Good evening, everyone. On behalf of the Community Unit School District three hundred Board of Education, we'd like to thank you for being in attendance both virtually and in person for tonight's board meeting. At this time, we would like to reconvene the meeting of the Community Unit School District three hundred Board of Education for Tuesday, 11/18/2025. Ma'am secretary, please take the role. Okay. Present. Tarantino? Present. Linmark? Present. Vikendi, present. Amelia? Present. Settler? Present. You have six board members present. Great. Doctor Smith?
At this time, I'd like to invite principal doctor Megan Buchanan from Eastview Elementary School and her students to lead us in the pledge of allegiance. Parents, please come forward and take pictures or videos or whatever you'd like. Okay. Good evening, doctor Smith, president Burkett, and members of the board of education. My name is Doctor. Megan Buchanan, and I'm the proud principal of Eastview Elementary School. We are so excited to lead this evening's Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you to the Board of Education and Doctor. Smith for having us here with you tonight. It's truly a privilege to stand before you and recognize the remarkable ECU students who
exemplify excellence in every facet of their lives. At Eastview, we work hard to ensure students live by the three e's. Eastview students choose to respect education, respect the environment, and respect everyone. The students before you were selected by their teachers to be a Sosa, a student on special assignment. These students demonstrate leadership at Eastview and contribute to the MTSS team's important decisions. They give their fellow students a voice. I'd like you I'd like to introduce you to our students standing before you tonight.
Beginning in first grade, and go ahead and wave, we have Harper Nowak. In second grade, we have Gavin Fose. Third grade, Henry Bernacki. Fourth grade, Gannon Hackle. And two lovely fifth grade ladies, Sloan Daley and Hannah Cass. At this time, I ask all audience members to stand, and I ask my students to turn and face the flag to lead us in tonight's pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America, and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you for having us tonight. Parents, thank you for bringing your kids here tonight. You can leave now if you like or stay for the meeting. We have a lot of recognitions, so there might be some faces that you know. Item five, approval of the agenda. There have been no changes to the agenda. Is there a motion to approve the agenda? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Madam secretary, please take the role. Tarantino? Aye. Zettler? Aye. Amelia? Aye. McKinney, aye. Linmark? Aye. Burkett?
Aye. Motion passes six zero. K. Up next, we have recognition, doctor Smith. Okay. For tonight's staff recognition, we will be celebrating staff with thirty or more years of service. This is super exciting. Hoping, fingers crossed, thirty years. Wow. At this time, I'd like to invite our assistant superintendents, Jorge Almodovar, doctor Jeff Herb, Kristen Sainsbury, doctor Nikki Burkey, Kelly Manafi, and Hiberto Mora to the podium. They will lead us in tonight's recognition, and they're gonna do each do a few and say a special word about our
thirty or more year staff. Thank you, doctor Smith. We will begin our first recognition tonight with Deb LaRue. Deb, if you can please proceed to the front of the room. Congratulations to Deb LaRue, who currently serve as a Literacy Interventionist at Perry Elementary School. Deb is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. Perry Elementary Principal Katie Keefers have shared the following about that. As Perry's literacy interventionist, Deb is truly is a true literacy powerhouse respected by colleagues,
admired by students, and deeply valued by our entire community. Her creativity and relentless commitment ensure that every child builds strong foundational literacy skills. Staff look to her for inspiration and ideas as she continues to raise the bar for what excellent teaching looks at Perry Elementary. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating DEV's thirty years of service to D300. Now, I would like to invite Lisa Feldman to the front.
Congratulations to Lisa Feldman, who currently serves as Instructional Coach at Meadowdale Elementary School. Lisa is celebrating thirty five years in District three hundred. Meadowdale Elementary School principal, Jackie Vercota, has shared the following about Lisa. Lisa has been an incredible support to our entire school community. She played a vital role in helping transition new personnel into their new positions, always offering guidance, encouragement and a calm presence. She give 100 of herself every day to do what is best for students and
never hesitates to help anyone in need. Her dedication, positivity and heart for our school will be deeply missed next year. But we hope that she takes time to relax and enjoy every moment with her grandkids. She has certainly earned it. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Lisa's thirty five years of service to District three hundred. At this time, I will invite Assistant Superintendent Doctor. Jeffrey Herb to the podium to continue our recognition. Thank you, Mr. Almodovar. I'd like to invite Carrie Blouse to the front of the
room. Let you walk up in total silence, isn't that fun? No problem. Congratulations to Carrie Blouse, who currently serves as a second grade teacher at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. Carrie is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. Sleepy Hollow Elementary School principal Carrie Littlehale has shared the following about Carrie. Students at our school know that when they have Carrie Blouse as their teacher, they're in for something special. She means business and that business is learning more than they ever thought possible, all while being accepted and loved for who they are.
Beyond her incredible impact in the classroom, Carrie also guides her second grade PLC and serves as a dedicated lead representative. Congratulations, Carrie, on an extraordinary thirty years of inspiring excellence, fostering deep learning and positively influencing both students and colleagues. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Carrie's thirty years of service to District three hundred. At this time, I'd like to invite Franchesca Herrera to the front of the room. Congratulations to Franchesca Herrera, who currently serves as a third grade teacher at Hampshire Elementary School.
Franchesca is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. Hampshire Elementary School principal Jennifer Nolan has shared the following about Francesca. Francesca has positively impacted student learning at HES for the last three years. Her deep care for all students shines through in the ways she interacts with them, nurturing confidence and working to help students reach their potential as learners. Her positive attitude and genuine love of learning make her a role model for colleagues. HES is grateful for the impact she continues to make on our students,
families, and staff. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Franchesca's thirty years of service to District three hundred. I'd like to invite Rebecca Meyer to the front of the room. Congratulations to Rebecca Meyer, who currently serves as a physical education teacher at Sleepy Hollow Elementary School. Rebecca is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. Sleepy Hollow Elementary School principal, Carrie Littlehale, has shared the following about Rebecca. Affectionately known as Coach Meyer by students, staff and families at Sleepy Hollow, Rebecca has spent her career inspiring a lifelong commitment to health and fitness in every
student she teaches. Her passion shines through in her engaging lessons, monthly school wide fun runs, and the unforgettable field day experiences she organizes each year. Watching her work with students reminds us all why we became educators in the first place. Congratulations on an incredible thirty years of impact and inspiration. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Rebecca's thirty years of service to District three hundred. I'd like to invite Kate Nangle to the front of the room. Congratulations to Kate Nangle, who currently serves as a third grade teacher at Liberty Elementary School.
Kate is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. Liberty Elementary School principal, Stephanie Watson, has shared the following about Kate. Missus Nangle is a dedicated teacher whose genuine care for her students shines through in everything she does. She maintains high expectations because she believes every child in her classroom is capable of achieving great things. Her colleagues value her expertise and appreciate her experience. Mrs. Nengel's combination of warmth, high standards and professional knowledge makes her an invaluable member of the Liberty School community.
At this time, I invite audience to join me in celebrating Kate's thirty years of service to District three hundred. I'd like to invite Teresa Nellis to the front of the room. Congratulations to Teresa Nellis, who currently serves as a school social worker at Liberty Elementary School. Teresa is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. Liberty Elementary School principal, Stephanie Watson, has shared the following about Teresa. Teresa is a valued resource for the entire Liberty community. Her extensive knowledge of parent resources and deep understanding of mental health support make her a go to person for students facing difficult situations.
