correct? And um what's the difference between the two items? >> So one is just to maintain our firewalls and the second one is to maintain the core of our data centers. So our data
centers are located one's here and one is actually in Elgroveve. So that's the core infrastructure. It's outside of the maintenance of our firewalls. So there two different agreements they were um so the core lo so that the second one
actually supports our on-site support and our security camera systems as well. >> Thank you >> member Smith. >> Yes, thank you for your uh presentation. Uh my question is does any of the new
technology uh included include updated AI tools? >> So our firewalls do include AI technology um but these two are just for support and maintenance. So we're not procuring any new technologies with these two agreements.
>> Okay. And then is there uh any protections against any of the dangers that AI may present in that in those firewall tools like Yeah. >> Yes. So it does have machine learning within the firewalls but we are going
back out to RFP to procure procure new firewalls that will have advanced technology in the next generation firewalls. So the RFP is going out. Thank you, >> member Bennett. >> Um, I just I wanted to get a little more
clarity on the need to have a single source contractor on this. I know this is a renewal and not an original bid, but can you for someone who's not a IT expert, what's the reason for having uh
a no bid contract here >> for the firewall? Yeah, >> because we're going back out to RFP, so we needed to extend the support and maintenance for the firewall so we wouldn't lose support. So, we had to do a single source to contain maintenance
>> in order to have time to do the RP. >> Correct. >> Gotcha. >> Thank you for your presentation. I believe Chief, this is the first time you before us since you've been elevated. So, congratulations again. >> Thank you very much. Item number eight, uh, amend the second
final renewal agreement with RL Canning, Inc. >> Yes. Thanks again. Um, good afternoon board members, President Harden, and CEO Dr. King. My name is Ed Wagner. I'm the newly appointed CIO uh for ITS and I
have uh Myra Leon with me, the IT uh device systems and support manager who's my subject matter expert for this item. Um we are requesting to authorize the amendment to extend the second and final renewal agreement for service desk and
tech support services for one year and increase the not to exceed mount amount by $1 million. Uh tech support services includes on-site technical support at each central and network office locations and uh the CPS parent tech support hotline
which provides support to families receiving uh high-speed internet service under the Chicago connected program. The IT service desk supports um CPS staff districtwide. Authorizing this one-year extension will
result in the continuence of these services to the district with uh no increase to current pricing except for the increasing the the not to exceed price. Um the current agreement is going out for RFP and the one-year extension
will allow for a transition of services as needed based on awarding of a new contract. The equity focus of this agreement is resource equity. Through this agreement, all schools and central uh and network office staff will have the ability to
call in to the service desk for uh for help with technology requests and issues based on their individual needs. The effectiveness of the IT service desk is reflected in the customer satisfaction follow-up uh survey key performance
indicator with a uh we have a KPI target of uh above 80%. And the past two years customer satisfaction ratings have have averaged about 95%. Um if this is not passed, schools and
central offices will not have access to highquality cost-effective technology support uh resulting in extended and unresolved technology issues. Additionally, central office teams will not have the on-site support resulting in a loss of productivity.
Um you know uh additionally based on feedback that I've received in the last couple of uh uh board meetings we are planning to start discussions with um about internships and other student opportunities with our major vendor partners such as RL Canning and the the
previous items uh with Sentinel um during our quarterly business review meetings where we review KPIs and performance of those vendors. I also plan to include these discussions in our negotiations of all new major contracts.
Um, I'm happy to answer any questions you may have. >> No, I'm just personally thrilled to hear that you're taking the initiative to do so. Look forward to us doing it across the district on everything we procure. >> Absolutely. >> Thank you for your presentation.
>> Thank you. Board members, we will continue with the following nutrition support item number nine. Authorize the fourth final final renewal agreement with various vendors for food management services. Good afternoon board members, president,
vice president, and CEO Dr. King. My name is Tara de Clemente. I use she her pronouns and I am the executive director of nutrition support services. I am recommending that the board authorize the fourth and final renewal for our food service management companies
Aramark and open kitchens. This renewal is about protecting uninterrupted meal service for the approximately 270,000 meals served each day. It's a continuation of a competitively procured contract with the vendors that support different operational needs across our
schools. The vendors support menu planning, procurement, meal preparation, and operational oversight. Services ensure students can receive healthy and delicious meals daily, including breakfast, lunch, and afterchool snacks.
