The School Board presented Ambassador for Excellence Awards to the following:

• 18 students who were finalists at the 2013 District 54 Spanish Language Speech Contest on May 9;
• Eight students who won “First Team All-American Scholar” honors from Pop Warner;
• Three students who won a scholarship from the Spring Valley Concert Band;
• Nine students who won this year’s District 54 Battle of the Books competition April 19;
• 21 Mead students who participated in the 2013 National History Day state competition; and
• Special Education Director Jennifer Naddeo and Math/Science Director Jim Vreeland who presented at National Lewis University workshops.

The Board also recognized the 50th anniversary of the Schaumburg Park District and thanked Teresa Huber for her years serving as board president.

Public Comment: One community member thanked the district for allowing him to tutor students at Blackwell School and also suggested ways to support students by getting parents more involved.

Freedom of Information Act Requests: District 54 received nine requests since the last board meeting related to the summer 2013 site improvement bid, the sealcoating bid, the interior renovations bid, the masonry restoration bid, the commercial mowers bid and the custodial products bid.

Consent Agenda:

• Minutes of the reorganizational and closed-session meetings on May 2, 2013
• Resignations, leaves, retirements and employment of personnel
• Checks dated May 3, 2013
• The monthly update of revenues and expenditures for April 2013
• The treasurer’s report on cash and investments for March 2013
• A contract for optional parent-purchased student accident insurance for 2013-14
• The 2013-14 workers’ compensation insurance policy
• The purchase of classroom furnishings for 2013-14
• The purchase of computers for 2013-14
• The purchase of technology equipment with licensing and support for 2013-14
• The annual purchase of MAP computer assessment software
• The purchase of art supplies for 2013-14
• The purchase of elementary math materials
• The purchase of materials and staff training for Project Lead the Way
• The purchase of supplementary literacy materials to support the implementation of the Common Core State Standards
• Approval of 2013 summer writing projects
• A contract for site improvement work at three District 54 sites during the summer of 2013
• The submittal of safety hazard busing findings for the 2013-14 school year
• The destruction of the verbatim records of the closed-session school board meetings held on Oct. 20 and 27, 2011,  and Nov. 3, 2011, for which approved minutes already exist

Superintendent’s Report: Superintendent Ed Rafferty thanked the board for honoring retirees and for hosting an open house for him this week in honor of all his years in District 54 (Rafferty will retire in June). Superintendent-for-a-Day Cole Fentem reported that the Illinois State Board of Education compliance team presented very positive results from its visit, and specifically mentioned partnerships, the fine arts, the dual language programs, the Food Pantry, the Community Closet, the PTA, the Foundation and the district’s commitment to STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Fentem also announced District 54 met districtwide student growth targets this year. He thanked all staff and students for their hard work this past year.

President’s Report: Board President Bill Harper shared he heard positive reports about the first annual District 54 rocket launch this week.

District Citizens’ Advisory Committee: Board Member Barbara Hengels reported that DCAC offered feedback on communication tools and strategies in District 54. DCAC also elected a new chairman, vice chairman and secretary for 2013-14.

Foundation Report: Board Member Mary Kay Prusnick said the Foundation still needs volunteers for the 2013 golf outing, which will be held on June 10.

PTA Report: New Council President Mikel Eppenbaugh reported local units celebrated teacher appreciation week last week and are working on year-end activities. The PTA Council also hosted its annual scholarship/recognition dinner last week, at which high school seniors were presented with scholarships, Superintendent Ed Rafferty was honored for his service and PTA announced the winners of the Spend the Cash program. The Spend the Cash money will be used to support the District 54 Run to Read and to purchase a license so that school PTAs may show movies.

New Business:

• The Board appointed community representatives to serve on the District Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the 2013-14 school year.
• The Board approved the District 54 Mission, Vision, Commitments and Goals
• The Board approved revisions to the following board policies:  Public Access to District Records (2:250), Purchasing Authority (4:60), Basic Instructional Program (6:60), Services for Students with Disabilities (6:120), Philosophy of Student Behavior (7:130) and Student Suspension or Expulsion from School (7:210).
• The Board appointed Joe McCauley as assistant principal of Hale Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year.
• The Board appointed Katie Kurtz as assistant principal of Einstein Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year.
• The Board appointed Nell Haack as principal of Collins Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year.
• The Board appointed Julie Gluff as principal of Hale Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year.

Announcements:

• Board members attended the District 54 rocket launch, the PTA scholarship dinner and the Connecting Generations senior volunteer lunch. They also commended students and staff for reaching their MAP growth targets.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 8:25 p.m. to closed session for employment/appointment matters and for business matters.

Recognition:

The Board recognized individuals who served on the Goals Committee this year. Before the School Board meeting, the Board also recognized employees with 25, 30 and 35 years of service to District 54.