Through thoughtful social emotional lessons, she equips students with tools to navigate life's challenges. Her compassionate approach and problem solving skills make Liberty a more supportive place for everyone. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Teresa's thirty years of service to District three hundred. I'd like to invite Felicia Thorne to the front of the room. Congratulations to Felicia Thorne, who currently serves as a special education classroom paraprofessional at Liberty Elementary School. Felicia is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred.
Liberty Elementary School principal Stephanie Watson has shared the following about Felicia. You won't find anyone with a brighter smile and friendlier laugh than Felicia. She is like a ray of sunshine and her positive energy is absolutely contagious. Her kindness extends to both students and staff as she is always willing to lend a helping hand and make sure people feel welcome at Liberty. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Felicia's thirty years of service to District three hundred. This is my last one. Don't worry. If Dory Peterson could come to the front of the room,
please. Congratulations to Dori Peterson, who currently serves as a fourth grade teacher at Westfield Community School. Dori is celebrating thirty five years in district three hundred. Westfield Community School principal, Jennifer Breeze, has shared the following about Dori. Dori is the type of teacher who goes above and beyond every day to meet the needs of her students and support our school. She is always the first to step up, whether it's leading a club, supporting a new initiative or assisting a family in need. Her commitment to excellence is evident not only in her instruction,
but also in the way that she uses data to measure the impact of instruction. Beyond her classroom, Dori brings joy and laughter to everyone around her. Thank you, Dori, for your years of outstanding service and dedication. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Dory's thirty five years of service to District three hundred. At this time, I would like to invite assistant superintendent Kristin Sainsbury to the podium to continue tonight's recognition. Thank you, doctor Erb. I'd now like to invite doctor Jane Halligan to the front of the room. Congratulations to doctor Jane Halligan,
who currently serves as a cross categorical resource resource teacher at Eastview Elementary School. Jane is celebrating thirty years in District 300. Eastview Elementary School principal, doctor Megan Buchanan, has shared the following about Jane. Jane is an exceptionally talented educator whose dedication and expertise have made a lasting impact on both students and staff at Eastview. She leads with passion, fosters a culture of collaboration, and puts extra effort into events and celebrations. Her innovative approach to teaching and learning inspires excellence and ensures that struggling students have
the opportunity to thrive. We are proud to recognize Doctor. Halligan for her remarkable contributions to Eastview. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Jane's thirty years of service to District three hundred. At this time, I would like to invite Abby Kasey up to the front of the room. Congratulations to Abby Kasey, who currently serves as a bilingual general education paraprofessional at Algonquin Lakes Elementary School. Abby is celebrating thirty years in District 300. Algonquin Lakes Elementary School principal,
Mary Lynn Jankovich, has shared the following about Abby. Tonight, we proudly celebrate Abby for an incredible thirty years of dedicated service to district three hundred. Abby embodies the heart and spirit of Algonquin Lakes. She is always leading with kindness, optimism, and an unwavering commitment to our students and community. She truly demonstrates what it means to be an ALES lion, caring, courageous, and committed to making a difference. Abby, thank you for inspiring us all with your generosity, your loyalty, and your tireless spirit. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Abby's thirty years of service to
district three hundred. At this time, I'll invite Assistant Superintendent Doctor. Nikki Burkey to the podium to continue our celebration. Thank you, Ms. Sainsbury. I'd now like to invite Tammy Hamrick to the front of the room. Tammy and I have history, so Celebrating thirty years, Tammy Hamrick. So congratulations to Tammy Hamrick, who currently serves as a social studies teacher at Hampshire Middle School. Tammy is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. Hampshire Middle School principal Nick Poole has shared the following about Tammy. A true leader at Hampshire Middle School, Ms.
Hamrick has served both as a team leader and department representative, guiding her colleagues with professionalism and care. She has played a key role in supporting the growth of student clubs and organizations at HMS, including the establishment of our beta club. Her dedication to students and commitment to building a vibrant school community have made a lasting impact on all who have had the pleasure of working with her. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Tammy's thirty years of service to District three hundred. I'd like now to invite Michelle Sporlein to the front of the room.
I'd hug you too, Mike's giving me a hard time. Congratulations to Michelle Sporlein, who currently serves as a cross categorical resource teacher at Carpentersville Middle School. Michelle is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. Carpentersville Middle School principal Nick Herrera has shared the following about Michelle. For the last thirty years, Michelle has served D300 students as a special education teacher, working with students from kindergarten through eighth grade. She has changed the lives of countless students and families through her dedication, ensuring that all students feel seen,
valued, and supported. D300 and the CMS community would not look or feel the same without her kindness, patience, and love for her students. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Michelle's thirty years of service to District three hundred. At this time, I would like to invite Assistant Superintendent Kelly Manolfi to the podium to continue tonight's celebration. Thank you, Doctor. Birkey. I'd now like to invite Arlene Hundley to the front of the room. I'm so sorry. I get to do this for me. We too have history. Yeah. I thought she doesn't. Celebrating thirty years,
Arlene Hundley. Congratulations to Arlene Hundley who currently serves as the secretary for Oak Ridge School principal, Stacy Wilkinson. Arlene is celebrating thirty years in district three hundred. Miss Wilkinson has shared the following about Arlene. Arlene is a hardworking and dedicated individual who consistently goes above and beyond to support our school community. Her commitment and passion for her work have truly made a positive impact. She works tirelessly behind the scenes, going above and beyond in every task she undertakes.
Arlene's unwavering support has made a lasting impact, and we are incredibly fortunate to have her as a part of our team. Thank you, Arlene, for your hard work and for being an inspiration for all. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Arlene's thirty years of service to district three hundred. I'd now like to invite Fred Wendt to the front of the room, please. This is a big one. Celebrating forty years, Fred Wendt. Yes. Congratulate oop. Congratulations to Fred Wendt, who currently serves as a custodian at Jacobs High School.
Fred is celebrating forty years in District 300. Jacobs High School principal, doctor Christopher Testoni, has shared the following about Fred. We have been fortunate to have Fred as a part of d three hundred for forty years. His extensive mechanical knowledge and experience with numerous construction projects and upgrades make him an invaluable resource in keeping our building safe, efficient, and welcoming for students and staff. Fred is a selfless contributor who consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the needs
of others are met, often putting the school community before himself. We are truly fortunate to have Fred here at Jacobs. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Fred's forty years of service to d three hundred. Forty years. At this time, I would like to invite assistant superintendent, Iberto Mora, to the podium to continue tonight's recognition. Thank you, missus Manolfi. I'd like to invite Laura Ornelas to the front of the room. Congratulations to Laura Ornelas who currently serves as Human Resources Specialist here at School District
three hundred Central Office. Laura is celebrating thirty years in District three hundred. I am happy to share the following with Laura. Saved the best for last. It is with immense gratitude that we celebrate Laura this evening. Laura has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to our students, staff and community. She began working here as a bilingual assistant and then transitioned to HR where her dedication and care to supporting our employees is evident at every turn. Laura knows everyone.
