Good News
Principal Bill Walsh from Hinsdale Central introduced student liaison Heather Raslan, who provided the board with a report that featured the following information.
- Central is honoring Black History Month in a variety of ways, including sharing information about Black historical figures during morning announcements; encouraging students to shop at Black-owned businesses, read books by Black authors and virtually interact with the Black History Museum Exhibits at the Smithsonian; creating interactive murals featuring QR codes; and hosting a webinar for students and staff about how current students experience race at the school.
- The speech team won regionals and sectionals, and took top spots in several individual events at both tournaments.
- Students from various clubs and teams have been painting images on the temporary walls in the cafeteria that reflect or represent their activity.
- Central’s athletic department hosted a College Signing and Recognition Day on Feb. 3 to honor students who have selected the universities where they will continue their athletic and academic careers.
- Students from Central earned 12 individual awards during the MUNUC (The Model UN at University of Chicago Conference) Feb 5-7.
- On Feb. 10, the Young Scholars Program recognized freshmen who earned a GPA of 5.0 or higher during their first semester at Central.
- Eleven students from Central were recently recognized by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers in conjunction with its Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.
- Central seniors Qing Dang, Amer Goel, Bilal Khan, Sidh Leekha and Aileen Yang have been named candidates for the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program, which "recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts."
- Central's sports teams are back in season and competing against other schools.
- Central is holding parent-teacher conferences on Feb. 25, and will be streaming the freshman show “10 Ways to Survive Life in Quarantine” on March 26.
- The Senior Activities Committee, Prom Committee and Graduation Committee are continuing to plan/organize events for seniors that will be held during their final semester at Central.
Principal Arwen Pokorny Lyp from Hinsdale South introduced student liaison Carson Kotecki, who provided the board with a report that featured the following information.
- As part of a community speaker series for students and parents/guardians, Dr. Madeline Levine presented her webinar “Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World” on Feb. 10.
- South's chess team earned two individual second place medals at its conference meet, and finished the state tournament ranked 38 out of 113 teams (entered the event ranked 83rd).
- South organized a socially-distanced "Senior Watch Party" during which members of the class of 2021 had the opportunity to view a livestream of the school's first basketball game of the season.
- South's counseling department hosted a "Class of 2022 College Planning Night" to help juniors and their parents/guardians explore some of the different college and career options and opportunities that are available.
- The speech team from South took second place at its final regular season tournament, as well as at regionals and sectionals. The team also earned top spots in several individual events at all three tournaments.
- South has served as a site for administering the COVID-19 vaccine to district employees and members of the community.
- South has held a variety of events and activities to celebrate Black History Month, including recognizing the contributions of Black leaders in politics, education and innovation, the performing arts, etc. during morning announcements; playing music genres during passing periods that were made popular by African American culture; and organizing presentations and discussions for people who are interested in expanding their knowledge of Black culture.
Return to School Update
The administration provided the board with an update on the district’s return to school plan. This update included:
- A reminder about the steps involved in the district's responsive approach to in-person instruction.
- COVID-19 data for the district and the communities we serve. As of Feb. 19, there were 12 confirmed positive cases in the district, 37 people in isolation and 33 people in quarantine. There have also been a total of 314 positive cases in the district since the start of the 2020-21 school year.
- An update on the number and percentage of students who are taking part in the district's hybrid and remote instructional models second semester.
- Hybrid or Everyday - 1,979 students across the district; 51.5% of the total enrollment. The Everyday cohort is composed of students from our Foundations, DHH and HAVEN programs, as well as individuals that our student support teams recommended based on IEP/504, academic and SEL needs.
- Currently remote with the option of switching to hybrid - 1,610 students across the district; 40% of the total enrollment.
- Staying remote for the rest of the school year - 291 students across the district; 7% of the total enrollment.
- Additional data regarding requests to change instructional models.
- REM requests - number of students who requested to go remote for their assigned in-person school day at least once during that month. In January, there were 342 requests at Central (27% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model) and 183 at South (24% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model). In February, there were 368 requests at Central (29% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model) and 246 at South (32% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model).
- UPC (Unexcused - Parent Call) requests - number of students who were called out of school for something other than a medical reason, family emergency, situation out of the family's control, or concern for the health/safety/well-being of the student. In January, there were 202 requests at Central (16% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model) and 76 at South (10% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model). In February, there were 325 requests at Central (26% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model) and 93 at South (12% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model).
