Public Meeting Agenda: January 22, 2026 at 8:30 AM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL

2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

3. *APPROVAL OF MINUTES

4. CORRESPONDENCE

5. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
At this time, the Board should welcome guests and representatives of the various media. The Board President will be able to offer anyone from the audience the opportunity to comment. If anyone wishes to address the board, they are given five (5) minutes. Board members can choose to address the concern, or place the item on a future agenda.

6. NEW BUSINESS

6.A. PERSONNEL

6.A.a. Executive Session

We may have an executive session to discuss the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees. [5 ILCS 120/2(c)(1)]

6.A.b. *Acceptance of Licensed/Certified/Support Staff Resignations

Attachments: (1)

BoardMeeting Memorandum Employment 01.22.2026

6.A.c. *Approval of Appointments/Transfers/Reassignments

Attachments: (1)

Board Meeting Memorandum Employment 01.22.2026

6.B. CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT

6.B.a. Approval of Board Policy Draft Updates

Description: The recommendation is to adopt/approve all the board policies as presented.

Attachments: (14)

6.C. BUSINESS

6.C.a. Approval of Kickup Contract

Description: We are asking for approval to purchase the Kickup program and move away from Frontline. Kickup is a more robust system and is a cost savings to the ELC. We are recommending going with a 3-year contract.

Attachments: (2)

6.C.b. Acceptance and Filing of Audit for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2025

Description: Please find attached the Audited Financial Statements and Management Letter to the Board of Education. The fiscal year 2025 audit is finalized with no significant findings and a clean audit opinion. A clean audit indicates (1) there were no material misstatements, (2) no deficiencies in internal controls, and (3) compliance with requirements that could have an effect on major Federal Programs.

6.C.c. *Consideration of Monthly Financial Report
It is recommended that: The Board of Education approve the list of Bills and Financial Statements as contained in the Monthly Financial Report for December. (POLL)

Attachments: (10)

6.C.d. Consent Agenda Items

6.C.d.1. Approve the Special Meeting Minutes and Regular Meeting Minutes of December 18, 2025.

Attachments: (2)

6.C.d.2. Accept the resignations of the following individuals as noted in the Agenda Booklet of January 22, 2026, for Jennifer Cox, Director of Business and Operations; Freyda Reninger, Paraprofessional; Kristy Morales, Paraprofessional; Autumn Hernandez, Paraprofessional; Danielle Ripes, Occupational Therapist; Liubov Leskiv, Paraprofessional as presented.

6.C.d.3. Approve the appointments/transfers/reassignments of the following individual as noted in the Agenda Booklet of January 22, 2026, for Samanta Nakazato, Paraprofessional; as presented.

6.C.d.4. Approval of Bills.

6.C.d.5. Approval of Financial Statement.

6.D. SUPERINTENDENT’S INFORMATIONAL REPORT

Description:

-Staffing Update:

Before winter break, we sent out our staffing request form to all the districts we serve. A fair number of districts have responded at this point. So far, we are seeing a slight decrease in requests, so we might have to do a reduction in staff. We will have the final staffing requests by the end of this month and then will make a recommendation to the Board for the overall staffing allocation for 2026-2027.

Round of Applause

Round of Applause — This month’s "Round of Applause" recognitions are attached for your review. The Round of Applause initiative is designed to highlight and celebrate exceptional employees across the ELC. Each month, administrators and cabinet members identify staff members who have demonstrated outstanding commitment, teamwork, or performance and share their names with Human Resources.

Human Resources then prepares a formal memo of appreciation for each recognized employee, acknowledging their contributions and the positive impact they have made.

This initiative is part of our ongoing effort to strengthen our organizational culture, promote authentic and meaningful feedback, and nurture strong connections between administrators and staff. By celebrating the great work happening throughout the ELC, we continue to build a supportive, appreciative, and engaged workplace community.

-Professional Development Update:

On January 5, we welcomed back staff for the first day of 2026 calendar year! The day was a blend of learning and supporting our students as they returned after their break as well. Our learning for the day was a legal update provided by Jennifer Deutch, partner at Hodges, Loizzi. Jen shared relevant case law updates and local matters specific to the 7th Circuit. She offered three key reminders for ALL staff: the need for clear and effective communication, the importance of building relationships with students and families and the prioritization of needs-based discussions throughout the problem-solving and IEP process. Additionally, our OTs had a special session with Kelly Mahler, trainer and author. The team learned about interoception and its influence on many areas of students' lives, like self-regulation, mental health, and social connection. The OT team has hoped to learn from and with Kelly for quite some time. We're glad to have brought her to them for this learning opportunity. Both Jen and Kelly's presentation are attached.

-Parent Education Report:

We did not have a parent event in the month of December. Our next event is January 30 with The Arc of Illinois next month as they continue their statewide Listening Sessions.

-ELC West Update:

Students and staff were excited to return to the building and get back into routines after winter break. Staff had the opportunity for professional development and time to set intentions for the rest of the year with their teams on the first Monday in January. Students returned to internships and transition classes got to support Gerry’s Cafe for a lunch outing. High school classes returned to Bernie's Book Bank to expand their volunteering skills.

When looking into adulthood for our students, families have provided input into their areas of focus for skill acquisition and improvement. One area that is echoed by a number of families is daily living skills. Students in both high school and transition practice these life skills through learning to make their own meals, shopping for groceries, learning to wash/fold laundry, and cleaning. Having a fully functioning kitchen and laundry room for our students to use helps them to not only practice the skills but to do so in a setting that may be similar to what they encounter within their homes. For our students in transition, they are also working on taking inventory of their food at the end of the week in order to help them meal plan and create a grocery list for the following week. Several of our internship locations incorporate these same daily living skills, which provides students with an opportunity to apply their skills in an alternate setting.

-Technology Update:

We are reviewing options to update the current doorbell camera solution at the 990 location. We currently use Ring cameras with Amazon Echo Show devices to receive motion alerts and doorbell rings. These devices are at least six years old, and we experience delays in viewing cameras and greeting visitors through the system. The goal is to improve reliability, modernize functionality, and strengthen building security as part of a continuous process improvement effort.

-Facilities Update:

The roof project on both buildings was put on hold because of the very cold weather and snow. While their original timeline of completion by January 1 has certainly passed, the roofers have returned. Updates regarding their progress will be shared with Megan.

-Business/Finance Update:

The business managers' meeting was canceled this week, so that Sean and Megan could meet with Jen to make sure all the business and operations tasks were covered. We have a plan of tasks that is divided between Sean, Megan, and other members of cabinet. We feel confident that we will be able to maintain the ELC finances and operations this semester as we look for a new Director of Business Services and Operations.

Attachments: (7)

6.E. ADJOURN

January 22, 2026 at 8:30 AM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

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