Reviewing. Renewing now helps us maintain compliance with CPS and USDA nutrition standards, manage market volatility in food and labor, preserve free meal access for students, and avoid service disruptions. Contracts are
required to be able to submit meal claims to Isby. Claiming meals is how the district receives reimbursement for meals served. Vendor performance is closely monitored, including compliance with USDA and ISBY regulations, as well as CPS expectations
for ongoing and continuous improvement of meals based on student, staff, and community feedback. Aramark is exceeding the MBE aspirational goals and is working with our OBED office to increase the WBE goals. Open Kitchens is 100%
WBEowned business. The equity focus for this program is supporting the whole child and ensuring every child receives what they need to develop their full academic and social potential. NSS connects to the vision of centering students through connectedness and
well-being. NSS provides healthy, highquality meals that support a joyful and equitable daily learning experience for all students. Thank you and I'll take any questions. Member Brown. >> Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Yes,
ma'am. Thank you for your presentation. I'm just wondering about um Aramark. I know that they they've um there's a lot of criticism about how they've operated in the district. How are we holding them accountable for
a lot of the complaints and the concerns of regards to how they performed? >> Yeah, thank you for the question. So we take feedback from students, staff, community members through a variety of ways. We take that through our food atcps.edu email. We take that through
our annual school food survey which we closed out in winter. And then we of course take we do our own visits and we meet with student voice committees and we hear from our own staff as well. So we take that feedback very seriously. We regularly meet with Aramark and co open
kitchens leadership on a weekly basis and then we talk to them every day about different things and we do connect on highle issues. So whether that's a specific menu item that we heard a lot of feedback. So yesterday I went to a school and the cook was said to me I'm
really going to be curious how this item will be served. And so I told her I want to hear from you today about how that went. And so we're constantly looking at that. We look at participation by day. So we can see what are the menu drivers. To no one's surprise, nachos is a huge day across the district. We know it's a
favorite. But we do try to balance that with other items so that students can be exposed to different types of food. When we think about if uh the vendor continues to what we would say miss the mark, we do have quarterly business reviews where we sit down. We have a
vendor scorecard that we've implemented as as recently as quarter two and we give them those that honest feedback through a number value and then we have that discussion and ask them how they will be responding to that and we give deadlines and uh for followup. We're
working with their chefs on menu development. Again, this is for both vendors. We hold both vendors accountable. We'll tweak menus as far as spices, flavoring, if it was overcooked, undercooked, it just isn't hitting the market, it has to come off the menu. We
do all of that. So, I know this is a fourth and final and it we don't want this to seem as though there's nothing we can do there. We have high standards. Our students have high standards and they deserve a high quality meal program. So, we will meet and give feedback as many times as possible until
our students are happy. Yes. Because when you when you talk to young people, um I met with some young people at at um particular high school and one of the first things they go in on is the food, >> right? And um I know that Aramark had
caught a lot of heat uh for just doing like prepackaged box meals in other cities. Uh so I know like they lost they lost their contract in Newark, New Jersey. And so I'm just wondering um how are they doing right now uh in regards
to Chicago public school? >> Yeah. So Aramark does our cooking schools here. So anything that is uh prepackaged would be more the way the item comes to us or and then any of our emergency meals which we have to deploy for a number of reasons. We've had fires
and power outages and the hot water's out and so when those those would be prepackaged, but most of the Aramark menus are cooked or um sort of fast scratchcooked is what we call it. So it may come partially prepared like the cheese, the the pasta
sauce may be prepared and then we're cooking the noodles and placing that on. Their participation numbers are 60% for lunch and about 35% for breakfast. It's pretty similar to open kitchens. Nationwide, breakfast is very low participation, especially high schools.
So, when you take out the high schools in that, it's not to say that we're happy with that participation, but overall, they're very receptive to feedback. Uh they we go over the school food results with them. We tell them the things we want it to do. So, students
said last year on the survey they wanted a CPS sauce. We've worked with their chefs and the open kitchen chefs and we're piloting some different sauce flavors and we're hoping to have the students engage and help us name the sauce. So, all of that to say that it
really is a continuous improvement. It's little by little that we can make these changes, but it's every piece of feedback we take seriously and we pass along and we make sure that there is a followup to that. >> Thank you. Appreciate it.
>> Me. >> Okay. Um, hi. >> How are you? >> Good. How are you? >> Good. >> Um, my question is, I guess kind of a followup to board member Brown's. Um, and thank you so much for, uh, all the things that you are doing to try to get
input and to, uh, work with Airark and Open Kitchens to make changes. Um, just to echo board member Brown, so I've met with students at almost all of my schools and I do ask them what they think we should improve about CPS and
universally they do say the food. Um, and so um, yes, we saw that data. I uh, we were shown it about um 60% of students are eating the air meals and I think it was like 53% or something like that for open kitchens. Um, so I mean
let's just do some math. That means 40% are not and 40% of our 320,000 school children are 128,000 children. So that means 128,000 children are basically
like going to their afternoon classes not so ready to learn because they didn't eat lunch. or maybe uh like my high school students, they ate hot chips and soda and also we're not ready to learn. I'll just say um so that just
doesn't seem okay to have to be in that situation. I mean, we're about learning. So to have a situation where we know we're not providing the, you know, best circumstances for them uh in the afternoon, I I just think, you know,
begs for change. So, I'm just wondering because you're doing a lot already and yet I mean I can say as someone who, you know, was in the schools until a couple years ago, um it didn't seem very visible uh these gradual changes. I'm
going to say I never heard anything from students to say, "Oh, yeah, it got a little better this year." Um so, I don't know. Oh, I'm just wondering if there's some uh different sort of mechanism we could design where there's I don't know students involved more regularly in the
process or something where um there's a a meaningful change. We we know they're not going to change everything, but some meaningful change where more students can feel like, okay, there is something here I can eat. >> Yeah, thank you for that. So one thing I forgot to mention in my last response
was just the number of tasting engagement events that we do with students not to say it's the perfect answer but it is what I have noticed is when I go and uh experience these tastings with the students a lot of the students when you tell them when you
vote on this item if you vote if enough students vote yes this will come on the item they're very surprised that we genuinely are interested in their feedback. back. So sometimes I think it's to a marketing on our side where
letting the students know that we do want to hear from them and that if we are missing the mark, we we need to know that and that we work for them. So um the tastings have really helped with that buy in. Of course it's we've had about 40 this year. So when you think of
all of our schools, it's just the manpower of having a tasting at every event or at every school, pardon me. But that's also part of what we're thinking next year with our training with our um amazing school dining staff of how to give those skills and knowledge about
doing their own little tastings when there's a new item. Some of our managers and our cooks are amazing at this. They know the students aren't going to take something based on how it looks, but they know it tastes good and the students will like it. So, they'll take it upon themselves to cut little samples, have little sample cups out,
and help those students. So, it's sort of a it it goes both ways. We have these great changes and then we have to continue to circle back with the students and say, "Hey, and we made these changes because of your feedback, not just make the changes and hope it's noticed." I think that's a good point to
take back. >> Yeah. Just I think marketing is a big deal. So, uh, when I talk to students, I I often hear, um, you know, well, I I ate this and, uh, the meat wasn't all the way cooked or it was cold. And then that student like says, okay, I'm not
getting the food anymore because this. So, I think this idea that you have to um, really get across, hey, we made a change and it was thanks to your feedback like that has to be that marketing thing is a big piece. I I'll just say that. >> Yes. Thank you.