- Requests to switch models from hybrid to remote - In January, there were 184 requests at Central (14% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model) and 51 at South (6% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model). In February, there were 73 requests at Central (5% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model) and 41 at South (5% of the total students from the school who are enrolled in the hybrid model).
- Information about the changes being made to the process for switching instructional models.
- Goals are to maintain the health and safety of students and staff; maintain continuity of instruction in classrooms (remote and in person); and, maximize in-person time for those who choose to come to the school building.
- Families will receive a form on Feb. 24 asking them to make a final choice (remote or hybrid) for the remainder of the semester. The form will be due on March 3 at 4 p.m., and those requesting a change to in-person instruction will start with their cohort on March 8. No submissions to the form will be accepted after the deadline. If we do not receive a completed form for a student, that student will remain in their current model (hybrid or remote) until the end of the school year.
- Changes will provide us with more stable data we can use to assess space and capacity in our buildings, and determine if we can offer more of our students a four-day in-person learning schedule.
- Families that are choosing the hybrid model for their students will be able to use the form to share whether they would prefer two or four days a week of in-person instruction. With that said, selecting four days a week does not guarantee that option. Space availability will be a significant factor.
- All requests to shift from hybrid to remote that are received after the form closes on March 3 will be honored. However, the move from hybrid to remote will be for the rest of the school year.
- Students in the hybrid model will be granted three unexcused absences for the remainder of the semester. After the third unexcused absence, the student will be shifted to the remote model for the rest of the school year.
- A reminder that Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South will serve as vaccination sites March 3-6. On these days, the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be administered to everyone who received the first dose at Central or South in February. We will monitor the side effects or reactions that staff members have to the second dose, and determine if adjustments need to be made to our instructional schedule as a result (i.e., shift to fully remote on March 5 and/or March 8).
- The instructional calendars for the months of February and March.
- A reminder about the need to continue adhering to the county and state health guidelines (e.g., wearing masks, practicing social distancing, adhering to the capacity limit of 50 people per room, avoiding mass gatherings and engaging in good hand hygiene) even after employees get vaccinated.
- Principals and activities directors are currently working with student groups on plans for class of 2021 celebrations, including prom and graduation.
- The district will continue planning for school in the fall of 2021.
- The district will be monitoring the CDC, ISBE and IDPH for updates.
- The district is working on the logistics for administering the second dose of the vaccine March 3-6.
Future Ready Facilities
The board viewed a video that featured a brief update on the district's Future Ready Facilities plan. This update included:
- The status of and photos from projects in Phase 1.
- The list of projects that are scheduled to take place during Phase 2.
- The status of the budget for all projects. At this time, the work on the Future Ready Facilities plan is $1,656,684 under budget.
Approve Purchase of HVAC Rooftop Units for Transition Center Renovation
The board approved the purchase of 11 rooftop units from Carrier Company that will be used to enhance the HVAC capability of the newly leased space for the Transition Center. This purchase will be made through a cooperative contract called Sourcewell for an amount totaling $73,295.
Award RFP 21-020 (District Access Door Control Systems)
The board awarded RFP 21-020 (District Access Door Control Systems) to Pro-Com Enterprises Ltd. for an amount not to exceed $79,870. The district placed a legal ad in the Pioneer Doings on Jan. 7, 2021, and received four responses/submissions. Pro-Com Enterprises Ltd. was the lowest responsive bidder.
Award RFP 21-031 (Low Voltage Wiring)
The board awarded RFP 21-031 (Low Voltage Wiring) to Applied Communications Group in the amount of $338,832.23. The district placed a legal ad in the Pioneer Doings on Dec. 17, 2020, and received five responses/submissions. Applied Communications Group was identified as the vendor that best met the criteria in the RFP, which included:
- Price for eligible products and services
- Technical features
- Reference and experience
- Preparation, thoroughness and responsiveness to RFP requirements
We will be working with Applied Communications Group to purchase low voltage structured cabling for our facilities in conjunction with Phase 2 of our Future Ready Facilities plan. We are managing this aspect of the Phase 2 work so that we can leverage E-rate to help with the purchase. We are approved to receive $267,600.80 through E-rate, and will pay the remaining amount for the cabling out of referendum funds.
