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 recognize/honor the following retirees: 

• Ms. Sally Anderson, KG PE Teacher

• Ms. Kathleen Podwika, MG Second Grade Teacher

• Mrs. Cindy Walsh, KG SPED Aide

• Mr. Larry Spencer, LASEC/D91 SPED Coordinator

All retirees have been invited to attend Tuesday’s meeting so board members can express their best wishes and gratitude for their dedication to the district. The board president will say a few words about each retiree and present a gift from the Board of Education.

Description:  On Tuesday evening we will be recognizing the KG students of the month and Drama Club.

Description:  We have not received any requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act since the last board meeting.

Description:  Attached is the suspension report for Kelvin Grove and Milne Grove for the month of April 2024.

Description: 

Registration for the 2024 Joint Annual Conference is expected to open on Monday, June 3, 2024. The conference is scheduled for November 22-24. 

Please review your calendar and let me know Tuesday evening if you will be attending the conference and if you will be staying in Chicago. This will allow Mrs. Melber to register members as soon as possible when registration opens.

Description: 

Graduation is scheduled for 7:00 pm on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in the LTHS East Campus Auditorium. All members are invited to attend the graduation ceremony. Members of the Board of Education sit on stage throughout the ceremony, the board members will be assigned a group of students to hand each graduate their diploma and then shake their hand.

Please be prepared to let Mrs. Melber/Mr. Jennings know at the board meeting if you will plan on attending the ceremony.

Description:  Below is a list of revised/new/updated policies and exhibits are being brought to the Board ofEducation for a first reading as a part of the August meeting:

Please look over the included update memo and the policies. Changes will be made as the Board deems necessary and submitted for official Board approval as part of the June board meeting. On Tuesday evening, Dr. Wilkey will provide an overview of the policy changes that are
presented.

Description: 

In April, the Board approved posting the required notice regarding the budget hearing in June and putting an amended budget on review for 30 days.  The budget amendment files will be available on our district website's main page.

I am working on the budget amendment to reflect all known revenue updates and expected expenditures for FY24. I have attached a copy of the budget amendment and account details showing the changes by account. I will walk members through the changes. Members will have until the June meeting to review the amendment. If any member has questions, please contact me before the June meeting.

At the June 11, 2024 meeting, after a budget hearing is held, it will be recommended that the budget amendment be approved.

Description:  On April 10-12th we took part in an audit conducted by The Illinois State Board of Education, regarding the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This audit is conducted every few years to ensure that Districts are following all of the requirements of the NSLP. The audit took three full days but we were well prepared and received a good review. Attached you will find the exit review with the findings from the audit that will be corrected moving forward.

Description:  The regional office of education has completed the annual health life safety inspection report for both schools this past week. There were no violations found at Milne Grove and a minor violation has already been taken care of at Kelvin Grove. Enclosed you will find a copy of the inspection letters from the Regional Office of Education.

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

Description:  RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation to be made pending subsequent discussion

BACKGROUND
The attached Resolution for Honorable Non-Renewal/Dismissal of Support Personnel will be discussed during closed session and updated copies will be provided based on the consensus of the Board.
 

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

Approve the Memorandum of Understanding with the Lockport Teachers Association regarding Schedule B to include a section for the Speech Language Pathologist.


BACKGROUND

The parties agree that the Speech Language Pathologist position is a critical needs position and has been difficult to hire. This position requires a unique skill set that other members of the bargaining unit are not qualified to be reassigned to without proper licensing. Given the critical need and special licensing required for the position, it is recommended that the Board will pay an annual stipend starting in the 2024-25 years to secure a properly licensed Speech Language Pathologist for the district.

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

Extend the Memorandum of Understanding with the Lockport Teachers Association regarding the HMO4 Insurance to include the 2024-25 school year.


BACKGROUND

Through the insurance committee meetings with the broker, the board and union was presented the renewal rates for the 2024-25 school year.  Within those rates, the HMO 4 plan premiums remain below those of the other two medical plans offered.  To keep the district contribution similar for all three plans, a recommendation is being made to extend the HMO 4 plan coverage that was approved for the 2023-24 school year.

Description: 

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

Continued employment of the current support staff for the 2024-2025 school year at the established rates to meet the minimum wage requirements while honoring the years of service in the district.

BACKGROUND

I am recommending that the Board approve maintaining the same rate increase from the FY23 and FY24 school years for hourly wage support staff to be in compliance with the minimum wage requirements while also honoring years of service in the district. Each of our current hourly staff would receive an increase of $1 to their current base wage and then a 2% raise applied to the new base for their FY25 hourly wage.  

