Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 Board of Education met Jan. 28.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
The Board of Education of Zion-Benton Township High School District 126, Lake County, Illinois, met in Regular Session in the ZBTHS South Cafeteria, One Z-B Way, 3901 W. 21st Street, Zion, Illinois, commencing at 7:00 p.m.
Board President Nordstrom presided.
ROLL CALL
Members present: President Nordstrom, Vice President Nieto, Secretary Roberts
Member Leech, Member Richards, and Member Stephen.
Member excused: Member White (arrived for closed session).
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
AGENDA AMENDMENT
President Nordstrom requested if there were any amendments to the Agenda. Dr. Clark indicated that a leave of absence for teacher Lauren Delahanty should be added to personnel approvals, agenda item #13.
COMMUNICATION FROM STAFF, GUESTS, AND DISTRICT RESIDENTS
Christopher Fischer, Zion Commissioner, spoke to the Board on behalf of Mayor McKinney and himself stating they believe taxpayers may have misconceptions about how the City feels about the schools from the City’s efforts to educate taxpayers on the fact that the City has no regulatory authority over other taxing bodies and from their efforts to answer questions about citizens’ tax bills. He confirmed that there are several examples of the taxing bodies having a cooperative working relationships. He also stated that they believe that the District 126 School Board makes financial decisions based on what the Board believes best furthers the District’s mission and best serves the students and community at large, as does the City of Zion.
Kim Hucker and Elise Drinkwine implored the School Board to consider waiving the fees of a particular student so that the student may be able to receive their diploma.
Jason Ellis presented concerns about District 126 employees not being residents of the District, high property taxes, the Board’s spending decisions and ability to make decisions independent of administrative recommendations, and stated that the District does not need a swimming pool as the citizens can’t afford it.
Kathy Champine addressed the Board with questions from the January 22nd Business, Bid, Finance Committee meeting, which included: would the design for the Natatorium be flexible enough for solar energy to be added in the future; what is the estimated cost to operate the Performing Arts Center per hour; and is it possible to get more funding from state and federal government? Ms. Champine complimented the District’s website but also stated that she would like to see the District utilize social media more to reach out to the community about the great things the students are doing. She stated facts are important when discussing District matters, that she appreciated the drop in the District 126 levy, and that the state and federal governments should contribute more to public education.
CONSENT AGENDA
A motion was made by Vice President Nieto, seconded by Member Stephen to approve the Consent Agenda. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 6-0. Included in the Consent Agenda are the following:
• Minutes of the Regular Meeting – December 17, 2019
• Activity Report – December 2019, EXHIBIT “A”.
• Bills Paid Report – December 2019 and January 2020, EXHIBIT “B”.
• Bills Payable Report – January 2020, EXHIBIT “C”.
• School Treasurer’s Report – December 2019, EXHIBIT “D”.
• Revenue & Expenditure Report – December 2019, EXHIBIT “E”.
• Contractor Payout Requests, EXHIBIT “F”.
• 2020-21 Course Guides, EXHIBIT “G”.
• FOIA Requests, EXHIBIT “H”.
• Request for Disposal of Items, EXHIBIT “I”.
• Destruction of Closed Session Recordings – January 25, 2018
SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Dr. Clark reported on the following:
• The Calendar of Activities. (EXHIBIT “J”, District 126 Activities, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
• The next Regular Meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 25, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. at Zion-Benton Township High School.
• The January 21st Institute Day was used for a multi-jurisdiction coordinated crisis training for all staff. Many area first responders participated and were observed by state crisis experts. The training included a mock reunification process, which is not something school districts typically train to do.
• Waukegan High School is hosting a viewing of the documentary “Pushout,” which aligns with the District’s racial equity work. Board members are encouraged to join staff in attending this event on February 6 or 7.
• District 126 will join the Zion Park District in celebrating and hosting its 30th Annual Black History Celebration on Saturday, February 29th at 11:00 a.m. in the Performing Arts Center followed by lunch in the South Café.
• The topic for the IASB Lake Division Spring Dinner Meeting on March 11, 2020, is Building Resilience in Students Through Trauma Informed Practices. Board Members should contact Rachel White if they wish to attend.