Not only through her work, but also because she attended Dundee Crown High School. She lives in the community. So with that, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Laura and look forward to many more years of service. At this time, I invite the audience to join me in celebrating Laura's thirty years of service in District 300. I mean, let's give all of our years of service employees another round of applause. I mean, when you talk about core memories and pride, these are the things that make me so proud to be the superintendent of district
three hundred. So thank you again for all your years of service. Continuing with staff recognition. School psychology appreciation day. On November 3, District three hundred celebrated yes. Please go ahead. I we we we need you back tomorrow. Please go ahead, and have a wonderful evening. Thank you for joining us. Yes. Okay. Yes. As we continue a recognition this evening, we'd like to, celebrate our school psychology appreciation day, which was on November 3. Our school psychologists provide essential support to students,
helping them overcome challenges, build confidence, and thrive in school beyond their work beyond. Their work is key to fostering healthy, inclusive learning environments where every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential. On behalf of District three hundred, we extend a heartfelt thank you to our school psychologists for their dedication and compassion. Education Support Professionals Day was is tomorrow, November 19. In District three hundred, these valued team members include our secretaries, specialists, administrative staff, food service workers, paraprofessionals, hall monitors,
and many more. They work behind the scenes and alongside educators to create safe, welcoming, and supportive environments for student learning. On behalf of District three hundred, I extend a sincere thank you to our education support professionals. On November 21, District three hundred will celebrate National Substitute Educators' Day, an opportunity to recognize the dedicated professionals who step up in any moment to in at any moment to notice. Sorry. That those are too many words to support our students. Our substitute educators play a vital role in ensuring continuity of learning across our schools.
Their ability to adapt quickly and support students and staff is essential to maintaining strong and consistent learning environments. On behalf of District three hundred, thank you to our substitute teachers. On November 11, District three hundred proudly observed their Veterans Day. In recognition of the observance, veterans were invited into many of our classrooms to share their stories and inspire our students. In addition, our educators engaged their classes in activities that highlighted the significance of military service and the sacrifices made by veterans.
We are honored to have many who have served within our District three hundred community, individuals whose dedication to both our nation and our students is immensely commendable. On behalf of district three hundred, I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the following members of our d district three hundred family who have self reported their military service. Jacob Crenshaw, Evelyn Dodson, Dana Garnett, Luis Gonzalez Gavin's Gavin, Carlos Hernandez, Eric Hunt, Andrew Jones Marquez, Kyle Lobdau, Daniel Martins, Felicia Mac Maxa,
Steven Nakamura, David Nowak, Leander Protocalis, Robert Andy Quinto, Kenneth Ransom, Stevie Rivera, Vincent Seratella, Vince Cifuentes junior, Thomas Sitke, Jason Smith, Michael Storer, Daniel Vitale, and Daniel Wagner. Please join me in thanking District three hundred's veterans. I just wanna add that, we have, all of our schools celebrate our veterans every year, and I was able to, join the ceremony at Hampshire Elementary School this year for the first time. I get to go a different spot every year.
It was wonderful. Just a great moment to pause and say thank you. And so, again, it it was a a wonderful day of celebration and honoring our veterans in District 300. Good evening, board of education, superintendent Smith, and community members. November 15 was school board members day in Illinois, and we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to our board of education. Our board members volunteer their time out of a deep commitment to public education, serving without compensation to support our students, staff, and community. Their leadership guides district policy,
budgeting, and strategic priorities while fostering partnerships that strengthen our schools. Through their work, District three hundred continues to grow, innovate, and thrive. Tonight, I'm happy to announce that the District three hundred Board of Education recently earned the school board governance recognition from the Illinois Association of School Boards, or IASB. This is a recognition that the board also earned in 2021 and 2023. This recognition acknowledges school boards that have engaged in activities and modeled behaviors that lead to excellence in local school governance in support of quality education.
Our school board was one of only 42 in Illinois to earn such a designation. IASB will be providing the district with a new tab for our plaque for recognition very soon. To each of you, thank you for your service. We're also pleased to continue the adopt a board member tradition. Each year, schools across District three hundred adopt a board member to help build stronger relationships and maintain meaningful connections with the communities that you serve. These adoptions provide opportunities for school visits, collaboration, and shared celebration of our student and staff accomplishments.
I am pleased to announce this year's adoption. Board President Christine Birquette has been adopted by Carpentersville Middle School. Board vice president Leslie LaMarca has been adopted by Jacobs High School. Board secretary Tola McKinde has been adopted by Liberty Elementary School. Board member Steve Fiorentino has been adopted by Eastview Elementary School. You got a cooler, look at that. Board member Alisa Lindmark has been adopted by Oak Ridge School. Board member Patrick Malia has been adopted by Big Timber Elementary School.
Board member Nancy Zettler has been adopted by Lake in the Hills Elementary School. We would like to thank our principals, schools, and board members for continuing this valued District three hundred tradition. Please note, as you're noticing, there's a small token of appreciation from your adopted schools in front of you. Thank you all for joining us and recognizing the Board of Education this evening. I just wanna say thank you and, extend our appreciation again, on behalf of the district for your support to all of our school communities and, everything you do for district three hundred as you are all volunteers,
and we appreciate that. So thank you. Alright. District three hundred community members. All community unit school district three hundred board meetings follows rules of decorum that promote civil productive discussions by requiring requiring all in attendance to remain in their seats, be respectful, listen attentively, stay focused on the agenda, and avoid personal attacks or attacks or interruptions. These rules ensure a fair and orderly environment for decision making and public participation. Board members will respect others by treating all members, staff, and the public with courtesy and listen to their points of view with an open
mind. Stay on topic by focusing discussions on the issues at hand and avoid personalizing debates or making disparaging remarks about others. Follow procedures for speaking and debating during the meeting. The board will listen and be respectful and will consider public comments, but will not dialogue or engage with speakers in this forum. The public will sign up for to speak in advance if they wish to comment according to the established process, respect time limits by making their comments within the allotted time, stay on topic to ensure their comments are relevant to the board's business,
speak ref respectfully and express their opinions, and do so in a professional manner. Persons displaying disruptive behavior will be asked to stop their disruptive behavior. In addition, our district safety officers or his agent may warn them that continued disruptive behavior will result in additional consequences. If the disruption disruptive behavior continues, the individual or individuals will be removed from the meeting. We look forward to a productive meeting. Thank you for your cooperation. Please note that the Open Meetings Act provides any person the opportunity to address the
board under the adopted public participation policy. That being said, the board would like to advise the public that we will not consider statements read during public participation that are not authored by the reader to be credible unless the board has previously received the statement in writing from the author. Additionally, the author should indicate that he or she has granted the public participant the authority to read the statement on his or her behalf. We've had seven people sign up for public participation. I will call each of you individually up to the podium. Please state your name and relationship to the district and limit your comments to three
minutes. Please note the following. Each speaker has been provided with the guidelines for public participation. Minors need to be accompanied by their parents or guardians. The board will consider your comments, but will not dialogue or engage with speakers in this forum. Questions raised may be assigned to the superintendent for an answer. As appropriate, a member of the administration may reach out to the speaker to give them relevant information or to ask for additional information. This is done to make sure the board has all the information needed to properly address the speaker's concerns. Charges, complaints,
or challenges against staff members of the district will not be heard in open meetings and should be made in writing to the board and superintendent. We also ask that speakers refrain from personally attacking district staff members or members of the board. Pursuant to board policy, this evening's participants must limit their comments to three minutes. We act ask each participant to be respectful of all individuals who have signed up to speak and adhere to the allotted time limit. We also ask that speakers conduct themselves in a civil and courteous manner and refrain from trying to engage members of the board in dialogue during public participation.
