D41 Board Highlights

Following is a summary of the Board of Education meeting held on August 24, 2009. An MP3 recording of the meeting is available on www.d41.org Minutes are posted once approved.

PROPOSED ADDITION FOR HADLEY
The Board of Education (BOE) continued the discussion it began at its Aug. 10 meeting on adding special education space at Hadley Junior High. If approved by the BOE, the space would be funded in large part by the approximately $800,000 the District expects to receive in stimulus funds (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA, funds). The ARRA money must be used for special education, and the administration recommends adding space because it is needed and it will provide a benefit to students for years to come. District architect FGM, Inc. has drafted plans for a two- or three-room addition that include classrooms, bathroom facilities, a time-out space and a staff office. Plans also show stormwater detention that is needed regardless of an addition. The project will likely cost more than the $800,000 in ARRA funds, and the BOE discussed the impact of using developer donations* and/or district dollars for the project. The three-room option would provide appropriate space for all the self-contained Special Education programs now at Hadley, and either option would offer some measure of relief for the crowded conditions at Hadley. The school has 10 portables and is using all three "pods" as classrooms, rather than for their intended purpose as large-group and performing space.

*Developer donations may be established by municipalities as a condition of approval and are intended to offset the stress that new developments put on government services such as schools, parks or libraries. Currently, D41's developer donation fund totals about $437,242. Developer donations must be used to benefit the students generated by the development; in the past, the district has used these funds for capital improvements at Hadley, because all students will benefit from them.

Next steps: The BOE will take action on authorizing the bid process at its Sept. 8 meeting. Once it receives the bids, it will decide whether to proceed with the project and if so, how to fund the portion not covered by ARRA funds.

UPCOMING MEETINGS
The next regular BOE meetings are set for Sept. 8 and Sept. 21, both at 7:30 p.m. at the Central Services Office, 793 N. Main St. The Sept. 21 meeting will be preceded by a short reception to welcome new staff members. The public is always welcome. Complete agendas and packets are posted at least 48 hours in advance of meetings on www.d41.org. Minutes are posted once approved.

CASE MATTERS
District 41 is a member of the Cooperative Association for Special Education (CASE), along with districts 15, 16, 44, 87, 89 and 93. CASE membership allows districts to provide more special education services than they could alone. Some CASE programs are housed in D41, and some D41 students attend CASE programs that are housed in other districts. This year, D41 is taking its rotation as the fiscal agent for CASE. In that capacity it is asked to affirm actions taken by the CASE Board of Directors, which is composed of the superintendents of the member districts. The BOE approved the following CASE actions, which are documented in the D41 Aug. 24 BOE packet: accounts payable and payroll matters, personnel and employment matters, a contract for actuarial services, matters pertaining to the renovations of Glenwood Academy, approval of the CASE 2009-2010 budget, and approval of the tentative agreement with the CASE Education Association. CASE Executive Director Georgia Peceniak explained that although it provides educational services, unlike school districts, CASE is not a taxing body; it receives its funds from the state and federal government, and directly from member districts. Most of its costs are flow-through expenses for which member districts are billed.

BOE APPROVES 2009-2010 BUDGET
The BOE approved the 2009-2010 budget, which has been on public display for more than a month. The $45,973,319 document lays out a spending plan for the year in alignment with the district's long-range plan and represents a 3.51% increase in revenues and a 2.27% increase in expenditures over last year. Local property taxes provide 85% of the district's funds; the remainder comes from a combination of other local revenues, and state and federal sources. 70% of the expenditures are for salaries and benefits. Other major categories of expenditures include school maintenance, curricular materials, supplies, equipment, and reserve funds needed to maintain consistent operations in case of emergencies, delays or decreases in state funding and other unexpected events. The budget is a spending plan, and the BOE may discuss, review and amend expenditures during the course of the year, with BOE action required for single expenditures of more than $10,000.

PIANO PURCHASE APPROVED
As part of the district's age and obsolescence plan, the BOE approved purchase of two Yamaha pianos for a total cost of $18,300 from Heavenly Pianos. The BOE had discussed this matter at its July 27 meeting. The new pianos will replace aging instruments at Hadley. (Note: the Music Education Foundation -MEF-generously donated $11,000 toward the piano purchase.)

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
A parent gave support to the idea of a special education addition at Hadley, and urged the BOE to consider the needs of elementary Special Education, particularly for a bathroom for the Modified Instructional Program housed at Benjamin Franklin. He also offered to volunteer, should the BOE decide to establish a stakeholder committee for Special Education.

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.

Please direct your questions or comments to our Communications Director, Julie Worthen at jworthen@d41.org.

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