The District 58 Board of Education held its regular business meeting on Monday, Sept. 17, 2018. View the agenda and presentation links. Meeting audio will be posted here.
Highlights from the meeting include:
Teacher Contract Approval
The Board of Education unanimously approved a four-year contract with the Downers Grove Elementary Education Association.
Spotlight on our Schools: Strategic Plan Action Steps
Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli presented the Strategic Plan Action Steps to the Board. She shared that this summer, Strategic Plan development teams comprising teachers, support staff, parents and administrators built out the action steps of the new Strategic Plan. They created objectives, strategies, timelines and performance metrics associated with the plan’s three big ambitious goals: Focusing on Learning, Connecting the Community, and Securing the Future. Last month, the Board formed the District Leadership Team to provide support and accountability for the Strategic Plan’s progress going forward. The District is now forming working groups, identified in the action steps, to achieve the goals. Parents and staff members will receive more information about these groups and opportunities to participate later this week.
The development team co-chairs–assistant superintendents Justin Sisul, Dr. Jayne Yudzentis and Todd Drafall–each presented more in-depth information on each strategic goal and the work their team achieved this summer.
- View the Strategic Plan Action Steps presentation.
- View the Strategic Goal Action Steps.
- View the Detailed Notes to the Strategic Goal Action Steps.
- View an overview of the new District Leadership Team.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli reported on several topics, including: the start of school, Curriculum Night, Patriot Day, the salary compensation report, the IMRF salary and benefits report, Board self-evaluation planning, Strategic Plan recruitment efforts, gratitude for school supply donations and last weekend’s Education Foundation Oktoberfest fundraiser.
Dr. Cremasoli also reminded the Board and community that Thursday, Sept. 20 is a morning half day of school for students. In the afternoon, teachers and staff will participate in building-based professional development. While agendas vary by school, many teachers will review student assessment data, enhance their ELA instructional practice, plan for parent-teacher conferences, and collaborate with their grade-level teaching partners.
Dr. Cremascoli also informed the Board that the District will conduct a test of its emergency notification system later this month, and she encouraged parents to keep their contact information up-to-date with the school office.
She also presented her annual Enrollment Report to the Board. (Update 9/19 afternoon: Lester’s kindergarten information was incorrect in the original report. We corrected it, and the revised Enrollment Report to the Board is here.) With District 58’s neighborhood school model, each school’s student grade level population can vary quite a bit. Each year, District 58 administrators work hard to maintain small class sizes and to minimize classrooms that fall significantly above or below our average class size. This year, Dr. Cremascoli is pleased to share the following enrollment statistics:
.png?mask=1)
Business Report
Assistant Superintendent for Business/Chief School Business Official Todd Drafall shared the monthly business report in a new format that shows the percentage of expenditures and revenues the District has spent and received since the fiscal year began.
Committee Reports
Board Member John Miller reported on the Sept. 13 Financial Advisory Committee meeting. Among other topics, the committee reviewed the District’s proposed budget and new financial reports.
Board Member Darren Hughes reported on the Aug. 28 and Sept. 10 meetings of the newly-formed District Leadership Team. This committee will provide oversight and accountability for the District Strategic Plan. During the first two meetings, committee members reviewed the draft Strategic Plan Action Steps that the development teams created over the summer, and they recommended the final drafts to be presented to the Board for approval at the September meeting.
The Policy Committee and the Legislative Committee have not met since the last Board meeting.
Kingsley Spotlight
The Kingsley Student Council, Principal Mel Sawisch and PTA President Kim Breier each presented some of Kingsley School’s recent achievements. The students and Ms. Sawisch each shared a short video with their highlights. View the Student Council’s video. View Ms. Sawisch’s video.
Breier shared that the PTA had a very successful year of fundraising, exceeding their goal by more than $10,000. The PTA enjoys a great partnership with the school, and particularly new Principal Mel Sawisch, and they look forward to the school year ahead.
“We’re really proud of what we’re doing here at Kingsley,” Breier said.
During the Meeting, the Board Also:
- Held a public hearing on the proposed 2018-19 budget and unanimously adopted the 2018-19 District 58 budget.
- Approved the Strategic Goals Action Steps for 2018-19.
- Listened to a presentation by the Highland Playground Committee requesting the Board’s support as they officially launch their playground campaign. The Board gave their support for this endeavor.
- Approved minutes from the Aug. 13 Regular Meeting and the Aug. 27 Budget Workshop.
- Approved all items in the Consent Agenda as presented in the agenda materials.
- Adopted a resolution of nomination, naming Michael Davenport as a representative to the Downers Grove Plan Commission for 2018-19.
- Adopted a resolution appointing President Doug Purcell to serve as a representative, and Member John Miller to serve as an alternate representative, on the SASED Governing Board.
- Appointed Member Kirat Doshi to serve as the delegate to the Illinois Association of School Boards Delegate Assembly at the Joint Annual Conference in November 2018.
Upcoming Events:
- Wednesday, Sept. 26 at 3:45 p.m.: Legislative Committee Meeting at the ASC
- Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m.: Regular Board Meeting at Downers Grove Village Hall
District 58 Board of Education members are: Doug Purcell, president; Elizabeth Sigale, vice president; Kirat Doshi, Greg Harris, Darren Hughes, John Miller and Jill Samonte, with Dr. Kari Cremascoli, superintendent; and Melissa Jerves, board secretary.