Failure to abide by the board time rules or those found out of order by the board may lead to exclusion from the meeting to be fair to all participants. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Our first speaker is Jennifer Grant. Good evening. Thank you district school, three hundred school board. My name is Jennifer Grant. I have two students in district three hundred. I am here today to ask you to create a safe zone around our school properties. As you know, ICE has been operating in our community, and parents and caregivers have been easy targets when dropping off and picking up their
students from school. No one wants to see our community members in handcuffs or being beaten or being kidnapped, especially in front of our children. But we have seen what is going on in the news, and all of those things seem to be the norm. The ICE agents disregard for Illinois law has taken a toll on our children and created a less than positive environment for all school children that attend our schools. It does not matter that the status of the child or his or her parents
or caregivers because ICE agents don't care about the status of the person they are trying to kidnap. They only care about quotas and photo ops and chaos. They are not law enforcement agents and they have no business near our school properties. Banning ICE agents from our school grounds will help students and parents and employees feel safer coming and going from school. Additionally, it will make other children and parents and school employees who have relationships with those community members feel more at ease.
At District three hundred, we are all about learning and excellence. And so let's give people one less thing to worry about so we can get back to learning and teaching. The time to act on this has already passed, And the next best time to act is now. Here are the first steps to a safer environment that you could review and approve today. Pass on additional an additional resolution to explicitly prohibit ICE and other federal immigration enforcement from conducting any activities on school owned property,
including parking lots, school buses, and bus stops, require permanent, clearly visible signs on all parking lots that ICE enforcement is prohibited, in addition to window signs clearly stating that masks or other coverings are prohibited to be worn by ICE agents. ICE present should be treated like an active shooter protocol. Prohibit ICE from entering school property without a signed judicial warrant. We know that they've been signing their own warrants. It struck the security Thank you. Our next speaker is doctor doctor David Scarpino.
Good evening, doctor Smith and board members. My name is Doctor. David Scarpino, and I have been a proud member of the District 300 community for over twenty years. During my career, I have had the privilege of serving in a variety of roles. Throughout my tenure with District three hundred, I've been fortunate to work alongside many remarkable individuals. Tonight, several of these colleagues, which unfortunately they've already left, are being recognized for their significant years of dedicated service to our district. In today's world,
it is increasingly uncommon for someone to remain with the same organization for ten, twenty, or even thirty years and beyond. I want to take this opportunity to offer my heartfelt congratulations and sincere gratitude to those honored this evening. Their commitment, selflessness, and dedication are truly exceptional. Many of these outstanding individuals have provided invaluable support to me throughout my career here in District three hundred. Whether during my time in the central office,
as a building principal, or even while serving on the school board. Their contributions have earned my respect and appreciation, and I'm deeply thankful for all they have done for our community. Congratulations to everyone who was recognized this evening, and I wish them continued success in all of your future endeavors. They truly are remarkable people. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next speaker is Ariana Rizzolo. Rizzolo? Good evening. My name is Ariana Realsola Realsola. I have been a part of District three hundred all of my younger educational life
from preschool to high school graduation. I graduated from Dundee Crown. And now my son, my firstborn, is a freshman at Dundee Crown. First, I would like to thank you all for some of the changes the district has made. For example, adding bus stops for students who live closer to their school. This allows some of the families a bit of peace, knowing that their kids can get on the buses without having to walk a block or two. I also want to thank the staff at Dundee Crown High School, who have been standing outside greeting our students, but most importantly,
keeping an eye out for our students and the cars that enter the school property. My son is considered a walker. In the mornings, I have taken him to school and that is a change that I have seen these past few months, so I thank you for that. Now, I'm here because I'm asking for the board members to put in their agenda what more they can do for our community as a district. Right now, the Latino community is being targeted, but we also have Polish families, families from the Ukraine, African families, among other nationalities who are either undocumented or in the process of receiving.
Some form of relief to be here in The United States legally. These past few months, these families have been targeted by ICE raids, whether it be at their jobs, driving, or in their homes. Many of these families are scared to send their children to school, and they are being reprimanded by their schools or this district because of the policies that are enforced and the whole truancy laws. So I question, you know, how can we keep our families at peace knowing that their students will be safe at school? What new protocols can be made for schools and staff members so that they can
practice just like they do so, such as fire drills, tornado warnings, and if there's an active shooter, either in the school or around the school. I am grateful for the emails that I receive whenever there's a disruption in the school, but there's a lot more that can be done. And there's a lot of family mem a lot of parents that are willing to meet with you guys and figure out what we can do as a community, you know? Me, myself, we all have busy lives, we all have families that we wanna spend time with,
our little ones, but at the end of the day, this is for the kids, you know. Whether you have children or not in this district, it's always gonna be our focus is the safety for the children so that they can go to school and live their lives as kids and not have to worry about what's going on out there. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is, dice DC Alvera. Good evening, parents and board team members. I am a Perry Elementary and Dundee Crown High School parent, and I graduate.
I graduated from Crown in 2009. From the previous meeting that we had last month on the twenty eighth, I wanna thank you for putting together virtual know your rights presentations and also having staff be vigilant around school surroundings, entrances, and exits. As the Hispanic community make up over 50% of our school district, I ask that you please keep the informative practice continued monthly as this Trump administration keeps stealing our children's peace.
Our basic human rights are protected under our constitutional laws, and that's a weapon we will not surrender. Please help resonate our rights through repetition. So, Gregory Bovino, the border patrol commander, recently publicly threatened with coming back louder, doubling ICE raids, and ready to incite more violence in the spring. He mentioned training with a thousand additional reinforcement agents when he left Chicago. These agents hold no judicial warrants.
So please come up with some additional measurements to prohibit ICE in areas surrounding school and all bus stops. A suggestion that I have for example is maybe, you know, like stranger danger practices, like how to differentiate an actual kidnapper versus an ICE agent not identifying himself for for permanent signs that show no guns, no face coverings worn by government officials, something like that. So please protect our staff from retaliation for exercising their rights if they're recording,
if they're taking pictures of violent ice raids, or refusing to disclose information without warrant to these agents. We're keeping America safe, cannot be used as an excuse to intimidate and scare families and children. Excuse to intimidate and scare families and children, especially in a country that brags about liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Sanjuana Solis. Good evening. My name is Sanjuana Solis. I am a Dundee Crown graduate. I have a son that attends coffee, and I am speaking on behalf of my family,
aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, and other D300 families that could not be here today because they continue to be afraid. As you know, there has been ICE activity everywhere. You can't stay neutral or be scared for the backlash. You can't turn a blind eye to the situation. Everyone is talking about it. It's on social media and in the news. Our students are living this and you shouldn't have to wait until we come up with the numbers. This chaos is not going away. It's been going on since last year and no one has listened to us.
