Board Organization
The board elected Kevin Camden president, Keith Chval vice president and Kathleen Hirsman secretary for the 2020-21 school year. You can learn more about the responsibilities of each position by visiting
https://bit.ly/2VfPzef.
Construction Timeline Update
The administration provided the board with an update on the construction timeline associated with the district’s Future Ready Facilities plans. This update included the following information about permits, zoning and insurance.
- The district received permits for Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South from the Regional Office of Education.
- The Village of Hinsdale approved the zoning for Hinsdale Central during its meeting on April 7.
- The engineering/site permits from the Village of Hinsdale and City of Darien are still pending. We anticipate they will be issued in the next seven to 14 days.
- The issuance of a permit from the Illinois Department of Public Health may be delayed due to the agency's staff being redeployed to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The district has builder's risk insurance policies for the projects at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South that have an effective date of April 1, 2020.
This update also included news about the work that has already begun or is scheduled to start early (pending approval of permits) since our buildings are closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Details about that work is below.
- Work on the roofs has already begun at Hinsdale Central and is scheduled to start at Hinsdale South the week of April 20.
- Removal of the turf from the practice fields at Hinsdale South and Hinsdale Central is scheduled to begin the week of April 20.
- Selective demolition is beginning in the library at Hinsdale South.
- Work on the fence along the east property line at Hinsdale Central is scheduled to begin the week of April 20. A notice about this work was sent to the neighbors who have homes on that property line.
- Helical test piles have begun for the pool addition at Hinsdale Central.
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/3ebyVVJ to access the consent agenda items beginning under number eight.
Award Bid Package 10 (Metal Wall Panels)
The board rejected the bid from G.E. Riddiford Roofing Company and awarded Bid Package 10 (Metal Wall Panels) to Tuschall Engineering for an amount not to exceed $289,000.
Award Bid Package 11 (Roofing)
The board accepted the request from G.E. Riddiford Roofing Company to rescind its bid and awarded Bid Package 11 (Roofing) to F&G Roofing for an amount not to exceed $935,400.
Approve Project Authorization Change Order 1
The board approved a project authorization change order for the Phase I, Bid Period 2 projects in the amount of $812,130. This change order will align the project authorization exhibit for the Phase I, Bid Period 2 projects with the changes that have occurred since the project authorization exhibit was approved by the board on March 19.
Board President's Report
Board President Kevin Camden thanked Nancy Pollak for her service as president during the past year. He expressed his appreciation to the entire board and administration for their hard work in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. He also talked about the success of the district's remote learning plan.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Tammy Prentiss shared an example of how the principals are supporting and promoting student voice in conjunction with the district's implementation of the Remote Learning Day plan. To help students adhere to the stay at home order and remain connected with each other, members of the Principal-Student Advisory Council (PSAC) from both schools asked if the block on Netflix, Disney+ and Netflix Party could be temporarily removed from the district-issued Chromebooks. With the help of Dave Lapetino, the district's instructional innovation coordinator, and Keith Bockwoldt, the district's chief information officer, we were able to grant PSAC's request.
Superintendent Prentiss also made the following statement following the election of the new board officers.
"I want to congratulate members Camden, Chval and Hirsman on being elected to the board officer positions this evening. I also want to take a moment to recognize Nancy Pollak for all that she did in her role as board president this year.
Nancy was instrumental in strengthening the relationship between the board and HHSTA. She was the driving force behind initiatives such as board member visits to classrooms that promoted a deeper feeling of connectedness between the board and our students and staff. She also exhibited tremendous leadership in helping us navigate difficult issues and challenging situations during the first semester of school.
I have always admired and appreciated Nancy’s selflessness, tireless support of our schools, and passionate advocacy for our students and staff. Those incredible attributes, coupled with her commitment to our district, have been the hallmarks not only of her presidency, but also her dedicated service as a board member and community leader.
Nancy, my team and I thank you for your hard work on behalf of the district this past year. We look forward to collaborating with you and the rest of the board over the course of the next year to help our students continue down the path toward their ideal future."
Summer School Update
The administration provided the board with an update on the status of summer school and the possible changes that might need to be made to the program should the stay at home order or limit on mass gatherings still be in effect in June and July.
Below is the general information that was presented.
- The dates for summer school that were announced in February are not expected to change.
- The deadline to register for summer school has been extended until April 30. We will continue to register students under the assumption that all courses and camps will proceed as planned.
- If the rules regarding social distancing remain in effect, summer school courses could still be run using a remote learning model.
- If we use a remote learning model for summer school, we will not be able to offer the Math Camp, Tech Camp or SIRS 2 and 3 because there are certain aspects of these camps (e.g., student collaboration and resource utilization) that cannot be replicated virtually.
- Regardless of the model used, the decision about what courses will be offered will be based on registration numbers.
Below is information about the financial and personnel implications associated with moving to a remote learning model for summer school.
- Teachers will need to spend time revising their courses so they can be administered online. We will need to determine payment for this work and a reasonable number of hours per course.
- We will want to purchase more licenses for Edgenuity so that teachers and students have access to an additional tool and academic support. With that said, we will still have a teacher for every course.
- Students who sign up for the Incoming Freshmen Seminar will need to be issued a Chromebook prior to the start of summer school.
- We might need to pay additional staff to provide technology support for students who are participating in the program.
Below is information about how we might pay for the changes listed above.
- We could reallocate Title I funds since we would not need to transport students to and from summer school.
- On March 27, President Trump authorized the release of funds through the CARE Act, which we would receive via a grant distributed by the Illinois State Board of Education. Providing summer instruction is considered one of the acceptable uses for these funds.
You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/2VcgUy4.
Impact of the 2013 Levy
Per the board’s request, the administration provided a report on the annual and cumulative impact of the 2013 levy. The annual impact of the 2013 levy on the 2019 levy is $1.24 million in forgone revenue. The cumulative impact through the 2019 levy is $8.13 million in forgone revenue.
Operational Calendar and Future Agenda Items