Approval of Minutes:

• The School Board approved the minutes of the regular and closed-session board meetings on April 18, 2013

Results of Canvass of the April 9, 2013 School Board Election:  The Board accepted the results of the canvass.

Oath of Office for Newly Elected Board Members:  The board members who were re-elected on April 9 took the oath of office. They are Peggy Brothman, Teresa Huber, Charlotte Kegarise and Karen Strykowski.

Motion to Adjourn Sine Die

Call to Order of New Board

Appointment of President and Secretary Pro Tem:  The Board appointed Teresa Huber as president pro tem and Karen Strykowski as secretary pro tem.

Election of Board Officers:  The Board elected Bill Harper as president, Charlotte Kegarise as vice president and Karen Strykowski as secretary.

Establishment of Schedule for Regular Board Meetings:  The Board approved the schedule and location for regular Board of Education meetings for July 2013 through June 2014. See the board meetings web page for the exact dates.

Adoption of Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures:  The Board adopted the rules, regulations, policies and procedures of the prior School District 54 Board of Education.

Discussion – District Goals:

One of the top priorities of the School Board this year was to form a committee of parents, community members, students and staff and ask them to evaluate the current mission, vision, commitments and goals and recommend any changes. This committee began meeting in October and tonight presented the School Board with the revised District 54 Mission, Vision, Commitments and Goals document.

The committee discussed current issues facing public education and explored ways by which District 54 could continue to improve the educational experiences it provides to each student. The committee also solicited feedback from the community and staff, including the PTA Council and District Citizens’ Advisory Committee. An email with a link to a survey was sent to more than 2,000 employees and more than 14,000 parents. The feedback was presented to the committee and several suggestions were incorporated in the final document.

High-performing school districts have built their success on a strong foundation supported by four pillars: mission, vision, commitments and goals. A mission helps clarify the district’s purpose, serves as its guiding principle and is the basis for how policies and decisions are made. The vision provides direction of where the district wants to be in the next three to five years by establishing priorities. Commitments are the attitudes, beliefs and behaviors that members of an organization embrace. The final pillar is goals. The committee wrote three specific student achievement goals that are intended to be accomplished in the next three to five years. Our goals will be:

• Students who have attended District 54 schools for at least one year will be at grade level in reading and math upon entering third grade as measured by Measures of Academic Progress (MAP).
• Each school will close the achievement gap for all students in reading and math as measured by both district and state assessments.
• Each school will perform at or above the 90th percentile (top 10% nationally) in meeting individual student growth targets in reading and math as measured by Measures of Academic Progress (MAP).

Public Comment:  No one asked to speak.

Freedom of Information Act Requests: There have been eight requests since the last meeting related to electrostatic painting, a sealcoating bid, an art supplies bid and personnel retiring in 2013.

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

• Resignations, leaves and employment of personnel
• Re-employment of one employee who received a dismissal notice
• Checks dated April 19, 2013
• A proclamation recognizing Tuesday, May 7, 2013 as National Teacher Day.

New Business:

• The Board had the first reading of revisions to the following board policies:  Public Access to District Records (2:250), Purchasing Authority (4:60), Basic Instructional Program (6:60), Services for Students with Disabilities (6:120), Philosophy of Student Behavior (7:130) and Student Suspension or Expulsion from School (7:210).
• The board approved the appointment of Ken Haase as assistant principal at Link and Nerge elementary schools for the 2013-14 school year.
• The board approved the appointment of Andrew Gibbs as assistant principal at Churchill and Lincoln Prairie schools for the 2013-14 school year.
• The board approved the appointment of Kelly Dvoracek as assistant principal at Armstrong Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year.
• The board approved the appointment of Ivette Rivera-Weigle as assistant principal at Campanelli and Dooley elementary schools for the 2013-14 school year.
• The board approved the appointment of Becky Rodriguez as assistant principal at Collins and Dirksen elementary schools for the 2013-14 school year.
• The board approved the appointment of Michelle Thompson as assistant principal at Enders-Salk and MacArthur elementary schools for the 2013-14 school year.
• The board approved the appointment of Blanca Leal as assistant principal at Fox and Hanover Highlands elementary schools for the 2013-14 school year.
• The board approved the appointment of Lily Smith as assistant principal at Mead Junior High School for the 2013-14 school year.
• The board approved the appointment of Tom Barbini as assistant principal at Frost Junior High School for the 2013-14 school year.

Announcements:

• Board members praised the District 54/Village of Schaumburg recycling event on April 20 and Eisenhower’s production of The Little Mermaid. In recognition of National Teacher Day next week, the Board also thanked all the teachers in District 54 for all they do every day for our students.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 8:40 p.m. to closed session to employment/appointment matters.

