The District 58 Board of Education held a Regular Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 16 at O’Neill Middle School. View the agenda. View the meeting video.
School Report: Henry Puffer School
Henry Puffer School Student Council leaders led the Board and audience in the Pledge of Allegiance and shared some of the ways they support their school through fundraising, service days, spirit days and more. Henry Puffer PTA Co-President Kari McTaggart highlighted recent PTA communication improvements, upcoming programs, and some of their unique PTA activities, such as the walking school bus. Principal Mark Leipart shared that Henry Puffer students’ overall assessment performance has improved in recent years, with 84% of students in the expected or high growth range. He also shared Henry Puffer school improvement goals, which center around ensuring all students can learn and thrive. Specifically, the goals focus on ELA curriculum implementation, Zones of Regulation social-emotional learning resource adoption, and the use of data to drive math instruction improvements.
View the Henry Puffer presentation.
IASBO Director Scholarship
The Illinois Association of School Business Officials (IASBO) presented Assistant Superintendent for Business Todd Drafall with the Director Scholarship, as a recognition of his three years of dedicated service on IASBO’s Board of Directors. Congratulations, Mr. Drafall! Learn more.
Spotlight on our Schools: Fall Data Snapshot
Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Liz Ehrhart presented a fall data snapshot of the District’s recent Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) and Aimsweb+ assessments. District 58 partners with ECRA, an education strategic planning firm, to analyze assessment data to help drive student achievement at all performance levels – for individual students, groups of students, school-wide and District-wide.
The fall data snapshot shows a student’s projected path toward their growth target, which is set based on their spring 2024 assessment data. Ehrhart shared that the fall data is within the expected growth range with 83% of students showing high/expected growth in reading and 75% of students showing high/expected growth in math. The data presented to the Board was at the District level but it is also parsed by student subgroups, school and individual students so that it can be analyzed and used to strengthen instruction.
Ehrhart noted that staff regularly review ECRA student assessment data to make instructional decisions. These data are also incorporated into each school’s improvement plan. Related information, such as District 58’s School Report Card overview and 2024 Illinois Assessment of Readiness results, will be shared at the next two Board meetings.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Dr. Kevin Russell provided several departmental updates, including:
- Personnel: In honor of Principal Appreciation Month, Dr. Russell thanked the District 58 principal team for their hard work and dedication.
- Curriculum and Instruction: Dr. Russell thanked staff and families for participating in a successful round of parent-teacher conferences last week.
- Technology: The Technology Office successfully moved and set up all District Office technology during last month’s administrative office move.
- Special Services: The Herrick RISE program launched a new coffee cart business run by students in the RISE program. “Called the McJoynt Café, this initiative is made possible thanks to the generous donations made in honor of beloved Herrick Middle School teacher Sarah McJoynt, who passed away unexpectedly last school year. Our students are eager to take on the challenge of running a small business,” said Dr. Russell. The McJoynt Café will be open every Thursday morning for staff to enjoy.
- Facilities: Dr. Russell recognized National Custodian Appreciation Day, which took place Oct. 2, and thanked the staff who keep District 58’s facilities clean and operational. Dr. Russell also noted that the November Board meeting will include a request from the Highland PTA to fundraise for library enhancements. Their plan is supported by the building principal and District, and in line with similar past fundraising requests.
- Community Relations: District 58 recently completed its annual committee recruitment effort, and is pleased to welcome 38 new members to its committees and councils. Each new member will contribute a unique and diverse perspective, and we look forward to hearing their feedback on the many issues that District 58 faces.
Business Report
Assistant Superintendent for Business Todd Drafall reported that the budget is overall in good shape, noting that the District just received its final ESSER (COVID-19 relief) federal funding. He also presented District 58’s tentative 2024 tax levy of $72.77 million, which the Board will vote to approve at next month’s meeting. By law, school districts can annually levy to increase funding by the consumer price index (3.4% in 2024), plus the value of new property.
Drafall also provided the Board with an elementary food service update. The number of District 58 elementary students who qualify for a free or reduced lunch has increased significantly in recent years. District 58 currently pays for these meals without reimbursement. Drafall recommended that District 58 elementary schools join the National School Lunch Program, which would allow the District to receive some federal and state reimbursements for these meals. The District believes it can complete all the transition work required to join the National School Lunch Program by January 2025. This work will include ensuring that District 58 schools can continue to offer the Fun Lunch program, while participating in the National School Lunch Program.
