Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education Met June 9.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
The first regular meeting of the month of June of the Board of Education of Community Unit School District 200, DuPage County, Illinois, was called to order at the Hubble Middle School, 3S600 Herrick Rd, Warrenville, IL by Board President Chris Crabtree at 7:00 PM.
ROLL CALL
Upon the roll being called, the following were present:
Board Members: Mrs. Chris Crabtree
Mr. Rob Hanlon
Mr. Dave Long
Mrs. Angela Blatner
Mrs. Susan Booton
Mr. Brad Paulsen
Mrs. Mary Yeboah
Also in Attendance: Dr. Jeff Schuler, Superintendent
Mr. Bill Farley
Dr. Charlie Kyle
Mrs. Erica Loiacono
Mr. Rodney Mack
Mrs. Melissa Murphy
Dr. Chris Silagi
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Assistant Superintendent Bill Farley led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE AGENDA
None
RECOGNITIONS & ACHIEVEMENTS
The artwork was displayed for the recipients of these awards. Dr. Schuler introduced the recipients that were present at the meeting.
Superintendent Art Award Recipients
∙ Emma Murray – Whittier Elementary School (Primary)
∙ Saumaya Ali – Wiesbrook Elementary School (Intermediate)
∙ Whitney Yeboah – Monroe (Middle School)
∙ Madden Hebert – Wheaton Warrenville South (High School)
∙ Aadil Kherani – Wheaton North (High School)
PTA Reflections Honors
∙ Heather Campbell – Lincoln (National PTA Finalist)
∙ Olivia Cho – Longfellow (IL State PTA Honorable Mention)
∙ Scarlett Hudzik – Sandburg (IL State PTA Honorable Mention)
∙ Emma Adams – Monroe MS (IL State PTA Honorable Mention)
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Procedures for Public Comments for June 9, 2021 There were no in-person public comments at this time.
Community members not attending this meeting in person, and who wished to provide comments to the Board of Education, were advised to send an email to board@cusd200.org between the posting of this agenda and 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 9, 2021. All Board Members received and read these emails. To be acknowledged, it was noted emails must be clear that they were intended for acknowledgment at the June 9, 2021 Board of Education Meeting.
The Board had received public comment emails from the following individuals that were specifically noted for acknowledgment during the meeting.
| Emails Sent By: | Jennifer Coryell |
| Topic: | Remote Learning Option |
SUPERINTENDENT REPORT
Dr. Schuler reported the following:
∙ Tomorrow, June 10th is the last day of school for elementary and middle school students. Many end-of-year events at various buildings have been attended by Dr. Schuler.
∙ Enrollment updates in the summer learning acceleration programs were provided to the Board in their folders. There are approximately 1,451 students, across all three levels, that are enrolled in one of the District summer learning opportunities.
∙ Wheaton will be hosting a July 4th parade. Board members should let Dr. Schuler know if they are interested in participating and the Board will be registered as an entity.
∙ The District is ending the school year with no positive COVID cases.
∙ Anticipating we will continue to see updates from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) with guidance for school districts for the upcoming school year.
∙ ISBE will be meeting next week regarding the mitigation strategies for next year. Dr. Schuler plans to attend that meeting and offer commentary on the need to get those mitigations and guidance pieces updated for schools as soon as possible.
There were questions and/or comments on the following:
∙ Board Member Blatner requested that a student be allowed to make a public comment at this time. It was previously communicated to the student that she would be allowed to speak at the public comments for agenda items (beginning of the meeting). Board members agreed.
| Speaker: | Sophia Kipfer |
| Topic | Mask Mandate |
CONSENT AGENDA
1. Acceptance of Gifts from Sandburg Elementary School PTA – Recommend acceptance of gifts from Sandburg PTA as presented.
2. Approval to Post E-Learning Plan for Community Review – Recommend approval to post E learning plan for community review as presented.
3. Approval of Zearn Math Subscription – Recommend approval of Zearn math subscription as presented.
4. Approval of Liability Insurance with CLIC – Recommend approval of liability insurance with CLIC as presented.
5. Approval of Workers’ Compensation Renewal with SELF – Recommend approval of workers’ compensation renewal with SELF as presented.
