D41 Board Highlights

Following is a summary of the Board of Education (BOE) highlights from the March 10 meeting. Minutes are posted on www.d41.org once approved.

MATHCOUNTS® TEAM RECOGNIZED
The Board of Education (BOE) recognized the Hadley MathCounts® team, along with team coach Heidi Hann, for placing fourth in the March 9 state competition, and for its talent, teamwork and accomplishments throughout the season. The team members, outstanding math students all, did well throughout the season; one member placed second in the state individual rankings and will represent Illinois at the National MathCounts® competition to be held in Denver this May. The team members thanked the teachers who encouraged them all the way along starting in elementary school, and especially their coach for sponsoring them and helping them become a strong team.
(Note: D41 does not use student names on the Web or in Web-based communications.)

ENHANCED SCHOOL SIGNAGE TO BE DISCUSSED
PTAs and the administration have discussed new school signage that would have the capacity for announcements, with the PTAs offering to bear some of the cost. The BOE is interested in exploring the funding process and discussing the level of District contribution. Superintendent Dr. Ann Riebock said that the administration would gather the facts on costs and implications for long-term maintenance and operations. The administration will also find out what is required regarding compliance to the Village of Glen Ellyn sign ordinance.

Next steps
The information will be provided to the BOE Finance Committee, which will examine how and when a sign replacement project would fit into the District’s long-range capital improvement plan before bringing the matter before the full BOE.

NEXT MEETING:
The next regular BOE meeting will be held on March 24 at Churchill School.

LITERACY MATERIALS PLACED ON DISPLAY
The administration is recommending purchasing a mix of materials to support the balanced literacy curriculum that is being introduced district-wide. The recommendation is the result of a curriculum-development process that began in 2005 and was guided by the Literacy Committee. Over the course of the 2007-2008 school year, many teachers field-tested instructional materials and provided feedback. Assistant Superintendent for Teaching, Learning and Accountability Karen Carlson, and District Literacy Specialist Judy Heller, noted that the materials recommendation is based on research and will provide teachers with a combination of resources to help them meet all children where they are and move them forward. The materials address the instructional needs of English as a New Language Learners and Special Education students as well as those of general education students. The materials will help create literacy-rich classrooms and support a K-8 curriculum with common proficient reader strategies and vocabulary about learning. The materials also align with the Illinois Social Emotional Learning Standards. After taking into account state funding of $96,864.68, the materials will cost the District $188,461.00.

Next Steps
The literacy materials are on display in the Central Services Office and the public is welcome to view them. The BOE expects to take action on adopting the materials at the March 24 meeting. Professional development for teachers will be provided in May of this year.

BUS CONTRACT RENEWAL WITH FIRST STUDENT RECOMMENDED
The administration recommended a one-year extension of its bus contract with First Student, Inc., formerly Laidlaw Transit Co. The contract includes a 3% increase, which is less than the current Consumer Price Index of 4.1%.

AUDIT, INTERNAL REVIEW APPROVED
The BOE approved two expenditures with District auditors Virchow & Krause: a $35,000 expenditure for the annual audit, and a $20,150 expenditure for a one-time risk assessment and review of internal controls, which will bring the District into compliance with new standards resulting from Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.