February 11, 2025 at 7:00 PM - Regular Meeting

Description:  Per Policy 2:230 - Public Participation at School Board Meetings and Petitions to the Board
During each regular and special open meeting of the Board, any person may comment to or ask questions of the School Board (public participation), subject to the reasonable constraints established and recorded in this policy’s guidelines below. The Board listens to comments or questions during public participation; responses to comments to or questions of the Board are most often managed through policy 3:30, Chain of Command. 
To preserve sufficient time for the Board to conduct its business, any person appearing before the Board is expected to follow these guidelines:

1. Address the Board only at the appropriate time as indicated on the agenda and when recognized by the Board President. This includes following the directives of the Board President to maintain order and decorum for all.
2. Use a sign-in sheet, if requested.
3. Identify oneself and be brief. Ordinarily, the time for any one person to address the Board during public participation shall be limited to five minutes. In unusual circumstances, and when an individual has made a request to speak for a longer period of time, the Board President may allow a person to speak for more than five minutes. If multiple individuals wish to address the Board on the same subject, the group is encouraged to appoint a spokesperson.
4. Observe, when necessary and appropriate, the Board President’s authority to:
   • Shorten the time for each person to address the Board during public participation to conserve time and give the maximum number of people an opportunity to speak; and/or b.
   • Determine procedural matters regarding public participation not otherwise covered in Board policy.
5. Conduct oneself with respect and civility toward others and otherwise abide by Board policy 8:30, Visitors to and Conduct on School Property.

Petitions or written correspondence to the Board shall be presented to the Board in the next regular Board packet.

Description:  This month we are recognizing three staff winners who have been nominated by their colleagues: Kaylee Gannon, Nicole Plagman, and Cheryl Steed.

Description:  We will be recognizing the MG kindergarten student representatives, KG students of the month, and Nature Club.

Description:  We have not received any requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act since the January 2025 meeting of the Board of Education.

Description:  Attached is the suspension report for Kelvin Grove for the month of January 2025.  There were no suspensions at Milne Grove for the month of January 2025.

Description:  This month Mr. Jennings, along with the KG school improvement team members, will update the Board regarding the KG building improvement plan. The presentation will include progress towards goals included in the 2023-24 improvement plan and goals added by the leadership teams for the 2024-25 school year.

Description:  On Tuesday night, Dr. Wilkey will provide an update on the summer project's progress since the last board meeting.  This will include an update on the abatement schedule and the summer KG roof bid results.

Description:  The Committee of the Whole will meet on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, at 5:45 pm in the Milne Grove LRC.  The agenda was posted and available on the website.  If there are board members who were not in attendance at the committee meeting, an update will be provided. 

Description: 

As we prepare for the annual Kelvin Grove Academic & Athletic Awards, the board had requested earlier in the year to have a discussion on the possibility of renaming some awards and/or adding an award.  On Tuesday evening, the board will discuss the possibility of changes with anticipation of bringing them back for approval as needed in March.

Description: 

On Tuesday evening, Dr. Wilkey will present the board with a proposal for an annual recognition award to highlight the great contributions made to District 91 by various individuals.  Attached you will find the proposed award description.  Please be prepared for discussion and to offer feedback and suggestions.  

Description: 

Tuesday evening, two drafts of the 2025-2026 school calendar have been attached for the board to review. These two options were developed with the collaboration of the teachers’ union leadership.  For the meeting on Tuesday, Dr. Wilkey will provide the board with feedback from the union on the two calendar options which have slight modifications to one another.  We are still working with the summer contractors to finalize the project timeline, but as of right now the student start date is looking like Monday, August 25th pending the abatement project schedule. 

Each school calendar includes both winter and spring break holidays that align with the high school draft calendar being presented for consideration with their BOE.  

The plan is to bring a final calendar recommendation to the March board meeting.  A calendar hearing will be held at the start of the meeting to allow for feedback from the public.  Once the calendar is approved, we will release it to our D91 families.

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

Approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the Lockport Teachers Association regarding the Section 7.1 Sick Leave.
 

BACKGROUND

After consultation with the Teacher Retirement System (TRS), there is a need to update language in section 7.1 regarding sick leave to remove the accumulation of sick days to cap at 340 to allow for staff to continue accumulating each year. In addition, language was added to require a certified staff member to provide medical documentation in the event they use more than the annual allotment of sick and personal days (17). 

Description: 

Description:  On Tuesday evening during Committee of the Whole, Dr. Wilkey will review an updated abatement schedule and project scope.   A recommendation is being made for the board to approve the updated project timeline to be completed over spring break and the scope of work to include the first-floor classroom ceiling tiles in the amount of $217,560.

Description:  During the board meeting on Tuesday, the Board of Education members will receive an overview of the roof bids received along with a discussion on the recommendation for approval during the superintendent report on summer project updates.  Please see attached for the recommendation from the architect.

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the District 91 Board of Education increase the current student registration fees, technology fee, activity/athletic fees, and band fees by 2.9% (CPI) per student.
 

BACKGROUND

Each year the Board of Education needs to establish school fees for the following school year. Below are the dates we are tentatively planning for registration:

• Returning and New Student Early Bird Registration opened on January 20-May 30th

• In-person opportunity to for registration; families can walk in at KG door 4 between 3:30-6pm on March 3rd

• Returning & New Student Regular Registration (May 31 - July 18)  

• In person service and registration assistance are invited to attend one of the two drop in dates at Kelvin Grove Door 4, TBD

Currently, the district does not charge an "activity fee" for clubs. Art, Science, Nature, Debate clubs, etc. may charge students a fee, but it goes into the club’s activity account for supplies. These fees do not go into the general account to pay the sponsors.

The athletic fees (fee paid for each athletic activity in which a student participates) offset the cost of supplies, tournaments, supervision, and coaching fees. The band fee helps to offset the cost of the school instruments and director fee.

Additionally, the textbook fee includes the prorated annual cost of the Chromebooks and cases that were purchased in order to implement a 1:1 technology model for all students in the district starting the 2021-2022 school year.
 

RECOMMENDATION

It is recommended that the District 91 Board of Education increase the current student registration fees, technology fees, activity/athletic, and band fees by 2.9% (CPI) per student.  We also recommend removing the late payment fee and keeping all fees the same after June 1st regular registration like we have done the past few school years.

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

Closed session minutes noted in the table provided as "open" are no longer considered to be confidential and can be opened. Closed session minutes as noted with "closed" should remain closed as they contain information still considered to be confidential.

To destroy existing taped closed session minutes through June 2023.  The required 18-month period for saving taped minutes has expired allowing us to destroy these tapes.
 

BACKGROUND

We are required by law to review the Closed Session minutes every six months to determine if they still need to remain closed. We are also required to tape closed-session meetings and save such tapes for a period of 18 months.

 

I will provide copies of the closed session minutes (marked confidential) for you to review during the scheduled closed session. 

 

It is my recommendation that the Board of Education open the closed session minutes that are marked with "open" in the table as information is no longer considered to be confidential. Closed session minutes labeled "closed" in the table should remain closed as they contain information still considered to be confidential.

 

In addition, it is recommended that the board approve the destruction of taped closed session minutes through June 2023.  The required 18-month period for saving taped minutes has expired allowing us to destroy these tapes.

Description:  The appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the District or legal counsel for the District, including hearing testimony on a complaint lodged against an employee or against legal counsel for the District to determine its validity. [1] However, a meeting to consider an increase in compensation to a specific employee of a public body that is subject to the Local Government Wage Increase Transparency Act may not be closed and shall be open to the public and posted and held in accordance the [the Open Meetings Act].  5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1), as amended by P.A. 99-646