Action Items
Stipend Committee Recommendations
The Board approved Stipend Committee recommendations which will result in the development of a Sailing Club sponsor at a cost of $1,420.39, and in the development of a second Dungeons and Dragons sponsor at a cost of $1,420.39
Rejection of Bids - Willow Springs Property
At its meeting on Monday, January 23, the Board voted to reject two bids the district received at its public bid opening on January 11, due to the bids not conforming to the approved terms and conditions. The bids were $46.5 million from ProLogis, Inc. and $55 million from Bridge Industrial, Inc.
The Board remains committed to exploring the sale of the Willow Springs property and will continue to communicate and negotiate with all interested parties that meet the Board's approved minimum sale price.
In June 2022, the Board adopted a strategic plan, which sets the vision for the district and outlines the goals toward achieving that vision. One of the goals is to allocate the resources necessary to maximize success for all students. If the Board decides to sell the property, proceeds from the sale would allow the district to make key investments and upgrades to its facilities and contribute to demonstrate progress toward achieving this goal.
The objectives of future facilities updates would likely include:
- Modernization of existing classrooms to meet 21st century learning needs
- Development of additional collaborative spaces for students and staff
- Accessibility and life safety upgrades
- Improvements and additions to student and community athletic and wellness facilities
- Upgrades to HVAC systems and further installation of air conditioning for improved temperature control
Change Order - Happ Builders
The Board approved a change order related to Happ Builders, which is the company that completed work at various locations within the district during the summer of 2023, including flooring replacement, window/door replacement and water-proofing of the North Campus Tunnel. The contract with Happ Builders included a $25,000 allowance to address unknown issues during the project. The Change Order reduces the final contract amount by $22,309. The original contract amount was $874,000 and the final amount, including this Change Order, will be $851,691.
Discussion Items
PRESS 110 Policy Review
At the January 9 Committee of the Whole Meeting, the Board completed a first reading of PRESS 110, which is a service provided by the Illinois Association of School Boards that assists Boards with policy updates. As a part of PRESS 110, the Board reviewed 50 policies at the January 9 Committee of the Whole meeting. The Board will conduct a 2nd reading of PRESS 110 in February.
Textbook and Instructional Materials Review
At the January 9 Committee of the Whole Meeting, the Board conducted a 1st Reading of the 2023-2024 Textbook and Instructional Material changes requests. The amounts for District funded texts are not anticipated to change significantly with district expenditures estimated at $129,523.00. Most texts that are being replaced are 5 or more years older, indicating that the District has maximized the use of previously purchased texts. The two exceptions to this include:
- The District is recommending an updated textbook for AP German
- The District is recommending an updated textbook for French ACP
The Board will conduct a 2nd Reading of Textbook and Instructional Materials requests in February.
Strategic Plan Update
During the January 9 Committee of the Whole Meeting, Director of Student Services, Dr. Leslie Owens, shared an update regarding Goal Two of the strategic plan. Goal Two relates to Learning Environments and Supports. The update included a brief overview of the Scorecard and Action Plans, as well as a highlight on the implementation of Co-teaching at LTHS. To learn more about LT’s strategic plan, please click here.
Superintendent’s District Report
Dr. Waterman wished a Happy New Year to the Board of Education and to our community. He thanked our students, staff, and community for everyone’s efforts in a positive start to the semester. Dr Waterman said we have already begun to welcome our current 8 th graders, the Class of 2027 to LTHS with an on campus event in November and a virtual event last Wednesday that covered course registration. Dr. Tyrrell, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Eder and the transition team will continue to communicate important information with our newest Lions, and we look forward to them continuing their orientation journey over the next several months. We have a dedicated webpage lths.net/classof2027 with details about the transition timeline, and we will continue to communicate additional information with families throughout the transition process.
Dr Waterman also highlighted last week’s Pack for Impact Event. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day, LTHS partnered with Feed My Starving children to host an on-campus event for our school community. Throughout the last several months, our student clubs and athletic teams, as well as our PTC and Booster Club raised $25K for this event, and last week, the group packed over 100,000 meals for children around the world. And, in the process, this event helped our school community honor the legacy of service that Dr. King lived. Dr. Waterman thanked all who helped coordinate this event, including Greg Gardner, Jen Rowe, Jen Tyrrell, and so many others.
