Superintendent Tammy Prentiss provided the board with an update on the district’s return to school plan. She shared that the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) released updated guidance on Aug. 12 about how schools can help prevent the spread of COVID-19. She said that the updated guidance features new or revised standards and expectations that were not available for review or consideration by the Recovery-Revitalization-Restore (R3) Committee when the group was working on the district's return to school plan. She noted that the following changes could impact the successful implementation of the district's hybrid model.

She also noted that we are still waiting for guidance on the following issues:

Based on these factors, Superintendent Prentiss announced that all District 86 students will start the school year in the Remote Learning 2.0 model. She shared that doing this will enable the district to reconvene the R3 Committee so the group can review and assess the updated guidance from IDPH and ISBE, and identify any adjustments we need to make to our plan.

Superintendent Prentiss concluded the update by providing an overview of the Remote Learning 2.0 model, sharing details about the modified schedule for the first week of school (Aug. 17-21), and giving information about the status of activities, athletics and Behind the Wheel instruction.

You can access the update by visiting https://bit.ly/3iyb9om and the message about the move to Remote Learning 2.0 that was sent following the board meeting by visiting https://conta.cc/2XVfIkM.

The board approved the consent agenda as presented. The consent agenda includes personnel, stipends, board bills and meeting minutes. Please visit https://bit.ly/3fVSIrU to access the consent agenda items beginning under number four.

The board approved Memorandums of Understanding (MOU) with the Hinsdale High School Teachers Association (HHSTA) and the Hinsdale Township High School Support Staff Association (HTHSSSA). These MOUs address issues related to the district’s return to school plan.

The board accepted a second donation (first was in May) of personal protective equipment from the 21st Century Institute that will be used by district employees when they are performing their job functions on campus.

The 21st Century Institute is a nonprofit educational organization from the Chicago area that "promotes and encourages understanding, communication, and cooperation between the United States and China." Our district partnered with the organization last year to host an education delegation from Shanghai.

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/30RICUM.

The board awarded a one-year consulting agreement to Brian Drelicharz, LCSW, LLC at a rate of $325 per hour to assist with the implementation of the district’s Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) services. Mr. Drelicharz has been providing DBT classes and consultations that have been focused primarily on staff who work with the HAVEN program. This agreement will expand his services to include additional special education programs.

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/2DPGZON.

Board President Kevin Camden encouraged staff, families and community members to support students in whatever ways they can right now. He said that kids are looking to adults for direction, and does not believe that expressing anger or frustration publicly is the right approach or solution. He asked for people to support the educational programming the district has designed and is implementing. He shared that the board and administration are operating with the best intentions, and will remain prepared to shift to the hybrid model we planned to start the year in prior to the release of the updated guidance from IDPH. He also expressed his belief and confidence in the district to get us back to where we want and need to be.

The board members reviewed and discussed their committee participation and meeting schedule. They talked about committee assignments for TJ Edwards, who was selected to fill the vacancy created by Nancy Pollak's departure in June. They approved a recommendation to move the next joint Facilities and Special Committee meeting from Aug. 21 to Aug. 19. They also discussed moving future joint Facilities and Special Committee meetings from Friday to Wednesday due to space limitations.

Superintendent Tammy Prentiss shared that she is proud of her team and the work they did to prepare for in-person instruction. She said this work will continue moving forward so that the district can transition to the hybrid model we planned to start the year in as quickly as possible. 

Superintendent Prentiss also shared that she was at Hinsdale South for freshman orientation on Aug. 7, and said that students were happy to be on campus. She echoed what Board President Camden said about the importance of staff and parents/guardians serving as role models and partnering together during this challenging time.

Per its regular cadence of reporting, the administration provided the board with the financial and treasury reports for June 2020. You can access the treasury report by visiting https://bit.ly/3fZbeQ9 and the financial reports by visiting https://bit.ly/3aoJhjN.

The board reviewed and discussed its operational calendar for the year and possible agenda items for future meetings. You can view the operational calendar by visiting https://d86.hinsdale86.org/domain/435 and the log of future agenda items by visiting http://bit.ly/2mhjUeP.

The meeting adjourned at 8:23 p.m. We anticipate that the video of the meeting will be available in the next day or two at https://d86.hinsdale86.org/Page/556.

Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 6 p.m.

Regular Action Meeting

Location is TBD

Committee of the Whole Meeting

Location is TBD

Thursday, September 24, 2020 at 6 p.m.

Regular Action Meeting

Location is TBD