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Glen Ellyn School District 41 Mission: Ignite passion. Inspire excellence. Imagine possibilities.
Board Members:
Terra Costa Howard President |
John Kenwood Vice President |
Erica Nelson Secretary |
Kevin Cosgrove |
John Vivoda |
Steven Vondrak|
Robert Solak
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Following is a summary of the Board of Education meeting held on November 17, 2008. D41 began audio recording Board of Education meetings starting with the August 11, 2008 meeting. Henceforward, the MP3 files will be posted on www.d41.org Minutes are posted once approved.
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FOREST GLEN PRESENTS EVERYDAY MATH
The Nov. 17 meeting was hosted by Forest Glen School, and students presented information on Everyday Mathematics (EM), an instructional program being used by at least one section per grade at all D41 elementary schools this year; this field-testing will help schools prepare to implement the program in 2009-2010. Students demonstrated concepts, tools, math games and more, and illustrated the idea that there is often more than one way to get a correct answer. As one student explained, "We try to solve a problem many ways so we can exercise our brains and keep them flexible." EM is a math program developed by the University of Chicago Mathematics Project. This research-based program emphasizes real-life problem solving, a variety of instructional techniques, multiple methods for basic skills practice, the appropriate use of technology and repeated exposure to math concepts.
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NEXT MEETING
Upcoming Board of Education meetings are set for Monday Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m. at the Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St., and Monday, Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. at Churchill School following the Truth in Taxation hearing. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend. In addition, the district is hosting the following public meetings:
Dec. 2-Hadley New Horizons Town Hall Meeting, 7 p.m. at Hadley. Please come to ask questions and provide input before the recommendations are finalized for presentation to the Board in January. This is the third such meeting to discuss the HNH improvement work, which encompasses curricular and scheduling changes and more.
Dec. 9-Master Facility Plan public meeting, 7 p.m. at Forest Glen. Please come to hear a progress report from the MFP Steering Committee, which has been hard at work gathering data. This is the second of a series of public meetings on this work. |
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TAX LEVY HEARING SET FOR DEC. 15
After an overview of the tentative tax levy, the BOE passed a resolution on its intent to levy and directed the district to put the levy on public display, preparatory to the Truth in Taxation hearing set for Dec. 15. The levy is the total amount of taxes requested by the district. The amount the district will ultimately receive is governed by the 1991 Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, commonly known as the Tax Cap. This law limits any increase in tax dollars to 5% or the Consumer Price Index (4.1% for this tax cycle), whichever is less. Taxes on brand-new construction provide additional dollars to the district. The result of the law has been to slow the rate at which taxes rise, because as property values increase, the tax cap formula causes the tax rate to decline. School districts often request more than they estimate they will be eligible to receive, because they must submit their levies in December, before the total EAV (Equalized Assessed Valuation, or the total taxable property value) is known. In the spring, the county clerk calculates the actual amount (called the extension) that the district is eligible to receive under the tax cap. If the district has requested less than it is eligible to receive, the county clerk will not adjust the levy upward and the district will not be able to recoup that money in future years. If the district has requested more, the county clerk will adjust the levy down to comply with the tax cap. This year, the district is requesting an increase over last year of 7.52% and expects to actually receive an increase of approximately 5.29%. An individual's property tax bill is determined by the value of their property and may change by some other percentage.
Next Steps: The tentative levy is posted online and on display at the D41 Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St. The BOE is expected to take action on the levy following the annual Truth in Taxation Hearing, set for 7:15 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 15 at Churchill School, 240 Geneva Rd., Glen Ellyn.
INDIVIDUAL FUND ACOUNTING RESTORED
The Board took action to return to the individual fund accounting system. In 2006, it consolidated by state waiver the Education, Operations and Maintenance, and Transportation funds into a single General Fund in order to streamline the budgeting process. These funds have now been reestablished, as well as the Tort Liability and Working Cash funds. This action redistributes dollars from one fund into several, and has no impact on the amount of tax dollars received by the district or on individual tax bills.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION:
A resident asked for clarification regarding the district's relationship to its support staff association, the Association of Federal, State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in connection to Board discussions regarding possible membership in FED-ED, an organization that communicates to and advocates for the concerns and interests of its member school districts, particularly related to education legislation.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING FOR POTENTIAL BOARD OF EDUCATION CANDIDATES
District 41 will have four Board of Education seats on the ballot April 7. Anyone interested in running for the Board of Education in District 41 is invited to attend an informational meeting on Monday, Dec. 15, 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Churchill School to learn more about what it means to serve on a Board of Education. Also welcome are those who would like to learn more about the role of board member and the purpose and process of board governance, regardless of whether they are considering candidacy.
CANDIDATE PACKETS AVAILABLE NOW
Four seats on the seven-member D41 Board of Education will be on the ballot in the April 7, 2009 election. Candidate packets may be picked up at the District 41 Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St., Glen Ellyn, on any business day between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Candidates elected will serve four-year terms expiring in April 2013. To be eligible to run, a candidate must be on the date of election a US citizen 18 years of age or older, a resident of Illinois and Glen Ellyn School District 41 for at least one year immediately preceding the election and a registered voter. For more information, please contact the District 41 Election Official, Maureen Stecker, at 630-534-7236 or mstecker@d41.org
About the Glen Ellyn School District Board of Education
Board members are unpaid volunteers, each representing the whole district. The board is accountable to the public and makes decisions as a unit based on what is best for the whole district. The board hires the superintendent, sets instructional policy, approves the budget and ongoing expenditures, and is ultimately responsible for the performance of the district. Board meetings are working sessions held in public during which the board conducts its business, and ample time is always set aside for public participation.
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Please direct your questions or comments to our Communications Director, Julie Worthen at jworthen@d41.org. Thank you! |
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