ACROSS THE BOARD
September 2022 Committee Meetings
September 19: Learning & Teaching Committee
September 26: Policy Committee
September 26: Business Services Committee
Agendas, minutes, documents, and recordings from all meetings are available to view on BoardDocs.
Superintendent Report
St. Charles East Homecoming
St. Charles East High School recently had an excellent Homecoming week that included the parade, football game, and the St. Charles East Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I enjoyed participating in various activities throughout the week and observing the enthusiasm of our students, staff and families.
National Blue Ribbon Schools
District 303 is incredibly proud to announce that St. Charles North High School and Norton Creek Elementary School were both named 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools by the US Department of Education. National Blue Ribbon Schools are recognized for overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps. This recognition was granted to 297 schools nationwide and just 17 in Illinois.
For Discussion
Student Achievement Report
Presented by Dr. Christine Igoe, Assistant Superintendent for Educational Services
Background
The Learning and Teaching department writes the Student Achievement Report each November to evaluate student performance, review the curriculum and instruction services, and make recommendations for any changes. Last November, the Board requested multi-year goals and benchmarks to evaluate student performance.
Discussion
The Learning and Teaching Committee discussed the following questions:
Is the purpose of the report accurate and precise? Do adjustments need to be made?
Based on the purpose, is the correct data included? Should anything else be added or removed based on the purpose?
Does the data analysis provide the Board with the information necessary for governance?
Does the appendix contain the appropriate additional information?
The Committee determined that the report will include the following:
Purpose of Report
- Analyze progress toward the 2022 benchmarks and the 2025 goals
- Describe recommendations and/or action steps to ensure continuous improvement
- Identify anticipated curriculum and instruction updates in the coming school year
- Communicate academic achievement and growth with the community
The Student Achievement Report will include data and analysis of the following areas:
- Overall progress towards the 2022 benchmarks and the 2025 goal for early on-track indicators
- Proficiency towards grade level standards in ELA and Math standards measured by IAR/SAT assessments
- Overall climate and culture across the district as measured by student survey data and overall attendance
- College and Career readiness indicators as measured by percent of students earning Early college credit (AP and Dual Credit), percent of students on track for graduation, percent of students who earn a C or better in Algebra I prior to entering high school and Algebra II prior to senior year
Additionally, the report will include recommendations for continuous improvement and will outline the curriculum and instruction updates for the 2022-2023 school year.
Future Agenda Items
The next Learning & Teaching Committee Meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 17 at 5:30 PM.
For Discussion
Statement Before Citizen Comments
- This discussion did not reflect a change in public comment policy. The purpose of the discussion and modifications was to add clarity to the expectations during the public comment period.
- The modified statement will be brought to the full Board to finalize the language.
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Policy 4:110 Transportation
Discussion led by John Pahlman, Assistant Superintendent for Operations; Terry Primdahl, Director of Transportation; and Terry Westergaard, Transportation Manager
The District is seeking to add clarification in its Transportation policy.
- The current Transportation Policy does not grant bussing for students to dual/multiple households. The Transportation Department, however, has tried to make accommodations when requested. With fewer bus drivers, the District is unable to continue providing these accommodations.
- Safety is also a concern with multiple bus routes. It is easier to know where a student is when they have one consistent bus stop every day.
The Board will continue to discuss this policy in future meetings.
Future Agenda Items
Superintendent Report
North Homecoming Week
St. Charles North High School has been hosting its homecoming activities this week. There's always so much positive energy during homecoming week among students and staff, and it's a great opportunity to build upon our school and District 303 pride. The homecoming parade took place on Friday in downtown St. Charles.
For Discussion
Financial Reports
Presented by Justin Attaway, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services
Mid Valley: There are no areas of concern
District 303: There are no areas of concern
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School Bus Purchase
Presented by Justin Attaway, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services
- The District annually evaluates the need to replace buses and other transportation vehicles based on mileage and years of service.
- Transportation is planning to replace 7 buses for $86,500 each. This falls within the budget.
- Typically, the replaced buses would be traded in to offset some of the cost. However, these buses could be salvaged for parts. The value of the parts exceeds the trade-in value of the buses.
- The current proposal is for the 2023-24 school year.
District recommendation: Approve the purchase of 7 school buses for a total cost of $605,000.
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Substitute Pay Increase
Presented by Marci Conlin, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources
- District 303 regularly evaluates substitute teacher pay rates to ensure the District continues to offer a competitive pay structure.
- Substitute pay was last increased in November 2021.
- Kane County has lower substitute pay rates in comparison other local counties. The District is recommending increased rates to stay competitive.
District recommendation: Approve the proposed substitute rates as presented.
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Frontline Employee Evaluation Management System
Presented by Marci Conlin
- Frontline is District 303’s solution for absence and substitute management, online application management and online professional growth management.
- Frontline also offers an Employee Evaluation Management system that could help streamline the evaluation process.
- Currently, evaluations are completed on word documents, which has proven to be inefficient.
- The system allows evaluators to track and manage the process so they can focus on having meaningful discussions about professional practices with teachers.
- If approved, the system would be implemented for districtwide use in 2023-2024.
District recommendation: Approve the purchase of the Frontline Employee Evaluation Management system for a total cost of $36,235.16.
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Future Agenda Items
- Tax Levy in December
- Post Issuance Compliance
- Contract Renewals
The next Business Services Committee Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 27 at 5:30 PM.