Present: Board President Greg Robitaille, Vice President Lori Goldstein; Board Members: Cathleen Albrecht, Keith Dronen, Marc Glucksman, Patrick O’Donoghue Absent: Carol Ducommun
Administrators: Superintendent Paul Sally; Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Christopher Johnson; Secretary Superintendent Lou Anne Kelly; Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Peter Tragos; Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Timothy Hayes; Principal (Winnetka) Denise Dubravec; Principal (Northfield) Paul Waechtler. Public Comment: None Information Items: Construction Update (Christopher Johnson): Current state of Winnetka construction. Mostly weather-related items still open, still in final negotiations with subcontractors. Bond Issuance for Summer 2018 Project (Christopher Johnson): Public sale recommended by Raymond James over private sale, to occur this week. Moody’s gave District an unqualified Aaa rating, highest possible rating. Village of Winnetka Stormwater Project and Duke Childs Fields: Ad hoc committee to be formed to work with Village of Winnetka on its stormwater plan at Duke Childs; opportunity for District to make changes to fields if it so desires. Village of Winnetka Consideration of Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) District (Christopher Johnson and Guest Speaker, Christopher Rintz, Village of Winnetka President, speaking informally, not on behalf of Village): Rintz spoke informally to Board about Village’s potential plans for a TIF district to fund Village infrastructure; if formed, it would have implications on District 203 revenue. Johnson made suggestions about how District could reduce impact on revenue if it occurs. Much discussion on how TIF financing works, implications for District, potential steps to minimize impact. 2018-2019 Administrative Structure (Paul Sally): New administrative organizational charts for next school year revealed. Includes a new Asst. Supt. of Special Education position (instead of current Director of Special Education, which is currently filled on an interim basis by 2 individuals), for which there is a search process currently underway. Raising this position to the Asst. Supt. level intended to give Special Education a voice at table for all planning/analysis. Also includes a reorganization of Winnetka campus leadership (not an increase in administration, but a consolidation/redistribution of responsibilities). Board Member O’Donoghue requested that chart include full time equivalents (FTE) in chart so Board has an idea how many people work in different areas covered by chart, to better understand where dollars are allocated in budget process. Board Annual Planning Cycle and Foundations of Strategic Planning (Paul Sally): Starting 1) new process of annual plan for setting goals/evaluating progress of Superintendent and District and 2) development of a new long-term strategic plan, which hasn’t been done since 2005-2010 strategic plan. Board discussion considered whether new annual plan process is needed (i.e., may be redundant with annual reports already called for in District Calendar), or an important bringing together of different pieces in a more coherent process. No Board Member objected to starting annual new process, but open to tweaking it if redundancies emerge. New annual plan process not formally adopted, but may be adopted after assessing its usefulness. Next steps for long-term plan are to engage a strategic consultant and establish a core committee (including staff, board community, students), with hope to revisit not reinvent earlier plan. Treasurer’s and Financial Reports (Christopher Johnson): Snapshot reports, expect to be on budget for fiscal year. Budget Assumptions for 2018-2019 Fiscal Year (Christopher Johnson): Update of budget assumptions/parameters to inform development of next fiscal year’s budget, which is starting now and ultimately to be approved July/August. Discussion focused on specifics of various assumptions and how software District uses has informed process. Voting Items for BOE Members: Budget Calendar and Authorizing Administration to begin Budgeting Process for 2018-2019 Fiscal Year: All present voted yes (Ducommun absent). 2018/2019 School Calendar: All present voted yes (Ducommun absent). As approved: http://newtrier.k12.il.us/Calendars/School_Year_Calendars/School_Year_Calendar_2018-2019/ Consent Agenda: Bill List for December 1-31, 2017, Personnel Report, Construction Change Order #29, Alltown Transportation Contract Extension, Closed Session Records Review. All present voted yes (Ducommun absent). To see any documents from this meeting, click on the link below, then on Meetings (top right), then 2018 (left), then January 22, 2018, Regular Meeting of the Board of Education, then View the Agenda, then click on the document sign to the right of any agenda item: https://www.boarddocs.com/il/newtrier/Board.nsf/Public Next Meeting: February 19, 2018 Meeting Length: 2 hrs 4 minutes. Observer: Mary Lawlor
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Present: Board Vice President Lori Goldstein, Board Members Cathleen Albrecht, Keith Dronen, Carol Ducommun, Marc Glucksman.
