Glen Ellyn School District 41 Glen Ellyn School District 41
 

Glen Ellyn School District 41 Mission: Ignite passion. Inspire excellence. Imagine possibilities.

Board Members: Steven Vondrak President | Robert Solak Vice President | Erica Nelson Secretary | Terra Costa Howard | Drew Ellis | Jack Kahler | Dan Smith Jr.

Following is a summary of the Board of Education meeting held on February 1, 2010.   An MP3 recording of the meeting is available on www.d41.org   Minutes are posted once approved.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ALIGNS WITH LONG-RANGE PLAN
The main purpose of professional development within District 41 is to raise the performance of students. When the District revises a curriculum or adopts new instructional materials, related professional development helps ensure that students get the most value from the investment in curricular work, and that the curriculum is delivered as it is intended to be. It also helps prepare support staff to do their best in supporting school and district operations and student learning. Human Resources Director Laurie Campbell and members of the District's Professional Development Team (PDT) provided the Board of Education (BOE) with an overview of district professional development for all staff members, including how it aligns to the Long-Range Plan, its structure and content, and how PDT measures effectiveness and makes adjustments. PDT plans how the District will use its Institute Days, as well as other opportunities for staff learning such as after-school sessions on specific topics. Most of the training opportunities in District 41 use in-house resources; for example, District Math Specialists have planned and delivered a number of sessions on the new Everyday Math instructional program, business office personnel have trained support staff on using a new data system, and the District Instructional Technology Specialist offers classes on various software programs used in the classroom. PDT regularly surveys staff to identify needs and to ensure that training supports the District's goals of improving student achievement. It also gathers feedback data to see what worked, what didn't, and how PD offerings can be improved. To see the PDT presentation, click here. 

 UPCOMING MEETINGS
The regular meeting of Tuesday, Feb. 16 will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Benjamin Franklin School. The March 1 meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Central Services Office. The public is always welcome to attend.
ELEMENTARY SOCIAL STUDIES MATERIALS ON DISPLAY
Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Accountability Karen Carlson and members of the Social Studies Committee provided an overview of the elementary Social Studies materials being recommended for adoption. Work on the Social Studies curriculum started by identifying discrepancies between the District's curriculum and the state standards. After aligning the curriculum, the committee reviewed a number of instructional materials, and selected Macmillan and Social Studies Alive from the Teachers Curriculum Institute (TCI) to pilot during the 2009-2010 school year. Feedback from the piloting teachers as well as from participating students has been clear: TCI provided a superior learning experience for students. It is engaging, interactive, aligned to the Illinois learning standards, has online components and is available in Spanish. The administration recommends purchasing the materials-a combination of texts, handbooks and online resources-for $93,086. The recommendation includes companion leveled readers for use in literacy instruction ($22,000), and interactive student notebooks (approximately $10,000, depending on enrollment). The materials are on display at the Central Services Office. The BOE expects to take action on the adoption at its March 1 meeting. To see the Social Science presentation, click here. 




BOE DISCUSSES FUTURE OF FACILITY PLANNING
The Master Facility Recommendation that was accepted by the BOE last April says the District should eliminate its 32 portable classrooms either by adding on to the existing schools or building a new school. Both of these solutions have land implications--adding on would be a challenge due to site size and topography (except at Franklin), and the vacant Spalding site is small for the size school needed. Within the context of this 15 to 20-year plan, the BOE has discussed acquiring parcels adjacent to existing schools as they become available and/or acquiring a more appropriate site than Spalding for a new school. Recently, the administration met with members of the Master Facility Committee to hear their perspectives on land acquisition as a precursor to a wider discussion with community members, should the BOE's interest continue. Superintendent Dr. Ann Riebock summarized the input from those members who attended this way: it makes sense for the District to continue exploring the idea, to learn more about possible available parcels, and to work with its governmental partners, especially the village planning department. At its Feb. 19 meeting, the BOE will decide if further facility and land acquisition discussion is warranted, or if in light of the school funding situation in Illinois, it should postpone such discussions for a year and focus on financial planning.





HADLEY ADDITION APPROVED
Following the public hearing that preceded the meeting, the BOE approved a three-room addition to Hadley Junior High to house self-contained Special Education programs. The Village of Glen Ellyn has found the project to be in compliance with zoning regulations. The addition will total less than 5,000 sq. ft. and will also include handicap-accessible bathrooms, a resolution room, and a storage/office area. Construction will start this spring and the space will be ready for occupancy by the time school starts in August. Twenty-four contractors bid on the project, and the BOE accepted the $1,147,806 low bid from Lite Construction which includes underground stormwater detention for the site and contingencies of $130,518. The project total including professional fees, furniture, and equipment is estimated at $1,371,106. The District will pay for most of the project with its $773,294 share of federal stimulus money (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act), which must be spent for special education; the rest will be paid for with accumulated developer donations, and operating funds. The project has been previously discussed on Aug, 10, Aug. 24, and Oct. 5.  Members of the public are welcome to view the plans between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St. Please click here for a site diagram.




STUDENT FEES, CLASS SIZE TARGETS UNCHANGED
The BOE approved the administration's recommendation to maintain the current student fee structure, and the current class size targets that are used as planning guidelines. These matters were discussed at the Jan. 19 BOE meeting.




PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Several members of the public requested clarification on the scope of the Hadley addition, particularly regarding stormwater implications, and requested more communication on the matter. A member of the public suggested that the public library might be willing to acquire materials in support of the new Social Studies curriculum, and also said he hoped the BOE would not abandon its discussion about possible land acquisition.



WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU ATTEND A BOARD OF EDUCATION (BOE) MEETING
You are always welcome at BOE meetings. BOE meetings can be daunting if you are unfamiliar with the way they work; here are the basics of what you need to know.

A working meeting: A BOE meeting is a working meeting that is held in public. Its main purpose is to provide time for the BOE to do its work. This is different from meetings such as town halls or public hearings which mainly provide an opportunity for people to share their views. The law states that Board  meetings of governmental bodies must accommodate public participation, but it leaves the details of how this happens up to the individual boards. 

Public participation in D41:The BOE president will ask for public comment at the start of the meeting and again at its conclusion, and those who want to comment are asked to fill out a sheet with their name, address and the gist of their remarks.  

Time limits. A general rule is to limit an individual's comments to three minutes. If there are many people wishing to speak, this guideline may be moderated so that everyone can speak and the BOE can still conduct its work for the evening.

Other info: Members of the public may stay for all or part of a meeting, or arrive after the meeting has begun. The agenda and complete information packet are posted on www.d41.org in advance of the meeting, and copies of the agenda and any handouts prepared for the meeting are placed on the lobby table for members of the public. For more information about attending BOE meetings, please click here.



About the Glen Ellyn School District Board of Education
Board members are unpaid volunteers, each representing the whole district. The board is accountable to the public and makes decisions as a unit based on what is best for the whole district. The board hires the superintendent, sets instructional policy, approves the budget and ongoing expenditures, and is ultimately responsible for the performance of the district. Board meetings are working sessions held in public during which the board conducts its business, and ample time is always set aside for public participation.  
Please direct your questions or comments to our Communications Director, Julie Worthen at jworthen@d41.org.
Glen Ellyn School District 41