Julie Kulovits, Vice President | Community Unit School District 200
Julie Kulovits, Vice President | Community Unit School District 200
Community Unit School District 200 Board of Education met Sept. 25.
Here are the minutes provided by the board:
The Committee of the Whole meeting for the month of September 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, September 25, 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. Brad Paulsen
Mr. John Rutledge
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 President Rob Hanlon led the Board in the Pledge of Allegiance.
SUSPEND THE RULES AND ADJOURN TO A WORKSHOP SETTING
MOTION
Member Hjerpe moved, Member Rutledge seconded to suspend the rules and adjourn to a workshop setting. Upon a roll call vote being taken the vote was: AYE 7, NAY 0. The motion carried 7-0.
Strategic Plan
State of the Schools Update
District 200 has utilized strategic planning as a tool to guide the work of the District and School Board. Our current strategic planning effort, Vision 2026, started with the development of our Portrait of a Graduate. That work involved two rounds of community input and the work of a design team that developed the Portrait based on the input and community engagement sessions. The Portrait was presented to the Board of Education in January of 2022 and launched the development of our Vision 2026 Plan. Each school year, the metrics identified on the Vision 2026 Dashboard are monitored and results are reported to the Board of Education throughout the year at the Committee of the Whole and Regular Board of Education Meetings. These updates are provided on various topics throughout the year.
Members of the Senior Leadership Team provided the Board and community with a comprehensive overview of our current work through a State of the Schools presentation, which provided an overview of key work strategies for the year and connected those strategies to the outcomes measured on our dashboard. The State of the Schools PowerPoint presentation included information on the following:
● District Characteristics
o Racial Diversity - % of students by race
o Student Enrollment (2023)- 11,493
o # Languages Spoken Among Students (2024) - 87
o % Multilingual Learners (2023) - 11%
o % Low Income (2023) - 30%
o % With Disability (2023) - 14%
● Vision 2026
o Portrait of a Graduate - anchor of the strategic plan
o Mission and Vision
● Student Learning
o The K-8 experience will build the academic foundation necessary for success in HS, ensuring readiness for and completion of a postsecondary education.
● Student Learning: K-8 Learning Acceleration
o Academic Excellence in Literacy - ELA curriculum for EC-2nd grade will provide students with foundational skills essential for future literacy development; ELA curriculum for 3rd-8th grade will develop students’ literacy skills, which are essential for success in all HS courses.
o ELA Strategies - Adoption of Bookworms Reading & Writing; Implementation of Bookworms Intensive for MTSS and Resource; Pilot of ELA instructional materials in grades 6-8; Phase 1 Curriculum Work for 6-8 Social Studies; Phase 1 Curriculum Review of Reading Interventions for 6-8.
o ELA Metrics - FastBridge (earlyReading, aReading and Growth); IAR (Gr 3-8 ELA); Metric to Add (IAR Growth Percentile).
o Grades 3-8 Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) ELA Percentage Meets/Exceeds for 2019 - 2023 (no state testing in 2020; 2024 scores will be released on Oct 30th).
o Academic Excellence in Mathematics - EC to 2nd-grade curriculum focuses on building foundational numeracy skills essential for students’ future math success; 3rd - 5th-grade curriculum is designed to equip students with skills and knowledge they need to succeed in MS math; 6th - 8th-grade curriculum is structured to prepare students with necessary skills and understanding to succeed in Algebra I.
o Math Strategies - Adoption of Illustrative Math (IM) grades K-8; Phase I curriculum work for Tier 2 math interventions for elementary instruction & resource programming; Support POG skills in math.
o Math Metrics - FastBridge (earlyMath, aMath and Growth); IAR (3-8 Math); Metric to Add (IAR Growth Percentile).
o Grades 3-5 Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) Math Percentage Meets/Exceeds for 2019 - 2023 (no state testing in 2020; 2024 scores will be released on Oct 30th).
