The District 64 Board of Education held a regular meeting on Thursday, December 19, in the Hendee Rooms at the Jefferson Early Childhood Center. You can watch or listen to a meeting replay on our YouTube page.
D64 Shining Stars
Update on Referendum Bonds
We received an outlook on the financial market to help the School Board determine when to issue the bonds from the 2024 Referendum. Elizabeth Hennessy, managing director at Raymond James, and Tammie Beckwith Schallmo, senior vice president/managing director at PMA Securities, presented the market trends, possible referendum financing plans, and a draft timeline.
Three potential options were recommended to the Board.
Option 1: Issuing all of the $89.1 in referendum bonds at once in February 2025.
Option 2: $65 million issued in February 2025 and $24.1 million issued in February 2026.
Option 3: $45.1 million issued in February 2025 and $44 million issued in February 2026.
This was not an action item, but after thorough input, the Board said it would like a plan based on Option 2. The January 23 regular board meeting will include a public hearing on the debt limit for referendum bonds, and the Board will vote on the bond sale parameters.
Adoption of Final 2024 Tax Levy Resolution #1351, Instructing the County Clerk How to Apportion 2024 Tax Levy Extension Reductions Resolution #1352, Authorizing Tax for Illinois Municipal Retirement Purposes Resolution #1353
Motion Approved
Committee Reports - Finance and Facilities Committee Meeting
The committee talked with the new construction manager for the Emerson-related referendum projects and reviewed the plan together. The committee was impressed with the presentation and the thought of integrating systems with what’s being implemented at other schools.
Noel Mendoza, Director of Facility Management, gave an overview of the new playground that will be installed at Carpenter Elementary School this summer. He explained how he narrowed down potential companies to install a new playground and why we are moving forward with Burke and Play Illinois. The Carpenter PTO has been tirelessly working on this project for more than a year by fundraising and collaborating with staff and experts on plans for an all-inclusive playground for children of all abilities. Thank you to the Carpenter Playground Committee and the Carpenter PTO for helping make this a reality!
“I just want to say thank you,” said Superintendent Dr. Ben Collins to the Carpenter PTO members sitting in the audience. “This is going to be a huge win for our whole community. It’s going to be cool to drive by and see those playgrounds at our schools and see our kids playing on them all the time.” Our other elementary schools will work with Burke to design their new playgrounds, and the plan is to have Carpenter, Roosevelt, and Washington’s playgrounds done this summer with the rest of the schools the following summer.
Approval of Limited Notice to Proceed Agreement with Ameresco to purchase equipment
Motion Approved
Superintendent Update
Dr. Collins presented an overview of the Strategic Plan & his Superintendent Goals heading into 2025.
- You can find a PDF of the Strategic Plan Update presentation here.
- You can find a PDF of the Superintendent Goals presentation here.
- To watch the Superintendent Update from this meeting, click here.
Approval to Opt-Out of Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance
Motion Approved
Student Disciplinary Decision/Action – Student 2025-01
Motion Approved
Discussion & Approval of Student Fees & Kindergarten Tuition for 2025-2026
Motion Approved
Chief School Business Official Dr. Adam Parisi presented to the Board what student fees would be for the 2025-2026 school year. You can watch the student fees discussion by clicking here.
Our District Administration team has reviewed academic fees, participatory fees, transportation fees, and kindergarten tuition as part of the budgeting process. Below you will find information related to registration fees for your child. The fees for the 2025-2026 school year can also be found on our website.
We are excited to announce that preschool fees and tuition have been eliminated thanks to a Preschool for All Grant.
We will once again have an early bird discount for families who register and pay before the registration deadline on March 14. Families who register and pay by this date will enjoy unchanged academic registration fees for the 17th consecutive year. Next week, you can expect another email outlining the registration timeline and details about the early bird discount.
Registration Fees (If Paid By The March 14 Deadline):
- Half-Day Kindergarten: $114
- Full-Day Kindergarten: $227
- Elementary Grades 1 through 5: $227
- Middle School: $315
Registration Fees (After The March 14 Deadline):
- Half-Day Kindergarten: $164
- Full-Day Kindergarten: $277
- Elementary Grades 1 through 5: $277
- Middle School: $365
Our analysis of fees incorporates both educational philosophy and economic considerations. It is important to note that registration fees only cover a portion of instructional costs. Due to rising expenses, we have increased participatory fees in some areas. Please note that the early bird discount does not apply to participatory, bus, or tuition fees.
Instrumental music and athletic fees will increase by $10. These fees have remained unchanged for several years; however, the rising costs of stipends, supplies, referees, and tournament registrations have necessitated this adjustment. We have also consulted with the Park District and other travel organizations to make sure our fees are aligned with those in our community.
Participatory Fees for the 2025-26 School Year:
- Instrumental Music (Beginner & Advanced): $50
- Chorus (Elementary): $25
- Chorus (Middle School): $40
- Chromebook Maintenance (Elementary & Middle School): $50
- Basketball (Athletics): $150
- Wrestling (Athletics): $150
- Volleyball (Athletics): $150
- Cross Country (Athletics): $45
Chorus fees have not increased this year due to a substantial increase two years ago. The Chromebook maintenance fee will rise by $20 from last year. A recent technology fee study revealed that most surrounding districts charge more than we do. Despite the continuous rise in the costs of Chromebooks and maintenance, we have maintained a $30 fee since implementing our 1-to-1 program nearly a decade ago. This adjustment helps bring us closer to the actual spending on technology support.
Bus fees will remain unchanged, as they were increased just a few years ago.
Bus Fees for the 2025-26 School Year:
- All Year: $550
- Cold Weather (Post Thanksgiving Break - Post Spring Break): $210
The tuition for full-day kindergarten remains the same at $3,240.
Summer Interim Session 2024 Report, Presentation & Approval of Summer Interim Session 2025
Motion Approved
Approval of Release and Settlement Agreement with Brecht’s Database Solutions, INC. (EMBRACE)
Motion Approved
Approval of the Sixth Amendment to the Special Education Transportation Services Contract
Motion Approved
Consent Agenda
Motions Approved
We are pleased to announce that Brian Harlan has been hired as the District's Assistant Superintendent/Chief School Business Official, effective July 1st. Harlan has been the principal at Schaumburg High School since 2020 and will be taking over for Dr. Adam Parisi, who is resigning at the end of June.
Dr. Parisi has been with us since 2021 and has successfully managed all financial aspects of the District, ensuring a balanced budget each year. He played a key role in the full-day kindergarten construction process and planning for the recent 2024 referendum.
We’ll have more information posted to our website soon on Harlan and what he brings to the role and the community.