6. Approval of Print Shop Paper Bid– Recommend approval of print shop paper bid as presented.
7. Approval of Waste and Recycling Services Contract Extension – Recommend approval of waste and recycling services contract extension as presented.
8. Approval of Second Amendment to Tower Construction and Lease Agreement – Recommend approval of second amendment to tower construction and lease agreement as presented.
9. Approval of Contract Amendment with Illinois Central – Recommend approval of contract amendment with Illinois Central as presented.
10. Approval to Purchase Student Desks Through Purchasing Cooperative – Recommend approval to purchase desks through purchasing cooperative as presented.
11. Approval of Bills Payable and Payroll – Recommend approval of the bills payable and payroll as presented.
12. Approval of Minutes – May 10, 2021, Special Meeting with IASB Open and Closed, May 12, 2021, Open and Approval to Destroy Recordings of Closed Sessions Prior to January 2020 As Allowable by Law – Recommend approval of the minutes as presented and approval to destroy recordings of closed sessions prior to January 2020 as allowable by law.
13. 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.
There were questions, comments, and/or discussion on the following:
∙ #10 Student Desks – desks have been shifted amongst all levels this year to accommodate students in anticipation of reopening in the fall. More desks are needed at the elementary level and we want to ensure a smooth opening in the fall. Historically, tables or other types of flexible furniture have been used at the elementary level but were not utilized during this school year due to physical distancing guidelines (if 3-feet remains a distancing requirement, this type of furniture will not be able to be used). The importance of being prepared for the year, though this type of desk seating is not ideal; desk storage in the future.
∙ #2 E-learning plans – why is math singled out as a live lesson at the elementary level? The daily target for learning is very specific in math. It has to do with lesson planning and providing flexibility for families with the youngest children on an e-learning day. It was noted an e-learning day would only apply in lieu of an emergency day (snow day, flood at a specific building, etc.)
MOTION
Member Booton moved, Member Hanlon 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.
ORAL REPORTS
Portrait of a Graduate
From June 2019 to March 2020 efforts were put forth to collaborate with students, staff, parents, and community members to gather input on the skills and qualities desired for a District 200 graduate. The purpose of gathering this feedback was to develop a portrait or visual representation of the community's desires for a District 200 graduate. Input from over 1000 stakeholders was analyzed to determine a set of qualities for a Portrait of a Graduate. In April 2020, work on completing the portrait was halted to focus the district's efforts on transitioning through the pandemic.
The final development of a District 200 Portrait of a Graduate will play an important role in community engagement, strategic planning, and the future success of our students. Dr. Chris Silagi presented the Board of Education with a summary of work to date on this project. Next steps and future considerations for the finalization of the portrait were presented as well, which included information on the following in the PowerPoint presentation:
∙ Revisiting the District 200 Portrait of a Graduate
o 2019-2020 History
o Key Question: What are the qualities and skills our students should have when they graduate from District 200?
∙ Key Questions:
o What is a Portrait of a Graduate?
o Why develop a Portrait of a Graduate?
o What work has been done to start developing a District 200 Portrait of a Graduate?
o What skills and qualities does our community desire for a District 200 Graduate?
o What are our potential next steps in the development of our Portrait of a Graduate?
∙ What is a Portrait of a Graduate?
o Visual representation of the skills and qualities the community can expect a D200 graduate to possess
∙ Why Develop a Portrait of a Graduate?
o Expresses the school community’s aspirations for all students
o Prioritizes essential skills and qualities
o Places the student at the heart of our work
o Serves as the focal point for strategic action planning
∙ What work has been done to start developing a D200 Portrait of a Graduate?
o Community Feedback and Input: June 2019 - March 2020
o Thought Exchange Input and Analytics
o Portrait of a Graduate Steering Team
∙ What skills and qualities does our community desire for a D200 graduate? Themes that emerged included:
o Problem Solver
o Ethical
o Communicator
o Resilience
o Relationship Builder
o Innovator
o Flexible and Adaptable
o Lifelong Learner
o Collaborator
∙ What are the next steps in the development of our Portrait of a Graduate?
o July 2021: Present the Board the skills and qualities desired by the community from the 2019-20 input process, followed by a discussion on potential new sources of feedback and input
o August – December 2021: Gather new input and finalize the D200 Portrait of a Graduate (the what and why)
o January – April 2022: Utilize our Portrait of a Graduate as a guide in the strategic planning process (the how)
There was additional information/comments on the following:
∙ This was an area of focus of the District in front of the pandemic.
