Minutes from the March 3, 2011 Meeting

Please click here to view the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting on March 3, 2011

Board Brief for March 17, 2011

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m.

Recognition:

The School Board recognized two employees and three volunteers.

Gail Mehlan received the Ambassador for Excellence Award after having received the Hanover Park Mayor’s Choice Award for Educator of the Year in January 2011. Mayor Rodney Craig presents the award to an educator who extended her service beyond the classroom and into the community. Gail, a teacher at Fox School, received the award for her work with the Kids at Hope Coalition in Hanover Park.

Parent Angela Mytych and her mother Chris Jez received Above and Beyond awards for their volunteer work at Collins School. In addition to being a PTA co-president, Mrs. Mytych has been the parent representative on the PBIS team for two years, supporting the team by raising money for incentives, facilitating student ambassador meetings, and planning school celebrations. Mrs. Jez, who has two grandchildren at the school, is also active in PBIS initiatives and volunteers in classrooms wherever she is needed.

Child and Family Educator Donica Luzwick received an Above and Beyond Award for the support she provided to a Hanover Highlands family in need. Donica, in turn, thanked everyone else who supported this family.

Rosie Reuth also received an Above and Beyond Award for supporting the Hanover Highlands PBIS and Giving Snowman programs by sending items from her home in Indiana.

Public Comment:  Three employees spoke against the proposed staffing plan. They expressed concerns that District 54 was sending a message that it didn’t value art, music and PE and asked the board to postpone the vote to consider a different solution.

Freedom of Information Act Requests:  There have been 14 requests since the last meeting related to painting, window and other projects at District 54 schools.

Consent Agenda: The School Board approved the following items on the Consent Agenda:

• Minutes of the regular and closed-session meetings on March 3, 2011
• Checks dated March 11, 2011
• Resignations and leaves of personnel
• Monthly update of revenues and expenditures
• Treasurer’s report on cash and investments for January 2011
• A contract for interior renovation at 22 sites during the summer of 2011
• The purchase of computers to replace older models
• The renewal of the Destiny library automation software licensing and support
• Submittal of a request to the Illinois Department of Transportation to designate Bode Road and Walnut Lane as a safety hazard
• The destruction of the verbatim records of the closed-session School Board meeting on Sept. 3, 2009
• The release of minutes from 34 closed-session board meetings
• A proclamation in recognition of April as Child Abuse Prevention Month

Reports:

• Superintendent’s Report: Superintendent Ed Rafferty thanked everyone who asked questions and shared their concerns. He also explained that the proposed plan allows District 54 to maintain its fine arts programming and be fiscally responsible, while other districts are cutting art and music.
• Report of the President of the Board of Education: President Karen Strykowski announced that District 54 will be reducing its 2011 Debt Service Levy to $0 from 16 cents per $100 of EAV in 2010. This reduction is possible because District 54 has been aggressive in eliminating its debt while maintaining safe schools, a balanced budget and an adequate fund balance. President Strykowski also congratulated Einstein teacher Kathi Griffin on being elected IEA Vice President.
• District Citizens Advisory Committee: Board Member Barbara Hengels reported that DCAC discussed the proposed staffing plan and the Key Communicator program.
• Foundation Report: Board Member Bill Harper announced that Mardi Gras was a success and the golf outing will be June 13.
• PTA Report: PTA representative Mary Kay Prusnick thanked everyone who supported the PTA auction this month. She also announced that elementary scholarships are due April 1. For scholarship information, click here.

New Business:

• The Board approved the 2011-12 Staffing Plan. Several board members commented that they did listen to staff and considered the proposal carefully before voting. They also voiced their support of maintaining the fine arts and PE programs.
• The Board approved a resolution of non-reemployment of some classified personnel and issued notices to those employees.
• The Board approved a resolution authorizing notice of dismissal to some educational support staff and issued notices to those employees.
• The Board approved a resolution of non-reemployment to some first-, second- and third-year nontenured certificated personnel and issued notices to those teachers.
• The Board approved a resolution authorizing notice of dismissal to final-year probationary teachers and issued notices to those teachers.

Announcements:

• Board Member Barbara Hengels thanked the Village of Hoffman Estates, who donated emergency radios to District 54 schools in Hoffman Estates.
• Board President Karen Strykowski invited everyone to attend the Kids at Hope Community Resource Fair on April 2. For more information about the event, click here.
• Board Secretary Melissa Hutchison reminded everyone about the recycling event being co-sponsored by District 54 on April 23. For more information, click here.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 8:20 p.m. to closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body; and to discuss collective negotiating matters between the public body and its employees or their representatives.

Minutes from the February 17, 2011 Meeting

Please click here to view the Minutes of the Regular Board Meeting on February 17, 2011

Board Brief for March 3, 2011

Call to Order:  The meeting was called to order at 7 p.m.