● Student Learning: College and Career Readiness
o Academic Excellence - Students are prepared for credit-bearing postsecondary coursework.
o Metric: English Proficiency (meet one of these indicators) - AP Course (Grade A, B, C); Dual Credit English Course (Grade A, B, C); Transitional English Course (Grade A, B, C).
o Exam Scores - SAT Score (540); ACT Score (22 Reading, 18 English); AP Exam (3, 4, 5).
● Student Learning: College and Career Readiness
o Academic Excellence - Students are prepared for credit-bearing postsecondary coursework.
o Metric: Math Proficiency (meet one of these indicators) - AP Course (Grade A, B, C); Dual Credit Math Course (Grade A, B, C); Transitional Math (Grade A, B, C); Algebra II (Grade A, B, C).
o Exam Scores - SAT Score (540 + 4th yr of math); ACT Score (22 + 4th yr of math); AP Exam (3, 4, 5).
● Student Learning: College and Career Readiness
o Academic Excellence - Students are prepared for credit-bearing postsecondary coursework.
o Other Metrics - Freshman on Track, Graduation Rate, Student Completing Advanced Coursework, PSAT to SAT Growth (paused due to change in state test).
● Student Learning: College and Career Readiness
o Academic Excellence Strategies - Implemented Transitional English; Implemented Dual Credit English; Increased the Number of Students Taking a 4th year of Math; Increased the Number of Students Taking Transitional Math; Added Academic Interventionist to Support Freshman on Track and Credit Recovery.
● Student Learning: College and Career Readiness
o Career Readiness - Students demonstrate readiness for a postsecondary education.
o Metric: Students Completing Advanced Coursework; Metric to Add (Students Earning a Career Pathway Endorsement).
● Student Learning: College and Career Readiness
o Complete Career Pathways - Education, Business and Nursing.
o Career Pathways in Development - Culinary, Marketing, Broadcast Media.
o Dual Credit Career Pathway Courses Added - Child Development, Business INCubator, Broadcast Media 1, Sports and Entertainment Marketing, Intro to Teaching 1 and 2, More to be Proposed in 2024.
● The Student Experience
o Students will maximize their academic, social, and learning abilities through a robust school experience that includes strong relationships, high expectations in the learning space, and participation in extracurricular activities in a supportive and safe environment.
o Student Connectedness - Relationships: 96% Connectedness Rate; Key Strategies: Utilize relationship mapping and response strategies to connect students to school, Implement co-curricular connectedness strategies for non-participatory students.
o HS Extracurricular Participation: Clubs, Activities, Sports: 76% (10% increase since 2018-19); Key Strategies: Implement co-curricular connectedness for non-participatory students, Utilize newly developed MS co-curricular monitoring tool to increase participation for students.
o Student Attendance - Not Chronically Absent: 84.6% (3.4% increase from 2022-23); Key Strategies: Continue implementation of strategic attendance improvement process through data monitoring, proactive communication and providing student supports.
o Positive Climate: 5:1 Rate of Positive Interactions; Key Strategies: Fully implement Tier 1 Behavioral School Framework at elementary level, Expand District Discipline Support Team structure to elementary level while maintaining secondary structure.
o Optimal Learning Environments - Clear and High Expectations, Student Engagement, Physical Environment, and Student-Teacher Relationships.
o Proactive Programming (non-academic) - DARE, Internet Safety, Health and Wellness, SOS (Signs of Suicide); Key Strategies: Implement internet safety programming at MS level in collaboration with Wheaton PD, Implement DARE programming at elementary level, Ensure students know how to advocate for themselves and peers when a risk of harm is present.
o Student Supports - Head Start, Camp Kinder, Intervention and Student Services, Referral GPS, Emotional Wellness, Crisis Response; Key Strategies: Expand Crisis Support Teams in each school through PREPaRE program implementation, Develop tiered supports for family resources and education to support student behavioral and emotional wellness.
o Student Voice - Student Leadership Groups (Connection, Learning, Safety, Recognition, Student Experience); Key Strategies: Fully implement secondary student leadership input groups.
o Increases from 2023 to 2024 School Year - School Connectedness (+1%, 7% increase since 2021-22); Co-Curriculars (+2%, 10% increase since 2018-19); Attendance (+3.4%).
o Safety - Connectedness, Prevention, See Something / Say Something, Drills / Training, Physical Safety.
