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

Description:  Limitation of Administrative Costs Waiver
 

Notice is hereby given pursuant to 105 ILCS 5/2-3.25g that the Board of Education of Lockport School District 91, Will County, Illinois, will hold a public hearing during its regular meeting on Tuesday, November 11, 2025 at 7p.m., at Kelvin Grove School, 808 Adams Street, Lockport, IL 60441.

The purpose of the hearing is to consider a waiver of the limitation of administrative costs under Section 17-1.5 of the Illinois School Code, 105 ILCS 5/17-1.5, for expenses for the 2025-2026 school year.  At the hearing, the Board of Education will hear testimony from all interested parties, including staff, parents, students, and community members.

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: 

On Tuesday evening, we will be recognizing the entire board for their recent School Board Governance Recognition award from the Illinois Association of School Boards.   This award recognizes the entire board for its dedication and commitment to the Lockport SD91 family and community.

Description:  We will be recognizing the students of the month, Junior Beta and Yoga Club from KG, and second-grade student representatives from MG.  

Description: 

We have received one request for information under the Freedom of Information Act since the October 2025 meeting of the Board of Education. Please see attached for the request and response.

Description: 

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

Description:  On Tuesday evening, the board members will receive their information for the Triple I conference.  In addition, a brief conversation will be held to discuss the conference sessions members are planning to attend, including the pre-conference sessions, so the board can gather as much information as possible to bring back to the whole board.

Description: 

Attached, you will find the summative designation letter the district received from the Illinois State Board of Education that will be included on our school report card.  On Tuesday evening, the administrative team will provide an update on district data (IAR, MAP, and behavior) during the Committee of the Whole meeting at 5:45 pm in the KG LRC.

Description: 

Since the FY23 fiscal year, District 91 has been able to attain the School Maintenance Grant through the state of IL to install key fobs on all interior and exterior doors to support the district with our goal of safety/security for our students and staff as well as replacement and/or maintenance on exterior and interior doors that are beginning to fail in their mechanical system to maintain locked entrances.  In addition, the district installed security cameras in locations of Kelvin Grove that did not have them to increase visibility of spaces for safety purposes.

 

In order to submit the grant, we would like to confirm commitment from the D91 board of education to utilize the FY26 budget funds in the amount of approximately $50,000-$80,000, so we can receive the matching grant max of $50,000 from the state to complete the project this year.  Attached, you will find a description of the proposed projects to be completed for the FY26 School Maintenance Grant.  On Tuesday evening, we will ask for board input with this proposal for the use of funds and support to move forward with the grant.

Description: 

Tonight, we will have an action item to approve the estimated amounts necessary to be levied for the 2025 levy.  At this time, CPI is not over 5% for the 2024 tax levy, but we are anticipating the second-highest new property growth the district has seen in years.  In order for the district to capture new property, the board discussed levying above the 5% tax cap.  Per the county assessor’s preliminary numbers, new property is estimated to be ~$2 million, the second highest the district has seen in recent years.  As we did last three years in this same situation, we will be levying over the 5%, so we can make sure we will capture our full entitlement with the new property.  

In order to levy above the 5% to capture our full entitlement, we are required to hold a Truth In Taxation hearing during our December meeting.  This will include publishing a notice in the paper with the time/date for a hearing at the December board meeting prior to approving the certificate of tax levy in December. 

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

To approve the estimated amounts necessary to be levied for the 2025 levy.

 

BACKGROUND

The levy resolution being recommended will ensure that District 91 does not lose any dollars it is entitled to under a balloon levy. It will make sure that even if the most recent estimated EAV from the county clerk increases or decreases (within limits), the district will capture its full entitlement. This year, the district will ask for more than the 5% cap; therefore, we are required to publish a notice AND hold a truth-in-taxation hearing before approving the certificate of tax levy in December.  

Before sharing the estimated levy amounts, I would like to provide our current projected fund balances for the end of FY26 as approved with the current year budget:

Fund	Estimated Ending Fund Balance June 30, 2026
Education (w/out student activity accounts)	$5,384,798
Operation & Maintenance	$56,657
Debt Service	$84,932
Transportation	$42,610
Retirement/SS	$429,830
Capital. Improvement	$98,162
Working Cash	$464,660
Tort	$35,149
Fire Prev. /Safety	$50,680
TOTAL	$6,647,478

 

The estimated aggregate levy recommended this year is as follows:

Education $5,200,000

Operation and Maintenance $1,400,000

Transportation $500,000

Working Cash $4,007

Municipal Retirement $0

Social Security $0

Fire, Prevention, & Safety $6,303

Tort $93,141

Special Education $58,826

Unemployment $8,637

Total Capped Levy $7,270,914 (not including Bonds)

Estimated Bond &Interest    $639,610

Total Estimated 2024 Levy $7,910,524

It is my recommendation that the Board approve the estimated amounts necessary to be levied for the 2024 levy.

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION
Approve the costs associated with the FY26 ISBE School Maintenance Grant if approved by the state.
 

BACKGROUND
The administration has presented a school maintenance grant project in the amount of $135,000, with $85,000 coming from local funds and $50,000 would be matched from the state of IL school maintenance grant.  If the board approves, the matching grant would allow the district to receive state funding to complete various maintenance projects at both KG and MG during the 2026 fiscal year.

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION:

Approve the IPRF (Illinois Public Risk Fund) Contract for Workers’ Compensation in the amount of $36,783.
 

BACKGROUND:

The District has had a contract with the IPRF since July 2012 for workers’ compensation. To date, we have been very pleased with the service we have been provided with through IPRF. The premium cost from January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025, was $28,970. 

The proposal we received for January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026, is $36,783. In addition, we have received a preferred loss ratio grant in the amount of $1,152.  The amounts are calculated on payroll estimates that have been submitted for all staff in the district for the upcoming year. Given that we had the requirement to raise the minimum wage to $15 by January 1, 2025, and continued this same practice for the current school year, our payroll increases for the hourly employees did see a higher increase as expected over the past few years.  We have also had a few workers' compensation claims in the past few years that have had a slight impact on the increase in our premiums which is expected.

It is my recommendation that the Board of Education approve the contract for workers’ compensation services through the Illinois Public Risk Fund for January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026.

Description:  Collective negotiating matters between the District and its employees or their representatives, or deliberations concerning salary schedules for one or more classes of employees. 5 ILC 120/2(c)(2).

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