Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education met Feb. 23

Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education met Feb. 23.

Here are the minutes provided by the board:

Call to Order

The Regular Business meeting of the Board of Education of Community Consolidated School District 181, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, was called to order by Board President William Cotter at 6:00 pm on February 23, 2026, at Hinsdale Middle School, 100 S. Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL.

Roll Call

Jean Duggan, Recording Secretary, took roll call. Board members present were William Cotter, Adam East, Meg Cooper, and Sinead Duffy. Absent: Margaret Kleber, Asim Aleem, and Grace Shin. Also present: Dr. Hector Garcia, Superintendent.

Pledge of Allegiance

William Cotter led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Executive Session

William Cotter made a motion to adjourn into Executive Session at 6:01 p.m. to discuss personnel and negotiations. Meg Cooper seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye”: William Cotter, Meg Cooper, Sinead Duffy, and Adam East. ”Nay”: None. Absent: Margaret Kleber, Grace Shin, and Asim Aleem. The motion carried.

Call to Order

Jean Duggan, Recording Secretary, took roll call at 7:06 p.m. Board members present were William Cotter, Grace Shin, Adam East, Margaret Kleber, Asim Aleem, Meg Cooper, and Sinead Duffy. “Nay:” None. Also present, Dr. Hector Garcia, Superintendent.

Public Comment

No public comment.

Informational Items

Investment Update

Ms. Mindy Bradford, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations, provided a quarterly update on the District’s investment program. She noted that there was a complete presentation of the Investment

Update shared at the recent Finance Committee meeting by Mr. Matt Hannigan, of PFM Asset Management, Inc. Below are highlights of his presentation based on the quarter ended December 31, 2025, and since inception:

Market Update/Current Market Themes

The U.S. economy remains resilient, but the recent government shutdown obscures the data

■ Inflation print is likely biased due to data collection gaps and technical adjustments

■ Unemployment rate trends higher with new job creation near zero

■ Strong consumer and business spending, along with steadier trade dynamics, support growth

The Fed lowered the target rate by 50 basis points in Q4 to 3.50% – 3.75%

■ Fed Chair Powell acknowledged ongoing challenges in achieving the Fed’s dual mandate of maximum employment and price stability

■ The Fed’s December “dot plot” indicates 25 bps of cuts in both 2026 and 2027, but the wide dispersion in underlying projections highlights differing views on the path forward

■ Market view policy is skewed towards additional easing, assuming a more dovish Chair takes office in mid-2026

The Treasury yield curve continues to steepen but remains inverted within 2 years.

● Front-end Treasury yields fell during the fourth quarter amid expectations of a Fed rate cut.

● Yields were range-bound as volatility waned into year-end

● Credit spreads widened marginally but remain near historically narrow levels

Long Term Portfolio

● Total Market Value as of December 31, 2024 = $16,362,570 (up approximately $5.7MM from 12/31/24, including the planned and approved $5M shift from the short-term portfolio in June 2025)

● Duration = 1.78 years (up .03 from 12/31/24)

● Yield at Cost = 4.04% (down .27 from 12/31/24)

● Yield at Market = 3.60% (down .75 from 12/31/24)

At a return rate of 3.35% (annualized, net of fee), the district’s long-term portfolio has outperformed the related benchmark by 16 basis points, net of fee, since inception (March 31, 2022), similar to the 17 bp outperformance since inception as of December 31, 2024.

Portfolio performance has exceeded the benchmark return, net of fees, over the past quarter (1 bps), the past year (14 bp), and the past three years (15 bp).

Short Term Portfolio

● Total Market Value as of December 31, 2025 = $37,059,056 (down approximately $7.9MM from 12/31/24, including our planned and approved $5M shift to the long-term portfolio in June 2025)

● Duration = 0.27 years (up .06 years from 12/31/24)

● Yield at Cost = 3.79% (down .88 from 12/31/24, as yield curve has inverted and rates have reduced)

● Yield at Market = 3.75% (down .81 from 12/31/24)

At a return rate of 4.06% (annualized, net of fee), the district’s short-term portfolio has outperformed the related benchmark by 10 basis points, net of fee, since inception (December 31, 2021), similar to the 9 bp outperformance since inception as of December 31, 2025.

Portfolio performance has exceeded the benchmark return, net of fees, over the past quarter (6 bps), the past year (12 bps), and the past three years (9 bps).

