HINSDALE TOWNSHIP
High School District 86
Board Briefs Logo
May 12, 2022
Committee of the Whole Meeting
Good News
Principal Arwen Pokorny Lyp and staff members from Hinsdale South recognized the recent accomplishments of the school's journalism students, theatre program and Science Olympiad team.

Principal Pokorny Lyp also introduced student liaison Jennifer Pantoni, who provided information from her board report. This report included:

  • The names of the students who took part in the national competition organized by the Business Professionals of America (BPA).

  • The names of the students who finished in the top 10 in their individual events at the state competition for the Science Olympiad.

  • Details about the math team's performance at state, which included top 20 finishes overall and in several individual events.

  • The names of the students who will serve on the executive board for South's chapter of the National Honor Society during the 2022-23 school year.

  • The names of the students who were recognized for their outstanding leadership as school citizens at the annual Student Recognition Breakfast hosted by the Illinois Principals Association.

  • The names of the seniors who were recognized as World Language Students of the Month two or more times during high school.

  • Details about the girls badminton team winning sectionals and qualifying for state.

  • Information about the school's recent Shark Tank competition, including the names of the winners and those who advanced to the finals.

  • Details about the breakfast event the student council organized for staff in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week. One of the highlights of the event was the announcement that Walter Downing had been chosen as the Hinsdale South Teacher of the Year.

You can access Pantoni's report by visiting https://bit.ly/3woDBl8.

Principal Bill Walsh from Hinsdale Central introduced student liaison Christine Leung, who provided information from her board report. This report included:

  • Information about the District 86 students who earned the Seal of Biliteracy during the 2021-22 school year.

  • Details about recent events, including prom, the Cultural Fair, Rewind Wednesday and Teacher Appreciation Week.

  • Recent accomplishments by several sports teams and individual student-athletes, including the girls badminton team winning sectionals, Matthew Chilar from the boys gymnastics team winning the sectional championship on the still rings, the boys volleyball team raising more than $2,000 for the Wounded Warrior Project, the girls soccer team beating Glenbard West in double overtime on May 3, and the boys water polo team taking fifth place at the Waubonsie Valley JV Invitational.

  • The names of the students who took part in the BPA national competition.

  • Information about the state competition for the Illinois Design Educators Association.

  • Details about the school sporting events that were attended by members of the Peer Buddies club.

  • Feedback about lunch periods.

You can access Leung's report by visiting https://bit.ly/3FCcUxG.

Following their presentations, the board recognized Pantoni and Leung for their service this year; and welcomed Makena Camden from Hinsdale South and Meghna Mitra from Hinsdale Central, who will serve as the board liaisons during the 2022-23 school year.

Board - New Business
Below is information about the three items that were discussed during the portion of the meeting dedicated to new business.

Free Meal Waiver
The board received a presentation about the free meal waiver that is available through the district's food service program. This presentation included:

  • Background information about the food service program.
  • The qualifications for the free meal waiver.
  • The number and percentage of students from each building who receive the meal and/or fee/book waiver.
  • The food/menus that students who qualify for the free meal waiver have access to at breakfast and lunch.
  • Information about the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
  • Comparison of the food portions that are available through the district's current program and what is required through NSLP.
  • Potential enhancements to the free meal waiver, including eliminating the tiered categories and providing an after school free snack program.

You can access the presentation by visiting https://bit.ly/3N4rMHw. You can also access a video the district created about the food that students who qualify for the free meal waiver have access to by visiting https://youtu.be/uN-CWBKPcAY.

Portrait of a Graduate
The board participated in an activity that was tied to the work being done to develop the profile of a District 86 graduate. During this activity, the board identified the following qualities and characteristics they believe our students should possess when they leave our schools.
  • Critical thinkers
  • Curious lifelong learners
  • Respectful
  • Self-aware
  • Strong communicator/public speaker
  • Resilient
  • Collaborative
  • Civic-minded
  • Data literate (ability to work with and understand the importance of data)
  • Balanced
  • Well-rounded
  • Innovative thinkers
  • Good citizens
  • Aware of global issues
  • Empathetic
  • Inclusive
  • Engaged
  • Able to persevere
  • Think outside the box
  • Have a moral compass
Culture and Equity Leadership Team (CELT) 
The board discussed the possibility of switching the Culture and Equity Leadership Team (CELT) from a superintendent committee to a board committee. Following its discussion, the board decided that CELT should remain a superintendent committee, but encouraged the administration to:

  • Provide the board and community with a regular cadence of reports/updates about the work being done by the committee.
  • Explore ways to increase the number of students, parents/guardians and community members on the committee.
  • Identify ways to increase board member access to and participation in the committee meetings. There are currently two board members who serve on CELT.

