Recognition of Board members and summer school plans are reported in separate items below. Here are the other news highlights of the meeting:
- Public hearing on 2017 tax levy will be held December 11 - The date of the public hearing was confirmed for December 11 at 6:45 p.m. at Jefferson School (multipurpose room), 8200 Greendale, Niles. Discussion continued on the tentative levy and focused on adjustments to the loss and cost factors applied by the County Clerk.
- 2017 student achievement and annual School Report Cards reviewed - The District reported on student performance on the 2016-17 Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments in reading and math as well as the spring 2017 PARCC assessment in English Language Arts (ELA) and math required by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). Visit the Student Achievement webpage for a full overview of both the MAP and PARCC data. The Board also reviewed the annual ISBE School Report Card that shows performance on a range of indicators for each school, district, and the state. Convenient, "at-a-glance" versions of the report cards for D64 and each of our schools are posted on this webpage. Or, visit the ISBE's interactive website directly to explore a wide array of easy-to-understand data about District 64 schools and others across Illinois. A printed copy of the Report Card is available by phoning the Department for Student Learning at 847-318-4300.
- Agreements being drafted for SRO pilot program at Lincoln and Emerson - D64 reported that work is continuing on drafts of the agreements with the City of Park Ridge and Village of Niles to create a School Resource Officer (SRO) pilot program. Park Ridge is projected to review the draft in December; the timing is not yet known for Niles. The D64 Board is not expected to receive the drafts until they have been approved by both local governments.
- Electricity contract and rain garden agreement approved - The Board authorized a contract to purchase electricity for up to five years through a competitive bidding process, and also approved a settlement agreement with architects for a 2016 rain garden installation at Lincoln that failed to meet expectations to mitigate flooding.
- Director of Student Services will retire - The Board accepted the retirement letter of Director Jane Boyd effective Friday, December 1. Ms. Boyd is in her fourth year with District 64, and is wrapping up a lengthy career in special education as a teacher and administrator in many suburban school districts. “Ms. Boyd’s depth of experience, approach to problem-solving, continuous improvement mindset, and emphasis on research-based best practices enhanced her leadership during a time of change in how student services are delivered in Illinois, and her work will have a lasting impact in District 64,” according to Superintendent Laurie Heinz. District 64 will appoint an interim director to lead the department for the remainder of the 2017-18 school year, and will launch a search for a new director early in 2018 to join the District 64 leadership team on July 1, 2018.
Washington Student Council led D64 Board recognition this year
District 64 joined with other Illinois districts to thank the members of our Board of Education for their contributions in making decisions as the elected representatives of Park Ridge-Niles residents to ensure opportunities for local students to learn and succeed during their years in District 64 and as they advance to high school and beyond. Washington School students had the opportunity of presenting certificates of appreciation to the Board when it met there on Monday, November 13. Our Board includes: Anthony Borrelli, President; Rick Biagi, Vice President; Tom Sotos, Secretary; and members Mark Eggemann, Larry Ryles, Fred Sanchez and Eastman Tiu. We invite you to contact them via our website.
Washington, Lincoln will host 2018 Worlds of Wonder
The "Worlds of Wonder" summer program for 2018 will be held at Washington School (completing grades K-3) and Lincoln Middle School (completing grades 4-7). Two, 14-day sessions are planned: Session 1: Tuesday, June 5 - Friday, June 22; and Session 2: Monday, June 25 - Friday, July 13 (no school Wednesday, July 4). Online registration will open Thursday, March 1 at 10 a.m., and will close on Wednesday, May 30. District 64 resident priority registration will end April 15. Look for course information in February!