Quincy Reporter

Community Consolidated School District 181 Board of Education met Feb. 24.

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 24, 2025, at Hinsdale Middle School, 100 S. Garfield Ave., Hinsdale, IL.

Roll Call

Jean Duggan, Recording Secretary, took roll call. Board members present were Margaret Cooper, Grace Shin, William Cotter, Sinead Duffy, Michael Martin, and Asim Aleem. Absent: Margaret Kleber. 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 6:05 p.m. to discuss personnel. Michael Martin seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye”: Grace Shin, Margaret Cooper, William Cotter, Michael Martin, Asim Aleem, and Sinead Duffy. ”Nay”: None. Absent: Margaret Kleber. The motion carried.

Call to Order

Jean Duggan, Recording Secretary, took roll call at 7:05 p.m. Board members present were William Cotter, Grace Shin, Margaret Cooper, Sinead Duffy, Asim Aleem, and Michael Martin. “Nay:” None. Absent: Margaret Kleber. Also present, Dr. Hector Garcia, Superintendent.

Board of Education Celebrations

The Board celebrated the thirteen D181 educators who received ISBE "Those Who Excel" awards. The Board noted that their dedication and commitment to the D181 students are truly appreciated.

The Board of Education celebrated Oak School’s designation as a Model PLC at Work® school by Solution Tree! The Board noted that Oak School has diligently implemented the Professional Learning Communities (PLC) framework for years, focusing on continuous improvement and student success. This recognition places them among a select group of schools nationwide that are leading the way in collaborative learning.

Board President Cotter shared that the Board was deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Ronald Simcox, a respected educator who served as Superintendent of District 181 for 23 years. Dr. Simcox's dedication to the district and community left a lasting legacy, and his commitment to District 181 will always be remembered. The Board extended their condolences to his family, friends, and the D181 community.

Public Comment

No Public Comment.

Action Items

A resolution providing for the abatement of certain taxes levied by the District for the year 2024 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 respective bond funds of the District for such bonds to be abated

Ms. Bradford explained that choosing to abate the Bond and Interest and not the Operating Funds helps to ensure a more stable/flexible rate without a permanent, compounding negative impact on the District’s Operating Funds. The proposed abatements reduce the debt service portion of the community's tax bills until the district's annual debt service requirements are lower. The Board agreed and supported the recommendation of the Resolution Authorizing Abatement of the 2024 Bond and Interest Levy for $2,000,000

William Cotter made a motion to approve the resolution providing for the abatement of certain taxes levied by the District for the year 2024 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 respective bond funds of the District for such bonds to be abated as presented. Asim Aleem seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye:” Meg Cooper, Sinead Duffy, Bill Cotter, Grace Shin, Asim Aleem, and Michael Martin. “Nay:” None. Absent: Margaret Kleber. The motion carried.

Approval and Award of Summer Project Bids

Mike Duggan, Director of Facilities, presented the Summer 2025 capital projects, including door and hardware upgrades, paving, and a door remodel project. He said that these projects align with the district's goal of maintaining high-quality facilities that support student learning and were all previously presented at the Board Meeting on October 21, 2024.

Highlights:

● Summer 2025 Capital Projects:

○ Elm - Flooring Replacement

○ HMS - Washington Field Upgrades

○ Madison - Window Upgrades

○ Monroe - LED Replacement & Retrofit

○ Oak - Hallway Tile Replacement

○ Oak - New Playground (Includes PIP)

○ Oak - Addition of Bollards along 55th St.

○ Prospect -Poured in Place

○ Walker - MRC Remodel

○ Walker - Flooring Replacement

○ Walker - Taraflex Floor Replacement

○ Elm - Elm Kindergarten Door

○ Prospect, Elm, and Madison - Door and Hardware Upgrades

○ The Lane - Paving Work

The total gross cost of the 2025 Summer Capital Projects is approximately $2.3 million (with a net cost of approximately $2.2 million after the School Maintenance Grant and the LED Incentive payments are used to help offset a portion of the gross costs

William Cotter made a motion to approve the Summer Projects Bid and Award as presented. Michael Martin seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye:” Meg Cooper, Sinead Duffy, Bill Cotter, Grace Shin, Asim Aleem, and Michael Martin. “Nay:” None. Absent: Margaret Kleber. The motion carried.

Approval of Backup Internet & WAN Services and Associated Equipment

Ms. Bradford and Matt Kunesh, Director of Technology, presented the recommendation for the approval of establishing a redundant internet and WAN infrastructure alongside necessary equipment upgrades. This initiative aims to enhance network reliability and ensure consistent connectivity while generating cost savings for the district.

