The Communicator

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Summer break is officially here! We hope you’ll take a few minutes to read this issue of “The Communicator” to catch some of our spring highlights and see what’s in store for the summer in District 47. We are proud and excited that we were able to finish the 2021-22 school year strong with many long held traditions and in-person events and activities that create lasting memories for our students.

May 25th, our last full day of school in District 47, happened to also be the day of the terrible tragedy in Uvalde, Texas, where two teachers and 19 students lost their lives due to a senseless act of violence. As mass shootings continue to occur in communities across our nation, we see that no community is immune and we must do what we can to protect ourselves, others, and, most importantly, our children.

The concern of gun violence and mental health weighs on our minds as educators and those responsible for the well-being of children every day. The safety of our students and staff is a top priority. While it’s impossible to predict or prevent every crisis situation, collaboration is key. Over the past several years, District 47 has taken steps to partner more closely with our police and fire departments in an effort to improve safety and security in all of our schools. We have also placed an emphasis on social-emotional well-being and mental health for both children and adults and have encouraged students and staff to notify the school or police department if they hear or see something, including online, that is a potential threat to school or personal safety.

We have created a new school safety section of our website (www.d47.org/safety) and invite you to visit it. While it does not disclose details about our safety protocols, which are kept private for security purposes, it does provide an overview of the ways in which we prepare for and try to prevent a crisis from happening. As details of the terrible tragedy in Uvalde continue to unfold, I’d like to share with families and community members the National Association of School Psychologists website, which provides tips for discussing these tragedies and school safety with children.

We all must work together to keep our schools and communities safe. Over the summer, we invite the public to enjoy our school playgrounds and outdoor spaces. However, we ask that you keep any motorized vehicles in the parking lots and not on the lawns or on the playground blacktops for safety and security reasons. We ask individuals to report any suspicious activity, including vehicles on school grounds but not in the parking lots, and any other safety concerns regarding school property to the police department or the district office (see below for contact information).

Thank you for your partnership and cooperation.

Dr. Kathy J. Hinz

Superintendent

Crystal Lake Police Department

911 (emergency); 815-356-3620 (non-emergency)

Click the link to submit an anonymous online report.

District 47

815-788-5000

PHOTO: Director of Operations Dave Schuh gave a presentation to Husmann students on May 23 about what's involved in air conditioning an old building.

HVAC improvements

HVAC infrastructure is a top priority for the district this summer. The initial wave of projects include adding air conditioning systems at Husmann and Lundahl as well as replacing major mechanical systems at Woods Creek. The schedule for this work was accelerated and began over spring break. These summer HVAC improvement projects are estimated at $10.3 million and are expected to be completed prior to the start of the 2022-23 school year. Additional HVAC improvement projects beyond summer 2022 include adding air conditioning at West, Canterbury and Bernotas, which will also improve and enhance air quality.

Capital Improvement Projects

Other plans for summer 2022 relate to the district’s continued capital improvement projects currently estimated at $1.6 million. The work includes flooring replacement, locker replacement, painting, parking lot paving and other miscellaneous work to improve and maintain our facilities. All related required bids have been posted to the District 47 website (see Departments/Business) and presented to the Board of Education for approval per Board policy. All planned work is currently underway and is expected to be completed prior to the start of the 2022-23 school year.