Student Services Mid-Year Report

Ms. Erica Ekstrom, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, presented the biannual update on the Student Services Department’s work, including services and programming for students with IEPs, students with 504s, and students receiving interventions.

Ms. Ekstrom shared that the report will present results from special education cohort data, including assessment and enrollment data, as well as updates on Student Service and MTSS programming.

She explained that district-wide data is used to observe trends and identify areas of need to support continuous improvement efforts. The analysis of Student Services data included information regarding:

● 4-year enrollment trends for students with IEPs and 504s

○ % of student enrollment with IEPs

■ 2025 – D181 – 12%

■ 2025 – State – 16.3%

○ Enrollment Trends

■ 2025 – Students with Disabilities (IEP and 504) – 682

■ 2025 – Students with IEPs – 429

■ 2025 – Students with 504s – 253

● Analysis of prevalent eligibility categories

○ Most prevalent eligibility categories in D181

■ Other Health Impairment – 23.8%

■ Developmental Delay – 23.4%

■ Speech and Language Impairment – 20.4%

● Analysis of the educational environment of special education services (ages 6-21)

○ Within General Education, greater than/equal to 80% of the school day

■ D181 – 81.9%

■ ISBE – 54.5%

○ Within General Education, between 40%-79% of the school day

■ D181 – 11.5%

■ ISBE – 25.6%

○ Within General Education, less than 40% of the school Day

■ D181 – 3.7%

■ ISBE – 13.3%

○ Services within Separate Facility

■ D181 – 2.9%

■ ISBE – 6.7%

○ Within general education, greater than/equal to 80% of the school day

■ 2025 – 82.3%

○ Within general education, between 40%-79% of the school day

■ 2025 – 10.8%

○ Within general education, less than 40% of the school day

■ 2025 – 4.6%

○ Services within a Separate Facility

■ 2028 – 2.3%

● Educational Environment – Ages 3-5

○ Inside EC

■ D181 – 67.9%

■ ISBE – 54.6%

○ Outside EC

■ D181 – 28.6%

■ ISBE – 14.9%

○ Separate Class/Facility

■ D181 – 3.6%

■ ISBE – 25.4%

○ At Home / Service Provider

■ D181 – 2.9%

■ ISBE – 5.1%

● Update on NWEA Fall to Winter Growth Data for students with IEPs and 504s

○ Fall to Winter 2025 MAP

■ SPED Reading District Achievement by School

● % of students with IEPs meeting FtoW Growth Targets

○ District – 65%

■ SPED Math District Achievement by School

● % of students with IEPs meeting FtoW Growth Targets

○ District – 69%

■ 504 Reading District Achievement by School

● % of students with 504s meeting FtW Growth Targets

○ District – 63%

■ 504 Math District Achievement by School

● % of students with IEPs meeting FtoW Growth Targets

○ District – 64%

MTSS – ELA, Math, and SEL Interventions

Ms. Ekstrom shared that the Multi-Tiered System of Supports, or MTSS, is a multi-tiered framework used within the general education system to promote student achievement, identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, and provide intervention support to students using evidence-based programs and teaching strategies (formerly known as Response to Intervention- RtI). MTSS is a proactive, preventative framework designed to increase overall achievement by identifying struggling learners as early as possible and providing support to minimize long-term learning issues.

In addition to providing an overview of MTSS, the following information was shared:

● Information on the timeline of MTSS throughout the school year

● An overview of the types of MTSS meetings, including meeting participants and the purpose of the meeting

● Overview of the criteria utilized to identify students potentially in need of interventions

● Overview of the current efforts the MTSS SAC is taking to enhance the MTSS process

○ LETRS Training

○ Intervention Mapping

○ Intervention and Data Analysis Training

○ Enhanced Communication

Ms. Ekstrom explained that D181 strives to ensure that digital spaces are as safe and welcoming as our physical spaces. This includes ensuring that digital spaces are supervised and monitored to the same high standard as physical spaces, and that students receive instruction and support to develop digital citizenship skills. The following information was shared:

● An overview of the internet and email protections in place

○ Web filter categorization

■ Hate, violence, social media, pornography

○ Filter actions based on website categorization or Google search keywords.

○ All faculty and students are subject to the District web filter on campus

○ Mechanisms are in place to alert appropriate administrative staff when student internet searches are flagged as potential instances of self-harm.

