HINSDALE TOWNSHIP
High School District 86
Board Briefs Logo
April 23, 2020
Regular Action Meeting
Cybersecurity Update
Per the board’s request, Keith Bockwoldt, the district’s chief information officer, provided an update on the cybersecurity work the district is doing in conjunction with Goal 5, Strategy 14 of the strategic plan, and in response to the COVID-19 crisis. This updated included the following:

  • Definitions of ransomware and phishing.

  • A reference to a public service announcement the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued in September 2018 about the risks that data collection and unsecured systems could pose to students.

  • Information about cyber attacks committed throughout the world, and reported cyber incidents that occurred in K-12 school districts in the United States.

  • Examples of ransomware and phishing attacks committed against school districts.

  • Examples of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted security.
  1. Uptick in compromised external email accounts
  2. Strain on firewalls
  3. Zoombombing

  • Information about the work the district has done to improve/enhance cybersecurity.
  1. Anti-email spoofing
  2. Deprecated Remote Desktop
  3. VPN clients for secure remote access
  4. Endpoint protection on all computers
  5. Review of permissions
  6. New Datrium storage infrastructure that is immutable to ransomware
  7. Flag on emails sent from outside the district that warn about clicking on links or opening attachments
  8. Regular review of firewall logs
  9. Information security policy and incident response plan
  10. Regular password changes
  11. Timeout settings on computers
  12. Cybersecurity awareness training on topics such as phishing, ransomware, secure passwords and online privacy
  13. Review information from MS-ISAC – Center for Internet Security Advisories
  14. Discussions during operations cabinet and tech team meetings
  15. Review of all software agreements

  • Information about the next steps the district is taking to improve/enhance cybersecurity.
  1. Next-Generation Firewall
  2. Network Access Control
  3. Review email security solutions
  4. Review security information event management solutions
  5. Two-factor authentication
  6. Department of Homeland Security assessments related to risk and preparedness, vulnerability scanning and phishing

  • Information about House Bills that are focused on cybersecurity.

  • Information about initiatives that are aimed at helping K-12 school districts with cybersecurity.

You can access the presentation the board received regarding this topic by visiting https://bit.ly/2RVlIHe.

Committee Reports
Members of the Human Resources Committee, Policy Committee, Finance Committee and joint Facilities and Special Committee provided the board with a report from their recent meetings. 

During its meeting on April 7, the Human Resources Committee discussed the following topics:

  • Raises for non-union employee groups (administration and support staff). Since the district is currently in the process of negotiating new contracts with the teachers and buildings and grounds staff, the committee agreed that raise recommendations for all non-union groups should be put on hold until further notice.

  • Search for the new assistant superintendent for academics. The committee discussed the status of the search for the new assistant superintendent for academics, including the plan to present the board with a final candidate for approval during its first meeting in May.

  • Summer school. The committee received an update about several topics related to summer school, including registration and the potential impact of COVID-19 on the program.

During its meeting on April 13, the Policy Committee did the following: 

  • Reviewed policies from sections 4 (Operational Services), 6 (Instruction) and 7 (Students) of the district's draft manual, including policy 4:150 (Facility Management and Expansion Programs) and 6:310 (High School Credit for Non-District Experiences). Several of the policies were submitted for inclusion in the manual. 

  • Discussed how it will reconcile the draft manual with the October 2019 and March 2020 updates from PRESS. 

  • Talked about when the policy manual might be presented to the board for review since IASB postponed all meetings, including those being conducted virtually, through at least April 30.  

During its meeting on April 15, the Finance Committee discussed the following topics:

  • The impact of COVID-19 on summer school planning.

  • The impact of the current economic environment on the third referendum bond sale. The committee decided to wait on initiating the sale due to market volatility, and to provide more time to evaluate the utilization of bond premium to generate additional proceeds. 

  • The impact of COVID-19 on the district's current year budget, as well as the ability to build the budget for next year. The committee discussed moving some planned expenditures from fiscal year 2021 to the current year to help alleviate some of the stress on the budget. In addition, rather than going with a typical tentative budget, the district will only look to advance critical expenditure needs to the board for approval, with the goal of funding July and August. The final budget would still be adopted in September.   

During their joint meeting on April 17, the Facilities and Special committees discussed the following topics:

  • Scheduling. The committees received an overview of the pre-construction and construction schedule. They learned that bid period 3 was divided into two bid periods to generate more participation from the subcontracting community. They were informed that, since the buildings are closed, the district's vendors are exploring what work can start earlier, which will expedite the schedule and mitigate potential delays. They were also told that the prospect/possibility of starting earlier had to be evaluated all the way down the line to ensure that everyone can move projects ahead.

  • Zoning/permits. The committees heard that the district's vendors continue to work through some delays due to the Illinois Department of Public Health pulling resources from permitting to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Energy incentives. The committees were informed that the district's vendors are waiting on incentive determinations from ComEd and Nicor.

  • Turf. The committees discussed the requests the district has received for access to the surplus turf that is being removed from its fields. They agreed that it makes sense to establish a salvage process that will enable the district to fulfill these requests without creating a liability for itself. They also agreed that they were willing to incur some small expense and logistical burden to fulfill the requests, but would defer to industry and legal experts when it comes to making a final decision about how to proceed.

  • Bond premium. The committees discussed the bond premium for the third and final bond sale. They talked about issues such as timing, volatility in the market and proceeds realized on the final bond sale (potential to generate $13 million in additional proceeds without exceeding the debt service provided to the taxpayers for the bond referendum). The committees identified key points, including those related to the potential impact of the premium on the Future Ready Facilities work and taxpayer costs, that will be submitted to the board for review and discussion. 

