BULLETIN From The BOARD

The BULLETIN From The BOARD is a summary of the issues discussed and actions taken by the Board of Education at its regular business meeting each month. Official Minutes of the Board meeting held on August 18, 2009 will be posted on the District 96 website for public review following approval by the Board of Education at its next regular business meeting taking place on September 15, 2009.

Bulletin from the Board 08-18-09

BULLETIN From The BOARD

The BULLETIN From The BOARD is a summary of the issues discussed and actions taken by the Board of Education at its regular business meeting each month.  Official Minutes of the Board meeting held on June 16, 2009 will be posted on the District 96 website for public review following approval by the Board of Education at its next regular business meeting taking place on August 18, 2009.

The Board of Education conducted a public hearing to amend the 2008-09 budget on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 in the Learning Resource Center at Hauser Junior High School beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Following the Call to Order, Supt. Lamberson presented to the Board two (2) revisions to the final 2008-09 budget to more accurately reflect actual revenues and expenditures that occurred during the school year. The budget was adjusted upward by $135,000.00; $90,000.00 of this increase was allocated for additional special education services provided to District 96 students by the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education due to a higher than anticipated number of IEP students. The remaining $45,000.00 was applied to increased property, casualty, liability and workers’ compensation premiums as a result of the upheaval in the insurance industry.

Immediately following adjournment of the public hearing, the Board held its regular business meeting for the month of June in the Learning Resource Center at Hauser Junior High School beginning at 7:37 p.m.

The Board approved the items listed under the Consent Agenda as follows:

• Minutes of the Regular Business Meeting of May 19, 2009; Minutes of the Closed Session of May 19, 2009.
• Financial Statement as of May 31, 2009.
• Payment of General Invoices – Schedule A-688.
• Accepted the resignations of Hauser Language Arts teacher Laurie Brodhay and Elementary Technology teacher Barbara Margolis.
• Approved a parental leave of absence request from Reading Specialist Janet Kucek for the 2009-10 school year.
• Accepted the bid from Fox River Foods for general groceries in 2009-10.
• Adopted the Cook County Prevailing Rate of Wages, effective June 1, 2009.
• Approved instructional staff assignment changes for the 2009-10 school year as presented in the personnel report:

Staff Member	Transfer To	From
Valerie Brackett	3rd Grade/Central	3rd Grade/Hollywood
Alison Manson	AM KITE/PM Paraprofessional/Blythe Park	Paraprofessional/Hollywood

• Approved the appointment of instructional staff for the 2009-10 school year as presented in the personnel report:

Staff Member	Position	Location
Stephanie Becker	AM Kindergarten/PM KITE	Hollywood
Heidi Burks	Full-time Kindergarten	Ames
Christopher Harvalis	5th Grade	Ames
Allison Kamp	Resource Teacher	Central
Danielle Mrzaek	3rd Grade	Hollywood
Alex Whitlaw	AM KITE/PM Paraprofessional	Ames

Following approval of the items listed under the Consent Agenda, Board President Nancy Jensen thanked retiring teachers Laurie Brodhay and Barbara Margolis for their many years of dedicated service to the students and families of District 96.

With certain revisions, the Board adopted the remaining for (4) sections of the draft Board Policy Manual that is posted on the District 96 website:

• Section 2: Board of Education
• Section 5: Personnel
• Section 6: Instruction
• Section 7: Students

The Board adopted a resolution amending the 2008-09 budget as presented by Dr. Lamberson in the public budget hearing.

The Board adopted a resolution determining that the tentative budget hearing for the 2009-10 fiscal year will take place on September 15, 2009 beginning at 7:30 p.m. at Ames Elementary School.

The Board adopted a resolution determining the dates of the 2009-10 fiscal year as July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010.

The Board adopted a resolution authorizing the transfer of $100,000.00 of interest from the Education Fund to the Transportation Fund to support the increasing cost of transportation for special education students.

The Board determined that the Closed Session Minutes of December 16, 2008 through June 16, 2009 should remain closed and confidential.

The Board approved the employment and reappointment of Jonathan E. Lamberson, Ph.D. as Superintendent of Schools through October 31, 2013.

Informational Items:
Dr. Lamberson received a letter from the Illinois State Board of Education acknowledging the district’s strong performance in meeting the requirements of The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004. Special Education Director Dr. Mary Polk noted for the Board that District 96 was evaluated in several areas and achieved the highest possible score.

Enrollment as of June 5, 2009 was 1,487 students.

