Highlights from the meeting include:
- Student Learning and Technology: Strategic Plan Update(Committee-of-the-Whole meeting) - Now entering the third year of the 2020 Vision Strategic Plan, District 64 updated the Board on the plan's continuous improvement mindset and progress across all six Strategic Objectives. A deeper review was provided on the student learning objectives, which emphasize three key ideas: how effective teachers select strategies that cause the greatest learning; how effective school districts measure students' status (overall achievement) and growth; and how effective teams of teachers have access to everyone's best ideas. Previously this fall, the District updated the Board on the objectives related to finances and facilities, which are foundational to the plan.
- Long-range financial projection assumptions verified - The Board reviewed the revenue and expenditure assumptions within the projections that track the District's expected operating fund balance for future years. Every major financial decision that the Board considers typically involves reviewing financial projections to see what the long-term impact may be. The District ended the 2016-17 fiscal year with a total Operating Funds balance of $45.9 million or 64.7%. Based on current assumptions, the projections indicate the Board will not only meet its promise to taxpayers as part of the 2007 referendum to not request additional referendum funding for at least 10 years, but extend it to at least the 2020-21 fiscal year.
- 2017 tax levy cycle gets underway - District 64 reported how the property tax cap is calculated, and how the tax levy is structured including an estimate for new property EAV. A decade of the District's levy history was also reviewed. At the October 23 meeting, the Board will be asked to adopt a proposed 2017 tentative levy and set a date for a public hearing. The final levy will be adopted in December.
- Tour and recap of Roosevelt School proposed summer 2018 projects -
During a short tour of the first floor, Roosevelt Principal Kevin Dwyer (PHOTO - blue shirt/right) briefed the Board and community members on the scope of the proposed learning environment and security enhancements recommended to be completed at the school in summer 2018. The Roosevelt projects are among a slate of $8.4 million in summer 2018 facility projects across the District prioritized from the10-year Health Life Safety survey and Master Facilities Plan presented for discussion at the September 18, 2017 Committee-of-the-Whole meeting. Further discussion and authorization to prepare construction documents for some or all of the summer projects is expected at the October 23 Board meeting. A financial framework is already in place to fund proposed 2018 work.