• District 126 has qualified for a property tax relief grant for the second year in a row. The amount of the grant is $1,635,252 and requires the District abate $1,675,773 in property taxes in the spring. The District will also repeat the reduction of $1,835,424 from the District’s property tax collections for a second year. Dr. Clark reminded the School Board that Illinois’ new school funding model placed District 126 at fifth from the bottom of the 853 districts in the state for having a funding adequacy metric of 50%, that additional state funds has brought the District up to 65% adequacy, and that the state’s inequitable policies are what have caused significant disparities across the state in both school funding and an over reliance on local property taxes. Ongoing efforts to educate legislators about these concerns have resulted in a new school funding formula and two property tax relief grants as initial efforts to correct these issues.
• Dr. Clark has been in communications with City of Zion staff regarding working together to bring greater awareness to families about the importance of participating in the census and how it helps the community.
REPORTS AND DISCUSSIONS Principals’ Report
New Tech High @ Zion-Benton East
Mr. Kubic reported on the following:
• Class of 2024 NT@ZB Recruitment Nights have been successful, with over 90 applications received to date and more expected before the deadline.
• The first semester wrapped up smoothly and the second semester is off to a good start with two new teachers coming on board.
• New Tech staff are continuing their progress on refining and achieving their vision for New Tech graduates. This work will continue to guide New Tech’s professional development.
• New T ech showed significant progress in the New T ech Network
Student Culture Survey since the last time the assessment was taken in 2014. Students reported very positively about the connectedness of the school, relationships among the students and staff, and the degree to which they feel New Tech is preparing them for their future.
• NT@ZB is administering the IL 5Essentials Survey to students, staff, and parents.
• The Equity Team is putting together professional development about how to change the narrative about students so staff can challenge deficit-based thinking and adopt as asset-based view.
• Teachers continue to provide opportunities for civic engagement, service opportunities, and authentic work in their fields.
(EXHIBIT “K”, New Tech High @ Zion-Benton East, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
Zion-Benton Township High School
Dr. Pawelczyk reported on the following:
• All PERA post-assessments have been administered and results are uploaded for review and finalization for teacher evaluation purposes.
• Congratulations to the NJROTC Rifle Team for their 1st and 3rd place finishes at the Camp Perry Open, to the girls bowling team as they are working toward a conference championship, and to the boys basketball team who gave a state-ranked Evanston HS its first loss of the season last week.
• The Lockdown/Active Shooter reenactment/reunification training on January 21, 2020, was a great experience for staff and is certain to result in strengthened procedures and protocols.
• The annual staff wellness day is scheduled for Wednesday, January 29th.
• ZBTHS has been administering the Illinois 5Essentials Survey to students, staff, and parents. Solicitation to participate in the survey continues in an effort to get as many responses as possible before the survey closes.
(EXHIBIT “L”, Zion-Benton Township High School, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
RECESS
No recess was taken.
BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS Business/Bid/Finance Committee
President Nordstrom reported that the Business, Bid, Finance Committee recently met and discussed several topics. Highlights include: custodial bids, Natatorium Project updates, short- and long-range facility planning, Joint Calendar Committee recommendations, student fees, and the census. Many of the items discussed will be further explained by Dr. Wilkinson under New Business as action items.
Review of SEDOL Articles of Joint Agreement Draft Revisions
Dr. Wilkinson reported that SEDOL held a meeting for member school districts to discuss proposed revisions to the SEDOL Articles of Joint Agreement in order to advise their respective School Boards. The most significant change is that effective with their FY21 budget, SEDOL will no longer receive IDEA funds, as those funds will flow directly to member districts. In the past only 40% of IDEA funding went directly through the District so this change will directly impact the District’s budget in fiscal year 2021. SEDOL has requested the District’s Board representative attend the March 4th meeting where the final Articles of Joint Agreement will be presented to the SEDOL Governing Board for a first reading, as well as the June 3rd meeting where the Governing Board will take a final vote. (EXHIBIT “M”, SEDOL Articles of Joint Agreement Draft Revisions, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
NEW BUSINESS
Approval of 2020-21 Calendar
Dr. Clark reported that the Joint Calendar Committee, made up of members from the Union and administration, met multiple times regarding potentially moving up the start of school by two weeks. A start of school calendar survey was administered to staff and parents/guardians form the four area school districts and high school students. Based on the results of the surveys, the Committee is proposing that District 126 adopt a similar calendar for 2020-21 but also approve moving up the school start date by two weeks beginning with the 2021-22 school year. Doing so will align the start of athletics with academics, cause first semester exams to occur before winter break, and give students two extra weeks of preparation for important spring assessments.