Uh, member Smith, >> thank you. Thank you for your presentation. Uh, I want to know how many viable vendors would uh similar quality food at a similar price uh besides Aramark make bids for this uh
for the contract to feed our students? >> That's a good question. We um since we are in the final renewal, we will have to do a new RFP for the next set of um years. So at this time, ISBY does have a
published list which I believe has about 30 different vendors. It's not to say that from I haven't done my due diligence to know if they all could serve our district, but we will of course be marketing the RFP um to at
least those vendors as as well. Um, in the past it's not a and Patty if you want. In the past it's not a you go ahead. Good afternoon board members. Uh, Patricia Arnandez, chief procurement officer. Board member Smith. Last time
we went out to market we received only three proposals. It was um, Airmark Open Kitchens and the other organization was uh S >> Southwest S. They had some acronym SFF. They were out of Texas. But if I recall
the pricing, they were about $20 million more than Airmark just to do elementary and high schools. >> Okay. And uh my next question is, uh are school leaders uh principles, LSC's,
even students surveyed before the district chooses a vendor? So, do we take those testings and create data that says whether or not the students uh really believe that it's the quality
that they need. >> From a procurement perspective, we do not survey students or leaders, right? We draft the scope based on the requirements, what we need, the service that we need to um feed our students and then the vendors will submit proposals.
We have a committee that reviews the proposals. Um I think part of the evaluation process last time we did have taste testings where the evaluation committee went and tasted some of the food that the three vendors proposed uh before they finalized their selection.
>> So the district ultimately chooses uh there's not really a lot of student voice, principal voice, school voice. It's it's mostly the district choosing. Is that correct? >> Well, the committee can be comprised of principles. Um, I think I mentioned before sometimes we have principles as
advisors on our evaluation committees just because of the level of effort and time commitment to review all the proposals. I don't think historically we've used students as evaluators. Um, >> yeah, they they got to eat it. So, >> yeah. But from a procurement perspective yeah.
>> All right. And then uh last thing, you know, uh half of the schools, at least in my district, uh have cooked lunches, the other half have warm lunches. So when uh lunches that are warmed up and not cooked and I know that when you have
a chef, they do little stuff, you know, like at Galistol or Setlowski, they put a little extra spice in there so the students like, you know, like it a little more, but when it's warmed up, they don't have that opportunity. So, I guess my question is when you all are doing tastings, can you compare at least
uh get some data on what students feel about their warmed lunches versus those who have a chef that have the same lunches but cooked with a little more love in it? >> Yeah. So, uh thank you for your question. We have the vendors assigned
based on the kitchen infrastructure and equipment at the school. So the schools that don't have the equipment for full cooking, those schools are are open kitchen sites. And open kitchens is really their expertise is in food
prepared offsite and brought on. What's great about open kitchens is um if you've been with the district a long time, their food is fresh and delivered as close to service as possible and not frozen. So, it's not to say that the warming sometimes there is a warming
issue, but at least it's not in the in the past when we've had the food come frozen. Sometimes students would have that experience of frozen in the middle, hot on top. So, their food does come in fresh and it's truly selected based on the equipment at the school. We hold the
standards of our menu and our meal program the same regardless of the kitchen infrastructure. So, our standards are just as high for students meals where they are warmed or prepared off-site just as if they are prepared on site. I understand what you're saying
and we definitely hear students do love to see the person cooking in the back and they know that's our cook and and we understand that. So, we do try to just encourage and educate students on that this food is also cooked with love just maybe not in this kitchen and but it's
served with love, right? So, um, some other things we're looking into for next year, a little bit about sustainability, um, but just as much about flavoring is having more of those spice or flavor, um, stations, some of the bulk
condiments instead of all of the little ketchups and mustards, so students could flavor it a little bit more. We do have to adhere to a lot of USDA nutrition guidelines, which are very restrictive on fat, sodium, and sugar. Of course, those are to be determined with the
changes in the um upcoming dietary guidelines, but we do try to offer that little extra flavoring for the students where we can within nutrition uh within um the guidelines, but how the food is prepared, it truly does come down to that kitchen.
