February 17 Board Brief

February 17 Board Brief

Dear District 30 Family,

I hope this email finds you doing well as we navigate this winter together! Our last Board of Education Meeting included the following relevant items:

Personnel

The Board approved the employment of Olivia Janickas as an instructional assistant at Willowbrook and Kathleen Hart as a Temporary Student Services Coordinator. Please welcome these two individuals to the District 30 Family.

The Board of Education also approved on leave of absence request.

Operations Update

Dr. Wegley reviewed local COVID-19 metrics that remain high with significant declines. The Board celebrated our high COVID-19 vaccination rates in the area that include:

  • Over 90% of Glenview and Northbrook residents with one shot in the arm and 75.7% and 80.4% fully vaccinated in each village, respectively
  • Nearly 85% of District 30 students have one shot, with over 82% fully vaccinated
  • Over 99% of staff are fully vaccinated, with 90% vaccinated and boosted (up-to-date on vaccinations), and another 7.6% plan to do so

The Board shared sincere appreciation for our staff’s commitment, students’ engagement, and parents’ partnership. They also celebrated the normalcy being generated in our schools by our staff.

COVID-19 Mitigation Evolution Planning

The Board received a briefing from our legal counsel, who reviewed the implications of the Sangamon County Temporary Restraining Order. He summarized that the governor’s executive order that mandates masks in schools sunsets on March 5, 2022. He noted that schools not named in the suit that shifted away from universal masking had done so for political reasons. Legally, his guidance is to follow the law. He noted that the governor has signaled that the mask mandate for Illinois lifts on February 28 and that schools will soon follow. 

The Board of Education discussed evolving District 30’s mitigation plan and directed the administrative team to bring them an updated Safe Return to School Plan with the target date for shifting mask mandates in the near future. The Board will evaluate the plan and establish the date for transition at a special Board of Education Meeting, which will be held on Thursday, February 24, at 7:30 p.m. at Maple School.

Board President Mrs. Artz summarized, “The plan will support our transition to a mask-recommended environment that provides for preparation and gives time to let COVID-19 rates continue to drop. We will consider a recommended effective date and will work together as a community to be successful, as we have with everything else throughout this pandemic.”

Board Reports

Mrs. Artz reviewed the latest TrueNorth meeting, including usage, strategic planning, and budget updates. Mrs. Blonder shared pride in recognizing the 12 District 30 Character Counts’ poster and video contest winners and shared that our next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will be on March 17!

The next Board Meeting will be a Special Meeting on February 24, 2022, to update our Safe Return to School Plan. All are welcome!

Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Dr. Brian K. Wegley
Superintendent