A motion was made by Secretary Roberts, seconded by Vice President Nieto to approve the 2020-21 school year as presented and that the 2021-22 school year be moved two weeks earlier to begin the week of August 9, 2021. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members voting 6-0. (EXHIBIT “N”, School Calendar Recommendations, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
Approval of SEDOL Contractual Services for 2020-21
Dr. Clark reported that the annual list of recommended SEDOL contracted services remains limited to just one half-day of physical therapy per week. A motion was made by Member Leech, seconded by Secretary Roberts to approve the continuation of contractual services through SEDOL for the projected 2020-21 cost of $10,023 for the entire school year. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members voting 6-0. (EXHIBIT “O”, 2020-21 SEDOL Contractual Service Recommendations, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
Public Hearing for Interfund Transfer
Dr. Wilkinson stated the Board approved a Resolution during the December 17, 2019, Regular Meeting setting a hearing to discuss interfund transfers during the January Regular Meeting in order to transfer funds from the Education Fund to the Operations and Maintenance Fund and then to transfer funds to the Capital Projects Fund. Two separate transfer approvals are requested. The first interfund transfer is from the Education Fund into the Operations and Maintenance Fund in the amount of $5,000,000; the second approval is to do an accounting transfer in the amount of $6,000,000 from the Operations and Maintenance Fund into the Capitol Projects Fund.
Member Richards asked Dr. Wilkinson why the District has the excess funds in the Educational Fund. Dr. Wilkinson explained that these funds remained from previous years due to prudent financial management and long-range planning, and Dr. Clark added that additional evidence-based funding received from the state for being deemed an inadequately funded school district has also assisted with improving fund balance.
A motion was made by Vice President Nieto, seconded by Member Richards to hold a public hearing to discuss an Interfund Transfer. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members voting 6-0.
Jason Ellis stated that he felt the funds would be better spent to improve academic performance then to be spent on what he deemed glamorous facilities. He asked the Board members to check their priorities when making this type of decision.
Upon no further public comment, a motion was made by Vice President Nieto, seconded by Member Leech to close the public hearing. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 6-0.
Authorization of Resolution Authorizing Section 17-A Interfund Transfer
A motion was made by Vice President Nieto seconded by Member Stephen to approve the Resolution Authorizing an Interfund Transfer of $5,000,000 from the Educational Fund to the Operations and Maintenance Fund in accordance with Section 17-2A of the School Code (105 ILCS 5/17-2A). Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 6-0. (EXHIBIT “P”, Resolution Authorizing an Interfund Transfer, is included and made part of these minutes.)
Approval of Accounting Transfer to Capital Projects Fund
A motion was made by Vice President Nieto, seconded by Member Stephen to approve the Resolution Authorizing Accounting Transfer(s) to Capital Projects Fund in the amount of $6,000,000 from the Operations and Maintenance Fund to the Capital Projects Fund pledged for school building additions and facility remodeling. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 6-0. (EXHIBIT “Q”, Resolution Authorizing Accounting Transfer(s) to Capital Projects Fund, is included and made part of these minutes.)
Authorize Superintendent to Prepare 2020-21 Tentative Budget
A motion was made by Member Leech, seconded by Secretary Roberts to approve Dr. Clark to prepare the 2020-21 tentative budget. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 6-0.