● The Staff Experience
o CUSD 200 strives to create a supportive and empowering work environment for school staff by fostering professional development (PD), promoting collaboration, and ensuring staff members feel safe, valued, and engaged.
o Safety - Drills, Training, See Something / Say Something, Physical Safety, District Safety Committee).
o Culture - District/Building Focus, Survey Data, New Teacher Mentor Program, New Hire Induction Program; Key Strategies: Hire, develop, and retain diverse, high-quality staff, Maintain and enhance a positive organizational culture.
o Professional Learning- CUSD 200 is dedicated to providing professional learning through three structures - Train, Plan, Coach; Strategies: Expanding coaching at ECC, MS, and Elementary Math, Provided multiple training sessions for IM, Bookworms Reading and Writing, and Bookworms Intensive; Provided training for Math Language routines, Provided funds for substitute teachers to support collaboration planning sessions for elementary staff with reading/math coaches, Tier1 Behavioral Training.
o New Teachers - Through a structured mentoring program, new teachers receive support throughout their first year. Strategies: Designed collaboratively with the Professional Growth Committee, Working to develop a training plan for new elementary staff to support the learning for IM and Bookworms.
o Staff Input - CUSD 200 utilizes staff input through committee structures and feedback loops to inform decision-making, improve instructional practices, and foster a collaborative culture focused on student success. Strategies: curriculum committees for ELA, Math, Social Studies, MS Electives, Multilingual Learners, PACE framework, Coaches; Staff feedback looks for new curriculum implementation and pilots; Stakeholder feedback on Special Education Course proposal process at the HS level.
● Operational Excellence - Finance
o We are committed to staying true to fiscal conservatism and producing a balanced operating budget annually; CUSD 200 continues to spend less per student than the state average by minimizing administrative expenses and focusing funding on classrooms. CUSD 200 has earned the highest possible “Financial Recognition” designation with ISBE; CUSD 200 has a AA+ S&P credit rating, the second-highest rating issued by S&P.
● Operational Excellence - Budget
o FY25 budget marks the 15th consecutive year that the Board of Education has approved a balanced operating budget; Board Policy 4:10 Fiscal and Business Management.
● Operational Excellence - Fund Balance
o Fund Balance% for FY 2017 - 2023; Board Policy 4:20 Fund Balances.
● Operational Excellence - ISBE Financial Profile Score
o The financial recognition category for FY 2017 - 2023 is the highest category of financial strength, requiring little or no review from ISBE.
● Operational Excellence - Long-Term Debt
o CUSD 200 long-term debt for LY 2019 - 2026. The last existing debt service payment is tied to the 2024 tax levy and scheduled to be paid on October 1, 2025.
● Operational Excellence - LT Bond Rating
o Standard & Poor’s rating for CUSD 200 AA+ (very strong).
● Operational Excellence - Facilities
o We are dedicated to creating environments that are safe and secure, offer consistent and efficient experiences, are accessible for all and provide students and staff with 21st-century learning opportunities.
● Operational Excellence - 2017 Master Facility Plan
o The 2017 Proposed Master Facilities Plan Projects included: Capital Projects (in progress); Early Childhood Center (complete in 2020); Elementary Secure Entries (complete); Elementary LLCs (2 of 13 complete); MS LLCs, Science Labs, Reconfiguration of Spaces (not started); HS Tennis Courts and Auditorium Upgrades (complete); LLCs and Flexible Learning Spaces (not started).