Committee Reports
Members of the Policy Committee provided the board with a report from their meeting on May 2. During this meeting, the committee reviewed the final set of proposed policy revisions that were featured in the latest update from PRESS. The following policies were presented to the board for a first reading during this meeting:

  • 5:125 (Personal Technology and Social Media; Usage and Conduct)
  • 5:250 (Leaves of Absence)
  • 6:50 (School Wellness)
  • 6:60 (Curriculum Content)
  • 6:135 (Accelerated Placement Program)

Members of the HR Committee provided the board with a report from their meeting on May 3. During this meeting, the committee discussed:

  • The work calendar for 12-month employees for the 2022-23 school year.

  • The workload plan developed by the special education workload committee.

  • The addition of a peer mentoring option to the non-union longevity bonus program.

  • The addition of 7.0 support staff FTE to the tentative budget, which will be reviewed in June. This includes special education paraprofessionals for Transition (4.0 FTE), student supervisors for Hinsdale Central (2.0 FTE), and an occupational therapist for the district (1.0 FTE). 

  • Administrator compensation related to a requirement by TRS/THIS.

Members of the Parent-Teacher Advisory Committee (PTAC) provided the board with a report from their meeting on April 26. During this meeting, the committee:

  • Conducted its annual review of concussion, attendance and discipline data, as well as procedures related to bullying, bus safety, and police and security officers. The committee recommended that no changes be made to the district's discipline policies.

  • Received information about some of the supports that are available for students, including the Tip Line, Student Success Center, services for individuals who are homebound or hospitalized, and resources to address needs related to the impact of COVID-19. The committee provided feedback that will be used to tailor supports for the 2022-23 school year.

In addition to receiving these reports, 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 https://bit.ly/38myY2Y to access the consent agenda items beginning under number six.

Approve Assistant Superintendent of Student Services
The board approved the appointment of Dr. Kari Smith as the new assistant superintendent of student services for District 86. Dr. Smith received a two-year contract that will begin on July 1, 2022.

You can access the district's announcement about Dr. Smith's appointment by visiting https://conta.cc/39LPyK0.

Approve Contract Amendment
The board approved a proposed amendment to the multi-year employment contract for Dr. Patrick Hardy. This amendment features updates to the language in section D3 (Performance Goals and Indicators) of the contract so that it aligns with the other multi-year contracts approved by the board. 

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/3w8Iekq.

Approve Discipline Improvement Plan
Pending legal review, the board approved the district's discipline improvement plan as required by the Illinois State Board of Education. You can access additional information about this plan by visiting https://bit.ly/3MfIpjx.

Approve Three-Year Calendar
The board approved the updated three-year calendar that was presented during its meeting on April 28. This calendar includes a proposed early release schedule for the 2022-23 school year.  

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/3M98VuX.

Board President's Report
Board President Erik Held mentioned Teacher Appreciation Week and thanked the teachers for being a vital part of the excellence that has driven District 86 to be one of the best in the country.

Board President Held also addressed the concerns that were raised about the FOIA presentation on April 28. He shared some next steps in the process, and thanked the other board members for the substantive conversation about the topic.

Future Agenda Items
Below are the future agenda items that were requested by members of the board.

  • Have any follow-up discussions about FOIA and next steps be conducted by the full board instead of the policy committee.

  • Have the proposed conversation about policy 2:110 (Qualifications, Term and Duties of Board Officers) take place during the open session of a future board meeting.

You can access additional information about this agenda item by visiting https://bit.ly/3FJITMj.

Board Reorganization
The board discussed several organizational items, including:

  • The appointment of the district's authorized agent for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF) for the 2022-23 school year.

  • The selection of the board recording secretary and board treasurer for the 2022-23 school year.

  • Committee assignments for the 2022-23 school year.

  • The selection of the board member who will represent the district on the governing board for the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) during the 2022-23 school year.

  • The schedule of board and committee meetings for the 2022-23 school year.

  • The renewal of the district's membership to the IASB and Illinois High School Association for the 2022-23 school year.

  • The appointment of the individual who will represent the district on the DuPage Area Occupational Education System and DuPage West Cook Regional Special Education Association during the 2022-23 school year.

The board is scheduled to take action on several of these items during its meeting on June 2.

Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Tammy Prentiss thanked everyone who has organized, moderated or participated in the focus groups that are supporting the work being done by the Portrait of a Graduate committee.

Superintendent Prentiss also provided brief updates about CELT and the Secondary Instructional Schedules committee.

The meeting adjourned at 9:40 p.m. You can access the video for it by visiting https://vimeo.com/user9373008/videos.
Future Board Meetings
Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 6 p.m. 
Committee of the Whole Meeting
Hinsdale South Library

Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 6 p.m. 
Regular Action Meeting
Hinsdale South Library
Hinsdale Township High School District 86
5500 South Grant Street • Hinsdale, IL 60521
Phone: (630) 655-6100 • Fax: (630) 325-9153