Highlights:

● Redundancy Implementation: Propose establishing a 36-month backup internet connection with Comcast for our seven schools and with AT&T for the district office, complementing the primary Illinois Century Network (ICN) connection to the schools, which will be provided by AT&T. This ensures failover capabilities for both WAN links and internet access, allowing for continuity of service in the event of an outage.

● Infrastructure Upgrade: To support the redundant WAN and internet connections, the core switches at Hinsdale Middle School will be replaced. The current switches cannot handle the necessary fiber handoffs. This is a one-time expense of $65,578.72, budgeted for in FY26.

● Cost Savings and Efficiency: This initiative results in an approximate annual savings of $52,620 compared to our current primary service provided by Metronet. The total yearly cost for the backup connections will be approximately $115,380.

William Cotter made a motion to approve the establishment of a redundant internet and WAN infrastructure alongside necessary equipment upgrades, as presented. Meg Cooper seconded the motion. On roll call, the following members voted “Aye:” Meg Cooper, Sinead Duffy, Bill Cotter, Grace Shin, Asim Aleem, and Michael Martin. “Nay:” None. Absent: Margaret Kleber. The motion carried.

Informational Items

Construction Update (Financials)

Ms. Bradford presented information on the Full-Day Kindergarten spending through January 2025. The actual spend to date is $13,492,012, representing approximately 70% of the budget. Ms. Bradford shared that Walker is the only school that will have fully used its contractor allowance and will start using a portion of the contingency for that project. That being said, Ms. Bradford indicated that there were no concerns with being over budget on any of the school’s total budgets or on the overall budget at this time.

Ms. Bradford then presented information on the 133 Ogden project spending through January 2025. She noted that the total budgeted costs for this project are $5,105,500, and actual costs to date were $797,207 (16%). Mr. Duggan confirmed that more than 16% of the contractor work has been completed to date, but that the new contractor has been a little delayed in submitting their pay applications. Ms. Bradford indicated that the District is aggressively managing the contingency and is trending on track.

Special Education Mid-Year Report

Erica Ekstrom, Assistant Superintendent of Student Services, presented a mid-year report on Special Education and the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).

Ms. Ekstrom shared information about the results of the special education student cohort NWEA MAP data, an update on the work of the Literacy Pilot for specialized programs, and an update on the work of the Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Committee.

Ms. Ekstrom explained that District-wide data is utilized to observe trends or identify areas of need. This data is divided into deciles, grade levels, and school groups.

Ms. Ekstrom noted the following:

● The percentage of students with disabilities has remained stable (2024: 11.6 %)

● The most prevalent eligibility categories remain stable with the top three being Speech and Language Impairment (23.5%), Developmental Delay (23%), and Other Health Impairment (22.1%)

MAP Performance Data:

The grade-appropriate MAP assessments were administered to all grades 1-7 students based on the District 181 Assessment Calendar. The fall administration provides a data point for where to begin instruction, provide support, and enrich the curriculum for students.

Special Education student cohort data was presented. Additionally, this information was used to understand student growth throughout the school year and to adjust support as necessary.

Specialized Programs-Literacy Pilot Update:

Ms. Ekstrom shared that the D181 target for a curriculum renewal cycle is 5 years. K-5 ELA curriculum resources in alignment with structured literacy and the Illinois Literacy plan are being reviewed. As part of this work, Early Childhood and RISE/Foundations curriculum committees have also been reviewing curriculum resources. Early Childhood will pilot Benchmark Ready to Advance and Creative Curriculum with Kickstart Literacy. Intensive interventions will be piloted within special education programming, including RISE and Foundations. Lexia (Core 5 and Power Up), Language Live, and Read 180 are being considered. All of these resources are in alignment with the science of reading research, as well as district literacy efforts.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Update:

Ms. Ekstrom shared that feedback was collected from the MTSS committee regarding last year’s Satchel Pulse pilot. The feedback detailed that Satchel Pulse continues to be a valuable resource for assessing students’ social-emotional skills and providing lessons targeted to individual student needs. The goal of the MTSS committee is to have an evidence-based social-emotional curricular resource that supports SEL skill development and academic/school success and incorporates a developmental scope and sequence.

She noted that this year, the committee will review research, programs, product samples, and feedback from districts currently using these resources to narrow the curricular resource selection that will be piloted. She said that Second Step has been identified as a curricular resource to pilot during the 2025-26 School Year. Throughout the pilot, staff will assess the effectiveness of Second Step utilizing an established rubric, and these results will be compared with the current curricular resource, Satchel Pulse. She said that continued updates regarding this curricular work will be brought to ASC and the Board of Education during the 2024- 2025 school year.

Social Studies Resource Recommendation

Kristin Reingruber, Director of Assessment, Instruction, and Evaluation, shared information on the recommendation for a Social Studies Resource. In D181, the target for a curriculum renewal cycle is five years. The last social studies resource pilot and purchase was for the 2018-2019 school year.

