North Wayne Community Unit School District 200 Board met January 17.
Here is the minutes provided by the Board:
The first regular meeting of the month of December of the Board of Education of Community Unit School District 200, DuPage County, Illinois, was called to order at the Wiesbrook Elementary School, 2160 Durfee Road, Wheaton, IL, by Board President Jim Vroman, on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, at 7:00 pm.
Roll Call:
Upon the roll being called, the following were present:
Board Members: Jim Vroman
Brad Paulsen
Chris Crabtree
Ginna Ericksen
Jim Gambaiani
Rob Hanlon
Jim Mathieson
Also in Attendance: Dr. Jeff Schuler, Superintendent
Mr. Bill Farley
Mrs. Erica Loiacono
Mr. Rodney Mack
Dr. Joanne Panopoulos
Dr. Robert Rammer
Pledge Of Allegiance:
Dr. Brian Turyna led the Board and community in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Communication With The Host School:
Principal Brian Turyna welcomed the Board, staff and community to Wiesbrook School. Dr. Turyna talked of the new vision statement which Wiesbrook has adopted which supports Vision 2018. Fifth grade teacher, Dr. Susan Sullivan, presented information on the Science Olympiad Team from the school, including the goals for the Olympiad, the makeup of the team, projects which the team has worked on, and the dedication of the parents and staff who coach and contribute to the success of the program.
Modifications To The Agenda:
None
Recognitions And Achievements:
College Board AP District Honor Roll Award-
Mr. Asa Gordon recognized CUSD 200 for their College Board AP District Honor Roll Award. Dr. Schuler and the Board recognized both WNHS and WWSHS administrators – Principals Matt Biscan and Dave Claypool; Assistant Principals Alexia Ellet, Julie Pavlini, Erin Axelson and Lorie Campos; as well as Director of School Improvement Julie Oziemkowski for their efforts in this achievement.
Public Comments – Agenda Items:
The opportunity to speak to the Board is provided for members of the public who have a question or comment on an agenda item. The Board appreciates hearing from stakeholders, and values your thoughts and questions. The Board strives to make the best decisions for the District, and public input in a variety of venues is very helpful.
The Board must protect the civility and decorum of this meeting. Please be respectful for the duties of the Board and the democratic process in your comments tonight:
⇒ Please use the microphone, state your name, and address your comments to the Board
⇒ Please limit your comments to 3 minutes.
⇒ Please be factual and courteous, and do not include statements that are personally disrespectful or condescending to members of the Board or staff.
If you feel your matter needs to be discussed in more detail, please attend the Board’s “Chance to Chat” or present your comments to us in writing.
Speaker Jan Shaw
Topic Lease Certificates
Speaker Megan Kuan
Topic Jefferson ECC
Speaker Susan Booton
Topic Jefferson ECC
Speaker Taryn Sonntag
Topic Jefferson ECC
Speaker Harold Lonks
Topic Performance Contracting
Superintendent Report:
Dr. Schuler reported the following:
• “#LiveInYourCommunitySchools” postcard included in the Board folders. This will be the second installment of the monthly facebook live program featuring various district programs. The first installment featured the Business INCubator program at the high schools and received over 4000 views. The upcoming installment will take place on Thursday, January 25th at 11:30 a.m. and will feature the new Get FIT lab at Madison Elementary School.
• 2016 science assessment results were released a couple of days ago. These online assessments took place in May 2016 and included grades 5, 8 and high school biology classes. District 200 was spot on to benchmark districts with a proficiency rate of 73%, while the state proficiency rate was 58%.
• Dr. Schuler provided an update on evidence based funding formula which will determine the State of Illinois funding parameters for school districts. On a positive note, the regular GSA (general state aid) payments have continued to flow, however the district is still awaiting payments from this year on mandated categorical payments. ISBE (Illinois State Board of Education) wrote a trailer bill regarding funding that passed both chambers, but was vetoed by the Governor. April was the anticipated target to see numbers as to how the new formula will impact the district. Dr. Schuler thanked Mr. Farley and the business office staff, as well as Julie Oziemkowski, for their work on data points to ensure the numbers were accurate.
There was discussion on the following:
• “Evidence based model” term – definition and how this differs from past state funding models.
• Dr. Schuler noted the evidence model looks deeper into the demographics of students of the district and the services the students are receiving. This model recognizes there are costs associated with educating the students receiving services. D200 currently is sitting between tiers 2 and 3 of the potential 4 tiers of the adequacy target which has been set by the model.
Consent Agenda:
1. Acceptance of Gifts to Washington Elementary School – Recommend acceptance of gifts to Washington School as presented.