● Operational Excellence - Sherman Dergis
o Board Policy 4:152 Capital Renewal Funding - Sherman Dergis Methodology; Capital Facilities Spending FY18 - 24; the Board has spent $47 million since FY17 to focus on facilities infrastructure and learning environments.
● Operational Excellence - November 2024 Referendum
o As a community, we worked together throughout 2023 and 2024 to determine a plan to address the significant infrastructure needs at our MS; nearly 1300 community members took part in developing this plan.
o If approved by the community, the referendum would improve the safety & security in our MS, ensure healthy and accessible buildings for all students; and provide our MS students 21st century learning environments.
o The community’s plan is now a $151.5 million referendum. If successful, the referendum would result in an average tax decrease of $71 per year in the bond and interest fund for the median homeowner. A tax calculator to determine a taxpayer’s decrease is provided on the D200 website, as are videos of the current and proposed MS environments.
● Community Engagement
o CUSD 200 strives to create meaningful connections with parents, students, staff, municipalities, and community partners to enrich the educational experience for every student and strengthen the community as a whole.
● Community Engagement/Partnerships
o Includes Municipalities, Chamber of Commerce, Park Districts, Libraries, School-Based PTA’s & Boosters, District PTA Council, Citizens Advisory Committee, Student Ambassadors, Student Leadership Groups, First Responders/PIO, Student Excellence Foundation, Service Clubs (Rotary & Lions), Free Mobile Food Pantry, Weekend Food Bags, Annual School Supplies, Local Business Partnerships; Parent Volunteers, Outreach, and more.
o Key Strategies: Engage our community on an ongoing basis to determine its priorities, foster partnerships, and promote learning; Maintain active engagement with all of our municipalities and key community partners.
● Communications
o We are dedicated to providing clear, timely, and transparent communication that keeps all stakeholders informed, engaged and connected to the work of the district.
● Communications - Tools
o Board Highlights (consistent 69-72% open rate since March 2024); CUSD 200 Newsletter (72-75% open rate since March 2024); School Newsletters; CUSD 200 Website; Email, Text and Call Alerts; Staff-Parent-Student Communication Tools; Social Media.
o Key Strategies: Develop and maintain a regular cadence for district and school newsletters, Implement a 2-way communication system that meets SOPPA standards, Engage our community on an ongoing basis to determine priorities, foster partnerships, and promote learning, Continuously engage all stakeholders by communicating important updates, Maintain an active presence on social media to celebrate the accomplishments of staff and students, and provide information regarding district operations and news.
There was additional information/comments on the following:
● This is the halfway point of our current strategic plan, Vision 2026.
● This presentation consists of five mini updates inside of the broader presentation, State of the Schools.
o Student Learning
o Student Experience
o Staff Experience
o Operational Excellence
o Community Engagement & Communications
● There is not a 1:1 correlation between the metrics that we monitor and the strategies that are in place, but they are connected in that we have intentionally built the strategies so that we believe strongly if we can address those areas we have identified in the aggregate you will see positive trend lines in the metrics.
● The goal of the Committee of the Whole (COW) meetings is to address relevant topics out of the strategic plan, and to address other topics the Board has an interest in exploring in a deeper dive.
Open Session Minutes – September 25, 2024 Page 6
● The October COW meeting is usually focused on the state report card/student achievement updates, and the January COW is usually focused on the five-year financial forecast for the District, as this helps kickoff the budget development process.
● The mini updates can be used as a bank of video content made available for the community to reference information when questions arise.
Student Learning
● Grades 3-8 IAR ELA meets/exceeds percentages - seeing results that are higher than prepandemic learning outcomes, and seeing a slight increase year-over-year in math results.
● District 200 is currently one of two school districts in DuPage County implementing the Transitional English course.
● District 200 had 19 students who earned a career pathway endorsement in D200 last year. This is monitored by the state, with the number expected to increase for the Class of 2024.
