The District 64 Board of Education held a regular meeting on Thursday, June 15th, at the Jefferson Early Childhood Center.
Judith L. Snow Award Winners
Every year we have the privilege of recognizing two students from each middle school and presenting them with the Judith L. Snow Ethical Leadership Award. This award was created by the Elementary Learning Foundation (ELF) to recognize students who showcase ethical leadership. Thanks to the partnership with the Lincoln and Emerson PTOs, four deserving 8th graders are awarded the prize annually.
All D64 8th-grade students are eligible for the award. Their application includes an essay and a recommendation from a teacher and a community member.
We are proud to honor this year’s Judith L. Snow Ethical Leadership Award recipients. From Emerson: Michael Maranto and Kaelyn Yager. From Lincoln: Fernanda Trujillo and Logan Hinton.
Pictured above from left to right: Emerson's Kaelyn Yager and Lincoln's Logan Hinton
Approval of Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning
Motion approved
The District 64 Board of Education voted to appoint Dr. Samantha Alaimo as the new Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning, effective July 1st.
Dr. Alaimo has been the Emerson Principal since 2019, leading the District’s largest school. Before that, she served as the Associate Principal at Emerson for a year. She replaces Dr. Lori Lopez, who is leaving the District this summer after dedicating 11 years to the community.
“She has been an amazing principal that I’ve also had the pleasure of working with in my current role at Maine South for the past four years. She’s done incredible work at Emerson.” said incoming Superintendent Dr. Ben Collins. “One of the things that I think about regarding Samantha is just how focused on excellence she is. When you talk to her, she’s just so driven with making sure that students and staff have what they need.”
You can read more about Dr. Alaimo’s appointment here.
Approval of Director of Technology
Motion approved
The District 64 Board of Education voted to appoint Matthew Tombs as the new Director of Technology, effective July 1st.
Mr. Tombs comes to District 64 after serving as the Director of Innovation and Technology in River Forest School District 26. He replaces Mary Jane Warden, who is leaving D64 after nearly a decade in the District.
“We were lucky enough to find Matt because of his experience and his background not only in the classroom but at the district level as well,” said Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Joel Martin. “Additionally, one of the things that stuck out for us through the interview process was his passion for integrating technology and being in the buildings and working with the teachers and principals and making sure that we’re integrating technology seamlessly with the curriculum.”
You can read more about Mr. Tomb’s appointment here.
Approval of Emerson Middle School Principal
Motion approved
The District 64 Board of Education voted to appoint Tessa Shulman as the new Principal at Emerson Middle School, effective July 1st.
Mrs. Shulman has been an assistant principal at Emerson since 2020 and is taking over for Dr. Alaimo. Mrs. Shulman has also served as the District 64 Summer School Principal for the past two years and has held numerous leadership roles at Emerson. She coordinated and supervised the MTSS process and implementation for Tiers I, II, and III at Emerson and led Behavior Team committees.
“Rarely in an interview when the candidate has left the room, have I sat back and listened to everybody just tell positive story after positive story about literally every aspect of the school,” said incoming Superintendent Dr. Ben Collins. “It got to the point where it was like, okay, let’s talk about some of the weaknesses, and it was just crickets because she’s amazing. She is an absolute leader who puts her heart on her sleeve and lets everybody know that she’s there for them.”
You can read more about Mrs. Shulman’s appointment here.
Approval of Recommended Personnel Report
Motion approved
Part of this week’s personnel report was the appointment of Noel Mendoza as the new Director of Facility Management. The District 64 Board of Education voted to approve the selection, effective July 1st.
Mr. Menzoa is already very familiar with our buildings and projects, as he has served as the Assistant Director of Facility Management in D64 since 2021. He will be replacing Anthony Bersani.
“Noel has a lot of experience, and we’ve seen him grow here in his work at D64, and we are looking forward to this opportunity for him to become the Director,” said Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources Dr. Joel Martin. “He’s been intimately involved in all of the projects that Adam and Tony have been working on for the last year and a half. So we really think this will be a great opportunity for Noel and a smooth transition for us.”
You can read more about Mr. Mendoza’s appointment here.
Discussion and Approval of Administrative and Exempt Salary Increases
Motion approved
This year’s raise for all administrative and exempt staff would decrease the district’s total cost by $58,541 this year. As a means of comparison, last year’s raise was an increase of $56,680. This amount continues to be greatly reduced the past few years due to new administrators coming in for those who are leaving with larger salaries.
Consent Agenda
Motion approved
Bills, Payroll, & Benefits
Approval of Financial Update for the Period Ending April 30, 2023
Adoption of Resolution #1312 for Safety Hazards (Transportation)
Adoption of Resolution #1313 Authorizing & Directing the Permanent Transfer of Money
from the Operations & Maintenance Fund to the Debt Service Fund for Debt Certificates
Adoption of Resolution #1314 Authorizing & Directing the Permanent Transfer of Money from the Education Fund to the Debt Service Fund for VOIP & Copier Leases
Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with Illinois Department of Healthcare & Family Services
Approval of Intergovernmental Agreement with the Park Ridge Park District
Approval of District 64 FOIA Officers
Destruction of Audio Closed Recordings (none)
Adoption of Resolution #1315 Authorizing Payment of Bills
Motion approved
Approval of Minutes
Motion approved
Planning for 2024 Construction
CSBO Dr. Adam Parisi and Wight & Company gave an initial presentation on proposed construction projects for the summer of 2024.
- You can view that presentation starting on page 10
Dr. Parisi and Wight located some of the most pressing items throughout the District that could be addressed in 2024:
5 gymnasium floors at Carpenter, Field, Franklin, Roosevelt, Washington
- Lunch table replacement as part of the project
Exterior Doors District-Wide
- Carpenter (10 doors)
- Field (8 doors)
- Franklin (12 doors)
- Roosevelt (12 doors) + 1 overhead ramp dock door
- Washington (12 doors) + 1 overhead ramp dock door
- Emerson (10 doors)
- Lincoln (14 doors) + 2 overhead ramp dock doors
Dr. Parisi presented to the Board that as a starting point, this would be a $2 million Capital Spending Plan. This construction will be part of the regular budget, and no additional money will be borrowed.
Now, Dr. Parisi and Wight will start the bidding process to get a better understanding of the cost of these proposals.