Glen Ellyn School District 41 Mission: Ignite passion. Inspire excellence. Imagine possibilities.
Board Members: John Vivoda President | John Marcheschi Vice President | Debbie Hoffman Secretary
Kevin Cosgrove | Terra Costa Howard | John Kenwood | Carol McElvain
Following is a summary of the Board of Education (BOE) meeting held on June 27, 2005
Glen Ellyn School District 41 Board of Education Members John Vivoda, President term ends April, 2009 John Marcheschi, VP term ends April, 2009 Debbie Hoffman, Secretary term ends April, 2007 Kevin Cosgrove term ends April, 2009 Terra Costa Howard term ends April, 2009 John Kenwood term ends April, 2009 Carol McElvain term ends April, 2007 |
BOE APPROVES $40.8 MILLION BUDGET: After a public hearing, the BOE approved the Fiscal Year 2005-2006 budget, which lays out a plan for funding educational and operational programs, many of which have been under discussion or approved by the BOE throughout the year. This year’s budget uses $3.38 million in cash reserves the district budgeted for one-time capital improvements and possible property acquisition. D41’s cash reserves will remain adequate for their purpose, which is to cover emergencies. At $40.8 million, the budget is $7 million (21%) more than last year’s $33.7 million budget. Of that increase, $2.3 million is accounted for by money that has been set aside for possible land acquisition and architectural costs should the district pursue plans to build a new school; $2.1 million of the increase over last year is accounted for by one-time capital improvements, such as portable classrooms, electrical and plumbing upgrades and asbestos abatement. The remaining $2.6 million of the increase over last year is accounted for mainly by new staff hired due to rising enrollment, contractual pay increases, technology upgrades, curricular materials and rising costs. Board members stressed that the document is a plan, and the BOE will continue to look for ways to reduce expenditures. The budget can be found at all six D41 buildings and the Glen Ellyn Public Library and will be posted online by the end of July. |
2001 REFERENDUM DISCUSSED: BOE President John Vivoda provided the BOE’s point of view on questions and concerns that have been raised about the practice of phasing in tax referenda and specifically about D41’s 2001 55-cent rate increase. He explained that phasing in over five years is outlined in the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL, or commonly called the tax cap) and the process was used by the district to sustain a needed revenue stream so that the district could meet growing needs without having to go back to the community for another increase for at least five years. Mr. Vivoda said the phase in was not adequately explained to the public; further, since the phase-in occurred during a period of rising property values, it generated more tax dollars for the district than estimated. Mr. Vivoda noted that the district has used the funds as promised to meet increasing educational needs and that the district has implemented numerous measures to improve its fiscal position, such as tying labor agreements to the Consumer Price Index and transferring some rising healthcare costs to employees. He also noted that the administrative restructuring (which created some new positions and eliminated others) did not increase administrative costs. He reiterated that the district is committed to being open and transparent in all its decisions, to improving its communication, to providing as many specifics as it can about all aspects of any referendum it may put forward in the future, and to better explaining complicated issues of school finance. He said that the district is grateful every day for the support the community has provided to students over the years and strives to give back to the community by providing an exceptional education to its children. Several residents had comments about the phase in and stated that the district did not provide the public with sufficient information to make an informed voting decision, that the phase in violated the spirit, if not the letter, of the law and that the district has an obligation to revisit the issue since it did not tell the public about the phase in. The BOE reiterated that the district has to do a better job communicating and noted that it is committed to meeting the very real and growing needs of its children.
ASSESSMENT IMPORTANT PART OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING: Dr. John Correll, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching, Learning and Accountability, provided an overview of how the district assesses student learning and explained the combination of standardized tests and local assessments. Tests such as the Illinois Standards Achievement Tests (ISATs) are used to see how much students have learned against standards, while classroom assessments are more oriented to help teachers help students learn. The district is working on an assessment plan to better align assessments with the curriculum, improve timing and quality of assessments to provide more useful feedback for teachers, and address gaps in the process.
SITE ANALYSIS APPROVED: In preparation for making a decision about the site for a possible new school, the BOE authorized surveys, stormwater management studies and soil borings on the open space at Hadley Junior High and the vacant Spalding site for a cost not to exceed $24,600. Both sites are under consideration for a possible new school and the work is necessary to make sure the sites are viable for such a project.
HIRING, PORTABLES, SUMMER IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ON TRACK: Superintendent Dr. Jack Barshinger reported that staffing for the upcoming year is nearly complete with an average salary for newly hired teachers of $45,300, consistent with budget projections. Installation of 14 portables is on track and in the fall, D41 will have approximately 590 students housed in 26 portable classrooms. Other projects are also underway in the schools, including asbestos abatement at Hadley, installation of some air conditioners at Hadley and Churchill, and bathroom renovations at Lincoln and Forest Glen.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION: D41 recently held a public meeting at which it sought public input on three possible building sites for a new school to accommodate its growing enrollment: the open space on the Hadley Junior High campus, the Park District’s Main Street Recreation Center Site and the vacant Spalding site, which would require the district to acquire some adjacent property from homeowners. The district has presented diagrams to the public that are “test fits” meant to approximate the size of a proposed building to show how it would fit on a given site. Resident James Truesdale presented a petition from Hadley neighbors objecting to the possibility of putting another school on the site. A number of residents commented negatively on the Hadley option, citing concerns with traffic, safety, noise, loss of open space and esthetics. Residents of the Spalding neighborhood objected to the idea of taking resident homes in order to build a school on that site. The BOE reiterated that no decisions have been made and that the district is still collecting community perspectives and hoping to work with the Park District to meet mutual needs, although the Park District has accepted no D41 proposals to date.
NEXT MEETING: The next regular meeting is July18, 7:30 p.m. in the Board Room at Central Services, 793 N. Main St. Listening Post, an opportunity for the public to talk informally with board members, is held at 7 p.m. preceding regular meetings.
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