Parents and students have been attacked and this will continue for a couple more years. You need to start moving. Do more. Setting up the presentations for Know Your Rights was a good start, but it was not what I was expecting. I did not see any of the Know Your Rights power sites anywhere in that presentation. Do better. For walkers, there were buses added for some of the schools with low attendance rates to help students attend school, but many students are still afraid to use that service. Many need to walk over a block or two to wait alone and scared at
that bus stop. We need to implement a better system for walkers. Let's also not forget the other schools. You can't name me one school in D300 that doesn't have a Latino in it. Over 50% of the school district is Latino. All schools and all students should be treated the same. White people are being targeted too. Not as much, but they are. A couple of days ago, I learned about a Polish mom and a student from this school district that was supported. I need you to understand how vulnerable these families are.
In the last meeting, someone mentioned that people feared getting their mail. They weren't lying. Someone got kidnapped down the street from Gulfview Elementary just by taking out their trash. I pass that street every day to drop off and pick up my son from school. I want my school's my son's school, Golf View, to be part of the school observer program. Elgin School District u forty six has been doing this since the beginning of the year. Another school district I'm impressed by is the East Aurora School District one thirty one. They passed an ICE ordinance for their school district.
Why can't we do something similar? Also, staff should not be able to staff should be able to talk about this matter. Stop silencing them. Students shouldn't have to see their teachers be afraid of speaking to them for help. Students should feel safe talking about this topic and they shouldn't be silenced. Students need to be heard. We need a safer environment for students at school. They need to feel safe on school grounds. We need to protect the children. They are your kids. Pay attention to the kids who are scared and provide emotional support. Have a table with available sources at every school office.
Treat ICE activity as an active shooter protocol. Add clear communications to all student for all students, parents, staff on Thank you. Our next speaker is Patty Macias. Hello. My name is Patty Macias. I came last time. I come from an hour away, so I'm a concerned citizen and community member. Last time we came in front of you and poured out to you our concerns, our fears, and our disappointment in you. What did you do? You added a couple buses for walkers, which their bus stop is still a block or two away. You set up a Know Your Rights presentation with no slides.
Nice try. This just says you are so out of touch with our communities, and that is unacceptable, and we are holding you accountable. You are failing our students and our parents. If you don't know how to help our students and their parents who pay taxes, then what are you doing here? We are not going to take whatever little effort you're going to do to shut us up. We are not going to continue, or we are going to continue to come in bigger numbers to raise our voices for those who can't, and we are going to hold you accountable.
So I am here to ask more accountability and responsibility from the board. Since I can't ask you, I wonder how comfortable do you sleep at night while our communities and our students are terrorized, kidnapped, and harassed? Do you sleep well? Because our communities don't. Provide a safe space for children to speak up and and not minimize their fears and traumas, a safe space to exercise their freedom of expression. Allow faculty and teachers to freely speak about resources available about immigration support, to freely provide and give emotional support to students who want to talk about what
is going on in their communities, Allow faculty to freely speak about resources available about immigration support. No retaliation against employees who want to talk to students and that who want to that want to record any immigration enforcement activity. I hope next time we come in front of you, you do more or you have done more. We don't need to keep coming here and asking you to do more and to plead to you and to beg you to do something for our communities. You should do better, and we'll remember this when it's time to vote.
Thank you. Thank you. Our next speaker is Amaroni Jarvis. Sorry if I said that wrong. Good evening. My name is Amaroni Jarvis. I'm speaking today as a parent and a community member. I'm here because our families deserve clarity, safety, and protection, especially in moments of crisis. Whether you agree on immigration policy or not, one thing is certain. Every child who walks into d 300 buildings deserves to feel safe and protected. Every family deserves to know that the school is prepared, trained,
and ready to respond to any threat or disruption, no matter who is at the door. When we see headlines about ICE and CBP entering neighborhoods and targeting public spaces, every parent in the community fears the same thing. Will my child be protected? This is the real fear, and it deserves a real answer. Not silence, not confusion, not we'll figure it out when it happens. A protocol is po is not politics. A protocol is basic emergency preparedness. We have protocols for fires and weather emergencies, for intruders and medical events,
because we want staff to be trained, competent, and be able to act quickly to protect our kids. This should be no different. We are asking the school district to train all school personnel, front desk staff, administrators, security, and teachers, so everyone knows their rights and how to exercise them. Communicate the protocol publicly. Be open to amend them in collaboration with families and community leaders, so families know that the district is prepared and committee committed to keeping the children safe. A clear protocol protects students,
and it protects school staffs, and it protects the school districts. And communication with families builds trust. Without a plan, there is panic, confusion, and the possibility of make of mistakes that could traumatize a child or violate a family's rights. With a plan, there is a safety, clarity, and trust. We are not asking for something extreme. We're asking for something responsible, humane, and necessary to address this crisis. Our children depend on us to keep them safe. US board members have the power to make sure that every school district 300 is
trained. They have the guidance and the preparedness to do exactly that. So please act on this and show our families that their safety matters. Thank you. Thank you. And that concludes public participation. Superintendent report, doctor Smith? I will ask doctor Frank Williams, our CFO, to come to the podium. He will be talking to us about our tax year 2025 tentative levy. Okay. Here we go. Good evening, members of the board, doctor Smith, fellow administrators, and public. Tonight, I'll walk through the tax year '25 levy moving through key terms,
the constraints that we definitely operate under, the data driving our estimates, and how that leads to our levy request. My goal is to keep this clear and simple so everyone understands the why behind our numbers. A more in-depth presentation was provided at the November 10 operations meeting. Before we get into the numbers, we need to share understanding of a few key terms. These terms form the foundation of how property taxes are calculated and how districts receive revenue. I'll use these throughout the presentation, so it's important to ground ourselves here first. The levy.
This is the ask of local monies. Remember, there are three legs to our revenue stool, local, state, and federal. Levy is the ask. Extension is the actual amount of monies we receive from the counties. Typically finalized in March or April time frame for Kane, McHenry, and DeKalb. And as we know, Cook can be unpredictable when it comes to when they're gonna give us their funds. In fact, I think people just received their tax bills if you've watched the news. Extensions are finalized by the state of Illinois. Counties send their data to the state where numbers are equalized using sales and other
data across the straight the state. This is where the equalization factor, which is which is what you see on your bill when you look and you see either a one point o or a number greater than one or number less than one. That means the state equalized particular valuation. The rates, it is important to note that the district does not determine the tax rate. And in fact, as I navigate all the data points, you will not hear me mention the rate too much. The rate is calculated by the counties once the extension is determined. EAV, this is equalization factor is to ensure assessed values are in line with statewide data.
Ballooning is a method of asking for more revenue than is statutory allowed, and we'll go over that in some future slides. This is done to ensure that the district captures all available funding because the possibility of asking for not enough does exist due to the fact that some of the major data points are estimates with a three to four month lag. PTL is the property tax extension limitation law. This limits the amount of new revenue a district can receive to lesser of 5% or the rate of CPI regardless of the increase in property values.
So, for example, if assessed valuations, remember that's done by the county, not by the district, increases by 10%, The district can only see the increase in new revenue, and for this year, that's 2.9%. You'll hear more terms as I use throughout the presentation. However, these terms form a solid foundation of how school funding through property tax work and why the levy process is so important to get right. Ptell limits our new revenue before new construction to the lesser of 5% or CPI. This year, that limit is 2.9%. So again, even if your home value raises 10%,
the district still only receives 2.9 more. This is the key constraint behind every levy calculation. The percent used for the current tax year revenue increase is the previous December's CPI use, so December '24. Understanding this important fact is a key as to why I am asking the taxpayers for the full 2.9%. Here's the historical table taxable values of all properties in the district. EAV changes plus new property coming online are two major drivers of our revenue.
