The information below summarizes highlights from the District 38 Board of Education (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 48 hours for viewing.

NOTE: Due to Phase 4 space restrictions in a single space, in-person participation for a BOE meeting is limited to the Board of Education Members and Administration. The BOE will be conducting virtual meetings via Zoom. Information to virtually attend a meeting or to provide public comment during the meeting is posted on each meeting agenda on our website under Meeting Documents 48 hours prior to the meeting.
Kenilworth School District 38 Board Briefs

Highlights from the Regular Meeting on November 16, 2020
 
Name Change Petition Update: Earlier this year, a petition to change the name of The Joseph Sears School was presented to the Board of Education. As part of our commitment to examining diversity, equity, and belonging in the District, we developed an action plan, which included fact-finding research, an Advisory Group, and a community forum to address the petition.  

After completing the initial fact-finding, an Advisory Group was formed to review the petition and initial research and make recommendations to the Board of Education for further action. At the conclusion of their last meeting, the Advisory Group determined that the issues leading to the petition expand beyond the school’s name and should be addressed by the Village as a whole.

The Kenilworth Board of Education has extended an invitation to all of Kenilworth’s elected officials to help organize a dialogue and draw participants from as many parts of the community as possible. The information and invitation are being considered by the Boards from the Village of Kenilworth, the Kenilworth Park District, and the Kenilworth Library Board.
Master Facilities Plan Update: The BOE reviewed the first draft of the final documents to be included in the Master Facilities Plan provided by DLA Architects. Feedback was given on the organization and content of the plan, and revisions will be made and reviewed in more detail at the December 3, 2020, Building and Finance Committee Meeting in order for a final draft to be reviewed and possibly approved on December 14, 2020, at the Regular Board of Education Meeting. 

The Construction Manager selection process continues as per the RFQ schedule presented to the BOE in September. This process is anticipated to conclude with selecting a Construction Manager at the December Regular BOE Meeting.

The Board and Administration are committed to including stakeholder feedback throughout this process. Members of the community are welcome to attend the Regular BOE meetings and the Building and Finance Committee Meetings. Visit our Master Facilities planning web page for more information on the project.
Policy Review Update: The BOE Policy Committee is working with the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) to update the Board Policy Manual. This process was initiated this school year with the BOE and the Administrative Team breaking into sub-committees to systematically go through the policies and suggest updates and edits. The Policy Committee will be working with IASB on December 7, 2020, to review changes and suggestions. At the December 14, 2020, Regular BOE meeting, the first read of the final policy will be available for discussion, with a formal vote on the Policy Manual at the February Regular BOE meeting.

During the Regular BOE Meeting, six policies were highlighted that the sub-committees felt warranted further input from the whole Board. These policies included:

  • 5:186 General Personnel – Private Professional Services
  • 7:60 Students – Residence
  • 6:210 Instructional Resources – Instructional Materials
  • 8:25 Community Relations - Advertising and Distributing Materials in School Provided by Non-School Related Entities
  • 8:80 Community Relations - Gifts to the District
  • 7:10 Students - Equal Educational Opportunities

School policy is reviewed and revised regularly in response to changing state and federal regulations, changes in society and the community. The revisions, edits, and suggestions to date are available to review in the BOE November public packet. Members of the community are welcome to provide feedback on school policies at Policy Committee meetings and Regular BOE meetings.
Tax Levy: Dr. Joe Bailey, Business Manager, reviewed the monthly financials and presented the 2020 Estimate of Levy. The District will request a 4.58% levy for FY20. The Board unanimously accepted the 2019 Estimate of Levy. The Board will vote to formally adopt the levy during a public hearing scheduled for the December 14, 2020, Regular BOE Meeting. Within the BOE November public packet, please find an accompanying memo, resolution, and Truth in Taxation information.
FY20 Financial Audit: Mr. Joe Troyer from George Roach & Associates, the District's auditing firm, discussed the FY20 Financial Audit. The District received a clean audit with no recommendations or findings for improvement.
Junior Kindergarten Program: The BOE unanimously approved the addition of an afternoon session of Junior Kindergarten for the 2021-2022 school year. The morning session hours are from 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m., and the afternoon session hours are from 12:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. They also approved the proposed fee per session to remain at $6,000 per student for the 2021-2022 school year.
Calendar Review:

  • November 25-December 4, 2020; Thanksgiving Break
  • December 3, 2020; BOE Building and Finance Committee Meeting
  • December 7, 2020; BOE Policy Committee Meeting
  • December 14, 2020; Regular Board of Education Meeting
  • December 21, 2020-January 1, 2021; Winter Break
Please direct your questions or comments to the Kenilworth School District No. 38 by sending an email to 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