President’s Report
Board President David Lane opened his report by personally thanking Michael Simeck, who was attending his last Regular District 115 Board meeting as superintendent. Mr. Simeck has resigned, effective March 31, to join Deerfield District 109. While the Board was honoring Mr. Simeck with a resolution later in the evening, Mr. Lane said he wanted to start out with a sincere thank you.
“Mike Simeck and I have not agreed 100% of the time on all things, but Mike Simeck and I have always engaged in good discussion and I have immense respect for Mike Simeck and I feel like Mike Simeck is a very good man who works very hard,” Mr. Lane said.
“All of us,” he added, “should appreciate his efforts, his enthusiasm, his vision, his commitment to doing the right thing, and to working hard to please” a large group of multiple stakeholders.
“Mike,” Mr. Lane said, “I appreciate who you are as a person, I appreciate who you are as a leader, and as a man and I’m better for having known you.”
Mr. Lane also thanked everyone who has been working “ridiculously hard” to make the high school function as well as it has in trying times. That thank you went out to school staff, teachers, administrators, shared services staff, and Board members. He also thanked the community members who “have gone above and beyond to contribute to the high school” in roles such as instructional supervisors and giving their time in many ways.
“The reality is,” he said, “the Lake Forest High School is a fantastic high school in large part because of all these people contributing so much of themselves without compensation and many times without recognition and doing so for the greater good. We are a rich community, and I don’t mean in terms of money, I mean in terms of the people around the community. There are a lot of people who are deeply committed to doing the right thing.”
Mr. Lane, who is not seeking re-election in April, also thanked the community members running for a spot on the School Board.
“I see everybody trying to make a difference,” he said, adding that serving on the Board is “incredibly rewarding.”
He also said the District was very fortunate to have Dr. Constance “Connie” Collins on board as interim superintendent. She is currently working along with Mr. Siemeck to ensure a smooth transition and will serve until June 30.
He closed his report by urging LFHS students to “stay strong.”
“We have,” he said, “been through a lot together. … and you have my commitment and I know you have the entire Board’s commitment as well as the staff and the admin to continue to create the best environment possible for you. … We’re there with you and we’re going to keep working hard to make sure you have the best possible high school experience.”
Public Participation
Community members, including former members of the Board of Education, and others who spoke at two points during the meeting saluted the achievements of departing Superintendent Michael Simeck and thanked him for his nine years of leadership. Callers wished the Board luck as it seeks a replacement for Mr. Simeck and spoke about the upcoming School Board election. One offered compliments for LFHS teachers and staff, and the Lake Forest Education Association (LFEA) reported that it estimates at least 83% of LFEA members would be working from the LFHS building after Spring Break.
Superintendent’s Report
After thanking Mr. Lane, Mr. Simeck handed off to Principal Chala Holland and Student Body leaders Will Elliott and Erica O’Neil for the report. Will said the arrival of the new wave of sports has been exciting and he noted that there are more students on campus. Erica told the Board that juniors, with fingers crossed, are making plans for a May 22 prom. Dr. Holland shared highlights about recent and upcoming events and noted that Summer School will be in-person and additional information will be coming about that. Also, she said, the last day for seniors will be May 26 with graduation planned for June 5 on the LFHS front lawn.
Superintendent Search Update
Board member Jenny Zinser gave an update on the search for a new superintendent, listing all the steps that had been completed so far. She said that the District was “very excited” to have Dr. Collins in the interim superintendent role, adding that the community would meet the finalists for the position in a forum at 7 p.m. on March 30. She also thanked Mr. Simeck and said it had been a “great pleasure” to work with him.
Reopening Report
Superintendent Simeck’s reopening report covered a range of topics. Highlights included updates on:
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The expansion of in-person learning after Spring Break. The Board directed school staff to plan a return to full-time in-person learning for all students who are interested after the break, with mandatory gateway COVID-19 testing a part of that return. Three-feet of distancing among students would not be guaranteed. Details on the District’s 4th quarter In-Person Expansion and Remote Learning Plan were released later in March. Expansion begins April 5.
- The 2021-22 school year. A return to full in-person learning is expected for the fall.
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The Strategic Plan. Mr. Simeck updated the Board on District Milestones, provided an overview, and set finish lines, or targets for initiatives to be completed.
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Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Mr. Simeck shared information on District KPIs including on the SAT and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Achievements he listed included gains in SAT scores and student participation in extracurricular activities, with Mr. Simeck saying LFHS is “the envy of the world” with its 89% student participation level.
- Safety and Security Report. Lane Linder, the Director of Safety and Security, provided updates on current activities including the District’s COVID-19 risk-mitigation plan and listed future initiatives including video surveillance systems with data analytics.
Education Committee
Tom Nemickas, committee chair, told the Board that the Education Committee met Feb. 17 and discussed the role of remote learning after the pandemic. The committee next meets April 7.
Finance and Operations Committee
Sally Davis, committee chair, said the panel next meets April 8.
Policy Committee
Ted Moorman, committee chair, said there would be second readings on policies later in the Board meeting including one on high school credit for non-District experiences and one on public participation at Board meetings.
ED-RED Legislative Update
John Noble, legislative liaison, reported that the District 67 Board passed a resolution supporting the District 115 legislative priorities and that he shared the legislative priorities topic at last month’s District 65 Board meeting as well.
NSSED Update
Ted Moorman, NSSED liaison, said the next NSSED meeting was March 10 and the NSSED Foundation is offering five scholarships of $1,000 each.
Action Items
Approved Approval of Resignation and Transition Agreement of Superintendent
Approved Approval of COVID-19 Reopening Plan Updates
Upcoming Meeting
Monday, April 12, 2021 - 7 p.m.