Future Meeting Dates:

August 18, 2009 – Regular Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Hauser Junior High School LRC.

BULLETIN From The BOARD

The Board of Education held its regular meeting for the month of May on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 in the Learning Resource Center at Hauser Junior High School at 7:30 p.m.

Following the Call to Order, Central School Principal Janice Limperis announced the names of the District 96 students that won Certificates of Achievement for their participation and outstanding achievement in the following areas of competition during this school year:

• Elementary and Junior High Spelling Contest
• National Geographic Geography Bee
• WordMasters Challenge
• AAUW Poster and Essay Contest
• Illinois Reflections
• WSCAE Midwest Academic Talent Search

Board President Nancy Jensen and Supt. Lamberson presented the certificates and extended their congratulations to the students for their efforts and exceptional achievements.

The Board approved the items listed under the Consent Agenda as follows:

• Minutes of the Education Committee Meeting of April 21, 2009; Minutes of the Finance Committee Meeting of April 21, 2009; Minutes of the Regular Business Meeting of April 21, 2009; and the Minutes of the Special Board Organizational Meeting of May 5, 2009.
• Financial Statement as of April 30, 2009.
• Payment of General Invoices – Schedule A-687.
• Accepted the resignations of Ames School 5th Grade teacher Sonja Melton; Central School 3rd Grade teacher Kathleen Bracken; and Hauser Special Education teacher Patricia Wittmann.
• Approved a 12-week FMLA maternity leave request from Central School 5th Grade teacher Erin McCarthy beginning on August 24, 2009.
• Approved a parental leave of absence request from Speech Therapist Michelle Imes beginning on May 11, 2009.
• Accepted the bid from CloverLeaf Farm Dairy for milk products in 2009-10; accepted the bid from Arctic Ice Cream for ice cream products in 2009-10; accepted the bid from Midland Paper Company for copy paper needs in 2009-10.
• Approved the application for Building Permits, ISBE Regional Office for the summer 2009 Hardscape and Landscape project at Ames School and for the repair of Hauser’s portico on Woodside Road. 
• Approved instructional staff assignment changes for 2009-10 as presented in the personnel report:

Staff Member	Transfer To	From
Barbara Johnson	Central/Fully Supported Special Education	Central/Resource
Barbara Lesko	Central Kindergarten	Ames/Kindergarten
Amy Wright	Ames/Grade 5	Ames/Grade 1

Included was the appointment of Renee Lebegue to the position of 1^st Grade teacher at Blythe Park School in the fall of 2009.

The Board adopted the following four (4) sections of the draft Board Policy Manual that is posted on the District 96 website:

• Section 1: School District Organization
• Section 3: General School Administration
• Section 4: Operational Services
• Section 8: Community Relations

The Board may adopt the remaining four (4) sections of the draft manual at the June Board meeting.

The Board accepted the bid from J. Andersen Construction (Brockway Landscape) to perform the summer 2009 Hardscape and Landscape work at Ames and the portico repair at Hauser.

The Board approved appointments of support staff and instructional personnel for the 2009-10 school year as presented.

The Board appointed committee members and special assignments for 2009-11 as follows:

Building Committee	Education Committee	Finance Committee
Giles McCarthy, Chair	Hareena Wakely, Chair	James Schraidt, Chair
Hareena Wakely	James Schraidt	Giles McCarthy
Mary Stimming	Jennifer Leimberer	Mary Ellen Meindl

Jennifer Leimberer – IASB Liaison
James Schraidt – R.E.C. Contact
James Schraidt – REEF Contact
Mary Ellen Meindl – PTA Liaison
Hareena Wakely – Discipline Code Committee Representative

The Board approved the committee meeting schedule for 2009-11 as presented.

Informational Items:

• District 96 received a letter from the Illinois State Board of Education and a Certificate of Financial Excellence acknowledging our strong financial position based on 2008 school year financial data. Supt. Lamberson commented that the District may be contacted to serve as a mentor for other districts that are experiencing financial problems.
• Enrollment as of April 30, 2009 was 1,484 students.

Future Meeting Dates: 
June 15, 2009 – IASB Policy Governance Workshop, June 15, 2009, 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. DoubleTree Hotel, Oak Brook, Illinois.
June 16, 2009 - Regular Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Hauser Jr. High LRC

BULLETIN from the BOARD

The Board of Education held its regular meeting for the month of April on Tuesday, April 21, 2009 in the gymnasium at Blythe Park Elementary School.

