ACROSS THE BOARD
December Committee Meetings
Upcoming Meetings
Regular School Board Meeting - January 11, 2021
Learning & Teaching Committee - January 19, 2021
Business Services Committee - January 25, 2021
Business Services Committee - December 17, 2020
Superintendent's Report
For Discussion
Board Policy 4:20 Fund Balance Review
- The last time Policy 4:20 was updated was July 2013
The district is trending toward a surplus in the 2020-2021 budget
Funds may allow the district to purchase buses, technology, or other items that are on a regular purchase schedule
There was a discussion about fund balances being used for one-time purchases instead of ongoing expenses as a means to spend down that fund
The administration will bring recommendations to the board about ways to spend the fund
CARES Act Impact
These funds were targeted for technology and instructional tools, which is why the district chose to spend it on iReady
Dr. Pearson indicated that the CARES Act funds that the district received flowed through our Title funds and we received a flat sum in the summer
We do not anticipate receiving additional funds at this time
Should the Coronavirus Relief Bill pass, District 303 likely will receive additional allocations
FEMA and IEMA
It's a possibility that we may be reimbursed for some COVID related expenses from FEMA and IEMA
The district completed the application for just under $400,000 in reimbursement
Many districts that have applied have already been denied
Tax Levy Abatement Scenarios
An abatement is a reduction of the tax levy that the Board can approve by March 15, 2021
For tax bills issued in 2022, all homeowners may see a reduction in the District 303 portion of their tax bill regardless of whether or not the district chooses to abate the current levy (taxes paid in 2021). The entire presentation can be found here on the district website.
Summer Capital Projects
Capital projects occur annually and help keep buildings safe and running efficiently
Mr. Baird, Assistant Superintendent of Operations, discussed summer 2021 capital projects that have been approved by the Regional Office of Education at a cost of $1.829 million, which is less than we normally spend
These projects are not associated with the Facility Master Plan
Haines Building Sixth Grade Wing Discussion
Mr. Baird provided an update about the demolition and renovation of the old 6th grade wing that is currently being used as storage for the St. Charles Public Library until the summer
The School Board will decide what to do with the wing as part of the Facility Master Plan
Norris Cultural Arts Center Rent Relief
Due to a lack of programs resulting in limited revenue, the Norris Cultural Arts Center requested a reduction in their rent
Dr. Chapman, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, recommended that the board approve forgiveness of their final two quarterly payments of $2,655 each
This item will be placed on the January 11 meeting agenda For Action
Policy Committee Meeting - December 21, 2020
For Discussion
- Policy 2:110 – Qualifications, Term, and Duties of Board Officers/ Board Officer Practices Document
- Board members Mrs. Barker and Mrs. McCabe presented a redlined version of Policy 2:110 – Qualifications, Term, and Duties of Board Officers that identified recommended changes to the current policy. The suggested modifications will be placed on the January 11 meeting agenda For Action
Learning & Teaching Committee - December 21, 2020
For Discussion
Second Semester Information
Increased in-person learning time with the removal of the full remote Mondays
Extended learning time Tuesday-Friday consisting of two (2) forty-minute sessions each day
Students will be able to attend these in-person sessions via a pass system
Bus service will be provided at 12:45 p.m. for regular dismissal and again at 2:40 p.m. for students participating in the extended learning time
Extended Learning Time
All in-person students are welcome to attend the extended time, either through their own scheduling or at the teacher's request
All safety procedures will be followed, so space is limited
Class of 2021 Celebrations
District’s Equity Goal
Dr. Herrmann and Dr. Ruesch presented information about an organization called Deep Equity with whom the district would like to contract to assist us in reaching the equity goal put in place by the Board
In addition, the administration plans to hire an Equity Director who will begin an equity audit process in the fall
This item will be placed on the January 11 meeting agenda For Action
District Communications Audit Results
Over the last several months, representatives from CESO have conducted a communications audit aimed at identifying the strengths of the district’s communications as well as making recommendations for improvement.
Mr. Bob Noyed and Mr. Brett Clark from CESO indicated that overall, the community is pleased with the district’s communications efforts. They also made several other recommendations:
- Develop an internal communications program
- Develop an overall communications strategy
- Create ways to systematically solicit stakeholder feedback
- Hire an additional communications staff member
Learning Gaps
- Additional intervention time at the elementary schools
- Social Workers are using TeleHealth tools
- Using data collected from the high school student engagement survey to identify successful instructional strategies
- EL students are receiving help from tutors
- The district continues to provide meals for students