School Board Changeover

The D103 Board of Education thanked Board Members Malathy Dwaraknath and Liang Yang for their years of service on the school board. Each member shared stories personal to them about the departing members.

Teacher Appreciation Week
This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week and the Board honored its 186 teachers for the incredible job they have done this year teaching our students both remotely and in-person. Dr. Scott Warren, Superintendent, and Anne van Gerven, Board President, shared impactful stories about how appreciative everyone is of our teachers.

Mrs. van Gerven said, “These are unprecedented times but we could not be more appreciative of all of our teachers who continue to exceed our expectations not only in the classrooms but outside as well. We are so fortunate to have such an amazing group of teaching professionals. Thank you for embodying the district’s vision as leaders in learning as well as its mission.”

Swearing in of New Board Members

Newcomers Maria Peterson and Michael Weaver, along with incumbents Kate Harper and Anne van Gerven, were sworn into office after being elected to four-year school board terms in April. Mrs. van Gerven was nominated and appointed to serve as board president for two years. Mrs. Harper was nominated and appointed to serve as board vice president for two years.

Board Meeting Schedule

The 2021-2022 Board Meeting schedule was approved by the Board of Education. The schedule adheres to the similar current meeting schedule with the avoidance of meetings on religious and other days off of school.

D103 Learning Update

1. Surveillance Testing for Fall:

• COVID PCR testing is being offered for free

• Funded through CARES Act through March 2022

• Receive results in 48 hours

• At home or in-school testing available

• Parents must sign a waiver to have students participate

• Participation is voluntary and highly encouraged

• School would follow up with positive test results

• Will implement testing for the fall

2. Contact Tracing:

• The district is researching automated systems

• These automated systems would be used inside and outside only on school property

• Automated tracing may lessen the need to quarantine entire pods/classrooms of students

• The cost of the product is still undetermined

3. Internet Update:

• The district is reviewing backup internet providers, looking at bandwidth, pricing, equipment, cabling, network, etc

4. School Events:

• Dr. Warren highlighted upcoming school events

5. State Guidance:

• Districts are still waiting to hear state guidance regarding students with medical needs who cannot attend in-person learning in the fall

6. Vision 2025:

• The board will review the draft goals at a future meeting

7. Metrics:

• The positivity rate is declining in Lake County and is currently at 3.7%. There are 117 new cases per 100,000 and we want that number below 50 cases. The incidence rate in D103 zip codes is 6.8 and we want it to remain below 7.

ELC Update

The Exceptional Learners Collaborative executive board worked on a revised Articles of Agreement that the ELC Governing Board will discuss and vote on the revisions at the ELC Board meeting on Thursday, May 6. The D103 Board will review the Articles of Agreement at the May 18 Board meeting.

DW Construction Update

A report on the Daniel Wright construction project that took place in 2020 showed the final costs coming in under budget. The construction project included expanding learning spaces and refreshing the building. The goal was to create a modern, collaborative learning environment that supported group work, seminars and meetings, and updated STEM lab, Library/Media Center, and Family Consumer Sciences room.

The next regular Board meeting will occur on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, at 7:00 p.m. The notice and agenda can be found on the District 103 Board meeting web page.

The D103 Learning Fund Foundation invites your family to leave a legacy at D103 with the launch of the Legacy Brick Fundraiser. With the completion of the Daniel Wright construction project, the Foundation invites families to donate $100 to inscript their name on a brick pathway outside the remodeled school.

This LFF Legacy Brick Fundraiser video, narrated by Sprague School Principal Ann Hofmeier and featuring the school mascot, outlines the project. This is a great opportunity to bring our community together, so please consider a donation. The Learning Fund and all of our schools appreciate your generous support.

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