River Forest District 90
January 17, 2017  
Upcoming Meetings
 
Roosevelt Middle School
Library Learning Center
2nd Floor

Committee of the Whole Meeting
February 7, 2017
7:00 p.m.
Board Meeting
February 21, 2017
7:30 p.m.
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Board of Education  Meeting Highlights

Presented by: 
Mr. Ralph Martire, District 90 Board President
Dr. Edward Condon, Superintendent

The Board of Education meeting was called to order by Board President Ralph Martire at 7:30 p.m. in the Roosevelt Middle School Library Learning Center. Anne Gottlieb, Barb Hickey, David Latham, Ralph Martire,  Rich Moore, and Stacey Williams were present. Roman Ebert was absent.The meeting adjourned at 9:03 p.m.

Below is a summary of the Board of Education 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.
Recognize Visitors and Public Comments

There were no comments.
Approval of Agenda

Board members approved the agenda.  
Communications

There were no notes or messages.
Freedom of Information Act Requests

The District received a Freedom of Information Act request from the Illinois Alarm Service, Inc. seeking information about all contracts or documents pertaining to the installation, service, monitoring and/or inspections burglar alarms, fire alarms, camera systems or card access systems. The request was answered within the legally mandated timeframes.
Student Presenters

Danielle, an 8th grade student at Roosevelt, provided an update on activities and classroom instruction at the school. For instance, she explained that more than 100 students are involved in the upcoming musical production, Fiddler on the Roof. Danielle also described a number of the classroom instructional activities that are underway, such as 5th grade students learning about immigrants and the world's major religions. Danielle's presentation concluded with a brief discussion of how faculty members are making connections between subjects.

Two Willard 4th grade students, Robbie and Jade, presented a slide presentation on classroom instruction in classes including art; music; physical education; science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM); and library. The Library has started the Bluestem Olympics, which involves reading books on the Bluestem reading list. In addition, all grades work on STEM projects. Art Teacher Marta Kozbur encourages students to use art to think in different ways. The music teacher led her first winter concert that included all Willard students. The slide show included a short video that showcased language arts instruction with examples of six-word stories about Willard as their "home away from home." 

Consent Agenda

Board members approved the Consent Agenda, which included Minutes from the  Board of Education Meeting on December 19, 2016; Committee of the Whole Meeting on January 10, 2017; Payrolls; Orders Relating to Payrolls; Bills; and Treasurer's Report.
Board Committees
 
Education
Rich Moore reported that the Education Committee addressed several items at its last meeting including the upcoming math pilot, the Math Leadership Team, summer school, and the Teacher Institute Day.   

Personnel
There was no personnel report. 
 
Policy
Stacey Williams stated that the second reading for several policies would be discussed later in the meeting. 
 
Finance/Equity
Ralph Martire reported that there was nothing new for the financial report. He also indicated that the Equity Committee is scheduled to meet later in January. At that time, the Equity Committee is scheduled to discuss the upcoming Town Hall Forum. 

Facilities
There was nothing to report. 

Communications
Barb Hickey reported that she, Dr. Condon, and Communications Coordinator Dawne Simmons are scheduled to visit the River Forest Service Club. She also indicated that she has attended PTO meetings at Lincoln and Willard, and reported on several issues and activities that are being addressed by the PTOs. Ms. Hickey invited Board members to attend school events and PTO meetings. 
District Calendar Review

Dr. Condon reported on several upcoming events and activities. The activities included the Science Expo at Lincoln on January 26; Roosevelt's Solo/Ensemble Fest on January 28; Willard's Math Fest on January 29; the Special Ed Advisory Committee meeting on February 1; and the upcoming Roosevelt production of the musical, Fiddler on the Roof, on February 16-19. A dditional information can be viewed in the Board Packet.
Outside Organization Meetings
 
Council of Governments - Ralph Martire
Ralph Martire reported on the January 13 meeting of the Council of Governments. He indicated that the Village may seek a third extension on the Lathrop and Lake Avenues development. The River Forest Park District is slated to have a change in leadership. The new OPRF Superintendent Dr. Joylyn Pruitt-Adams attended the the meeting to discuss her upcoming Listening Tour in the community. 

