The District 58 Board of Education held its regular business meeting on Monday, March 12, 2018. View the agenda and presentation links. Listen to the meeting audio.
Highlights from the meeting include:
Spotlight on our Schools: Supporting All Learners in a 1:1 Environment
District administrators and teachers shared how District 58 uses low-tech and high-tech resources to meet student needs, including students with special needs.
“Assistive technology is any tool or piece of equipment that can help a child access the general education curriculum,” said Megan Finnegan, a presenter and Pierce Downer resource teacher. “We ask ourselves, ‘What do the kids need and how can we use technology to help them better access their abilities?’”
In addition, Director of Innovative Technology and Learning James Eichmiller highlighted some ways 1:1 devices assist students with special needs. Assistant Superintendent for Special Services Jessica Stewart said that the District has an Assistive Technology Committee comprised of teachers and administrators. This committee reviews current assistive technology to see how it can be used to best meet students’ needs.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Dr. Kari Cremascoli provided the Board information on strategic planning, the March 2 institute day and ELA training, 2018-19 student registration, Kindergarten Roundup events, the District’s open enrollment policy and intra-district transfers, the Summer School and Extended School Year programs, the Women’s March’s March 14 school walkout, Board committee recruitment, the District’s success at The Reading Games and Destination Imagination, and the upcoming Festival of Music (March 14), Education Foundation fundraising concert (March 15) and Lester project groundbreaking (March 19).
Business Report
Assistant Superintendent for Business/Chief School Business Official David Bein provided the Business Report to the Board. Key highlights include:
- The bond sale closed, and the District received its proceeds. The bond sale funding primarily will be used to fund the Lester addition, which will ceremonially break ground on Monday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m.
- Some revenues are behind, including the State’s mandated categorical payments. The State currently owes the District $462,152, but this amount will nearly double if the State misses another payment deadline later this month.
- The Board will consider a resolution to transfer $7 million from the Working Cash Fund to the Education Fund. This transfer is a loan that supports the District’s cash flow needs and will be repaid when spring tax receipts arrive.
Discussion: 2018-19 Calendar
Assistant Superintendent for Personnel Dr. Jayne Yudzentis reviewed the proposed 2018-19 calendar with the Board. This year’s Strategic Goals Action Plan includes a goal related to strengthening parent partnerships. To this end, Dr. Yudzentis collaborated with teachers and administrators to brainstorm ways to make parent-teacher conferences and communications more meaningful. This review yielded a recommendation to shift the District to a trimester schedule, which will allow conferences to take place before the first report card is issued.
“We want to shift the focus of parent-teacher conferences to be more about student learning, and less about grades. We hope this will help our parents better understand what their child is learning and how they can best support their child earlier in the school year,” Dr. Yudzentis said.
Dr. Yudzentis added that staff also felt that the trimester schedule will give students additional time to demonstrate mastery of skills.
View Dr. Yudzentis’s presentation.
Board Committee Reports
Policy Committee: Member Greg Harris reported that the committee met Feb. 20 and drafted a new policy related to bond issue record-taking, per the bond counsel’s recommendation. The Board moved to approve the first reading on this new policy and will place it on the April board agenda for final approval.
Legislative Committee: Member Beth Taylor reported that the committee met Feb. 28 to discuss options for rescheduling the Legislative Breakfast, which was canceled due to the snow day. The committee decided to host a scaled-down version of this annual event on Friday, April 6 during the Legislative Committee’s next meeting.
Meet & Confer Strategic Plan Committee: Member Elizabeth Sigale reported that the committee reviewed consultant HYA’s draft strategic plan report during their March 1 meeting. After review and discussion, the committee felt the current draft did not fully reflect the community’s feedback and requested additional time to refine the report. The committee decided to delay the Strategic Plan Board presentation to April to allow the team time to develop specific goals and objectives and to ensure it better reflected the community’s vision.
District 58’s Financial Advisory Committee has not met since the last Board meeting.
Henry Puffer Spotlight
Henry Puffer Student Council Members Emily, Russell, Audrey, Bobby, Ryan and Lauren shared some of the service projects and activities the Student Council has led this year. For example, they hosted a Hat Day that raised money for Hurricane Harvey victims and collected donations for Thanksgiving baskets. They also organized an all-school handprint mural that contained an inspirational growth mindset theme. Principal Todd McDaniel added that the Henry Puffer Family Meetings include growth mindset themes.
PTA Co-President Lisa Eddington reported that the Puffer-Hefty PTA increased its membership by 70 parents (~180 to ~250) over the past couple of years. They also raised more than $40,000 last year. This funding provided the Henry Puffer community with several valuable, educational resources and programs.
During the meeting, the Board also:
- Held a public hearing on the proposal to conduct school activities on Casimir Pulaski Day in 2019.
- Recognized students who performed in the District’s Band and Orchestra Solo and Ensemble Day, as well as students who participated in The Reading Games.
- Approved minutes from the Feb. 12 Regular Meeting and Feb. 26 Curriculum Workshop.
- Approved all items on the Consent Agenda as presented in the packet materials. This included the appointment of Melissa Sawisch to the principal of Kingsley School position.
- Established June 5, 2018 as the last day of the school year and approved the final 2017-18 school calendar
- Approved the 2018-19 school calendar.
- Transferred $7 million from the Working Cash Fund to the Education Fund to support the District’s cash flow needs; this loan will be repaid after spring property tax receipts arrive.
- Approved a contract for audit and accounting services with Miller, Cooper & Co., Ltd. for $32,500 in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 and $33,000 in fiscal year 2020.
- Awarded a paper bid for the 2018-19 school year to Midland Paper for an estimated $48,628.50.
- Adopted resolutions to honorably dismiss 36 teachers and 24 educational support personnel employees, as well as to dismiss 14 part-time educational support personnel employees. Annually, positions are reduced pending enrollment and staffing plans for the upcoming year.
Upcoming Events:
- Thursday, March 22 at 7 a.m.: Meet & Confer Strategic Plan Committee Meeting at Longfellow
- Tuesday, April 3 at 7 a.m.: Financial Advisory Committee Meeting at the ASC
- Thursday, April 5 at 7 a.m.: Policy Committee Meeting at the ASC
- Friday, April 6 at 7 a.m.: Legislative Committee Meeting at Longfellow (Special Coffee with the Legislators)
- Monday, April 9 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; Greg Harris, Darren Hughes, John Miller, Jill Samonte and Beth Taylor, with Dr. Kari Cremascoli, superintendent; and Melissa Jerves, board secretary.