September 23 Board Brief

September 23 Board Brief

Dear District 30 Family,

Thank you all for your continued partnership through this year to continue educating our students with care! In our meeting, Board President Nancy Artz shared a heartfelt message to our staff: 

I want to recognize everyone’s efforts in opening school so well during this continued challenging time. Knowing that we have a long road ahead, it is inspiring to see the fruits of all of this summer’s labor by our administrative team and staff. We are also aware of the significant effort that went into getting our schools ready, as we moved back into our classrooms at Maple School and set up all of our elementary classrooms after the construction of our Elementary Capacity Project. Everyone has welcomed all of our students back in a caring and inspiring way. On behalf of our Board and Community, thank you!

The Board of Education meeting included the following relevant items:

Board of Education Earns Board Governance Recognition from the Illinois Association of School Boards 

The Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 Board of Education has been recognized for their exceptional governance practices by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB). District 30 was one of 35 (out of 859) Illinois school districts to earn the School Board Governance Recognition for their effective governance behaviors and their commitment to obtaining the knowledge and skills necessary to govern the district effectively. 

District 30 Board of Education members include President Nancy Artz, Vice President Jeff Zuercher, Zivit Blonder, Keith Karchmar, Dan Levin, Ammar Rizki, and Dr. Stephanie Yohannan.

Personnel Report                                                                                                                          

The Board officially hired Jason Borst as our new Building & Grounds Coordinator; Elaine Campbell (1sg-grade) and Taylor Loeber (IA) at Wescott; Kathleen Kalble (IA), Anaizabelle Kleidorfer (IA), Michael Kleidorfer (IA) at Maple; and Veronica Saavedra (IA) at Willowbrook. Please welcome them all to the District 30 Family!

The Board also approved three leave requests that will occur during this school year. 

Budget Hearing & Approval

The Board held the required annual Budget Public Hearing and formally approved the fiscal year 2021-22 budget that follows our financial projections. The operating budget includes $26,933,660 in projected revenues and $28,005,987 of expenditures. This planned deficit of $1,072,784 includes a $1,058,327 transfer that primarily supports the Elementary Capacity Project. The deficit also incorporates additional teachers that support the running of schools during the ongoing pandemic. 

Superintendent’s Report

School Operations Update

Sincere appreciation for our staff’s daily commitment, students’ engagement, and parents’ partnership were shared.

The Board reviewed our current COVID-19 Metrics on our Northfield Township COVID-19 Elementary School Local Public Health Dashboard and an update on high vaccination rates across our township. They also reviewed the implementation of SHIELD testing. This week, several COVID-19 cases were identified, mostly asymptomatic individuals, providing an important additional layer of protection. 

Other operational updates ranged from upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences, travel guidance, and the current lunch program. Parent-Teacher Conferences will again be held virtually via Zoom. The CCDPH’s travel guidance continues to remain in place with challenges. Questions about implementing a Seamless Summer Option through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) were discussed. District 30 is not part of the Federal NSLP, and, after discussion, a consensus to continue functioning within our current program was reached. The Board stressed that families experiencing financial hardship could contact the Business Office to explore options of support.

Sixth-Day Enrollment

Our Sixth-Day Enrollment report was shared highlighting enrollment increases each of the past five years with 1224 students this year, up from 1198 students last year and rising from 1137 in 2017. 

Opening of Schools Report

The Principals shared reflections on the fantastic job our students and staff have done with our educational models this year. They shared an inspirational video capturing the start of education in District 30 this year! Thank you to Dr. Brown, Dr. Carlson, Mr. Kurtz, Mrs. Holzkopf, and their talented staff for their exemplary efforts kicking off the year!

Board Reports 

  • TrueNorth Educational Cooperative 804 (formerly NSSED):  Mrs. Artz’s update included rebranding efforts, consolidation of programs into the Red Oaks Campus, and benefits from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. 
  • Character Counts: Mrs. Blonder’s remarks included this year’s food drive for Northfield Township (October 18-22), and the upcoming Lew Blond Run (October 16), and Hero Hustle step challenge (October 2-9). 

Thank you all for your continued commitment to and partnership with District 30! Have a great weekend!

Warm Regards,

Dr. Brian K. Wegley
Superintendent