First and second grade uses Benchmark and CustomEd supplements, third grade uses TCI, and fourth through eighth grade uses Pearson. The Social Studies Subject Area Committee researched and planned during the 2023-2024 school year for a 2024-2025 pilot.

The resources considered and selected to pilot are as follows:

● Cengage National Geographic (MS) - selected to pilot

● Imagine Learning Traverse (MS)

● InquirED Inquiry Journeys (ES) - selected to pilot

● McGraw Hills Impact (ES)

● Nystrom Young Citizens (ES)

● TCI Social Studies Alive (MS and ES) - selected to pilot

Ms. Reingruber shared that the Administration and Subject Area Committee solicited information regarding Social Studies curricular resources from suburban districts. Publishers provided our Subject Area Committee with samples at the District’s request.

The Subject Area Committee reviewed all resources, prioritizing inquiry opportunities, a cohesively organized resource, alignment with the Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science, a robust online component, physical student resources, assessments, and differentiated materials to meet the needs of all students (above, at, below grade level). The publishers presented to the Subject Area Committee and selected two resources to pilot at each level.

All pilot teachers completed a comprehensive rubric that included alignment to standards and grade appropriate elements, consistent and coherent content, instructional supports, assessment, indicators of quality, and digital components. Pilot teachers provided a rating and narrative feedback on each rubric component.

The SAC recommendation and TCI feedback was as follows:

● Intuitive, highly engaging standards-aligned resource

● Highly customizable to meet student needs

● Combination of physical and digital resources

● Efficient teacher resources that assist with grading and planning

● Engaging games that reinforce social studies vocabulary and content

● Various opportunities to engage students in inquiry

● Student and teacher both receive physical text and digital resources

● Activity Cards and Placards (maps, game boards, manipulatives, primary sources, etc).

The TCI Implementation and the K-8 Student Bundle with 5-year access cost $343.752.00. The Student Bundle has a multi-year subscription to TCI’s print Student Journals and an Elementary or Middle School Social Studies Student License, giving students two ways to access the content they need to learn and master state Social Studies and ELA standards.

The K-5 Activity Card cost $23,691.00. The Activity Cards are laminated, reusable cards with vibrant, interactive content for students. The cards include large maps, game boards, and manipulatives that can be cut out and reused year after year.

The Virtual Product Orientation costs $4,000. This will be held with all K-8 social studies staff at the June Institute Day 2025.

The total cost is $389,097.55.

Celebrations and Student Activities Report

Dr. Jeffrey Alstadt, Director of Communications, presented an overview of student activities, clubs, and recent celebrations in District 181. This presentation highlighted the district's commitment to providing a well rounded education that extends beyond academics.

Highlights:

● Diverse Opportunities: D181 offers a wide array of clubs and activities, including academic, artistic, athletic, community service, and special interest options, catering to diverse interests and all age groups.

● Recent Celebrations: The presentation celebrated recent student achievements, including the D181 Spelling Bee, Basketball conference championships, music program performances in Orlando, and the Hinsdale Middle School Jazz Band's feature on WGN Midday Fix.

● Enrichment Programs: Beyond school-sponsored clubs, D181 partners with external providers to offer enrichment programs such as BAM Theatre, Golf Club, Chess Club, and various others.

● Benefits of Participation: These activities foster academic achievement, social-emotional growth, and community engagement.

Staffing Report

Dr. Gina Herrmann, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources, presented preliminary staffing projections for the 2025-2026 school year to the Board of Education. The report highlighted the strategic planning and resource allocation to meet district needs, aligning with the goals to provide a high-quality curriculum and retain high-quality staff.

Highlights:

● Staffing Projections: Projected staffing needs for the 2025-2026 school year were presented, considering the transition to a full-day kindergarten model.

● Increased Staffing: Overall staffing is projected to increase by 14.7 FTE, with 14.6 of those positions dedicated to the full-day kindergarten program.

● Next Steps: Financial implications will be reflected in the June budget documents.

FOIA Update

Dr. Garcia shared that the District received two requests and completed both since the last FOIA update at the January 27, 2025, Board meeting.