Student Representative to the Board Report
At the January 23 Regular Action Meeting, Student Representative Matthew Walsh shared a variety of updates regarding athletics and extracurriculars including:
Athletics
- Boys Varsity Basketball won against Batavia. Timothy Christian, and Downers Grove North
- Girls Varsity Basketball won against Niles North and Thornton Fractional North
- LT Boys Wrestling placed 3rd at the Libertyville Tournament, and placing 2nd at the Sycamore Varsity Tournament
- LT Girls Wrestling won against Batavia
- On Jan 13th, LT Wrestling had their Senior Night and a victory over Oak Park River Forest
- Boys Swim and Diving beat York in all three levels for their senior night
- LT Bowling took home 2nd place in their Regional on Jan 14th, advancing them to Sectionals
- Girls Track had its first meeting last week, and is getting ready to start off its season
- Girls Gymnastics had strong performances with their routines against Glenbard West on Jan 11th
Extracurriculars
- Clubs such as intramural Volleyball, Lifeguard Club, the Student Equity and Belonging Club, and many more have already had meetings this semester
- Model UN had its first overnight conference since quarantine, at MUNUM, at the University of Michigan on Jan 11th
- LT Choir students got to spend a day with many Middle School students in the area on Jan 17th
- LT Theatre Board and Actors is continuing its rehearsals for the upcoming Musical, Fiddler on the Roof, with the performances taking place in mid February
- LT Theatre students went to the University of Illinois for the annual Illinois High school Theatre Festival
- The LTHS speech team placed 5th at the Wheaton Warrenville South tournament on Jan 14th, with 11 individual events also taking home medals
- Tabulae won “Most Outstanding High School Yearbook” and “First Place with Special Merit” from the American Scholastic Press Association for last year's Yearbook, ILLUMINATE
General
- 500 volunteers (including many LT Students and the Football team) participated in the Pack For Impact on Jan 16th. By collaborating with Feed My Starving Children, the volunteers were able to pack 468 boxes, equalling 101,080 total meals. This amount of food is able to feed 276 children for a whole year
LTEA Report
At the January 23 Regular Action Meeting, LT Education Association President Andrew Johannes reported that the second semester is just under way and teachers are busy planning their courses so that students are actively engaged in the learning process so they learn the key concepts of the courses. In addition, the coaches of winter sports continue to have success in their respective sports. The club sponsors continue to provide amazing opportunities for the students to interact with other students and other schools. Excitement is high as seniors begin their final semester at LT and begin the next phase of their lives.
Andrew expressed continued appreciation for the collaboration between the administration and faculty. Committees like the Handbook Review, SEL, and grading implementation committee are just a few examples of the great collaboration that is occurring this year. The teachers appreciate the opportunity and will continue to be active partners in this process.
Andrew thanked all the teachers involved in co-teaching this year stating it has been a big undertaking and he would like to acknowledge their hard work in making the program a success. The teachers involved in co-teaching are: Mackenzie Brick, John Cronfel, Luke Jansen, Tiz Lambert, Brian Murray, Ed Petrak, Maggie Quane, & Stewart Turner-Jackson.
Andrew congratulated Jennifer Walker & Krista Wilcox for another successful Business Professional of America season. Many students qualified for the state competition. He also recognized the hard work of the art department. The teachers include Carlene Kinzie, Lorena Lagis, Brittany Milovanovic, Patrick Page, Jamie Rey, Mary Rohlicek, and Samantha Zavala. Student work was submitted to the Scholastic Regional Art Show and LT had 50 individual student winners.
Andrew also congratulated Leslie Owens on the successful completion of her dissertation. He said we are fortunate to have PhDs on our faculty as well and thinks it is important for them to be acknowledged as well. They are: Bob Sherman, Loyola Pasiewicz, Christopher Bass, Sam Robinson, and Nekeia Wilson. They offer another example of how our teachers model and live a life of Vitae Plena.
Monthly FOIA Report
Since our December meeting, the District has complied with the following FOIA requests:
- An individual requested a copy of the bids opened on January 11 related to the sale of the Willow Springs property and a copy of the most recent appraisal for the property
- A local reporter requested a copy of the documents from the bidders for the Willow
- Springs property
Public Participation
Thirty-three individuals participated in agenda or non-agenda related public participation.
