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, Board packets before each meeting, and Board minutes once approved. Regular meetings are live-streamed for off-site viewing, and the recorded video is posted to the school website.
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Kenilworth School District 38 Board Briefs
Highlights from the Regular Meeting on September 13, 2021
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Budget: The BOE held a Public Hearing for the FY22 Budget. Business Manager Joe Bailey, along with members of school administration, shared individual department budget breakdowns. The BOE voted to adopt the FY22 budget with a vote of five (yes), one (no), one (absent). Due to the growth in the Kenilworth tax rate and the ongoing increase to the tax levy, the BOE asked the administration to continue to find opportunities to reduce annual expenditures, find new sources of revenue, and reduce the tax premium and the expenditures per student, which are the highest in the township.
The budget re-allocates resources to address the BOE’s objective of “becoming the best JK-8 School District in the Country.” The District is preparing to tap into its reserves via a planned, budgeted deficit to cover the costs associated with this transition process. Covered activities/expenditures include completing the Master Facilities Plan over the next several years and addressing and improving core operational areas, including an updated Strategic Plan, Staffing (FY22 and FY23 Staffing Plan), Curriculum (Future Ready Learning Goals, new textbooks, curriculum updates), Culture (Equity, Multi-Tiered System of Supports, Professional Development), and Technology (Security, Network Infrastructure, Device and Classroom Technology).
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Universal Assessments & Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports: Principal Stephanie Helfand discussed the purpose of the District Data Team to support student learning by examining district-wide data and creating plans for how staff can systematically analyze and respond to the data. This data analysis will help shape school practices and create an integrated teaching and learning system while working toward our Future Ready Learning Goals. Reviewing data at the grade level and the district level supports individual students and the system as a whole. The implementation of a new system,
eduCLIMBER, is utilized to help visualize student data, track and organize student interventions, and ensure student-centered conversations and procedures.
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Student Enrollment: Superintendent Kate Donegan shared the enrollment/class size report for the 2021-2022 school year as of September. 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 Administration and the Board will continually review enrollment numbers to determine staffing changes necessary for the coming years.
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2020-2021 Climate Survey: Superintendent Kate Donegan and Principal Dr. Stephanie Helfand presented the 2020-2021 5Essentials survey results. The data reviewed in the presentation included response summaries from teachers and students. Parent feedback is not provided as a public report, and the BOE requested that feedback be compiled by the administrative team and shared. The 5Essentials is an improvement framework and diagnostic survey with research-tested scoring and interactive reporting that provides insights into schools’ organizational strengths and areas of opportunity across the five essential factors for school improvement: Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Involved Families, Supportive Environment, and Ambitious Instruction.
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Master Facilities Plan (MFP) Update: The renovated JK classroom, new classroom, and JK/K joined Kindergarten Hub were explored and enjoyed by students. This construction project was completed this summer as part of Phase One of the Master Facilities Plan. Class began on Wednesday, September 8, for both the morning and afternoon sessions of Junior Kindergarten for the 2021-2022 school year.
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.
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Board of Education Calendar Review:
- October 7; Building & Finance Committee Meeting
- October 18; Board of Education Committee of the Whole Meeting
- October 21-October 23; Parent/Teacher Conferences
- November 18; Regular Board of Education Meeting
- November 18; Public Hearing and Approval of Tax Levy
- November 30; Annual Statement of School District Affairs
- November 24-November 26; Thanksgiving Break
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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!
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Kenilworth School District No. 38 Board of Education |
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Responsibility, Kindness, Honesty, Respect |
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