● An overview of student device restrictions

○ Student devices are enrolled in MDM systems and are restricted from installing apps and extensions on their own

○ Staff must go through an approval process when requesting that additional apps or extensions be added to student devices.

○ Apps requiring student account creation or Pll must comply with COPPA and FERPA, and are denied if they do not.

● Information to support parents with additional restrictions, should they choose to do so

● An overview of how these efforts are integrated as part of the district’s MTSS efforts

Staffing Report

Dr. Gina Herrmann, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, shared the annual staffing update. She said that she collaborated with the principals and District Administrators to assess the staffing needs for the 2026-2027 school year. She provided an overview of the preliminary staffing projections. The table below outlines the actual FY26 staffing allocations alongside the FY27 staffing projections.

Dr. Herrmann said the District would reduce elementary classroom teaching staff by 1.0 FTE. To better support students with the highest levels of need, we will add 0.5 FTE for a school psychologist and 1.0 FTE for a Resource Teacher. Also, the District will increase Physical Education staffing by 0.3 FTE to maintain the elementary PE teacher workload at 48 sections.

Celebrations and Student Activities Report

Ms. Karen O’Connor, Director of Communications, shared that District 181 is committed to providing a well rounded education that extends beyond academics.

Celebrations

District 181 announced that a group of esteemed educators was recognized with the prestigious 2026 Those Who Excel award from the Illinois State Board of Education. Since 1970, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) has sponsored the Those Who Excel and Teacher of the Year program to honor educators who have made significant contributions to our state’s public and non-public elementary and secondary schools. This award recognizes the dedication, innovation, and unwavering commitment of our staff to the success and well-being of our students. Those Who Excel awards have three categories: Award of Excellence, Award of Meritorious Service, and Award of Special Recognition.

Award of Excellence: Recipients have demonstrated a significant commitment to equity and student success, regularly collaborate to create positive school cultures, and serve as lifelong learners who inspire the broader community. Winners from D181 are:

● Jessica Brady, 4th-grade teacher at Oak School

● Christopher Reid, Pupil Service Administrator at Elm and Madison Schools

Award of Meritorious Service: These experienced educators have gone above and beyond, taking on leadership roles that uplift the culture of learning and becoming integral members of their districts. The following winners from D181 are:

● Kristin Cummings, Principal at Prospect School

● Erica Ekstrom, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services

● Mary Jo Guzaldo, Reading Specialist Teacher at Elm School

● Dr. Gina Herrmann, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources

● Yvonne Honings, Speech Language Pathologist at Clarendon Hills Middle School

● Melonie Jackson, 4th-grade teacher at Madison School

● Michelle Nugent, Pupil Service Admin at Walker and The Lane Schools

● Cassie Soofi, Speech Language Pathologist at Elm School

Award of Special Recognition: These individuals are valued members of the school community, recognized by colleagues, students, and families for the unique skills and passions they bring to their roles. From D181, the winners are:

● Mary Black, Instructional Assistant at Hinsdale Middle School

● Lisa Brough, Librarian at Clarendon Hills Middle School

● Mallory Roman, Resource Teacher at Hinsdale Middle School

The Board of Education extended its congratulations to all the educators from D181 who were recognized with these prestigious awards- we are proud of you and thankful for your service to our schools and community.

Congratulations to our D181 Spelling Bee Champions. The competition was fierce, culminating in a student from Hinsdale Middle School taking first place. The student secured his victory by correctly spelling the winning word, “contraband.” A student from Elm School earned a well-deserved second place. Both students will go on to represent District 181 at the upcoming county spelling bee later this semester. The third-place finish resulted in a tie between a student from The Lane School and a student from Monroe School.

Student Activities

District 181 offers a wide array of clubs, activities, and enrichment classes for diverse interests and all ages.

Action Items

Resolution Providing for the Abatement of Certain Taxes Levied by the District for the year 2025 with Respect to Certain Outstanding Bonds of Community Consolidated School District Number 181, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, for the Deposit of Certain Funds of the District into the Bond Fund of the District for the Bonds to be Abated

Mrs. Bradford shared that at the November 9, 2020, Board of Education meeting, the Board initially approved the recommendation for the District’s Abatement Strategy. That initial strategy has remained consistent since adoption and has been re-approved by the Board on an annual basis, following discussion and confirmation that it remains sound. That strategy includes a requirement to adjust the yearly proposed Abatement amount if the District’s Operating Fund Balance exceeds 50%, unless the Board has specifically restricted the balance over 50% for a specific purpose.