In addition to receiving the reports, the board voted to release the draft minutes from these meetings as part of the consent agenda.

Consent Agenda
The board approved the consent agenda as presented. The consent agenda includes personnel, stipends, board bills and meeting minutes. Please visit https://bit.ly/2KtuDvA to access the consent agenda items beginning under number seven.

Award RFP 20-027 (District Access Door Control Systems)
The board awarded RFP 20-027 in the amount of $100,580 to Renaissance Communication Systems, Inc. to provide an integrated secure door access control system for use in all district locations. The district placed a legal ad in the Pioneer Doings on March 12, 2020, and received three responses/submissions. Renaissance Communication Systems, Inc. was the lowest responsive bidder.

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/3eLCSke.

Approve Facilities Naming Request
Per the recommendation of the Policy and Facilities Naming committees, the board approved a request to name the new natatorium at Hinsdale Central the Don Watson Aquatics Center. The natatorium is being built in conjunction with the district’s Future Ready Facilities plans.

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/3eIR8dS.

Approve Policies on First Read
The board conducted a first reading and approved policies 6:235 (Access to Electronic Networks) and 6:310 (High School Credit for Non-District Experiences).

Approve 2020-21 Chromebook Agreement
The board approved revisions to the Chromebook agreement for the 2020-21 school year as presented. The primary addition that was made for the 2020-21 school year will satisfy the approval of educational apps that are used for classroom instruction and homework assignments.

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/3aAUkVj.

Approve the Consolidated District Plan
The board approved the consolidated district plan as presented. All public schools in Illinois are required to submit a district plan to the Illinois State Board of Education prior to submitting grant proposals for the 2020-21 school year.

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/34XWuxj.

Approve Resolution 20.15
The board approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of a notice of remedial warning to a district employee.

Board President's Report
Board President Kevin Camden reiterated how proud he is of the way the district has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. He specifically noted the way the board and administration have worked together to address issues during the crisis. 

President Camden also called upon community members to support local businesses in any way they can during this challenging time. 

Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Tammy Prentiss shared the following thoughts/comments about senior activities.

  • We appreciate the feedback we have been receiving from families and community members about ways to honor and celebrate our senior class.

  • We respect the efforts other districts are undertaking to infuse additional hope and optimism into this difficult situation by sending out formal save the dates for events such as prom and graduation that feature days, times and locations.

  • With that said, we believe the two-pronged approach we are taking is the right one at this time for the following reasons:
  1. We are fully committed to hosting in-person summer celebrations for seniors from both schools if possible. However, given the recent reports that the peak for COVID-19 cases in Illinois might not hit until the middle of May and the governor's decision to extend the stay at home order until June, we believe that having virtual ceremonies next month is the only way we can truly guarantee that we will be able recognize our graduates in some form or fashion.
  2. We will continue to work with the members of our senior class to identify potential dates for the in-person celebrations, and will communicate that information as soon as possible. We are looking at dates in July for a few reasons. First, it is what many of the seniors we have heard from have suggested/requested. Second, it buys us more time for the potential relaxation of the stay at home order and limit on mass gatherings. Third, it gives the schools more time and flexibility to organize the larger events, and families more time and flexibility to plan individual celebrations. Fourth, it lessens the chance we will need to change dates and locations. This is particularly important if loved ones are planning to travel to Illinois for the festivities. It also will help cut down on fees that schools or families may incur if changes need to be made.

  • Similar to graduation and prom, we will continue working with our students, staff, activities departments and building administrators to identify additional ways to honor our seniors. This has been and will continue to be a priority for us. With that said, we must also continue to ensure that we are doing everything we can to manage critical academic and operational issues, plan for summer learning and the next school year, and, most importantly, provide all of our students with the help and support they need during this challenging time.

  • As we have stated throughout this situation, the decisions we make about graduation and prom will be driven by our seniors as much as possible. While we appreciate the requests and suggestions parents/guardians and community members have submitted, what would be most helpful at this time is to continue encouraging students to advocate for themselves and each other. Hearing their voices now is as important as it has ever been. With this in mind, seniors should absolutely share their perspectives with Principal Walsh and Principal Pokorny.

Superintendent Prentiss also mentioned that the district is working with Pepper Construction to update the schedule and timelines for the first phase of Future Ready Facilities projects given the governor's decision to keep schools closed for in-person instruction for the duration of the 2019-20 school year. She said that a detailed communication featuring information about the revised scheduled and timelines will be shared in the days ahead.

Financial and Treasury Reports
Per its regular cadence of reporting, the administration provided the board with the treasury and financial reports for March 2020. You can access the treasury report by visiting https://bit.ly/2zmTlLD and the financial reports by visiting https://bit.ly/2xRV7UH.

Operational Calendar and Future Agenda Items
The board reviewed and discussed its operational calendar for the year and possible agenda items for future meetings. You can view the operational calendar by visiting https://d86.hinsdale86.org/domain/435 and the log of future agenda items by visiting http://bit.ly/2mhjUeP.

The meeting adjourned at 9:11 p.m. The video of the meeting will available in the next few days at https://d86.hinsdale86.org/Page/556.

Future Board Meetings
Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 6 p.m.
Committee of the Whole Meeting
Hinsdale Central High School Cafeteria

Thursday, May 28, 2020 at 6 p.m.
Regular Action Meeting
Hinsdale Central High School Cafeteria

Thursday, June 25, 2020 at 6 p.m.
Regular Action Meeting
Hinsdale Central High School Cafeteria