• Six Dooley students who received awards in the annual Japanese Speech Contest;
• The Stevenson GEMS Club who presented at the Illinois Computing Educators Conference;
• Students who presented at the 2013 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Conference with Special Olympics;
• Students who represented District 54 on the Illinois Special Olympics Youth Activation Committee;
• Students who received Distinguished Service Awards for their work as a Global Messenger for Illinois Special Olympics;
• Parents Ammie Silvestri and Dawn Vivirito who received Distinguished Service Awards for their work representing PTA on Schaumburg CAN;
• Teacher Habib Behrouzi who received a Distinguished Service Award for his communications efforts at Frost Junior High School; and

The Board also recognized the 50th anniversary of the Schaumburg Township Council of PTAs and honored the crossing guards who keep our students safe on their journeys to and from school.

Public Comment: No one asked to speak.

Freedom of Information Act Requests: District 54 received nine requests since the last board meeting related to flooring projects, custodial services and supplies, masonry work, summer site improvements, asbestos removal and window replacement.

Consent Agenda:

• Minutes of the regular and closed-session meetings on April 4, 2013
• Resignations, leaves, retirements and employment of personnel
• Re-employment of four individuals who received dismissal notices
• Checks dated April 5, 2013
• The monthly update of revenues and expenditures for March 2013
• The treasurer’s report on cash and investments for February 2013
• The replacement of two commercial mowers
• A contract for moving at seven schools during the summer of 2013
• A contract for electrostatic painting at three schools
• A contract for seal-coating work at 14 sites during the summer of 2013
• The purchase of literacy materials
• The purchase of social science materials
• The amended school calendar for 2012-13, moving the last day of school to May 31 due to school being closed on March 5 for inclement weather
• The destruction of the verbatim records of the closed-session school board meetings held on Sept. 22 and Oct. 6, 2011, for which approved minutes already exist

Superintendent’s Report: Superintendent Ed Rafferty thanked everyone who ensured our students got to school safely and our schools opened on time today despite the large amount of rain this week.

District Citizens’ Advisory Committee: Community Relations Director Terri McHugh reported that DCAC heard a presentation about Project Lead the Way in District 54.

National School Board Association/Illinois Association of School Boards: Board Vice President Charlotte Kegarise said the District 54 group who presented at the National School Boards Conference, Linking Compensation to Student Growth, was well received by everyone who attended the session. Other board members agreed and thanked those who presented and the unions for their working relationship with board.

Foundation Report: Board Member Mary Kay Prusnick thanked everyone who supported the restaurant fundraisers this spring and encouraged everyone to register for the 2013 golf outing, which will be held on June 10.

PTA Report: Council President Lisa Guagenti announced that the Illinois PTA Convention is this weekend, that high school recipients have been selected and that elementary scholarship applications are being reviewed.

New Business:

• The Board appointed community representatives to serve on the District Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the 2013-14 school year.
• The Board approved revisions to Policy 8:20, Community Use of Facilities.
• The Board approved revisions to Policy 8:30, Visitors to Schools.
• The Board approved revisions to Policy 8:80, Gifts to Schools.
• The Board approved revisions to Policy 8:90, Parent’s Organization (PTA).
• The Board approved revisions to Policy 8:140, Distribution of Political Materials.

Announcements:

• Board members spoke about how much they enjoyed the opportunities to read and visit with our youngest students during the Week of the Young Child.
• Members reminded everyone about the Recycling Event on Saturday, April 20, at the District Office.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 7:55 p.m. to closed session for employment/appointment matters.

District 54 schools will enact significant structural and instructional changes next year as we implement the Common Core State Standards and prepare for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment coming in 2014-15. The new standards and assessment promise increased rigor in math and reading; place a strong emphasis on science and social studies; and require us to emphasize high cognitive-demand tasks. Some of the changes outlined are as follows.

• The math and literacy curriculum will be realigned to the Common Core State Standards and training will be provided to staff to help them deliver instruction.
• Our district will adjust the guidelines for the minimum instructional minutes for each core subject area, including 30 minutes of social studies and 40 minutes of daily science at the elementary level. A minimum of 20 minutes of science and social science will be devoted to reading and writing activities.
• With an increased emphasis on the use of nonfiction and informational text, teachers will use the text and content in our social studies and science curriculum to further develop the literacy and numeracy skills of our students.
• Daily literacy and math acceleration will be provided to all students, regardless of their proficiency levels.
• At the junior high level, each student will have 60 minutes of math daily.
• Each junior high will also establish literacy and math acceleration classes in lieu of electives for students in need of additional time and support in these areas.
• New essential outcomes will be developed for literacy and math aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

Public Comment: No one asked to speak.

Freedom of Information Act Requests: District 54 received 11 requests since the last board meeting related to bids for asbestos abatement, flooring, masonry restoration and sealcoating projects, as well as contact information for current school personnel.