Following the Call to Order, Supt. Lamberson and Board member Nancy Jensen opened the meeting by honoring retiring President Cheryl Berdelle, Board members Linda Bade and Richard Volpe, and Board of Education Secretary Judy Novak for their many years of dedicated service to the students and families of District 96.  Collectively, Ms. Berdelle, Mrs. Bade and Mr. Volpe served on the District 96 Board of Education for 28 years.  Mrs. Novak served as Board Secretary for the past 17 years.  Dr. Lamberson and Mrs. Jensen thanked them for their outstanding leadership and commented what a privilege it had been to serve with them over the past several years.   

Numerous members of the public expressed to the Board concern regarding the proposed Hardscape and Landscape design for Hauser Jr. High School that included the removal of an existing Hackberry tree on Hauser’s front lawn.

A member of the public asked the Board to postpone their decision to appoint a Project Manager for the 1 to 1 Laptop Initiative to a future meeting to allow the community more time to absorb the initiative.

The Board approved the items listed under the Consent Agenda as follows:

• Minutes of the Regular Business Meeting of March 17, 2009, Minutes of the Closed Session of the Regular Business Meeting of March 17, 2009, and the Minutes of the Building Committee Meeting of March 30, 2009.
• Payment of General Invoices, Schedule A-686
• Accepted the resignation of Hauser Jr. High paraprofessional, Jeannette Zaura.
• Revision of the 2008-09 School Calendar Closing Date to June 5, 2009.
• Resolution designating the week of May 3 – 9, 2009 as Staff Appreciation Week.
• Approved request from Ames School paraprofessional, Danae Calvo for a leave of absence to perform her student teaching assignment beginning on August 24, 2009.

The Board adopted the Student Fee Policy for the 2009-10 school year leaving the fees unchanged.

Supt. Lamberson reported to the Board recent changes that were made to the Laptop Initiative for 5th grade students next year. 

The Board of Education approved a change of assignment for Hauser Technology Teacher, Elizabeth Whaley, to the position of Project Manager for the 1 to 1 Laptop Initiative as recommended by the Education Committee.

Dr. Lamberson commented that a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) pertaining to the Laptop Initiative has been assembled and will be posted on the District 96 website under Resources.  The FAQ document is intended to answer the most commonly asked questions regarding the laptop program.  He further noted that parents can contact Mrs. Whaley with any additional questions they have.

Supt. Lamberson noted that the District 96 Draft Board Policy Manual posted on the District’s website in March 2009 remains available for public review and comment.  Mrs. Jensen noted that all Board members will receive a copy of all policy feedback submitted.  Dr. Lamberson commented that the newly elected Board may adopt the policy manual at its regular business meeting on May 19, 2009.

The Board approved raising the Kindergarten class size limit to 23 students per section (with a total of 8 sections) for the 2009-10 school year due to enrollment concerns.  Currently there are 158 students registered for Kindergarten in the fall.

The Board authorized the administration to seek bids for the Hardscape and Landscape project to be completed at Ames Elementary School and for repairs to the portico at Hauser’s historic entrance on Woodside Road during the summer of 2009.

The Board approved the selection of National Investigations, Inc. as the vendor to provide electronic residency validation for all District 96 students for the 2009-10 school year.  National Investigations provides a similar service for students attending Riverside Brookfield High School.  Costs for this validation service will be shared with the High School if a family has students attending in both districts.

The Board approved bids for the 2009 Hauser Tuckpointing Project and the 2009 Life Safety and Sprinkler System Projects.

The district’s enrollment as of March 31, 2009 was 1,455 students.

From School Board Committees:

Mrs. Jensen reported on some of the items discussed at the Education Committee meeting held today beginning at 5:00p.m.

• A newly created Special Education Services Brochure will soon be posted on the district’s website as an informational resource for parents.
• Staff work on the District 96 Curriculum Guides is nearing completion.  These Guides will set curriculum standards for all grade levels across the district providing each child with the same educational experience.  Mrs. Jensen noted that producing the Curriculum Guides has been long-time goal of the Committee, and that final versions will be available for parents at Open Houses in the fall 2009.
• Report Cards for Kindergarten through 2nd grade have been reformatted to reflect curriculum changes and will be ready for use in the fall 2009.  Reformatting of Report Cards for 3rd grade through 5th grade is in progress and may be ready for use in the fall 2009.

Supt. Lamberson reported several revenue items discussed at the Finance Committee meeting held today beginning at 7:00p.m.