Discussion – Staffing Plan for 2011-12:

Andy DuRoss, assistant superintendent for human resources, and Nick Myers, assistant superintendent for student learning, presented the administration’s preliminary staffing plan for the 2011-12 school year. The first piece of the staffing plan is projecting the number of District 54 students. The 2011-12 projected enrollment is 13,605 kindergarten through eighth-grade students, a drop from 13,680 this year.

Based on this projection, the administration believes it is financially prudent to recommend a staffing plan that calls for the elimination of 13 classroom positions (11 at the elementary level), three special education positions and four district office administrative positions. Average class size in the district would remain at 23 students.

The district is also recommending the reduction of all non-tenured art, music and PE teachers to change the scheduling of these classes to a system that is more efficient and equitable across the 21 elementary schools. All tenured fine arts and PE teachers would be assigned full-time teaching positions in their respective areas and remaining openings would be filled with part-time teachers assigned according to the staffing needs of individual schools. Released non-tenured teachers will be given priority in interviewing for these remaining part-time openings. Our recommendation calls for 21 full- or part-time teachers to be assigned to fine arts and PE classes in our 21 elementary schools. This will provide schools with needed flexibility in building their master schedules and ensure we are allocating staff at a level consistent with the actual needs of each school. District 54 students will continue to receive 60 minutes of art, music and PE instruction at the elementary school level each week.

District 54 would also release its 15 early childhood teachers, six child and family educator positions and 17 early childhood assistants due to the financial uncertainty of state funding in this area.

In addition, District 54 is recommending the addition of 8.5 bilingual resource teachers and a decrease of 9 bilingual assistant positions to support the changes to the bilingual program made this year. All bilingual students attend their neighborhood school and receive support through a bilingual resource model. There are no more than 20 students assigned to every bilingual resource teacher.

District 54 is also recommending the reduction of 39 special education assistant positions, based in part on a decrease in the number of students requiring special education services.

After the presentation, board members expressed their commitment to continuing to provide fine arts and PE instruction for students. They also thanked everyone in attendance for coming to the meeting, to listen to the presentation and ask any questions if there are areas that need clarification.

Board members shared that the proposal is in the best interest of all 14,000 students. Currently, schools have anywhere from three to nine fine arts and PE teachers. The current structure is unfair to the students at the schools with nine specials teacher. 

Public Comment:

Four District 54 art, music or PE teachers; the SEA and SEEO presidents; three parents of District 54 students; one community member; and four teachers from other school districts spoke against the proposed staffing plan. They expressed concerns that District 54 would not be able to attract quality part-time teachers who would have the desire to remain with the district or the time to commit to participating in extracurricular activities and establishing relationships with the students and families at the school. Superintendent Rafferty responded that District 54 currently employs 66 dedicated, high-quality, part-time teachers.

Two of the individuals from other districts spoke to the elimination of foreign language programs. There is no proposal to eliminate foreign language in District 54. The staffing plan calls for an increase in the number of dual language classes, as well as a new Chinese immersion program at Campanelli.

Music teacher Judy Hays spoke about an alternative plan that was presented to the administration that called for having any position over four full days be full-time. Additional responsibilities would be found for the art, music and PE teacher who worked less than five full days. The administration agreed to implement that plan at any of the schools that had tenured teachers next year without 23 sessions. Superintendent Rafferty said there are music teachers certified to teach instrumental music and art teachers with ESL endorsements who could fulfill that need in a building.

Freedom of Information Act Requests:  There have been five requests since the last meeting related to the gym light fixture project.

Consent Agenda: The School Board approved the following items on the Consent Agenda:

• Minutes of the regular and closed-session meetings on Feb. 17, 2010
• Checks dated Feb. 25, 2010
• Resignations and leaves of personnel
• A contract for asbestos abatement at nine buildings
• A contract for flooring removal and replacement at 13 schools
• A contract for roofing repair at three schools
• A contract for the deck/roofing project at Armstrong
• A contract for roofing repair and replacement at Churchill

New Business:

• The School Board approved the purchase of elementary social science materials from TCI.
• The School Board had the first reading of proposed revisions to the following policies:
  • Philosophy of Student Behavior (JFA)
  • Student Suspension or Expulsion from School (JGD)
  • Student Substance Abuse (IGAG)
  • Acceptable Use of the Internet (IIAD)

Announcements:

• Board Vice President Charlotte Kegarise praised the Keller Junior High School play Ketchup!, which she attended last week.
• Board Member Bill Harper announced to any part-time teachers in District 54 that he appreciated their dedication to students.
• Board Member Barbara Hengels announced that the Village of Hoffman Estates received a grant to purchase emergency radios for schools.

 Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 9:20 p.m. to closed session to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of specific employees of the public body; and for discussion of minutes and verbatim records of closed session meetings, whether for purposes of approval by the body of the minutes or semi-annual review as mandated.