Student Experience
● The full experience for students is all about the Portrait of a Graduate (POG) - academic excellence, giving kids problem-solving skills, helping them be better collaborators, and making them more resilient. All of these pieces tie into it.
● The foundation of the student experience is all around being connected, to both staff and the peer-to-peer relationships.
● Extracurricular participation in clubs, activities, and sports is important at all levels - elementary, MS, and HS. There is a key connection between this and student learning, as well as the ability to exhibit some SEL and POG skills in a natural, authentic environment.
● There has been a strong focus on student attendance, especially last year and into this year.
● Chronically absent definition - students that miss 10% or more of the school year. This is when you typically start to see behaviors increasing, a lack of participation or student engagement, and a decrease in academic achievement.
● Positive Climate and the 5:1 ratio of positive interactions - noted the research behind this and shared examples of positive interactions between students and not only their classroom teachers, but all members from the school setting.
● The non-academic proactive programming focuses on decision making skills for students and the ability to make positive decisions, especially related to risky behaviors.
● Student support - some students need more supports from staff.
● For students who have experienced a crisis, extreme trauma, or have had a hospitalization, the focus is on transitioning them back into school as effectively and efficiently as possible so they can get back to the student experience.
● Student voice - meeting frequently with student leadership groups at both the MS and HS levels to learn and hear from them on various topics. This includes the district team, as well as school staff that have vehicles for getting student input.
● Creating a safe setting for students and staff is paramount, and strong connections increase the feeling of safety and increase the chances of students sharing information on what they see or hear that will be helpful to staff.
● Physical safety of buildings - all outside doors are locked, enter through Door #1 in a secure entry; visitors have to be vetted through the visitor management system; all buildings are outfitted with at least outdoor cameras; in the process of outfitting every employee with swipe cards to enter the buildings; nightlocks have been installed at the elementary level.
Staff Experience
● All staff are required to complete GCN training modules every single year; covering a variety of topics.
● See Something / Say Something applies to both students and staff members. Open Session Minutes – September 25, 2024 Page 7
● District Safety Committee - includes some district staff, local police and fire department representatives, includes leadership staff from other schools in the area. Meetings are monthly. The purpose of the safety committee is to lead/guide the district in comprehensive safety and crisis response planning, promote by facilitating ongoing prevention, protection, and mitigation efforts; and assist by providing the district and schools with needed support.
● Survey data - includes 5Essentials data, morale survey data, stay interview data, and new teacher mentor survey data.
● New teacher mentor program was new last year - new teachers are paired with another staff member and can talk with them about any issues or challenges they face. Mentors can also assist new teachers in prepping for certain things during the school year. This helps build morale and a sense of belonging in the district.
● Professional Growth Committee - joint committee with WWEA.
Operational Excellence - Finance and Facilities
● Board policy range for fund balance is 25 - 40% of operating revenues. D200 is typically in the middle of that range, with the 2023 fund balance percentage at 32.3%.
● There are five key indicators used to determine the ISBE Financial Profile Score, including the ratio of fund balance to revenue, the ratio of expenditure to revenue, and the percentage of short-term borrowing ability remaining. The D200 score for 2023 was 3.9 out of 4.0. One of the levels in the overall calculation requires you to have six months worth of fund balance and D200 is typically closer to 3-4 months. That is the only difference as a whole.
● The tentative levy will come before the Board in November and will ask for final approval in December.
● The lease certificates related to the Jefferson ECC are the only obligation that the District will carry after October 2025. Evidence-based funding is pulled from the education fund to support the payment of those lease certificates.
● From FY18 - FY25, the Board has invested almost $56 million in facilities, noting the district has a lot of real estate and square footage to be concerned about and take care of on a daily basis.
Community Engagement
● Partnerships are incredibly important to the District. If we all work together to engage and learn what initiatives are important to our community, we can partner to make those happen.
● Communications and Community Engagement - one cannot happen without the other.
