SE Illinois News

Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education met Feb. 28.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

The second regular meeting of the month of February of the Board of Education of Community Unit School District 200, DuPage County, Illinois, was called to order at the School Service Center, 130 W Park Ave., Wheaton, IL by Board President Rob Hanlon, on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 7:00 PM.

ROLL CALL

Upon the roll being called, the following were present:

Board Members: Mr. Rob Hanlon

Ms. Julie Kulovits

Mr. Dave Long

Ms. Angela Blatner

Mr. Erik Hjerpe

Mr. John Rutledge (arrived at 7:43 PM)

Absent: Mr. Brad Paulsen

Also in Attendance: Dr. Jeff Schuler, Superintendent

Ms. Alyssa Barry

Mr. Matt Biscan

Ms. Melissa Murphy

Dr. Brian O’Keeffe

Dr. Chris Silagi

Mr. Jason Spencer

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Board Secretary Dave Long led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance.

MODIFICATIONS TO THE AGENDA

None

CLOSED SESSION

The Appointment, Employment, Compensation, Discipline, Performance, or Dismissal of Specific Employees, Specific Individuals who Serve as Independent Contractors in a Park, Recreational, or Educational Setting, or Specific Volunteers of the Public Body or Legal Counsel for the Public Body, including Hearing Testimony on a Complaint Lodged Against an Employee, a Specific Individual who Serves as an Independent Contractor in a Park, Recreational, or Educational Setting, or a Volunteer of the Public Body or Against Legal Counsel for the Public Body to Determine its Validity 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (1).

MOTION

Member Hjerpe moved, Member Kulovits seconded to adjourn the meeting to closed session for the purpose of 5 ILCS 120/2 (c) (1). Upon a roll call vote being taken, the vote was AYE 5, NAY 0. The motion carried 5-0.

Action will be taken following the closed session.

The meeting adjourned to Closed Session at 7:01 PM.

RECONVENE IN OPEN SESSION

Member Long moved, Member Hjerpe seconded to reconvene in Open Session. Upon a roll call vote being taken, the vote was AYE 5, NAY 0. The motion carried 5-0.

Roll call was taken. there were no changes in the Board members present at this time, and the open session was reconvened at 7:26 PM.

ACTION ON CLOSED SESSION ITEMS

Recommended Approval of Notice of Remedial Warning to Tenured Teacher The Board of Education is charged with issuing a Notice of Remedial Warning based on the recommendation of the Superintendent. The Board, in Closed Session, reviewed information the investigative findings leading to a Notice of Remedial Warning.

Following the closed session, it was recommended that the Board take action on the notice of remedial warning to a tenured teacher.

MOTION

Member Kulovits moved, Member Long seconded to approve the resolution authorizing the issuance of remedial warning to tenured teacher Scot Hansen. Upon a roll call vote being taken, the vote was AYE 5, NAY 0. The motion carried 5-0.

Recommended Approval of Notice of Remedial Warning to Tenured Teacher The Board of Education is charged with issuing a Notice of Remedial Warning based on the recommendation of the Superintendent. The Board, in Closed Session, reviewed information the investigative findings leading to a Notice of Remedial Warning.

Following the closed session, it was recommended that the Board take action on the notice of remedial warning to a tenured teacher.

MOTION

Member Hjerpe moved, Member Kulovits seconded to approve the resolution authorizing the issuance of remedial warning to tenured teacher John Hellman. Upon a roll call vote being taken, the vote was AYE 5, NAY 0. The motion carried 5-0.

SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADJOURN TO WORKSHOP SETTING

MOTION

Member Long moved, Member Kulovits seconded to suspend the rules and adjourn to a workshop setting. Upon a voice call being taken, the vote was AYE 5, NAY 0 . The motion carried 5-0.