Committee Reports
Members of the Finance Committee provided the board with a report from their meeting on Feb. 17. During the meeting, the committee:
- Received an overview on debt certificates and multiple financing scenarios from Bob Lewis, who is the district's municipal advisor from PMA Securities. The district plans to use a debt certificate to fund the renovation of the newly leased Transition Center location. A resolution authorizing the issuance of this certificate will be presented to the board during its meeting on March 25.
- Reviewed a detailed report about expenditures related to COVID-19. This report included the total anticipated revenue from the C.A.R.E.S. Act and the ESSER II funding. It also included actual expenditures through Jan. 31, and forecasted expenditures through the end of the fiscal year.
Members of the joint Facilities and special committee provided the board with a report from their meeting on Feb. 19. During the meeting, the committee:
- Received an update from ARCON about the zoning review timeline for the grandstands at Hinsdale Central. ARCON noted that there were no issues raised by the Zoning Board of Appeals in February, which puts the district in the best possible position at this stage of the approval process. Given the construction timeline for the project, the committee decided that moving forward with fabrication prior to receiving final approval from the board of trustees posed minimal risk.
- Received information about the low voltage cabling for the district's Phase 2 referendum projects. This information included an outline of the bid process, as well as a recommendation from the administration about awarding the RFP. The Federal Communications Commission E-rate Program, which helps schools obtain affordable broadband, approved Category 2 funding in the amount of $267,600.80 to help pay for the cabling. As referenced above, the board awarded the bid to Applied Communications Group.
- Received an update on the budget from Pepper Construction. At this time, the total project budget is $1,656,684 below what was estimated.
- Received an update on the status of Phase 1 projects. All projects in Phase 1 have been completed, with the exception of the pool at Hinsdale Central. As of the end of January, there was $111,743 in the contingency budget for the pool project at Central.
- Reviewed Phase 2 financials and the status of owner contracts and permits.
You can access the joint Facilities and special committee report, as well as the presentation from its Feb. 19 meeting, by visiting
http://bit.ly/2ZMIN2d.
In addition to receiving the reports mentioned above, the board voted to release the draft minutes from these meetings as part of the consent agenda.
Consent Agenda
The board approved the consent agenda as presented. The consent agenda includes personnel, stipends, board bills and meeting minutes. Please visit
http://bit.ly/3pISwBr to access the consent agenda items beginning under number seven.
Amend Contract for the Interim HR Director
The board voted to amend the contract for Mary Dudek, who is the district's interim director for human resources. More specifically, the board increased the length of the contract by 32 days to provide Ms. Dudek with additional time to complete current projects and aid the transition to the new assistant superintendent for human resources.
Board President’s Report
Board President Kevin Camden thanked the district again for its work on the vaccination process. He said he has received messages from a number of community members who expressed their appreciation for the district's efforts.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Tammy Prentiss shared that she and Principal Walsh visited several social studies classrooms during their walkthroughs at Hinsdale Central on Feb. 23.
Superintendent Prentiss mentioned that she enjoyed her recent meeting with the members of the Superintendent's Roundtable, and is looking forward to the upcoming Culture and Equity Leadership Team's meeting.
Superintendent Prentiss also reminded the board that the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be administered at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South March 3-6.
HAVEN Intergovernmental Agreement
The board received a recommendation from the administration that the template District 86 uses to enter into intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with other districts regarding enrollment in one of the Hinsdale Area Vision for Emotional Needs (HAVEN) classrooms be updated so that the agreements remain in place until they are revoked instead of requiring that they be executed on an annual basis. The district's legal counsel is currently working on the updated draft of the IGA, which will be presented to the board for approval during its meeting on March 11.
Financial and Treasury Reports
Per its regular cadence of reporting, the administration provided the board with the treasury and financial reports for January 2021. You can access the treasury report by visiting
http://bit.ly/2OZ5le5 and the financial reports by visiting
http://bit.ly/3dGEAp4.
FOIA Requests
The board received information about the FOIA requests that have been processed since its last regular action meeting. This information included the names or titles of the individuals and departments who helped respond to the requests, a summary of the records that were requested and who asked for them, and trend data about the number of requests that have been processed and the legal fees the district has incurred in responding to them.
Operational Calendar and Future Agenda Items
The board reviewed and discussed its operational calendar for the year and possible agenda items for future meetings. You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting
http://bit.ly/3qKAu37.