Remember, when we file a levy, these numbers are still estimates. Knowing where we came from to where we are is important for our taxpayers to understand and important data to have for the calculation portion of the tax levy process. I wanna stress the valuation of your property determines the tax rate and how much you pay in taxes. The district does not determine the valuation of your property or the tax rate. Both are done by the county. The district simply asks for revenue. As this chart shows, the valuation for our district has been increasing steadily since tax year 02/2015.
Again, the amount of property taxes a property owner pays is determined off the valuation. Per the PTL limitation, per PTL, regardless of the increase in valuation, the district can only receive the lesser of 5% and the CPI. So for example, in tax year '24, property valuations across all 118 square miles averaged a 12.05% increase and the District was only able to capture 3.4% of that new revenue. New property represents the growth occurring in the District from both residential and commercial.
The District has seen tremendous growth over the past twenty years with the average of $60,300,000 per year. When zooming in closer to a three year average, new property growth has been 82,600,000.0. This shows the district is a desirable place for businesses and for families. New property plays an important role because in addition to the CPI increase, so in addition to the 2.9%, the district receives 100% of the revenue from these properties, which is calculated using last year's tax rate. However, it is important to note that depending on the additional revenue from new property year
over year, while reliable, is not prudent because it truly fluctuates annually. Simply looking at this chart shows the inconsistency of this number. For tax year '25, I will be recommending a tax levy of approximately 240,500,000.0 in local revenue, which include including new property, this represents a 4.99% increase or about 11,800,000.0 over last year's tax extension. As we learned from the key term slide, the district balloons ask in order to ensure the capture of the new revenue we're
statutorily allowed. The counties will only create an extension based on our ask. So if our evaluations are are incorrect and we ask for less than what we are statutorily allowed, the counties will not correct our error, thus the district could miss out on revenue. This is why we balloon. So to protect ourselves against the against this, we balloon our levy, which is what you see in an estimated column. But I remind you that regardless of what we ask for, we only get 2.9%. So the counties will adjust us back down to the statutory rate of 2.9.
By using estimates we received from Kane and McHenry Counties and historical data from Cook and DeKalb, I'm able to come up with an expected extension. Based on this data, I expect revenue of new construction to increase by 9,400,000.0 or about 4%. However, it is important to stress that I am using estimated data that can still change. So for example, last Monday, I gave a presentation, and the next day, McHenry County came out with changes. So the data can still change at any time. We don't receive our actual extensions until March and April time frame. So while these projections guide our planning,
the final revenue picture will not be confirmed until the counties issue their official extension in the spring. By using the same data, I'm also able to estimate that property valuations across our 118 square miles will increase on average 9.83%. So last year, it was at 12%. This year, on average, across the entire district, estimate is about 9.83%. Under state law, if a district levy request exceeds 5%, it must hold a truth in taxation hearing and publish notice in advance. Although our increase is below the 5%,
district three hundred will still hold a public hearing and publish the levy details and is spared of transparency and accountability to our taxpayers. My recommendation is to ask for the full amount of new revenue, dollars 6,800,000.0, that can be generated from the CPI rate of 2.9%. This slide shows the context for the ask. Staff raises per collective bargaining agreements average about 5% or next year. That's new money needed of nine about 9,500,000 September CPI was 3%.
If this remains the rate of inflation, cost of goods and services for next fiscal year are estimated to increase by 3,100,000. When you factor in new money from CPI and new construction estimates, plus an estimated increase in EBF, you can see we still have a deficit of about $1,500,000 next year. Remember, we were placed in tier two this fiscal year for EBF. And because of this, we lost roughly $4,500,000 in state funding. The future of this funding still remains uncertain, as does our tier status.
An additional concern is federal funding. For our current fiscal year, we lost roughly $4,000,000 in our federal grants. The future of this funding also remains uncertain. It's important to emphasize all of this is based on estimated EAV and new property numbers at the time of the levy. We won't receive the final extensions again until March or April, and the counties often revise these estimates. Before we look at the levy's impact on taxpayers, it helps to compare local tax contributions to what it's actually cost to educate the student in D 300.
The per capita tuition charge or the PCTC represents the average cost to educate one student in the district for a year and is calculated by our auditors. This number comes from our f y twenty four audit. We would use this number. Why we use this one is because this is the number we would use if a student from another district asked to come and attend one of our schools. This is the dollar amount we would charge them. So it's a number that is commonly used in the districts. This comparison helps put our tax levy in perspective and shows the district delivers strong educational value for every local tax dollar collected.
The average taxpayer contributes only a portion of what it actually costs to educate one student. So if you have multiple students in your household, this is only represents basically one. The rest is covered by state and federal funding, primarily the EBF. This comparison is relevant because it connects what taxpayers pay to the real cost of education, helping illustrate how efficiently local dollars are being used to support our students. Here's what the levy means for a typical homeowner. Changes to your tax bill are driven primarily by changes to your property value, not the district's tax rate.
The district's levies determines our local total revenue, but the counties calculate the individual tax bills. Here we see an estimated impact on homeowners in each of our four counties without our debt service, which actually is lower this year. So the net estimated change in tax payment could be less than what it was last year. I wanna stress that these are only estimates and only take into consideration one exemption. Many counties have multiple exemptions that you could apply for. This gives you the homestead exemption, which basically you get just for living in your house.
Counties have the right to set their own homestead exemption value, which is why you see DeKalb at 6,000 and Cook at 10,000. Most counties throughout the state have moved to that $8,000, similar to Kean and McHenry. Three of our counties calculate tax on one third of a property's valuation. So take the home valuation you get, take that by a third, that's what you pay taxes on. Except if you live in Cook County, then it's a little bit more complicated. They calculate taxes on 10% valuation, so take your home times 10%,
and that's what you pay taxes on. However, as you can see, the state equalization multiplier is a three for Cook County, which is supposed to bring that value back up to the one third. So that's where where most counties, it's one third, and you get that one that one point o factor from the state. If you live in Cook, typically, you get that three o factor because that's supposed to bring it back up to one third, which is what the rest of the state has to pay. So finally, our next steps include the approval of a tentative levy at today's meeting.
By school code, the tentative levy must be approved not less than twenty days prior to the final approval. So the current calendar map allows for twenty eight days. The levy hearing publication will go to the daily herald on December 8, which is nine days prior to the hearing. It meets a school code of not less than seven, but not more than 10. The hearing will take place at the December 16 meeting, and if approved, we will file the certificate of tax levy with the four counties on the seventeenth, ensuring that it's turned in prior to the school code requirement of the last Tuesday in December.
I thank you for your time and attention, and I'm happy to answer any questions on the process, the data, or the levy request. Any questions from anyone? Thank you for once again presenting it in a way I think that we all appreciate as it breaks it down a little differently than what we're used to hearing and is very, informative. So thank you for that. You're welcome. Up next is board discussion. Item 9.1, board committee reports. I can just give the update that the next board operations committee meeting is Tuesday, December 9 at 04:30. We encourage everyone to attend or watch that online later on. Any other committee reports?
