Across the Board in D303
Notes from the District 303 School Board Meeting
March 14, 2022
All agenda items, documents, and recorded meetings are available to view on BoardDocs.
School Board
Heidi Fairgrieve, Vice President
Becky McCabe, Secretary
Kate Bell
Matthew Kuschert
Joseph Lackner
Ed McNally
School Board meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at the Haines Center. All meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. and the public is invited to attend. Agenda packets are available at district.d303.org.
Next School Board Meeting:
April 11, 2022
Haines Center
Superintendent Report
State Wrestling Achievements
Dr. Pearson recognized the wrestlers from East High School who placed first and third at the State Wrestling meet. They were introduced by Coach Jason Potter.
- Ben Davino took 1st in State
- Tyler Guerra took 3rd in State
Dr. Pearson recognized students from North and East who were named National Merit Finalists.
For Discussion
- The Illinois State Board of Education communicated with school districts that they are working with the Illinois Department of Public Health to update COVID-19 mitigation guidance for schools in Illinois. We are awaiting that update.
- Dr. Pearson reported that the District is planning on using spring break as the target date for removing further mitigation measures based on those updates.
- The district continues to be vigilant in our efforts to keep students and staff members safe while at school. It is important to note the difference between public extracurricular activities where people can make a choice about attending and a classroom where some students and teachers are still choosing to wear masks.
Superintendent Search Process
Dr. Brian Harris reviewed the process by which Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates gathered feedback from more than 30 focus groups
The Board is on track to meet its timeline to interview and name a new superintendent by April 11
Dr. Harris commended the staff for the communication being sent out about the process and the documents that are posted on the website
Senior Leadership Team Hiring
In addition to Dr. Pearson, there are three other Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members who are leaving the District at the end of the 21-22 school year. These open positions have been posted.
- Jan Geier - Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Schools and Professional Development
- John Baird - Assistant Superintendent for Operations
- Mark Moore - Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
- Currently, the superintendent is responsible for hiring SLT members
- In the past, Board members have been involved in screening and interviewing candidates for the CFO and Director of Communications due to those staff members working closely with the School Board
- Since the Board is close to naming a superintendent, it is absolutely feasible for the new superintendent to have an opportunity to interview and choose replacements for the open positions
- Members of the Board feel that due to the timing of the resignations and retirements, and because there is no new superintendent named yet, the Board should participate more in the interviewing process to provide input. Ultimately, the decision should lie with the new superintendent
- The Board discussed that its participation in the process is for this cycle and will not become common practice going forward
Consent Agenda
The consent agenda included items such as:
- Meeting minutes from previous committee meetings
- Personnel Reports
- Mid Valley Executive Director's Employment Agreement
- List of Bills, Treasurer Report, Payroll
- Gifts and Donations to the District
- PRESS Issue 108
- GSF Night Custodial Contract Renewal
- Thompson Middle School Track Resurfacing
- Annual Chromebook Purchase
- Security Information and Event Management System
- Epson Projector Replacement
For Action
Board Agreements
The motion passed by a vote of 6-1
The Board Agreements have been updated to reflect code of conduct concerning the new student Citizen Advisory Committee members.
View the updated Board Agreements
Resolution to Release Non-Tenured Licensed Employees Other than Final-Year Probationary Licensed Employees to be Dismissed at the Close of the Current School Term
The motion passed by a vote of 6-0 (with 1 abstention)
Some licensed employees will be dismissed at the end of the school year for reasons they have been made aware of. This does not prevent them from being rehired.
Resolution to Honorably Dismiss Selected Non-Licensed Employees at the Close of the Current School Term
The motion passed by a vote of 5-0 (with 2 abstentions)
Some non-licensed employees will be dismissed at the end of the school year for reasons they have been made aware of. This does not prevent them from being rehired.
Multi-Site HVAC Upgrade Bid Award
The motion passed by a vote of 7-0
As part of the Capital Improvement Plan, the HVAC systems must be upgraded in 7 district buildings this summer. The project will cost approximately $696,217. The District will contract MG Mechanical Contracting, Inc. to complete this project.
Village of Wayne Intergovernmental Agreement
This agenda item will be moved back to the Business Services Committee for further discussion.
The Village of Wayne has requested the District pay an annual fee of $5,400 for use of village roads based on the current bus routes.
For Information
- January 31, 2022 Financial Report
- FOIA Requests
- District Enrollment
- COVID-19 Summary
- Natural Gas Agreement
Mr. Kuschert has been named to be the new co-chair of the policy committee with Mrs. McCabe
There were no comments related to these items.