>> Thank you, >> member Lopez. >> Thank you, board president. Following up in a previous question and comment regarding when you receive feedback or complaints and you send those over to the vendor, what's the process of
following up in any changes? Is there any consequences especially if there's complaints? I know um I've heard and also seen in the media there sometimes spoil food that students receive or you know and also as most recently I believe in December there was a boycott for
several schools regarding the lunch. Yes. So when we get that email first we will send it to the vendor as well as our CPS operations specialist team. So that level we have within the vendors there's that middle management or the
operational oversight and that's the food ordering checking inventory looking for product that should be removed before it gets served. Um but then our operations specialists are really there around vendor accountability. So sometimes you can send it to the vendor
and they they will address it and that seems good but then it resurfaces. So our operations specialists are really who go out talk to our staff look through the inventory talk with the vendor staff figure out what happened. Unfortunately just how in our homes
sometimes we buy food and it's already was bad. That happens. You know I just bought strawberries and there was one big moldy one in the middle. Food does spoil. It's not an excuse, but it just does unfortunately happen. Our dining team we hope catches that and
sometimes they don't. So that's where we then have the vendor come out if there's a little more training to do following up or if it was the product came in this way, nobody noticed uh figuring all of that out. So we have our operations specialists go out as well as have the vendor have their chance to do a
debrief. If it's a big event, we'll have a meeting about it. um or if it's something they can handle, they'll send that email in writing in a recap and then we'll do our own due diligence of following up with either the principal or the students. Uh sometimes when there
is a boycott or we hear a bigger thing from students, we will offer to meet with the student voice committee. So, we'll do great meetings. The students are so amazing. We just had a great meeting at Solario all about some sustainability efforts we could be doing, um which we're really excited
about. So it could be depending on how much more the school wants to be engaged about the incident. We can go as far as the meet a meeting with parents meeting with students or it could be handled via email via meetings. >> Thank you. I'm glad to hear about it.
Solorio school. Um my last question if you could just walk us through the process of engagement of our staff that you know they also they're in receive the the food and they need to um hand it over to the students. any do we collect any feedback from them? You know, in
particular if there's any recommendations uh from regarding how the vendor transports the food. >> Yeah, good question. So, I'm excited to share that this year a change we made in our school food survey was that we made a we had a drop down for our own staff.
So this year will be the first year we can they were always encouraged to take the train to take the survey but now we can pull that group out and see specifically what our staff is saying about the meals. But again we take that in-person feedback operations
specialists. They have a large group of schools there over about 70 but they are out and about all day. They're calling they're getting calls from their schools. So they're also helped to pull that feedback from our staff up to us here at our menu team and culinary team
at central office. I can't stress enough how much we're always talking. So it really is rare that an event happens we haven't already heard about. Um but that's really how we hear back from our staff. And then we're again thinking through next year's engagement of
training and opportunities um to get that feedback. And then one final point I'll make is we do have a food focus committee. We meet quarterly. We have one per vendor just so that we could really focus on those specific menus. And right now that is our mostly made up
of our dining managers, but we'll be expanding that next year to include all all of our dining staff titles. And they give us really um onetoone feedback. So we'll go over all new menu items. They'll tell us exactly how it went over, yes or no, what they thought it
could be better the next time, if they would serve this again. And we take that feedback and the vendors take that feedback and we'll tweak recipes or even we may just run down a product and then once it's out of inventory, we won't order that again. >> Thank you. >> Yeah,
>> member Bennett. >> Um, thanks for coming out today. Um, I enjoyed your presentation in the 5x5 briefings. A lot of detail. Thank you for the KPIs. There were some vendors, I can't remember which one it was, either open kitchens or um airark, they have
been short on, I want to say their tastings or they're offering their special um special items. Um is there any uh economic uh penalty in the contract for if they miss those kinds of
um obligations in the contract? >> That's a good question. And I would have to I would have to check that. I will say typically in a QBR, a quarterly business review, if we note we're behind, so um in the last one, one of the vendors is
coming up a bit short on commodities, we ask them for a remediation plan within two weeks of having that meeting. And then in that next QBR, we can catch if they're back, if they've caught up. Of course, we again meet regularly throughout. Um, so we can check I could
check specifically on the financials, but I the vendors are very responsive to catching up when they are behind because again there's a lot of eyes on these contracts and a lot of accountability to our students to do these events so that
we can have a the best program we can have and we can get more customers and more students wanting to eat with us and telling their friends to come eat with us. So, it really benefits them to do the events just as much as it's important to meet the KPIs. >> And that kind of leads to my next
question. Um, is there an economic incentive for these vendors to serve more meals? Do they get paid more the more meals they serve? So there's an economic incentive for us as the district to serve more meals because that means we will get greater reimbursement and then we have more
money to well we can a be a little bit more self- sustainable and not dip into the local funds for support for our initiatives but we can then invest it back in the meal program. So if we were to have amazing revenue and then the vendors wanted to upgrade certain
products that we could afford based on having more revenue that would incentivize all of us but I'm you know it is they are a business so at the end of the day their margins are extremely small and um but they're of course
business. So yes, it it it behooves all of us to have more students eating um for us because it's important that students are ready for the day and they can be successful um but also to bring in that revenue and be able to reinvest in our meal program and do more for our
students. >> Um last question then a comment um to follow up on Warmer Zakur's comment. Do we have data on that 40% of students who don't get the lunches like why they're not getting lunches? Do they bring their own lunch? Do they go without eating?