● We want to provide a window into our schools.
● The CUSD newsletter launched in March 2024.
There were questions and/or additional discussion on the following:
● Pausing the metric, PSAT to SAT growth, due to the state changing their metric to ACT. Is there no option to normalize between SAT and ACT to still provide a view so we do not lose that continuity? There are concurrence tables that Ms. Murphy and Dr. Oziemkowski will study to determine how to make that report on the D200 dashboard.
● The Dual Credit English Course is offered at both high schools - total of 64 students enrolled in that course this year.
● New Dual Credit course opportunities are being developed to be offered at both campuses, especially when it is connected to a career pathway option and a transferable GenEd course. Noted there are currently a couple of courses offered only at one campus.
● The IAR standards for grade level in Illinois and how they compare with national averages - IL has some of the most rigorous expectations for meeting/exceeding proficiency in the nation. The exceed percentage on those assessments is often under 10% across the state of IL.
● The correlation on this and where you need to sit on FastBridge in order to just meet the standard in Illinois - correlation with nationally normed tests saying students have to score at the 70th% and higher to meet or exceed on our state tests.
● Challenge - when the meet/exceed standard gets equated to something as simple as whether or not you can read. Noted the complicated ELA assessment that has multiple layers of writing and complex skills - not an apples-to-apples comparison to say if you cannot meet on that assessment, then you cannot read.
● Regarding ACT test, noted the state is looking at the cut score for ACT and recalibrating that. Currently, at the SAT level, the cut score Illinois uses is beyond what College Board describes as a standard of college readiness (IL has the fourth highest proficiency rate in the nation for SAT).
● Is there a way to note on the metrics being monitored what the College Board cut level is or what the national averages are? Easier to do this at the HS level where this is a national assessment; not as easy to do with IAR as this is a state assessment. There are some organizations that will do some norm studies within Illinois to show where your results sit within the state. Noted adding the metrics to monitor IAR growth percentile on the dashboard adds another layer to track results.
● FastBridge is a nationally normed assessment. Included on the dashboard is the percentage of students who are at or above the 50th percentile.
● Goals for the District for the IAR meet/exceed percentiles. What will we be striving for to meet five years from now? May need to lean on some external expertise and do not want to set an arbitrary number. Realistic goals would have to be based on some true analytics, looking at past performance along with some projected growth - set bands on what anticipated growth, higher than anticipated growth, and substandard growth look like. Need to discuss how important that is as a priority and would involve a partnership with an external group.
● Data for comparable districts - the annual Illinois Report Card put out by ISBE is publicly available.
● IAR measurement remaining constant since 2019. There were some years of PARCC assessment prior to that timeline.
● IAR growth potential metric and what percentage of students achieved a year of growth - the state reports this out and is on a percentile, looking at every student’s score year-over-year and then calculating it for the overall district. Bands are shown for strong growth, above average growth, average growth, etc. This will be included in the October presentation on the state report card/student achievement.
● Chronically absent students - have more than 18 or more absences in a year. District 200’s general attendance rate is 95-96% for all kids.
● The Wheaton Police Department runs the DARE program, and they are willing to do that programming for all of our schools.
● Referral GPS numbers and access are very strong, not only internally from staff making referrals to families but also from families accessing the site independently.
● Extracurricular vs. co-curricular terms are being used interchangeably by the District.
● Request for metrics - student attendance for D200 vs. benchmark districts. Also, it would be interesting to see how last year’s fifth-grade students who participated in DARE move through middle school in comparison to prior years.
● Students who are not connected and/or not participating in extracurricular activities - do we do any follow-up to see if they have connectedness outside of the district? Noted the follow-up process is reviewed with the HS teams each summer.
● National statistics on suicide rates and crisis events at younger ages and the process of reaching out to students younger than HS regarding connectedness. Noted the tool to gather co-curricular data for the MS level being used.