Okay. Item 9.2, board discussion. Item 9.1, IASB board resolutions. Board member Lisa Lindmark would like to review the IASB board resolutions. Yes. I attended a, webinar or I watched a webinar back today. The, delegate, assembly is this Saturday morning at the, conference, goodness, 10, constitutional amendments that the board of directors recommends that we, adopt. Most of them are just wording changes. Main concerned about is the resolution,
I think it's called. Yeah. Consent agenda resolution, which is the financing for public education, thus, school bus safety funding. And that one, if I read correctly, they want to establish, a dedicated school bus safety equipment grant, which will provide cost to factory install seat belts. It also creates a small district waiver that extends, compliance deadline, to 07/01/2034, authorizes qualifying districts to use transportation fund pros bond proceeds or revolving lease agreements for
local cost share without counting against the district's statutory debt limit, and then directs the Illinois Department of Transportation to approve alternative research based occupant protection technologies that may offer equal or greater safety at lower cost, giving districts flexibility to comply. They recommend a do adopt. However, we, should probably have some discussion around that. I wanna thank you for your in-depth, thank you, summary on it. And your recommendation would be if they continue with one,
which is the the safety equipment grant. You're concerned that they will take money away from correct me if I'm wrong. Yeah. You can go up there and I had it pulled up, but I don't at the moment. So, I do have a concern with that piece of the legislate of that recommendation. Transportation funding is already at less than 70%. So we're getting 70¢ for every dollar that we spend. My concern is that with that particular grant that they're asking for, where are they gonna take the money from? And if they're going to take it from transportation claim reimbursement,
that means it impacts everybody. So now we're getting 70¢ that just gets less. And then that money would only go to the schools who do apply for the grant. So that's my that's my only concern. The rest of the the recommendation, I'm I'm okay with. That part of the the recommendation, I have a concern about. My question is, they they haven't given us any, like, insight into what it would require to apply for this grant. Correct? Correct. At this time, we don't know. Yeah. So we may not even qualify. Right? That's correct. Okay. That's what I thought too. So any discussion,
any comments, ideas, thoughts? My question is does does this would this require us to use the seat belts have seat belts installed? So the the seat belt law does go into effect, I believe, in 2030, 2031. Okay. And right now, the the legislation doesn't say that they'll be required to be used. It just says that the bus is required to have them. Because there's a lot of studies out there that say that they're if they're in an accident situation, depending on what kind of accident, they could be more dangerous than helpful.
You know, like, not getting be able to get the kids out of the bus quick enough, things like that. So I've always been kind of like, do we need it? Should we use them? Should we not? But as long as we have, and, well, it's gonna be a while. But as long as we have a, the ability to say no if we determine we didn't we don't think it's The buses will the any new buses ordered after that time frame, we'll have to have. Have to have them. The seat belts, any of our old buses will not have to be retrofitted. Just the new ones ordered from that date on will have to have them. But, again, the law doesn't say they have to be used,
just says they have to have them. Right. Okay. Thank you. Mhmm. I feel differently on this on the seat belts. I don't you know, if they have to be worn in the car, why aren't we wearing them on the buses too? I don't I I have a special needs son, so I require it as part of his IEP that he needs to be seat belted on the bus. I don't think he could I know he has a trouble getting in and out of the seat belt, but I'm more concerned with, like, if there is an accident and he goes flying around the bus. So Is there a way to put the resolution up to get I'm not sure if I'm not.
It does talk about the the committee's rationale. I'm not sure if there is a way. Phone's out. Okay. And, we we didn't prepare that because we had already sent this information out. It was in the agenda, so I'm just gonna Well, while you're looking out, can I ask a question about so any new buses, but we don't currently purchase buses? Correct? That's done by Durham? Yeah. Durham purchases the yellow buses. We do purchase Okay. So the district, the white buses. Okay. So it would be those that we would have we would be Even the Durham buses, anything purchased after the 2031 would be required to have school,
seat belts. But I'm assuming they would I'm not exactly sure how that works. But would They they they they they would we would our rate would perhaps be impacted by the rate for seat belts. That's correct. Yeah. That's the only one that's, sorry. That is the only resolution. So that's the one that I think if we're all okay with the, the changes to the cons the consent agenda constitutional amendments, it really was just, like, wording, the membership classes, the the delegate assembly, elections, board of directors, the committees, divisions. I didn't see anything in there that that was cause for concern.
I just led with, with, the resolution because of that cost. So I think there's a opportunity to ask questions in the delegate assembly, if that's something you guys want me to ask. If if we're more comfortable, you could we could put up an amendment on the floor. It just has to be then agreed upon. And that happens, you know, frequently. If we're uncomfortable, I I I frankly was going to suggest, you know, agreeing with the state on that one. But if if we feel that way, Frank, you can write something and
No problem. We'll make sure Diane has it and can give it to you. For as a brief. Yeah. I imagine that this will come up from more than one one, district because it's always a concern when something's being mandated, but not super clear on where the funding is coming from that, I'm sure there will be a robust discussion around around this. If we don't start it, I'm I'm sure someone else will, but it'd be good for you to be prepared, to do so. I didn't have any issues with the amendments to the constitution so that, and I think, I did attend one of the seminars, and one of the things too is, you know, we'll have this discussion here.
But, Lisa, if something changes in the moment, I, as a board member, am comfortable with you using, you know, your opinion in that moment, with regard to this bus resolution to make the decision on on, at least, my behalf as a board member, as our delegate. So, because it can change a little bit as discussions happen in the moment. I don't have a strong feeling either way other than that I'm not a fan of the things that, are mandated and not funded. Especially when it's underfunded to begin with. Yes. Did anyone else have a a wanna give Lisa an opinion on which direction they're leaning?
Or any other questions for Frank as well. Alright. Thank you for serving as our delegate. It's a interesting experience. I'm sure you'll enjoy, being at a room full of it. It's kind of exciting to see how many how how big the state is, and I think they said there's record gonna be record attendance for this year at the conference with delegates. So it will be a very packed room, and you'll be impressed. It kinda gives you a sense of the scope of our state and and all of our districts that are included. So full. What I understand is they took all their tables out. They did. Yeah. The webinar I watched today said that they are not going to have tables.
Which, you know, challenge with that is there's nothing there to work on, you know. Yeah. So Yeah. Alright. Thank you for thank you for that, Lisa. Do any board members have anything else they'd like to share or talk about under board discussion? The only question that I have is in regards to, the item on the roll call about the curriculum and the email that we got today. Is that related, Latina? It is. It is. Do we send you the vote on this today then? Yes. So how do we address that? We will use the chain of command, and the person that is responsible for that will follow-up with that email. You're very confident comfortable with that?
Yes. We are confident in what we're asking the board to vote for. If there's something the board is unclear on, we're prepared to answer questions. We're talking about the math adoption? Yeah. Should that come up when we move down to roll call items? Yeah. If there are additional questions, we are ready to answer them. Them. Okay. So you have a minute or two to think, and then we'll do the consent items. So up next is the consent items. The consent items are standard procedure items or items that have been previously reviewed and discussed at the board operations committee meeting and need no further discussion. Is there a motion to approve the consent items?