∙ The Thought Exchange tool was used to gather input on what a graduate should look like.
∙ The Portrait of a Graduate (POG) Steering Committee was comprised of 30-40 community members, staff, parents, and students that represent D200.
There were comments and/or questions on the following:
∙ Did the feedback received ensure equal representation that matches D200 demographic diversity? If not, can this be done in the future?
∙ After the POG process is complete, will the FIT (Future of Instruction and Technology) framework be reviewed and evolve to align with this?
∙ Was there representation from COD or other colleges either to provide feedback or on the steering committee?
∙ Steering committee representatives expressed strong interest in being involved again and completing the process.
Facilities Overview Report
The Board Facilities Committee met recently to discuss future planning related to facilities. The committee recommended a report to the full Board which included information on the following:
∙ Facilities Overview Document
o Breakdown of District 200 Facilities
o Updates from the 2017 Proposed Master Facilities Plan Projects (complete; in progress; planning; not started)
o Capital Facilities Spending (FY 17 - FY 21)
o Facilities Spending by Year and Location – Summer 2018 through Summer 2020
o Projected Spending by Year and Location – Summer 2021 and Summer 2022
o Updated Four Year Plan (Budget, Fund Balance, Federal Relief Grant)
o Fund Balance by Fund and Percentage
o Debt Service Continues to Decline (2019 through 2025)
o Capital Facilities Spending in FY 21
o Operations and Maintenance Expenditures in FY 21
There was additional information/comments on the following:
∙ Identified a little over $7 million of mechanical work for this summer as part of our capital plan.
∙ Facilities spending by year includes summer of 2018 ($4.29 million), summer of 2019 ($7.32 million), and summer of 2020 ($6.63 million); Projected spending for the summer of 2021 ($7.2 million) and summer of 2022 ($7.2 million).
∙ The District has increased the commitment to capital projects to be consistent with the Sherman Dergis policy ($7.2 Million every summer worth of capital work).
∙ The District has consistently been within the Board’s fund balance policy range of 25-40%.
∙ The District completed the four-phase refinancing plan in 2019 that saved $9.8 million in future debt payments and ensures the District is debt-free in the levy year 2025.
∙ The need to look ahead to the summer of 2022 for capital projects to get an early handle on the work due to possible challenges in the availability of materials.
∙ The District is spending a little over $600 per student on capital projects (This does not include the Jefferson ECC).
There were comments and/or questions on the following:
∙ There have not been any issues regarding ordering supplies for summer 2021 capital projects.
∙ How a levy year correlates with a fiscal year – a levy year crosses two fiscal years.
∙ Summarization of the last Facility Committee meeting as it relates to post-ESSER money for facility improvements, financial planning, and educational programs – the need for all to be aligned in the coming years.
∙ The $7.2 annual Sherman Dergis allocation is to keep the District maintained, not for new projects. Reminding the community of this and why we need to continue to invest in our buildings.
∙ The capital facility plan is reviewed annually and adjustments are made as needed.
∙ Capital facilities spending – approximately $61 million over eight years (includes the new Jefferson ECC).
∙ Update on the review of playgrounds – once the inspection of all of the playgrounds is complete, the District can focus on the projected replacement timeline.
∙ Funding elements and the role of community partners in the playground replacement/updating process.
∙ Playground inspections – internal facilities staff vs. using an outside source. Designated facilities staff will need to complete a course to perform inspections (this is due to the retirement of D200 facilities staff members).
2021-2022 Student Handbook Updates
Annually, the Board must approve student handbooks. Dr. Charlie Kyle provided the Board of Education a preview of the updates that will be added to the July 14, 2021 Board of Education Meeting for approval to post. There were some additions and updates due to BOE Policy updates, IDPH/CDC guidance, 1:1 technology, and E-Learning. The major purpose of these handbooks is to comply with School Code or policy requirements around notifications to parents and students.