● Physical safety - the MOU with the Wheaton Police to access cameras from their station in the event of an emergency.
● Proactive programming - Many of the District PTAs do an excellent job with regard to this.
● Physical safety - noted the different ideas individuals have about what could be implemented; too much or too little? At what point do we revisit ideas and have some dialogue?
● Any member of the Board can request a topic to include on a meeting agenda to talk about an idea or question around a specific topic.
● Getting community feedback on safety and seeing what comparative districts have and what is reasonably available to us.
● District Safety Committee - who is on it, scope of the committee, experts who participate, etc.
● Safety drills and the audit component following a drill - police and fire provide immediate feedback to building leadership on their drills.
● Student Ambassadors are present at regular business board meetings but not COW meetings.
● Student safety is a vast and in-depth topic. The safety committee was instrumental in the decision regarding nightlocks. Having experts who are trained and have contacts outside of the area is so important to our district in making decisions about what we do.
● While the physical safety aspect is key and we continue to fortify that, we must continue to dedicate time, effort, and resources to get to know kids. SLT has communicated to each building at the Sharper Focus sessions with staff the four things the Dept. of Homeland Security and FBI say districts and schools must focus on: lock your doors, know your kids, perform your threat assessments, and know your safety procedures. These are things we can control every day. Listening and utilizing the experts that are shoulder-to-shoulder with us.
● Having a structured uniform response to reports of bullying as a district. Noted the building process, tip line, student support building teams, and their response; the change in the bullying law. Students can talk to someone or fill out a form.
● Wheaton Police/First Responders, as well as other municipal partners, including Warrenville, Winfield, and Carol Stream - are a part of the Safety Committee.
● Does staff have access on how to report issues anonymously? Noted the safety tip line is open to anybody within the community - students, staff, and parents and is found on the D200 website. The staff morale survey was also noted.
● Microcredentials should be included as part of the staff's professional learning list. Over 900 microcredentials were taken last year by staff, which was an uptick from the previous year. Part of the responsibility of the Professional Growth Committee is to review what microcredentials are available and work collaboratively to add courses based on feedback from staff.
● Professional Development within the Safety Committee - law enforcement brings information, training and topics to the committee. Noted a member of law enforcement spending ten weeks of training with the FBI and shared some training with the committee; PREPaRE model training; Mr. Biscan attended the LUDA (Large Unit District Association) winter conference - safety was a big focus, and individuals were brought in to share best practices and challenges; LUDA also has monthly collaboratives for district leadership members in like positions. D200 leadership are part of these collaboratives.
● Safety has a growing and expanding arm tied to technology and cybersecurity - protecting data and systems. Physical security and surveillance - camera systems and enhanced alert capabilities that allow staff members to activate from anywhere in the building and ensure on a moment’s notice, interior doors are locked and secured (through a secondary locking mechanism if in place). Lockdowns can be called/alerted from anywhere in the building through the enhanced capabilities of Informacast, phones and systems throughout the buildings.
● Staff experience and opportunities for teachers to observe other teachers is happening within our buildings, but we currently do not have a formal mechanism in place. There has been discussion around including this as part of the process for new teacher training in Bookworms and Illustrative Math (IM) to go into different classrooms. Would there be any additional resources needed from the Board for this to happen? The budget development process would be where additional resources would be noted.
● Any formal process for grade-to-grade or school-to-school handoff of students? There is a structure in place used for students with identified supports (IEP, ML, etc.).
● In the event of school incidents outside of the district, are there supports in place for the emotional toll on our staff should they feel they need to talk to someone? The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to all staff and is shared regularly with staff by the HR department. Also noted is that the PREPaRE crisis response model is built on deploying staff/resources where they are needed in the different buildings. The art of leadership and sensing when support is needed.