Instruction

Vision 2026 - Academic Excellence Strategies

The Vision 2026 Strategic Plan has six strategies for academic excellence. The district dashboard includes the yearly work plan to address these six strategies. Two of these strategies have been a focus for the Educational Services Department. These include: 1) Implement learning acceleration strategies and programming and 2) Expand programming to prepare students for a full range of post-secondary opportunities.

The administration included a written report for the Board of Education outlining the work plan for these strategies and progress to date. Ms. Melissa Murphy, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, highlighted key work projects, the progress, and the next steps that will be taken for the remainder of the school year. This included a PowerPoint on the Academic Excellence Strategies Update with information on the following:

● Strategy: Expand Programming to Prepare Students for a Full Range of Post-Secondary Opportunities

○ Work Plan Tasks featured in tonight’s deeper dive: Develop a Transitional English Course, Implement the College Composition Course, Expand Career Pathways, and Phase I Middle School Electives Works.

○ Transitional English Course Development

■ Learning about course requirements from ISBE

■ Partnering with area dept. chairs

■ Collaborating with D203 to plan and design the course

■ Seeking approval from CUSD200 Board of Education

■ Attending multiple seminars

■ Site visits by COD

■ Submitting an application for approval with COD and ISBE

○ College Composition

■ First year of implementation of the Dual Credit College Composition course

■ 174 enrolled between two high schools

○ College Composition: Staff Feedback

○ Components of a Complete Career Pathway

■ ISBE College and Career Pathway Endorsement

■ Career Exploration Activities

■ Sequence of Courses

■ Early College Coursework

■ Work-Based Learning

■ Industry Credentials

■ Co-Curriculars

○ Career Pathway Expansion: Business

■ Will be submitted to ISBE next year so qualifying students in class of 2024 can earn an endorsement

○ Career Pathway Expansion: Communications

■ Plan to submit to ISBE

■ Noted Broadcast Media 1 and 2 are currently offered at the HS level, but worked to obtain dual credit for both high schools

○ Career Pathway Expansion: Nursing

■ Plan to submit to ISBE

■ Combination of D200 and TCD programming

○ Career Pathway Expansion: Marketing

■ A series of courses and one to come to BOE next year

■ Next step - develop work-based learning experience

○ Middle School Electives

■ Last updated in 2012

■ Goal - align the courses to priority HS pathways which allows career exploration experiences and opportunities for students

■ Progress to date

● Strategy: Implement Learning Acceleration Strategies and Programming

○ Work Plan Tasks featured in tonight’s deeper dive: Continue Phase I Curriculum Work for Grades 6-8 ELA, Support the Implementation of Bookworms, and Increase Academic Achievement in Mathematics by Focusing on Communication and Collaboration and Tier 2 Programming

○ Curriculum Implementation Framework

■ Four phases: Phase I - Research, Phase II - Pilot and Select, Phase III - Prepare to Launch, Phase IV - Teach and Learn

○ Middle School ELA

■ The steering committee has met four times this year

■ Selected two materials to pilot: Savvas My Perspectives and McGraw Hill StudySync

○ Bookworms Implementation

■ Monitor Data - areas of focus: Kindergarten foundational skills and fluency

■ Seek Feedback - feedback loops for staff and specialists

■ Three Pillars of Teacher Support - Coach, Plan, Train

○ Bookworms Implementation - Coach

■ Each elementary building has one reading coach; meet weekly with district admin to collaborate and support implementation plans; support K-2 with DI block and select classrooms with other blocks

○ Bookworms Implementation - Train

■ Each Institute Day has a training opportunity developed for staff; topics based on feedback from staff and in response to student learning data

○ Bookworms Implementation - Plan

■ Each building has opportunity to provide staff with half-day collaborative planning sessions with reading coaches; Title I buildings provide additional days with use of grant funds

○ Illustrative Mathematics (IM) Implementation

■ Focus is aligned to two POG components, communication and collaboration ○ Focus on Communication and Collaboration

