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Upcoming Meetings
Roosevelt Middle School
7560 Oak Avenue
Library Learning Center
Board Meeting
December 18, 2017
7:00 p.m.
Committee of the Whole Meeting
January 9, 2018
7:00 p.m.
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Committee of the Whole
Meeting Highlights
Presented by:
Mr. Ralph Martire, District 90 Board President
Dr. Edward Condon, Superintendent
The meeting was called to order by Board of Education President Ralph Martire at
7:07 p.m. in the Roosevelt Middle School Auditorium. Cal Davis, Judith Deogracias, Barb Hickey, Ralph Martire, Rich Moore, Nicole Thompson, and Stacey Williams were present.
The meeting adjourned at
8:40 p.m.
Below is a summary of meeting highlights.
Board Packets containing meeting details are posted on the District 90 website
prior to each meeting. Full meeting minutes will be posted on the website once approved.
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Recognize Visitors and Invite Comments from the Public
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Approval of Agenda
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Board members approved the agenda.
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Finance Committee, Cal Davis, Chair
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Evidenced-Based Funding for Student Success: Implications for River Forest D90 -- Ralph Martire, Board President;
Dr. Ed Condon, Superintendent; and Anthony Cozzi, Director of Finance and Facilities
Cal Davis introduced the subject to be addressed that evening, along with the three main speakers, Ralph Martire, Board President; Dr. Ed Condon, Superintendent; and Anthony Cozzi, Director of Finance and Facilities.
Ralph Martire began the presentation by providing an overview of Illinois' former school funding practices, and compared the former model with the evidenced-based funding model. Mr. Martire also provided a brief history of school funding in Illinois and its effects on at-risk and not-at-risk students. During this portion of the presentation, Mr. Martire presented several statistics about school funding in Illinois that illustrated the state's failure to adequately fund K-12 education. For instance, Illinois covers only 26% of school funding, with local property taxes providing about 65%. The remainder of school funding is from federal funding. Illinois ranks last in the nation for state funding of its school, but first in the nation for local support of schools. The state's school funding formula is linked to the lack of education equity in Illinois.
On August 31, 2017, according to Mr. Martire, Illinois went from being the least equitable state for funding schools to being among the most equitable. That is the date that the evidenced-based school funding model became the law in Illinois. He stated that the challenge was how to fund the new model. Mr. Martire went into some detail explaining how the evidenced-based model (EBM) for school funding works and highlighted key features of the EBM, such as how the model returns the responsibility for funding schools back to the state. The model increases equity by sending more funding dollars to the neediest school districts and students.
Ralph Martire's presentation was followed by Dr. Condon's overview regarding the effect of the school funding legislation on District 90. Dr. Condon explained several of the determinants that aid in evaluating school quality and their relationship to funding including staffing levels, teacher-pupil ratio, core guidance counselors and registered nurses, and computer/technology equipment.
Anthony Cozzi presented information about how the change in the state funding model will specifically affect District 90. He stated that the District's level of state funding will not be reduced. However, the District will not receive new or additional money from the state.
Additional information, including the entire presentation, can be viewed in the
Board Packet.
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Comments from the Public
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Approximately 8-10 members of the audience participated in the question and answer portion of the meeting. Many of the questions and comments focused on understanding some of the more technical details regarding state funding of schools. Several of the questions addressed issues such as the length of time required for Illinois to reach adequate funding levels; descriptions of several instructional best practices that would be supported by state funding; and the money set aside for Chicago Public Schools. Other topics discussed included local governments' ability to increase the funding of their schools; individual and corporate contributions to scholarship granting agencies; and the mechanism for determining adequate base funding.
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Communications Committee, Barb Hickey, Chair
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Dawne Simmons, Communications and Community Outreach Coordinator, unveiled the updated District 90 website. She presented some of the new features and attributes of the revised portal including a sleeker look, reduced amount of text, and easier navigation. Ms. Simmons also explained that visitors to the site should be able to find it easier to locate information. The updated portal is also American with Disabilities Act accessible and compliant. The new website can be viewed at
www.district90.org.
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Board Governance, Ralph Martire, Board President
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Discussion Item: What is the Board of Education's intended legacy?
To follow up on an earlier discussion in August 2017, Ralph Martire asked Board members to discuss their intended legacy. After a short conversation, the topic was tabled for a later discussion nearer the end of the school year.
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Personnel Report
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Board members approved the following personnel items: the hiring of two temporary evening custodians; unpaid leave of absence for a certified employee; and a FTE adjustment for a classified employee.
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