There was additional information/comments on the following:
∙ Handbooks are reviewed for all levels – elementary, middle, and high school.
∙ The process used for handbook review.
∙ Updates to policies in the past year provided by IASB (Illinois Association of School Board) through PRESS (Policy Reference Education Subscription Service) that need to be updated in the handbooks included the following policies:
o 2:260 Uniform Grievance Procedure
o 2:265 Title IX Sexual Harassment Grievance Procedure
o 7:190 Student Behavior
o 7:10 Equal Educational Opportunities
o 7:180 Prevention and Response to Bullying, Intimidation, and Harassment
o 7:185 Teen Dating Violence Prohibited
o 7:20 Harassment of Students Prohibited
∙ The 2021-2022 student handbooks will include updates in the following areas:
o Health services updates
o Accelerated placement program
o Acceptable access and use of technology agreement
o D200 response protocol to acts of hate and racism
o E-learning
o National Honor Society (NHS) format change
There were comments and/or questions on the following:
∙ Acceptable Access and Use of Tech Agreement – ensuring devices are not being used for inappropriate purposes. Do not want to deter students from using district devices in constructive ways in lunchrooms, etc.
∙ Potentially adding language in the handbook around “Gaggle” – tool is used to detect concerning content in emails, documents, etc.
∙ Why the response protocol to acts of hate and racism is necessary, and the monitoring of the use of the protocol to ensure student safety.
∙ The need to recognize all students when it comes to bullying or acts of hate and racism.
∙ The work over the last years to make the handbooks more user-friendly and readable, and the language to be more unified across the levels.
∙ Handbooks establish expectations and practices that will be used but are also an important tool for the Board concerning student discipline matters.
∙ Consumption and understanding of handbook content are important at all levels for both students and parents.
DISCUSSION ITEMS
Full Remote Learning Programming Plans for 2021-22
This year, the Illinois State Board of Education required all school districts to offer a full remote learning option for students who did not feel comfortable returning to in-person learning. For families requesting a full remote option, the Virtual Academy was established for EC-8 students, and concurrent teaching was used at the high school level. On March 9, the Illinois State Board of Education provided updated guidance for school districts regarding the requirement for remote learning. This guidance shifted from a required option for all to requiring an option for those with medical exemptions only. On May 19, the Illinois State Board of Education passed a resolution to allow the State Superintendent to require in-person instruction for the 2021-22 school year. This resolution requires school districts to only provide remote learning for students who are both not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and also under quarantine. Mrs. Melissa Murphy provided an update on the District plans for full remote learning based on this new guidance, which included information on the following:
∙ Three Guiding Questions
o What is the most recent guidance from ISBE for full remote learning?
o What options do school districts have to support students moving forward?
o What are District 200’s programming recommendations for the 2021-22 school year based on new guidance?
∙ What is the most recent guidance from ISBE for full remote learning?
o ISBE Guidance as of March 9, 2021
o New Guidance: ISBE Resolution May 19, 2021
∙ What options do school districts have to support students moving forward?
o Remote Educational Program, Policy 6:185
o Home and Hospital Instruction, Policy 6:150
∙ What are District 200’s programming recommendations for the 2021-22 school year based on new guidance?
o Recommendation: CUSD 200 is recommending students with a medical condition would be best served through the home and hospital instruction policy 6:150
▪ Based on results from the CUSD 200 questionnaire (sent to families if they met the criteria outlined by ISBE March 9th guidance)
▪ 0.2% of CUSD 200 students are at increased risk of severe illness from contracting COVID-19
▪ 0.3% of CUSD 200 students live with a household member who is at increased risk of severe illness from contracting COVID-19
∙ Continued Work
o A member of the senior leadership team will communicate with each family that completed the questionnaire indicating they live with a household member who is at increased risk of severe illness from contracting COVID-19.
o Our team will continue the process of individualized planning for students that submit paperwork for home and hospital instruction.
o CUSD 200 teams will work to finalize a process to support students through remote learning who are both not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and also under quarantine.
o An e-learning plan has been developed based on the full remote experience this year. E-learning days may be used in lieu of snow days. A public hearing will be held in July on the e-learning plan before the consent agenda portion of the meeting.