■ John Hattie Visible Learning Meta-Analysis

■ Math Language Routines (MLRs) - set of 8 strategies designed to support mathematical language growth

■ “Building Thinking Classrooms” Strategies - 14 practices based on research to increase student thinking in mathematics

● Strategy: Learning Recovery Study

○ Learning Recovery Research - the Education Recovery Scorecard report on post-pandemic academic recovery from 22-23; used standardized test scores from 8,000 districts in 30 states (Illinois was one of the states)

■ Testing process and trends from 2009 - 2023

■ Average test score change ranked by state and subject

■ CUSD 200 math achievement from 2016-2023; D200 vs. Illinois and similar districts; math performance by subgroup

■ CUSD 200 reading achievement from 2016-2023; D200 vs. Illinois and similar districts; reading performance by subgroup

There was additional information on the following:

● Acknowledgment for the team of Ed Services directors that support Ms. Murphy with this work.

● Between 2019 and 2022 students in the 30 states that were part of the learning recovery research lost half a grade in math achievement and a third of a grade level in reading achievement.

● Overall, the study shows that students have recovered one-third of the loss in reading and one-quarter of the loss in math in a single year (2022-23).

● For reading, Illinois was one of three states to exceed pre-pandemic achievement results; Illinois was middle of the pack for math recovery.

● District 200 math performance by subgroup shows our white and non-poor groups had the strongest increases. Priority subgroups growth needs work. The strategies earlier identified are very important.

● District 200 reading performance in 2022 was over and above 2019 and the growth was substantial in 2023; was the highest in comparable/similar districts, and was high for every subgroup.

● Information is publicly available - search “Educational Recovery Scorecard”; note you can see every school district in Illinois in this report.

There were comments and/or questions on the following:

● Business Career Pathway - Business Incubator being part of the sequence of courses and has the work-based learning embedded within it.

● Course selection topics and how they are developed.

● Middle School opportunity, while a robust experience for students, does not apply to the ISBE requirement.

● Work-based learning and the need to get business partners.

● Logistics of a pathway that takes place at TCD and in the District (example - Nursing)

● Career pathways - risk management if a course is dependent on an identified single teacher and that teacher leaves the District.

● Ensuring students are aware of all pathway offerings.

● Feedback on IM and Bookworms curriculum implementation.

● Feedback on the block sizes - the amount of time allocated to ELA vs. Math.

● Biggest topic continue to be heard - support for Multilingual Learners.

● The learning recovery research information is for grades 3-8, and is not available for HS level; there are differences across states in the tests that HS students take and whether all students take a college entrance exam.

Community Engagement

Middle School Capital Project Discussion

Following completion of the community engagement process in the fall of 2023, the Board received both an interim and a final community engagement report. The report demonstrated strong community support for addressing the facility needs identified at the three middle school buildings. The Facilities Committee met recently to review the updated concept plans, several timeline options for implementation, and an updated communications and community engagement plan. Mr. Michael Dolter of Perkins & Will shared the updated concept diagrams for Edison, Franklin, and Monroe schools, project phases, as well as potential project schedules with the full Board to open discussion and receive feedback. This included information on the following:

● Monroe Middle School - Updated Priority Diagram

○ New Performing Arts, Music, Orchestra & Band Facilities

○ New Drop-Off

○ Update Gym Flooring, Bleachers, Aesthetics

○ New Central Teachers’s Workspace

○ Create Flexible Use Exploratory Labs

○ Create Consolidated Essentials Program Space with Support Facilities

○ Consolidate & Expand Student Wellness and Itinerant Spaces

○ Create New Multipurpose, Flat Floor Space

○ Update Entry and Circulation

○ Improved Circulation Corridor

○ New P.E. Locker Rooms & Support Space

○ Right-Size Science Lab Classrooms and Provide Central Science Prep/Storage

○ Update LLC, Makerspace

○ Update Classrooms Throughout - Provide Backpack Cubbies, Update Electrical, Finishes, HVAC, Technology, Windows, Furniture