2. Acceptance of Gift to WNHS Athletic Department – Wrestling Program – Recommend acceptance of gift to WNHS athletic wrestling program as presented.
3. Approval to Post High School Biology Textbook for Public Review and Comment – Recommend approval to post high school Biology textbook as presented.
4. Approval to Post High School Business Management Textbook for Public Review and Comment – Recommend approval to post high school Business Management textbook as presented.
5. Approval to Post High School Computer Programming Textbook for Public Review and Comment – Recommend approval to post high school Computer Programming textbook as presented.
6. Approval to Post High School Contemporary Broadcast Media Textbook for Public Review and Comment – Recommend approval to post high school Contemporary Broadcast media textbook as presented.
7. Approval to Post High School French 1 Textbook for Public Review and Comment – Recommend approval to post high school French 1 textbook as presented.
8. Approval to Post High School German 2 Textbook for Public Review and Comment – Recommend approval to post high school German 2 textbook as presented.
9. Approval to Post High School Spanish 1 Textbook for Public Review and Comment – Recommend approval to post high school Spanish 1 textbook as presented.
10. Approval to Open Previously Closed Minutes – Recommend approval to open previously closed minutes as presented.
11. Approval of the Resolution to Authorize Transfer (Repayable Inter-fund Loan) from Working Cash Fund to Transportation Fund – Recommend approval of the resolution to authorize transfer (repayable inter-fund loan) from working cash fund to transportation fund as presented.
12. Approval of Resolution and Final Contract for Guaranteed Energy Savings with Performance Services – Recommend approval of resolution and final contract with Performance Services as presented.
13. Adoption of Resolution to Begin the 2018-19 Budget Cycle – Recommend the adoption of the resolution as presented.
14. Approval of Bills Payable and Payroll – Recommend approval of the bills payable and payroll as presented.
15. Approval of Minutes – December 13, 2017 Open, and Approval to Destroy Recordings of Closed Sessions Prior to August 2016 As Allowable by Law – Recommend approval of the minutes as presented and approval to destroy recordings of closed sessions prior to August 2016 as allowable by law.
16. Approval of Personnel Report to Include Employment, Resignation, Retirement, and Leave of Absence of Administrative, Certified, Classified and Non-Union Staff – Recommend approval of the Personnel Report as presented.
Dr. Schuler thanked those responsible for the generous donations to Washington and Wheaton North schools.
There was discussion on the following:
• Approval of new textbooks – this is for both hard copies and online resources.
• The process of posting textbooks for public review – the books are available for public review at the SSC with an opportunity to provide feedback to the district.
• Resolution to transfer funds – reason for the shortfall which has happened in May the last few years was due to delay in categorical payments being received from the state. It was noted transportation is funded by categorical payments.
• Performance Services contract approval – how does the district track savings that have been achieved?
• WN chiller incentive.
• Closed minute review – it was noted the list of minutes remaining closed is small relative to the items that are reviewed.
• Budget cycle – request to look at opportunities and options, specifically on the expense side in light of the referendum failure last April.
Motion:
Member Crabtree moved, Member Paulsen seconded to accept the Consent Agenda as presented. Upon a roll call vote being taken, the vote was: Aye 7, Nay 0
The motion carried 7-0.
Action Items:
Approval to Proceed to the Design Development Phase for the Early Childhood Center Project-
At the November 8th meeting, the Board approved the project timeline for the Early Childhood Center. The timeline included milestone dates indicating when the Board of Education would receive updates on the design process and allow for discussion before moving forward. At the December meeting, the Board received an update from Legat Architects and Nicholas & Associates on the final building program summary, site layout, concept plans and the current budget status.
The first segment of the plan was the development of the schematic design. The schematic design was attached to the Board agenda item. The project team from Legat Architects and Nicholas and Associates presented a summary of the schematic design information.
Pending Board approval, the District would move to the next phase which is the Design Development Phase. Design Development incorporates the baseline schematic design and moves to greater detail on all aspects of the building. This would include all engineering systems, finishes and site development and updated cost estimates. The anticipated architect/engineering costs associated with design development is approximately $215,000. This cost is part of the overall cost estimate for the project and is not an additional cost.
Per the approved timeline, it is anticipated that Legat and Nicholas would present the Design Development segment at the April 11th Board Meeting. Similarly, the Board would have to make a decision to move to the next/final phase which is the development of the construction documents. This would take us to the bid process. If all moves forward, it is anticipated that bids would be issued in July 2018, and opened on August 2, 2018. The Board would then take action on the bid packages at the August 15, 2018 meeting.
