Dear District 30 Family,
Thank you to our entire family for your continued dedication and flexibility during this challenging time. I wish everyone a safe and rejuvenating Spring Break.
We started our meeting with a moment of silence for the awful tragedy that occurred this week in Atlanta, where eight lives ended with senseless violence, including several within the Asian-American community. We are reminded of the need for compassion, care, and cultivating inclusivity, all of which are pillars of our community.
Our last Board Meeting also included the following relevant items:
Personnel
The Board of Education accepted one resignation and eleven honorable discharges. The honorable discharges involved teachers who accepted one-year contracts and served our students well during this pandemic. Staffing levels are expected to return to normal levels for the 2021-22 School Year. We wish them well.
Board President Ursula Sedlak summarized the gratitude felt by our entire district, “We act on this proclamation to do our duty, but we extend our sincere gratitude and respect for all that these individuals have done and continue to do to get us through this year. They have bright futures ahead of them and have demonstrated their care and character.”
The Board was also informed of one FMLA leave, and they approved aligning Willowbrook’s and Wescott’s School Clerk hours with other aides in support of before-school care transitioning to the Northbrook Park District.
The Board also accepted the retirement of Cathie Molitor. We wish Cathie well and thank her for her service to District 30!
2020-21 Staffing Plan
Currently, we project the need for 62 core sections among the three schools for the 2021-22 school year, increasing our core sections by two compared to last year’s pre-Phased Operations staffing plan. Projections indicate that Wescott will increase to 25 sections, while Willowbrook will have 18 sections (19 sections including Early Childhood). One additional core section is needed to support the relocation of kindergarten to Wescott. Also, Maple’s number of teachers will increase by one mathematics teacher due to increasing enrollment and the Navigate (gifted) program needs. District 30 will maintain class-size standards.
Specials staffing will increase to support the relocation of kindergarten to Wescott, including slight increases in music and art. The Differentiation Specialist/Gifted Coordinator position will be repurposed to generate the need for a Literacy Coordinator, which we have discussed and deferred for several years. It is worth noting that Gifted Coordinator duties will be built into our Math/Science and Literacy Coordinator’s job descriptions. Our gifted program will continue to be valued and overseen by Dr. Melissa Hirsch.
Student Fees 2021-22
District 30’s mandatory and optional fees were approved. Click here to learn more.
Phased Operations Update
The Board and I shared sincere appreciation for our staff’s commitment, students’ engagement, and parents’ partnership. The fact that everyone continues to give more during this time was recognized and celebrated.
The Board reviewed the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois Department of Public Health’s guidance allowing social distancing in the range of 3’ to 6’ in classrooms, with fully vaccinated staff. Guidance maintains the requirement to quarantine close contacts who have been within 6’ of a positive COVID-19 case for more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period.
The clear target for the start of school in the fall of 2021 is to have full in-person learning, backed by the fact that the new guidance offers tremendous support for our defined direction for the fall!
After carefully analyzing how these new guidelines could apply to this year, the Board maintained that we finish the year strong in our current Phased Operations Models. The Board also reflected that change could not occur before the end of April due to delayed vaccination availability for staff. It was also noted that a shift at that time would add no more than 13 in-person instructional days and would create significant disruption to our learners and staff. Shifting now would also break our bubbles of students, and if we did it right, it would require us to reschedule students.
Elementary Capacity Project Update
The Board reviewed plans for the elementary groundbreaking ceremony at Wescott School on Friday, March 19, 2021. The advantages that will be created at Wescott and Willowbrook through this project were celebrated. Construction work will begin at Wescott on Saturday, March 20, with placements of construction fencing and school traffic changes.
Board Reports
Mrs. Artz presented an update on NSSED’s last meeting, including budget, enrollment, and transition information. Mrs. Blonder reported that the most recent Character Counts meeting included updates from member organizations and plans to update the Character Counts website.
Let me know if you have any questions, and have a fantastic spring break!
Sincerely,
Dr. Brian K. Wegley
Superintendent