Future Meeting Dates: 

May 5, 2009       Special Board Meeting, 7:30p.m. Hauser Jr. High LRC

May 19, 2009     Regular Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Hauser Jr. High LRC

BULLETIN From The BOARD

The Board of Education held its regular meeting for the month of March on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 in the gymnasium at Hollywood Elementary School.

The Board approved the items listed under the Consent Agenda as follows:

• Minutes of the Building Committee Meeting of February 17, 2009, the Regular Business Meeting of February 17, 2009, and the Closed Session of the Regular Business Meeting of February 17, 20009.
• Payment of general invoices, Schedule A-685.
• Authorized issuance of Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to probationary and 2^nd year special education paraprofessionals effective at the close of the 2008-09 school year.  Approved 14 designated holiday dates for the 2009-10 school year for all 52-week employees (District Office staff and maintenance/custodial staff).
• Approved an administrative recommendation to double promote a Hauser Jr. High student at the end of the 2008-09 school year.
• Approved submission of ISBE application for building and sprinkler system permits for 2009 summer and life safety work.

Central School principal Dr. Janice Limperis reported that after meeting with the before and after school study group and hearing several presentations from various service providers, a decision was made to contract with the PAV YMCA in Berwyn, IL to provide both before and after school programs beginning in the fall of 2009.  A program will definitely be available at Hollywood School and potentially each of the other elementary schools, depending on enrollment.  The YMCA will be using District 96 facilities but will provide the programming and staff.

Board members Nancy Jensen and Hareena Wakely, along with Supt. Jon Lamberson, recently completed a page by page review of all district policies with the assistance of a representative from the Illinois Association of School Boards.  A draft copy of the updated manual is available on the district’s website for parent and community review and comment.  Adoption of the final document is expected in June 2009.

Kindergarten teacher and administrative intern Mindy Keller reported on the progress of the newly implemented kindergarten transition program known as K.I.T.E. (Kindergarteners Improving Toward Excellence).  Overall, the program has proven to be very successful for the 30+ students enrolled in the program as evidenced by scores on assessments administered at the start of the program and at the end of the first two trimesters.  It is anticipated that the program will continue for the 2009-10 school year.

Ames principal Colleen Lieggi reported on the proposed 1 to 1 Laptop Initiative for possible implementation in 2009-10.  The program would be designed to provide all 5^th graders with a laptop computer for use 24/7 through 8^th grade at Hauser Junior High.  The committee has been working on developing a vision for the program and has conducted site visits at three area middle schools where this program is currently operational.  The next step in the process is to hire a “project manager” who would be responsible for developing curriculum, professional development, parent/teacher/student communication, and infrastructure maintenance components for the program.  The program initiative will continue to be discussed by the administration and the Board before a final decision is reached.

The Board discussed student fees for 2009-10.  Supt. Lamberson noted that he is not recommending any increase in fees for next year.  However, several PTA/Os have expressed an interest in shifting some of the “standard” items (Kleenex, hand wipes, plastic bags, etc.) on the school supply lists to the school fee list so that these items could be purchased in bulk by the district and made available to the classroom teachers as needed.  If implemented, it could mean a slight ($3-$7) increase.  Formal action on the 2009-10 school fees is expected at the April 21st meeting.

Reports from the Superintendent and Staff:

1. Enrollment as of February 28, 2009, was 1,456 students.
2. The March kindergarten registration for fall 2009 enrolled 159 students.  The current plan calls for two sections each (a.m. and p.m.) at Ames and Blythe Park, three sections at Central, and one at Hollywood.  The existing class size policy limits sections to 20 students for a maximum enrollment of 160 in 8 sections.  At the April meeting, the Board will give consideration to authorizing a policy override to 23 students per class increasing total capacity to 184 if necessary or adding a 9^th section and keeping the cap at 20.
3. The newly redesigned District 96 website was shared with those present and is on available online.  Parent and community comments are welcome.
4. Principals Colleen Lieggi and Bob Chleboun presented a highlight from the book entitled  6 Habits of Highly Effective Teams that was part of a professional development experience earlier in the year.
5. Supt. Lamberson reported that District 96 received the 2009 “Bright Red Apple” award for academic excellence based on academic performance, pupil/teacher ratio, expenditure per pupil, educational level of teachers, and average teacher salary.
6. Supt. Lamberson and the Board extended congratulations to the students and staff at Blythe Park and Central Schools for having received the 2008 Academic Excellence Award from the Illinois State Board of Education.  This distinction is given to schools that sustain very high performance levels on state assessments – 90% of students must meet or exceed state standards in both reading and math – for at least three years.