So moved. Second. Madam secretary, please take the role. Butler? Aye. Malia? Aye. McKinney? Aye. Lindmark? Aye. Tarantino? Aye. Burkett? Aye. Motion passes six zero. K. Roll call action items. Item 11.1, approval of copier paper bid extension. Is there a motion for the approve approval of the copier paper bid extension? So moved. Second. Any discussion? Madam secretary, please take the role. Tarantino? Aye. Amelia? Aye. Zettler? Aye. Linmark? Aye. Burkett? Aye. McKinney, aye.
You have six motion passes six zero. Item 11.2, approval of employee benefits contract. Is there a motion for the approval of the employee benefits contracts? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Madam secretary, will you please take the role? Settler? Aye. Melia? Aye. McIndy, aye. Limerick? Aye. Tarantino? Aye. Burkett? Aye. Motion passes six zero. Item 11.3, approval of science supplies contract extension. Is there a motion for the approval of the science supplies contract extension?
So moved. Second. Any discussion? Hearing none, madam secretary, will you please take the role? Amelia? Aye. McKinney? Aye. Zettler? Aye. Linmark? Aye. Tarantino? Aye. Burkett? Aye. Motion passes six zero. 11.4, approval of time and materials contract extension. Is there a motion for the approval of the time and materials contract extension? So moved. Is there a second? Second. Any discussion? Madam secretary, please take the role. Zettler? Aye. Linmark? Aye. Amelia? Aye. Fiorentino? Aye. Burkett? Aye. McKinney,
aye. Motion passes six zero. Item 11.5, approval of outdoor awning project proposal. Is there a motion for the approval of the outdoor awning project proposal? So moved. Second. Any discussion? Madam secretary, please take the role. Suttler? Aye. Amelia? Aye. Linmark? Aye. Makinde, aye. Fiorentino? Aye. Burkett? Aye. Motion passes. Six zero. 11.6, approval of school maintenance project grant. Is there a motion for the approval of the school maintenance project grant? So moved. Second. Any discussion?
Madam secretary, please take the role. Dettler? Aye. Lindmark? Aye. Tarantino? Aye. Brookhart? Aye. Nelier? Aye. McKinney? Aye. Motion passes six zero. 11.7, approval of tentative levy and resolutions. Is there a motion for the approval of the tentative levy and resolutions? Don't. Second. Any discussion? Madam secretary, please take the role. Amelia? Aye. Settler? Aye. Burkett? Aye. Tarantino? Aye. Linmark? Aye. McKinsey, aye. Motion passes six zero. 11.8, approval of proposed school calendar for twenty twenty six twenty seven,
twenty twenty seven twenty eight, and twenty twenty eight twenty nine. Is there a motion for the approval of the proposed school calendar twenty twenty six twenty seven, twenty twenty seven twenty twenty eight, and twenty twenty eight twenty twenty nine? So moved. Okay. Any discussion? Madam secretary, please take the role. McKinney, aye. Zettler? Aye. Amelia? Aye. Niemach? Aye. Guarentino? Aye. Burkett? Aye. Motion passes six zero. 11.9, approval of working cash loan resolution. Is there a motion for the approval of the working cash fund resolution?
So moved. Second. Any discussion? Madam secretary, please take the role. Amelia? Aye. Lamark? Aye. Suttler? Aye. McKinney, aye. Fiorentino? Aye. Burkett? Aye. Motion passes six zero. Item eleven ten, approval of boundary change. Is there a motion for the approval of the boundary change? So moved. Second. Any discussion? I just wanted to, ask one one question on that. We are dealing with the families that are impacted? We are. Yes. We've contacted, each family that is currently, within that, boundary change, four to five times.
And it was just current current families that attend Hampshire High School that would be moved to Jacob's, not eighth graders. Correct? Eighth graders, as they leave middle school that live within that boundary change, will now go to Jacob's. Okay. I just wanted to make sure. Thank you. Hey, Mark? Hi. Kalia? Hi. Settler? Hi. Burket? Hi. Tarantino? Hi. Makinde, aye. Motion passes six zero. 11.11, approval of instructional materials curriculum adoption. Is there a motion for the approval of the instructional materials curriculum adoption?
So moved. Second. Any discussion? Any additional questions? I'll hold my comment before I move. Something comes on. I don't have any I don't have any for now. We can follow-up too with what this looks like over the next year for math. Yeah. Okay. Madam secretary, please take the role. Zettler? Aye. Tarantino? Aye. Brokett? Aye. Denmark? Aye. McKinney, aye. Amelia? Aye. Motion passes six zero. I do wanna say this is one of our largest, adoptions. And we learned some things from the previous adoption, which was prior to my role as superintendent,
when we focus on elementary literacy, and now we'll be focusing on math. As mister Williamson knows, we'll stay in communication about what that looks like so we can ensure that staff have what they need and are, feel equipped as they enter the next school year with the new resource. Can I just ask something? Do we do we usually do, like, a postmortem, like, every year, like, see what worked, what doesn't work, and and use that for next for the for the upcoming Yes. We do. And, like I said, previously, we did our major focus on literacy because at that time,
we were going through that change in a resource adoption, and the state had adopted a new literacy plan. And now we will, do the same with math as the state is currently drafting and sharing what that will look like as well. And we'll be able to follow that as well as feedback from our staff as we implement the new resource. I don't know, mister Williamson, if you wanna add anything because we don't normally move any adoptions forward without making sure staff have what they need for support and do a continuous follow-up about improvements through that process. Mike Williamson,
lead three hundred president. I know that we're we're going through that process and and to board members who haven't been here when we've done some of these major ones, we kinda cycle through several of these kind of in in investigating, okay, what's the next thing that might need to be up? What's the next process? It's a lot more complicated at a high school because of the number of different curricula. But I think in this case, we've gone through a thorough process and I I have faith in what Doctor. Smith is putting forward as far as getting pieces in place. We also bring together teams, that go through principal recommendations and the recommendations from my people to make sure that
stakeholders do have a voice in that material. That doesn't mean you're putting everybody in the room at all times, but we have representatives who do that through each building. So is is that is that what you're looking for? Did you have anything else? That's good for now, and then we'll probably just follow-up in a couple of months as we talk about really getting this off the ground for next school year. Absolutely. We also usually retain, a in service day in April, and part of the point of having that day is to roll out things for the next year. And then in the past, we didn't do that. We've been doing it now in order to make it sure that people have what
they need before the summer so they can go home and play with math all summer long, if that's what they wanna do, which I know, but some people are into that. And now we can hit the ground running with the April planning if with the approval tonight. Thank you. Great. Thank you for explaining that. Thanks, Mike. Item 12, closed session. Is there a motion to go into closed session for the purpose of discussing, one, the appoint appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the public body two parency one, two, collective negotiate negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives or
deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees two parenthesis two, three, litigation two parenthesis eleven, and four, security procedures, school building safety and security, the use of personnel to respond to an actual, a threatened, or reasonably potential danger to the safety of employees, students, staff, the public, or public property, two, parenthesis eight. Is there a motion? So moved. Second. Madam secretary, please take the role. Tarantino? Aye. Amelia? Aye. Zettler?
Aye. Lamar? Aye. McKinney, aye. Burkett? Aye. Motion pass is six zero. And we will have no action to follow closed session. Thank you, everyone.