The information below summarizes highlights from the District 38 Board of Education (BOE) meetings. As always, the community is welcome and encouraged to attend BOE meetings. Agendas are posted 48 hours in advance of meetings to the website and Board packets before each meeting and Board minutes once approved. Regular meetings are recorded and posted to the school website within approximately 48 hours for viewing.

Kenilworth School District 38 Board Briefs Highlights from the Regular Meeting on August 17, 2021

Teacher Contract Negotiations Update: Negotiations with our teachers’ union have been ongoing since March, and after approximately seven negotiation sessions, the district and the teachers’ union filed a joint request in July to involve a federal mediator in negotiations to help facilitate discussions. This is a common practice in working through contract negotiations, and the Board continues to be committed to the negotiation process and to working toward a collective bargaining agreement that is in the best interest of all important Joseph Sears stakeholders, including students, teachers, parents, community members, administration, and staff. A teacher representative attended the meeting on behalf of the Kenilworth Education Association (KEA) and, during public comment, expressed that the teachers are committed to student learning and will continue to ensure that students receive an excellent education.

Resolution Adopting COVID-19 Preventative Measures: The BOE adopted a resolution that declared that beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, District 38 would resume full in-person learning for all students. Remote instruction will be made available to students under quarantine protocol consistent with guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). The District will follow Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order 2021-18, which requires that masks be worn indoors by all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to Pre-K through Grade 12 schools regardless of vaccination status. Superintendent Kate Donegan has full authority to implement and enforce the use of COVID-19 preventative measures. You can read the detailed resolution on the school website.

Student Enrollment: Superintendent Kate Donegan shared the enrollment/class size report for the 2021-2022 school year. The report and demographic data will help the District determine areas most impacted by projected growth or decline and provide insight into the District’s long-term needs. The Board will continually review enrollment numbers to determine staffing changes necessary for the coming years.

Financial Update: Business Manager Dr. Bailey reviewed the tentative FY22 budget. Public Hearing for the FY22 Budget Approval is scheduled for September 13, 2021, at the Regular BOE Meeting. View the Draft FY22 Budget on the District Finance web page.

New Hires and Appointments: The BOE appointed Rachel White, FOIA Officer The BOE hired Tatiana Pilego as a teacher for Junior Kindergarten, Kindergarten, and sixth through eighth grade Spanish. The BOE hired Kevin O’Connell as a long-term substitute teacher for seventh-grade Science. The BOE hired Kevin McCrary as a long-term substitute teacher for seventh-grade English Language Arts.

Green Bay Trail Update: Superintendent Ms. Donegan shared an update on recent discussions with the Kenilworth Police Department, The Kenilworth Park District, and District 38 about the ongoing safety issue with bicyclists cutting through Sears School property as they traverse the Green Bay Trail. The Police Department will move forward with education and enforcement solutions which can be handled in the short term and evaluate some other options, which will take more time. The memo from the Kenilworth Police Department describing some possible solutions for evaluation can be found in the BOE packet.

Master Facilities Plan (MFP) Update: DLA Architects shared updated renderings of the Entry View, Lower Level Master Plan, and the Second Floor Master Plan. Frederick Quinn Corporation (FQC) discussed the presented Construction Documents. Work will continue on the Construction Documents, which include the detailed drawings and specifications. The timeline of the Construction Documents for the Summer 2022 construction will be completed this fall, with the expectation for bidding to begin in November and bid recommendations made to the BOE by January 2022. The BOE approved the current Construction Documents presented by Frederick Quinn, including the Design Development Master Budget and the Design Development Design. The Building and Finance Committee’s primary focus is the implementation of the Master Facilities Plan. The Board and Administration are committed to including stakeholder feedback throughout the execution of the MFP. Members of the community are welcome to attend the Regular BOE meetings and the Building and Finance Committee Meetings. Visit the Vision Sears page on the school website for project progression.

Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) Changes: Director of Technology and Innovation, Mr. Nathan McBride, presented the new District SOPPA web page that intends to make student data privacy transparent for families and complies with the Student Online Personal Protection Act. Effective July 1, 2021, school districts are required by the Student Online Personal Protection Act (SOPPA) to provide additional guarantees that student data is protected when collected by educational technology companies and that data is used for beneficial purposes only (105 ILCS 85). You can find the link to the District SOPPA web page by visiting the Library and Technology section under the Academics tab of the school’s website.

Policy Review: Board Policy changes and updates were presented for review and discussion and will be presented again for final approval at the September 13, 2021, Regular BOE Meeting.

Board of Education Calendar Review:  September 9, 2021; Building & Finance Committee Meeting September 13, 2021; Regular Board meeting October 18, 2021; Committee of the Whole Board of Education Meeting

Please direct your questions or comments to the Kenilworth School District No. 38 by emailing listen@kenilworth38.org. All messages are sent to the Board of Education members, Superintendent, and the Board of Education Secretary and are subject to the Freedom of Information Act. Thank you!

Kenilworth School District No. 38 Board of Education

Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty, Respect