Consent Agenda

Personnel

Certified Licensed Educators

ResignationName Position Location Effective DateKathleen Gonzalez Social Worker Prospect February 11, 2025Gretchen Pearson Nerad Orchestra Teacher HMS June 2025

HCHTA Notice of Retirement under the July 1, 2023-June 30, 2027 ContractName Position School Retirement dateLaura Duffy Physical Education Prospect June 2029Susan Eggers Differentiation Specialist Oak June 2029William Eggert TOSA Districtwide June 2029Kathleen Eggert Language Arts Teacher HMS June 2029Alison Bergin Kindergarten Teacher Prospect June 2029Annette Madaj Math Content Specialist Elem. Buildings June 2029Tara Murphy Gr. 5 Teacher The Lane June 2029Lorene Himpelmann Differentiation Specialist Madison June 2029Frank Rossi Applied Tech Teacher CHMS June 2029Heather Serrano Gr. 1 Teacher Walker June 2029Wendy McGreal Gr. 5 Teacher The Lane June 2029

Leave of Absence, change in return to work dateName Position Location Return DateKatherine Kurschat Teacher, Grade 1 Madison June 2, 2025

Exempt Staff

Employment Name Position Location FTE Salary SY25 Effective DateAlyssa Gawron Human Resources Assistant Admin. 1.0 $60,000.00 (pro-rated to $21,691.31) Feb. 19, 2025

Classified Staff

Employment Name Position Location FTE Hourly rate Effective DateJennifer Robinson Instructional Assistant-RISE Walker 1.0 $22.03 February 4, 2025Charlene Ilagan Help Desk Tech Elm/The Lane 1.0 $21.81 March 3, 2025

Summer School Staff

Employment, Summer Programs Name Position Rate Effective DateRonald May Summer School Administrator $8,000 stipend Jan-June, 2025

Susan Reeder Summer Program Admin. Asst. $3,000 stipend for June, $22.09/hr approved addl. hours Feb-MayFeb-June, 2025Mary Collins Summer Program Admin. Asst. $3,000 stipend for June, $22.09/hr approved addl. hours Feb-MayFeb-June, 2025

Approval of Minutes

The Board was asked to approve the following minutes:

● Regular Business Meeting - January 27, 2025

Monthly Financial Report

The Board was asked to approve the monthly financial reports from January 2025.

Digital Learning Device Refresh (Chromebooks)

The Board was asked to approve the purchase of Chromebooks. The specifications of the equipment are as follows:

● 475x Lenovo 500e Chromebook (3rd Gen) - 12.2" - Intel N9100 - 8 GB RAM - 64 GB

● 475x Google Workspace licenses for Chrome

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

These are the same models purchased during the 2023-24 school year. The purchase price of the Chromebooks and related materials is $231,143.The District’s FY25 Budget included a placeholder of $250,000 for these devices, so the recommended purchase is within the previously approved FY25 Budget.

Administrative Center Network Equipment Purchase

The Board was asked to approve the purchase of network infrastructure that must be installed to provide wired and wireless connectivity for staff and district operations. The network equipment being procured will ensure seamless integration with the district’s existing network and provide connectivity to essential devices and services.

The following equipment will be purchased and installed:

● 1 Cisco Core Switch – Facilitates WAN connectivity between the new administrative center and Hinsdale Middle School (HMS)

● 4 Cisco Edge Switches – Provides wired connectivity for wireless access points, printers, phones, and endpoint devices

● Wireless Access Points (APs) – To ensure adequate wireless network coverage throughout the building ○ 7 existing APs from the old administrative center will be re-used ○ 17 new APs will be purchased to provide full coverage for the new facility This purchase includes both the hardware and configuration services required for deployment.

The total cost for network equipment and configuration services is $102,824.41 (vs. $150,000 budget).

Committee Reports

Finance / Facilities Committee

● The Finance and Facilities Committee met on February 18, 2025. The topics for discussion were as follows:

○ Monthly Financials

○ Abatement Amount Decision/Resolution

○ Approval of Back-Up Internet & WAN Services and Associated Equipment

○ Administrative Center Network Equipment Purchase

○ Digital Learning Device Refresh (Chromebooks)

○ Summer Project Bid Approval and Awards

Academic Success Committee

● The Academic Success Committee met on February 13, 2025. The topics for discussion were as follows:

○ Special Education Mid-Year Report

○ Social Studies Resource Recommendation

○ District-Level Committee Updates

Gifts and Contributions

The Board was asked to accept the following gift with gratitude:

Donor Name: Madison School PTO

Donation: $25,022.45 for Outdoor Classroom Seating, Pavers, and Landscaping Beneficiary: Madison School Students and Staff

Value: $25,022.45

Payment of Bills and Reimbursements

Bills and reimbursements were presented in the amount of $1,043,413.93

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:” William Cotter, Grace Shin, Margaret Cooper, Sinead Duffy, and Michael Martin. “Nay:” None. Absent: Margaret Kleber. The motion carried.

Adjournment

William Cotter made a motion to adjourn at 8:05 p.m. Asim Aleem seconded the motion. All in favor. The motion carried.

https://go.boarddocs.com/il/hccsdil/Board.nsf/files/DEGMWN5D3DF5/$file/2025_02_24_Reg.%20Bus.%20Mtg.%20Min..pdf