Public Comment
No one asked to speak.
Appointment of School Board Member
The School Board appointed Bob Kaplan to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Ken Van Dyke in August.
Election of Board Secretary
The School Board elected Debbie Schmidt to serve as secretary of the Board.
Recognition
District 54 shared a video created by our Latinx Employee Resource Group as a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 each year. As we wrap up the month, we want to recognize the many Hispanic employees, students, families and community members in District 54. By highlighting the different cultures that make up our diverse community, we can continue to promote a culture of inclusion and unconditional belonging. Click here to watch the video.
The School Board recognized the following individuals and groups as Ambassadors for Excellence for their recent accomplishments.
- Campanelli School Secretary Michelle Pikscher received the Leadership Award from the Chicagoland Admin Awards
- Keller was named National Banner Unified Champion School by Special Olympics, one of only five schools chosen in Illinois this year.
- Three groups of students from District 54 were chosen to participate in the Special Olympics Illinois Youth Activation Committee.
- Addams – Brandon Naylor and Jackson Burress
- Mead – Sanjana Neelam and Brianna Bucaro
- Eisenhower – Mady Kersting and Mia Tavares
The School Board also recognized Anna Scheele, a senior at Schaumburg High School who previously attended Dooley and Addams as an Outstanding Alumni. Anna took second place for her artwork in the national Centene Institute Youth Impact Award: Cyberbullying Prevention competition. She was awarded $3,000 to give to a nonprofit organization and selected the District 54 Education Foundation.
Discussion – Professional Learning Communities (PLCs)
Superintendent Andy DuRoss shared with the School Board that District 54’s four areas of focus for the 2022-23 school year are instruction, supporting social-emotional success, leadership development and professional learning communities. He highlighted the students and staff in our schools with a new This is District 54 video.
Associate Superintendents Erin Knoll and Nick Myers spoke about how District 54 has worked intentionally over many years to deeply embed the core principles of the Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) framework into our daily practices. The PLC model is anchored around four main ideas: student learning is the primary focus of the school; schools make a full commitment to a collaborative culture; schools are fully committed to continuous improvement; and success is based on results – not intentions.
Schools functioning as PLCs utilize grade level and content area teams to work collaboratively in responding to the following four critical questions of student learning.
- What are the essential learning outcomes all students must master in the grade level or course?
- How will common, formative assessments be utilized to determine if students have grasped the essential learning outcomes our instruction is targeting?
- How will we respond when students struggle to grasp essential skills and concepts?
- How will we respond when students have already demonstrated mastery of the skills and concepts being presented?
Dooley Principal Holly Schlicher, Hanover Highlands Principal Amy Thompson and Mead Principal Scott Ross shared examples of how PLCs function in their schools.
Freedom of Information Act
District 54 received and replied to five Freedom of Information Act requests since the last report to the Board related to school capacity, FOIA requests and legal fees.
Consent Agenda: The School Board approved the following items on the Consent Agenda.
- The minutes of the regular and closed-session School Board meetings on September 15, 2022
- The minutes of the special open and closed-session School Board meetings on September 12 and 20, 2022
- Resignations, leaves, termination, retirements, employment and re-employment of personnel
- Checks dated September 9 and 23, 2022
- The treasurer’s report on cash and investments for August 2022
- The monthly update of revenues and expenditures for September 2022
- Recommendation against the approval of three vehicles (the vehicle purchase will be re-bid)
- An interagency agreement with the Village of Schaumburg for the joint use of facilities in case of an emergency incident or an event that requires a relocation or shelter site to be established
- The purchase of technology equipment with licensing and support
- The destruction of the verbatim records of the closed-session school board meetings held on March 18, 2021 for which approved minutes already exist
Cabinet Report – Data Retreat and School Improvement Plan Process
In District 54 we know how important it is for our students and staff to reflect on their academic and social emotional goals in order to monitor their building, team and individual progress. We prioritize time each fall for teacher leaders and building administration to come together to collaboratively develop strategic plans to ensure we are achieving our board goals. School teams attend a data retreat each fall, where they examine their state and local academic assessment data, as well as school cultural assessment data before setting school improvement goals and action steps for the 2022-23 school year. Once each trimester, school administrators present those goals to district level leadership and share the school’s progress toward those goals. These processes foster an ongoing improvement cycle that has led to adjustments and improvements in curriculum, collaboration, assessment and program implementation at both the school and district level.
Cabinet Report – Grab and Go Professional Development
District 54 aims to provide our staff members numerous opportunities in a variety of formats to grow their capacity as educators. The Grab and Go Professional Development courses are offered before and after school, and during the lunch hour and have included topics such as Creating an Inclusive Classroom and Electrifying Engagement Strategies. District 54 is also offering InstaPD, which are short videos or articles focused on strategies that have powerful impacts in the classroom.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Andy DuRoss shared that the Illinois State Board of Education will be hosting its next meeting on Wednesday, October 19, in School District 54. As part of the meeting, the State Board will be visiting two schools – the Early Learning Center and Addams Junior High School to learn more about the unique programs at these two schools.
District Citizens’ Advisory Committee (DCAC) Report
Board Member Barbara Hengels reported that DCAC heard a presentation today about District 54’s Crisis Prevention and Response Plan.
District 54 Education Foundation Report
The Foundation launched a campaign this week to raise $100,000 in one year for its Crisis Fund through the Caring for Our Community Campaign. The fundraising committee hopes to accomplish this goal by securing 100 separate $1,000 donations from businesses, organizations and individuals, and has raised almost $7,000 in the first week. If you would like to become an official Crisis Fund Community Partner donate online at d54foundation.org/donate or by emailing [email protected]. If you can’t commit to the full $1,000, donations of any amount are appreciated.
PTA Report
PTA Council President Cheryl Gleason reported that school PTAs have hosted many opportunities for families and staff to come together, including Back to School nights, book fairs, breakfasts with grownups, hot lunches, fun food days, fall fests, and Hispanic Heritage Month. She also invited the School Board to the PTA Region General Meeting on October 17, at which time the Northwest Cook Region PTA will celebrate the accomplishments of school PTAs.
New Business
- The Board approved a resolution estimating the 2022 levy at $201,842,437. A public hearing on the levy will be held at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 in the District 54 Professional Learning Center.
- The Board approved an intergovernmental agreement with the Village of Schaumburg for three school resource officers (SROs) effective August 1, 2022 through July 31, 2025.
- The Board approved the appointment of a representative from the community to serve on the District Citizens’ Advisory Committee for the 2022-2023 school year.
- The Board approved the purchase of three vehicles.
- The Board approved revisions to Policy 7:190 – Student Behavior.
- The Board had the first reading of revisions to Policy 7:285 – Food Allergy Management Program.
- The Board approved the 2023-2024 school calendar.
- The Board approved the holidays for 12-month employees for 2023-2024.
- The Board approved a proclamation in recognition of American Education Week 2022 and International Education Week 2022, which run November 14-18, 2022.
Announcements
- Board Member Bob Kaplan thanked the rest of the School Board for their vote of confidence in reappointing him this evening.
- Board President Mary Kay Prusnick recognized the Hoffman Estates Park District and District 54 for the new inclusive playground in Poplar Park by Muir Elementary School.
- Board Member Nick Pye congratulated District 54 on a successful Run to Read and thanked all the staff who facilitated this fun event for families and staff.
Adjournment
The Board adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