>> We do ask that in our surveys. So, we can pull that out and send it as a followup of if you eat with us, yes or no. And then sort of why. I will say breakfast is just sometimes a hard one because school's early and you're running in and we're trying to do as
many innovative uh service models for breakfast as possible, but breakfast is definitely our opportunity area, I would say. Um, but we can get you that for those who aren't eating and what they're >> noting. Yeah, a lot of times it is just, >> you know, they love that meal packed
from mom. >> Yeah. No, that's great. Kids are getting a good meal from home. That's fine, too. As long as they're long as they're, you know, uh getting good nutrition. Um and I guess >> we should do some sort of testing here at a board meeting. Bring some >> We should students are eating for our
next meeting. What do you think everybody >> surprised there is going to be a tasting? Yeah. at the >> I got these. >> There will be a tasting the uh morning of the board meeting. >> All right. Excellent. >> Yeah. >> Thank you for your time. >> Of course,
>> member Paul. >> Yeah, I'll make this brief. I uh having been a high school teacher and having been the mother of CPS students, uh I know that not everybody loves their breakfast because they don't want to get up early and get there in high school. And not everybody loves their lunch. In
open campus schools, we know they want to go out and have that little bit of freedom. And in closed campus schools, a lot of them are eating uh flaming hots and uh you know, drinking whatever Gatorade or whatever they brought with them. And that's just a fact. Now, how
can we attract more of them to our food? I think one thing that would be really cool would be over the summer or just at the beginning of the year or even at the end of this year sending out an email to students soliciting their feedback and ideas with a Google form, maybe asking
them for priorities on what their favorite things they'd like to see introduced are. And also maybe doing a few, you know, things at the orientation sessions at the beginning of some of the high schools where we could do a tasting
session at orientation for kids and, you know, rev up their excitement tying it in with, oh wow, I'm going to be in high school now kind of thing. So those are just a couple ideas. >> Thank you. Yeah, I love that idea. Like the freshman connection, it's a good
idea. Member Boyce. >> Hi. Thank you so much for all you do. Um, I'll tell you, member Bannon, what my kids do that well, the older one just won't eat. She just comes home hungry.
Um, and that's I don't I think maybe she had a bad meal some at some point down the line and it's just decided that that's not that food's not for her. Fortunately, her high school has off campus, so now she can wander off and go get something to eat when she um really
needs to. Um but my question is about um I I know the local Unite One um members have come and talk to us about um their pay doesn't even allow and you
know a in some cases results in people not having enough food to feed their families and so forth. So I'm just curious just to clarify um and to keep this this issue at the forefront of our
members um minds. Um so error mark the the food companies they just supply the products and then CPS supplies the staff and then we have to put it
we work together to to put out a meal multiple times a day. Right. >> Yes. Um and and so the contracts, their salary and so forth is negotiated through our team. >> Correct. >> Correct. And then if if I know there
were some cuts to that staff as well. So occasionally, from what I understand, the vendor will have to switch menus to make the to provide food that maybe needs less preparation, maybe. So, so
kids might go from a cooked meal to like a warmed up meal. Does that sound right? >> Yeah. So, we have what we call an express menu and then as well as an emergency menu. And so, the express menu is a condensed menu based on if if
you're a fourperson school and only two people or one person are there and they can put together a a smaller menu, still have something hot. We're always prioritizing hot meals. And then there's the emergency menu, which is maybe
nobody came today or one person and you have far too many students. So with the emergency meals, we were starting with just cold, but to your point, due to the closure of the 256 vacancies as part of last year's budget, we do have schools
that are in tight spots with staffing. And we did not want students to continue to get these cold emergency meals or just to be only on this express. So we did expand some of our emergency options are hot as well. It's still very
truncated and it is something that we the vendors really have stepped in as well as my operations team to go and cook food in place of our dining staff. And whether that means it's a vacancy, a leave, an absence,
we have the vendors have really stepped in and been cooking food, serving food, cleaning pots and pans and filling in for those district vacancies. and that's been a great help to make sure that those emergency meals are as few as possible. We try everything we
can to not have emergency meals. We even will have some schools cook and we'll bring that food over to another school. So, the vacancies have been difficult. There's um no other way to say that to just try to rework our staffing model,
our structure. And then on top of that, we do have this open negotiation with Unite here local one. We take their they had a report that you you mentioned. You know, we take all of that very seriously and we have been meeting with them regularly. And we also very much want a
fair contract where their pay can match the hard work that they're doing, the dedication. This is some of the longest serving team members in the district, longer than our teachers and principles. We have 40-year employees in our kitchen. So, we are working diligently
to come to that agreement. >> That's great. Thank you. And um I was able to meet with um one of the vendors and they seemed really conscientious. they worried about the staffing issue but not complaining and it seemed like
so I'm not surprised for you to say that they were jumping in and trying to be helpful but long-term we might have to reconsider what our options are because again I think everybody agrees that a cooked meal is the best case scenario.