She said that, with assistance from the District’s financial advisor, Bob Lewis from PMA, the District worked to identify the best way to fulfill its fiduciary responsibility, not only to the District but also to the taxpayers. This analysis led to the plan to abate some of the Bond and Interest Levy that was not required to fund the related bond and interest payments.

Choosing to abate the Bond and Interest, rather than the Operating Funds, helps ensure a more stable/flexible rate without a permanent, compounding negative impact on the District’s Operating Funds. She explained that the purpose of these proposed abatements is to reduce the debt service portion of the community’s tax bills until the district’s ongoing annual debt service requirements are lower.

Mrs. Bradford recommended the following Bond and Interest Abatement amount:

● 2025 Estimated Total Bond and Interest Levy – $5,396,950

● Abatement Amount: – $2,000,000

● Adjusted/Net Bond & Interest Levy – $3,396,950

William Cotter made a motion to approve the Resolution Providing for the Abatement of Certain Taxes Levied by the District for the year 2025 with Respect to Certain Outstanding Bonds of Community Consolidated School District Number 181, DuPage and Cook Counties, Illinois, for the Deposit of Certain Funds of the District into the Bond Fund of the District for the Bonds to be Abated, as presented. Asim Aleem seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye:” William Cotter, Margaret Kleber, Adam East, Grace Shin, Asim Aleem, Meg Cooper, and Sinead Duffy. “Nay:” None. The motion carried.

Digital Learning Device Refresh

Mrs. Bradford shared that the administration was seeking Board approval to purchase 475 Chromebooks and related materials. She said the approval would allow the administration to continue supporting the Digital Learning Environment by replacing outdated equipment in accordance with the district’s previously approved device refresh schedule.

The plan is to purchase new Chromebooks for incoming 6th-grade students. These students will receive a new Chromebook to use throughout their three years in middle school.

The specifications of the equipment are as follows:

● 475x Lenovo 500e 2-in-1 Chromebook – 12.2″ – MediaTek Kompanio 2.6G – 8 GB RAM – 64 GB

● 475x Google Workspace licenses for Chrome

● 475x Targus Work-in Case (Model TKC001)

These proposed models are almost identical to the ones purchased in the Spring of the 2024-25 school year for use during the 2025-2026 school year.

The total purchase price of the Chromebooks and related materials is $232,441.25. The District’s FY26 Budget included a placeholder of $250,000 for the purchase of these devices, so the proposed purchase fits comfortably within the Budget.

Once approved, the Technology Department will work to procure and provision the equipment as quickly as possible to ensure that all devices are ready for students at the beginning of the 2026-2027 school year.

Meg Cooper made a motion to approve the purchase of 475 Chromebooks and associated items in accordance with the District’s digital device refresh schedule, as presented. Margaret Kleber seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye:” Sinead Duffy, Margaret Kleber, Adam East, Grace Shin, Asim Aleem, Meg Cooper, and Bill Cotter. “Nay:” None. The motion carried.

Summer Project Bid Approval and Award

Mike Duggan, Director of Facilities, presented the recommendation to approve the summer project bids. He shared that the original Facilities Master Plan was approved by the Board of Education in May 2018 based upon the Facilities Condition Assessment Report (FCAR – 2015- Wight and Company), Educational Adequacy Analysis (completed by Healy Bender), Health Life Safety Surveys (annually conducted by the ROE), Staff Surveys, Anecdotal Feedback and School Tours by committee members and the District Architect.

The 10-year project plans are revised annually, after the completion of the prior year’s summer projects. The timing of some projects may be moved due to changes in circumstances that necessitate completing them sooner or later than initially planned.

Pursuant to the Facilities Master Plan and the needs of the District, proposed capital projects were presented in October 2025 to the Finance Committee and the Board of Education, seeking authorization to prepare bidding documents and specifications for completion of those capital projects during the Summer of 2026.

Mr. Duggan noted that the District Architect, Wight and Co., oversees some of the proposed projects. The Architect prepares all plans, specifications, and bidding documents. Additionally, the Architect conducts site visits, prepares and submits all permits and payment requests, and reviews all vendor supporting documents.