Committee Reports
Member Emily Hanus reported on the Oct. 2 Legislative Committee meeting. She reported that the group reviewed resolutions that will be considered by the delegate assembly of the Illinois Association of School Boards. The committee also tentatively planned the Legislative Breakfast for Friday, Jan. 31, with a backup date of Friday, Feb. 14.
Member Steven Olczyk reported on the Oct. 11 Financial Advisory Committee meeting, which discussed food service, the tax levy and the creation of a capital policy to help District 58 better plan for future capital expenses.
Member Gregory Harris reported on the Sept. 18 Health & Wellness Committee meeting, which reviewed the District’s health plans’ performance. The District’s benefits consultant recommended employee health insurance premium increases for 2025 based on this year’s health plan performance, historical data and market trends. Harris also noted that District 58 is working on completing an insurance plan dependent eligibility audit to ensure that the District is only covering eligible employees and family members.
Discussion: Referendum Construction Update
Team representatives from District 58’s Construction Manager Bulley & Andrews, Architect Wight & Company, and Owner's Representative Huffman & Keel led a discussion update on the District’s referendum projects. Work is overall on schedule and on budget. Upcoming work will require careful coordination to ensure all tasks are done in a cost- and time-efficient manner.
As previously shared, District 58’s referendum construction will span three years, 2024-2026, with work taking place on the following schedule:
- Phase I Construction/Summer of 2024: Henry Puffer, Highland, Hillcrest and Whittier
- Phase II Construction/Summer of 2025: Fairmount, Indian Trail, Kingsley and Lester
- Phase III Construction/Summer of 2026: Belle Aire, El Sierra and Pierce Downer
Herrick and O’Neill Middle Schools will be under construction during all three phases.
Elementary school phase I construction is mostly complete, with a final closeout anticipated for January 2025.
The first elementary school phase II construction bid package was already awarded, and a second bid package will be recommended during next month’s Board meeting.
Middle school construction is 40% complete, and work will continue to take place throughout the school year and next summer. All middle school additions are on track to be completed during summer 2025, with middle school renovations to existing spaces scheduled to take place during the 2025-26 school year.
The team noted that its phase I construction contingency has under $100,000 remaining, which is less than the amount originally projected during the team’s August 2024 Board update. This is primarily due to construction overtime costs and unexpected construction work that came up.
As is typical with large construction projects, District 58’s initial project budget included funding for contingencies. In addition to the construction contingency mentioned above, District 58 also has an owner’s contingency, which currently has $7.2 million. The team recommended that District 58 consider using some of this contingency funding for flooring replacement in 13 O’Neill classrooms and window treatments in Phase I elementary schools (as well as Phase II and Phase III elementary schools in the future). In both cases, the existing flooring and window treatments are very old and will likely require replacement in the next few years. By completing this work during construction, District 58 could capture cost and time efficiencies. District 58 will present the results and recommendations to the Board next month. *
Board President Darren Hughes expressed some concern with the decrease in available construction contingency funds. He said he understood the efficiencies of completing the recommended flooring and window treatment now, but said he questioned whether this work could be completed without going over budget. Dr. Russell shared that the District would do its due diligence and make decisions based on the monetary value of the bids that come in for Phase II, to ensure work would remain on budget.
During the Meeting, the Board Also:
- Heard an update on the special education cooperative SASED.
- Approved minutes from the Sept. 9 regular meeting and all items in the consent agenda.
- Approved District 58’s 2024 School Maintenance Project Grant application.
- Approved changes to employee medical insurance rates and HSA contributions.
- Approved Mutual of Omaha as the District’s new life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance provider.
- Appointed Emily Hanus as delegate and Melissa Ellis as alternate delegate to the 2024 Illinois Association of School Boards Delegate Assembly.
To view documents related to the above actions, please view the meeting agenda.
Upcoming Events
- Monday, Oct. 21 at 3:45 p.m.: District Leadership Team meeting at O’Neill
- Monday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m.: Curriculum Workshop at Henry Puffer
- Wednesday, Oct. 30 at 3:45 p.m.: Legislative Committee Meeting at O’Neill
- Monday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting at the Downers Grove Civic Center
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.
*Correction: The original post said that: " By completing this work during construction, District 58 could capture cost and time efficiencies. District 58 will receive bids for this work this month, and will present the results and recommendations to the Board next month." In fact, District 58 already has bids for the alternate costs. We are waiting for bids for the second general Phase II work.