Um um member Zacher to my to my left here suggests maybe like a condiment area where spices >> cuz maybe you know different children like different spice levels um or a
sandwich table so that everybody can just get something out of the deal. Um, but obviously budget is is always a concern, but I I will say for me, um, making sure our kids and and and a number of the board members here, making sure our kids have a healthy meal a
couple times a day is critical. And and as you know, some of for some kids, that's this is this is what they get for the day. >> Yeah. So, um, hopefully we can circle back and I love that you're putting together, you're working with what we've given you, but just know that we're
thinking beyond this this day. >> Yeah. Thank you. >> Thank you. Yes. It's very important to me personally and professionally as well that our students have a meal that they want to eat that they can rely on.
>> Vice President Val, >> thank you so much. Uh I don't I'm not sure if I'm going to get used to the to that VP name, but uh here we are. Uh I have a fourth grader in CPS and some days he loves the food. Some other days
he comes home hungry and the first thing he says to me when he gets to the car, I'm hungry. Um and so but I want to say in terms of reimbursement, I just want to go back to that question. uh how much do CPL loses a year uh from federal
reimbursement because our children are not eating at school. Do we have like a potential number of what that would look like? >> We can run those numbers. It's not necessarily that we are losing money. I will say the reimbursement rates are very low. So when you think of losing money, it's our
our meal costs exceed the reimbursement rate. And so having more students eat just helps with that revenue stream. But we don't necessarily lose income if a student chooses not to eat. We lose an opportunity for income if that makes sense. Um so we can certainly run that.
Uh I also have a fourth grader in CPS and he hit him and his friends hit me hard with that feedback. So uh I get that daily. Um, so I understand and definitely I I usually chat our dietitionian team and I'll be I'll say
this was a hit. This was not a hit. >> Thank you so much. And the second question I have is uh do we have benchmarks on or goals on how many CPS students like percentage wise we want eating for breakfast or lunch? >> All of them. Yeah. I mean, I do think I
know that sounds pie in the sky, but I would love that all students wanted to eat with us, whether that was every day or even once a week. I think of the parents who are spending their, you know, valuable, precious income to pack meals. And when we have all these great
options available, hot meals in the middle of the day, you can't, you know, the meal can't stay hot from the morning to then. So I think also of part of that marketing conversation is talking to parents about let me save you, you know, 7 to 10 minutes in the morning. We've
got breakfast covered. Like drop them off. You can even sometimes drop off early. Maybe get to work on time if you could drop early and they'll have breakfast. So I think it's truly that continuous continuous marketing effort. And I think about we have these great
campaigns in the district. Been with the district over 13 years. We have great campaigns and then we we are still here so we remember that but I we have to remember we have new parents and new students joining us all the time and so we have to just keep repeating we'll still find families that don't know the
meals are free to them and so I think it's just that constant the information issue persists across many things in the district but um just making sure that all students know that it's available all parents know and and that would truly be my dream that every student ate
with us every day. Yeah, thank you. I appreciate it. >> Wow. So, there's clearly a theme here, right? >> Yes. Anything else? Food is important. I And I understand that. >> Yeah. And and I think the good news is you've demonstrated exhaustive effort
and trying to remediate and find different ways of increasing that that uh customer service rate. 60% is pretty low. So, I look forward to working with you to figure out ways maybe um some
engagement with the board on ideas may be a way of of working to get that percentage up. Thank you so much for what you do. It's no small task. Thank you. >> Thank you, >> board members. We will continue with the following capital item number 10. Amend
the renewal of a lease agreement with the Catholic Bishop of Chicago for the continued use of various leased school sites. Thank you. Good afternoon, board president Harden, members of the board, and CEO, Dr. King. The matter before you is an amendment to the board report
authorizing an amendment to the master lease agreement with the Catholic Bishop of Chicago. This matter was presented in February of this year, but we are bringing it back to the board to correct an a mistake in the exhibit to the board report. The amendment to the board
report is needed to correct the location of one of one of the school sites that are listed on exhibit A to the board report. Pause was mistakenly included in place of Tamayo and this change corrects that error. The slides that were presented in February were accurate with
regard to the list list of school sites that were being added to the lease. However, the board report contained the mistaken location. That concludes my presentation and I'll be happy to answer any questions. >> Thank you very much.
>> Thank you. >> Board members, we will continue with the following facilities items numbers 11 and 12. We'll begin with num item number 11. Authorize the pre-qualification status of and new agreements with various vendors to provide services for
the green schools solar program. >> Good afternoon board members of Vice President VZ, President Harden, and CEO Dr. King. >> My name is Caleb Rberg. I'm the director of facilities management operations. We are recommending the board to authorize a new agreement for a pre-qualified pool
of vendors to provide turnkey project services for the installation, operations, and maintenance of on-site rooftop and ground mounted solar and electric battery storage systems. This agreement would be for 3 years starting May 1st,
2026 through April 30th, 2029. The not to exceed is $20 million for the term and it would be funded through future capital improvement plan funding. The pool consists of 10 vendors, three of which are minority business enterprise. These vendors were selected through a
public RFQ procurement process that focus on qualifications and experience of executing the specialized nature of solar project projects that includes not just the purchasing, installation and operations and maintenance of the system, but also the utility interconnection process and
participation in state incentive programs and federal tax programs. This is tied to the district's 5-year strategic plan for 21st century learning environments and the resource equity lens. If this is not approved, the district's efforts to expand renewable
energy adoption will be uh hindered by less efficient methods of procurement and project execution leading to higher costs such as going through the jock pool. I'll answer any questions you have regarding this item. >> Member Rosel.
