Board Brief for May 3, 2012
Service Awards:
Before the board meeting, the School Board honored employees who have served 25, 30 and 35 years with the district.
Discussion – Early Childhood Program Overview:
Research shows that children who receive high quality early childhood education and interventions have gains in language and math skills that remain into their elementary school years.
District 54 began providing early childhood services in 1972 by establishing an early childhood special education program that served 80 children. Today District 54 still provides early childhood special education for ages 3 to 5 for 276 children. However, the district now offers a variety of other programs for our youngest students.
Preschool for All serves children ages 3 to 5 that are identified as being the most at-risk of academic failure using a systematic screening process. District 54 screens about 400 children a year for this program.
Prevention Initiative, funded by the Illinois State Board of Education, began in District 54 in 1991. The program serves families with children ages 0 to 3 who meet certain at-risk criteria. The District 54 Child and Family Educators have established resource centers and programs in multifamily residences that house low income families in order to find parents and children in need of support.
Family Involvement Nurturing Development (FIND) provides services for children ages 0 to 5 through community resource centers at seven locations. Services include parent-child interaction, home visits, parent workshops and family literacy time.
The purpose of the early childhood program is to help at-risk children catch up to their peers both academically, physically and socially by the time they enter kindergarten.
Public Comment:
One individual, who is both a resident and business owner in Schaumburg, spoke about how he investigated the financial records in District 54 20 years ago and is working with a group to investigate current records.
Freedom of Information Act Requests:
District 54 received six requests since the last board meeting related to the art supplies bid tabulation, award information for roofing replacement and salary information for administrators, teachers, custodians and maintenance personnel.
Consent Agenda:
- Minutes of the regular and closed-session meetings on April 19, 2012
- Resignations, leaves, retirement and employment of personnel
- Re-employment of five teachers who had received dismissal notices
- Checks dated April 20, 2012
- A contract for paving work at 15 District 54 sites during the summer of 2012
- A contract for seal-coating work at 13 District 54 sites during the summer of 2012
- A contract for Project Lead the Way classroom structural modifications during the summer of 2012
New Business:
- The Board approved the appointment of representatives to serve on the District Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the 2012-13 school year.
Announcements:
- Superintendents for the Day Molly and Kelly Guagenti talked about their day as superintendent. They visited Mead, Stevenson and Collins.
- Board Vice President Charlotte Kegarise spoke about how much she enjoyed Eisenhower’s play Beauty and the Beast Jr.
- Board Member Mary Kay Prusnick read to an early childhood class at Einstein and attended the Friday celebration as part of the Week of the Young Child activities last week.
- Board Member Karen Strykowski spoke about reading to early childhood students at Fairview and then visiting the school science fair.
- Board President Teresa Huber mentioned that next week is Teacher Appreciation Week and said the board appreciates all that our staff members do for the students in District 54.
Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 7:50 p.m. to closed session for employment/appointment matters, legal matters and collective negotiating matters.