○ Right-Size Science Lab Classrooms

● Edison Middle School - Updated Priority Diagram

○ Right-Size Science Lab Classrooms (L1)

○ Provide New Music Ensemble Practice Spaces (L1)

○ Provide Toilet Rooms to Secure Building During Outside Use Hours (L1)

○ Replace Gym Flooring (L1)

○ Consolidate Student Services & Right Size Wellness Facilities (L1)

○ Look to Co-Locate Science Lab Classrooms (L1)

○ Refresh House Finishes, Seating, & Stage (L1)

○ Create Flexible Use Exploratory Labs (L1)

○ Address Acoustics at Aux Gym (L1)

○ Update Classrooms & Corridors Throughout - Provide Backpack Cubbies, Update Electrical, Finishes, HVAC, Technology, Windows, Furniture (L1)

○ Replace Undersized Gymnasium with Regulation Sized Gym (L1)

○ Address Circulation and Provide Small Group Space (L2)

○ Update LLC (L2)

○ Provide Drop-In Itinerant/Small Group Space (L2)

○ Update Toilet Rooms, Accessibility & Finishes (L2)

○ Improve Flexibility of Space (L2)

○ Update Classrooms & Corridors Throughout - Provide Backpack Cubbies, Update Electrical, Finishes, HVAC, Technology, Windows, Furniture (L2)

● Franklin Middle School - Updated Priority Diagram

○ Replace Gym Flooring, Bleachers, & Wall Mats (L1)

○ Update Locker Rooms (L1)

○ Update and Right Size Science Lab Classrooms (L1)

○ Relocate and Expand Nurse’s Office; Consolidate Itinerant Service Space (L1)

○ Update Circulation and Provide Gym Pre-Function Space (L1)

○ New Central Support Services (L1)

○ New Performing Arts, Band, Orchestra, Choral Building Addition (L1)

○ Relocate LLC, 2-Stories with Connecting Learning Stair (L1)

○ Update Classrooms Throughout - Provide Backpack Cubbies, Update Electrical, Finishes, HVAC, Technology, Windows, Furniture (L1, L2, B1)

○ Right-Size and Renovate Classrooms; Provide Small Group/Testing/Itinerant Meetings Space (L1 & 2)

○ Renovate & Right Size Science Lab Classrooms (L2)

○ Update Gym Flooring/Enclosure (L2)

○ Reconfigure Former LLC Space with Additional Classrooms (L2)

○ Update Circulation and Provide Small Group/Project Space (L2)

○ Relocate LLC, 2-stories with Connecting Learning Stair (L2)

○ Update Cafeteria & Kitchen (B1)

○ Create Flexible Use Exploratory Labs (B1)

● Project Phases

○ Pre-Design/Programming - Information Gathering, Goal Establishing, Vision Defining

○ Schematic Design - Iterating, Ideating, Form Developing

○ Design Development - Adding More Detail, Refining the Design

○ Contract Documents - Preparing Documents for Construction

○ Bidding/Negotiation - Soliciting/Reviewing Contractor Bids

○ Construction - Building the Work

● Project Schedule Overview

○ Option 1 - Baseline

■ Initial Investment - SD (partial or complete); budget estimating

■ Pros: Minimizes initial, pre-question District investment

■ Cons: Pushes work to a later timeframe

○ Option 2 - Enabling Projects

■ Initial Investment - SD (partial or complete); DD-CD for enabling projects; budget estimating; geotechnical investigations (potential), site surveying (potential)

■ Pros: Initial bid packages can be structured to be stand-alone and work with or without question passage

■ Cons: Greater project escalation on major projects, may extend into future summer construction, increased initial investment; enabling projects may not have a great impact on education/operations.