>> Yeah. Hi, thank you and I'm really happy to see green initiatives happening. It's really important to our district. Um I have a couple questions. The first one is how's the pilot program going with the four schools that we're currently doing solar with?
>> Hi board members. Uh my name is David Singler. program manager for energy and sustainability in the capital planning department. Could you repeat the question? >> So, I I understand that we have four four schools that are in like a pilot solar program. How's it going? >> Well, we're on track. >> We're on track.
>> Um, absolutely. Um, we're about 60% done with the pre-planning and design engineering development. >> Okay. >> Uh, we're preparing to um do enough work to meet some uh deadlines for the tax credits that are coming up. um and all
in an effort to get these installed um in the right time frame. >> Perfect. I'm so happy to hear that and I'm glad you bring up the tax credit because that's my next question. So, you know, this whole commercial solar projects, they have to begin by I
believe 4th of July, right? And be um operational by 12:31 of 27. Is that correct? >> Yes. There's a lot a lot to it. So starting >> to >> starting doesn't mean construction on the ground, >> right? >> Um and then depending on different time
frames and safe harboring >> um it can even extend to the end of 2029 to get the project started. >> Nice. But obviously we want to comply with that. We want to get the, you know, 5% of the materials or whatever it is we
need to do in place by Fourth of July. So, I say this to ask why approve 10 more vendors if if what we're doing is going well, they know what they're doing. They're ramping up. They're hitting their deadlines. It seems like it will slow the process. You know, it
will risk losing millions in federal tax funds, you know, from Biden's solar tax program. Um, if they've got the speed, they've got the accuracy, they're doing it, it's going well, why add to the pool? Why not just keep going with these? because we know they know what
they're doing and obviously like you said there's a lot to having everything in place by Fourth of July. >> So board member uh my name is Vinnie D. I'm the executive director for capital planning and construction. And the reason why we we have the pool is for
future projects. So this is not for the four projects that we are currently doing. This is so that we can have a a a a pool of vendors that we can go to to bid out future solar projects. So, this will not hinder the current projects in
any way. But but as a district, you know, we like to have a vendor pool so that we can have competitive bidding uh for our projects and that is why we we went forward with selecting a solar vendor pool. But how many more projects can we get up and running before this
Fourth of July deadline where the big beautiful bill takes it all away? >> Well, we we won't get any more up and running. That >> this is it. This is all we're going to get for these >> for the ones that for July 4th for those incentives. Yes. But you know the
future, you know, hopefully we can get some state incentives or we never know what the future may hold with regards to the federal state incentives. So, we'll be ready to go forward to to to to get those incentives if they come about. Otherwise, we'll be looking for other
opportunities to do solar projects throughout the district, >> but we know that the two that we currently have do not have the capacity to get anything else going before the 4th of July. Is that correct, >> the capacity to get them going? >> I mean, I would want to add schools to the extent that we can to save these
millions of dollars in federal tax credits. Well, I don't think that we have the capacity for the designing of it as well as we don't have the funding for it uh for on on our side for those. >> So, if you recall, we did the board
approved the resolution for up to 12 projects. So, part of the pilot was to reconcile these four >> that covers part of the 12, but we need this pool to do the remainder. there's a lot of investment upfront that you need to make for these projects. Uh and then
it's a it's a reimbursement piece. We don't have the funding enough funding to start those other projects and enough vendors to be act to those projects. So this is this is an expansion of that and to meet the requirements as much as we can of the resolution. And how do we
know that the I mean I assume you guys went through some kind of bidding to understand that these guys are can do what as well as what's currently being done. >> Yes. >> Can you share that with us what that looked like? >> Thanks. >> What the RFQ process looked like?
>> Yeah. >> Yes, we can share the RFQ with you if you'd like to to see that. I'll let Patty. >> Good afternoon, board member. You should have the recommendation memo in your supporting documents. Okay. We we provide that for every solicitation new ones and for renewals we also give you a
copy of what was originally approved. >> Okay. >> So you should have that in your documents. >> Thanks >> member Thor. >> Thank you. First off, I want to thank Chief Mayfield and the entire team that has been working on implementing the healthy green schools resolution. I
recall in our first conversation that we had with operations um with the co-sponsors of the resolution and myself and the team um we talked about the direction that we wanted to go in of having these pilot projects where we don't only expand access to solar and um
geothermal heat pumps but we also have students involved with building the solar panels um at those schools. So that is great to see the progress that you all have made and appreciate the updates and the memos that board members are receiving about implementation for the healthy green schools resolution.