Example:. If the current FY24 hourly wage is $14, the new raise would be ($14+$1)*1.02= $15.30

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

A recommendation will be made following closed session on Tuesday night. 

BACKGROUND
Tuesday evening as a part of the closed session we will discuss the FY25 rates for individual multi-year contracts. None of these individuals are eligible for overtime or increasing their salary during the year since they are on a contract for services.  The hours put in can go above and beyond the normal work hours to get the job done.

Individuals with multi-year contracts are:

• John Jennings

• Bryan Kincaid

• Jaime Koziol

• Jim Pierson

• Kathleen Wilkey

The recommendation for multi-year contract rate increases for FY25 will be provided after the closed session discussion.

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the stipend amount for Treasurer, Board Secretary, and Sub Caller rates for FY 25 increase at a rate TBD following the closed session.

BACKGROUND
Tuesday evening as a part of the closed session we will discuss the FY25 rates for the following stipend positions:

• Treasurer

• Board Secretary

• Sub Caller

The recommendation for Treasurer, Board Secretary, and Sub Caller rate increases for FY25 will be provided after the closed session discussion.

Description: 
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that a multi-year administrative contract for the Curriculum Coordinator be approved.

BACKGROUND
On Tuesday evening as a part of the closed session, we will discuss the multi-year contract for the Curriculum Coordinator.  Please find the contract attached.

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

Accept the monetary donation from various donors in the amount of $2,075 for Noah’s Chess Garden.

 

BACKGROUND

Numerous studies have shown that the game of chess improves memory function, increases problem-solving skills and creativity -- and simultaneously exercises both sides of the brain. Anyone can learn to play chess. The Noah's Chess Garden Project is designed to help Kelvin Grove provide a large-scale meaningful memorium for one of our students -- while allowing current and future students (and community members) to have a unique experience learning the game of chess.

"Noah" means both "rest" and "motion" and beautifully describes the strategic outdoor chess game area we wish to create to honor Noah's passion for this game.

Noah is a former student who passed away in a sudden and tragic accident. He was instrumental in founding a formal Chess Club, among many other contributions.

To illuminate his legacy, students and faculty will have access to this portable giant chess set in an outdoor setting -- and inside the LRC MakerSpace during inclement weather. Since the set itself is portable, it can also be utilized during special school incentives and events from Field Days to Conferences, and so much more. Noah's Garden will provide a venue for a wide variety of learners to enjoy the game of chess, and Noah's love for the game will be shared. 

Thank you to the many donors who contributed to the project.  A list of the donors is attached for the board to review.

Description: 

BACKGROUND:

The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) has provided D91 student-athletes with an opportunity to compete at the state level. It has also established standards for all members of athletic teams to follow throughout their season.  The fee recommendation is the same as the current fee structure for the 2023-2024 school year, with the exception of a decrease in membership dues from $300 to $275.  

 

It is recommended that the Board of Education approve the IESA membership for the student athletic groups listed below for the 2024-2025 school year at a cost of $1,075.00. 

 

Activity	Fee
Boys Baseball	$65
Girls Softball	$65
8 Girls Basketball	$65
7 Girls Basketball	$65
8 Boys Basketball	$65
7 Boys Basketball	$65
8 Girls Volleyball	$65
7 Girls Volleyball	$65
8 Boys Track	$70
7 Boys Track	$70
8 Girls Track	$70
7 Girls Track	$70
Annual Membership Dues	$275
Total	$1,075

Description: 

BACKGROUND

Ten years ago, the board approved, in the absence of a full-time athletic director, the position of assignment chair to oversee the scheduling of all referees for athletic competitions played at home. Mr. Mondrella was hired to fill this position and has done an excellent job each year. 

It is recommended that the Board of Education employ Mr. Mondrella as the assignment chair for the 2024-2025 school year at the rate of $80.00 per each of the six athletic sport seasons ($480.00).

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the rate of pay for athletic officials remain the same for the 2024-2025 school year.

BACKGROUND
For the 2022-2023 school year, the board approved a rate increase for our athletic official rate from $65 to $75.  For 2023-24 school year, the LL7 Conference provided recommended raises for basketball and volleyball, so our district raised the rates to $90 and $85 respectively.  For the 2024-2025 school year, we are recommending maintaining our current rates that are provided in the table below to attain athletic officials that are IHSA certified:

 

Sport	2022-2023	2023-2024	2024-2025
BASEBALL/SOFTBALL	$75	$75	$75
BASKETBALL	$75	$90	$90
VOLLEYBALL	$75	$85	$85

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

To approve the submission of the FY25 COPS SVPP Application

BACKGROUND
I am asking the Board to approve the submission of the FY25 COPS SVPP application.  Attached you will find a more detailed explanation of what will be included in the grant request.

