Public Hearing on the 2022-23 Budget
No one asked to speak.
Recognition
The Board recognized Assistant Superintendent Ric King, Executive Director of Business Operations Steve Miller and Accounting Supervisor Helen Reynolds, as well as two former members of the accounting team, Mohsin Dada and Bill Harkin, for their part in ensuring that District 54 received the Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International for 50 consecutive years. District 54 was recognized this summer by ASBO for being the first district in the world to receive this certificate for 50 years.
Discussion Topic – District 54 Crisis Prevention and Response
The safety of our students and staff is the top priority in School District 54. We specifically state in one of our goals that each child deserves to be Healthy, Safe, Engaged, Supported and Challenged.
Each year, District 54 and the local fire and police departments that serve our schools review the District 54 crisis plan and discuss how to best prepare schools to prevent and respond to a variety of crisis situations. A key part of the plan revolves around the protocols and supports we have in place to decrease the risk of students engaging in harm to themselves or to others. We promote kindness and respect. We have a universal screener and a social-emotional survey to identify students who need extra support. We have mental health professionals at every school and PBIS teams who develop intervention strategies for students who need support. We talk to students and staff about reporting concerning behaviors.
We provide a variety of training opportunities and drills, to ensure our staff are informed and feel empowered to make the best decisions depending on the situation. District 54 also continues to provide security enhancements to our facilities, including secure entryways, locked exterior and interior doors, security cameras, protected glass and panic buttons. More information is available in the Crisis Memo.
Public Comment
The Board received one online public comment regarding air quality and no in-person public comments.
Freedom of Information Act
District 54 received and replied to six Freedom of Information Act requests since the last report to the Board related to First Student, purchasing records, seizure training for employees, transportation contracts, district complaints and printer/copier contracts.
Consent Agenda: The School Board approved the following items on the Consent Agenda.
Cabinet Report – Enrollment and Staffing Update
Although school does not start until August 15, District 54’s current enrollment is 14,662 students in kindergarten through eighth grade, compared to last year’s sixth day enrollment of 14,738. Due to fluctuations in enrollment numbers this summer, District 54 adjusted the staffing plan at specific grade levels and schools.
District 54 welcomed 141 new teachers this summer, due to openings created by retirements and resignations. In addition, District 54 grew its active substitute pool from 247 to 370 individuals through an active recruitment campaign this summer, streamlining the application process and offering professional development opportunities for District 54 substitutes.
Cabinet Report – Health and Safety Update
For the past two years, District 54 has made adjustments to its mitigation strategies related to COVID-19 with a focus on keeping our learning environment safe, while also allowing us to continue to return to more typical routines in our schools.
Today, the CDC revised its recommendations regarding COVID, and the District 54 protocols shared this evening align with these updated recommendations.
Cabinet Report – Summer 2022 in District 54
Summer continues to be an active and engaging time for students and a growth opportunity for staff. Throughout the summer, 3,016 students participated in one or multiple District 54 summer camps (54 Fitness League, STEM Academy, Camp Creative, Drone It Up, Instrumental Music and Language/Culture Camps) or Extended School Year offerings. District 54 also developed the Summer Learning Quest – an online educational platform that extended student learning beyond the school year.
In addition, more than 1,200 employees attended one or multiple professional development offerings including the 11th Annual District 54 Professional Development Symposium, Summer Year-Long Planning Classes and New Teacher Induction Week.
Cabinet Report – ACCESS Results for 2022
Illinois school districts must annually assess the language proficiency of all students identified as English learners (EL) using the ACCESS assessment. District 54 students again demonstrated high levels of growth in English development with 432 or 15.5% of EL students meeting the criteria for English proficiency. This is an increase of approximately 114 more students than last year and is significantly more than the state’s preliminary rate of 6.1% of students meeting proficiency criteria.
Superintendent’s Report – Plan of Action for 2022-23
Superintendent Andy DuRoss highlighted District 54’s Action Plan for the 2022-23 school year as it aligns with the following focus areas:
Board President’s Report
Board President Mary Kay Prusnick highlighted various opportunities for community involvement through District 54 committees.
D54 Education Foundation Report
Board President Mary Kay Prusnick encouraged everyone to support the District 54 Education Foundation by parking their cars at Collins School or visiting the Foundation food booth on Nonprofit Day during the Schaumburg Septemberfest celebration over Labor Day weekend.
New Business
Adjournment
The Board adjourned at 9:50 p.m. to enter closed session for employment/appointment matters and for the semi-annual review of minutes of closed-session meetings.