Future Meeting Dates

March 30, 2009 Building Committee, 4:30 p.m., Hauser Jr. High LRC
April 21, 2009 Education Committee, 5:00 p.m., Blythe Park School
April 21, 2009 Finance Committee, 6:30 p.m., Blythe Park School
April 21, 2009 Regular Business Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Blythe Park School

BULLETIN From The BOARD

The Board of Education held its regular meeting for the month of February on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 in the multi-purpose room at Ames Elementary School.

The Board approved the items listed under the Consent Agenda as follows:

• Minutes of the Education Committee Meeting of January 20, 2009, the Regular Business Meeting of January 20, 2009, and the Closed Session of the Regular Business Meeting of January 20, 2009.

• Payment of general invoices, Schedule A-674.

• Maternity leave request from Central School 1^st grade teacher Erin Feldman beginning April 20, 2009 under the provisions of FMLA.

The Board adopted the official school calendar for the 2009-10 school year. The first day of school for students will be Tuesday, August 25, 2009; winter break will begin on Monday, December 21, and end on Friday, January 1, 2010. Students will return to class on Monday, January 4. Spring break is scheduled for the week of March 29 through April 2. The last day of school for students (excluding snow/emergency days) will be Wednesday, June 2, 2010.

Blythe Park principal, Robert Chleboun, reviewed with the Board the current residency validation process used in District 96. Supt. Lamberson reported that he is planning to meet with representatives from a company that provides electronic residency validation services and will report his findings to the Board in the near future.

The Board authorized the administration to work with the district’s architect, Mark Miller from Concept 3 Architects to prepare specifications and seek bids for summer life safety work as noted in the 10-year life safety plan approved by the ISBE in 2007. Work will include tuckpointing at Hauser as well as district-wide hardscape renovations. Because of the anticipated work at Hauser, summer school will be held at Ames School.

Information Items from the Superintendent and Staff:

a. The student enrollment report, as of January 31, 2009, shows an enrollment of 1,456 students.

b. Supt. Lamberson noted that overall staffing levels should remain the stable for 2009-10.

c. Hauser Junior High principal Leslie Berman reported that five 7^th and 8^th grade students in the gifted program will have an opportunity to participate in “Civic Weekend” project co-sponsored by Northwestern University and the West Suburban Consortium for Academic Excellence in early May.

d. Technology director Vern Bettis, principals Vicki DeVylder and Dr. Janice Limperis gave a brief report on the “leadership” component of an administrative professional development project facilitated by Dr. Lamberson. The focus of the project came from the study of the book entitled “School Leadership that Works” which details 21 specific characteristics that are evident in highly effective schools. Follow-up reports will be shared at future Board meetings.

e. Supt. Lamberson reported that he, along with Board members Nancy Jensen and Hareena Wakely, have completed the initial review of the district’s policies with a consultant from the Illinois Association of School Boards, bringing all policies up to date with current legislation and the School Code of Illinois.

The updated policy book will be available at the March 17, 2009 meeting for Board review and public input. The draft document will also be available online for the next several months. Adoption of the revised policy book is anticipated in June, 2009.

f. Administrative intern Mindy Keller and Central School principal Dr. Janice Limperis reported on the results of the two planning surveys that were distributed last month to parents regarding enrollment for 2009-10. Ten area preschools were given the surveys as well as the elementary school parents and asked for information regarding their plans for kindergarten for 2009-10 and whether or not they knew of any neighbors who might have a kindergarten age student. The second survey asked parents of students already enrolled in District 96 schools if they are planning to return in the fall. The results of the kindergarten survey show that 130 children are expected to register for kindergarten for the fall of 2009. A total of 597 (62%) responses were received from the elementary school survey. Only 2 surveys indicated that they will not be returning to District 96 in the fall.

g. Dr. Limperis reported on the first meeting of the before and after school program study group. They are in the process of contacting several before and after school care providers to try to expand the availability of a program at each of the elementary schools for 2009-10. The committee will hear presentations and bring a recommendation to the administration for consideration and possible implementation in the fall.

h. Supt. Lamberson gave an update on the progress/status of the 2008-09 District Goals that were adopted by the Board on October 21, 2008. He noted that progress is being made in all areas including the 1 to 1 5^th grade laptop initiative.

 

Future Meeting Dates:

March 17, 2009, Finance Committee, Hollywood School, 6:00 p.m.

March 17, 2009, Regular Business Meeting, Hollywood School