River Forest District 90
December 18, 2017  
Upcoming Meetings
 
Roosevelt Middle School
7560 Oak Avenue
Library Learning Center

Board Meeting
January 16, 2018
7:00 p.m. 

Committee of the Whole Meeting/Town Hall Forum
January 31, 2018
7:00 p.m.
Quick Links
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  
7:01 p.m. in the Roosevelt Middle School Library Learning Center. Cal Davis, Judy Deogracias, Barb Hickey, Ralph Martire,  Rich Moore, Nicole Thompson, and Stacey Williams were present. The meeting adjourned at 8:10 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 communications.
Consent Agenda

Board members approved the Consent Agenda that included Minutes from the Board of Education Meeting on November 20, 2017; the Committee of the Whole Meeting on December 5, 2017; Payrolls; Orders Relating to Payrolls; Bills; and Treasurer's Report.
Board Committees
 
Education
Nicole Thompson reported that the Education Committee met on December 13. Members discussed the upcoming inventory audit of multicultural books in classrooms, the Technology Committee's  iPad deployment efforts for students in grades 3 and 4, and the ongoing math implementation plan for grades 6-8.  
 
Personnel
Rich Moore reported that an administrative staff report would be addressed later in the meeting. 
 
Policy
Stacey Williams stated that the first reading of several policies would be addressed later in the meeting.

Finance
Cal Davis relayed that the tax levy would be addressed later in the meeting. 

Equity
Ralph Martire indicated that there was nothing to report. 

Facilities
Judy Deogracias indicated that there was nothing to report. 

Communications
Barb Hickey reported that the Subcommittee on Collaboration had completed its communication survey. The results will be discussed on December 19 with Dr. Condon and Dawne Simmons, Communications Coordinator. A formal report will be presented to Board members at a forthcoming meeting. 
District Calendar Review

Dr. Condon reported that there were several December activities including the Winter Concerts at Roosevelt and Lincoln. Willard's Winter Concert will be held in February and March. Roosevelt's Band and Orchestra held a concert in November. The Winter Break will start on December 25 with schools re-opening on January 8. The Committee of the Whole meeting will be held on January 9 and the Board of Education meeting is scheduled for January 16. A dditional information can be viewed in the  Board Packet .
Outside Organization Meetings
 
Council of Governments - Ralph Martire
Ralph Martire indicated that there was nothing to report. The next Council of Governments meeting is scheduled for January 12.

OPRFHS Community Council - Rich Moore
Rich Moore relayed information from the December 7 meeting, which addressed the topic of college readiness. The next Community Council meeting is scheduled for February 8.

Youth Network Council - Barb Hickey
B arb Hickey shared that the Youth Network Council had conducted a holiday food and gift basket effort. The meeting agenda also included discussion about concerns surrounding students' use of social media and actions that adults can take to help students address anxiety and depression resulting from social media use. Ms. Hickey also stated that the Youth Network Council complimented the work of the Board of Education's Equity Committee and appreciated the work of the Inclusiveness Advisory Board.  The next meeting is scheduled for January 11.

District PTO Council - Barb Hickey
Barb Hickey informed Board members that the PTO Council did not hold a December meeting. The next meeting of the PTO Council is scheduled for January 19.

Inclusiveness Advisory Board (IAB) - Stacey Williams 
Stacey Williams indicated that there was nothing to report. The next IAB meeting is scheduled for January 24.
 
River Forest Service Club/River Forest Civic Association - Nicole Thompson
Nicole Thompson indicated that there was nothing to report. The next meeting is still to be scheduled. 
 
Citizen Corps Council - Judy Deogracias
Judy Deogracias indicated that there was nothing to report. The next meeting of the Citizen Corps Council (CCC) is January 27.    

West Cook Governing Board (IASB) - Ralph Martire
Ralph Martire indicated that there was nothing to report. The date of the next meeting is March 6. 

ED-RED - Ralph Martire
Ralph Martire reported that there was nothing to report.  The next ED-RED meeting is scheduled for January 12 .

Tri-Board Collaborative Committee - Ralph Martire
Ralph Martire stated that the Tri-Board Collaborative Committee discussed partnership among the three districts in areas such as professional development, annual meetings, and advancing education equity among the three districts. He also relayed information about inviting members from the other Boards of Education and officials from the Village and the River Forest Library to the upcoming National Equity Project workshop. The date for the next meeting is still being scheduled.

