Superintendent Dr. Brian Wegley's April 23, 2020 Board Brief

Superintendent Dr. Brian Wegley's April 23, 2020 Board Brief

Dear District 30 Family,

Thank you to our Board of Education for doing a great job at our first virtual board meeting. Our last Board of Education meeting included the following relevant items:

Temporary Rules for Remote Meetings Approved

The meeting began with the approval 270.19-TR - Temporary Rules for Public Participation at School Board Meetings During the COVID-19. These temporary rules support Governor Pritzker’s Executive Order 2020-07 (extended by Executive Order 2020-18 through May 30) that suspends the requirement for members of a public body to be physically present to hold a lawful meeting remotely. 

Personnel Report

The Board approved the resignation of Mrs. Leora Kurtz, who will join the faculty at Wood Oaks Junior High School next year. We thank Mrs. Kurtz for her service and wish her well! The Board also approved the increase of Mrs. Sojung Kim FTE within EL from 0.4 at Wescott to 0.8 divided evenly between Wescott and Willowbrook. Thank you, and congratulations, Mrs. Kim!

Food Service Contract Amendment Approved

Due to the closing of public school buildings through the end of the school year, Quest Food Management Services, the district’s food services contractor, requested financial assistance from the district to pay for daily wages and benefit costs for employees that would have otherwise been responsible for preparing food services. Quest continues partnering with Districts 30, 31, and 225 in providing services to students in need during this pandemic. The Board approved assistance from March 16 through April 17, 2020.

Attorneys and Auditor Affirmed

The Board affirmed the attorneys and auditors that support the Board of Education.

District 30 utilized the following legal firms:

  • Hodges Loizzi Eisenhammer Rodick & Kohn LLP (HLERK) 
  • Himes, Petrarca, and Fester Chtd. 
  • Kriha Boucek 
  • Chapman and Cutler LLP 
  • Hauser, Izzo, Petrarca, Gleason & Stillman, LLC 

The Board affirmed Miller Cooper & Co. Ltd. for three years.

Presidential Award for Educational Excellence

The Board approved the Resolution for the Presidential Award for Educational Excellence that will be distributed to students who have earned a cumulative average (3.75 out of 4.0) in the sixth, seventh, and through the second trimester of eighth grade. Students must also have achieved a score placing them at or above the 85th national percentile in the areas of math and reading on their most recent PSAT 8/9 test battery. The President’s Education Awards program is sponsored in cooperation with the National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the United States of Department of Education. 

2020-21 Board of Education Board Meeting Calendar Approved

The Board approved its 2020-21 School Board Meeting Calendar, which is now posted on the BoardDocs site.

COVID-19 Response Update

Our administrative team and I updated the Board on the impact on systems from the closure of school buildings. I began by sharing my appreciation for the continued collaborative efforts across Northfield Township with the Glenview/Northbrook COVID-19 Task Force. Our administrative team also included an update on e-Learning, including decisions and operational changes that have been made to manage and support District 30 through this complex situation.

Willowbrook School Update

Dr. Carlson shared an inspiring report summarizing Willowbrook’s year as he highlighted their warm, supportive culture, and incredible parent support. After reviewing their new clubs that included a rock band, he summarized the pride he has had in Willowbrook’s Professional Learning Teams, along with their work on elementary capacity and flexible furniture for the primary grades. 

Dr. Carlson then reviewed how we have maintained a sense of community, recently exemplified by spirit week. He also expressed his pride in how well we have handled e-Learning and how we have applied agility through open communication and collective commitment. The Board and I thanked Dr. Carlson for his heartwarming report. We also thanked him for continuing to be a fantastic principal and member of our administrative team, as we recognized that his care and connections with students, staff, and parents are uplifting and amazing. His morning announcements exemplify his caring spirit, even through remote-learning.

NSSED Update

Mrs. Artz shared a brief update of NSSED’s recent Leadership Council Meeting, including that the committee work updating their financial model has been completed. She will review the model at our May meeting, and NSSED hopes to act on it in June.

Thank you to the entire District 30 Community for remaining unified during this time. I continue to be proud of everyone’s efforts, care, and perseverance. We will stream our next Board Meeting on Thursday, May 14. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome to join us virtually!

Have a great week, and let me know if you have any questions!

Sincerely,

Dr. Brian K. Wegley
Superintendent