It is recommended that the Board of Education approve the submission of the FY25 COPS SVPP grant for a total request amount of $1,185,000 which would require a local district contribution of $685,000 to be paid through recently approved referendum funds.

Description: 

Below is a list of summer camps that we would like to run at Kelvin Grove:

Softball:

July 22-25, 9-11 am
 

Boys/Girls Volleyball:

Week 1: May 28-31, 9-11:30am 

Week 2: June 3-6, 12:30-3pm

Description: 

RECOMMENDATION

Based on the information provided by Mr. Pierson, I concur with his recommendation to contract snow removal services with White Oaks Landscaping, Inc. for a period of five years.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Pierson had one company bid on snow removal services for the district, White Oaks Landscaping. Attached you will find a recommendation along with a copy of the bid proposal.

It is my recommendation that the Board of Education approve the 5-year contract for snow removal with White Oaks Landscaping, Inc.

Description:  RECOMMENDATION
Approve the food contract with Quest Foods for the 2024-2025 school year. 

BACKGROUND
During the 2023-24 school year, the National School Lunch program did an audit on the Illinois State Board of Education oversight on IL school lunch programs.  During this process, it was determined that school district’s were no longer able to enter into Intergovernmental Agreements with other local districts to provide lunch services.  Given this new regulation, it required our district to go out to bid for a new food service contract for the 2024-2025 school year.

Part of the allowance for the lunch program bid process allowed us to enter into a joint Request for Proposal (RFP) with other school districts.  During this process, we partnered with Fairmont, Taft, and LASEC who offer the same type of lunch program as us (vended meals).  Bids for the RFP were due on April 24, 2024 and at that time we only received one bid, Quest Foods, LLC.  Attached you will find a copy of the complete bid package.

Below is a comparison of the previous meal prices we were billed through our Intergovernmental Agreement with LTHS and the new bid that we were quoted:
 

Type of Meal	2021-2022	2022-2023	2023-2024	2024-2025	Difference
Breakfast	$1.55	$1.60	$1.65	$2.10	+$0.45
Lunch	$2.70	$2.75	$2.80	$3.36	+$0.56
Snack	$1.25	$1.30	$1.35	$1.30	-$0.05

The chart shows the food prices were much lower in our last Intergovernmental Agreement with LTHS.  I did learn in a meeting with Quest Foods that the prices we had been paying were the lowest meal rates for any food service contract that Quest had.  We have had great experience with Quest Foods through the current food service contract and the new price per meal is in alignment with what other local districts were already being billed with their agreements from Quest Foods.
           
It is my recommendation that the District 91 Board of Education approve a food service contract with Quest, who has provided food service to District 91 as a satellite program from LTHS in our prior Intergovernmental Agreement with Lockport Township High School.   

Lunch prices for the 2024-2025 school year will be presented to the board at the June meeting.
 

Description: 
Recommendation:
Approve the purchase of CTL Acer C736 Chromebooks based on the quantities specified to support the student device refresh cycle for students in grades 4-8.

Background:
This summer we will be replacing the Chromebooks used in grades 4-8. These devices were originally purchased in 2020 and have been used through four school years and are certainly showing it.

We will be replacing them with new Acer C736 Chromebooks with 8GB of RAM and N100 CPUs. These specs are a step up from our older Chromebooks at 4GB of RAM and should enable our students to continue to effectively engage with a digital curriculum. In communication with other school districts most are also targeting these 8GB models for new purchases. We were able to get a demo C736 from the vendor and are pleased with the overall construction, build quality, and the ease of repair of it. Through the past four years with our previous model, VX11, we have taken note of the common wear and tear items and in this refresh we are focusing our evaluation of replacement models on those areas to hopefully reduce the occurrence of damage with this batch.

The total project will cost approximately $114,000 which includes the Chromebooks for 4-8 and an order of additional cases.  Money for this project will be allocated accordingly in the FY25 budget.

Description: 
RECOMMENDATION
Approval of the Consolidated District Plan for FY25.

BACKGROUND

Each year the district is required to receive board approval for the Consolidated District Plan for federal grants we apply for each year including Title I, Title II, Title IV, IDEA Part B Flow-Through, IDEA - CEIS,  and IDEA Part B Preschool.  This plan must be approved by each district’s Board of Education before we can submit our individual federal grants for FY25.  We have no changes within our plan from the current school year to the next school year, therefore, we plan to continue allocating the federal funds in the same manner as we have in the past.

It is recommended that the Board of Education approve the Consolidated District Plan as presented for FY25.