River Forest Subcommittee on Collaboration - Barb Hickey 
Barb Hickey stated that the Subcommittee on Collaboration has completed its communication survey. Preliminary results indicate that District 90 received positive feedback. More information will be shared at an upcoming Board of Education meeting. The next meeting of the Subcommittee on Collaboration is scheduled for January 17.
District Meeting Agendas

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Dr. Condon shared that the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Committee continues to research the main elements of this instructional framework. The Committee is also working to prepare a presentation to the community for an upcoming Board of Education meeting. More information is available in the  Board Packet.
Superintendent's Report
Action Items


Adoption of 2017 Tax Levy
Anthony Cozzi, Director of Finance and Facilities presented the 2017 Tax Levy for adoption. He explained that a public hearing is not required because of the amount of the proposed tax levy.  Upon Board approval, Mr. Cozzi will file the tax levy with the County Clerk of Cook County. Board members approved Adoption of the 2017 Tax Levy. More information is available in the Board Packet.

Resolution Authorizing Reduction of Certain Fund Levies for the 2017 Tax Levy
Anthony Cozzi, Director of Finance and Facilities, presented a Resolution Authorizing Reduction of Certain Fund Levies for the 2017 Tax Levy. Upon Board approval, Mr. Cozzi will file the resolution with the County Clerk of Cook County. Board members approved the Resolution Authorizing Reduction of Certain Fund Levies for the 2017 Tax Levy. More information is available in the Board Packet.

Semi-Annual Review of Closed Session Meeting Minutes
Anthony Cozzi, Director of Finance and Facilities, presented a list of minutes from closed portions of Board of Education and Committee of the Whole meetings to ascertain whether the minutes, including audio recordings, should remained closed. Board members approved keeping the minutes from May - December 2017 closed. More information is available in the Board Packet.

Destruction of Closed Session Meeting Audio Tapes
Anthony Cozzi, Director of Finance and Facilities, presented a list of Closed Session Meeting audio tapes for destruction. The recordings are between 2 years and 2.5 years old. Board members approved destroying the presented audio recordings of the closed session meetings. More information is available in the Board Packet.

Revised Meeting Calendar
Dr. Condon presented a draft of the revised schedule for Board of Education and Committee of the Whole Meetings for the 2017-18 school year. The normally scheduled February Committee of the Whole meeting has been moved to January 31. Board members approved the revised Board of Education and Committee of the Whole Meetings' calendar. More Information is available in the Board Packet. 
Superintendent's Report
Informational Items


Proposed - Board of Education Ad Hoc Gender Inclusion Committee
Ralph Martire shared that the Board has been visited by advocates for gender equity who requested the adoption of a Board policy advancing gender equity for all students. Mr. Martire proposed that the Board consider the formation of an Ad Hoc Gender Inclusion Committee that will be modeled after the Board's Equity Committee with 2 Board members, 2 administrators, 2 parents, and 2 staff members. The Board indicated that they intend to vote on the possible formation of the committee at the January Board meeting. More information is available in the Board Packet
 
Student Walking Routes to School
Dr. Condon spoke briefly about the Lincoln student that was involved in an auto accident while walking to school. He relayed information about steps to improve the safety of the routes students use to walk to school. Dr. Condon said that the Village President and River Forest Village administrators will meet with District administrators and the Board President regarding improving the safety of student routes to school. Dr. Condon reiterated that pedestrian safety is paramount. 

Policy, First Reading 
Stacey Willilams presented four policies for First Reading by Board members. The policies addressed classroom use of technology, age requirements for students enrolling in kindergarten and/or first grade, documents establishing residency for enrollment, and internet safety of students using District technology.  Additional information is available in the  Board Packet.

District 90 Administrative Staffing Overview
Dr. Condon presented an overview of the number and types of administrators in school districts similar to District 90. The  comparison of school districts reflect districts that are roughly similar to District 90 in size, number of schools, similar levels of community resources, and overall academic performance. Dr. Condon complimented Pam Jenkins, Human Resources Specialist, for her work in compiling this information.  Additional information is available in the  Board Packet .

Memorandum of Understanding - Park District Intergovernmental Agreement
Anthony Cozzi, Director of Finance and Facilities, presented information about the Intergovernmental Agreement between the River Forest Park District and District 90. He reported that the Memorandum of Understanding clarified specific aspects of the agreement including Park District insurance requirements and District 90 subrogation requirements. Board members approved the execution of the Memorandum of Understanding with the River Forest Park District.  Additional information is available in the Board Packet .