○ Option 3 - Moderate

■ Initial Investment - SD (complete); Partial DD-CD for phase 1; budget estimating; geotechnical investigations, site surveying, additional consultant costs

■ Pros: Minimized project escalation, early phase work allows swing space for future projects

■ Cons: Late summer/early fall construction start (ideally start in spring), building additions come online mid-year, greater up-front investment

○ Option 4 - Aggressive

■ Initial Investment - SD (complete); complete DD-CD for phase I shell/core; partial DD-CD for phase 1 interior build-out; budget estimating; geotechnical investigations, site surveying, additional consultant costs

■ Pros: Compressed construction schedule, minimized escalation impact

■ Cons: Early bid packages reduce buying effectiveness; aggressive summer packages and potential during year work; increased initial investment

There was additional information on the following:

● Getting additional feedback from the middle school principals and staff.

● Will see pieces of the middle and high concepts in the updated plans to reflect the current thinking from each one of the schools.

● Science labs are a large focus of the overall project to make sure there is a parity amongst all of the schools

● Looking at the HVAC needs of each building.

● The bidding for the building additions does not necessarily have to follow a traditional summer project bidding because it is a multi-year phase and projects would have a longer window from the labor market.

● The general approach to estimating projects - escalate costs to the mid-phase of construction, and balance out by the total quantity of work that is going to be done at any given year.

There were comments and/or questions on the following:

● Life Skills & Essential Classroom locations within building, entry point.

● Existing auditorium space - maintain and determine how that space can best be used.

● Monroe space and potential community use as it relates to building access, parking.

● Edison gym - proposed to build out from the existing space.

● Science programs at the middle school level - departmental vs. grade-level model preferred?

● Library Learning Centers and trends - continuing to evolve; elementary vs. MS needs.

● Innovator studio vs. maker space.

● Improving sightlines for monitoring behavior as much as possible.

● Getting additional user feedback will be included in the next phase, and will continue as we move through the design continuum.

● Current project phase - between the pre-design/programming and the schematic design.

● Enabling projects - doing components of work initially that you would be doing anyway.

● Extended construction periods, extended phases, and inflation/escalation increase costs.

● Challenges to students and learning with extended or multi-phased projects.

● The project schedule options - initial investment, community support, and the potential use of existing fund balance to draw from if the Board chooses to frontload some of the project work.

● The feasibility of doing the same schedule to do all three projects at the same time based on the bandwidth of the facilities team and the labor market?

● Explanation of reduced buying effectiveness.

● Options 2-4: what kind of budget are we talking about from the design planning phase?

● For the basic improvements of deferred maintenance, we would have some of that anyway - what is the incremental cost?

● Estimate of the inflation avoidance if move to the more aggressive options that potentially offsets some of the early design risk.

● Request for a topic on what the experience is for kids in the building while construction is going on - safety, disruption, the logistical challenges of parking, and drop-off situations when construction equipment is on site.

● Monroe - the potential use of the county land during construction?

● Mechanical questions on the funding for any upfront work before a ballot question would happen. Involving the Finance Committee in this discussion.

PUBLIC COMMENTS – Agenda Items & Non-Agenda Items

In accordance with Board Policy 2.230, members of the public wishing to offer public comment had the opportunity to do so. A public comment sign-up sheet was made available until 7:00 p.m. at the meeting site. The Board Meeting was available for viewing via live stream on the District’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/communityunitschooldistrict200.

Per Board Policy, the Board may shorten the time allocation for each person to less than three minutes to allow the maximum number of people the opportunity to speak. The Board did not shorten the time allocation for each person to speak due to the number of speakers.

Speaker              Topic

Pat McKenna     Remedial Topic

Rose Rivers       Remedial Topic

ADJOURNMENT

MOTION

There being no further business to come before the Board in Open Session, Member Kulovits moved, Member Long seconded to adjourn the meeting. Upon a voice call being taken, all were in favor. The motion carried 6-0.

The meeting adjourned at 9:32 PM.

https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3696/CUSD200/4087700/Minutes_2.28.24.docx.pdf