Bond Exempt Compliance Report
Dr. Wilkinson reported that after reviewing the District’s contracts and records he is happy to report that the District is in compliance with the applicable tax law requirements and no further action is needed at this time. A motion was made by Vice President Nieto, seconded by Member Stephen to approve the Bond Tax Exempt Compliance Report. Motion was approved by a roll called vote of members present voting 6-0. (EXHIBIT “R”, Bond Tax Exempt Compliance Report, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
Approval of FY2020 Round 1 School Maintenance Project Grant Application
Dr. Wilkinson reported that the District’s architect prepared Health Life Safety Amendments to replace the video surveillance systems at the Horizon and New Tech Campuses. The Horizon Campus project will be utilized for an application for the FY2020 Round 1 School Maintenance Project Grant (SMPG) which is a $50,000 matching grant. The Horizon Campus project is estimated to cost $285,000. Fire Prevention Life Safety funds for the Horizon Campus project are estimated to be $235,000 and $50,000 is expected to be covered by SMPG. The New Tech Campus project is estimated to cost $71,321. Fire Prevention Life Safety Funds will be utilized for the New Tech project. A motion was made by Member Richards, seconded by Member Leech to approve the FY2020 Round 1 School Maintenance Project Grant (SMPG) Application. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 6-0. (EXHIBIT “S”, FY2020 Round 1 School Maintenance Project Grant, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
Approval of Rejection of Custodial Cleaning Services Bids
Dr. Wilkinson discussed with the Business, Bid, Finance Committee at its December 11, 2019 meeting, the need to rebid the custodial cleaning service contract. The District has been experiencing problems with its current custodial service due to the company being unable to remain fully staffed. Seven bids were received on January 16th and based on an assessment of the bids, Dr. Wilkinson recommended that the Board exercise its right to reject all bids. A motion was made by Secretary Roberts, seconded by Member Leech to reject all bids due to calculation errors and concerns regarding their ability to comply with service requirements detailed in the bid. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 5-1. (President Nordstrom abstained) (EXHIBIT “T”, Rejection of Custodial Cleaning Services Bids, is included and made a part of these minutes.)
OLD BUSINESS
Capital Improvements Update
Dr. Wilkinson reported on the following:
• The Performing Arts Center is nearing total completion with the final punch list items, including training for the HVAC, currently being completed.
• The domestic hot water heater project was a success and well planned out over winter break.
• New plans are being drawn up for the natatorium addition project. CLOSED SESSION
A motion was made by Member Richards, seconded by Member Stephen to go into closed session at 8:05 p.m. for consideration of appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific personnel, and confidential student matters. (5ILCS 120/2(c)(1,10)). Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 6-0.
RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
A motion was made by Member Leech, seconded by Member Richards to return to open session at 9:34 p.m. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 7-0.
PERSONNEL APPROVALS
A motion was made by Vice President Nieto, seconded by Member White to approve the personnel approvals as amended. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 7-0. Included in the personnel approvals were:
- Appointment:
Carrasquilla, Michelle (ZBTHS Art Club).
- Employments:
Davenport, Mark (NTZB English), Denny, Cameron (NTZB Social Science),
Parks, Molly (Maintenance Secretary),
Schwarz, Brandon (ZBTHS Math),
Williams, Kendall (Asst. Boys Track).
- Leaves of Absence:
Baines, Timmothy (Parapro),
Delahanty, Laura (Student Success Coordinator),
Maise, Toya (Parapro),
Ruggles, Michelle (NTZB Business),
Sosbe, Sacramento (Bookkeeper).
- Resignations:
Artinian, Emily (NTZB English),
Layton, Kelli (NTZB Social Science and Asst. Softball),
Melendez, Nathalie (Program Attendant).
- Retirements:
Rakher, Mark (Parapro),
Valentine, Colleen (Instructional Aide).
EXHIBIT “U”, Monthly Personnel Report, is included and made a part of these minutes.
APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION OF DISMISSAL FOR SUPPORT STAFF
A motion was made by Vice President Nieto, seconded by Member Stephen to approve a resolution of dismissal for Employee #2020-2680. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 7-0.
CONSIDERATION OF FEE WAIVER REQUEST
A motion was made by Vice President Nieto, seconded by Member Leech to approve a hardship fee waiver request for student #2020-920281 to reflect real costs to the District and waiver of other fees. Motion was approved by a roll call vote of members present voting 6-1 (Member White voted nay).
CONSIDERATION OF INTRA-DISTRICT TRANSFER REQUEST
No action.
ADJOURNMENT
A motion was made by Member Leech, seconded by Member Stephen to adjourn the meeting at 9:36 p.m. Motion was approved by a voice vote of members present voting 7-0.
https://www.zbths.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=1159&dataid=6155&FileName=MNJan2820R.pdf
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