Good News
Principal Arwen Pokorny Lyp from Hinsdale South and Principal Bill Walsh from Hinsdale Central shared information about the first day of school in their buildings.
Below are some of the highlights from Hinsdale South.
- Cheerleaders and members of the danceline team made a socially distant tunnel for new students (freshmen, sophomores who were remote all of last year and transfer students) to walk through to welcome them back to school.
- The new students gathered in the auditorium for a brief welcome from the administrative team. They also watched the video about the district's equity statement.
- New students had time in the morning to find their classes, meet their teachers and eat lunch. There were 75 peer leaders available to help them.
- All students were in the building in the afternoon and took part in the Back to School Bash in the stadium that featured ice cream and free giveaways (e.g., t-shirts, sunglasses and bags).
- The staff spent time reviewing the social distancing protocols and set the expectation that masks must be worn correctly (over the nose) at all times, especially when entering/exiting the cafeteria and waiting in line for food.
- Students had the chance to see the upgrades that were made to the cafeteria, bathrooms, choir room, and social studies and math classrooms.
Below are some of the highlights from Hinsdale Central.
- There were more than 2,500 students and more than 300 staff in the building for the first day.
- More than 600 students took part in the Freshmen and New Student Experience in the morning. They participated in a school-wide scavenger hunt, attended a pep rally and met with peer leaders.
- There was great energy in the building, and the schedule provided a perfect way to start the year. Freshmen had ample time to get acclimated to the building, and teachers were able to address a variety of logistical issues.
Resolution for Superintendent's Authority Related to COVID-19
Committee Reports
Members of the joint Facilities and special committee provided the board with a report from their meeting on Aug. 20. During this meeting, the committee was informed by Pepper Construction that all Phase 1 projects are complete. The committee also discussed:
- The status of Phase 2 projects, including those scheduled for completion by the start of school and those that will continue into the school year.
- Financials and contingency balances for Phases 1 and 2.
- Bid Period 4B life safety work funded by federal grants and district funds.
In addition to receiving the report mentioned above, the board voted to release the draft minutes from this meeting 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/3BhbKnW to access the consent agenda items beginning under number seven.
Approve an Agreement with Leave Cover for Athletic Director
The board approved an agreement with a temporary leave cover for the athletic director from Hinsdale Central. This agreement is scheduled to run until no later than June 30, 2022.
Approve an Agreement with Power Ad
The board approved an agreement with Power Ad to develop a framework that will help the district manage sponsorship and advertising opportunities moving forward. You can access the agreement by visiting https://bit.ly/3zpz0Qa.
Ratify New Contract with the HTHSSA
The board ratified a new contract with the Hinsdale Township High School Support Staff Association (HTHSSSA). You can access an executive summary and statement about the new contract by visiting
https://conta.cc/38jrF8S.
Award Bid Packages for Stairwell Railing Replacement at Hinsdale South
The board awarded the following bid packages for the stairwell railing replacement project at Hinsdale South.
- Mechanical & Industrial Steel Services - $210,390 for steel handrails and railings
- Cosgrove Construction - $54,000 for painting
Board President's Report
Board President Terri Walker thanked the faculty, staff and administration for all they did to get ready for the start of the school year. She mentioned that she had the opportunity to see the progress that has been made on the district's referendum projects. She also shared that she attended the dedication ceremony for the Don Watson Aquatic Center.
Superintendent’s Report
Superintendent Tammy Prentiss talked about the theme of "weathering the storm" that was used to help kick off the 2021-22 school year for staff. This included giving every employee an umbrella as a welcome back gift.
Superintendent Prentiss shared that she did walk-throughs at Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South and visited the Transition Center's new space during the opening institute day. She talked about the positive energy that was present in all of the buildings and the excitement that staff members conveyed about being back at school.
Superintendent Prentiss mentioned that she participated in construction walk-throughs prior to the start of school, and shared that some of the projects will continue during the year. She said that boundaries have been created in the buildings that will allow the work to proceed, while also keeping students and staff safe.
Superintendent Prentiss asked Cheryl Moore, the assistant superintendent of human resources, to provide an update on the vaccination rate for staff. Moore shared that 84% of the district's employees have provided proof that they are fully vaccinated. In addition, she said that her department will be collecting data for substitute teachers, outside coaches, student teachers and vendors such as Quest that have staff members working in our buildings on a daily basis.
Superintendent Prentiss also shared information about the support system the district has in place for students who need to quarantine or be isolated during the school year. She said that there will be a presentation about this system during the board meeting on Sept. 16.
Budget for Fiscal Year 2022
The administration presented the board with the final budget for fiscal year 2022. A public hearing about this budget will be held during the board meeting on Sept. 16.
You can access additional information about the budget for fiscal year 2022 by visiting https://bit.ly/3zynSAc.
Resolution Authorizing Fund Transfers
The board reviewed and discussed the resolution it approves on an annual basis that allows for the completion of any necessary fund transfers. At this time, the budget for fiscal year 2022 includes a transfer to Debt Services that will enable the district to make the annual principal and interest payment on the debt certificate that funded the renovation project for the Transition Center. In addition, Phase 3 of the district's referendum projects includes alternates the board may decide to fund with operational dollars, which would require the completion of a transfer to Capital Projects.
Treasury and Financial Reports
Per its regular cadence of reporting, the administration provided the board with the treasury and financial reports for July 2021. You can access the treasury report by visiting
https://bit.ly/3mFFDtU and the financial reports by visiting
https://bit.ly/3DkQOOG.
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. It also talked about possible agenda items for future meetings, including:
- Revisiting the information about emails that is featured in the board protocols. The board decided to discuss this issue during its session with the Illinois Association of School Boards in October.
- Receiving a presentation from Anew Collective Consulting, LLC and Saxman Consulting, LLC about the work being done this year to help advance the district's equity statement. The tentative plan is for this presentation to take place during the board meeting on Sept. 30.