OPRFHS Citizens' Council - Rich Moore
Rich Moore reported that the CFO of OPRFHS discussed the high school's finances including the updating of technology, building repairs and maintenance, and air conditioning in the field house. OPRFHS will revisit ways to replace the school's pool. Dr. Joylyn Pruitt-Adams, the new Superintendent of OPRFHS, will begin a Listening Tour in the community. The next meeting is scheduled for February 11.

Youth Network Council - Barb Hickey
Barb Hickey reported that the Youth Network Council met on January 12. The Council discussed several issues including teen use of prescription drugs leading to an increased number of drug over doses, the launch of a new mentoring program at OPRFHS, and the name change of the Parenthesis Family Center to New Moms. Ms. Hickey also indicated that the next meeting of the Youth Network Council will focus on equity issues. She has asked that Stacey Williams and Anne Gottlieb join her at that meeting to discuss District 90's equity initiatives. The next  meeting of the Youth Network Council will be February 9.

District PTO Council - Barb Hickey
The next meeting of the PTO Council is January 20.

Inclusiveness Advisory Board - Anne Gottlieb, Stacey Williams 
Anne Gottlieb reported that the Inclusiveness Advisory Board (IAB) is scheduled to meet on January 18. 
 
River Forest Service Club - David Latham, Roman Ebert
Dr. Condon indicated that he, Barb Hickey, and Communications Coordinator Dawne Simmons will be attending the upcoming January 19 meeting as guests.  
 
Citizen Corps Council - Roman Ebert
There was nothing to report. 

West Cook Governing Board (IASB) - Ralph Martire
The next meeting of of the West Cook Governing Board (IASB) is scheduled for March 2.  

ED-RED - Ralph Martire
Ralph Martire reported that ED-RED sent out an alert to its members opposing the proposed property tax freeze at the state level. The next ED-RED meeting is scheduled for January 30.

River Forest Subcommittee on Collaboration - Barb Hickey 
Barb Hickey reported on the challenges in getting the members of the River Forest Subcommittee to meet. Ralph Martire invited Ms. Hickey to the next meeting of Council of Governments in order to encourage participation in the Subcommittee.  
District Meeting Agendas

Superintendent Leadership Council
Dr. Condon reported that the Superintendent Leadership Council (SLC) is scheduled to meet on January 18. The SLC is slated to discuss elements of standards-based grading.   
Superintendent's Report
Action Items

Policy -- Second Reading
Dr. Condon and Stacey Williams presented several policy revisions for second reading. The policies under review addressed multiple issues including Board of Education meetings and reimbursements, students in foster care, curriculum content, and other topics. Board members engaged in a robust discussion about several policies under consideration. The policies were approved as revised. More information is available in the  Board Packet.

Resolution Approving Travel, Meal and Lodging Policy
Dr. Condon and Stacey Williams presented a resolution to approve the Travel, Meal, and Lodging Policy as reviewed in the second policy reading. Board members approved the resolution. More information is available in the Board Packet.
Superintendent's Report
Informational Items

Receipt of 2015-16 Audit Report
Betsy Allen, principal of Miller Cooper & Co., Ltd, provided an explanation of the audit of the District's Comprehensive Financial Report. She discussed the audit process, how the audit was composed, and the transparency in communications regarding the District's financial information. There were no recommended changes to the audit.  Ralph Martire complimented Anthony Cozzi, Director of Finance and Facilities, and his team for their work on the audit.  More information is available in the  Board Packet.
 
Math Leadership Team Pilot
 
  
Dr. Alison Hawley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, presented an overview of the work of the Math Leadership Team (MLT) and the pilot of math instructional resources that are starting soon. She indicated that the math instructional resources under consideration were actually developed by math experts, not text book companies. The pilot is expected to be completed in late spring. Parents will receive information about the math pilot on January 18. Dr. Hawley complimented the MLT on their efforts. Dr. Condon complimented Dr. Hawley on the curriculum review process and the selection of appropriate materials. There was a robust discussion by Board members about the details of the pilot. Additional information is available in the Board Packet.

Enrollment Statistics
Dr. Condon provided enrollment statistics for all three District schools. Current enrollment is close to the higher-end projections for this school year that were provided by Demographer Dr. John Kasarda. Dr. Condon proposed that the District conduct a new demographic analysis sooner than the normally done one of every five years. Additional information is available in the Board Packet.