Also in that conversation, this was about a year ago now. Um it was stated well you'll be really excited to hear board members that we're also working on this solar RFP. So, I know this has been many, many months, if not more than a year in the making because um even though the healthy green schools pilot
program was for up to 12 projects and um funding and just based on what was the best fit, we were not able to do all 12 with the money that we currently had budgeted. But this will allow for us to scale so that we're not looking at just a dozen or a few dozen schools. You
could potentially open it up for schools districtwide. So, appreciate all the thought and focus that you put into um this RFP. Um two questions. One is about potential opportunities for students to be involved with um the installation of
these panels. Is that a component of the RFPs? Um, and the other is that we had a discussion about whether these solar panels would be owned by the district um or if they would be owned by these external operators because that would
affect whether or not we receive any federal incentives um or if the the other folks like the the vendors would receive the federal incentives. Um or it's totally possible the RFP leaves that open. So, I wanted to hear about both of those things, the job training
piece and then who owns the panels. >> Oh, great question. Thank you, uh, board member Thakura. Um, so with regards to the student participation in the, uh, projects, uh, we visited all of the schools as a part of the capital
internship program uh to, um, present our capital internship to those schools specifically, whether they had CTU programs or not. if they were getting a solar uh system. We visited those schools to to uh solicit students uh to
become a part of the uh the program and we have made offers to students at all of the schools uh who where we are having solar the four solar uh units installed. Uh so I believe I know of
three that have accepted. So but we are waiting um their um on you know their acceptance and onboarding. So we we fully anticipate having students participation at all four schools. Uh with regards to the the second question
they will be owned by uh CPS so that we get the tax incentive. >> Thank you. Can I ask sorry could I ask a followup? >> Thank you. I'm wondering if for this RFP that we are being presented with today if that also has provisions for job
training for students. So the the job training is a part of the capital program. So that is how that would come about. uh any project that is over a million dollars has a component of it with our general contractors uh
with any of our in any of our pools for to to have um uh participation in our internship program. So this year we are hoping to have total about a 100 interns uh working on capital projects throughout the
district. Member Brown. >> Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you all for the presentation. Um, so a couple of questions. One, are making the buildings leadcertified part of this process?
>> No, I think no. >> No, but we can look into that. But I believe we become leadcertified when we're building the buildings. All of the ones that we currently have that are lead certified have been done so from design >> ground up. Yeah. >> From ground up.
>> But you can actually re you can you can make a building leadcertified that currently exists too. >> I I will definitely I'm not sure we can look into that. Yes. >> Yeah. Yeah. I'm asking that because I know just in our long-term plan um
they're they're supposed to be much more costefficient when buildings are leadcertified in regards to, you know, traditional uh energy. And my other question is um in regards to young people, uh I know
the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers has a partnership with Simeon High School for green technology uh trades. Is there any discussion with them about uh to what board member Kotakura said like young people being
involved in the process? We we also visited Simeon ele Simeon High School and we have made offers to students at Simeon as well. >> Okay. Thank you. Appreciate it. Thank you very much.
>> Item number 12 amends the first and second final renewal agreement with various vendors for the purchase of maintenance, repair, and operation supplies and personal protective equipment. We are recommending that the board authorize an amendment to the
maintenance, repair, and operations, commonly referred to as MRO, supplies contract. This amendment would add Granger to the existing pool of five vendors. Adding another vendor to the pool offers more competitive pricing between vendors, allowing CPS to get the lowest price and reinvest the cost
avoidance into additional repair and maintenance projects. This supports the district resource equity lens. This contract is tied to 21st century learning environments. We utilize these contracts to purchase supplies and parts for engineers to complete the repairs inhouse. Granger did have a contract
with the board previously. Towards the end of that contract, they were meeting their maybe we requirements the aspirational goals um working with the office of business enterprise development and environmental social governance and Granger. We are confident
Granger is going to continue their drive in this contract to continue to reach those aspirational goals with MBE and WBE firms. This amendment does not modify the not to exceed authority at all. The contract effective date would be May 1st, 2026 and would continue
through the end of the original term of December 31st, 2021 or 2029. My apologies. If this is not approved, we will continue to operate with the existing pool. However, we won't have as many options for competitive pricing. Um, and I can take any questions that
you have regarding this item. >> There being none, thank you. >> Thank you everyone. >> The following slides list the standard monthly reports and motions that are listed in the agenda view committee meeting agenda and posted online. We'll now move into executive session. Board
member Brown, do you have motion MO4? Yes sir. I move for the passage of motion number 226-0408-4 and the commitment commencement of a closed session to consider matters permitted under section 2C of the open open meetings act subsection man I'm
having hard subsections 1 2 and 11 as specified in the motion. >> Is there a second? I second the motion. >> Thank you. I'll proceed with a roll call. Member Lozano. >> Yes. >> Member Smith. >> I.
>> Member Lopez. >> Member Bole. >> Yes. >> Member Wallace. >> I. >> Member Kuster. >> I. >> Member Pope. >> Yes. >> Member Rosenfeld. >> Yes. >> Member Rivas.
>> Yes. >> Member Brown. Yes, ma'am. >> Member Bannon. >> Hi. >> Vice President Vez. >> Yes. >> Member Biggs. >> Yes. >> Member Thorakura. >> Yes.
>> Member Blae. >> I >> member Zachor. >> Yes. >> Member Deberry. >> I. >> 16 eyes, zero nays. This motion is adopted by the board. The agenda review committee of the board
of education is reconvened. Board secretary, please proceed. >> President Harden, I would like to note for the record that there are no items to vote on from executive session. >> Thank you. Is there a motion to adjurnn? >> Is there a second? >> Second. >> All in favor? We are jer.