Consent Agenda:

• Minutes of the regular and closed-session meetings on March 21, 2013
• The resignations, leaves and retirement of personnel
• Checks dated March 22, 2013
• A contract for interior renovations at 27 schools and the District Office/Warehouse during the summer of 2013

New Business:

• The Board approved revisions to Policy 8:130 – Media Access.
• The Board had the first reading of revisions to the following board policies: 8:20 – Community Use of District Facilities, 8:30 – Visitors to Schools, 8:80 – Gifts to Schools, 8:90 – Parent’s Organization (PTA) and 8:140 – Distribution of Political Materials.
• The Board appointed Diana Lipman as principal of Armstrong Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year.
• The Board appointed Heather Wilson as principal of Keller Junior High School for the 2013-14 school year.

Announcements:

• Board members announced that the Kids at Hope Resource Fair is April 6 and the Foundation and the PTA are co-sponsoring a dining fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings on April 17.
• Several board members visited the Schaumburg Township District Library for an intergovernmental meeting last night.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 8:15 p.m. to closed session for employment/appointment matters.

The Board presented Ambassador for Excellence awards to three students who qualified for the 2013 Illinois You Be The Chemist Challenge Competition: Nitin S. from Mead who placed first, Heemani B. from Mead who placed second and Robert D. from Frost who placed fourth in the regional competition.

The Board presented Above and Beyond awards to Katy and Waldo Garcia, owners of Riccardo’s Ristorante, for their generous support of District 54 students, staff and PTA; and to Justo Rodriguez, the custodian at the District Office, for the services he provides at the District Office that go above and beyond his job responsibilities.

Public Comment: No one asked to speak.

Freedom of Information Act Requests: District 54 received seven requests since the last board meeting related to bids for window replacement, masonry work, Keller’s expansion and the upgraded fiber optic WAN service; as well as information on administrator positions and salaries.

Consent Agenda:

• Minutes of the regular and closed-session meetings on March 7, 2013
• Resignations, retirements, termination and employment of personnel
• A resolution of non-reemployment of classified personnel
• A resolution authorizing notice of dismissal to educational support staff
• A resolution of non-reemployment of first-, second- and third-year nontenured certificated personnel
• A resolution authorizing notice of dismissal to final-year probationary teachers
• The staffing plan for the 2013-14 school year
• Checks dated March 8, 2013
• The monthly update of revenues and expenditures for February 2013
• The treasurer’s report on cash and investments for January 2013
• Approval of McGladrey & Pullen, LLC as auditors
• A contract for maintenance inspection of school athletic equipment
• A contract for asbestos abatement at five schools
• A contract for partial flooring removal and replacement at nine schools
• A contract for masonry restoration at six schools
• The purchase of graphing calculators for junior high math classrooms
• The purchase of classroom magazine subscriptions
• A resolution authorizing intervention in tax objection complaint proceedings pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County
• School improvement plans for Einstein and Lakeview elementary schools and for Addams, Eisenhower and Keller junior high schools
• The release of minutes from closed-session meetings on Aug. 2 and 16, 2012; Sept. 6, 2012; Oct. 4 and 18, 2012; Nov. 1, 2012; and Jan. 24, 2013
• The destruction of the verbatim records of closed-session meetings on Sept. 1 and 15, 2011, for which approved minutes already exist
• A resolution recognizing the Schaumburg Township Council of PTAs’ 50th anniversary

Superintendent’s Report: Superintendent Ed Rafferty reported that District 54 received two awards last week – the Bright Apple Award  and the Sunny Award for website transparency (click here for more information on these awards).

Report of the President of the Board of Education: President Teresa Huber reported that the Schaumburg Park District  is celebrating its 50th Anniversary  and presented District 54 with a proclamation.

Foundation Report: Superintendent Rafferty reported that the Foundation’s Mardi Gras raised more than $25,000. He thanked people for attending the event.

PTA Report: Council President Lisa Guagenti thanked everyone who attended, donated to and volunteered at the PTA’s annual auction this month. On April 17, the PTA Council and the Foundation will host a joint fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings. The Council  is currently planning the scholarship dinner and reviewing high school scholarship applications. Elementary scholarship applications for summer activities are due after spring break.

New Business:

• The Board approved Policy 2:120(c) – Board Member use of District Issued Procurement Cards.
• The Board approved Policy 4:30(b) – Investment of District Funds.
• The Board approved Policy 5:60(a) – In-District Expense Reimbursement (Employees).
• The Board approved Policy 5:60(b) – Employee Use of District Issued Procurement Credit Cards.
• The Board approved Policy 7:210 – Student Suspension or Expulsion from School.
• The Board approved Policy 8:120 – Public’s Right to Know – Publication of Legal Notices.

Announcements:

• Board members thanked Lisa Guagenti and the PTA board for a wonderful time at the PTA Auction.

Adjournment: The Board adjourned at 7:36 p.m. to closed session for employment/appointment matters.