● The District has a AA+ bond rating - what would it take to get to AAA rating and what would be the benefit of that? Is this tied to the 3.9 vs. 4.0 financial profile score? Based on prior experience, if cash on hand was a little larger, that would be a factor, but how significant, is unknown. The higher the rating of the bonds is, the less the overall interest rate should be because the appetite for that investment will be greater. Initial conversations have taken place with PMA.
● Fund balance maximum - there is no legal state of Illinois statute on fund balance maximum.
● 2017 Facility Master Plan - was everything on that included in the referendum? The major project buckets are included in the referendum. The outstanding pieces are the middle school projects (covered in the referendum) and the LLCs across all buildings.
● Library Learning Centers (LLCs) perspective is different now than in 2017, and we have continued to learn more; how you approach the LLC is kind of individualized by the building itself, not only from a physical layout perspective but the needs inside of the building that drives the individual plan. You cannot have a singular playbook that will apply to all buildings; but will be tailored to the school. LLCs impact everyone in the school; a modernized understanding on what the LLC is supposed to do.
● Future spending on future projects out of Sherman Dergis - the dollars and timeframe we might be addressing them. The facilities committee has committed to looking three years ahead so there is an understanding on what is on the horizon relative to capital projects and understanding which buckets those projects are going to fall in.
● How do we manage landscaping costs at each of the schools? We technically do not have a separate landscaping budget. There are a few people on the O&M team who are responsible for grounds during Spring, Summer, and early Fall. The general responsibility is making sure our sites are clean, neat, and organized, and the grass is cut, sidewalks are shoveled. It is more of a maintenance vs. landscaping thing. Some PTAs spend more resources on this than others. Buildings need to ask the District to assist/partner in their efforts.
● Appreciate the omnichannel approach to communication, especially to reach those people who do not have students in D200. The recent Winfield Word newsletter is a great example of that, potentially reaching people who otherwise are not hearing what is going on with the District.
● Appreciate the “Who to Contact” pages for each school level and putting this on all school and District websites. Hope to keep this refreshed and add to it as new topics emerge.
● The connection to the other communication professionals and the other partners we have - Ms. Barry sits on the Safety Committee, meets with the local PIOs (public information officers) of local municipalities regularly, and meets with peers in like roles at park districts, libraries, etc.
● The importance of the PIO group - communication during a crisis situation and the related challenges. If there is any point of connection to our First Responders before we can put anything out, it needs to work through their communication channels as well. Cannot impede with an ongoing investigation; working on pre-drafting some elements of communication to hopefully shorten that timeline.
● Social Media Effectiveness - which platforms are most useful? Social media changes every day and the needs and where it is most beneficial varies at the different levels. At the Elementary and even MS level - get most of your engagement and reach most parents at the Facebook and Instagram level. At the HS level, probably going to be more Facebook whereas students are more on Instagram or TikTok. “X” (formerly known as Twitter) is becoming more for athletics and is not being used much for school districts. The importance of staying current with the times. Students are using social media differently all of the time and we are doing our best to educate them on on how to use it properly and in a good way.
● The one-page documents on Finance and Facilities are updated as new information/reports come in.
● Board members should provide Dr. Schuler with requests for topics they want a deeper dive into for future regular BOE/COW meetings.
● The Local Elected Officials Special Meeting on Friday will include parts of this State of the Schools information and a little deeper dive into the referendum.
● Appreciate the focus on not only the “what” but also the “why” during tonight’s presentation to understand the interconnectedness of all five topics.
● The Student Excellence Foundation - celebrating and recognizing this volunteer group and the organization's growth over the last decade; perhaps recognize at a future meeting.
PUBLIC COMMENTS – Agenda Items & Non-Agenda Items
None
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION
There being no further business to come before the Board in Open Session, Member Paulsen moved, Member Long seconded to adjourn the meeting. Upon a voice call being taken, all were in favor. The motion carried 7-0.
The meeting adjourned at 9:04 PM.
https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/3696/CUSD200/4920286/Minutes_9.25.24_COW.docx.pdf
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