Mr. Paul Pessetti of Legat Architects and Mr. Joe Papanicholas of Nicholas and Associates presented the New Early Childhood Center Schematic Design Presentation to the Board, which included the following:
• Early Childhood Center
o Program Summary
o Program Comparison – Reductions
o Facility Comparison
• Schematic Design
o Initial Design Concepts
o Site Plan
o Schematic Design Plans (Floor Plan; Classroom, Building/Classroom Sections; Site Civil – Storm water; Mechanical Systems)
o Outdoor Learning/Play Images
o Building Images
• Budget Review
• Schedule
• Discussion/Approval
There were comments/discussion on the following:
• The proposed building would be pushed as far north as possible in order to maximize green space.
• The benefits of a sensory garden.
• The budget has been reduced by approximately $428,000 as of this point in time.
• The makeup of the post construction cost allowances.
• Design costs – estimating.
• Comparison to previous ELC plan.
• Square footage per student – is there a target size?
• Least restrictive environment compliance.
• D200 is not at capacity enrollment now for ECC.
• Expanding tuition paying and grant options to optimize enrollment of typically developing students.
• Age of comparison ELC facilities.
• Percentages of tuition paying vs. special education serviced students.
• Floor plan.
• Members of the Core team involved in the process.
• Costs spent to date on this process and will those be lost if the Board votes to stop the process prior to breaking ground?
Dr. Schuler noted there is a design process to follow in order to be able to refine costs and move to the next phase. There are a number of points of approval which were noted in the schedule portion of the presentation.
There were additional comments/discussion on the following:
• If the District does not move forward at this time and chooses to delay, there will be an increase in costs due to inflation.
• Should the 5-year financial projections presentation happen prior to the vote to proceed in order to reduce the likelihood of “sunk costs”?
• Cannot “fine tune” the numbers until we “fine tune” the plan.
• The responsible and meaningful way is to move along to the next phase.
It was recommended that the Board of Education approve proceeding to the design development phase for the Early Childhood Center project.
Motion:
Member Paulsen moved, Member Mathieson seconded to approve proceeding to the design development phase for the Early Childhood Center project as presented. Upon a roll call being taken, the vote was: Aye 6 (Paulsen, Mathieson, Crabtree, Ericksen, Hanlon, Vroman), Nay 1 (Gambaiani). The motion carried 6-1.
Discussion Items:
Overview of Lease Certificate Funding for Early Childhood Center-
The Board Finance Committee recently reviewed additional information relative to issuing lease certificates for a new early childhood center. Mr. Bob Lewis from PMA presented the funding options and timeline associated with the project that the Finance Committee had recently reviewed. This presentation included the following information:
• Lease Certificate Overview o IL School Code
• Lease Certificate Structure
o Payable from operating funds
o Separate property tax levy is not available to pay debt service
o Length of maturity & Optional call
o Count against District debt limit
o Legal Requirement
Adoption of lease resolution & lease certificate resolution by Board
BINA hearing not required
30-day petition period not required
• Potential Risks of Lease Financing
o Possibility of squeezing other operating expenditures over time
o Possible change in law preventing District from taking ownership
o Property subject to property taxes should a private entity designated as lessor
o Lessor enters into bankruptcy
• Estimated Payback Schedule of Lease Certificates
o 10, 15, 20 year scenarios
• Timeline of Events
There were additional comments/discussion on the following:
• Estimated timeframe for the optional call to permit redemption prior to maturity is 8 years out.
• Estimated annual lease payment amount represents less than 1% of the operating budget, which is a small percentage.
• Payment schedule – June vs August payments.
• Scenarios for repayment based on the length of the term and the average interest cost/rate.
• It was noted the finance committee was looking at the 15 year repayment model at this time. The final recommendation for this will come from the administration based on the finance committee discussion.
• Lease certificates issuance – multiple issuances vs. all at one time.
• Prepayment penalties?
• Timeline – transfer of O&M funds would occur after the Board approves the lease agreement.
Dr. Schuler noted the Board is expected to take action at the February 14 meeting for approval of the lease agreement. It is expected there would not be a specific dollar amount in the agreement, rather a “not to exceed amount” included in the agreement.
2018-19 Fee Discussion-
Last spring, the Finance Committee was asked to complete a review of the fee schedule for the district. The committee identified the three types of fees that the district charges. They included direct fees that are charged to all students, supplemental fees which are specific to certain items, and those for athletics or activities. The committee recommended, and the Board approved an increase to the registration and technology fee of 3% for the 2017-18 school year to cover increases in the costs of the goods and services they support. The committee also recommended that the supplemental fees continue to be updated as costs dictate, and that a further review of the Athletic and Activity fees be completed prior to the 2018-19 school year.