The remaining recommended projects are completed in-house through cooperative purchasing, job order contracting, or cooperative contracting. Cooperative purchasing or contracting is “Procurement conducted by, or on behalf of, one or more Public Procurement Units” as defined by the American Bar Association Model Procurement Code for State and Local Governments. As an example, District 181 is a member of Sourcewell, a national cooperative purchasing agency. Sourcewell streamlines the materials procurement process by developing RFPs for national, competitive solicitations that meet or exceed local requirements. Similarly, cooperative contracting is an alternative procurement method for construction-related projects. This method utilizes pre-approved and pre-qualified contractors to perform a wide variety of renovation, repair, and minor construction projects with pre-approved pricing. These projects can be overseen by the District’s Facilities Department, thereby saving the District the soft costs associated with Architect projects.

Mr. Duggan provided the committee with rough estimates and bid amounts for the projects being recommended for completion during the Summer of 2026. These amounts and some projects have been updated from what was presented in October, as more detailed information and accurate pricing have become available upon the receipt of formal quotes. It should be noted that one proposed project (HMS PA replacement) was deferred due to a higher-than-expected cost. This project scope will be re-examined and may be rebid at a later date. In its place, the District added a project that was deferred last year: Monroe MRC Doors to Exterior.

The sub-total estimate for the in-house/JOC projects is $2,050,295.

The estimated total for the Summer Architect-led Projects (approval in March/April) is $195,000, bringing the total to $2,263,265.

Margaret Kleber made a motion to approve and award the Summer 2026 Project Bids, as presented. Grace Shin seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye:” Asim Aleem, Bill Cotter, Grace Shin, Sinead Duffy, Adam East, Margaret Kleber, and Meg Cooper. “Nay:” None. The motion carried.

Consent Agenda

Personnel

Administrators

Certified Licensed Educators

Classified Staff

Non-Union Classified

Summer School Staff

Approval of Minutes

The Board was asked to approve the following minutes:

● Regular Business Meeting – January 26, 2026

Monthly Financial Report

Monthly Financials

Operating Funds Year to Date:

● $39.4 MM: Trending favorable

○ Includes relief to the taxpayers

● Revenue $42.2 MM: Trending favorably

● Expenses $39.2 MM: Trending favorably

Release of Closed Session Minutes

The Board of Education reviewed closed session minutes on January 26, 2026. They reviewed minutes from August 2025 to December 2025, and recommended the following minutes be released to the public:

1. October 20, 2025

Destruction of Verbatim Record of Closed Session Minutes

The verbatim record of a closed session must be kept by the public body for a minimum of 18 months after the meeting and may be destroyed after the expiration of that period of time, but only if:

1. The public body approves the destruction.

2. The public body approves the written minutes of the closed session concerned, and 3. No legal action is pending regarding the meeting. 5 ILCS 120/2.06(c)

FOIA Update

Board Policy 2:250 Access to the District’s Public Records governs requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act. The policy states: “The Superintendent or designee(s) shall report any FOIA requests and the status of the District’s response to the Board at each regular Board meeting.”

The District received one FOIA request and completed one since the last FOIA update at the January 26, 2026, meeting.

Committee Reports

Academic Success Committee

The Academic Success Committee met on February 12, 2026. The topics for discussion were as follows:

● Special Education Mid-Year Report

● District Level Committee Updates

Finance Committee Meeting

The Finance Committee met on February 17, 2026. The topics for discussion were as follows:

● Monthly Financials

● Abatement Amount Decision/Resolution

● Investment Update

● Digital Learning Device Refresh (Chromebooks)

● Summer Project Bid Approval and Award

Payment of Bills and Reimbursements

Bills and reimbursements totaling $1,818.885.96 were presented.

William Cotter made a motion to approve the consent agenda as presented. Meg Cooper seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye:” Grace Shin, Asim Aleem, Margaret Kleber, Adam East, Sinead Duffy, Meg Cooper, and William Cotter. “Nay:” None. The motion carried.

Adjournment

William Cotter made a motion to adjourn at 8:12 p.m. Meg Cooper seconded the motion. All in favor. The motion carried.

https://d181.community.highbond.com/document/dc218f95-20e1-444f-9af4-65e83ab3e886/