There was additional information on the following:
∙ There are three potential situations where some version of e-learning is being talked about: e-learning in lieu of an emergency day, remote learning provisions that might apply to a student that still needs to be quarantined, and remote learning provisions for students that may need a path of full e-learning based on a health condition.
∙ With the new guidance issued on May 19, 2021, Districts are only required to provide remote learning for students who are both not eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine and also under quarantine.
∙ Board policies 6:185 – Remote Educational Program and 6:150 – Home and Hospital Instruction help the District decide on who is eligible for remote learning.
∙ This is a different model than Virtual Academy – students would be assigned to a teacher of record at their home school. The students will be supported in the work they are doing for that individual classroom through a highly qualified teacher and/or tutor. The numbers do not support full sections of a Virtual Academy.
There were comments and/or questions on the following:
∙ Integrating the students into their homeschool classroom and providing options for support.
∙ The number of students (results from the questionnaire - 0.2%) that meet the criteria outlined by the ISBE guidance is slightly higher than two years ago (pre-pandemic).
∙ What happens to the 0.3% of students who live with a household member who is at increased risk of serious illness from contracting COVID-19? The District will evaluate each of those circumstances individually, and contact will be made to the family from a member of the senior leadership team to better understand the situation.
∙ Policy 6:185 is only open to students who are juniors or seniors or to those who demonstrate an individual need.
∙ Options for teachers who may not have the opportunity to provide in-person instruction due to medical reasons? Include a variety of medical leave options.
∙ Changing guidance reinforces the challenges with decision-making when the future is unknown.
∙ Providing adequate instructional support for students that may be quarantined due to being a close contact should the mitigations guidance remain the same.
WRITTEN REPORTS
Monthly Financial Reports
FOIA Report
Board Communication Log
Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Report
REPORTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS
Board Committee/Other Reports
The notes from the May 24, 2021 Facilities Committee were attached to the Board report.
∙ One additional topic that was discussed was space for the Facilities Services Department. Going to look into an option that is available where the Transition Center is located to take on some additional space.
∙ President Crabtree went over the 2021-22 Board Committee Assignments and provided a list to the Board of the 2021-22 Board Member Adopted Schools assignments. Each member was assigned three D200 schools to adopt for the year.
TOPICS FOR FUTURE DISCUSSION
FY 22 Budget
NEXT REGULAR MEETING
July 14, 2021, 7:00 PM, Hubble Middle School
∙ The Board and community were reminded that Board meetings for the 2021-22 school year will take place at Hubble Middle School.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
There were no announcements.
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Non-Agenda Items Public Comments for June 9, 2021 Due to the ongoing pandemic the Board again temporarily amended their public comment procedures for this meeting to allow comments to be made in person or emailed to the Board and acknowledged in the meeting at Hubble Middle School on Wednesday, June 9, 2021, at 7:00 p.m.
In accordance with Board Policy 2.230, members of the public wishing to offer public comment in person had the opportunity to do so. A public comment sign-up sheet was made available at the entrance to the building until 7:00 p.m. The Board Meeting was available for viewing via live stream on the District’s YouTube channel.
Per Board Policy, 30 minutes was allocated for public comments, and comments on any one subject were limited to 20 minutes. The Board may shorten the time allocation for each person to less than 3 minutes to allow the maximum number of people the opportunity to speak. To preserve confidentiality, the Board and its President request that items relating to either personnel or students be provided to the Board privately or in writing for consideration in a future closed session, if necessary.
| Speaker: | Heather Beck |
| Topic | COVID Protocols |
| Speaker: | Jeanne Ives |
| Topic | SB818 & HB2789 |
| Speaker: | Kathleen Murphy |
| Topic | Culturally Responsive Standards |
| Speaker: | Amy Kipfer |
| Topic | Mask Mandate |
A request was made to address mitigations and where we are at as part of the July meeting discussion item.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION
There being no further business to come before the Board in Open Session, Member Paulsen moved, Member Hanlon 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 8:59 PM.
https://www.cusd200.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=22857&dataid=34953&FileName=Minutes%20Jun%209%202021.pdf
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