The District 58 Board of Education held a Regular Meeting on Monday, July 10, 2023, at Downers Grove Village Hall. View the agenda. The meeting video will be posted on the District 58 YouTube page later this week.
Board approves appointment
The Board of Education approved the appointment of Mrs. Tiffany Williams as Special Services Coordinator, a new position to support families and students in specialized programs.
The position was created to provide more dedicated availability and support to the district's students, families and staff within specialized programs and placements as the program continues to expand. Mrs. Williams will serve as the coordinator of the Developmental Learning Program (DLP) and outplacements.
Mrs. Williams stood out among the candidates as she has served as a teacher in an elementary cross-categorical classroom and has served as a special education administrator for students in life skills programming and students in transitional services. Most recently, she served as a Special Education Coordinator for East Aurora District 131. She began her career as a paraprofessional and a long-term substitute teacher serving students with autism with more complex communication and behavioral needs prior to classroom teaching and leadership roles.
Food Service Contract Approved
The Board approved a one-year contract with Quest Food Service. The recommendation was made following a review by a committee of middle school administrators and two elementary school parents. Three proposals had been submitted. The administration noted that the meal rate will increase to $5.49 but that there is also an increase in the quality of food service, which has been an issue raised by families over the years. Another reason for the increase is the cost of food and services has risen significantly over the last two years. One board member said she was pleased about the increased quality of the food but expressed concern about the cost of the meal, especially for families who are just above the free-and-reduced lunch waiver rate.
Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell indicated that there are a number of organizations, including generous PTAs, that partner with District 58 to support families who are impacted. If paying for meals for their child is difficult, he encouraged families in economic hardship to contact their schools.
Superintendent’s Report
- Welcome
Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell welcomed Elizabeth Ehrhart, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, and Michelle Kovar, Manager of Business Services, both new District 58 administrators, and thanked them for their hard work and extra hours in transitioning to their new roles.
- Personnel
Dr. Russell noted that a number of positions have been filled and that the personnel department continues to actively recruit for unfilled positions. The district plans to be fully staffed by fall and a more comprehensive update will be provided in August and September.
- Curriculum and Instruction
Summer learning continues with Session II wrapping up this week and Session III beginning the week of July 24. In addition, curriculum materials are arriving at the District Service Center and are currently being distributed to the school buildings. Plans are ramping up for New Teacher Week, Year Two Teacher Meetings and Opening Institute Day.
- Technology
Technology summer work focuses on closing out the 2022-23 school year and transitioning to the next school year, including checking in, cleaning and resetting all student devices. Additionally, new wireless access points have been installed in several buildings.
- Special Services
Extended School Year will conclude at the end of this week with another successful summer of learning.
- Facilities
The custodial maintenance crew continues its annual deep cleaning of classrooms and other areas in the schools, a huge project as it requires that all items are removed from the rooms, then returned after cleaning. Masonry work that could not be conducted last summer due to supply chain shortages is being done at Henry Puffer, El Sierra and Highland. Carryover fire alarm replacement work at Highland has been completed and is now being conducted at Henry Puffer. The abatement of asbestos in the floor tile at Henry Puffer was completed and now work continues to prep the floor for new tile and cabinetry.
Construction of new playgrounds is underway at Lester, Pierce Downer, Indian Trail, and Henry Puffer, and unfortunately behind schedule at Kingsley and Belle Aire. Work at Fairmount has not started because of equipment shipping delays. Contractors have submitted a revised schedule for Kingsley and Belle Aire and said the playgrounds will be completed before school starts.
Planning work on the “Building For Success” referendum projects continues throughout the summer. Engineers and architects have held multiple meetings and discussions with various staff throughout the summer to review interior materials, plumbing selections, geotechnical elements, technology improvements and other details related to planning.
- Public Relations
Strategic Planning
As part of the Strategic Planning process, the district’s mission, vision and guiding principles are being reviewed. An initial draft has been developed and will be discussed with the District’s Leadership Team (DLT), which reviews goals and achievements related to the Strategic Plan. The draft is very similar to the current statements and aligned with the district’s premise to represent all students, staff, and families. The final mission, vision and guiding principles will be brought back to the board for a recommendation in October. Additionally, the Strategic Plan’s development teams are meeting this summer to begin developing action plans and goals to recommend to the DLT in late September or early October.
Treasurer’s Report
In his monthly Treasurer’s Report, Assistant Superintendent for Business Todd Drafall said the district is reviewing and finalizing its year-to-date report. This month, the administration is recommending the approval of a new food service contractor, Quest, for meals at the two middle schools. In response to a question from the board, he summarized the lengthy process of how the district could expand meals to the elementary schools, which involves a number of steps including obtaining a national school lunch application, building expanded kitchens at the middle schools that could serve as satellite kitchens for elementary schools and installing new heating equipment in the elementary schools. An interim solution could be to provide a vendor drop-off meal program for the elementaries. Lunch at the elementary schools has long been noted as a goal in the district as part of the Strategic Plan. Dr. Russell said that lunch would be expanded to the elementary schools once several obstacles are overcome. Those include but are not limited to staffing, equipment, and space. The District will continue to keep the community updated throughout the process.
SASED Report
Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell gave an update on SASED. He said there has been a change in the executive director and a significant structural change in the board of directors. He noted that the organization was moving in the right direction.
During the Meeting, the Board Also:
- Approved the purchase of Apple MacBooks for $45,955 for new staff and as part of the refresh of the fleet of some staff MacBooks
- Adopted a resolution for dismissal of support staff for reasons other than reduction-in-force
- Approved a quote from Perfect Turf to resurface the Hillcrest playground for $44,085
- Approved minutes from the June 12 regular Board Meeting
- Approved all items posted in the consent agenda
To view all Board meeting topics, view the agenda.
Upcoming Events
Aug. 14, 2023, 7 p.m. Regular Board Meeting, Downers Grove Village Hall
District 58 Board of Education members are: Darren Hughes, president; Gregory Harris, vice president; Kirat Doshi, Melissa Ellis, Emily Hanus, Steven Olczyk and Tracy Weiner, with Dr. Kevin Russell, superintendent; and Melissa Jerves, board secretary.