The Board Finance Committee has been in the process of reviewing the athletic fee structure to determine the level of revenue being raised, and to analyze athletic revenue as it relates to expenses by sport. The Committee is recommending consideration of a percentage of costs standard that should be covered through fees. A spreadsheet which outlines the current revenues and expenditures for middle and high school athletics was reviewed by the Board.
Dr. Schuler prefaced the discussion by noting there would not be any decisions made at this meeting. This is the initial report out based on the discussion the Board had last year with regard to fees, and the interest in seeing the relationship between the cost to operate programs and the revenue collected via the fees. The goal of the discussion being to identify any additional information that would be necessary in order to have further discussion prior to making any potential decisions on fees.
There was discussion on the following:
• The current participation fee per sport charged at the middle school ($125) and high school ($150).
• The difference in cost per participant at the two high schools for the same sport.
• There are factors involved that affect the figures – including number of home games, number of tournaments, referees, etc.
• The budget does not fund uniforms or travel tournaments.
• Request to identify what, if any, additional expenses/fundraising expectations parents are incurring for individual sports.
• How is the expense level for each sport determined and controlled?
• The largest percentage of expenditures to operate athletics/activities are staff costs, which are in part dictated by collective bargaining agreements.
• Percentage of all student athletic fees that are fully paid; free and reduced fees.
• Lacrosse funding – this year vs. future years.
• The need to look at every revenue and expenditure source as part of the budgeting process.
• Tiered approach to activity/athletic fees.
There is a need to be mindful in a public school district of barriers that may be put in place which would allow some students to have limited access to certain activities/sports programs.
Additional questions/comments/discussion included:
• Feedback from athletic staff regarding the fee information/costs which has been shared.
• Alternative funding presentation at IASB – increased fees for all students as co-curricular activities benefit all students.
• Winter sports cost per participant vs. fall and spring sport costs.
• Parent contributions outside of participation fees – amount by sport; who is monitoring?
• Any fee increase impact on revenue would be small/nominal impact to the overall budget.
• It was noted IHSA limits the number of competitions/games/tournaments in which a sport can participate.
• Fine arts, clubs – any fees associated with programs?
• Reasons to look at raising fees.
The additional information which was mentioned to obtain to review included other fees/amounts which parents are paying or expected to fundraise in addition to the participation fee by sport and fees for activities besides sports, including the arts.
Written Reports:
Monthly Financial Reports
FOIA Report
These reports were provided for information only.
Reports From Board Members:
Board Committee Reports-
The Board Finance Committee met on December 19, 2017 and the Board Community Engagement Committee met on January 9, 2018. The meeting notes for both were attached and posted for review with the packet.
Other Reports from Board Members:
• It was noted that the summaries which have been shared from the IASB conference have been very informative and the District is in the process of implementing some of the things that were learned at the conference.
Topics For Future Discussion:
5 Year Financial Projections
Master Technology Plan and Future of Instruction and Technology (FIT) Plan
Announcements:
January 20, 2018 – Chat with the Board, 9:00-10:30 am, SSC
January 31, 2018 – Committee of the Whole, 7:00 pm, SSC
Next Regular Meeting:
February 14, 2018, 7:00 pm, Whittier Elementary School
Public Comments – Non-Agenda:
Items The opportunity to speak to the Board is provided for members of the public who have a question or comment on an agenda item. The Board appreciates hearing from stakeholders, and values your thoughts and questions. The Board strives to make the best decisions for the District, and public input in a variety of venues is very helpful.
The Board must protect the civility and decorum of this meeting. Please be respectful for the duties of the Board and the democratic process in your comments tonight:
⇒ Please use the microphone, state your name, and address your comments to the Board
⇒ Please limit your comments to 3 minutes.
⇒ Please be factual and courteous, and do not include statements that are personally disrespectful or condescending to members of the Board or staff.
If you feel your matter needs to be discussed in more detail, please attend the Board’s “Chance to Chat” or present your comments to us in writing.
Speaker Doug Gilmour
Topic Textbook Content
Speaker Jan Shaw
Topic Lease Certificates
Adjournment
Motion:
There being no further business to come before the Board in Open Session, Member Mathieson moved, Member Paulsen seconded to adjourn the meeting. Upon a voice call being taken, all were in favor and the motion carried 7-0.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:03 pm.
https://www.cusd200.org/cms/lib/IL01001538/Centricity/Domain/12/Minutes%20Jan%2017%202018.pdf
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