Absent: Board President Greg Robitaille, Board Member Patrick O’Donoghue. Administrators: Superintendent Paul Sally; Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Christopher Johnson; Secretary Superintendent Lou Anne Kelly; Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Peter Tragos; Assistant Superintendent for Student Services Timothy Hayes; Principal (Winnetka) Denise Dubravec; Principal (Northfield) Paul Waechtler. Public Comment: Teacher Brian Van Mersbergen’s commendation of Dr. Sally. Information Items: Profile for Class of 2017 and Student Information Report (Peter Tragos) and 2016-2017 Extra Curricular Report (Timothy Hayes): Very dense reports including 1) information on Class of 2017’s academic awards/test results/course taking patterns/college matriculation and survey results from previous classes and 2) extracurricular participation (and trends among those not participating) for all classes during 2016-2017 school year. Much board discussion on details, meaning and usefulness of these reports and next steps for Administration to take. Monthly Construction Report (Christopher Johnson): Summarized current state of Winnetka campus renovation—nearly complete but still working on punch list and final negotiations with subcontractors. Total project cost has declined slightly but still not a final final number. Martin Luther King Day Update (Timothy Hayes): This is last year school will be in session on MLK day with major construction finished. Some teachers/departments working significance of MLK into their curricula for day, and there will be displays on MLK around campuses. Treasurer Report and Financial Reports (Christopher Johnson): Snapshot reports, still expect to be on budget for fiscal year. Summer 2018 Projects Update (Christopher Johnson): The Board has been talking for months about Summer 2018 projects (improvements to student services and administrative offices at Winnetka and athletic and parking lot improvements at Northfield), to be funded by up to $7 million in working cash bonds and a donation for the tennis courts from the Eckert Foundation. Discussion focused on tennis court changes and whether to include bleachers. Voting Items for BOE members: Facilities Financing Bond for Summer 2018 Projects: Approved issuance of up to $7 million in 10-year working cash bonds to fund the Summer 2018 projects. Public sale or private placement, evaluated daily. All present voted in favor (Robitaille and O’Donoghue absent). Construction Management: Approved construction management contract for Summer 2018 project to Pepper Construction. All present voted in favor (Robitaille and O’Donoghue absent). Consent Agenda: Bill List November 1-30, 2017; Personnel Report; Construction Change Order #28; Cashman Stahler Group Facilities Assessment Contract; Authorization to Purchase Press Box; Authorization to Purchase Bleachers. After removal of Bleacher Purchase from the Consent Agenda, all present voted in favor (Robitaille and O’Donoghue absent). Authorization to Purchase Bleachers: Approved bleacher purchase for Summer 2018 project. Albrecht voted against, all others present voted in favor (Robitaille and O’Donoghue absent). Albrecht argued waiting until after facilities study completed and bleacher improvements could be prioritized against other projects and surveying students to see if more will come to games if bleachers expanded. Others noted New Trier having lowest home capacity/student population ratio by far among conference and similar schools, parent complaints about overcrowding, wanting a safe place for students to be on a Friday night and for students to be in stands and not other places on campus during games, and wanting to encourage school spirit. To see any documents from this meeting, click on the link below, then on Meetings (top right), then 2017 (left), then December 18, 2017, Regular Meeting of the Board of Education, then View the Agenda, then click on the document sign to the right of any agenda item: https://www.boarddocs.com/il/newtrier/Board.nsf/Public Next meeting: January 22, 2018 Observer: Cindy Levine Meeting Length: 2 hr. |
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